Treasure hunters are sensitive to information. In the past, just as the mere fact that the Thousand Transformations attempted to purchase a treasure trove spread the information instantly, that information spread to treasure hunters in an instant.

The "Thousand Transformations" that had so easily handled so many events with such divine calculation and ingenuity was gathering strength.

The information was confusing. Some said that the attack on the clan house had been the trigger, while others believed that even the attack had been planned by the Thousand Transformations.
The only thing they all agreed on was that the retaliation would be severe.

Of course, that's against the laws of the Empire. No matter how high a level hunter you are - no, it is precisely because you are a high level hunter that you are not allowed to break the law.
But the infamy of the Ghosts of Sorrows had a track record that would make you believe that. They would hunt down anyone who dared to challenge them to the ends of the earth and never let them escape.




The Imperial City of Zebrudia. The store exists quietly in a corner of the decadent city known as a crucible for criminals who have boiled down the darkness of the Imperial City.
A ruined mansion on the verge of collapse. Open the old door that's halfway off the street, go deeper, and go down the stairs to the basement.

The Red Tavern (Red Link). The Red Link was created for those on the fringes of society to share information, and can be called an underground searcher's association that mediates dirty requests.

The bar is small, but only those with top-notch skills who have been introduced by large organizations are allowed to enter the tavern.
There were only a few customers in the bar with a few tables placed in an appropriate manner, except for the strong manager. Their appearance, gender, and age were all different, but the only thing they had in common was the ruthless light in their eyes and the hint of violence that had seeped into their bodies.

In a dimly lit corner of the store. Around a small table, there were two men and two women. Black hair hidden up to their eyes. A small man with an air of depression and a blonde woman with a strong look in her eyes.

They are less intimidating than the other customers, but the very fact that they exist in this place proves that they are skilled Red Hunters.
The two are called by two names. The two of them were assassins who went by two names and targeted big game.

They usually work in other countries, but the reason they came to Zebrudia was because there was a huge bounty on a certain man.
The bounty was unbelievably large for a single treasure hunter. If he was dealt with well, he could live happily ever after. He would even get the honor of killing the hunter who had outsmarted the fox.

However, both of them looked pale before this once-in-a-lifetime task.
The blonde-haired woman, an archer with a hundred shots, [golden] slammed her fist on the table and looked down at the man as if to intimidate him.


'Are you saying you're scared now? We've already attacked you once, you know!


Assassination is an easy job for [Goldilocks]. Even if the opponent is a skilled treasure hunter, he has done his job without a single mistake so far.

Even if the opponent was a clearly superior competitor, there was no problem. Although the growth of mana materials is greatly influenced by one's will, most treasure hunters tend to allocate the mana materials they absorb to attack. This is because, while defense can be adequately covered by armor, attack power must be increased to stand a chance against powerful illusions. No one has ever been shot in the vitals by [Gold], who uses the Mana Material he has absorbed to increase his stealth and attack power.

And making that job even more certain was his partner, Fightless .
He is a man who distrusts people and is always unsure of himself, but his ability to manipulate explosives and poisons and defeat his targets without a fight is more terrifying than simple brute force.

If Golden and Fightless , who have different areas of expertise, team up, there is no opponent they can't kill.

However, the man who was always trembling and unsure of himself, but who was always sure of his work, was now completely deflated.

'Mmm, I can't. You can't win. That man is ...... a monster.'

'You've known he's a monster for a long time! He's a level 8!

Normally, an assassin wouldn't target a level 8 hunter. The risk is too high.
The certification level of a treasure hunter can only be increased by accumulating achievements. There is also an exam. Being a level 8 hunter is proof that you are the strongest person in the world.
The amount of mana and materials you have absorbed and the training you have gone through. The amount of effort, quality, and above all, talent are different. You can divide them into several types, such as the one-trick pony type and the all-around type, but level 8 has the power to blow away any such differences.

In Zebrudia, the holy land of hunters, there are only four people who are level 8 or above, and you can see how unusual that is.

And yet, he still decided to go for it. He weighed the risk against the bounty and the glory, and decided to kill it.
Gold is a hunter. As long as you have planned and made a small move, there is no way you can retreat here.

He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, but his partner shook his body and said.

You will find a lot of things that you can do to make your life easier. But it's not only strong. Oh ...... he threw my special bomb at Garg. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I've got a few screws in my head.

'..................'

'How are we, the weak, going to kill someone even crazier than us?

The restaurant was silent. Neither the black-clad manager at the counter nor the other customers said a word. But his words were right on target.

The strength of an assassin is that he knows from the start that his actions will be a crime.
Therefore, he does not need to choose any means to achieve his goal, and as long as his opponent is normal, he has the advantage. This is true no matter how powerful the target is.

But what if the opponent has no intention to choose the means in the first place?

[Golden] clearly understood the meaning of the fear in [Mu Tie]'s eyes.

'Oh, we're on the same playing field. [Golden]. They're standing in the same ring! Look, they're gonna do it. They'll do things we can't do. They're going to kill our friends, our acquaintances, our families... and hang them. Make an example out of them! They're not afraid to do what's not right.

'...... I have no friends. Except you. My family's long gone.

'I do have friends.'

As [Gold] narrowed his eyes, [Mu Fang] stood up unsteadily, waving his arms emotionally and shouting.
The table made a clattering sound, and the air froze.

'Look! They came here with us, full of confidence, and most of them have run away! I heard that the searchers were afraid that the Ghost of Sorrows was going too far!

I'm sorry.

You're right.
If word got out that the Explorers Society to which the Ghost of Sorrows belonged was afraid that the party was going too far, the assassins would run for cover.
Even the allies are afraid of the party's actions, and there's no reason why the enemies, the Golds, shouldn't be afraid.

Clearly, this is a dangerous mountain. It's a true monster whose life is worth something, and it's not worth getting ten billion dollars for.
The only way to avoid retaliation is to take out the entire party, but if it's just one person, there's no way two people can take out a party full of people with two names at once.


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