2:30 AM... The number of people hunting for Bysong and his partner had increased, not just in Imhora but also in Belto where they had departed, as well as Argo, the city farthest from the mana drift, Daigo, the city of iron and mining, and Reign Echelon, the largest city in the world of Hagi, specializing in more commercialized sectors.
These five cities made up the last remaining functional ecosystems in that half of the world, separated by vast barren wastelands that were once countries, detaching each into different continents. The closest being Belto and Imhora, but the distance between them was at least the span of three countries.
Thus, it was uncommon for those in the other three cities to get involved in matters that were not business or cultivation-related. Yet, on this night, vast distances were ignored, as every citizen in each city set out with a common goal in their hearts: "Claim the bounty!" After all, 50 million GC was no joke in any part of the world.
Not surprisingly, Phonzo was the only exception to the societal trends, crawling through bushes in the dead of night, watching others as they shared drinks under the warmth of a campfire, having fun rather than hunting for the bounty. "What the hell is even going on?" he wondered, never witnessing such compassion amongst strangers in his short stay.
Shrugging it off, he continued his search for the grey fox eluding his presence under the greenish shrubs illuminating the darkness. Phonzo was unaware of the large bounty on the men's heads, nor about the conspiracy involving the grey wolf, moving in ignorance across the night with a simplistic goal in mind.
He had already spent two hours creeping through the city, searching for any lead findable, only to be led back to the forest path he should have searched in the first place.
Strangely enough, his body was not tired, despite sneaking through corners, trying to evade people whose bright red torches directed the path he stayed away from, only following the roads illuminated by the moon like a thief. It was as though his endurance had been slightly enhanced since he last saw Ammaina, the difference between him then and now was increasing.
Phonzo leaped his body into the nearby hoard of trees, briefly gripping the attention of the bonding bounty hunters, only to be ignored when a small white bunny leaped out of the shrubs.
Wasting no time, Phonzo dashed away from the area as quickly as he could, maneuvering over the muddy terrains and weedy pastures, his eyes aimlessly searching through the trees as he sped.
"!?" A numb feeling coursed through his body in an instant, tripping him over a tree stump laid on his path.
As he regained his footing, the dark atmosphere of the forest became odd and somewhat foreign. The place he had just left, which glowed with yellow light and ash, buzzing with life and warmth, had turned eerily silent, the smell of burnt grass forcing its way into his nostrils.
Covering his nose did not seem to help with the suffocating smell, his senses tingling throughout as he watched the leaves carried by the howling wind swirl ominously across the moon, until their path unveiled a strange figure coming from their direction.
Though vague, Phonzo's eyes caught small glimpses of its features, such as what seemed to be a man with red hair spiked up in place, wearing a cloak of some sort, though everything else was too indiscernible due to the moon's dim rays across the forest trees.
The mysterious person continued to move forward without uttering a word, his footsteps like a timer, each tap a countdown to something ominous, his demeanor menacing.
Chills ran through Phonzo's body, and as he parted his lips, the questions "Who are you?" and "What do you want?" hung at the edge of his tongue, but his instincts took over as he turned his body, darting with greater speed, his breaths heavy like he were being choked in the neck.
After gaining a bit of distance, Phonzo turned his head towards the opposite direction, his eyes still shaking in their sockets, watching the figure's sinister vibe descend in the forest of trees, not even trying to hunt him down.
THUD!
Phonzo's body slammed across a sturdy object, forcing him to release a sharp groan as he fell on the murky floor. He lost focus for a brief moment, paying more attention to the distance reached than the path he had passed through.
Rubbing his palms on his face, trying to massage the swollen area, Phonzo's vision was blurry, leaving him confused on the ground. He was used to slamming his body on trees from a young age when searching for food, and what he had hit was definitely not one.
"Are you okay?" a worried tone asked.
Phonzo raised his head to the voice's direction. Its source was right before him, yet he was still unable to make out anything, his vision still showing distorted images. All he could distinguish was a towering object standing sturdily before him, but the night's darkness was not helping either.
"Well, can you stand?" the voice spoke once more.
After a brief second of rubbing his eyes, the distorted images he saw merged, becoming clearer. His sight returned to normal, though he continued to squint his eyes, lifting his gaze towards the voice once more, revealing its identity.
Thankfully, it was not a cursed tree or anything dangerous, but rather a man standing as if he were lost, his eyes grey like spores at night, with long braids of dark hair stretching from his head to his shoulders, stretching his hand in aid.
"I'm fine, thanks for asking," Phonzo replied, his words cautious as he accepted his help to stand.
