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Although he appeared dull and dazed, his finger was surprisingly steady when he pulled the trigger, and he was difficult to defend against because of his large overcoat.
I... got shot?
A warm sensation and contractions gradually rose in my abdomen, accompanied by a metallic sweetness rising in my throat.
Vivian felt a chill run through her body. She hadn't expected these two to launch such a deadly attack without any hesitation. Just moments ago, she had been using [Swinging Heart Bell] to subtly interfere with their minds, hoping to find a way to escape.
Will I die? Die alone in a foreign land in this way?
Vivian didn't think it was impossible.
During her years as a Hunter, she witnessed some of her more talented colleagues die absurdly in seemingly insignificant missions, turning into a cloud of white ashes before being buried deep in cold coffins.
With neither Dr. Fran nor Sister Heda around, there was no reason for her to be an exception.
For a fleeting moment, Vivian felt a panic that almost brought her to tears.
But soon, as adrenaline surged, a fierce sense of resentment overwhelmed her. Even in death, she wanted a more meaningful way.
Suddenly, she felt a strange, long-lost sensation... it was a stomachache.
It wasn't nausea from seasickness, nor was it spasms caused by gastrointestinal discomfort. Her stomach was actually cramping.
"boom!"
Seeing her strange silence, the waiter Appi pulled the trigger again.
This time, he aimed for the head.
The steel-core bullet struck Vivian accurately once again. The immense impact sent her head flying backward, but she did not fall. It was as if some unseen force was supporting her body.
Under the dim, flickering yellow streetlights, one could see the "Reaching for the Moon" technique, resembling jet-black tentacles, winding its way out of her throat, coated with a little saliva, slowly twisting and wriggling between her lips and tongue.
The bullet, still shrouded in pale gunpowder smoke, was now tightly wrapped by a tentacle, unable to advance even an inch further.
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Soup! (5k!)
Chapter 109 The Hunter Wields the Sword
【Reaching for the Moon】is inherently a living biomass, and after Fran's adjustments, it has gained a certain degree of autonomous combat capability. It can spontaneously identify enemy attacks and intercept them.
Considering that Vivian might encounter irresistible dangers when acting alone, Fran used a special method... to "lend" her his bracelet along with the stomach medicine.
"What is that? It has a shape like marine tentacles... Is it a secret technique of the Star Abyss Society?"
Brown was momentarily surprised and doubtful, and involuntarily accelerated the silent chanting of the prayer.
From the moment they made contact, he attempted to interfere with the person before him using the second-class superior secret technique, "The Song of the Cicada Form." However, the other party seemed to resist and neutralize his mental influence in some imperceptible way.
His eyes narrowed as he looked at the guard, Yapi, beside him, and then gave the order to attack.
Api aimed at Vivian again and then pulled the trigger repeatedly, emptying all the bullets from the magazine.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
He was using some kind of medium-caliber firearm, and the firing of the steel-core bullets kicked up large plumes of pale smoke.
But the "Reaching for the Moon" technique that emerged from Vivian's throat formed a spiderweb-like curtain, precisely intercepting the incoming bullet core.
Once the dark biomass had completely left Vivian's throat, she couldn't help but gasp for breath. The feeling of something blocking her throat was somewhat uncomfortable.
The abdominal pain... also seemed to have disappeared.
She lowered her eyes to look at her lower abdomen, where she could see the black tentacles of "Reaching for the Moon" slowly invading the wound. While stopping the bleeding, she removed the shrapnel embedded in the muscle.
Seeing that the gun had no effect, Yapi's dull eyes showed no change.
He swiftly slammed the gun to the ground, then let out a low growl and lunged at Vivian.
The [Cicada-Shaped Song] cast by Brown can not only confuse the enemy, but also have an effect on his own guard.
At that moment, Yapi's body suddenly swelled up, and the exposed skin shone with the luster of chitinous nail plates.
He moved closer to Vivian, revealing an arm beneath his cloak. In the flickering streetlights, she could see clearly... it was a biological saw blade resembling the foot of a hunting bug.
The razor-sharp arm blade sliced through the black biomass veil as if it were nothing, then severed Vivian's body in two at the waist.
The flesh and arteries were cut open, and the gushing blood spurted out like a small fountain. Appi stretched out his body freely, bathing in this warm, viscous rain of blood.
