Chapter 17: Mortal Enemies
The land area of Hylfanis Domain is almost 1.5 times that of Ederit Domain. The soil is barren, and surface water sources are scarce. Yet, far more people live here than in Ederit Domain. To put it in a way that commoners find comforting: this is a place to feed the poor. As long as one is willing to work, basic food and clothing can be secured—of course, only if one is a freeman or citizen.
In the Frey Alliance, the populace is divided into four classes: vagrants, vassals, freemen, and citizens. Citizens enjoy the best rights and treatment, followed by freemen. Those with vassal status must first obtain permission from their lord before traveling far. Vagrants, on the other hand, belong to the lowest class, including those considered marginal.
Bels, Sbun, and Zar are typical examples of such marginal people. Their names—bucket, spoon, and jar—reveal their origins. No one with any cultural heritage would choose such plain names, and they don’t even have surnames.
It was already the sixth day since the three set out on a hunting trip. Usually, they stayed out for 7 to 10 days, as their bodies required non-staple nutrients. In this world, there were no terms like vitamins, minerals, or trace elements, but humans, who stood at the forefront of Emira’s civilizations, knew well that nutrition came from more than just grains, meat, and eggs. Of course, Bels and his companions had no such understanding. They adhered to these habits out of tradition—outdated customs that contained both nonsense and wisdom as well as accumulated experience.
This time, luck was not on their side. After covering their expenses, they only had two wild goat legs left, with little meat after the bones were removed. If they failed to catch anything today, they would need to use another leg.
“Hunting is getting harder. If we don’t get anything this time, I’m thinking of digging in black-hearted mines,” said Sbun, nearly 30 years old, wiping the frosty ice crystals from his beard.
“How can your health stay good doing that kind of work? If you get sick, hunting will be impossible too.” Zar, the youngest, wasn’t as chubby as his older companions expected—obesity was envied by many lower-class people in various regions as a sign of wealth and good living conditions. Instead, he resembled a spoon more than Sbun, with a large head and thin body. Even wrapped in tattered clothes, he still appeared frail.
Sbun sighed gravely. “There’s no choice. We can’t just watch our family starve. Digging in black-hearted mines will at least earn us 1 gold as a settlement fee, enough to get us through winter.”
Zar looked downcast. He could feed himself while his family went hungry, but they were always in debt. His savings for marriage would likely be spent entirely. “Sigh, the cold disaster is bad enough. Ederit Domain has fallen, and Asia is unstable too. The prices of food crops have doubled compared to previous years. Even hunting luck is so terrible—damn it!”
Bers, who had half werewolf blood in his veins, lacked Sbun’s sorrow and Zal’s despondency. His rough, wrinkled face seemed completely frozen by the cold, showing no facial expressions, yet his eyes were sharp and bright, lively and vigilant. Bers was the leader of the three, the oldest with the most hunting experience; he had earned the title of Night Hunter over a decade ago.
“Shh!” As they walked, Bers gestured for Sbun and Zal to be quiet. Immediately, they slowed their steps like him—one drew an arrow and nocked it on a bow, the other raised a spear—as they followed Bers forward.
When they turned around at the valley entrance, they all relaxed. It was a seemingly young werewolf, which wasn’t hard to tell—werewolves had different body proportions from humans, with longer legs and a more upright stance.
“Ahram!” The werewolf across from them greeted them first, his sword sheathed and three spears behind him, his hands empty, appearing entirely friendly.
“Ahram!” Sbun replied on behalf of the three. Zal was young, and Bers was not good with words; usually, Sbun handled negotiations. “Ahram” was a common phrase in Hilfanis, meaning roughly “you’ll have good luck soon.” Hilfanis was full of ravines, and aside from a few main paths, it was very rare for people to meet in the valley paths. That’s why this phrase was used when such encounters happened.
