I twisted the blade slightly, watching her writhe in pain. “Now, tell me—where is the Prophet?”

“I won’t say a word to a mongrel like you—” she spat, her voice dripping with defiance.

I sighed, grabbing a fistful of her hair with one hand and tugging her head back, exposing her lips. With my free hand, I felt along her lower lip and, just as I expected, there were the serial numbers. She wasn’t just another hunter; she was deeply entrenched in the cult.

“You know what?” I said, meeting her hate-filled gaze. “I believe you.”

Without hesitation, I plunged the dagger deeper, feeling the resistance of flesh give way as her body jerked once, then went still.

Couldn’t blame a guy for trying to get a confession.

I finished off the remaining unconscious hunters with precise, methodical movements—slicing their throats, then puncturing the base of their skulls to ensure they were truly gone. Being extra careful should pay off, right? It was surprisingly easier than I had anticipated. Grue was almost done on his side too. So this was the power of information and preparedness—knowing your enemies' weaknesses before the fight even started.

Just as I wiped the blood from my knife, I felt it—a sudden surge of aura. My attention snapped to the source. It was the Prophet’s right-hand man, the one I had just killed. His aura flared wildly, rising like a storm as his last-ditch effort to destroy everything around him kicked in. He was trying to blow this place sky-high.

I immediately activated my Soul Link, borrowing his aura. It equalized between us, and I felt the raw energy swelling inside him, his explosive attribute clear as day. He was pouring everything into one massive, suicidal blast, his aura multiplying as it often did in the face of death.

But I wasn’t about to let that happen.

I returned his aura to him just before the critical point. But instead of letting him detonate, I used his own aura to sabotage the explosion, turning it inward. In an instant, his body began to implode, collapsing in on itself like a balloon with nowhere to release the pressure. His eyes widened in shock and then—silence.

It was over before he even realized what had happened.

“What happened?” Grue’s voice came out shaky, clearly caught off guard by the sudden turn of events.

I ignored him, keeping my expression neutral. There was no reason to advertise my abilities, especially when I hadn’t fully mastered them. Information was power, and there were still things I preferred to keep to myself.

“Let’s go,” I said, wiping my hands on my suit jacket.

As we made our way out, Henry was already waiting outside, driving a white van. Carlyle and Rory were sitting inside, both looking relaxed, as if they hadn’t just been part of a massacre.

I opened the door and got in. “So,” I asked casually, “where do you guys want to eat? My treat.”

In the end, they passed up on my offer.

Carlyle had other business to attend to. Grue seemed disappointed, muttering about how he didn’t get to do much compared to the others. Henry mentioned that it was his wife’s death anniversary, so he had plans of his own. Rory said she’d come if the others were up for it, but that didn’t happen.

As soon as I got back to my current safe house, I wasted no time. I called in a favor to a hunter-run funeral home—one that specialized in discreet burials.

After that, I started packing. Time to move.

Where to next?

The Capital City.

This world operated under a single unified government called the Union. Playing as one of its checks and balances was the Hunter’s Association. Their main headquarters was located in the Capital City.

It was almost time for the upcoming Hunters’ Examination.

As an unofficial hunter, I was locked out of a lot of things—like exploring the Forbidden Region, for example. But more than that, it was about trust. If I had renown and an official hunter’s license, it would be easier to gain people's trust. I couldn’t rely solely on favors forever.

The license would also unlock a ton of resources for me. My bank account, for instance, would be more secure. I could also link up with Leora’s old contacts, a network I might need soon. I hoped she was doing well… at least better than being stuck on that mountain.

The travel to the Capital City took an entire week, with all the driving, delays, and the flight itself. By the time I finally arrived, I was dead tired. The first thing I did was find a high-class motel and crash for what felt like an eternity.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

I woke up in the middle of the night, groggy, confused, and hearing my phone ringing. I sat up, heart pounding a bit faster than usual, a sense of foreboding creeping in. I had a hunch who it might be, and reluctantly picked it up.

“How did you get this number?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

“I paid for it, of course,” came the sharp, unmistakable voice of my wife, Leora. “Do you think you're the only information broker out there?”

She was angry. Very angry.

“Don’t you dare hang up on me, Reynard!”

I hung up the phone without a second thought, her voice cutting off mid-sentence. My head hit the pillow, and I turned off the phone completely. Whatever she wanted, I wasn’t in the mood to deal with it right now.

The room was dark and quiet. The sound of the air conditioner was barely noticeable as I closed my eyes. Sleep came easily, despite the lingering guilt and the weight of the conversation I had just cut short. I knew it would come back to bite me, but for now, I just needed the rest.

I woke up to a strange sensation, a tickle in my ear that dragged me from the depths of sleep. Opening my eyes, I saw a familiar face hovering above me—blonde hair, blue eyes, and that sly, knowing smile.

My breath caught for a second, but then my instincts kicked in. This wasn't her.

“You're not my wife,” I said flatly, staring into her deceitful eyes.

I could tell by her aura no matter how good it was and how mirror-perfect it was.

