My monster cards can evolve infinitely.

The silence of the forest was broken by this sigh.

Xiuqi lowered his hand from the longsword, his fingertips lingering one last time on the intricate patterns on the hilt.

He slowly turned around, his gaze piercing through the swirling gray mist and landing on the figure who remained in the bow-drawing posture.

Captain Ryan stood there, the bowstring of his longbow still trembling slightly, along with his hands.

A stream of murky tears slid down his cheek, the trail of tears gathering at his protruding jawline before rolling down one by one.

The fallen leaves on the meadow made a soft "patter" sound.

His eyes were empty, his face wore a resolute expression that was almost deathly pale, and his right hand was still in the position of releasing the string.

"Why?" Xiu Qi's voice was calm as water, and his eyes were as clear as a stream.

But those who know him will know that this is the tone he uses when he is accumulating anger.

Generally speaking, Xiuqi is not someone who gets angry easily, because he doesn't care about most things.

Most of the time, his face doesn't show any deliberate expression, only a hint of laziness, or he's simply lost in thought.

Clearly, if the hunter captain cannot provide a clear explanation at this moment, his anger will surely erupt.

"There's no reason..." The captain's lips trembled slightly, his voice broken, "Even if there is... it's because I did it willingly..."

Xiuqi took two steps forward and stopped about fifty feet away from Rein.

This distance is a position that is extremely difficult to miss for an experienced hunter.

Similarly, this was also the optimal distance for Xiuqi to launch a surprise attack.

"What you're seeing is all an illusion," he tried to reassure her, given that he hadn't had a bad impression of Renn during their two encounters. "None of it is real!"

"No, you are the illusion!" Renn suddenly roared, tears streaming down his face.

"I saw it...her smile...she hasn't smiled like that in a long time..."

The middle-aged man's dreamlike words elicited a sigh from Xiuqi, and with a clear, crisp sound, he slowly drew "Bavarian Moonlight" from his waist.

Suddenly, a cold, clear light illuminated his indifferent face.

"You don't understand, this feeling... only a father understands..."

The captain's voice abruptly stopped.

Because Xiuqi has already moved.

It wasn't a reckless charge forward, but rather a skillful sideways movement.

The boy moved with the agility of a cat, his gray robe barely making a sound in the night wind.

The combined advantage of eight points of agility and eight points of physique allows him to reach a level of movement that is difficult for ordinary people to achieve.

Not only is he fast, but he also possesses an almost instinctive sense of rhythm in combat.

And the opposing team's Renn lived up to his reputation as an experienced hunter.

Even on the verge of a mental breakdown, his instincts still sustained him in the fight.

Just as the boy launched his surprise attack, the gray longbow was instantly raised, the arrow was nocked, the string was drawn, and the arrow was fired—all the actions were completed in the blink of an eye.

call out--

The second arrow shot out swiftly, instantly shattering the gray mist and transforming into a gray point of light that streaked through the air, its target the boy's right shoulder.

This time, Xiuqi did not stand there motionless like a target.

In actual combat against experienced opponents, testing the load-bearing limit of the [Primary Deflection Field] is not the best option.

Even in his subconscious, he was looking forward to what it would be like to fight against a seasoned adventurer.

puff-

Just as the arrow was about to strike, he suddenly turned to the side, the flying arrowhead whistling past his hair, scattering a few strands of black hair in all directions.

The gray arrow sank deep into the meadow behind him, the violently vibrating feathers causing the surrounding grass stems to rustle.

If an unarmored body were struck by such a powerful arrow, the consequences would be extremely serious.

To be able to dodge arrows at such close range,

Accurate judgment, instinctive reaction, and a sufficiently agile and coordinated body are all indispensable.

If it were him two years ago, he definitely wouldn't have been able to do it.

"Not bad archery." Xiuqi did not stop. He quickly drew an arc with Rein as the center.

In battle, it's not just about strength and speed; applying mental pressure and disrupting the opponent's rhythm are equally important.

Raine, on the other side, was clearly aware of this as well. He did not rush to fire, but instead adjusted his position according to Xiuqi's movements, always maintaining a frontal stance.

The longbow was kept half-stretched, and the arrowheads were adjusted slightly according to the direction the boy was moving.

The two reached a stalemate.

The chanting in the forest grew clearer, the melody seemingly carrying a sense of urgency, as if urging the battle to end as soon as possible.

"This song sounds like it was sung for you!" Hugh suddenly said.

The captain's face visibly darkened.

So, it's time now.

The gray figure suddenly accelerated!

Like a peregrine falcon flying close to the ground, it changes direction several times in the blink of an eye, never staying in one place.

The captain's pupils contracted instantly, but his hands did not hesitate, and the longbow was instantly drawn to its full draw—

The third arrow was shot.

At a distance of less than twenty feet, with a precise shot based on prior prediction, this arrow would be a sure hit.

But the gray-robed youth in front of him did not change direction, and rushed straight towards his location.

Just as the arrow was about to strike the boy's body, a transparent ripple, like a rolling wave, appeared. The arrowhead's direction instantly changed, flying across Xiu Qi's cheek and whipping his long black hair into a fluttering dance.

Ten feet.

The captain had already thrown down his longbow; at such close range, the longbow had lost its purpose in combat.

A hunting knife forged from fine steel was drawn from his waist, its sharp blade reflecting a chilling light in the moonlight.

Even as he dropped his longbow and gripped his hunting knife, a sliver of hope lingered in Renn's heart.

As an experienced adventurer, he has spent many years abandoning ranged weapons and choosing melee weapons, which has honed his excellent skills in using hunting knives.

Even when faced with a desperate situation, Rennes was still looking for the best opportunity to engage in close combat.

ding ding-

The sharp, clanging sound of metal colliding was particularly jarring in the quiet of the night.

As an archer, Raine's skill with a hunting knife was surprisingly superb.

Every swing of his knife was precise and ruthless, as skilled as a warrior who had practiced hunting knives for many years.

With each swing of that steel knife, his confidence grew, and his fear of this mysterious and unpredictable young man lessened.

As he swung the knife for the second time, a confident expression appeared on his face.

In the instant his third strike clashed with the opponent's longsword, a hint of a composed smile even appeared on his face.

The smile on his face froze instantly the next moment.

clang--

A smooth, even cut appeared silently where the blade of the hunting knife met the edge of the sword.

Time seemed to stand still.

Renn could clearly see his hunting knife, forged from fine steel, which had accompanied him through countless dense forests and slayed countless monsters.

It was split in two from that clean cut.

"Clang—clang!"

The front half of the blade spun upwards, cutting a strange arc in the moonlight, and flew swiftly towards the meadow ahead with its remaining force.

Tiny metal fragments flew everywhere with the broken blade, grazing his cheeks and the backs of his hands, drawing fine lines of blood.

Before the swirling broken blade even hit the ground, the cold, clear light emanating from the young man's longsword already illuminated his pale, ashen face.

click -

A short, crisp sound, unlike the tearing sound of a blade entering a body, was more like the sound of being struck by a heavy object.

"Ugh!"

A muffled groan rang out, and the captain staggered backward, falling backward to the ground, kicking up dead leaves and dust.

Xiu Qi slowly sheathed his longsword, his face appearing dark and inscrutable in the gray mist.

"You're lucky today."

He slowly turned around and saw that the figure he had been longing for was still there, and he breathed a long sigh of relief.

The blonde woman in the white floral dress was still standing there.

She looked at him with a radiant smile.