PFFT...
The grievously wounded Dog Demon collapsed to its knees, violently spitting out a mouthful of foul-smelling blood.
Its eyes were filled with unwillingness and rage.
The searing pain wracking its body made it realize its time was up.
It slowly raised its head to stare at Lin Yi.
"You... COUGH COUGH COUGH, haven't... haven't even had an awakening, how... how could you possibly use Qi and Blood... This... this is impossible, absolutely impossible... You... you hid your true strength..."
The Dog Demon was seized by another violent coughing fit.
Once again, it spewed a large mouthful of blood.
The blood splattered onto the ground, immediately releasing a nauseating, foul stench.
Lin Yi strode over to it.
In truth, he wasn't sure himself why he was able to call upon the Qi and Blood in his body.
Even with that person's guidance, it shouldn't have been possible to use it this quickly.
After all, one's meridians could only be opened after reaching 1-star.
Only after opening one's meridians could they store Qi and Blood.
And only then could they gradually learn to control and use it.
But Lin Yi knew better than anyone that he hadn't even reached star-rank yet.
Yet he could already call upon his Qi and Blood... 'This makes no sense.'
Though surprised, he walked up to the Dog Demon and stared down at it.
"Nothing is impossible. You're just too ignorant to have ever encountered it.
But for you to witness it once before the end of your dog life... consider it a worthy death!"
With that, Lin Yi moved behind the Dog Demon.
He brought the dagger around to the Dog Demon's neck, not giving it a chance to say another word.
SHLICK—
The short blade sliced through the Dog Demon's throat with ease.
In that instant, the Dog Demon's pupils widened. It raised its hands to clutch the gash, trying to stop the blood from spraying out.
But it was useless. Its windpipe had been severed.
It didn't want to die; it still clung to this mortal world.
But there was nothing it could do.
Blood gushed out, pooling on the ground and filling the air with a thick, gag-inducing stench.
The Dog Demon lasted less than a minute before the strength was rapidly drained from its body.
Its body swayed a few times before collapsing heavily to the ground.
But it wasn't completely dead yet.
Not until an indifferent notification sound echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations on slaying a 1-star Dog Demon]
[Plunder talent traits?]
[Hunter (Purple): A title for a certain type of predator. They often emerge at night, taking pleasure in the hunt and enjoying the process of killing...]
[Vicious Bite: Possesses astonishing bite force, able to easily tear off chunks of flesh...]
[Lustful Fiend: Naturally covets beauty, with a particular fondness for young girls.]
[Bloodthirsty: A severe psychological disorder. Has killed at least 30 people.]
[Head-down Fragrance: Can track and hunt prey using the scent they leave on physical objects...]
Five talent traits appeared for Lin Yi to choose from.
However, when he saw these talents, which were unique to demonic beasts, he lost all interest.
If he plundered any one of these traits, he'd be turned into a psychopathic murderer or a depraved rapist.
After careful consideration, Lin Yi chose to give up.
He didn't plunder a single talent trait.
"These traits are too twisted. Any one of them could warp my personality!" Lin Yi shook his head.
The next moment, a red light flashed out from the Dog Demon's corpse.
It formed a streak of light and shot straight into Lin Yi's pocket.
It vanished in an instant.
Immediately after, Lin Yi felt the wooden plaque in his pocket begin to vibrate.
He quickly took it out for a look. The wooden plaque, originally inscribed with 'Number Twenty-Eight,' had turned blood-red.
This development left Lin Yi completely dumbfounded.
'Does this mean the mission is complete?'
With that thought, he carefully tucked the wooden plaque back into his pocket.
This mission plaque was now worth 15,000.
He would go turn in the mission right away. Once he got the bounty, he'd be one step closer to the 30,000 he needed for registration.
Then, he thought of the motorcycle guy from earlier.
If not for the few pointers he'd casually given, Lin Yi definitely wouldn't have been able to slay the Dog Demon and complete the mission so smoothly tonight. He turned around, ready to thank the man.
But he found the man was already gone...
Lin Yi quickly ran out of the alley. The entire street was empty.
The drizzling rain had stopped at some unknown point.
It left behind only a wet road, where dim streetlights feebly pushed back the darkness.
The night sky remained overcast, without a single star in sight.
The motorcycle man was long gone.
'If fate allows us to meet again, I'll thank you in person then!'
Lin Yi thought to himself, then glanced back at the bodies of the three Dog Demons in the alley.
As for the girl, she had vanished without a trace.
After a long moment, Lin Yi fixed his gaze in one direction.
He sprinted off toward the Old Town District.
He had to turn in the mission before midnight tonight, or it would expire.
...
On a deserted street.
The roar of a motorcycle engine grew louder, approaching from a distance.
A burly man in a leather jacket and a pink helmet appeared.
He parked his motorcycle at a bus stop.
When the engine's roar died down, a man in a suit and silver-rimmed glasses emerged. He had a refined, scholarly look.
His face was handsome, but his eyes held an icy coldness.
He glanced at the motorcycle man, his expression as still as stagnant water, and said, "You took pity on that kid?"
"Huh? What kid?" The motorcycle man was taken aback, sounding confused.
The man with glasses turned to face him directly. "Don't play dumb with me. Have you already forgotten what you just did?"
"Oh... Hahaha, I was wondering what this was about. You mean that student?
I saw an injustice and stepped in. What's the big deal about helping out a little?" the motorcycle man replied nonchalantly.
A cold glint flashed in the eyes of the man with glasses.
"Don't forget, we're in the Old District on a mission. If you expose our identities, you'll drag down the entire team, and the Bureau won't let you off easy..." the man with glasses said coldly, his voice devoid of emotion.
At this, the motorcycle man's expression darkened.
A flicker of anger showed in his eyes. "I, Chu Zhengxiong, take responsibility for my own actions! If the Bureau really comes after me for this, I'll bear the consequences alone. I definitely won't drag you all down with me!"
"As a member of the Demon Hunting Bureau, was I supposed to just stand by and watch a student get killed by a Dog Demon?"
"Anyway, what's done is done. Let them do what they will!"
After Chu Zhengxiong finished his furious outburst, he revved the throttle again, and the motorcycle let out a series of deafening roars.
The next moment, he sped off down the street.
The man with glasses only sighed and shook his head after the motorcycle's taillights had vanished into the night.
"He's always been like this. Reckless, impulsive..."
But as soon as the words left his mouth,
from the roof of the bus stop shelter,
a woman in tight-fitting combat gear with a bow on her back let out a light, bell-like laugh.
"Hehehe... But isn't that personality exactly why Brother Xiong is our captain? All right, let's get a move on. The sooner we finish the mission, the sooner we can get back to Fengzhou City..."
With that, the girl leaped a few times and vanished directly into the night.