Nio had studied many regional records in order to escape. But just by looking at the half-werewolf’s scanning gaze, Nio knew that a simple “Ahram” wouldn’t completely dispel the other’s vigilance. But it didn’t matter—as long as it wasn’t a Clawed Werewolf search team dropped from the sky, everything was negotiable.
As outcasts, Bers and his two companions were highly vigilant around anyone they didn’t know. Moreover, Nio appearing in the valley wilderness in such an odd outfit naturally caught their attention. “Are you… a hunter?” Sbun asked tentatively. The arrow remained in the quiver, and Zal and Bers also held their weapons tightly.
“Temporary. I’m seeing if I can find anything, but my luck seems average.” Nio walked toward the three of them and stopped about ten meters away—a distance that made Bers and his companions feel more at ease. Of course, Nio was also at ease; if needed, he could cover that distance in less than a second.
Nio’s words eased the minds of Bels and the other two slightly. The man seemed honest—he hadn’t gone along with Sbun’s claim of being a hunter. That crossbow was high-quality and clearly not meant for hunting. Though they didn’t recognize the material of his leather coat, they could tell it was of decent quality. Hunters wouldn’t dress in such flashy gear. Like them, he was made of patched-up, tattered leather; good leather was hard to come by, and if he had any, he’d have exchanged it for money long ago—how could he bear to use it himself? Moreover, although Nio carried a spear, its material wasn’t from Hylfanis territory. They knew all too well what kind of wood grew here. Additionally, Nio’s skin was fair, soft, and delicate. Hunters, who spent their time in the mountains exposed to wind, sun, and rain, couldn’t possibly have such skin… In their eyes, Nio had flaws all over.
“Interested in talking?” Nio didn’t smile, but his calm voice carried sincerity and a hint of casualness, making people feel relaxed.
Sbun glanced at Bels and then at Zal. Bels remained expressionless as usual, while Zal seemed to say, “It’s up to you.”
“Alright! We could use a break anyway.” Sbun thought this werewolf seemed easy to get along with. More importantly, he didn’t seem short of money and wasn’t here to hunt, which made Sbun realize they might be able to land some work.
Sure enough, under a canopy tree, sitting on a rock, Nio got straight to the point: “It’s cold and hard to hunt. I was wondering if any of you are interested in earning some extra money.”
Sbun was pleased but didn’t rush to agree. He said nonchalantly, “Tell me more.”
“I need guides and guards. 3 dinars per day during the employment period, paid daily, with the option to leave at any time. Food and other expenses during employment will naturally be covered by me. No bargaining.”
Zal’s face lit up with a smile, and Sbun’s joy was also evident. In terms of strength, roughly estimated, Zal was below level 2, Sbun was around level 3, and Bels had once reached level 4, but as he aged, his physical abilities had declined from their peak, leaving him at about level 3. Moreover, their professions were secondary hunters, and under the same level, their evaluation criteria were much lower than those of mainstream professions. So, even though they were working hard, they couldn’t expect to earn as much as mercenaries with formal certifications.
Furthermore, while expenses or combat subsidies for mercenaries on missions could be negotiated with clients, there was a prerequisite: weapons and equipment usually had to be provided by the client. People like Bels and the others, who didn’t even have decent metal weapons, wouldn’t even be considered for such jobs, let alone command a daily wage of 3 gold coins. Even as guides, their value wouldn’t justify that much. In short, Nio’s offer was already quite generous.
Of course, the most attractive part was “paid daily, with the option to leave at any time.” This could even be seen as a major flaw for the client—if things didn’t go right, they could just walk away without getting paid, leaving the client with no recourse.
