Considering the Rock Turtle's immense size, its eyes alone must be at least five meters in diameter. The recent injuries couldn't possibly have been inflicted by millimeter-sized bullets. Firefly suddenly remembered the Dragon Nation Bureau of Anomalous Investigations' four special ammunition types, one of which was the Explosive Bullet.
"Could it be ammunition like that?" she wondered.
Even if she knew the type of ammunition, the crucial question remained: how had the Hunter managed to hit the target?
Just then, Firefly noticed that the other four Hero Parties had arrived in the vicinity, their timing impeccably precise.
Apart from the Shield Hero she had seen earlier, there were three more teams, each consisting of three members: the Hero themselves and two teammates.
Notably, among the four Heroes, only the Bow Hero was female. Moreover, all eight teammates were also women. This meant the four teams comprised a total of twelve people: three men and nine women.
"This gender imbalance is ridiculous," Firefly muttered to herself from above. "Are all Hero Party members required to be beautiful girls?"
Normally, these Hero Parties would be deployed to the front lines to battle formidable foes. The stronger their teammates, the better, right? Surely the Kingdom couldn't be filled with only female powerhouses, with not a single capable man among them?
Unbeknownst to Firefly, the "Hero Party Members" assigned to the Heroes were essentially just "ornaments."
These members were carefully selected from across the Kingdom, but their primary qualification wasn't strength—it was their physical attractiveness!
The women were all stunningly beautiful, and the men strikingly handsome. After the four Heroes were summoned, His Majesty the King publicly announced that they could tour the Capital and choose their own companions before departing.
But long before that charade, the King had stationed over forty "Hero Party Member Candidates" around the royal palace. As the Heroes ventured into the Capital to recruit allies, these candidates eagerly approached them.
Some were straightforward, declaring their fervent admiration for the Heroes and directly requesting to join their parties. Others orchestrated elaborate "chance encounters," resorting to clichéd scenarios like damsel-in-distress rescues.
Thus, within a day, each of the four Heroes returned to the palace with two teammates who perfectly matched their personal preferences. After receiving beginner's starter packs from the King, they officially embarked on their quest to defeat the Four Heavenly Kings.
With attractive teammates and a kind king who showered them with gifts, the Heroes had no reason to harbor ulterior motives. They dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to adventuring and slaying monsters.
These visually appealing Hero Party Members possessed only moderate strength, capable of handling ordinary small monsters but utterly helpless against bosses.
Yet, throughout the kingdom's history, every Hero Party had managed to defeat the Four Heavenly Kings. This was because each Hero was born with a built-in "Cheat"!
In essence, the Hero Party Members needed only to provide emotional support to the Hero himself; the task of defeating bosses was left entirely to the Hero.
After the four Hero Parties converged, the Bow Hero frowned as he observed a Hunter battling a Rock Turtle in the distance. "What's that weapon she's using? A pistol?!"
"What should we do? She's already engaged with one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Should we intervene?"
"But... she doesn't look like she's been transformed into a Demon," the Shield Hero said, his gaze sweeping over the Hunter before slightly averting his eyes.
"I agree," the Sword Hero said. "She doesn't really look like a villain."
"Why don't we go down and try to negotiate with her?" suggested the Spear Hero.
The Bow Hero frowned. "Seriously? Are all of you judging people by their looks? Just because she's pretty, you're suddenly acting like bleeding hearts?!"
It's worth noting that among all the female members of the four Hero Parties, the Bow Hero was likely the least conventionally attractive. The other women had been carefully selected from across the nation, while she was just a transmigrator who had been randomly killed by a truck. Naturally, there was a difference.
At that moment, a figure slowly materialized beside them—a Shadow Guard of His Majesty the King. Since all Shadow Guards wore identical uniforms, the four Heroes couldn't tell which one had warned them before.
The Shadow Guard knelt on one knee. "Please, Heroes, act now! You must prevent the Former Hero from killing the Four Heavenly Kings. If she succeeds, her power will increase exponentially, and no one will be able to stop her!"
"Tch, stop rushing me! I'm getting ready to fire!" The Bow Hero clicked her tongue, drew her bow from her back, and took aim.
Though she hadn't nocked an arrow, as she drew the string taut, invisible magic power coalesced. A Raging Wind Arrow, spinning wildly, materialized on the bowstring.
This was her "cheat": she didn't need physical arrows. The magic elements in the air would automatically converge into projectiles whenever she needed them.
Simply put, she had infinite ammunition and limitless magic power.
The longer she held the draw, the more magic power accumulated, exponentially increasing the arrow's destructive potential. This charging process had no upper limit; given enough time, a single shot could obliterate an entire city.
The only drawback was her vulnerability to interruption while charging. This was precisely why she chose the Wind Element for her arrow—wind was the most elusive of all elements, making it harder for enemies to detect her preparations.
"Alright, alright, let's get moving too," the Spear Hero said, standing up and stretching his wrists and ankles.
Though still somewhat reluctant, the Sword Hero and Shield Hero followed behind the Spear Hero.
The Bow Hero hadn't charged her arrow for too long. After all, this was just the opening move. She couldn't spend all her time charging, only to unleash a single devastating shot that obliterated everything, including her three teammates who were already engaged in combat.
Their strategy was straightforward: the Bow Hero would fire the first shot to initiate the battle, then immediately resume charging her bow. The other three Heroes would advance to engage the enemy directly, while the Bow Hero would provide selective support as the situation demanded.
Whoosh—
Even with a brief charge, the Raging Wind Arrow carried formidable power. Forged from swirling winds, it surged forward at blinding speed, leaving a clearly visible white trail across the sky.
It covered several kilometers in the blink of an eye. By the time the Hunter noticed the arrow, it was less than a hundred meters away.
Less than a tenth of a second later, a thunderous explosion erupted.