Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Cyborgs first appeared over a thousand years ago when a powerful sorcerer captured his enemy and transformed him, giving him a dog's tail and a pig's nose. The sorcerer chained his foe and paraded him around to vent his hatred. Since then, cyborgs have occasionally appeared, but they were always in the form of those who had been humiliated.
However, this assassin was quite different; her transformation was not one of humiliation but rather an enhancement of her lethality. It was clearly the work of someone from Silent City, yet she was also a failure, as she was found in the Rainforest rather than by her master's side, indicating that her master did not control her.
Cui Ming said, "This is Silent City; you can never fathom the minds of madmen."
The next day, Feng stayed at the camp to guard it, gathering firewood and hunting nearby animals while foraging for wild fruits. Miss Fortune and Cui Ming left the camp, first heading to a small stream before making a loop and quietly returning near the camp. They found a location with a fault line over a meter high, with a hole in the center. The two brought branches and nestled into the hole, waiting silently. Practitioners had significant limitations in their ability to see through obstructions, so they concealed themselves, relying entirely on Cui Ming's Fate Card.
The space was small, and the two were close together. Cui Ming felt somewhat awkward, while Miss Fortune was unfazed; she had seen it all before. Of course, if Cui Ming had shown any signs of comfort or eagerness, Miss Fortune would have exploded. To break the tension, Miss Fortune asked, "Have you heard of a game called Truth or Dare?"
"This game seems pointless," Cui Ming replied. "It's just a game about prying into people's privacy. The first time might be thrilling, but afterward, it makes it hard to maintain friendships." Truth or Dare was also a reality show with a grand prize of three million dollars; contestants didn't need skills or knowledge—just to answer 21 questions with yes or no. No contestant had ever won the three million prize because sometimes the darkness within people is something they cannot face or articulate.
Miss Fortune said, "Actually, you know what? We knew about you long ago. Beiyue's ability to join the Hunters was partly due to your contribution. Among us, it seemed like Beiyue took shortcuts."
Cui Ming was taken aback. "How could that be? Beiyue is very capable."
"Yes, Beiyue is capable; she passed both the skill and character assessments without issue. However, she failed the purpose assessment—that's why she joined the Hunter Organization. She joined out of personal necessity, which sparked some internal debate at that time. On the other hand, Li Qing may have had some shortcomings, but we all believe he is exceptional."
Cui Ming remained silent; this point was true—Beiyue primarily joined the Hunter Organization to search for her father's whereabouts. After their recent interactions, Cui Ming believed that even after resolving her father's issues, Beiyue would not feel a sense of duty as a Hunter.
Miss Fortune continued, "The most important rule for Hunters is dedication. Practitioners—especially Hunters—can live comfortably; they can have fame and luxury without issue. If you mention the President and their seats of power, there’s certainly a sense of achievement and satisfaction that comes with it. But what about Hunters? They only have honor. So Beiyue is unqualified in this regard; after joining the Hunter Organization, she has not actively accepted any missions."
"Was it Wandering who made the final decision?"
"Yes. Wandering analyzed Li Qing, Mi Xiaonan, Ding Ze, and you—especially focusing on Li Qing and you. Li Qing is someone we are eager to recruit; he meets all the requirements for being a Hunter and is undoubtedly an outstanding partner. You are someone Wandering admires greatly; thus we reached an internal agreement to give Beiyue an opportunity. If Beiyue remains indifferent after dealing with Master Bei's matters or only works for Hunters out of obligation or repayment, she will be stripped of her Hunter status." Miss Fortune then asked, "In your opinion, does Beiyue genuinely have intentions to contribute to the alliance?"
It would be strange if she did; Beiyue's purpose had always been clear: to uncover the truth behind her father's disappearance. Whether recruiting companions, participating in Assessment Matches, or joining Hunters—all were driven by her quest for her father. Li Qing was entirely different; he possessed passion.
"Does that mean Beiyue's morals are low?" Cui Ming asked, not entirely convinced. "It's not necessarily true. I don't think having a devoted hunter as a partner is a good thing; life should belong to the individual."
"What do you mean by that?"
"We're able to lie here because of Beiyue, right? After everything is over, I hope you can explain to Beiyue and ask her to voluntarily withdraw from the Hunter Organization. That said, we have a good impression of Beiyue. She's strong and brave, but she lacks passion and dedication. She's more suited to being a friend than a hunter."
Cui Ming didn't respond and instead asked, "Why do you want to be a hunter?"
"Because of gratitude, among other reasons. Being a hunter gives me a goal to strive for; it makes life more fulfilling. Most importantly, being a hunter is like being part of a family—a warm family. Our work is dangerous, and we could lose our companions at any moment, so we cherish the time we have together even more." Miss Fortune sighed. "There are too few hunters, and we lack top-tier experts like Wandering. You might not know this, but due to warming temperatures, Arctic creatures have started moving inland, and hunters are overwhelmed with twelve contracts each. Why? Because we simply don't have the capacity or manpower. Cui Ming, would you be interested in applying to be a hunter?"
"Haha, my moral value is too low."
