บท 53: Chapter 53: The Shadow Hunt Begins
Anywhere with shadow became a medium for Light to travel. He landed swiftly on the ground, blending seamlessly with the forest's dark canopy. Without a moment's hesitation, he activated his shadow magic once more, diving into the dense blackness of the forest. His movements were fluid, almost ethereal, as if he were a phantom darting through the night.
"Light, head straight to the administration and ask for details of every lady that fits these two conditions: twenty years old or below, and at the same time, a mage," Ling Ling's voice buzzed in his Bluetooth earphone, her tone professional and precise.
"Alright," Light replied without hesitation. He trusted Ling Ling's instincts and reasoning, already understanding that this lead might be crucial for their investigation.
Without wasting any time, Light arrived at the administration building. As he approached the desk, he immediately flashed his Clear Sky Hunting Organization badge, its gleam catching the admin's attention. "I'm on a mission," Light stated, his tone firm and no-nonsense.
The admin, a middle-aged man with a furrowed brow, eyed Light suspiciously but didn't question the badge's authenticity. "There are about seventy households here that fit your requirements. However, only around six households are mages," the admin replied, his eyes narrowing as he handed Light the data.
Light quickly relayed the information back to Ling Ling. "Which one is the closest to our surveillance?" she asked through his earphone.
Light skimmed through the list, stopping at a particular address. "Golden Jade Pavilion, 18th floor, room 102. There are three young ladies from Pearl Institution that reside there. By the way, they've had noise complaints filed against them at night on multiple occasions."
Ling Ling's voice carried a certain confidence as she responded, "Then it's gotta be them. The 18th floor of Golden Jade Pavilion can be seen from the bedroom of that lady. I reckon the three young ladies were targeted quite some time ago."
"On my way," Light affirmed as he shifted his focus on getting to the Golden Jade Pavilion.
He reached the apartment building quickly, navigating through the hallways with practiced ease. As soon as he knocked on the door, it was answered almost immediately by the girl with neat bangs who had caught his eye earlier in the day.
"Handsome, could it be you followed us all the way here after you got down?" she asked playfully, flashing a sweet smile as she held the door open.
Before Light could reply, a voice called out from deeper in the apartment. "Who is it… Xiao Tong! Your handsome guy is here for you!" The red-lipped girl from earlier appeared, grinning mischievously.
Light, focused entirely on the mission, didn't allow himself to be distracted. "Sorry for the disturbance. I still have some matters to attend to," he said, excusing himself, eager to return to his task.
But just as he turned to leave, a loud, bone-chilling scream echoed from behind him. "Ahhhhhhh~~~~~~!!!"
Light spun around to see the red-lipped girl flying out from one of the bedrooms, her body crashing into the hallway wall with a sickening thud. She slid to the floor, unconscious, blood streaming from the back of her head.
"Nan Nan!" the girl with neat bangs shouted, rushing to check on her fallen friend, her face pale with fear.
"Stop. What element are you?" Light demanded, his voice sharp and commanding.
"L-Light… Light element," she stammered, trembling in horror as she tried to process what had just happened.
"Follow right behind me," Light ordered as he strode into the room, his senses on high alert.
What met his eyes was nothing short of a nightmare. The girl who had spoken with him earlier was hanging from the ceiling, her wrists slit open. Blood dripped slowly from the wounds, pooling beneath her feet. Standing beneath her, licking its grotesque lips, was a demon—a humanoid female with scaly skin and a mouth unnaturally wide, stretched beyond human limits.
"Wh-what is this monster!!" the girl with neat bangs shrieked, her voice trembling in terror.
The demon turned its head toward them, but before Light could launch an attack, it leaped out of the window with a terrifying speed and grace.
"This is the 18th floor…" Light muttered, realizing the demon had just jumped from a height that would kill most. He rushed to the window, only to see the creature's claws digging into the building's walls, slowing its descent as it escaped.
"Hurry up and take them to the school infirmary," Light ordered, not waiting for a reply before dashing out of the apartment.
"Light, there's a situation, hurry up and come back!" Ling Ling's voice cut through the chaos, this time laced with urgency.
"What is it?" Light asked as he sprinted toward the building's entrance.
"Her husband… her husband is also shedding!" Ling Ling's voice trembled slightly, a rare crack in her usual calm demeanor.
"Shit, both of them have problems! How is the kid??" Light's mind raced, his pulse quickening as the situation spiraled further out of control.
"Save the kid first and finish our mission. I'm afraid this thing will be quite difficult!" Ling Ling's words echoed in Light's ears, fueling his determination.
The moment Light entered the house, he could hear the sound of a child crying, the cries piercing the air like a haunting melody. He rushed toward the source, and as he approached, he heard a man's voice growling from within. "Crying, all you know is crying… What… what annoys me the most is you crying… From… from now on… I will no longer need to listen to your ear-piercing cries…"
"Light, quick! He hasn't finished shedding yet. Once he has shed, the child will definitely die," Ling Ling urged.
Without hesitation, Light activated **Evading Shadow**, his body slipping into the darkness beneath the door and re-emerging inside the house. The room reeked of decay and rot, but it was the sight in front of him that stole his breath. The man stood in the center, his skin half-shed, the new flesh beneath it dark and scaly. He resembled a walking corpse, a monstrous hybrid of man and demon.
"Lightning Strike: Wrath Shock!" Light shouted, unleashing a wave of electric energy toward the half-shed demon. The lightning crackled as it flew, striking the creature with devastating force.
The demon roared in agony as the lightning tore through its scaly hide, but the power of Light's **Spirit Grade Lightning Seed**, enhanced by his **Increased Base Spell Power**, was too much for the creature to withstand. Its defenses crumbled, and the demon let out a final, blood-curdling shriek before collapsing in a heap.
