"It seems… neither Cheng Xiaoyu nor his son ever did anything similar."
Rhode was a little surprised; he couldn't figure it out, so he didn't bother to ponder further.
Anyway, as long as it benefited him, it was fine.
"However, his son could turn shadows into various weapons… Hmm, I can do that too."
Rhode casually waved his hand, and the black mist continuously transformed into various weapons like daggers, longswords, and great axes.
Finally, he roughly flicked his hand outwards.
The black mist solidified, transforming into a beautiful young girl with long, straight black hair and a cold, elegant face.
"From today onwards, your name is [Envy] Enwei."
The shadow girl, Enwei, respectfully bowed her head, and Rhode successfully bestowed Grace upon her.
She nodded to Rhode, then silently merged into the shadows on the ground and disappeared.
Outside the portal.
A group of S-Rank Hunters from H-Country stood together with solemn expressions, forming an invisible wall of aura.
Song Zhiguo and Cheng Xiaoyu, not far away, were surrounded by association staff.
Having been questioned repeatedly, they were already physically and mentally exhausted.
Although Song Zhiguo repeatedly emphasized that a legendary "Double Dungeon" had appeared inside the portal, and Hunter Rhode had warned several times, "Don't go in if you don't want to die," there were still greedy people who insisted on courting death.
Cheng Xiaoyu further added that Rhode was not from H-Country and had no authority to forcibly expel them, so he couldn't stop them.
And these matters could be corroborated by the several hunters who had chosen to leave earlier.
But… the problem was never that simple.
If, with the involvement of an S-Rank foreign hunter like Rhode, H-Country's hunters still suffered heavy casualties, a mishandling could trigger a violent public outcry, leading to serious diplomatic conflicts.
Gao Jianli, the President of the Hunter Association, looked down at his watch and said in a deep voice, "If he doesn't come out in five minutes, we'll go in together."
Bai Lvhao, the President of the White Tiger Guild, his eyes gradually becoming vertically slit like those of a magic beast, seemed somewhat displeased.
"So, we just wait here, watching a foreign S-Rank Hunter trespass into our portal without permission?!"
Cui Zhongyin pushed up his glasses with his right thumb and middle finger, the lenses reflecting a cold light.
"An S-Rank Hunter from another country suddenly entered one of our D-Rank portals."
"And this portal just so happened to have a Double Dungeon event… Heh heh, what a coincidence."
Cheng Xiaoyu, not far away, couldn't help but shrink his neck, his heart tightening.
It's over… These S-Rank Hunters are all elites at the top of society; none of them are easy to fool!
Lin Zigui lit a cigarette and exhaled a long plume of smoke.
"Whatever it is, let's talk about it after he comes out. What if…"
His words were cut short.
The ethereal blue light curtain of the portal suddenly rippled.
A foot stepped out from within.
Boom—!!!
A terrifying, indescribable aura, like an invisible storm, instantly enveloped the entire scene!
All the S-Rank Hunters present, no matter what their posture was before, instantly tensed their muscles, their hair stood on end, and they instinctively entered their highest level of combat readiness!
Cold sweat broke out on their foreheads, and their eyes were filled with unprecedented solemnity.
Rhode walked out of the ethereal blue light curtain with his hands in his pockets, leisurely.
He narrowed his eyes, scanned the crowd who looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy, and a playful arc appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Is this a welcome for me?"
He looked younger than all the S-Rank Hunters present.
But at this moment, not a single person dared to underestimate him.
Before, when they looked at the photos and information in the data, they confidently believed that as fellow S-Ranks, their combat power should at least be on the same level.
But now, when they truly faced and felt that suffocating pressure that could almost stop their hearts, everyone instantly and rationally abandoned all those miscellaneous thoughts!
(To fight this man… one must be prepared to die in the next second!)
Bai Lvhao even couldn't help but lower his head, avoiding Rhode's calm yet seemingly all-penetrating gaze, and dryly swallowed his saliva.
Finally, it was Gao Jianli, the oldest among them, who took a deep breath and stepped forward, extending his hand to Rhode.
"Hello, Hunter Rhode. I am Gao Jianli, the President of the H-Country Hunter Association."
"I apologize for our poor hospitality. If you don't mind, how about we have a casual meal together?"
Rhode's gaze fell on him, and he didn't speak immediately.
This guy… also has a [Fragment of Radiance] on him.
Unfortunately, there weren't enough Prayer Points to replicate it now.
The atmosphere, at this moment, became somewhat subtle.
Just as everyone's hearts were in their throats, Rhode suddenly extended his hand and casually shook his.
"Alright."
Whoosh—
The extremely tense atmosphere instantly relaxed.
Lin Zigui even let out a long sigh, and when Bai Lvhao glared at him, he chuckled awkwardly and extinguished the cigarette butt in his hand.