“But…” Nio said, “If one of you leaves halfway, the payment will be halved. If you all stay until the end, you’ll get an extra day’s wage after the task is completed.” Nio could see that these three clearly came from difficult backgrounds and had taken this opportunity on a whim to make money. If they failed to understand the situation, Nio could easily handle them—he certainly wouldn’t let them slip away so easily. After all, if they were spotted on the ridge, his whereabouts would be exposed. With survival at stake and lives holding little value, how could they pass up such a chance to make money? Upon hearing the favorable terms, Sbun and Zar basically agreed to take on the job. Yet Sbun didn’t commit outright but expressed his intention to accept the task first, then began to discuss the details—like where to go and the main threats along the way—things he wanted to clarify. Nio, of course, wouldn’t reveal the truth right away. He took out three gold coins and said, “From now until noon tomorrow, I’ll pay you for today. There’s only one requirement: rest nearby. We can discuss the rest later.” Zhan took a quick glance at Nio’s purse and swallowed hard in secret, while Sbun glanced at Bels with a questioning look. That glance wasn’t just to ask Bels, the most experienced of the three, if he wanted to take on the job; it also hinted at a less honorable option—robbery and plunder. Bels, who had remained silent the whole time, was actually more sensible than Sbun and Zar thought. More importantly, he could stay calm enough, not letting difficulties dampen his spirits or money cloud his judgment. So far, he had identified three key clues: 1) There were more than one air knight flying in the sky. 2) Though young, the werewolf exuded a dangerous aura, like that of a magical beast—meaning the employer was extremely powerful and beyond their match. As an experienced hunter, he wouldn’t misjudge that. 3) From Nio’s brief conversation, he sensed an intention: to bind them together and set off as a group. With these three clues, Bels could already roughly guess what was going on. “Using soft tactics despite having strong strength—this werewolf is at least not some kind of tyrannical, cold-hearted person…” He nodded slowly and said, “I’ll take on the job.” Disappointment flashed in Sbun’s eyes. At that moment, he had hoped most of all to hear Bels say, “Sure!” If that were the case, he would immediately turn violent and become a robber. As for now… Sbun took the gold coins with both hands, forcing a smile he thought was friendly, and said, “Boyue, we agree to your plan.” Boyue was a local term referring to someone wealthy, powerful, or noble—equivalent to titles like “sir,” “master,” or “your excellency.” It reflected the simplicity and rudeness of the culture among the outcasts.
With the target’s active cooperation, Nancy could invade its mind to search for knowledge and information. During the previous battle at the bandit lair in that area, Nancy had gathered quite a bit of relevant information, but when it came to practical application, she still lagged far behind experienced individuals like Bales and the others. Under Bales’ leadership, the four of them crossed two valleys and eventually settled in a shallow earthen cave. In Hilfanis, there were countless such semi-natural, semi-manufactured abandoned caves. Whether one could make full use of them depended on individual skill. Old hunters like Bales always seemed to “happen” to find an available cave whenever they needed a place to rest.
Nio bought those two wild goat legs from the three of them and had them roasted as a meal for the four of them. Zal asked what they would eat next after finishing it, but Nio said he had a plan. Zal didn’t defy Nio, but while eating, he and Sbun hid a piece from their share. Zal was worried about going hungry, while Sbun thought that if they did get hungry, they could sell that piece to Nio for a good price—maybe even one gold coin. Bales, on the other hand, was more carefree. Like Nio, he chewed slowly and digested thoroughly. However, the wild goat meat wasn’t very tasty or pleasant to eat—tough and gamey. Since none of them had spices to remove the odor, the meal merely filled their stomachs.
Most of the afternoon was spent sleeping. Although the stench of roasted boots filled the cave, the four of them, including Nio, were unfazed. During that time, Sbun still harbored greedy thoughts. He pointed at Nio, who was sleeping on the ground, and asked Bales with his eyes. Bales shook his head, pointed at the feathers on the arrows, then at the spread-out leather mat, before going back to sleep on his own.
Since Bales had said Nio slept very lightly, Sbun gave up on the idea and lay down as well. Yet he couldn’t fall asleep due to excitement. He kept examining the gold dinar, as if he could never get tired of it.
Nio indeed slept very lightly, not only because he was wary of the three’s ulterior motives but also because he wanted to keep an eye on them. This continued until around 6 p.m. When he glanced outside at the dim light, he said to Bales, who was already awake and watching him, “We need to travel at night.”
