Chapter 89: Crimson Devil
Chapter 89: Crimson Devil
Ji Xinghuo sat in the hall, awaiting his qualification certificate. Occasionally, bounty hunters strode into the bounty office, laying bloodied organs on the counter in exchange for their rewards.
These organs belonged to the Beiluosimen Tribe, and they were categorized into several types.
The most common was a bloody tail tip belonging to the Shixi Lizardmen, easily identifiable by their scales. The color of these scales indicated the Lizardmen's rank; the lower the rank, the lighter the grayish scales, gradually darkening with each evolution.
The bounty amounts were not set in stone; the higher the rank of the defeated enemy, the higher the reward.
A rank 1 Lizardman was worth only 10,000, but a rank 2 Lizardman fetched 30,000.
Rank 3 garnered 60,000, surpassing the value of a Dagun tribesman. If it were a rank 4 Lizardman, the bounty soared to 200,000, though it still paled in comparison to the 500,000 bounty on a rank 4 Dagun.
The prized trophy from the Dagun tribe was a piece of scalp, marked with distinct cerulean patterns that denoted their rank.
For the Tengjing tribe, the bounty was their plant core, while for the Gelaokake tribe, it was simply their severed antennae.
Ji Xinghuo noticed that most bounty hunters worked alone or in small groups of two or three, a stark contrast to the typical hunting party.
The most common bounty hunter templates favored stealth and concealment, including Shadowblades, Sonic Illusionists, Dark Wind Walkers, and Evil Spirits.
The second most common were those with strong survival skills, such as Fleetfoots, Half-Beasts, Hunters, and Rangers.
And then there were the unique professions, like the Eccentric Geniuses, Blood Butchers, and Insect Monarchs, though these were rare, with only one or two sightings.
Nearly all bounty hunters possessed some form of long-range attack capability, be it through specialized professions like Rangers and Hunters or by carrying bows and crossbows.
Those skilled in head-on combat or with robust defensive abilities were virtually absent.
This was understandable.
Bounty hunting favored stealthy assassinations, where the most important abilities were concealment and reconnaissance. Missing the mark meant immediate retreat, and all combat was predicated on personal survival.
The frontlines of the two tribes were the battlefield.
Engaging in direct combat with the enemy might win the first battle, but it would soon attract a relentless stream of reinforcements, leading to certain death.
No matter how strong one's combat prowess, they would inevitably be overwhelmed by countless foes unless they were a Legend or a Sovereign.
In that case, there would be no need to become a bounty hunter; their mere presence on the battlefield would draw out the strong from the Beiluosimen Tribe.
Ji Xinghuo observed the comings and goings of the bounty hunters.
Most of them were high-ranking Beyonders.
Their weapons and equipment were top-notch, as their financial means allowed them to purchase their desired gear. Their bodies bore the scars of battle, and their eyes held a murderous glint.
These Beyonders, honed through real combat, possessed strength far surpassing their peers of the same rank.
Even so, the trophies they turned in were few.
Mostly, they offered the tail tips of Lizardmen and the antennae of Gelaokake, only two or three at a time. Occasionally, someone would present a piece of Dagun scalp, but plant cores from the Tengjing tribe were never seen.
After collecting their rewards, most bounty hunters left immediately.
However, some lingered, perusing the scoreboards mounted on the hall's walls.
Ji Xinghuo had noticed these when he first entered—eye-catching chalkboards on one wall, inscribed with names and numbers.
These numbers represented Hero Points, calculated simply: one point for defeating a rank 1 Beiluosimen foe, two points for rank 2, and so on.
The bounty office staff updated these scores daily.
The scores displayed on the boards were cumulative for the current star month, with a reset occurring only on the last day of each star month.
The top three bounty hunters in terms of points for the month received additional bonuses and the opportunity to meet with the defending general of Midway Fortress, earning praise and priority access to purchase weapons and equipment from the armory at discounted prices.
Currently, it was the middle of the Flaming Month.
The top-ranked bounty hunter on the scoreboard had accumulated 620 points.
The second-place hunter had 575 points.
The gap was evident between the top two and those ranked third to eighth, who had scores ranging from 300 to 450 points.
From the ninth place onwards, the scores dipped below 300 points, with minimal differences between them, and even the 100th-ranked hunter had over 200 points.
"Jingji's score increased by another 40 points yesterday!"
"Yeah..."
"He's pulled ahead of Alex again. It won't be easy to catch up."
Ji Xinghuo overheard a few bounty hunters discussing the leaderboard. The "Jingji" they mentioned was the top-ranked name, while Alex was second. From their conversation, it seemed that the two were engaged in a fierce competition.
Indeed, as he listened further, it became clear that Jingji was from the Asian Commonwealth, while Alex hailed from the United States. Due to the enmity between their nations and stances, the two had clashed on several occasions.
However, this was the Star Boundary Front, and they faced a common enemy in the Beiluosimen Tribe.
Rather than resorting to mutual destruction, Jingji and Alex had struck a wager, using the number of Beiluosimen kills as the metric for a competition that would span half a star year, or nine star months. The loser would have to publicly admit their defeat and leave Midway Fortress.
