"What's going on? Why the shouting?"
Vice Captain Reve frowned and stood up, clearly irritated at the interruption to his training.
However, after hearing what his subordinate had to say, Reve's expression changed.
"What did you say? Our Brown was defeated?"
"Which association was that person from?"
Reve's face turned dark, and his eyes blazed with a vengeful fire.
The Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association cared deeply about their reputation. Upon hearing that Brown had been defeated, Reve's first thought was revenge.
"Send a challenge letter to that association!"
But his subordinate responded, "Vice Captain, I'm afraid we can't send a challenge letter."
"Because that person doesn't belong to any association!"
Ten minutes later, after listening to his subordinate's full report, Reve sat atop the roof, lost in brief thought.
This was indeed a shocking piece of news, and he was considering what response the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association should have.
"Arya, the captain, has gone to the Holy City with Kate, so the matters in Dorey City must be dealt with by us,"
Reve said. As Vice Captain, he didn't want the association to make mistakes or suffer losses under his watch.
His subordinate suggested, "Vice Captain, I'm sure many associations are already scrambling to recruit this talented newcomer. Shouldn't we also take action?"
The most important asset for any Hunter association was its members, and a talented newcomer was like treasure, something all associations would fight over.
However, Reve sneered.
"Our Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association isn't like those trashy associations!"
"And anyone who dares to strike at us! No matter who they are, according to our tradition, we must take revenge!"
Reve's eyes gleamed coldly, and he then instructed his subordinate.
"Here's what you'll do. Go now, and find this person's address as quickly as possible. Then I'll handle the next steps."
…
At Uncle Du's Inn, Ed had just returned from practicing swordsmanship outside.
He had found a secluded spot and practiced for a full three hours, gaining a much deeper understanding of the sword techniques in his mind.
And the feeling of sweating was quite satisfying!
"Mr. Ed, as someone with experience, Uncle Du must remind you—make sure you take full advantage of the daylight hours to practice."
Uncle Du said, noticing Ed's return.
When he was young, Uncle Du made sure to seize every minute of the day for training. Seeing Ed had been out wandering both days, he couldn't help but say something.
Ed smiled slightly, not bothering to explain that he had just been practicing outside. He simply said.
"Thanks for the reminder, Uncle Du."
Uncle Du nodded while wiping down a table. "Mm, only by training well can you become a strong Hunter."
Ed suddenly asked, "By the way, Uncle Du, I haven't seen you driving your cart for business these past few days?"
Uncle Du chuckled and explained, "That's because in two days, the Hunter competition will begin. As a former Hunter, of course, I can't miss it!"
"So, I've paused my business these past few days. After I finish wiping down the table, I'll go pick up my wife and daughter!"
Ed raised an eyebrow. "Uncle Du is married?"
He seemed to recall a rumor that Hunters couldn't have children, which was why many Hunters preferred to take on an apprentice as their successor.
Uncle Du smiled. "Don't misunderstand. Hunters can't have children, but as long as all their cultivation is completely drained, they can."
"Mr. Ed, tell Viktor we'll be having dinner tonight! I'm sure my daughter will be thrilled to meet you both. She's a huge fan of Hunters!"
After finishing his words, Uncle Du hurriedly left, and Ed returned to his room to rest for a while.
As evening approached, Ed began to smell the delicious aroma of food. Viktor called him for dinner.
When Ed came out, he saw that Uncle Du had already returned and was busy at the dinner table. In addition, there was a woman and a young girl present.
"Mr. Ed, you're out. It's time for dinner," Uncle Du said with a smile.
The woman sitting next to him glanced at Ed, frowned, but didn't say anything.
The young girl, however, spoke up, clearly dissatisfied. "Dad, you lied to me."
"You said there was a Hunter staying at your inn, and it turns out it's him? What a waste of my expectations."
The girl had short blue hair and was sitting at the table, eating a piece of bread while looking at Ed with disappointment.