Sbun and Zal were awakened. After understanding the situation, they were reluctant to leave. Among the people on the fringes of Hilfanis, there was a saying: day belongs to those who walk straight, while night belongs to those who crawl. It wasn’t just a matter of visibility; it was because Hilfanis, unlike the Erdrit lands where magical beasts roamed the forests and rarely ventured into the plains, had such beasts in the ravines. They usually came out to hunt at night, so traveling at night greatly increased the chances of encountering them.
Neo was quite talkative. “I’ve said it before—you can withdraw at any time.” The reason for this was that he knew quite well the flying units on the Hurricane. The Kaban Eagles didn’t have the capability to fly at night. As for the aircraft, Neo had taken almost all the energy crystals on board, along with the generation devices. After flying all night, those aircraft would be useless for a long time. He assumed Victor wouldn’t do such a thing—after all, the skies weren’t safe, with aerial monsters lurking around. Without flying units as combat support, Victor would risk having the Hurricane destroyed or shot down. For an airship like the Hurricane, aside from time and the value of its crew, just the construction cost and the value of its equipment amounted to hundreds of millions in gold coins.
“If Victor thinks my life is worth as much as one Hurricane, then I’ll accept it even if I get caught.”
In fact, Victor did plan to send flying units, but not for searching—rather, straight to the bandits’ lair in the dungeon. It would take at least 35 hours to repair the main power chamber. Until then, it would be difficult even to gather back the Kaban Eagles that had been sent out during the day, forcing them to set up temporary nests on the ground. At night, only ground forces could operate.
In the morning, Victor received both good and bad news. The good news was that the cargo aircraft had been found. It was more durable than expected, and luckily, it crashed into a hill. Though damaged, it was repairable, with an estimated recovery value of at least 500,000 gold coins. The bad news was that the highly valuable energy crystals and generation devices had vanished completely. The enemy was cunning—scattered tracking devices and conflicting flight paths made the aerial knights busy all day, exhausted to the limit.
“I’d rather give up those 500,000 gold coins than hear that those energy crystals and aircraft were destroyed!” Victor was well aware of the value of the supplies Neo had stolen. If it were just energy crystals, it wouldn’t matter much, but with the generators, things were very different. Worse still, among those devices was a set of backup equipment for a magical garden ecosystem. In other words, after using those supplies, Neo could, at the very least, create a small ecosystem in the airship’s cabin, allowing him to sustain hundreds of people. Victor was worried that Neo might become a hidden threat. The Dark Regions under Hylfanis were far more complex than the Eodredt Lands—where would they find those people then?
In the afternoon, Victor received another mix of good and bad news. The bad news was that the three aerial knights sent to monitor the supply convoy were complete failures. Each of them was a fighter above level 7, yet they couldn’t even handle a group of militia, killing only over a dozen while nearly 30 others escaped. They returned dejectedly this afternoon. Victor was furious and ordered one of them to be flogged 20 times.
The good news is that the 100,000 gold reward in Refuge Valley proved effective. As he had expected, someone betrayed the location of the dungeon gang’s lair for that reward. Unfortunately, by the time the deal was finalized, it was already too late, and there were no aerial riders with night-flight capabilities in Refuge Valley, so they had to send flying vehicles to pick them up—yet they still hadn’t returned. Victor had made up his mind: as soon as the guide arrived, he would send 11 flying vehicles to transport a group of highly skilled elite Fang Warriors to the gang’s lair. Even if the Swift Wind Squad hiding there had escaped, they would wait and try to catch them. He believed Nio would definitely go there, and it wasn’t too late yet.
