Hunter of Mysterious Creature

Sun Hang's gaze swept across the shop fronts lining the street...

Directly opposite the bench was a small shop with a strong two-dimensional vibe. The logo of the shop was a vibrant green broccoli, and the glass display was filled with various figure models and grains. A half-human tall mecha stood like a guardian deity on one side of the shop's entrance.

To the left of the Broccoli Shop was a store selling second-hand camera equipment and drones, and to the right was a convenience store, from which a young couple emerged, holding steaming hot oden.

"How to make money...Robbery might lead to violent conflicts with ordinary people, which would violate the trial rules... I can't just become a thief, right?"

Sun Hang searched through his pockets, finding nothing but half a pack of tissues, the Shariputra, and a mysterious metal plaque engraved with his name. All his other belongings were in the suitcase... and the trial began before he even had the chance to retrieve it from the plane's cargo hold.

"What a pity. There were plenty of valuable things in the suitcase. I could just grab one or two items and sell them on the black market and have enough to live on for a week... Should've stuffed some cash in my pocket knowing this," Sun Hang couldn't help but complain to himself.

Just as Sun Hang was about to call the Puppet Master to go check out other shops a bit further away, the slender girl suddenly slumped against the back of the bench, her long black hair cascading down and spilling onto the ground.

"Are you okay?"

Sun Hang walked over and found the girl's face pale, breathing rapid, her forehead covered in sweat, with the neckline of her long dress soaked completely and clinging tightly to her skin.

Sun Hang grabbed her arm, and the bracelet on her wrist flashed with a red warning message: "Low blood sugar detected. Please replenish sugar immediately."

"Hypoglycemia? Didn't you have lunch?"

However, the girl had no strength left to answer Sun Hang's question, looking as though she could faint at any moment.

Sun Hang had no choice but to carry her in his arms, quickly crossing the street, and using his shoulder to nudge open the convenience store door.

"Someone's hypoglycemic! Help!"

The young guy behind the cashier counter immediately stood up. He took one look at the Puppet Master's pale face and nervously asked, "What do I need to do?"

"Can you please get some food to quickly raise her blood sugar? She's in bad shape!" Sun Hang said.

The cashier quickly ran to the shelf, grabbed two bottles of soft drink and a box of chocolates after a swift glance, and handed them to Sun Hang.

He hadn't even noticed that one of the two bottles of the soft drink he grabbed was a sugar-free version.

"Thanks."

Sun Hang put the sugar-free bottle aside, opened the other one, and brought it to the Puppet Master's lips.

After drinking more than half a bottle of cola, the Puppet Master's cheeks finally gained a bit of color, and she didn't look as frightening as before.

"She... she should be okay, right?" the cashier asked cautiously as he stood to the side.

"She should be fine now," Sun Hang nodded.

Sun Hang figured the girl hadn't had time to eat lunch before Dubhe Tower sent her to intercept him. Not only was she taken hostage, but he also dragged her across several blocks... which must have felt like a marathon for someone as weak as she was.

"Um, the money for the cola..." The cashier pointed to the QR code on the counter.

"How much?"

"Four yuan."

"Tsk..." Sun Hang couldn't help but complain to himself, "This is Chunming City for you, even the cola is fifty cents more expensive than in Tianfu City."

"Well, I just lost my wallet and phone, can you accept something as collateral?" Sun Hang thought for a moment and simply took the Puppet Master's bracelet off, "I'll pawn this smart bracelet here and come back with money to redeem it later, will that work for you?"

The cashier hesitated and then waved his hand, "It's fine... just put the drink on my tab, as long as she's okay."

"Thanks, then." Sun Hang casually slipped the Puppet Master's bracelet into his pocket.

He still needed to figure out a way to deal with this thing—although Dubhe Tower promised to disable the tracking feature on the Puppet Master's bracelet, who's to say they won't turn it back on after a while... After all, these "negotiation terms" reached outside of the trial rules can be loopholed by both parties.

The cashier at this convenience store was a really good-hearted guy, and Sun Hang decided against leaving this troublesome item here.

"Feeling better?" Sun Hang asked, glancing at the Puppet Master's breathing, which was gradually stabilizing.

"Yes." The girl nodded.

"Hungry? Do you need me to get you something to eat?" Sun Hang inquired further.

"No need."

"You're not anorexic, are you?" Sun Hang asked, taking a good look at the girl's figure.

The girl didn't respond, sipping her drink quietly as she gazed at the street scene outside the window.

"A drink can only temporarily raise your sugar levels. If you don't eat, you might pass out again soon." Sun Hang advised in a quiet voice only the two of them could hear, "Are you planning on self-harming?"

"You have no money. How are you going to buy food?" the Puppet Master asked, glancing up at Sun Hang.

"When the cart reaches the mountain, there's bound to be a way, right? People are resourceful enough not to be trapped by urine," Sun Hang replied, "In such a big place like Chunming City, it's unlikely that we'll starve, don't you think?"

"Are you really thinking of digging through garbage bins?" the Puppet Master asked again.

"If it comes to that." Sun Hang said, "But first, do you have any stomach issues? Will you get diarrhea from eating expired food?"

"I'm not sure."

"... If there's no other way, I'll have to negotiate with Dubhe Tower again." Sun Hang sighed, rubbing his forehead, "Maybe get them to send us some food... At the very least, we can't have you fainting from hunger."

"Someone's coming," the Puppet Master said, "And they seem to be looking for you."

"How can you tell?" Sun Hang was puzzled, "That person isn't even in sight yet."

Sun Hang indeed sensed a strange presence growing stronger, approaching from the left side of the street.

"I can see what Reckna shows me." The Puppet Master said, "I know that person; it's a Tier 4 Hunter."

...

...

Dubhe Tower, Control Room.

"What's the situation? Didn't I say not to disturb the target for now?" The group leader's voice carried a hint of anger, "Why is there a Hunter appearing in that area?"

"Leader... that's a Hunter not under Dubhe Tower's control. Technically, he has the autonomy to act independently."

"Technically? Screw your technically... Isn't this making things more complicated?" the leader cursed, "Immediately notify the agency that Hunter belongs to, and have him leave at once!"

[P.S. I'm going to a friend's wedding tomorrow and might come back late at night, so there might be only one update.]