Hunter in the Night

"For the wellbeing of the ordinary citizens too? I'm not really cut out to be some hero of justice. But if you're going to add that there, I guess I feel compelled to do society some good. However, since when did you become so righteous? I thought your only job is to assist me in surviving the Apocalypse."

Albion said.

[Goldfinger has feelings and a sense of morals too.]

Goldfinger said.

"…"

[…]

"Right… Where was your sense of moral when you said I should kill my pet for EXP?" Albion asked.

[Goldfinger's sense of moral only concern humans. Unrelated things are irrelevant and insignificant.]

Goldfinger answered.

Thing! His temporary pet sea serpent, Pompom, was not even considered a living creature, but a thing!

Albion rolled his eyes at the system.

He would be a fool to believe whatever Goldfinger is saying. The reason being, he can see the jarring words "Pest Control" in the subquest tab.

Goldfinger seemed to know what Albion was thinking and defended itself,

[Humans who have forsaken their humanity to commit wanton evil are no longer considered humans. They are fiends.]

"Right. Whatever you say."

Albion shrugged before he suddenly frowned with a deep look.

'For there to be sub quest with a reward, it means there's a little chance I can lose my life to this sub-quest. Is there going to be someone strong enough to threaten my life, or something else?'

He did not think too deeply as his ears suddenly twitched.

There were sounds of several approaching footsteps drawing closer to the ship. The owners of the footsteps were not subtle at all, as if they were confident that there was no one left on the ship except people on their side.

"Seems like the thugs are finally here. I guess it's time to begin the hunt."

Albion smiled coldly.

He gripped the classic boning knife he found on the ship earlier and slipped into the darkness of the ship where the moonlight cannot reach.

…

"Boss, something is wrong. Mr. Reiner usually receives us on the deck, but there is no one here. Also, I did not see Mr. Reiner leaving with those sailors and fishermen earlier." Said a thug.

"Perhaps, Mr. Reiner is waiting in the freezer hold. The ship did arrive a little later than usual. Maybe they are already unloading the goods ahead of us to make up for the lost time." The boss said.

After a moment, the boss added, "But just in case, everyone should keep guards up. After all, caution is the eldest child of wisdom. We should not err on the side of caution."

"Eh? Boss, I did not think you would say some pretty profound and wise words." Said another thug.

"What are you trying to say about me? Do you want to die?"

"Hahaha, I am just joking, boss."

Sploosh!

A sudden splash in the waters beside the ship was heard, causing a few thugs to shine their torchlights over in alarm.

"Who's there?!"

"Hm? There's no one."

They shortly failed to discover anything in the water. The thug leader frowned and said, "Might have just been the occasional waves splashing against the ship. Let us move on."

The group of 10 thugs made their way onto the top deck before making their way down into the lower deck.

All lights within the ship had been completely switched off, causing the interior to be drowned in complete darkness. The only source of light came from the torchlights in the hands of the thugs.

"Dammit, even the lights down here are switched off. Now I feel that something is definitely wrong with this ship. Mr. Reiner and the others would have at least left these lights on for us." Said a thug.

"Quickly go find the light switch and turn it on. Even though we have these torchlights with us, this darkness is getting me spooked."

"Boss, you are a Lv.5 Hunter. If you are getting spooked from this, how do you think we are feeling? I don't know where the light switch is, boss. Maybe someone else can go?" Said another thug.

The thug leader furrowed his brows and pointed at the braver thug and said, "You go turn on the lights and come back."

"Yes, boss."

The brave thug complied without objection.

The thug leader's brows did not relax until he pointed at another thug and said, "You, go and follow him too."

"Yes, boss."

Shortly after, the two thugs left to find the location of the light switch. The rays coming from their torchlights can be seen moving as they shined the interior until they turned a corner and disappeared from the remaining group's vision.

"They shouldn't be taking long. Let us proceed to the freezer hold." Said the thug leader after the two thugs left.

"We aren't going to wait for them?"

"No need."

"Alright. You are the boss."

The thugs shrugged and followed the thug leader down to the lowest deck. Meanwhile, the other two thugs continue to search the area on the higher deck.

"Do you remember where the main light switch was? I vaguely remember it was this way, but I cannot be too sure." Asked the brave thug.

However, after waiting a few moments without receiving a reply, the brave thug frowned and turned back with his bright torchlight.

No one was found.

The other person that followed him had disappeared. The brave subconsciously shined his torchlight down and saw a few drops of fresh blood on the ground.

A chill suffused his heart before he instinctively turned around and shined his lights on a calm young man who appears to be an albino human.

A silver ray flashed across his eyes before pain settled in his throats. Before he could call for help, he had already been silenced. He could only watch the person approach in horror as life slowly slipped from his body.

Albion used the brave thug's clothes to wipe the trace of blood on his classic boning knife and shortly tilt over and fall to the ground, becoming a lifeless corpse.

Shortly after, he burned the body with his black Ashura Flames and removed all traces of the two thugs' existence, including the patches of blood on the ground.

Everything was reduced to black ashes and scattered away before Albion disappeared back into the darkness.