“Your Highness, should we try to recover that 100,000 gold reward after everything is over? Those wretches aren’t worth that much. Besides, I doubt anyone who could provide the location of the lair so quickly…”
Victor replied, “Your doubts are correct. Don’t those bandits have informants in the city? Otherwise, how would they be able to rob easy targets? I even suspect that the one who betrayed them might be the real boss of those bandits. But as for that 100,000 gold, there’s no need to recover it. It’s worth it to show the world that those who work for me, Victor, will be rewarded handsomely if they do a good job!”
“Your Highness is truly wise and brilliant.” But the sycophantic advisor didn’t realize that Victor controlled seven teams dedicated to “robbing the rich to help the poor,” not only in the Frey Alliance but also in Kels and Ord. He could easily afford such a sum of money…
As the moon rose in the east, Nio no longer cared whether Bels and the others would continue as guides and guards. Sbun, however, was reluctant to give up such a good job, so the four set off. This time they took the mountain ridge route. Nio calmly told Bels the general location of their destination. After discussing it, although they didn’t know it was a gang lair, they realized it was a remote and dangerous place. But they had their own plans and believed the risk was worth taking.
With an experienced hunter guiding them, they avoided many unnecessary detours. But Bels and the others couldn’t keep up with Nio’s speed, nor did they have skills like Wild Sprint. Nio didn’t abandon them because of their slow pace. Under the moonlight, they continued on their journey and even hunted a small wild pig weighing over a hundred pounds. Nio showed off his skills a bit, convincing Sbun that trying to make quick money could lead to death—it was safer to earn a high salary honestly.
Obviously, this slow pace couldn’t compare to flying vehicles. After walking all night, the four only covered about 60 kilometers. Such progress on a night journey was already impressive. As the moon set in the west, Nio decided to rest nearby. Bels first suggested resting in a nearby cave, which had winding passages to shield them from the cold and a spring inside.
But Nio rejected this idea. A place that seemed good to one person might not seem so good to others. Since everyone was interested in such places, they might end up having to deal with “Ahram” again. It was better to avoid trouble. Anyway, there was snow everywhere, and Bels and the others brought cooking equipment, so they could boil snow water if needed.
Meanwhile, the elite Fang Warriors sent by Victor via flying craft had completed a second search of the dungeon, yielding disappointing results. The Wind Team had been on the move for nearly 30 hours, and even their scent had faded away—this raid turned out to be a complete waste of effort. When this news reached the Hurricane, Victor was depressed for a long time. He had to admit that Neo was a highly threatening figure; it would be extremely difficult for him to perform better than Neo if he were in Neo’s shoes. By now, Victor’s belief that “Neo would return to the dungeon’s lair” had begun to waver. He started suspecting that Neo, along with the Wind Team and the escaped Jiefu and others, had another meeting place. Still, he ordered the elite team to set up an ambush in the dungeon’s lair. Each of these 11 members was above level 10, with the top commander reaching peak level 14. If Neo appeared, it would be nearly impossible for him to escape.
The next day, all the Carban Eagles on the Hurricane were transferred to the temporary eagle nest. Over 60 aerial knights searched the skies all day without finding anything. On the ground, the Claw Wolves arrived at the dungeon’s lair and the Maze Lair, conducting repeated searches in those areas and their surroundings—again, with no results.
Meanwhile, the four members of Neo’s group spent a relaxed day. They had stewed wild boar meat to eat, plenty to drink, and time to sleep. They also received gold coins. The three hunters were completely satisfied and wished such days would last for months. As for Neo, they saw him tinkering with a peculiar little device, seemingly some kind of precision instrument. Strangely, Neo also brought along a set of tools, using them for heating and welding. It took him most of the day to finish. Zal curiously asked Neo what that intricate device was for, but Neo only said it was an amazing treasure, refusing to elaborate further.