But after a moment, even with his dull and numb mind…er… he vaguely sensed something was amiss. (From "Zero: ∷〖")
Why does a substance capable of stopping bullets offer no resistance when cut? Why is there no intoxicating, sweet, metallic scent of blood in the air?
Brown clicked its tongue and gave Api the command again.
From his perspective, his guards were slashing at the air beside them with all their might. Meanwhile, the "Hermit" silently retreated.
It seems this guy does indeed possess some kind of highly efficient and stealthy mental interference technique, but he doesn't seem to be strong in direct confrontation and has no desire to fight.
A newly appointed high priest? Hmm... or perhaps a gifted third-tier disciple.
Otherwise, even if they cannot defeat the enemy by force, they should at least put up some substantial resistance.
Vivian weaved through the winding, secluded alleyways, trying her best to conceal herself.
During the process, she raised her hand and released Mu Ning in order to call for help.
Given the current situation... even with the assistance of "Reaching for the Moon," directly confronting a Night Moth Priest is still an unattainable dream.
Therefore, she used her spiritual power to activate the brass pocket watch given to her by Dr. Fran, thus disturbing Api's consciousness.
Once the effects of the oscillating bell dissipated, Appi realized that the scene of him killing the enemy was just his imagination.
Realizing he had been tricked, he roared in anger and gave chase.
As a true veteran high priest of the moth, Brown possesses physical qualities that are difficult for ordinary people to match. His steps are like the leaps of a dance, and in a moment he has locked onto Vivian again.
The aura of a shell-like creature lingered around her, making it incredibly easy to pinpoint her location.
“Lady Hermit, as a distinguished guest of the First Habitat, is it not undignified to flee in such a disheveled manner? We are, after all, comrades. As long as you are willing to return the stolen sacred remains and tell us the whereabouts of the Inchworm… I can guarantee your safety.”
Brown pigments track targets quickly and precisely, much like a predatory insect locking onto its target.
Vivian, seeing the relentless pursuit of her enemies, made no response, but instead created a psychological illusion once more by swinging her heart bell. She then vanished into the shadowy, dark alleyway.
Just as Brown thought he had seen through the opponent's trick and impatiently dispelled the illusion... a mystical bullet inscribed with the Hunter's Prayer pierced through the hazy image and accurately hit his eyeball.
The embers flickered for a moment, and the Brown Priest immediately covered his face and let out a low growl.
Human eyes struggle to see in this level of darkness, but the callbird possesses a spiritual connection to the night and shadows, thus enhancing its twilight vision... to the point of being comparable to creatures with true night vision.
Relying on the eyes of the raven Munin, Vivian completed this difficult shot in a flash.
Her physical abilities, compared to the average person, were at most the result of some training. Trying to get rid of a Night Moth Priestess this way was unrealistic; therefore, a necessary counterattack was indispensable.
"Damn it, she actually managed to get her hands on something from the Hunters... This will make the wounds very difficult to heal."
The pheophytin was momentarily annoyed, but did not seem to have suffered any serious damage.
A direct hit to the eye by a bullet core would be enough to penetrate the skull of an ordinary person, turning their soft brain and nerves into a mess.
But the brown eyeball seemed to have undergone some kind of hardening, possessing certain shell-like characteristics... The bullet shattered the crystalline outer layer of the eyeball, but that was all; it didn't penetrate any further.
Upon ascending the steps of the high priest, Brown's body already exhibited incomplete shell-like characteristics. Gunshot wounds, enough to kill a mortal, would heal for him in just a short time.
This is even with the blessing of the Hunter's Prayer...
Despite being injured, brown pigment did not give up the pursuit.
If I just let her get away like this, wouldn't all my injuries have been for nothing?
Moreover, this woman's status as a VIP at the First Habitat, receiving the same level of treatment as Grayscar and Whiteneck... she must possess immense value. If he could capture her, he might gain the opportunity to ascend to the Fifth Step.
……zero
Leaning against the wall at the end of the dark alley, Vivian forced herself to take deep breaths to recover her drastically depleted strength.
Dr. Fran used the [Swinging Heart Bell] as naturally as breathing, never expecting it to consume so much of his spiritual energy… Just creating a few illusions nearly depleted his already limited spiritual reserves.
