TLN : Sorry for not updating, i was busy with Granblue Fantasy Guild War, now i’m back with schedule. letsgo!

Chapter 466: The Pursuit

Most exorcists, if they spent a month without encountering many demons, would likely choose to leave.

Their main goal wasn’t to earn gold coins but to hunt demons.

The livestock at the ranch were merely bait.

Hunting demons was the real objective, with protecting the ranch being secondary.

If no demons appeared, there was no point in staying.

The Fireland Ranch task depended entirely on luck, as the number and strength of demons were unpredictable.

Generally, the demons attracted to the ranch weren’t very strong, just ordinary ones.

Tiva had chosen this relatively low-risk task for Helag, showing some kindness to the seemingly naive newcomer.

Of course, Tiva didn’t say this out loud.

Helag considered the task and thought it was worth trying.

He could wander outside Amy City hunting demons, but that came with the risk of encountering powerful demons unexpectedly, like the tentacle at Thousand Lakes.

Through the Old Tree Tavern, Helag could at least gather some information, giving him a rough idea of the demons’ strength at his destination.

With some understanding, he could act with more confidence and reduce risks.

This was far more prudent than wandering aimlessly with a sword, as Helag didn’t believe his strength allowed him to roam this world freely.

“I’ll take this task,” Helag said.

Tiva replied, “Take this document to Fireland Ranch in the south and show it to the ranch owner.”

No signature was needed to accept tasks, as many people were illiterate.

The parchment in Helag’s hand served as proof that he had accepted the task.

Helag left the tavern with the parchment, heading toward Fireland Ranch.

After he left, a man wearing a cowboy hat set down his drink and stood, heading to the back room where he ran into Tiva.

“Hey, I’m looking to buy some information,” the cowboy-hatted man said with a sly smile.

“What information?” Tiva asked.

“I just want to know what task that guy who just left took,” the man said.

Tiva replied expressionlessly, “Kramer, you’re targeting newcomers again? Forget it. I’m not selling his information. If word got out, I’d be out of business.”

Tiva knew his business relied on trust and established rules.

Clients and task-takers trusted him, which is why they came to the Old Tree Tavern.

If that trust were broken, it would be hard to rebuild.

Tiva wouldn’t risk the tavern’s reputation for a single piece of information.

Kramer shrugged and left the tavern without arguing.

He knew Tiva’s character but thought it was worth a try.

Seeing Helag as a newcomer with faint demonic aura, Kramer assumed he was inexperienced.

Among exorcists, some hunted not only demons but also other exorcists.

Killing exorcists also yielded demonic aura, but since demons posed a greater threat, such actions were rare.

However, some disregarded the rules and had ulterior motives.

People like Kramer often targeted weaker exorcists.

To him, these individuals were easy prey, offering substantial demonic aura.

Moreover, killing them allowed him to seize their belongings, making it doubly profitable.

In this lawless world, only morality served as a constraint.

For someone like Kramer, morality meant nothing; maximizing profit was his priority.

Helag returned to the inn’s courtyard, retrieved his horse, and led it out of the city, as riding was prohibited within.

Shortly after he left, Kramer also rode out, trailing Helag from a distance.

Initially, Helag didn’t notice, but after traveling some distance, he realized someone was following him.

He quickly understood what was happening—he was being targeted.

Helag glanced at the sky and continued on, maintaining a safe distance from his pursuer.

After sunset, night fell.

Helag entered a forest, the only path to Fireland Ranch.

He tied his horse in the forest and hid.

Before long, Kramer arrived on horseback.

The forest obscured his view, so he didn’t see Helag’s actions.

Confident he hadn’t been detected due to the distance he maintained, Kramer relied on hoofprints to track Helag, believing he wouldn’t be noticed.

Entering the forest and seeing the horse, Kramer realized something was amiss.

He drew his sword, warily scanning his surroundings.

He extended his hand, and a black mist formed in his palm, becoming a pitch-black bird.

The bird flew above Kramer, circling overhead.

Suddenly, the bird let out a harsh cry.

Kramer tensed, ready to dodge, but a sword tip appeared before him.

Looking down, he saw a sword had pierced his chest, pain coursing through him as his strength faded.

“When did he…” Kramer collapsed, blood pooling around him.

He hadn’t noticed Helag approach from behind.

The bird’s warning came too late, and he couldn’t react in time.

Helag coldly glanced at the twitching Kramer, swinging his sword to finish him off.

A wisp of black aura rose from Kramer’s body, absorbed by Helag.

“Strength +1.6, Agility +1.7, Constitution +1.5.”

Helag frowned at the numbers, feeling they should have been higher.

The black aura from Kramer was substantial, suggesting around two points, but the attributes didn’t reflect that.

Helag speculated that his recent spree of murloc killings and demonic aura absorption had reduced the attribute gains.

As expected, the benefits of demonic aura diminished over time, as he had predicted.

Still, Helag was satisfied with the gains, as his physical stats had already improved significantly.