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n?”If it’s beautiful, then take a good look now, for it won’t be there tomorrow.”

nVivia glanced at Howard, about to say that the dawn comes every day, but his expression left her speechless.

nIt was as if he were looking at a unique treasure.

nYes, uniqueness, the most precious thing indeed.

nIsn’t being distinctive the highest compliment one can receive? No two leaves are the same in this world, and certainly, no two dawns are identical.

nIn Howard’s eyes, could there be two identical people?

nIn his view, is Jelia like someone else, or is she just as unique?

nVivia suddenly felt that Howard might be happier than she had imagined…

nDawn arrived.

nNature’s laws care not for human will; you might fell a great tree or even a forest, but the seeds will sprout again one day, and the woods will flourish anew.

nYou might cover your own or someone else’s eyes, but the warmth of the sunlight won’t cease because of it.

nAli woke up to see the sunlight slanting into the cave, the dust floating in the beam of light almost seemed sacred.

nRoronora sat opposite her, with crimson eyes wide open, staring at the nearly extinguished fire.

nStirring the fire to life again, Ali opened her mouth, licked her dry lips, and asked, “Nothing happened last night, did it?”

nRoronora had taken the second watch of the night.

nAlthough Ali didn’t doubt Roronora’s determination to protect Jelia, some things require more than just resolve.

n“There were… no abnormalities,” Roronora’s speech remained somewhat indistinct, clear enough to convey his meaning, yet his articulation wasn’t crisp, reminiscent of a child just learning to talk.

nThose crimson eyes occasionally betrayed an innocence.

nThe most terrifying murderers are those who know nothing; they do not comprehend good or evil, acting solely on whim.

nAli tugged at her blanket, standing up to stretch, her mind swiftly coming into focus.

nHer gaze swept over the cave; Jelia was still wrapped in her blanket, sound asleep.

nAccustomed to sleeping in Breeze City, she could easily fall back asleep even if momentarily awakened.

nIn such a state, it was clear Ali couldn’t leave with Roronora, not without risking what might happen to Jelia left alone.

nYet, inaction was not an option.

nCode 19 was surely on her trail by now, possibly closing in on their location.

nAnd Gick was advancing his own agenda, though his ultimate goal remained unclear.

nWhatever it was, it seemed invariably linked to the village’s legacy.

nGiven these circumstances, Jelia, having ventured through the legacy Mystic Realm and emerging with an enforcer in tow, would inevitably become a target.

nThe situation demanded an end before it could spiral into the worst-case scenario.

nIt was time to seek out the village survivors.

nAfter scouring the village ruins yesterday, they should have reached a decision by now.

nEven if they remained indecisive, Monka and Rudo would likely help them choose, for if they didn’t, they wouldn’t be Monka and Rudo.

n“Roronora, I’m stepping out for a bit. Stay here and protect Jelia. Even if someone comes, don’t leave her side!”

nBattle was never what Ali expected Roronora to engage in.

nAlthough his combat prowess was formidable, as Jelia’s enforcer, his primary duty was her protection.

n“Under…stood!”

nRoronora nodded, his eyes showing unwavering determination.

nWaving her hand, Ali cautiously extended her mana sensing to ensure no other magus were around before stealthily leaving the cave.

nHaving verified the temporary refuge of the village survivors through the “Hall of Truth,” she was now set on visiting them.

nRevealing the intelligence on Gick and inciting them to action had a one hundred percent chance of success!

nThe hideout of the village survivors was in the opposite direction from where Ali and her companions were sheltering.

nIt was difficult to specify the exact distance between the two points, but it was certainly not close.

nThe ruins of the village had become the most perilous area, swarming with lower-level magus who had sealed off the ruins, clearly in search of something.

nYesterday, Rudo and his party had luckily exploited the gap left by Roronora’s repelling of a group of magus, avoiding an encounter with Gick’s minions; otherwise, a casualty-free return would have been impossible.