Cui Zhongyin also loosened his collar.
He then realized that in that brief moment of confrontation, his back was already drenched in cold sweat.
"I'll book the hotel," Cui Zhongyin offered.
Rhode didn't have high expectations for H-Country's food, but there were some things he needed to discuss, so it was acceptable.
"Add a few more spots."
He casually pointed to Song Zhiguo, Cheng Xiaoyu, who were still being questioned not far away, and an orange-haired girl who was hiding behind them, looking a bit at a loss.
A flicker of surprise flashed behind Cui Zhongyin's glasses.
He didn't know why Rhode attached such importance to these low-level hunters, but he nodded without hesitation.
"Okay, then please invite the three of them."
Rhode looked down at the message he had just received on his phone.
"Oh, add three more. My companions haven't eaten either."
"…Okay."
Three black Maybachs, carrying the group, silently drove away from the scene.
Gao Jianli sat in the back seat, wearily pinching his eyebrows.
"Later, I will try to ask what exactly happened in the Double Dungeon."
"If the other party doesn't want to talk, we won't press them. We'll just follow the standard procedure, announce it to the media, and pay compensation."
Bai Lvhao, who was beside him, had lost his initial aggressive demeanor and leaned his head back against the seat, somewhat exhausted.
"I also don't think that man would use such troublesome methods if he wanted to kill. As for any treasures that might be inside… one can only say, to the victor go the spoils…"
Was it frustrating?
It certainly was.
But what could be done? In this world, the fist is the only truth.
Inside the second car.
Che Huiyi was sitting in the passenger seat, resting her chin on her hand and staring blankly at the rapidly passing streetscape outside the window.
Cui Zhongyin, sitting in the back row, noticed that his vice-president had been somewhat distracted ever since she met Rhode.
"What's wrong? Were you scared by the difference in combat power?"
"Huh? What?" Che Huiyi woke up as if from a dream.
"Heh…"
Cui Zhongyin chuckled softly.
"So lost in thought? Could it be that our H-Country's only female S-Rank Hunter is experiencing her first love?"
Che Huiyi regained her composure, hesitated for a moment, but didn't hide it.
Instead, she said softly, "He… Mr. Rhode, doesn't have that kind of smell on him. It feels very comfortable being around him."
It was originally just a half-joking remark, but he didn't expect to get this answer.
Cui Zhongyin was stunned.
This 'Dancer,' whose strength was even a notch higher than his, actually had a fatal flaw well-known in the industry.
She possessed a special constitution with an overly sensitive perception, able to smell the unique "scent" on hunters.
Normally, just being near a hunter made it difficult for her to breathe.
Therefore, in the past, unless it was a mandatory team battle, Che Huiyi usually acted alone.
Hunters even privately and regretfully speculated that she would likely be lonely for life, or could only find an ordinary office worker to retire and marry.
Now, this sole exception had appeared…
Cui Zhongyin was extremely conflicted internally, but then, he smiled with relief.
"If you want to leave the Hunter Department, although I would be reluctant to lose your powerful assistance, I won't stop you."
"Eh? Why are you suddenly talking about this?"
"Heh, among everyone present, besides President Gao Jianli, only you caught his attention for a moment longer. He should be very interested in you too."
Che Huiyi subconsciously pulled down the brim of her hat, feeling a bit shy about the topic.
"…It's rude to talk about Mr. Rhode like this behind his back."
"Heh, already starting to protect him?"
"…"
Cui Zhongyin narrowed his eyes, his smile gentle.
"Of course, I don't mean to imply anything. This world changes too fast, and we, staying too long in our own country, are like frogs in a well."
"Making more friends is good for everyone. Especially since your feelings for him are so unique. You can choose another path; think about it carefully."
Che Huiyi sighed inwardly.
Another path, huh…
Hotel private room.
"Mr. Rhodes! Long time no see! Oh, and you're here too, big brother…"
The energetic Cheng Xiaoya, holding Noin and Leyana's hands, greeted Rhodes with a cheerful smile.
Cheng Xiaoyu, who was like a small transparent in the corner, complained helplessly.
"So I'm just an afterthought… Right, Xiao Ya, quickly greet these seniors."
Cheng Xiaoya turned her head and was instantly startled by the array of people before her.
Everyone in this room was a big shot only seen on TV!
She suddenly became nervous, not knowing where to put her hands and feet.
Gao Jianli smiled and comforted her.
"Don't be nervous, little girl. Today is a private dinner. Since you're Mr. Rhodes' friend, just relax."
Che Huiyi also gently waved to Cheng Xiaoya.
"Come sit over here with me."
Cheng Xiaoya subconsciously turned to look at Rhodes. Seeing him smile and nod, her eyes lit up and she eagerly went over.
She had admired this beautiful and powerful female S-Rank Hunter for a long time!
