Chapter 60: The Ambush Begins!

Chapter 60: The Ambush Begins!

Ethan Blake glanced anxiously at Sarah and said:

"I thought I was going to die, so I sent my disciple to the café to stay out of danger. Rest assured, I haven't told her anything about the guild."

"If the guild has any complaints, take it out on me, but please, don't harm her."

After saying this, Ethan felt a wave of relief and turned to face Alexander earnestly.

If he had to take responsibility, he never shirked it.

He assumed that, knowing the chairman's temperament, there would be a furious backlash, using this as an opportunity to force him into doing something.

Unexpectedly, Alexander remained exceptionally calm and merely asked:

"Is it worth it?"

"Huh?" Ethan didn't understand what Alexander meant.

Alexander slightly raised his head:

"You had a chance to escape, yet you chose to do something that was nearly a death sentence for those security officers. Was it worth it?"

Ethan froze for a moment, then replied:

"Protecting my subordinates is my duty."

Alexander closed his book and looked at Ethan's empty sleeve:

"Forgive me for speaking harshly, but those subordinates of yours likely won't remember your favor.

If you die, they will wait for personnel changes and then rack their brains to take credit for your accomplishments.

Maybe they won't think that way immediately, but they soon will.

You can't really blame them, as this world has already become this twisted.

The higher one climbs, the further they are from death. People like you, who are too kind-hearted, don't tend to live long."

Ethan's expression changed slightly after hearing those words.

Indeed, those who fought on the front lines were the security officers.

Even a minor office manager would sit behind the safest city walls, sipping tea while waiting for the battle to end.

Only Ethan, this fool, insisted on going to the front lines.

He could have stayed in the safest place, giving orders over the radio and pretending to command diligently while waiting for the chaos to subside.

Alexander tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, glancing at Sarah in the corner:

"Today, you performed bravely, saving tens of thousands of people from the monsters.

But what about her?

You couldn't even protect your disciple, leaving her to be sheltered by me—the criminal you despise from the bottom of your heart.

In these times, when everyone is on edge, who will remember your sacrifice?

They will only care if their homes were damaged during the battle. Who will think kindly of you, Ethan Blake?"

Ethan's face showed confusion, followed by a long silence.

This was a selfish era, and Ethan's appearance was like a white swan among crows.

If it were on the Earth of his past life, Ethan might have made a name for himself.

Unfortunately, this was a dark era, where white was wrong from the start.

Alexander disliked interfering with the free development of hunters.

He greatly admired Ethan's capabilities.

He was reluctant to let Ethan die for the guild's sake.

Alexander could control Ethan with the Heavenly Flame of Creation, torment him to the brink of collapse, and then try to make him his death warrior.

However, doing so would strip Ethan of his inherent value.

After a long pause, Ethan softly said:

"This era is indeed tragic."

Then, he straightened his back and looked Alexander in the eye:

"But I won't let the era's tragedy become mine.

I am the Chief Security Officer, and I should do what a Chief Security Officer is supposed to do."

Alexander glanced at Ethan:

"I like the first half of what you said. As for the rest... suit yourself.

You may take your disciple and leave."

Ethan let out a breath of relief and gestured for Sarah to come over.

As the master and disciple walked to the door, they paused.

Ethan suddenly stood up straight and gave Alexander a serious salute:

"Thank you for everything you've done for Bluewater City!"

Sarah was stunned by this scene. What had the masked man done for Bluewater City? She had never seen her master show such respect to anyone before!

Alexander's eyes grew cold:

"Get out."

After Ethan and Sarah left the Old Oak Café, Alexander stood up, pulled his hood over his head, and walked out the door.

The monster siege had ended; now, the battle of the Hunter's Guild was about to begin.

Outside Bluewater City, the monsters formed several disorderly groups, heading toward different monster nests.

Among them was a group of about seventy monsters, led by a C-rank leader.

That leader was a toad over three meters tall, covered in venom sacs, hideous and terrifying.

When they reached a forested area, the venomous toad suddenly stopped, its enormous eyes darting wildly.

There was a murderous aura here.

Monsters spend their lives hunting and being hunted, making them extremely sensitive to murderous intent.

The venomous toad suddenly raised its head, looking up at the branch of a giant tree.

Two humans were standing there.

One had slicked-back hair, wore a clown mask, and was dressed in a brand-new suit.

The other wore a bowler hat, with a half-black mask covering his face. He was dressed in a black trench coat and had a muscular build.

These two were none other than 'Joker' Jackson and 'Dragon Slayer' Giovani.

Among the hunters, these two had the best relationship in private.

Both of them wore headsets.

The Mercenary Guild's team voice system was now live, allowing hunters in groups to communicate through voice.

"Roar!"

A deafening roar came from the venomous toad's huge mouth, shaking the yellow leaves off the tree branches.

In the team voice chat, 'Joker' Jackson said:

"Action!"

Three masked hunters emerged from the dense forest, their hands forming seals as they gathered spiritual energy.

In the middle of the monster horde, the ground beneath the creatures shifted slightly, and dozens of large potatoes sprouted.

These potatoes had eerie smiles on their faces, with antennas on their heads that glowed red.

One of the monsters curiously crawled over to inspect the potatoes, and the next second, they exploded.

The explosions were accompanied by the continuous sound of wails within the monster horde.

These potatoes were called Potato Mines, extraordinary plants produced by Alexander's courtyard.

They originated from the world of the game *[Plants vs. Zombies]*.

After being buried in the ground for a while, they could be detonated using spiritual energy.

The monster horde was thrown into complete chaos.

The three hunters in the forest quickly regrouped beside Jackson and Giovani.

Giovani clicked his tongue in admiration:

"These three newcomers have some impressive mental fortitude. I'll reluctantly admit they qualify to team up with me.

I really don't know where you found these gems."

Jackson said nothing.

Typically, Super Fruit hunters disdained teaming up with E-ranks.

But these three newcomers were his students, so Jackson had to take them along.

What should have been a bond ending with high school graduation might now last a lifetime.

To shield these three students from the Mercenary Guild's malice, he had to exchange points for the 'Sap of Ascension' to make them hunters.

Giovani stretched his neck, transforming one hand into a machete and the other into a cannon:

"It's time to move. After completing this team mission, the two of us will qualify for promotion to intermediate hunters."

Jackson gathered all his spiritual energy and said:

"Alright, let's move!"

His legs turned into springs, steam rising from his palms as he charged toward the venomous toad.

Intermediate hunter? Jackson had no intention of getting promoted.

He planned to save up points to exchange Super Fruits for his three students.

After all, he was their teacher.

The battle began.

Jackson directly confronted the venomous toad, while the three students assisted Giovani in hunting the remaining low-level monsters.

Similar battles erupted around Bluewater City.

In the mountains, forests, and railways, those masked individuals dressed in bizarre outfits lay in ambush.

They possessed formidable talents, far more terrifying than the city's security bureau.

Only now did the monsters realize that the battle was far from over; the true life-and-death struggle had just begun.

The humans, who previously cowered beneath city walls, finally learned how to fight back!

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