nFacing a magus, no one could guarantee their own survival.

nAs the most significant anomaly among humans, each magus possessed their unique abilities, starkly different from half-orcs, whose capabilities and traits were distinguished by race.

nAn individual’s unique power might not be formidable on its own, but when synergized and combined, they could unleash power beyond imagination.

nThis was a lesson Ali’s mentor had drilled into her repeatedly.

nIf you’re not part of a complete magus squad, never face off against one!

nEven if the squad consists entirely of preparatory-level magus.

nTherefore, even though the magus sealing off the ruins were all of preparatory level, Ali wisely chose to circumvent them rather than brazenly passing through.

nA lesson learned from a past mistake should lead to growth.

nBy around nine in the morning, Ali finally located the survivors’ hiding spot.

nWishing not to trigger the survivors’ sensitive nerves, she didn’t head straight for the entrance but instead made a round on the perimeter, patting the shoulders of all the sentinels she passed!

nWith speed nearing that of a level 2 magus, the hunters didn’t even have time to react before she moved on to her next target.

nThe alerted sentinels immediately sounded the alarm, gathering together in a clearing within the woods. .

nFacing an unknown magus alone was foolish, a wasteful squandering of their most precious combat power.

nLess than three seconds after the alarm was raised, Rudo entered Ali’s field of view, with a longbow in one hand and a longsword on his back.

nDrawing his bow, he aimed an arrow straight at Ali’s face without hesitation!

nThough Ali’s identity was yet to be confirmed, Rudo had pinpointed her location right from the start!

nOf course, this was partly because Ali didn’t actively conceal her presence.

nBut when other hunters were vigilantly scanning their surroundings like headless flies, Rudo’s arrow marked a decisive difference.

nDeserving of being the village’s strongest hunter, perhaps?

nWith such strength, facing Code 19 might not be entirely without hope of retaliation!

nDodging the whistling arrow with a roll, Ali, though surprised, knew such arrows, relying solely on speed, posed no real threat to her.

nLanding gracefully, she lifted her hood with a hand, revealing her delicate face.

nAn outsider?

nSeeing Ali’s visage, Rudo was startled.

nHow did she know this place, and how had she pinpointed all the sentinels’ locations?

nA chill ran down Rudo’s spine; had Ali been an enemy, she could have already infiltrated their hideout.

nIf Monka were still here, he might now be a ghost under her blade.

nThey must consider relocating their camp immediately.

n“What are you here for!” Rudo readied another arrow on his bow.

nAli noticed that Rudo was using flat-headed, shovel-shaped arrows instead of the common pointed ones.

nThese arrows might fly slower, but their destructive power was incomparable to regular arrows.

nMoreover, the longbow in his hand was clearly not an ordinary Mighty Bow to allow such speed with a shovel-head arrow.

nAli’s curiosity about this village grew.

nEven during her time with the elf tribe, she had seen few elves or half-elves who could launch an arrow with such force purely through brute strength—most were elites from ranger legions.

nNow a hunter from an unnamed village possessed the skills of elite rangers?

nSince when had the continent’s strongest sentinel group become so unremarkable?

n“Do you remember what I said yesterday?” Ali focused on Rudo, who stood slightly apart from the others, guessing his status might be higher than she had initially thought.

n“Cooperation? Information exchange? We don’t have anything to share as of now, and you’d better leave quickly!” Rudo lifted his bow slightly, not aiming at Ali, but it was clear his attention was firmly on her.

nAmong those present, he was the only one who could pose a real threat to Ali.

n“You might not have anything, but I do! I don’t mind showing my sincerity by sharing some intelligence with you first.” Ali raised her hand, showing everyone her empty palms.

n“I come with good intentions, just wanting to share some information with you!”

nIntelligence?

nHad she discerned something so quickly, or was it merely a bluff?

nBut what purpose would bluffing serve at a time like this? It held no value.

nUpdated from .𝒎

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