The man in the black bodysuit was an ordinary Hunter. He had been idly wandering the plaza just moments before receiving his mission:
Go to the "Fourth Trial Mission" and kill a woman named Elysia.
No explanation, no justification, no difficulty assessment, no reward listed.
In truth, the Hunters didn't even know what the so-called "Rule" was, nor did they care. The Trial Arena issued missions, they accepted them, and then went to kill. That was all there was to it.
The very phrase "Fourth Trial Mission" implied the mission's simplicity. What formidable Trialist could possibly emerge from only four trials?
As for the reward, it was the target herself. After killing the designated target, the Hunter would receive the number of Points the target had accumulated as a Points Reward.
So, the man in the black bodysuit gathered his teammate and set off immediately, roughly around the time Elysia fired her fourth arrow and realized she couldn't farm Points anymore.
Clearly, Elysia had likely violated the Rule by attempting to "farm Points."
Of course, Elysia was unaware of these details. All she knew was that the two-person team attacking her seemed to be in a bit of a predicament.
Without hesitation, the Dark-Robed Mage turned and fled. A blue aura of Magic Power enveloped him, steadily increasing his speed.
As a spellcaster, the Dark-Robed Mage possessed an Appraisal-type Skill. However, unlike Invincible Bro's True Vision, this Skill, originating from the Trial Arena, could only appraise data related to the arena itself.
Before engaging in combat, the Dark-Robed Mage habitually used this Skill on Elysia:
Name: Elysia
Gender: Female
Identity: Apprentice Trialist (First Trial Mission)
Enhancements: None
Items: None
Points Reward: 1,000,000
This ability was undeniably powerful. It could instantly reveal any enhancements an opponent had purchased and what items they possessed, essentially granting X-ray vision. With such complete transparency, victory should have been effortless.
Yet, after examining Elysia's profile, the Dark-Robed Mage was puzzled. A first-time Trial Mission, with no enhancements or items purchased? Was she a complete novice? How could a rookie possibly violate the rules and trigger a Hunter mission?
The Dark-Robed Mage continued scrolling down, then froze.
He meticulously counted the Points Reward: six zeros.
How... how much?!
One million?!
Is this even possible?!
His first thought was that his Skill must be bugged, or that he was hallucinating.
But then he saw his teammate, the man in the black bodysuit, effortlessly lose a life, and realized this wasn't a glitch.
Great! After completing this mission, even splitting the reward with my teammate, I'd get five hundred thousand Points! I could buy anything I wanted! I could escape the Trial Arena and return home ten times over!
Oh no! Do I have to defeat this million-point Boss myself?
This led to the scene Elysia witnessed. Though she didn't yet understand what was happening, she had no intention of letting the enemy escape. She raised her hand, and her massive bow materialized beside her. This time, instead of charging, she unleashed seven or eight arrows with near-instantaneous speed.
Leaving vivid purple trails in their wake, the arrows pursued the Dark-Robed Mage through the air.
Normally, in a situation like this, the pursued party would frantically showcase their skills, dodging left and right, narrowly avoiding projectiles, and putting on a dazzling aerial chase.
But the reality was starkly different. The Dark-Robed Mage seemed to want to attempt a dodge, but Elysia's arrows were too swift. The moment he began to move, seven or eight arrows converged from all directions, striking him almost simultaneously.
His Magic Shield shattered instantly, and in the blink of an eye, the mage was transformed into a human-sized hedgehog. Elysia narrowed her eyes, watching his free fall to confirm his death before turning her attention to the spandex-clad man beside her.
Unlike the terrified mage, the spandex-clad man wore an expression of bewilderment and fury. "Damn it! What the hell is Second Brother doing?!"
As the saying goes, ignorance breeds fearlessness. The spandex-clad man still seemed to think this was a routine hunting mission, his mind consumed by frustration at his useless teammate's incompetence.
The next moment, four afterimages erupted from the man in the bodysuit. Including his original body, five figures simultaneously teleported to surround Elysia from every direction, brandishing their blades in a coordinated, inescapable assault.
The teleportation ability was undeniably annoying, but ultimately just a minor inconvenience.
Elysia didn't even need to react. Her Scholar's Protective Field enveloped her completely, ensuring her safety. Gazing at the five enemies surrounding her, she slowly raised a small hand, pointed at one of them, and concentrated pink energy at her fingertip. The energy surged forth, piercing the chosen man's chest.
The man in the bodysuit wore a bewildered expression. "How did you know I was the real one?" he muttered in disbelief.
In truth, Elysia had no idea which one was the original. She had simply picked one at random, relying on her intuition. It was like winning the lottery—a twenty percent chance that somehow hit the jackpot!
"Perhaps... it's just a beautiful girl's intuition?" she replied with a sweet smile. Not that it mattered much to her; if she had chosen wrong, she would simply try again.
The man's attacks couldn't even scratch Elysia's defenses, while she could effortlessly obliterate him with a single strike. The battle was a foregone conclusion.
Yet, the man in the tight-fitting suit vanished into thin air once more, reappearing some distance away—thanks to his Substitute Charm.
This time, however, a flicker of hesitation crossed his face. Having wasted two of his life-saving items in quick succession, he was beginning to suspect that this hunting mission might not be as straightforward as he'd assumed.
But it was too late. Elysia's arrows followed swiftly, and as the man looked up, dozens of luminous "Meteors" illuminated his features.
Boom!!!
After the explosion, the man reappeared even farther away, his face twisted in panic. "Wait, wait! Let's talk this over!"
But Elysia's arrows continued to rain down relentlessly. Finally, after slaying him four times, he stopped resurrecting.
Honestly, who carries two life-saving items around all the time? Elysia thought. Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, she glanced down below.