The Hunter Maiden

The day of the league's opening ceremony arrived.

New Era Calendar 533, February 20.

In a dim room, the symbol of the World Tree floated on the wall with a golden scale embedded within it, radiating a holy and majestic light. Following several flashes of light, everyone attending the meeting arrived.

There were no pleasantries; they went straight to the theme.

"For this edition of the league, the maps for the qualifiers and the subsequent rounds of promotion will be selected within Skyline City," said a man wearing a golden mask. He was draped in a luxurious black-gold robe, and the fine down of his collar shimmered with a faint blue light.

"Surely we do not need to repeat ourselves; Firefly should clearly understand what needs to be done."

These people were the high-level officials of the Order Court. The entire order of the Oasis operated under their will. At this moment, every eye in the room was focused on the young girl sitting at the head of the conference table directly across from them.

The black-haired girl rested her chin on her hand, her high ponytail cascading down to her waist. She wore an elegant, white noble formal suit, and her pure white gloves were embroidered with lace. A floral collar was tied at her neckline, her gold-trimmed diagonal buttons were neatly fastened, and the Firefly badge on her chest glowed with a striking luster.

She lifted her weary eyes, swept a gaze over the people around her, and let out a soft chuckle. Her fingertips slowly tapped against the table, the rhythmic thudding sounding out clearly in the silence.

"Do what?"

The brows of the Order Court's high-level officials furrowed deeply.

"Yinghuo, what is the meaning of this?"

"Don't forget, it was we who raised you to your current height. Even your life was bestowed upon you by us. Understand your place."

"And so? I am asking you, what should I do?" the black-haired girl yawned sleepily.

"For example?"

"Have the Sky-Father help your Order Court by directly wiping out every player outside of your factions?"

"You should know that is impossible. That annoying woman won't allow the Sky-Father to do that. She and I share the same origin and nature, yet her authority is far higher than mine. With just a single thought from her, I would lose management rights over Skyline City." Yinghuo sighed softly, her tired eyes closing.

"Eva will not let anyone do anything outside the rules, not even the creators of those orders themselves."

"Everything I can do must remain within the rules."

"That is already enough to accomplish many things."

"On the day of the league, we require the removal of all bionic citizens and pan-humans from the arena. The disciplinary officers are also to be deployed according to our plan. Whether it is land-air vehicles, drones, 'The Fourth Wall,' the 'Hera Network,' or even down to the specific timing of the skyline trains—as long as it is within your power, we need you to create certain 'coincidences' that favor us."

Yinghuo's eyelids flickered slightly, but she did not respond.

Subsequently, the high-level officials of the Order Court engaged in a fierce discussion regarding the schedule planning for the later stages of the league. As they spoke, the conversation shifted toward the elimination of dissenters, and they continued to expand upon that issue.

They moved from framing troublesome guild leaders with trumped-up charges to mobilize law enforcement for arrests, down to specific assassinations of individuals. Almost every well-known major guild's forces were included in their discussion list, including Queen's Arms.

"Wu Shen Lu is a troublesome fellow. He possesses the legacy-grade item 'Living Speech,' which prevents us from grasping his situation or even conducting investigations on those around him. We must find an opportunity to discover the coordinates of the Queen's Arms guild before the finals."

"Smiling Jazz, that mystic scholar... Dark Gold Rose really helped us out by pure chance. By pulling out the thorn that was the Pole Star Society, the safety of the Oasis should no longer be threatened by miracles without the influence of the colorless stones. Once we obtain the Sovereign Key, we can make the secret public, sharing the secret poison of knowledge with everyone so that no one has to suffer for forbidden knowledge again."

"Speaking of Dark Gold Rose, is it really all right to leave Youyou in her team?"

Hearing the name 'Youyou,' a ripple of emotion stirred in the depths of Yinghuo's eyes. A sharp, cold light suddenly pierced through, and even the heavy dark circles under her eyes seemed to fade slightly.

She quietly suppressed her abnormality.

"I remember that, based on the underlying logic of a harmonizer, it should be absolutely impossible for her to be charmed into a subordinate. How on earth did she do it? Just how high is that person's charm attribute?"

"We once designed countless traps filled with contaminated knowledge on her path. She saw those twisted characters but mistook them for ordinary tips. That person's psyche value is also difficult to estimate; she must be a monster on the same level as Wu Shen Lu."

"It is unclear, but she is also a threat. Please rest assured, everyone. Youyou's logic was designed differently from those other harmonizers; there is absolutely no possibility of her being charmed. As long as they win the championship, the virus in the judgment program will activate instantly, and ownership of the Sovereign Key will certainly belong to us." The chief dream-weaver of Into the Night Dreams smiled.

The group nodded, and one high-level official stood up.

"Then, let today's meeting end here. What do you all think?"

All the high-level officials bowed their heads in agreement, responding one after another. Two minutes later, as they looked at each other still standing in place, confusion appeared on their faces, and a trace of terror flashed through their eyes.

"What... is going on?"

"Why..."

"I can't move..."

Scarlet electricity crackled across someone's body, and their limbs were suddenly twisted and broken, wrenched backward.

In the next instant, his neck was similarly snapped. Before he could even let out a scream, he fell silent.

"Yinghuo, what have you done?" One high-level official, his face pale with fright and losing all composure, shouted the question at the black-haired girl sitting at the head of the table. However, he saw that Yinghuo's face was also filled with gravity.

A sudden change erupted as sparks began to crackle on everyone's bodies. Scarlet electricity surged, and terrifying streams of data burst from their seven orifices like pulsating red blood vessels. The dark room was instantly illuminated by an eerie red light, and from somewhere unknown, a young girl's cheerful voice rang out.

"Good morning, everyone~"

On the screen in the center of the room, a red skull appeared. Two bullet holes struck the cranium with a bang, making the skull vibrate twice. Its mandible dropped open as it began to laugh maniacally.

The bizarre scene caused everyone present to feel a sense of dread, not daring to breathe a word.

In the shadows, a young girl held a greenish-blue lollipop in her mouth, her voice filled with a seductive charm.

"I'm truly sorry for interrupting your meeting at a time like this."

"Who... exactly are you?" one person managed to voice with difficulty, his eyes filled with indignation.

"Eh, it's really impolite to interrupt a girl when she's speaking."

As she spoke, the girl snapped her fingers. That person's neck was immediately twisted three hundred and sixty degrees by the scarlet electricity, and he fell to the floor, his eyes wide in death.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Chun Sanyue, though you can call me the Hunter Maiden."

The girl's tone rose with excitement.

"My duty is to hunt down all the witches in this world."