Ed had just come out of his room, and he found himself in this situation without knowing what to say.
"Iris! Watch your words. This is your father's life-saver. Without him, I would be dead!"
Uncle Du scolded the girl, though his tone wasn't very harsh, considering how much he cherished his daughter.
He then turned to Ed and smiled. "Mr. Ed, please don't mind. This is my little daughter, Iris."
"This is my wife, Mina."
Iris appeared to be around eighteen years old, about the same age as Ed. Mina seemed to be in her early thirties, while Uncle Du was in his early fifties.
Clearly, he had married and had children quite late in life.
After Uncle Du's introduction and explaining that Ed had saved his life, Iris finally kept quiet.
However, throughout dinner, she occasionally gave Ed a disdainful look and snorted.
Ed couldn't help but feel confused. What was with this girl?
After a hearty dinner, Ed returned to his room to meditate.
He closed the door and immediately sat down on his bed, beginning to practice the Moonlight Meditation Technique!
After several rounds of breathing exercises…
[Progress +1]
[Progress +1]
Just one hour had passed, and Ed found that his progress had increased by 2!
He widened his eyes. "What's going on? I used to only gain 2 progress after a whole night of practice."
A thought suddenly popped into his mind.
"Could it be because I practiced swordsmanship earlier today?"
"No, more accurately, it should be because of the physical exertion!"
Ed recalled the battle with the griffin in the village, where he had exhausted all of his energy.
But after a few days of training, his progress had noticeably sped up.
At first, Ed thought it was just a coincidence, but now it seemed clear—it wasn't!
As long as his body was sufficiently fatigued, his training speed would accelerate!
"My god, I can't believe this hidden truth!"
Ed's eyes lit up as though he had discovered a rare treasure in a new world!
Now, if he could exhaust himself physically during the day.
His training at night would be much more effective, allowing him to level up at a rapid pace!
Breaking through to the top-tier Black Iron rank was just a matter of time!
Without wasting a moment, Ed immediately resumed his meditation, eager to continue his progress.
But just then, with a loud bang.
Ed's door was suddenly slammed open. He opened his eyes and saw the blue-haired girl walking in.
Uncle Du's daughter!
"It's you. What do you want so late?" Ed frowned.
"Come out! I have something to say to you!"
Iris said with a stern face, her arms crossed over her chest, her voice deliberately lowered.
Ed, feeling confused, stood up and followed her outside.
Iris led Ed to a dark area outside, then suddenly, with one hand pressed against the wall, she forced him into a corner!
"Hmm?" Ed was more puzzled by her sudden actions.
With his strength, he could easily break free from the girl's grasp.
But he instinctively wanted to maintain some distance from Uncle Du's daughter, so he just took a step back.
Iris, with a questioning tone, spoke up.
"You, kid, you look so young, and you dare to pretend to be a Hunter?"
"I'll ask you, what level is the meditation technique you use?"
"Meditation technique?" Ed was even more confused.
"Heh, you mean the Sunlight Meditation Technique, don't you? You can't even name it?" Iris snorted.
Then she started firing off a series of questions, all about Hunters.
Ed immediately felt like he had seen this kind of situation before.
However, when it came to the meditation technique, he really couldn't answer.
First of all, he didn't use the Sunlight Meditation Technique. Secondly, even if it was the Moonlight Meditation Technique, he didn't know what level it was.
When Iris saw that Ed couldn't answer, she immediately realized she was right.
So, she dropped her hand, placed her hands on her hips, and said:
"Alright, no matter what you used to deceive my dad, you can stay at this inn."
"But once the Hunter competition is over, you have to leave, and you're not allowed to pretend to be a Hunter or tarnish my idol's name!"
"If you don't, I'll throw you out at any time!"
After giving this warning, Iris turned and walked off, not giving Ed a chance to explain.
As for this bizarre warning, Ed could only shake his head.
"What a waste of my training time."
With that, he was about to return to his room.
Just then, he suddenly heard some unusual noises from outside!