That day, Neo was especially concerned about everyone— the Wind Team, the slaves, Jiefu and his group, Milien, and Valentina. Especially Valentina. Although her previous plans had been to go to the Valley of Refuge and Asia to gather information about her father, it was possible she might return to the Migration Camp out of concern for the people of Mathuya. More importantly, Valentina was unaware of what had happened to the Migration Camp. Neo feared she might step into a trap without any warning. On the ground, Valentina was a notable figure, but in Victor’s eyes, even if she was better than ants, her strength was still limited. What worried Neo even more was that Victor might use her as leverage if he captured her…
“Valentina, may the gods protect you from this disaster. Otherwise, I really don’t know what to do…” Neo gazed in the direction of Asia for a long time. Valentina was there, and so was Milien. If Valentina had any sense during these critical days, she should know he would definitely go to Asia. And if Milien had any trust in him, she should believe he would surely come to see her. Yet he couldn’t be sure of Milien’s reaction upon learning that Xavier had died. Fortunately, Milien had Aurora by her side, which gave Neo some peace of mind.
In fact, that day Victor was not only annoyed by the fruitless search but also furious over another matter: a Frostwolf messenger told him that Xavier’s body had disappeared! “Damn it! Really damn it! I personally broke that old bastard’s neck—how could he rise from the dead?” Victor shut the door and vented his anger for half an hour, but he had to accept the truth—that Xavier had indeed risen from the dead. On the third day, Victor received two good news items and one bad one. The Hurricane’s power was restored, ending the nightmare of the “air coffin,” and a batch of energy crystals urgently purchased from Asia had arrived, so that the nearly hundred combat aircraft on the Hurricane no longer had to worry about energy shortages. Yet, neither of these good news items could compare to the bad one: a massive campaign orchestrated by the Church to condemn the Duchy of Sanvest and the Alliance had begun. It had to be said that the Church had prepared thoroughly for this campaign—using the Divine Favor incident involving Dev, uncovering the truths behind a series of events in northern Edrith, and even publishing a series of investigative reports on Edrith refugees who fled to Hylfanis via the continental roads. With so much factual evidence and heartfelt accusations, the reputation of both the Alliance and the Duchy plummeted. Protests erupted in major cities, and the revolutionaries, who were usually suppressed harshly, took advantage of the situation to become more active, plunging the entire Alliance into turmoil. Of course, if it were just that, it would be good news for Victor, as he was currently on the side of the dark forces, and the more chaotic the situation in the Alliance and the Duchy, the better. He knew that the dark forces had done their part to spread chaos across the entire Alliance. Why hadn’t the Edrith refugees, who fled along the continental roads like fools, perished? Why were there records of the “Eye of Magic” from when the dark forces ravaged many Edrith towns circulating in the market? Why had the revolutionaries organized such successful protests across the entire Alliance? And why had the Freedom League emerged to condemn the Alliance and the Duchy? All of this was the work of the dark forces, with the Church merely taking advantage of the Divine Favor incident to justify its involvement and claim a share of the popularity and prestige. It was bad news because Victor no longer had time. Although detailed reports such as “The so-called brave and self-reliant migrants are actually rogue dark cultists” had already been sent to the Duchy, along with other actions like “The Duchy’s large-scale rescue operation in Edrith,” “The true heroes in the time of darkness,” “The insane Olivier family,” and the Alliance’s “Divine omen: The Phoenix is born in Phoenix City,” these could serve as powerful weapons against the condemnation campaign. But to make it more convincing, he needed to bring back the soldiers from the Fangthe FangFang army -> the Fang army who had personally experienced these events to Sanvest City to testify in defense. Since the Fangthe FangFang army -> the Fang army had been successfully kept in the dark, they could withstand any lie-detection tests or spells. To ensure that the condemnation and defense campaigns clashed fiercely, Victor now had to do his best to help the Duchy and the Alliance. Clearly, doing this was far more important than capturing the remnants of the migration group led by Nio.
“I refuse to accept this!” Ma Zi’s neck was broken, yet he rose from the dead. To eliminate over a thousand of those wretched people from the migration group—without even accounting for the fees paid to the dark forces or the casualties—just the financial loss amounted to tens of millions in gold. That meant each of those wretched souls cost more than ten thousand gold, a sum equivalent to the cost of waging a major battle in either the Holy Order Kingdom or Kales. How could Victor swallow such humiliation?
