Hunter of Mysterious Creature

"Hard to say, I feel... he might actually go through with it."

"Then won't the people from Research Institute No.1 come at us with everything they've got? We borrowed the person, and now they're being held hostage by this guy. If we can't get them back..."

"So what do you intend to do? He wasn't wrong when he said that with our medical technology, we could reattach a few severed fingers... I think, when the time comes, he won't hesitate."

"The Puppet Master is the daughter of that big shot, if she gets hurt, we'll all be in trouble! Damn it, whose bad idea was it to have me borrow her in the first place?" the voice known as the "Team Leader" roared.

"Team Leader, it was your decision to have the 'Puppet Master' intercept the target..." another voice timidly said, "The Cleanup Team is asking for instructions, should we let him go?"

"Let him go! Let him the hell go!" the Team Leader shouted angrily, "Just as he demanded, don't send anyone to follow him, not even drones! Until the Puppet Master is returned unharmed, do not provoke him... if the guy has any brains, he should ensure the Puppet Master's safety too."

"But, Team Leader, what if he never lets her go? If he drags it out for seven days, the first phase of the trial will be over?"

"Two people, seven days, he's got to eat, drink, and relieve himself, right? His account's been frozen, and he's got no money on him. Robbing civilians is against trial rules. When he's famished and parched, that's our chance... at least negotiating in that scenario is better than now."

"What if he breaks into a house? Or at worst, rummages through garbage bins? Team Leader, you probably don't know, but quite a few people in Chunming City live off expired food thrown out by those big supermarkets..."

"No way... Does this guy have absolutely no pride or dignity as a Hunter?"

"Reporting to the Team Leader, I think... he probably doesn't."

...

...

Watching the elite agents clear the way in front of him, Sun Hang nodded in satisfaction. He bound the Puppet Master's limbs with mycelium, then tucked her under his arm, and swaggered through the mall's main entrance.

As he predicted, not just the back alley, but the entire mall was surrounded by Chunming City's City Defense Army. Several heavy armored vehicles blocked the entire street, and the rooftops of nearby buildings and the frameworks of the upper city were crawling with snipers draped in iron-gray camouflage cloaks.

These soldiers clearly received orders not to interfere. As soon as they saw Sun Hang exit the mall, they parted to the sides.

Coincidentally, Sun Hang was wearing a plain white casual outfit this time, and from above, it gave the impression of an entire army avoiding a white-robed figure.

Sun Hang walked straight through four blocks, and none of the elite agents or soldiers followed... seemingly afraid Sun Hang might harm the hostage, even the routine law enforcement officers and Sheriffs were withdrawn in advance from these blocks, and the surveillance system shut down as Sun Hang requested.

To avoid alarming the passersby, Sun Hang had already released the mycelium from the Puppet Master and changed his grip from an armpit hold to a princess carry—since the girl was quite weak, Sun Hang wasn't worried about her escaping.

The Puppet Master seemed to have resigned herself to her fate, offering no resistance and allowing Sun Hang to manipulate her... Sun Hang couldn't help but feel a strange sensation: this girl seemed like a living doll without any emotions; she couldn't speak, cry, or smile, the only change in expression being the hint of panic in her eyes when Sun Hang locked onto her in the crowd.

"Hey? Can you really not speak?"

"Any chance of a response?"

"I'm not a bad guy. You know this is just some absurd trial those boring people set up."

"I'm holding you hostage because I have no choice. Besides, I haven't used violence against you, have I?"

"Okay, I admit, dragging you over with mycelium at first was a bit rough, but I didn't know you were so frail, did I? I thought there would be a hard fight."

"You're not saying anything, leaving me talking to myself, it's quite awkward."

Sun Hang glanced at the girl in his arms; she was looking sideways, emotionlessly observing the pedestrians and vehicles without a word.

"Can't speak or unwilling to?" Sun Hang asked once more, "Would you mind if I checked your memory?"

At last, the girl's expression changed for the second time.

She looked surprised and resistant, but quickly fell back into an expressionless state.

She asked softly, "Is... that your ability?"

"So you're not mute, huh?"

The girl fell silent again.

"If you don't say anything, I'll assume you're agreeing, and by the way, you're not going to accuse me of invading your privacy, are you?"

"From birth till now, all my records are in the Dubhe Tower's archive." The girl rarely said a long sentence, "I... have no privacy."

"That's boring." Sun Hang suddenly felt a bit deflated and changed the topic, "You probably guessed my intention; for the next week, you'll have to endure being by my side. It's my first time in Chunming City, and I'm unfamiliar with this place, could you help guide me?"

"Aren't you afraid I'll lead you into a trap?" the Puppet Master asked.

"With you as my hostage, what do I have to be afraid of?" Sun Hang adopted an air of defiance.

The girl fell silent again.

"Is there any place suitable to spend the night?" Sun Hang asked again, "My citizenship, bank account, and all permissions are frozen. If we don't find a place to stay overnight, we'll be sleeping on the street."

Puppet Master: "..."

"Seven days without a bath, huh? In this weather, you'll start to stink soon, and you might go hungry. I don't mind eating from garbage bins, but do you?"

Puppet Master: "I don't mind."

"Nothing fazes you? I thought girls like you were fastidious." Sun Hang said and set the girl down.

The girl looked up and saw an ATM machine of Xiazhou Bank in front of her.

"I'd like to borrow some money, cash." Sun Hang smiled slightly, "A thousand or two isn't too little, ten thousand or twenty isn't too much. The amount you lend will decide the quality of our upcoming days."

"What if I refuse?"

"Then I won't borrow." Sun Hang continued smiling, "I'll choose a different wording: rob you."

The girl's expression paused slightly, she took a bank card out of her pocket and inserted it into the ATM.

Five seconds later, the girl shook her head at Sun Hang, "My card is frozen too."