The day after arriving in the imperial capital, Buck immediately embarked on his first mission as a hunter. The bustling capital was filled with novelty and the unknown, but he had no time to familiarize himself with the environment and had to rely on Veronica to lead the way.


    They first took a carriage and, after a bumpy ride, arrived at the docks. The dock was crowded with people, noisy and chaotic, with workers carrying heavy loads and ships anchored along the shore, gently swaying with the waves. Soon, the two boarded a steamship billowing black smoke. The ship rumbled as it slowly made its way toward the center of the Lionheart River, finally docking at a massive vessel.


    The issuer of this mission, the renowned alchemist genius of the capital, Julius, was aboard this large ship. As Buck stepped into the cabin, he saw it filled with various strange alchemical equipment, bottles and jars glowing with mysterious light and emitting a pungent chemical smell.


    Among the clutter of equipment, Buck met the elderly alchemist, Julius. His unkempt, fluffy white hair stood out as if it hadn''t been groomed for a long time, yet his sharp, intelligent eyes reminded Buck of a brilliant scientist from his past life. The two seemed to share a similar aura.


    "My apprentice Dick stole most of the newly refined potions. You must retrieve them quickly—don’t wait until he causes a disaster," Julius’s voice echoed with a hint of urgency.


    "Do you know why Dick stole your potions?" Veronica stepped forward, politely asking.


    "Who knows? Maybe for money. After all, those potions are incredibly valuable, especially my new invention, Liquefied Thunder—it’s worth a fortune," Julius said, his attention focused on a dropper in his hand, not bothering to turn around, his tone dismissive.


    "Could you tell us more specifically about the potions Dick stole?" Veronica persisted patiently.


    Julius glanced at her, then reached for a small box nearby. In an instant, a strange light burst out from the box, illuminating the dim cabin. Buck''s gaze was immediately drawn to a vial of liquid inside the box, which sparkled with dazzling lightning. He squinted his eyes in shock.


    It turned out that the Liquefied Thunder Julius had mentioned was indeed as its name suggested—the power of thunder had been condensed into a liquid form in a small bottle. The liquid inside flickered with lightning, constantly jumping, as though it could break free of the bottle and unleash world-destroying power at any moment. Buck was stunned in his heart, wondering what kind of otherworldly technology this was.


    "Liquefied Thunder, Crystallized Sunshine, Roar Juice of the Garolong Herb, and various other enhancement potions, including some specifically for hunters. He stole an entire box," Julius closed the box, his expression serious. "It doesn’t matter if the other potions are lost, but Liquefied Thunder must be recovered no matter what."


    "Where do you think Dick is most likely to have fled to?" Veronica asked.


    "How would I know? He’ll go wherever it’s easiest to hide," Julius paused, then hesitated before saying, "Maybe you should check out the Earl’s old alchemy factory. He used to stay there often."


    At this moment, Buck, who had been listening quietly, suddenly asked, "Do you know anything about the Earl’s missing Twin Soul Mirror?"


    "Magic mirror? I don’t know, don’t ask me," Julius’s expression immediately changed, his calm demeanor replaced with tension, and a flicker of panic crossed his eyes. He waved his hand impatiently, trying to dismiss them. "You hunters have so many questions. Some other people already came earlier asking about these bizarre things. I told you, I’m just an alchemist helping the Earl with potions. What the Earl lost has nothing to do with me!"


    …


    Soon, Buck and Veronica arrived at the docks. The sky was darkening, and the evening glow tinged half of the sky red. The two boarded a carriage again, heading toward the Earl’s old alchemy workshop, as suggested by Julius.


    The noble Kingsley Earl of the imperial capital had long been a major investor in the alchemist Julius. However, unfortunately, the Earl had recently lost a long-sealed taboo object from his family, the Twin Soul Mirror.


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    "Kingsley Earl’s ancestor was once a Hunter Lord, so his family has the right to keep and use taboo objects," Veronica explained softly as she sat opposite Buck in the carriage, the wheels creaking as they rolled along the road. "Over time, the descendants of the Kingsley family have never had another Hunter Lord, so now they only have the right to seal taboo objects, but no longer the right to use them."


    A Hunter Lord refers to high-ranking hunters who have earned noble titles. Through their great achievements in battling the darkness, they have gained recognition from the imperial royal family and the church, which led to their titles.