“Search! Search thoroughly for any remaining enemies!” Victor issued this order like a gambler blinded by loss, trying to recover some of his losses by investing more.
Thus, the Claw Wolves worked round the clock, using their flying vehicles without regard for wear and tear, searching everywhere. Naturally, they didn’t find a single trace. Hillfanis had a peculiar terrain; even under the moonlight, the shadows in the valleys were vast enough to hide entire armies. The combat vehicles didn’t have advanced detection equipment like heat trackers. In fact, the few heat trackers on the Hurricane were taken by Neo. Neo knew this well, so he moved boldly at night, even if it meant avoiding the ridges.
The chaotic and frantic searches by the flying vehicles made Neo realize that Victor was leaving. So, at dawn on the third day, he sent out two Falcon Thistles—one carrying Thorn and the other carrying Spine. Thorn carried the small device Neo had welded the previous day.
That afternoon, the Hurricane picked up most of the members of the Fang Army. Victor deliberately left behind a group of about a hundred Claw Wolves he had bribed. He told their two leaders: “1. Stay at the dungeon lair and keep waiting. 2. Stay at the migration group’s camp. I’m sure Neo and the others will come back. Even if they don’t retrieve the bodies, they’ll definitely try to steal the supplies, including food. He knows exactly how scarce food is in Hillfanis.”
“A reward of ten thousand gold for each person who captures or kills Neo,” Victor said after thinking for a moment, then changed his words: “Dead ones, not alive!” He considered Neo too cunning. If these Claw Wolves rushed to capture him, they might end up being outwitted by Neo or allowing him to escape again. A corpse was safer.
Additionally, Victor placed people in Refuge Valley and Asia as well. He instructed the two leaders: “I’m giving you 100,000 in funds. Get strong enforcers and buy more informants. Keep a close eye on any suspicious individuals entering or leaving these two cities. Neo must die!”
The Hurricane slowly ascended and headed toward Sanvest. Equipped with propulsion systems, it could reach a top speed of 240 kilometers per hour. As dusk fell that day, shortly after entering Ameliana’s territory, a level-5 disaster occurred in the cabin area. The intelligent core melted down, and the main power chamber exploded again. The explosion not only destroyed a large area of the cabin but also caused energy to leak out, severely damaging the airship’s floating bags. As a result, the Hurricane crashed in a semi-collapsed state, killing over 3,000 people, including nearly a thousand members of the Fang Army who had participated in the massacre.
This major accident drew widespread attention from all sectors of the alliance, and the final investigation concluded it was an act of deliberate sabotage. Speculations about the perpetrators abounded: some said it was revenge by dark forces for the massacre of Dark Cultists at the Migration Camp; others claimed it was an attempt by certain forces opposing the alliance and the duchy to silence those who might reveal the truth about the massacre; still others suggested it was a farce staged by the duchy to gain public sympathy and draw attention. There were also theories that it was caused by Sky Demons, as indeed, shortly before the Hurricane’s explosion, a few Sky Demons appeared and engaged in a brief skirmish with the air combat units on board. Opinions varied greatly, and even some organizations stepped forward claiming responsibility, including an environmental group that advocated “returning a clean sky to future generations.”
On the night the Hurricane exploded and crashed, a Falcon Thistle carried Thorn and Spine back to Neo. Thorn told Neo that the Hurricane had crashed, the Fangs Brigade had suffered heavy losses, and the mission was essentially complete. Victor, who had barely escaped death in Amelaria, ordered an additional 1 million in funding for the two teams in Asia and the Shelter Valley, to form a specialized organization to hunt down Werewolves, and offered a reward of 100,000 gold for Neo Daknis’s head, describing him as a “degenerate scum who betrayed light and justice, an extremely dangerous element among the dark forces.”