Meeting someone this deep in the forest, right after being chased, was too good a coincidence; it felt almost orchestrated. Despite being helped, Phonzo stayed a few feet away, in case the man ended up being shady. A branch hung weakly behind him, and all he had to do was pull and swing.
"May I ask who you are?" Phonzo asked his question straight to the point.
"My name is Bysong Rim. Nice to meet you," a friendly smile stretched across his face. "I followed my group to search for the fugitives, but then I got lost in this large forest..."
Bysong spun a thread of lies that wrapped Phonzo until he became tangled, his words too warm and comforting to doubt his motives. Not a single statement fell out of place. Bysong already had Phonzo wrapped around his finger, though with one catch... he wasn't exactly lying.
Yes, he was indeed lost, and yes, he was indeed looking for what he had lost. Even then, he saw Phonzo as any ordinary resident who had better knowledge of their homeland's terrain than he, a mere outsider. He needed someone to navigate, and luckily, he stumbled upon Phonzo, who knew the forest like the back of his palm.
Several minutes passed, and both men made it out of the forest side alive, after encountering various wild beasts and traps, with only messy hairs and tattered clothes. Phonzo's knowledge of anything became questionable to Bysong, then again, his rugged, poor looks gave Bysong the impression he had street smarts...
But well... it was Phonzo.
"Ha ha ha!" The two males burst into laughter, looking at their ragged condition, bonding as they shared much more in common than they expected.
Bysong and Phonzo began to chat as they strolled towards the devoid outskirts, unbothered by the graveyard silence sweeping over what was meant to be a lively area for those bounty hunting. Phonzo, who was previously unaware of the bounty, was briefed by the very man the MCB was searching for.
"Tell me, um... Phonzo, what could you be looking for so late tonight?" Bysong asked casually, his curiosity piqued as they strolled.
"I'm looking for a... pet!" Phonzo flung his arms freely into the air as he responded.
"Is it a dog or cat? Or maybe some sort of magic beast?"
The night's darkness began to elude, small rays of brightness rose from the horizon, with clouds becoming more visible across the sky as the view of stars was replaced by yellowish gleams.
"It's more of a magic beast, though I don't know what it is," Phonzo halted his movements, staring at the rising sun. "It's more of a fox, a weird-looking one with grey features throughout its body."
"Huh?!" Bysong exclaimed, widening his eyes, his body freezing in place only a few steps behind Phonzo. Possibly, he was referring to something else different from what he searched for.
"How long have you known it, and how attached are you to it?" He stammered, locking a sharp gaze on Phonzo's body.
"I've barely known it for a day, but it feels just like family to me," his eyes gleamed with satisfaction, still watching the sun rise.
'So it really is it? But then, how could...'
"Another thing, Phonzo, do you mind if I see this pet of yours?" his lips and hands shook, hesitation coursing through his body like blood.
"I'd love to, but I have no idea where it is, that's why I'm looking for..."
Before Phonzo knew it, a hollow feeling came from his waist side, his body getting lighter by the second. "Mwff," a small gush of fluid rushed up his neck, forcing him to cough it out, his left stomach missing from his body.
"Ahhh!" Phonzo shrieked.
He wasn't feeling any pain or anything at all; instead, the shock of seeing his left stomach lose an uncontrolled amount of fluid set his emotions going wild. He crouched to the floor, still yelling, but his call wasn't heard by anyone.
How come? More than half the city were banding in parties, covering large portions of land sequentially, yet a single person hadn't searched through the outskirts since they arrived. Much too odd, unless they'd been struck down first.
The wind, aided by carrying his cries, but no one came, the silence more dreadful than his appearance, with only the rising sun as a memory of his last moments. Dying at the break of dawn at least was a poetic way to go.
Phonzo clenched his side tightly, gritting his teeth against the pain, staring at Bysong, who remained calm and emotionless, straight in the eye. "Shit! Shit! I should have known!"
"..."
"The moment you were acting nice and friendly, I should have been more suspicious, but I fell for your act. I'm an idiot!" Phonzo's spiteful words still left his enclosed jaws, trying hard to control the blood loss with his arm, only to have it seep through his fingers.
"I'm doing this for your sake," Bysong's warm voice turned cold and unremorseful. "You won't understand why, but if you did, you'd thank me later."
Phonzo's body became too light; it felt weightless, dropping him on the hard floor with a resonating loud thud! Distorted sounds filled his ears until he went deaf, eyes losing sight of the rising light, his entire view distorting until it went dark. Not even having enough strength to twitch his body, he lay frozen, flat on the grass, his last gaze directed at the rising sun.
At 6:45 AM, Phonzo Frederik was killed in the city outskirts by an unknown man.