The competition was now in its eighth month, and Jingji held a substantial lead of nearly 300 points.
Ji Xinghuo sat there, engrossed in their conversation.
He was about to interject with a question when a pale-skinned man walked in, immediately capturing the attention of the other bounty hunters.
"Alex!"
"Red Devil!"
Ji Xinghuo couldn't help but size up this bounty hunter.
Based on the intensity of his electromagnetic field and the fluctuations in his etheric energy, this Alex was undoubtedly a Super Beyonder and one of the top powerhouses among them.
Alex wasn't particularly tall, standing at around 5'9", and he didn't seem very robust. He wore a black leather jacket over a hooded onesie that covered most of his face, and a pair of jeans that offered no apparent defense.
He carried no weapons and had no other equipment, his hands empty.
Yet, no one dared to underestimate him.
For, Alex was a Blood Butcher!
This profession template relied solely on the body in combat, using it as a weapon. The core ability of a Blood Butcher was the "Blood Limb Virus," an ultra-limit ability that allowed them to mutate their bodies, transforming their limbs and torso into various forms—swords, guns, shields, or axes—at will.
Their skeletons were reinforced with "Steel Bones," enhancing the lethality of their limb weapons and continually increasing their strength.
"Bloodlust" allowed them to devour the blood of their foes to heal their wounds and restore their stamina.
Additionally, they possessed the abilities "Liquid Form," which transformed their bodies into a liquid state, eliminating obvious weak points; "Crimson Poison Mist," which infused their blood with deadly toxins and concealed their movements; and "Blood Arrow," which enabled them to spit jets of blood to attack enemies.
Every part of a Blood Butcher was a weapon.
They were unpredictable, excelling in both direct combat and stealth reconnaissance, and they could sustain themselves in battle, unafraid of facing hordes of enemies.
Alex had become a bounty hunter at Midway Fortress when he was still a mid-level Beyonder.
He fought on the frontlines until he advanced to become a Super Beyonder.
He had even earned himself the nickname, "Red Devil"!
In the Asian Commonwealth, Blood Butchers were a rare sight, as this profession template originated from a biological laboratory in the American Federation. It was the result of an accident in the 1960s and was gradually perfected over the next three decades, becoming one of the ace professions of the American Federation.
The vast majority of Blood Butchers were Americans with connections to the "Tianhe Biological Consortium," the organization that controlled this profession template.
Alex's expression remained neutral.
His skin was pale, giving him a somewhat sickly appearance. He placed a dripping bag on the counter and said in a deep voice, "I'm here to collect my bounty."
"Of course!"
The staff member's attitude was noticeably different from how they treated the other bounty hunters. He immediately stood up to inspect the spoils.
The bag was turned upside down, and its contents clattered onto the table.
"Whoa..."
Several bounty hunters in the room exclaimed in surprise. There were three to four dozen spoils in total, with more than half being the tail tips of Shixi Lizardmen and antennae of Gelaokake. The rest were all Dagun tribesmen, and among them were quite a few second-tier and even third-tier enemies.
Moreover, Ji Xinghuo, with his sharp eyes, spotted several fourth-tier spoils—two fourth-tier Dagun tribesmen, a fourth-tier Tengjing, and a fourth-tier Shixi Lizardman.
What a haul!
The staff member quickly counted the spoils and respectfully said, "Mr. Alex, your total bounty for this trip is 2.7 million Asian dollars, and you've earned 75 Hero Points. Is that correct?"
Alex silently nodded.
"Here is your bounty." The staff member promptly made the necessary entries and handed over a thick stack of cash.
Alex didn't bother to count the money and casually stuffed it into his pocket before turning to leave. As he passed by the scoreboard, he paused and glanced up, a flicker of coldness flashing in his eyes, before exiting the bounty office.
Only after the Red Devil had left did the atmosphere in the hall return to normal.
"Wow, he just jumped up by 75 points!"
"I bet he wiped out a major outpost of the Beiluosimen Tribe last night. He's fearless, not worried about running into a legendary powerhouse of the enemy."
"Red Devil's points for this month have surpassed Jingji's."
"There's only one and a half months left on their bet. If Jingji doesn't step up his game, he won't be able to catch up. Things are definitely going to get more intense, and we're in for a show."
"Who do you think will win?"
"I'd say Jingji! He's a Shadowblade, so he's great at staying hidden and has incredible burst damage. That's why he's been able to rack up kills consistently and maintain his lead over Red Devil.
"I'm not so sure."
"Blood Butchers have insane combat prowess. If Alex goes on another big killing spree, he could very well surpass Jingji in the final few days and clinch the victory!"
"I hope Jingji wins. He's from the Asian Commonwealth, after all."
"This has nothing to do with national allegiance. Alex has never harmed humans, and while he may seem a bit intimidating, he seems like a decent guy."
The bounty hunters chatted as they left the bounty office.
Ji Xinghuo listened to their enthusiastic discussion and waited for about an hour before receiving his bounty hunter qualification certificate. He then promptly left.
(End of Chapter)
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