And when Cheng Xiaoyu saw this, his mouth twitched again.
Hey! I'm your older brother!
Rhodes then casually introduced Noin and Leyana.
At this moment, all the H-country Hunters present once again felt immense relief.
Two more S-Ranks!
And they exuded a powerful, undisguised aura of seasoned warriors…
Good thing… good thing there was no conflict just now…
Noin and Leyana naturally walked to Rhodes' right and sat down.
Gao Jianli saw that everyone had arrived. Just as he picked up his wine glass, ready to say a few opening remarks, the private room door suddenly swung open.
A voice with a hint of frivolity rang out.
"Yo, don't mind if I crash for some food and drinks, do you!"
The H-country Hunters' faces instantly changed when they saw the newcomer, and they all subconsciously stood up.
The person who arrived was none other than Z-country's Seven-Star Hunter, the man hailed as the strongest in Asia — Liu Zhikang!
Even Gao Jianli, this weathered old man, felt his scalp tingle at this moment.
Why did this great figure suddenly show up too?!
Could it be… that H-country was going to explode today?
"…Of course, you're welcome, Hunter Liu Zhikang."
Liu Zhikang didn't seem to care whether the other party agreed or not. He walked straight to Rhodes, sat down beside him, familiarly opened a bottle of wine, and poured a glass for both Rhodes and himself.
"Rhodes, my friend, you've been in seclusion for so long, why the sudden urge to come out and relax?"
In the identity the System had given Rhodes, after he cleared many Dungeons alone, he had been in "seclusion," seeing no outsiders until now.
Some people in his own country even used this as a reason to attack Rhodes, shouting online to revoke his special treatment.
As a result, the most boisterous of those guys were tracked down by Liu Zhikang through the internet, caught on the spot, and sent to jail.
Because of this, Rhodes had a relatively good impression of him.
Rhodes raised his glass and clinked it with Liu Zhikang's.
"Because I noticed some things…"
Liu Zhikang's gaze narrowed slightly, and he immediately changed the subject.
He looked around at the H-country Hunters present, baring his teeth in a grin.
"So, are you enjoying your trip here? Have any blind fools given you trouble?"
These Hunters, who were usually high and mighty, instantly stiffened, cold sweat trickling down their backs.
Coming from the mouth of one of the world's strongest National Power-level Hunters, they could not, under any circumstances, take it as a joke.
Other Z-country Hunters might not know, but this Liu Zhikang was genuinely very protective of his own.
And unlike the common impression of Z-country people who blend in with the light and dust, he was a fierce man who would actually kill Hunters from other countries.
Fortunately, Rhodes casually diffused the tension for them.
"They're quite reasonable. Speaking of which, why did you suddenly come to H-country?"
"Haha, I just heard news of you, so I wanted to confirm your recent situation."
The other party made no secret of having investigated Rhodes' whereabouts, and this honesty and directness were not off-putting.
Moreover, the other party was most likely just worried that something had happened to his health, which was why he rushed over so urgently.
The atmosphere at the dining table gradually became more relaxed.
At first, everyone was just stiffly discussing some public news of the Hunter world.
Until Bai Lvhao got a little drunk and couldn't help but complain about some guys from Z-country.
Unexpectedly, Liu Zhikang's eyes lit up when he heard it. He laughed loudly, stepped forward, toasted him three times in a row, and began complaining alongside him.
At this, the atmosphere became lively, almost like New Year's, with all the Hunters eagerly participating.
Che Huiyi and Cheng Xiaoya were originally talking about some interesting stories of S-Rank Hunters, but later, the topic unconsciously shifted to Rhodes.
Watching Cheng Xiaoya's eyes light up and her face animated whenever she talked about Rhodes, Che Huiyi felt a strange feeling in her heart.
Li Xiaoxi also interjected from time to time, perking up her ears and listening intently.
As for Cheng Xiaoyu and Song Zhiguo, they had completely become transparent, wildly gorging themselves on expensive ingredients that they usually couldn't bear to buy.
Anyway, no one was paying attention to them at all.
After eating and drinking their fill, Liu Zhikang saw that Rhodes was in good condition, even feeling stronger than before, so he thought about leaving.
"Wait. Since you're here, there's something I need to discuss later, it's good to have you here for it."
As soon as he said this, Song Zhiguo and Cheng Xiaoyu immediately rose, showing good judgment.
"Then… then, we'll be leaving first."
After saying that, Cheng Xiaoyu quickly called out to Cheng Xiaoya, who was still a bit reluctant, and they left together.
As Cheng Xiaoya went out the door, she secretly waved to Rhodes, who smiled and winked.
Li Xiaoxi also thought about leaving, but Rhodes spoke up.
"You stay."
Li Xiaoxi pouted, looking a bit wronged, but she stayed.
Everyone present glanced at her, and all seemed to understand something thoughtfully.