Inside the vast streets of the underground market, Vanor sat in a corner with a calm expression. He wore a black coat, a white linen shirt, black pants, and a pair of black shoes.
His gaze darted back and forth among the several Hunters running about and preparing for the upcoming siege. Some carried boxes of goods while others were talking to one another.
He sighed, muttering to himself, "Our chances of success aren't high, but what can we do? We're just Hunters…"
He quickly shook his head, tossing the thought aside, standing up, and heading for a walk to ease his mind. On his way, he spotted a familiar figure–Hope.
Vanor followed after her, watching out for anyone who may have ill intent towards her.
Hope paused, turning around and noticing Vanor behind her. She tilted her head and asked plainly, "Uh… do you need anything?"
Vanor smiled lightly, shaking his head and replying, "Not really. I just have a question, if you will. Have you evacuated yet?"
Hope blinked twice and answered, "Evacuate? That's new. I guess it's a no for me."
Vanor's eyelids twitched upon hearing her response. He clenched his fist and commented, "That's strange; there should have been people sent to inform you."
He sighed internally, relaxing his fist, and smiling softly, hiding his annoyance.
Hope didn't seem to notice and swept her gaze around, as if she were searching for something. A second later, she sighed and muttered irritably, "Why does it have to be so hard to tell time underground?"
Vanor was stunned into silence, but he quickly regained his composure, holding back his laughter and commenting, "The last time I saw a clock was a few minutes ago. If my memory serves me correctly, then it should be late into the night."
Hope slowly turned her head, staring at him with a blank expression before blinking twice.
Vanor waved his hand, elaborating further, "It's a rough estimate. Don't take it to heart if I'm wrong."
Hope nodded solemnly, falling into silence. Feeling the awkwardness becoming denser, Vanor offered, "Since we rarely meet each other, would you mind joining me for some snacks?"
Vanor blinked twice, his thoughts racing against each other: S-She accepted? She always declined my offers before. What's with the sudden change? Could it be Zixin? Perhaps they had a falling out; after all, he doesn't seem to be around. Or, maybe, he has other matters to attend to. Whatever it may be, this is an opportunity for me to get her heart!
Vanor's smile widened slightly as he began leading Hope down the road. A while later, they both arrived at the bustling Trading District.
Countless stalls were propped up all around, and people were moving about on the crowded streets. Although the siege is soon, it almost seems like it never bothered them.
Noticing the lack of interest coming from the crowd, Hope turned her head and asked, "Everyone doesn't seem to care at all. Is there something going on?"
Vanor laughed dryly and answered, "Not everyone chose to partake in the hunt. I assume everyone's busy preparing in case of emergencies. So be it, we have already gathered quite the group of Hunters."
While Vanor was speaking, Hope had been taking down notes in her journal like some sort of gremlin. Vanor's lips twitched at the sight, but he managed to calm himself after shaking his head. He has already seen her do this before, so it wasn't too strange.
After finishing their conversation, Vanor and Hope tried squeezing through the crowded street, but to no avail. Vanor let out a grunt and shot everyone except Hope a glare. The temperature seems to have dropped as the entire street froze in an instant. Vanor narrowed his eyes, and the crowd immediately parted, leaving a path for them.
Vanor led Hope down the road and into a small restaurant, or rather, a bar. Inside, nearly every table has already been taken. Everyone was drunk as they shouted nonsense, "The Purity Bloodline is ridiculous! Who does Kiran think he is?!
Another shout followed, "Right?! What's so good about his stinking Bloodline?!"
Vanor ignored them, but when he turned to glance at Hope, he noticed her right hand clinging to her left arm. Vanor immediately shot everyone a cold glare, freezing them into silence.
He walked towards the bartender calmly and asked, "What do you sell?"
The bartender let out a warm smile and was about to speak, but the moment he noticed Hope, he fell silent, furrowing his brows.
He leaned forward and whispered, "Unfortunately for you, we don't allow Hope here."
Vanor frowned momentarily, but quickly returned to his usual calm expression. He asked plainly, "And why is that?"
The bartender shook his head and glanced at Hope as he responded, "She once caused a ruckus here, so that's that."
A flash of coldness appeared in his eyes, but it immediately disappeared. He thought to himself: What a strange answer. Either way, I do not have much time left because the siege is in a few hours from now. I can only take this elsewhere.
Vanor turned around, leaving with Hope. He brought Hope to a nearby bakery and bought a few pastries for her. When he handed them to her, his gaze was down, and his cheeks were dyed a shade of pink.
Hope spoke with a smile, "Thank you! I appreciate it."
But right as Vanor lifted his gaze to meet her gaze, Hope dashed off into the distance, leaving him no time to even wave his hand.
He laughed dryly, lifting his gaze and heading back to the surface–Daisal.
…
An hour later, Vanor sat atop the roof of one of the houses in Daisal. He stared straight at the sky, taking in the sight of the countless glimmering stars.
He laughed lightly, taking out a jug of liquor and chugging the whole bottle down. He sat there, waiting for the moment when dawn arrives like a blazing sun.
A second later, he threw the jug to the side and wiped his lips. He stood up with a profound light in his eyes.
He let out a snort, splitting his mind and entering the White Palace. Inside, he swiped at his Heart–a wooden sword.
Just as he did, blue sparks started coming off his right hand. In a matter of seconds, the sparks collided, creating a crackling sound.
He lunged forward, jumping from one roof to another. As he did, the crackling of lightning intensified, and a blue thunderous claw began forming over his right hand.
Thunder Claw!
Vanor's eyes turned cold, his mind falling into deep concentration, his body moving with precision.
Seconds before he could land on the roof, he swiped the thunder claw, launching him several meters in the air.
And just like that, Vanor flew across Daisal. Whenever he lands, his thunder claw pushes him up, launching him into the air faster and faster.
Before he even knew it, he landed on the ground as the sparks in his right hand suddenly vanished alongside the thunder claw.
He stood at the foot of Mount Lorebale. He scanned his surroundings, finding nothing out of the ordinary.
Vanor found a nearby bench and dragged it near Mount Lorebale and then sat down with a calm expression.
He sat, waiting for the rest to arrive. Vanor was always early whenever it came to a hunt, but it was to an excessive degree. He would always arrive hours before the decided time, and thus, people sometimes call him the "Early Bird."
Vanor leaned back, closing his eyes and falling asleep. He was confident that no one would cause him trouble in his sleep; after all, everyone knows him, and even if someone did choose violence, then he's more than ready to give a beating. This attitude was also the reason he was chosen to lead the siege.
Although it sounds grand, he knows well enough the truth to not be swept by the authorities. From the day the hunt starts, Mount Lorebale would become a bloody battlefield and a graveyard for both men and monsters alike. The hunt would most likely not be as swift as some may expect, leaving an endless wave of chaos, leading to their fates being sealed.
Vanor woke up and muttered, "Such a short nap…"
A moment later, he heard people talking to each other and glanced at them. They completely ignored him and continued to talk to each other.
Vanor rolled his eyes and returned to sleep.