Given her rank, it is indeed commendable that she could be entangled with a Moth Priestess for so long.
Although she has managed to pull ahead, Vivian's stamina is nearly exhausted.
The gunshot wound previously inflicted by Appi has been stabilized and sealed by [Reaching for the Moon], but the physical injury still greatly affects her mobility. IV
"That shot was confirmed to have hit, but the standard-issue pistol used by secret agents has a smaller caliber, and the inscribed prayer is only from a mass-produced model. It couldn't truly cripple the high priest."
Calm down. (Sol)
Driven by an intense will to survive, Vivian's thoughts were calmer than ever before.
During a brief respite to regain her strength, she quickly analyzed the current situation and carefully considered the resources at her disposal, pondering how to allocate them rationally.
Having exhausted all spiritual energy, one can use the Pendulum Bell one more time. But after that, one will lose all remaining mobility and fall into a coma.
Given the current situation, it is impossible to escape on my own.
What she had to do was to do everything in her power to delay the inevitable.
Thinking this, Vivian took out a piece of the wing fragment from a shell-like creature and carefully constructed an illusion of herself by swinging the Heart Bell. Then she took a strand of "Reaching for the Moon" and pulled it into an invisible thread.
This is a "mixed rope" made from locally sourced materials.
The Secret Service's standard armament includes several specially made smoke grenades... and a real fragmentation grenade.
If exposed during a dangerous infiltration mission, one can use this to drag the enemy down with them, thus preventing their bodies from being desecrated after death.
She removed the grenade's pin, used a small amount of black biomass to pull its safety pin, and then placed it under the heavy shell-like wing.
After completing all of this, the dizziness caused by spiritual depletion made it impossible for Vivian to maintain her physical stability.
Despite her swaying body, she leaped over the wall at the end of the alley.
Although separated by only a wall, there was at least some cover to block their view and shrapnel. Their true location wouldn't be discovered immediately... and at the same time, they wouldn't be affected by the traps they had set.
Almost the instant Vivian closed her eyes on the other side of the wall, overcome with drowsiness, Brown had already arrived with Api.
"Such a weak state... it seems you are indeed not yet a high priest. Wearing the robes of a high-ranking priest, yet so frail inside, it is truly pitiful."
He gazed at the psychological illusion created by the oscillating clock, a hint of mockery flashing in his spider-like eyes.
Brown didn't immediately notice anything amiss, since the reason he was able to track Vivian so accurately was because of the shell-like aura on her body.
At this moment, beneath the illusory image lies the wing of a shell-like creature's remains.
He first sent Apier forward to test the waters, and only after confirming that the other party had lost consciousness did he slowly approach, preparing to restrain him and take him back to the stronghold.
However, just as Brown was about to make his move, he suddenly stopped.
"Oh... it's an illusion? And it even has a tripwire under the wings of the holy remains."
"What an ugly trap! It's not the kind of thing a noble occultist would do."
The followers of the moth are experts in illusion and deception. They can discern the slightest discord in the things before them.
Although she was exposed, it doesn't mean Vivian's trap failed.
Just as Brown was about to create distance and trigger the tripwire, he saw the jet-black tripwire, as if it were alive, pull the safety pin on its own.
"you!"
The moment he uttered the first word, the exploding flames transformed into expanding incandescent light, engulfing his figure.
Explosions, shrapnel, gunpowder smoke.
When Brown's form reappeared, his moth-like robe had been torn apart by the spreading impact, revealing his body covered in a deep black carapace.
The raging flames burned him, then he reached out and brushed them away.
"Well done..."
His face was cold and gloomy.
While the grenade's close-range detonation was powerful, it was still insufficient to seriously injure a senior high priest.
But repeated injuries had exhausted all his patience, and now... he was no longer so obsessed with capturing live animals.
On the other side of the wall, a gray mist gathered and condensed. Black nuns' robes fluttered and rustled in the wind.
Haida arrived, with Muning, the crow who had entered the Fog Street seeking help, perched on her shoulder.
She gazed at Vivian, who had fallen unconscious and was completely unprepared, and her gray-chestnut eyes gradually hardened.
"Thank you for your hard work, Vivian."