"But you have the ability. While your skills may not be top-notch, many times it's not just about strength."
"Well... I don't like being constrained. Maybe if I had more free time, I'd be willing to help out. Not just helping others or my senior brother, but also for the satisfaction of realizing my own value while doing something noble."
Miss Fortune smiled. "That's the biggest problem facing the Alliance—many practitioners share your mindset. Don't rush; I'm not saying you're wrong. After all, the Force Alliance was created to prevent world wars; its original intention wasn't to restrict or manage practitioners."
"Hey, isn't there another reason? Is it that you can't settle down?"
"You really have no sense of humor; why ask if you already know?"
"I don't believe in curses. There are many coincidences in this world. Yes, your grandparents and father had accidents, but..."
"My first love also died unexpectedly."
"Oh? I'd like to hear about it."
Miss Fortune shrugged and recounted the story. Cui Ming disagreed: "Doctors get fatigued; the likelihood of them accidentally cutting themselves increases significantly. At the same time, the possibility of anti-government armed groups attacking camps is already high; they won't decide whether to attack based on whether you confessed your feelings to the doctor. So this wasn't an accident."
"You’re just saying that."
"Hey. If confessing your feelings would cause that person to die, you’d be the strongest on this planet... Never mind. If I didn’t care about the person I liked, I’d pair up with you just to see if it brings me bad luck." Cui Ming said, "I’m a gambler, and I’ve won a championship in a Poker tournament. I know one truth: those who rely on luck never make it to the end. I've seen countless people at the gambling table; some do have great luck. But in the end, their good fortune often leads to their downfall because they abandon data analysis and rely on feelings, turning from professionals into amateurs."
"Bufon and Wandering both believe it; why don’t you?"
Cui Ming replied, "Bufon and Wandering aren’t necessarily right. No one is completely correct in this world, not even the Creator God. Suppose there is a Creator God who places a curse on a newborn; that in itself is wrong. If you believe the Creator God can make mistakes, then don’t care about what Bufon and Wandering think. If you believe the Creator God is infallible, then He hasn’t cursed you."
Miss Fortune questioned, "You seem to not believe at all?"
"Because I’m a professional, a card master. Luck exists in this world, but it’s never the most crucial factor. So I don’t believe in curses. If it were voodoo or magic, I could accept that, but I don’t believe in curses of fate."
"Heh heh, saying all this is pointless; you won’t even try."
Just as Cui Ming was about to say something, he suddenly said, "Here it comes; there’s a Force approaching. It’s similar to that turtle, but I’ve only seen it once. I can’t be sure if it’s the same turtle."
"Can we surround it?"
"Not sure, but it’s risky." The three of them weren’t moving very quickly. Not knowing the opponent's abilities made this position unsuitable for surrounding them. The turtle was cautious, stopping every few steps and moving stealthily.
Miss Fortune perked up her ears and squeezed closer to Cui Ming, glancing down with a grin: "You’re blushing."
Her voice was a bit loud, prompting Cui Ming to quickly gesture for silence. He saw the turtle retreat a few steps before leaving at a slow pace. Cui Ming sighed in frustration: "Failed. Wait—don’t go out; he might be fishing." They had already left the Fate Card range, but since the range wasn’t large, Cui Ming remained cautious; it was better to wait for a fish willing to bite than to go out and catch one himself.
There was still hope. Miss Fortune focused intently and waited quietly. Five minutes passed without any movement. Miss Fortune glanced at Cui Ming, who had his eyes wide open with a serious expression, so she continued to wait as well. Ten minutes later, she couldn’t help but whisper, "What’s going on?"
"I don’t know how to say it," Cui Ming replied. "Subjectively, I think he won’t leave, but objectively speaking, he has already left."
Miss Fortune asked, "Since there are objective facts, are you trying to take advantage of me?"
The space was small, and their bodies were in an awkward position. Cui Ming felt some instinctive reactions, but as a novice and a rational person, he didn't let his thoughts stray too far; his main focus remained on the Fate Card. He whispered, "I'm not sure, but I don't want to take the risk. If someone is nearby observing us, I think it's very likely. Once we reveal ourselves, it might be difficult to catch it. For now, we can only retreat, but waiting doesn't seem promising either. Let's make a detour and return openly."
"Hey, I'm the leader here."
"Alright, then you keep watch."
"We'll retreat for now and cast our nets again tomorrow. If that doesn't work, we'll have to hunt actively."
"Wise decision."
"Before we leave, I want to ask: with us being so close, do you have any other thoughts?"
Cui Ming sighed, "If I say yes but take no action, you'll start worrying about Heavenly Killers' Lone Star. I've already explained a lot earlier. If I say yes and we do take action, then what fish are we trying to catch? So my answer is: no."
Miss Fortune asked, "So is there a fact or not?"
"I've already said I can't confirm that there is one. As for what the facts are, why bother caring?"
"Not a real man," Miss Fortune remarked as she maneuvered around Cui Ming, then crawled ahead while he followed. After making a full circle, they returned to the camp. (To be continued.)
Comment 0 Comment Count