The woman blinked, feigning innocence, her lips curling into a pout. "Oh, Rey, how could you say that?" She paused for dramatic effect, her hands going to her clothes. "It looks like you’ve forgotten what your wife looks like. Here, let me remind you."

I caught her wrist before she could finish her little act. Her fake blush didn’t fool me for a second. It was all a performance.

“Trickster type. Shapeshifter. Information Hunter… Selena Fair,” I said, my voice hard. "How did you know my wife?"

The sly smile returned. This time, it was more genuine—she knew I wasn’t playing along with her games.

She leaned in, her hand pressing against my chest, her face inches from mine. “Oh, you’re too good for that klutz…” she whispered, her breath warm against my skin.

At least she wasn’t hostile. But her proximity was setting off alarms in my head, and this situation was becoming more troublesome by the second. The reason it had taken me years to realize I’d married the protagonist’s mom from the novel was that Leora was an obscure character, barely even mentioned. So, I had no clue what kind of history this woman in front of me had with her.

She stroked my cheek gently, playing her part to the fullest.

But enough was enough.

I caught her wrist with my free hand and, in one smooth motion, I attempted a judo throw to put some distance between us. Unfortunately, she was quicker than I anticipated. As I threw her, she twisted mid-air like a snake, slipped from my grip, and managed to make me fall flat on my face. Before I could react, she planted a playful kiss on my cheek and snapped a selfie.

Furious, I lashed out with an aura-infused punch, but she dodged with the grace of a cat, bouncing backward. She flashed the phone at me, showing the selfie—a shot of her in a revealing outfit, kissing my cheek, cleavage prominently on display. She grinned, clicked "send," and in an instant, her disguise melted away, revealing her true form: dark brown hair, green eyes, and that same mischievous smile.

“Selena Fair,” I muttered under my breath, grinding my teeth.

The next second, Selena's phone rang with a careless whisper ringtone. She raised an eyebrow, answering it and putting it on speaker.

“You wench! You dare!? I will chop you up into a million pieces—” It was Leora, her voice seething with fury. “Feed you to the pigs, have them shit you out, and then I’ll bury you six feet underground—”

Leora's rant continued, her threats growing increasingly creative, but after ten more seconds of it, I’d had enough.

“Selena,” I snapped, cutting through the tirade, “what is your relationship with Leora?”

Selena smiled innocently, completely unfazed. “Oh, she owes me a husband.”

Leora practically exploded through the phone, her voice almost shaking with anger.

“LIES! YOU OWE ME BIG TIME, YOU UNGRATEFUL WENCH! I ASKED YOU TO TRACK MY HUSBAND, AND WHAT DO YOU DO? YOU VIOLATE HIM! DIRTY HIS PRECIOUS CHEEK! WASH IT, REY! WASH IT! CLEANSE IT FROM YOUR MIND!”

I rubbed my temples, already feeling a headache forming. Selena grinned, clearly enjoying the chaos she had stirred up.

"I didn’t violate anything, Leora. If anything, he enjoyed it," Selena teased, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

I groaned. "Selena, enough. Leora, calm down."

Leora ignored me, continuing her tirade. "WASH IT NOW, REY! OR I’LL DO IT MYSELF WHEN I FIND YOU!"

I glanced at Selena, who shrugged as if to say What can you do?

"Selena," I said, trying to get a straight answer out of her, "just tell me—what do you really want?"

Selena's playful expression faltered for a moment. "Honestly? I just wanted to see what made you so special. You’ve been off the radar for a while… and Leora wouldn’t shut up about you." She paused, then grinned again. "Turns out, you're fun."

Leora's yelling resumed in the background, but I just sighed, already tired of this entire situation.

"I'm hanging up now," Selena said with a wink at me, as if ready to end the call on Leora, my wife, right then and there. She didn’t hang up, though. Instead, she continued, speaking in a sing-song, seductive voice while staying right in place. “Oh, Rey, forget about that boring wife of yours! You can have me instead. I can become anything you want, everything you desire… Want to do cosplay? I can do the highest level of cosplay.”

Then Selena took it a notch higher, dropping her voice into a perfect impersonation of mine, “You don’t need to call her, Lena, she’s annoying… come here… make me feel good…”

I heard Leora shriek on the other end, “AAAAAH~AAAH!”

“Stop traumatizing my wife…” I muttered, facepalming.

“Please, Rey! Tell me you didn’t do anything with her,” Leora begged.

“I didn’t,” I replied flatly.

Selena cut in with a mischievous grin, “We wrestled, though—in bed.”

“I threw her out—” I started to explain, but Selena cut me off again.

“And then I went under his crotch after he held me down by the wrists. Then we kissed,” she added before ending the call abruptly.

“You are a demon. You know that?” I said, feeling exasperated down to my bones.

I borrowed Selena’s aura, and it automatically equalized. I took her disguise attribute, then returned her aura—this time with the disguise attribute added, transforming her into a little girl.

“Eh? W-what happened?” She looked around, utterly confused.

I walked over, took the phone from her, called the last number, turned off the speaker, and spoke to Leora. “So, why exactly is she here?”

“DON’T FALL FOR THAT VIXEN’S TRICKS, OR I WILL DIVORCE YOU!”

I winced.