Chapter 104


    Trevas and his party were taken aback; even wounded like that, vin ran like a hare. "The prey


    that was within our grasp can''t escape; chase him down!" Trevas shouted, urging his team to


    pursue at full speed.


    vin kept his cool, deliberately choosing the most chaotic parts of the forest to escape through.


    Once a safe distance was gained, vin paused briefly to invoke the Restoration Mantra, drawing


    upon the Restoration Aether that flowed through thend and sky. As the mystical energies suffused


    his body, they mended his wounds and replenished his vitality. At the slightest hint of pursuit, he


    would resume his flight.


    This pattern of running and healing continued for nearly two hours. Despite spending the majority of


    the time in flight, his spirit and strength were slowly being restored.


    Trevas and hispanions were finally enraged. Pursuing a Stage V vin, especially one who


    was nearly at death''s door, for two whole hours was a humiliating endeavor. The most vexing part


    was that vin always seemed to be just ahead of them, tantalizingly close before vanishing like a


    wisp of smoke, making it seem as if he was toying with them.


    At high noon, Trevas barked orders, and the eight-person squad split into four groups, each moving


    separately but maintaining a safe distance to avoid any unforeseen cmities.


    By now, vin had regained most of his strength, and the roles of the hunted and the hunter were


    about to reverse.


    "Where has that damned cur run off to now?"


    "Once we catch him, let''s break his legs first!"


    "It''s like the more he runs, the more his vigor grows."


    A man and woman climbed a low hill, cursing under their breath. They scanned the surroundings –


    vin had been right before them moments ago, but now he was nowhere to be seen.


    "Keep after him. I want to see how long he can keep this up."


    The man tugged at his cor and gritted his teeth as he started to run. As he was about to leap


    down from the hilltop, a figure suddenly soared into the air like a hawk taking flight. Two throwing


    knives whistled from his hands, aimed at both the man and the woman behind him.


    "vin?" Their expressions shifted as they dodged back, but the throwing knives weren''t on a


    straight path; they spun, mming into their ribs with a thud, blood spraying as screams echoed


    through the caverns.


    vinnded with a roll, surging up to appear before the man and delivering a crushing blow to his


    throat.


    With a sickening crack, the force of thousands of pounds shattered the man''s throat. A clear imprint


    of the fist protruded from the back of his neck. His scream was cut short, and his body lifted off the


    ground and tumbled down the hillside.


    The kill was swift and decisive.


    The many twitching in the brush at the foot of the hill, silenced forever in mere moments. vin''s


    cold gaze then swept to the woman, his eyes brimming with lethal intent.


    The woman shuddered, forgetting the searing pain in her rib, forgetting to scream or even resist as


    she stood transfixed atop the hill.


    vin paused, then turned to leave.


    The woman suddenly regained her senses and screamed, "vin is here! He''s here..."


    Suddenly, her chest burst open with a spray of blood. Struck by an immense force, she staggered


    back two steps, looking down in disbelief to see a gaping wound where her heart should be. She


    opened her mouth to speak, but blood was all that emerged. Her world spun as she copsed to the


    ground.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    vin walked away without looking back. Who was the prey, and who was the hunter now?


    Before long, Trevas and the others arrived at the scene, their faces turning grim at the sight of the


    two bodies on the hilltop. Was this vin''s work?


    A Stage VI mage and a Stage VII mage, were both dispatched without a sign of prolonged struggle,


    indicating they were taken down in just a few blows.


    "You want to y games with me? Heh, we''ll see it through to the end. Search for him,"


    commanded Trevas, his face devoid of any smile.


    On a distant hilltop, vin stood atop an ancient tree, gripping his throwing knives, his brow


    furrowed as he focused intently on Trevas'' head.


    But at that moment, a violent tremor rippled through the mountains. They all felt the ground and the


    mountains themselves shake, followed by a deep, booming sound that thundered and echoed for a


    long time. They all looked towards the distantmotion, where a thick plume of smoke rose high


    into the sky, churning tumultuously, on a scale grand enough to be a volcanic eruption,


    apanied by fierce winds sting in all directions.


    Birds scattered from the area, their frantic cries filling the sky as they fled in all directions.


    vin sheathed his knives, looking on in wonderment. This didn''t seem like the aftermath of a


    battle. Had some ident urred?