After hearing this, Keno's voice took on a hint of playful amusement: "You are quite clever, detecting the looming crisis so early and taking measures to address it. Yet, there is a certain baseness to your actions—betraying your comrades, selling your friends for personal gain."
Klein scoffed lightly. "What is 'comrade' even worth? How many in our line of work have clean hands? If the price is right, I'd sell my own father!"
"Intriguing." Keno's slender fingers drummed rhythmically on the table. "I admit, you have piqued my interest. Proof of identity, is it? Is that all you require?"
Klein spread his hands wide. "Of course, a little more silver moon wouldn't hurt."
Keno nodded. "Very well. Each of you shall receive 20 silver moons. I will first procure your identification for you in Shilin Town, and then you may take the relevant documents to transfer your registration to the main city. It is a place teeming with all manner of people, perfect for your kind to vanish into."
"Deal," Klein agreed. "But this transaction must be kept secret. Neither of us wants to be discovered."
Keno smirked. "If you are worried about security, you may bring soldiers, but they must remain at a distance during the exchange. I don't want anyone to witness our dealings. And above all, I expect honesty from you. Let me make it clear—during the transaction, only I will be present. Should you double-cross me, my brother will stop at nothing to inform your superiors. That would be...unfortunate for you."
"Rest assured," Keno said, tucking the map into his coat and picking up his cup of water. "A few silver moons and two identification papers. I have no reason to betray you." He smiled faintly. "Shall we proceed, then?"
"To a successful partnership," Klein and Kruz echoed, both raising their glasses.
"Clink."
Without warning, Keno's pupils dilated dramatically, but within a fraction of a second, they constricted back to normal. The change was so swift that neither Klein nor Kruz noticed.
Keno stood and walked toward the tavern maiden. Politely, he said, "Excuse me, could I trouble you for a cake-cutting knife?"
The maiden, flustered by his elegant appearance, quickly fetched the knife. "Of course, Lord Keno."
"Could I trouble you for another?" Keno asked.
Perplexed, the maiden hesitated, wondering if he intended to wield a dual-wielding technique for cutting cake, but said nothing as she handed over the second knife.
Keno returned to the brothers, looking down at them, his amber eyes filled with a smile.
Kruz raised his head, confused. "What's the matter, do you still need..."
"Thwip!" The knife flashed through the air, embedding itself into Kruz's right temple with lightning speed. As it was withdrawn, a spray of blood burst forth, and his body crumpled to the floor.
Klein froze in horror. "No!!!"
"Clink!"
"Clink!"
"Ah!!!!!!!!!!"
Both knives pierced Klein's hands, pinning him to the table, unable to move.
Instantly, the tavern erupted into chaos. Patrons scrambled in fear, knocking over tables, chairs, and dishes in their panic. The tavern maid collapsed in terror, weeping uncontrollably.
As Klein screamed in agony, Keno's gaze shifted, cold and calculating, to the mark of the Rejector.
The countdown, which had over 200 hours remaining, shattered in an instant, all numbers simultaneously resetting to zero.
[0:00:00]
Immediately afterward, crimson text exploded in Keno's vision:
[The Rejector has inflicted harm upon the Reincarnator. C-grade reincarnation disguise deactivated.]
[Hunt in progress.]
...
Fifteen miles east of Shilin Town.
The vast desert stretched endlessly, its sand as white as snow beneath the crescent moon.
In this desolate wasteland, shadows gathered thick, and a fully armed battalion marched in eerie silence, cloaked by the night, moving like death itself.
The army's marching tents left deep ruts in the sand, while rows of cavalry flanked the formation. Aside from the soft sound of hooves on the sand and the occasional neighing of the horses, there was no other noise, a testament to their discipline.
From above, the formation extended for hundreds of meters, with at least a thousand cavalrymen in total.
"Dammit! These idiots!" Outside the main tent, a young man seethed with fury. He tried to shout, but his voice was strangled by his rage, distorting it horribly. "They've ruined the C-grade reward point reincarnation disguise... How did that Rejector Keno discover it? This isn't a D-grade disguise that deactivates upon mere contact! Why did they fight?!"
Behind him, five individuals—three men and two women—stood, their faces grim, all with their heads bowed.
One of the women's ears twitched, and she whispered, "Li Minkai, someone is about to emerge. Be careful—don't let them hear anything about the reincarnation world. Otherwise, we'll lose a lot of reward points..."
Moments later, a man clad in light armor stepped out of the tent. His eyes were sharp, and his thick brows framed a face marked by wildness and bravery. His hair was styled with tribal bone ornaments, a clear indication of his nomadic origins.
He approached the young man and asked in their tribal language, "What's the matter, Li Minkai... I must say, my friend, your name is quite a mouthful."
Li Minkai clenched his fists, his voice low and menacing. "Dan Wule, get your men ready to attack!"
Dan Wule looked confused. "But we agreed to meet at 6 AM tomorrow. Why the rush?"
Li Minkai paced frantically. "I can't explain right now, but we're exposed. We need to attack immediately, before our target can prepare!"
"But attacking now would mean facing Shilin Town's garrison. The battle will turn into a siege, which is not what we agreed upon. Our plan was to meet at 6 AM tomorrow, and only your comrades would be there. The rest were to be eliminated."
"The two men I sent to make contact with the others... they've already met with misfortune..."
"Where did you get this information? I haven't seen any urgent military reports."
"I can't tell you. But time is of the essence! We must attack immediately! Kill Keno van Helsing, the civil officer of Shilin Town!"
A cold glint flashed in Dan Wule's eyes. "This is far too different from what we agreed. I cannot act hastily."
Li Minkai heard the implied meaning and clicked his tongue. "Alright, I'll raise the payment. An extra 500 silver moons. Does that satisfy you?"
Dan Wule bared a bloody grin, his voice laced with unmistakable bloodlust. "One thousand. After we breach the city, my men will be free to plunder, and all the spoils and women will be ours."
Li Minkai waved his hand dismissively. "Do as you wish. We aren't interested in plundering the town, so long as you ensure the death of Keno. You can massacre the entire town if that's what it takes."
Dan Wule grinned viciously, mounted his horse, and galloped to the command center. In the moonlight, he seemed to glide through the night, signaling the troops to prepare.
"Woo—" The mournful sound of a horn split the darkness and the sandstorm, reverberating in every cavalryman's ear.
The tumult of voices, the neighing of warhorses, and the sudden collapse of the silence were followed by the rush of blood, all the soldiers ready to march into battle, their eyes gleaming with a predatory thirst.
One command rang out: "Mount up!"
"Woo—" The second blast echoed, a chilling wail that seemed to mourn the coming slaughter.
The tents were swiftly struck, cavalry spurred their mounts into action, the thunder of hooves drowned in the desert's sandstorm. The air was heavy with the scent of blood, dust, and smoke.
With a third blast: "March swiftly! Attack!"
"Wo—" The third horn sounded, as if a beast in the throes of rage had been unleashed, setting the very air ablaze with heat.
Blades unsheathed, torches lit, the desert ignited in a fiery glow as the army surged toward Shilin Town, its banners streaking through the dark, a tidal wave of destruction racing toward its target. The scent of war grew thick with each passing second.
"Anyone we see—kill!"