Chapter 138: Leap of Faith

Hazada felt that her bad luck had reached its absolute peak today.

As a high school student who had moved from the countryside to the city for her studies, adapting to both academic life and daily routines was far from easy. She had thought the money she brought with her would be more than enough, but the dazzling temptations of the bustling metropolis proved that it was nowhere near sufficient.

However, driven by her pride, and because the things she wanted to spend money on were not basic necessities for study or living—she wanted a high-end smartphone, a laptop, and cosmetics, and she wanted to go out and have fun—she was unwilling to ask her family for more funds.

Even if she did ask, her family might not even be able to provide it.

Fortunately, big cities had big city ways of making money. As it happened, she had a unique set of skills, and she believed her abilities would allow her to stand on her own feet.

Back in the countryside, her family ran a shrine, and naturally, she served as the shrine maiden.

Their shrine was not some ordinary tourist attraction; it was a genuine heritage shrine possessing supernatural powers. From a very young age, Hazada realized she was different from others. Not only could she run faster than anyone else, but her physical strength also far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Even her physical development was superior to her peers.

Consequently, all through primary and middle school, she was the star athlete of her entire district.

It was only when she began to mature and understand more of the world that she gradually transformed into a proper "lady."

Yet, just as she had settled into her gentle persona, her family informed her that she could not afford to be a lady anymore, because inheriting their shrine meant she bore the responsibility of safeguarding the safety of the surrounding villagers.

Monsters wreaked havoc in this world.

And thus, she became... a combat shrine maiden.

Specializing in physical martial arts and swordsmanship!

She had to admit, she truly possessed a natural talent. Within the span of her three years in junior high, she had cleared out every single monster across a radius of several miles.

And what did her family get in return?

Aside from a reputation, seemingly nothing at all.

Her family strictly adhered to ancestral teachings: exterminating demons never yielded money. Instead, they only accepted building materials to repair or expand the shrine.

Otherwise, given their capabilities, their family could easily have become the lords of the surrounding region.

In fact, after being introduced to the internet, Hazada discovered that famous shrines everywhere charged money—and a great deal of it—which only made them increasingly famous.

Unlike her family, stuck away in a tiny rural village where nobody knew them once you stepped a little further away.

It was around that time, growing sick of life in the countryside much like Mitsuha, that she began to yearn for the big city.

Tokyo was too far, but Nagoya seemed wonderful. Relying on her stellar academic grades, she successfully tested into a renowned high school in Nagoya.

Upon first arriving in the metropolis, she was deeply awed, but that was immediately followed by a harsh reality check. Fortunately, big cities seemed to have even more monsters. One weekend while hanging out with a classmate, she happened to witness a burly Buddhist monk subduing a demon.

Her classmate was scared senseless and fainted on the spot, whereas she snatched up a wooden stick and charged right in.

That very incident led to her registering with the Nagoya Exorcism Association, marking the start of her urban demon-slaying career.

The big city was truly different. Not only did she earn points, but there were cash bonuses as well.

Sometimes she teamed up with others, and sometimes she operated solo. When flying solo, her favorite tactic was "fishing" for targets.

She had been fishing like this for nearly three years, and for three whole years—she had never made a single mistake!

Until this time... when she completely capsized.

At the time, she had been walking in front, constantly keeping an eye on the situation behind her. The reason she lured her target into the dark, secluded alley was because combat might endanger civilians, whereas a dim alley was much better.

Even if someone was hiding in the dark alley, they certainly wouldn't be good people anyway, so getting caught in the crossfire wouldn't matter.

Only this time, her calculations had failed. Her target's combat prowess and physical silhouette were completely mismatched; it was far more terrifying than she had imagined.

The creature's pounce was extraordinarily ferocious. Forget about drawing a weapon from her backpack—she didn't even have time to dodge.

Not only was the monster blindingly fast and overwhelmingly strong, but its physical weight was also immense. Once it slammed onto her body, she found herself completely unable to push it off.

This damn thing was definitely solid all the way through!

Just as she thought her life was going to end right here and vowed never to engage in "fishing" again in her next life, the appearance of a stranger instantly flipped the situation.

With a single casual kick, the attacker scared the monster into scurrying away in terror.

Freed from the oppressive weight, she instantly executed a few consecutive rolls to extract herself from the scene.

As a combat shrine maiden, all sorts of evasive rolls were essential skills.

Battles between supernatural beings not only endangered ordinary people—where a mere casual wave could cause fatalities—but the combatants themselves faced the exact same risks.

Seeing that the newcomer was about to engage the target she had been tracking, she knew she had to evacuate the immediate vicinity instantly; otherwise, she might end up dying an unexplained death.

Moreover, she needed to observe the tactical dynamics of the battlefield so she could provide timely support to the newcomer at a critical moment. After all, this target was no pushover.

It was definitely not something an ordinary supernatural being could handle!

Yet, the moment she finished rolling away from the battlefield and glanced back over, all she saw was her target embedded straight into the wall.

Embedded right into the wall...

Into the wall...

The wall...

And right after that, with a dull thud, it dropped down.

Accompanied by several shattered chunks of concrete.

This sight froze her expression into utter blankness.

(?◇?)??

On the other side, Zhou Shu missed with his first kick, so he unleashed five percent of his power for the second strike, kicking the monster to death in an instant.

Right into the wall.