Just as Light was about to catch his breath, Ling Ling's voice rang out once more, panic evident in her tone. "Light, careful. The demoness is behind you!"
Whirling around, Light spotted the hideous demoness outside the window. Her mouth stretched wide, her long tongue lashing out toward him and the child he held in his arms.
"Hurry up and run!" Ling Ling screamed through the headset.
Light didn't bother responding. His mind was already calculating his next move. With a swift chant, he activated his **Blood Beast Boots**, the magic equipment glowing with a scarlet light as they appeared around his legs like armor.
With a powerful leap, Light vaulted across the room, dodging the demoness's attack by mere inches. He landed in the kitchen and bolted toward the laundry room, his legs moving faster than the demoness could react.
With a single kick, Light shattered the window. He grabbed the child tightly and jumped out of the building.
Light's body fell down perfectly straight, the wind roaring around him. On one side, he had a child, barely eight years old, crying while sitting on a free-fall bungee jump, gripping the harness with terror in his eyes. On the other side, the whisking wind howled fiercely, reminding Light of the danger of what was fast approaching. Every second counted.
Light quickly realized that the demoness wasn't going to let him and the child go. Their massive mouths, filled with serrated teeth, and long tongues lashed wildly as they descended, faster than he was. Their hideous faces, distorted with rage, were getting closer and closer by the second.
The grotesque creatures moved with such speed that it seemed impossible to escape. But Light wasn't one to lose composure, even under extreme pressure. His senses sharpened; this was the perfect opportunity to make his move!
"Rose Flames, Fiery Fist, Explosive Heavens!"
Without a moment's hesitation, his fist ignited, engulfed in blazing Rose Flames that radiated an intense heat. Drawing upon the strength of his entire body, Light thrust his fist upward, aiming toward the pitch-black sky.
A fierce flame, in the shape of a colossal fist, emerged and shot toward the heavens. The fiery Rose Flames illuminated the entire scene, dying the building and surrounding streets in deep red hues.
The flames roared with power as the Fiery Fist collided with the demoness. They hadn't anticipated that Light would complete a Fire Magic spell mid-fall. The impact was immediate. A loud rumbling filled the air as the flaming fist collided with the first of the demonesses.
The captivating hues of red and gold from the Fist of Flames stunned the creatures. Engulfed in flames, the first demoness screeched, her scales burning away like fragile paper in a raging fire. The expanding muscles beneath her grotesque form, which had once appeared invulnerable, buckled under the unrelenting heat of Light's attack.
The demoness, who had been plunging toward the ground, was blown upward with ferocious force. She flew higher than the building itself, becoming nothing more than a fiery speck in the sky. From a distance, it looked as if an enormous firework had erupted over the rooftop.
As the Fiery Fist burst into flames above the building, it illuminated the entire neighborhood, turning night into day for a brief moment. With such a bright source of light, shadows beneath nearby buildings formed instantly, providing the perfect opportunity for Light to make his next move.
Using the shadow of one of the buildings, Light activated Evading Shadow. As he neared the third floor of the building, his body sank into the shadows, vanishing from sight. Moments later, he reappeared in the plaza down below, safely landing on his feet. He gently set the child he was carrying on the ground and heaved a big sigh of relief.
"You blasted the demoness right to my location," a voice called out from above, tinged with mild irritation.
Light glanced up to see Lingling, standing on the rooftop, her arms crossed. Despite her youth, she had an uncanny ability to remain calm, even in the most chaotic situations.
Light used Evading Shadow once again to return to the rooftop, his curiosity piqued. "What's up?" he asked, looking at the smoldering carcass of the demoness, now blackened and still smoking from his attack.
"Check it yourself." Lingling wasn't fazed in the slightest as she gestured toward the blackened corpse. Although she wasn't very old, her courage and composure were well beyond her years.
As Light approached the charred remains, something strange began to happen. The black carcass started to crack. It began at the creature's back, then slowly spread toward its head and legs. The skin peeled away faster and faster, revealing something—or rather, someone—within.
Light stared, utterly stunned. Crawling out of the demon's carcass was a naked woman, covered in strange, viscous fluids. She gasped for air as though she hadn't been breathing for a long time, her body trembling as she took in deep, ragged breaths. It was a sight that sent chills down Light's spine.
"This… this is…" Light stammered, watching the grotesque rebirth unfold before him. His mind raced as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing.
The woman who had emerged from the blackened husk of the demoness was none other than the lady who had come to him that very morning. The realization hit him like a brick. She had been hiding this monstrous form inside her all along.
"Help… help me…" The woman's voice was weak, barely more than a whisper. She crawled helplessly across the rooftop, her body wracked with pain.
Lingling remained calm, though there was a glimmer of sympathy in her eyes. "Call an ambulance," she instructed, her tone steady. "She's human. Don't let her die."
Human? Light's mind reeled at the word. This woman had just shed her human skin and transformed into a ferocious beast right before his eyes. Was she truly still human?
Just then, the Little Loach Pendant around Light's neck began to vibrate violently. It had been quiet throughout the battle, but now it pulsed with a strange energy. The pendant appeared to be reacting to something within the remains of the demoness.
Light's eyes widened in shock as he realized what was happening. "This… this is a Soul Essence?" he whispered in disbelief.
Indeed, nestled within the remains of the demoness was a glowing orb—the Soul Essence of the creature. But this wasn't just any Soul Essence. This one belonged to a Warrior-class creature, a rarity worth an incredible fortune.
A Warrior-class Soul Essence could fetch 20 million RMB on the market, possibly more depending on the buyer. Light's mind began to race as he considered the implications. If he could sell this Soul Essence, it would be a windfall unlike anything he'd ever imagined.
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