    The family of a Hunter Lord has a special privilege—they can keep and use extremely dangerous taboo objects to enhance their own strength, while also bearing the significant responsibility of guarding these objects and preventing them from falling into chaos.


    "After the last taboo item, the Twin Soul Mirror, was sealed away and went missing from the Earl''s family, he chose to report it to the church, expressing his willingness for the order to retrieve it and absolve him of any related responsibility," Veronica explained.


    "The alchemist is suspicious," Buck suddenly interrupted, his voice low and certain. "He’s lying."


    Though Buck''s mission should have had little to do with the case, when he questioned the alchemist, he keenly noticed the other’s unusual reaction.


    Veronica blinked, a flicker of doubt crossing her eyes. "I noticed that too. Do you think Julius knows the whereabouts of the Twin Soul Mirror?"


    "No, he doesn''t know. His expression was tense and anxious—he seemed more concerned about the whereabouts of that taboo item than we were, yet he was doing everything he could to hide any connection between himself and it." Buck crossed his legs, lowering the brim of his hat so that shadows obscured his eyes. "So I speculate that he must have come into contact with the Twin Soul Mirror and then lost it."


    "Are you saying he secretly stole the Earl''s taboo item and used it without permission?" Veronica frowned. Although this theory had no solid evidence, it wasn’t entirely impossible. She suddenly realized that Buck’s mind was sharper than she had imagined. In fact, Veronica herself was highly intelligent, or else they wouldn''t have so easily noticed the subtle connections between Buck, Frank, and the cult back in the Viscount’s territory.


    Prompted by Buck, Veronica quickly pieced together an entire set of speculations. To her surprise, she realized they might be very close to finding the taboo item.


    ...


    The carriage slowly stopped in the outskirts of the southern city. By now, night had fallen, and darkness enveloped the surroundings, with only a few faint lights flickering in the distance. They had successfully arrived at the Kingsley family’s old alchemy factory before it got completely dark.


    The factory had long been closed due to poor management, now nothing but a ruin of dilapidated buildings. The factory walls were peeling, revealing mottled bricks, the windows shattered with glass shards scattered on the ground. The area was overrun with wild grass, silent and eerie.


    Interestingly, when they arrived, they found that someone had already beaten them there, standing before the factory’s entrance. The person was dressed in the church’s hunter attire, with the church insignia pinned to his chest—a third-tier hunter named Lucio.


    Veronica immediately recognized the hunter. He was one of the hunters responsible for searching for the stolen taboo items. The man with a small mustache looked at Buck and Veronica, paused for a moment, and then, recognizing Veronica, a disdainful smile spread across his face.


    "So, it’s the failure. What are you doing here?" he sneered. Then, he turned his gaze toward Buck, a mocking glint in his eyes. "You must be the nobleman from the countryside, right?"


    Buck remained expressionless, silent as though the man’s words had no effect on him.


    "A country noble, playing some tricks to sneak into the church, trying to add some color to his life. Being a hunter is no child’s play. You should go back home and sleep," Lucio continued arrogantly.


    Veronica''s face darkened with anger, her face turning red as she stepped forward to argue, but Buck placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her.


    "That''s right, that''s right. You interns should stay out of the way, so I don’t have to come rescue you when you get hurt. Don’t interfere with me completing my mission." Lucio''s tone was full of arrogance and contempt. He sneered, then turned and walked toward the factory doors, ignoring them.


    "How annoying," Veronica muttered, looking displeased. "Buck, why don’t you rebut him?"


    "No need." Buck lowered the brim of his hat, slowly reaching for his waist and grasping the handle of his gun. "Prepare for battle."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the factory’s old wooden door was smashed open, creating a large hole. Immediately after, Lucio’s figure was sent flying from inside, crashing heavily to the ground in front of Buck and Veronica.


    Veronica stared, wide-eyed, at Lucio’s disheveled state. Before she could react, the bearded hunter swiftly sprang to his feet, pulling out his gun and firing two shots at the hole in the door.


    A large, muscular, yet contorted figure charged out of the darkness, braving the gunfire. It wielded a massive steel bar that gleamed coldly in the dim light. With a fierce swing, it aimed the steel bar directly at the hunter.


    Veronica snapped back to her senses and hastily reached for her own handgun, ready to shoot, but Buck stopped her with a firm hand.


    "Don’t rush. He’s not dead yet." Buck’s lips curled into a cold smile, his eyes gleaming with a mysterious light, as if he was waiting for something.