Chapter 9 : Hunter Pathway

Roaldie Fryer's life has come to an end.

At the last juncture of his memories, the most profound feeling that Lin Ruo experienced was a sense of unwillingness. But this unwillingness wasn't due to his own demise, nor was it related to a futile thirst for revenge. It was because he had watched helplessly as a young girl was forcibly snatched away by a human trafficker right before his eyes.

He hadn't altered anything, hadn't rescued anyone.

"Hey..." Lin Ruo's gaze was veiled, his hands resting upon his chest, feeling the emotions left behind by the body. He suddenly spoke, "Since I'll utilise this body, then I shall shoulder your grievances."

These grievances pertained to both the assailants who had killed the original host and the human trafficker responsible for the recent tragedy. The former represented a form of compensation for utilizing this new body, and the latter was a result of Lin Ruo's personal abhorrence for the likes of human traffickers.

With this resolution in mind, Lin Ruo, the recipient of these memories, now had a basic grasp of the current situation.

To put it plainly, he hadn't directly traversed into Klein's back spirit last night. Instead, he had initially inhabited Roaldie Fryer's form, experiencing a rebirth through the vessel's vacant state. Only afterwards had he been pulled to Klein's side for reasons yet unknown, merging with him. And thus, the events of the past had unfolded.

Thus, Lin Ruo had mistakenly believed that he had become Klein's back spirit during his traversal, but that wasn't the case. He had indeed retained a corporeal body during this traversal, yet it appeared that under certain circumstances, his soul could detach from his body and journey to where Klein resided.

Lin Ruo let out a soft sigh, amused by the twist his earlier assumptions had taken.

Reflecting on the lies he'd spun, he curled his lips but found himself relieved.

In any case, he was no longer burdened with concerns about his physical form.

Surveying his surroundings once more, Lin Ruo intended to return to the original host's dwelling in secrecy. After all, his current condition was rather blood-soaked, necessitating a cleanup.

...

The journey back transpired without incident, as Lin Ruo remained imperceptible to all. Upon arriving at the original host's abode, Lin Ruo proceeded to cleanse himself inside out, filling his stomach with a satisfying meal. Eventually, reclining in a chair, Lin Ruo allowed his thoughts to contemplate the implications of this new body and consider his next steps.

Foremost, he needed clarity on a key matter. Though the original host had died before, his Beyonder traits hadn't surfaced due to Lin Ruo's swift takeover of the body. This resulted in Lin Ruo becoming a Sequence 9 Hunter without delay.

This wasn't inherently advantageous or disadvantageous for Lin Ruo.

It wasn't advantageous because acquiring Sequence 9 status deprived him of the freedom to choose another sequence at will. Lin Ruo's path now directed him towards a Hunter specialization, unless he opted to transition into the realm of Witches in the future. Alternatively, he could explore unconventional paths like the Blood Emperor's fierce leap, or employ sealed artifacts like the Dark Cross to enable a sequence change.

It wasn't disadvantageous either, as the Hunter sequence wasn't inherently malicious. Unlike Witches and Demons, which conflicted with Lin Ruo's ethical code, or the limiting ascent potential of Sequence 0 like Evernight or Storm.

Hunters were resilient to external deity influence and boasted robust frontal combat capabilities. History had attested to the potency of Sequence 9 Hunters—Blood Emperor's dominion over the three Goosan families was largely accomplished through sheer force.

Lin Ruo aspired to be an spetator, but considering Adam's role, the Hunter route served to bolster his combat prowess, addressing his deficiency.

Given this inclination, Lin Ruo's thoughts turned to potion assimilation and subsequent advancement.

Lin Ruo comprehended acting well enough to recognize that swift potion assimilation was practically a prerequisite. Consequently, to expedite the assimilation of the Hunter's potion, becoming proficient as a Hunter was essential.

This task proved feasible. After all, the Hunter's potion itself conferred heightened tracking acumen, adept trap-setting skills, and an almost instinctual aptitude for hunting. Furthermore, the potion elevated Lin Ruo's physical prowess, including resilience.

In essence, Sequence 9 Hunters were by no means weak. The original host had perished prematurely, having yet to acclimate fully to the extraordinary capabilities granted by the potion. The unanticipated confrontation with human traffickers, who wielded firearms—a substantial threat to low-level Beyonders—resulted in the host's defeat.

In assuming the Hunter role adeptly, Lin Ruo needed to select suitable quarry, whether traditional game animals or individuals.

Among ideal targets, the two traffickers responsible for the host's death were prime contenders. Targeting them would both satiate Lin Ruo's thirst for vengeance and fulfill the role of a Hunter. He was reasonably certain these traffickers were just ordinary individuals.

Despite their involvement in the original host's demise, Lin Ruo, a Beyonder, particularly one versed in combat, believed that, with proper preparation, dispatching them wouldn't prove excessively challenging.

The only variable meriting consideration was the potential puppeteer behind these human traffickers.

"Eastern District... trafficking victims include a girl... Capim?" Lin Ruo instinctively connected this information to the royal family's conspiracies. The link seemed almost certain, as nearly 100% of the missing girls within Backlund's territory were linked to human trafficker Capim.

Without hesitation, he dismissed any reluctance to confront Capim and his cohorts. In truth, Lin Ruo's resentment ran deeper toward the leader of the trafficking ring than toward the direct participants. Capim symbolized a pawn manipulated by the Loen royal family. This vile trafficker's actions indirectly facilitated George Augustus III's ascension to divinity.

However, Capim also served as a pivot point, inadvertently alerting the Church of Storms to the Loen royal family's sinister machinations. Moreover, Capim's activities had unmasked the anomalies within the Royal Family of Loen.

Furthermore, Capim operated within the Storm Church's jurisdiction... An idea ignited within Lin Ruo, to leverage Capim's existence to ensnare the Storm Church and, subsequently, confront Ince.

This notion might seem far-fetched, but back in Tingen, Lin Ruo had pondered ways to involve the Storm Church in his efforts against Ince. Given his own combat limitations and the ambiguity surrounding the Evernight Goddess's stance—an ambiguity intensified by the connection between Ince's escape with No. 008 and the Evernight Goddess—Lin Ruo sought to engage the assertive Storm Church. The church's creed of "Action without Persuasion" and "Taking Action Amidst Uncertainty" suited his aims.

This strategic notion was inchoate, yet Lin Ruo had begun to shape his plan.

His primary step in realizing this aspiration entailed hunting down Capim!