"There is not only a possibility, but a great one," Tak muttered to himself, as he recognized the 9th-tier extraordinary being hiding in the corner—he was indeed a *Hunter*.
Tak's mind settled into clarity. "I often go out during the Grey Night, never thinking I would actually be targeted."
Rubbing his brow, Tak realized that being pursued by this 9th-tier Hunter was not his primary concern. The real problem lay in what was happening behind the scenes.
"Regardless, a full stomach and a warm body are necessary to solve problems," he thought, just as the steaming bowl of Blackhorn beef soup arrived.
He took a sip of the rich broth, then lowered his head to savor the meal. As the warmth of the food settled in, Tak began to feel his body regain its strength.
About half an hour later, having eaten his fill and allowed the fiery Red Ember Ring to absorb enough heat from the tavern's hearth, Tak stood and made his way outside.
This time, however, the stealthy Hunter followed him silently, keeping a careful distance of about twenty meters.
"Last time, I was with Carlos, and this guy didn't dare act," Tak mused, his thoughts turning cold. "But now that I'm alone, he decides to make his move?"
"I could easily overpower you back then, and now... I could scatter your ashes with a single breath."
Strolling along the empty street, Tak opened his attribute panel.
**Extraordinary Sequence**
Sorcerer: Level 9
...
**Extraordinary Talent**
Precision (S-tier): 478%
...
**Extraordinary Sorcery/Abilities**
Spirit Sense (Ability): Level 9
Bullet Tendril: Level 9
Blood Thorn Vine: Level 9
Scale Shield of the Abyss: Level 9
Flammable Oil Technique: Level 9
Wind Run: Level 9
...
Normally, it was difficult to level up extraordinary sorcery and abilities. Many 9th-tier extraordinary beings only had their spells and abilities at levels 4 or 5. Even the "sequence abilities" provided by their extraordinary sequence usually only reached level 6 or 7.
However, Tak, with the constant stream of *source energy* provided by the system, had long since maxed out all his sorcerer abilities to level 9.
This, in turn, was what made him stronger than most other 9th-tier extraordinary beings.
"A single bullet from the Bullet Tendril, aimed precisely, might just end this Hunter's life in an instant." Tak considered, "But... let's first try the Blood Thorn Vine."
While the control potential of the Blood Thorn Vine was formidable, its slow attack speed and relatively low efficiency when it came to entangling and striking made it less effective, especially against agile opponents.
"Now, with the backing of my S-tier extraordinary talent, let's see how this Hunter fares against it."
---
Under the cold moonlight, **Hunter** Nelson stalked the young sorcerer, concealed in the shadow of a low alley wall, moving like a sleek predator on the prowl.
To ensure his quarry wouldn't notice him, Nelson deliberately maintained a safe distance.
"Young," Nelson mused, "He was talking about forbidden areas with that assassin earlier... heh. All these young ones are obsessed with treasures, ruins, and forbidden zones. So naive."
He grinned darkly. "One strike—no pain, just death."
As the sorcerer turned into a narrow alley, Nelson quickened his pace. The moment was approaching.
Just as he entered the alley, however, Nelson froze.
The young sorcerer, clad in his grey robes, was standing in the moonlight, looking calmly back at him. The red sorcery aura surrounding him was nearly at its end.
"Not good!" Nelson's instincts flared as he recognized the shift in roles between hunter and prey. With lightning speed, he flipped backward to distance himself.
At the same moment, a vine bristling with blood-thorn barbs emerged from the low wall, surging toward him.
"Vine sorcery?" Nelson's eyes widened, confused for a moment.
"Is this all?" He had anticipated much more from the young sorcerer. Yet the slow-moving vine seemed... underwhelming. Against a Hunter, such a slow spell would be ineffective.
"Did I misjudge him? I thought he was a formidable opponent, but this is... pathetic?"
"Perhaps I should have flipped forward, not backward," Nelson realized too late.
Rolling backwards, Nelson sprang into a forward leap to close the distance with the vine, intending to end the battle swiftly.
But just as he was soaring through the air, an earsplitting "whoosh" rang through the alley.
"What—?"
Before Nelson could react, a sharp, agonizing pain shot through his left calf.
The precise hit of the vine dragged him violently down, his perfect leap cut short.
With a thud, his face slammed into the cold ground, blood spilling freely from his nose. A sharp howl of pain echoed in the alley.
Tak, standing nearby, exhaled slowly.
"The S-tier *Precision* really enhances the Blood Thorn Vine's effect more than I thought."
"The casting was normal, but once the vine formed, everything changed."
Recalling the vine's trajectory and the way it had followed Nelson's path, Tak smiled faintly.
"The vine followed his movements perfectly, slamming into him with pinpoint accuracy before entangling him. Targeting, casting, entangling—everything came together in one seamless motion."
"The *Precision* talent made the vine's attack as sharp as a blade."
Tak narrowed his eyes.
"That slow-moving vine... suddenly became a wild, frenzied 'demon vine.'"
"No... this is even more terrifying than the advanced sorcery *Demon Vine*."
*S-tier extraordinary talent... no wonder it's said to be overpowered—this truly goes beyond what most could even imagine.*
Having tested the Blood Thorn Vine, Tak turned his attention back to the struggling Hunter.
Nelson was groaning in pain, desperately trying to break free. But no matter how he squirmed, his efforts seemed futile. He appeared near death.
"Poor acting," Tak scoffed.
With his *Precision Vision* honing in on the Hunter's every move, Tak could see that Nelson was feigning death. His struggling body concealed a deeper intent—he was preparing a counterattack.
"Enjoying your little game, are you?" Tak muttered under his breath.
He cast another Blood Thorn Vine spell, entangling the Hunter even further. The once-dying Nelson shot up, his previous pain half-real, half-faked. His goal had been to bait the sorcerer into approaching.
Who would have guessed that Tak would not only refuse to take the bait, but escalate the situation, casting the vine again, this time with deadly force.
Nelson had wasted all that time, only to have the cursed vine drain even more of his blood.
"I hate these ranged spellcasters! If you have guts, fight like a real man!" he roared, now infuriated, his earlier feigned weakness vanishing.
He drew a hunter's blade and hacked at the vine entangling his leg.
The sound of gunfire rang out.
His weapon flew from his hand, and his arm went numb from the shock.
The hunter's blade clattered to the ground as another vine wrapped around his right leg.
The sound of the blade falling echoed in Nelson's ears, and he was left utterly stunned.
"W-what... How is this possible?"