Well, although he had no idea why his first attack was dodged, the creature's strength was vastly inferior to his anyway. Thus, no matter how absurd its abilities were, it was completely useless and still got kicked to death by him in one blow.

Having dispatched this "courier monster," and since Zhou Shu did not speak Japanese, he couldn't be bothered to converse with the girl. Instead, he simply walked over to the monster's corpse and began absorbing its energy.

Just because he wasn't speaking didn't mean others wouldn't.

Hazada had already snapped out of her dazed state. She had overheard Zhou Shu speaking earlier and recognized it as Mandarin Chinese, a language she had studied in school.

After all, this was the military occupation zone of the Great Qin Empire; there was no way they would let anyone continue learning English.

"Excuse me—excuse me, are you an officer from the Qin Empire's Special Operations Team?"

Hazada asked cautiously.

She silently congratulated herself on her decent grasp of Mandarin, as well as the fact that the Japanese language contained numerous "Chinese characters," allowing her to make herself understood.

Zhou Shu hadn't expected to hear heavily accented Mandarin in a place like this, but being able to communicate was a good thing; his initial plan had been rather half-baked.

If not for that Qin-run little shop, he wouldn't have been able to complete his disguise, and he would have had to go out of his way to exchange currency.

Now that this girl could speak Mandarin, he could converse with her. As a local "demon hunter," especially one who dabbled in "fishing," she might just know where the monsters gathered.

If he could locate a monster nest, his energy sources would be secured.

As for her assumption that he belonged to the Special Operations Team, he didn't bother to deny it. As long as she didn't blurt out his real name, anything went.

He turned his head and asked, "What is your name?"

"Sir, my name is Hazada Mashiro," Hazada replied.

Hazada Mashiro?

Zhou Shu glanced down at her torn stockings, catching a glimpse of the fair skin exposed beneath.

Well, it certainly was quite fair.

Fortunately, he was currently wearing a ghost-spirit mask, and his stat attributes were ridiculously high, allowing for lightning-fast movements. Hazada hadn't noticed a thing, or else his dignified image as an "officer" would have been completely ruined.

Since she had mistaken his identity, he might as well play the role of an "officer" to the end—specifically, the resolute and decisive kind.

Therefore, Zhou Shu feigned a nod and immediately pressed on, "Do you have any new intelligence regarding the monsters?"

"Yes, sir!"

Hearing this, Zhou Shu paused in surprise. He had only asked on a whim, never expecting to hit the jackpot.

It seemed the goddess of fortune was firmly standing on his side.

"Tell me what you know."

"Yes, sir," Hazada said honestly. "I know a senior monk at the Kakuozan Nittai-ji Temple. They have obtained intelligence regarding a Great Demon and are currently preparing an extermination operation."

"According to their information, that Great Demon has gathered a dozen or so lesser monsters and appears to be planning some kind of sacrificial ritual. That ritual requires ninety-nine human lives. To perfectly thwart this sacrificial plot, the Kakuozan Nittai-ji Temple has invited Onmyoji and shrine maidens from the Atsuta Jingu Shrine. Since I have acquaintances there, I was included, allowing me to hitch along and earn some participation points..."

Listening to Hazada's explanation, Zhou Shu began translating the units of power in his mind.

A Great Demon was equivalent to a domestic Tier 3 supernatural being, on par with a Silver-rank executive of the Evolution Organization.

He remembered eliminating a Silver-rank executive of the Evolution Organization once, who also hailed from District 11—a woman named Kuri Kaoruko.

Back then, he was already capable of killing Tier 3 supernaturals; doing so now would be effortless. Yet, for a minor region, a Tier 3 supernatural was already an immensely formidable existence.

Take the Ascendant Immortal Society for instance; even as the largest illegal supernatural organization in the Great Qin domestic territory, its leader was only a Tier 4 powerhouse, meaning Tier 3s were at least branch directors.

Furthermore, after the Ascendant Immortal Society was brutally crushed, the highest-ranking fugitives who managed to flee abroad were also Tier 3s.

A Tier 3 backed by a bunch of Tier 2s definitely constituted a major faction in District 11.

It made complete sense for the personnel from that temple and shrine to treat the matter with such grave seriousness.

As for him, however... Heh.

If Hazada hadn't been standing right in front of him, Zhou Shu would have rubbed his hands together in excitement.

Given his current capabilities, he could practically achieve an instant kill.

Ever since he suffered losses at the hands of Tong Tianhua last time, he learned that the longer a battle dragged on, the less Essence Energy he would ultimately harvest.

This time, he would definitely keep that in mind and execute kills as swiftly as possible.

If he could wipe out the entire nest in one fell swoop, the harvest would be insanely bountiful!!

Hazada had been watching Zhou Shu's reaction closely the entire time she spoke. Although he wore a mask, his eyes and lips were exposed—conveniently the two areas that reveal the most facial expression.

She noticed that Zhou Shu remained entirely calm, showing neither surprise nor confusion, as if he had already been aware of this news.

On second thought, it wasn't particularly strange; for Kakuozan Nittai-ji Temple and Atsuta Jingu Shrine to undertake such an operation, they would naturally need to report it to the Qin military garrison.

Having relayed all the intelligence she knew, she wondered if this officer was satisfied or not?

Hazada felt a flutter of anxiety.

How should she put it? Zhou Shu was beyond satisfied!

Acting like an elite expert meant speaking as little as possible. Therefore, upon hearing the final location, Zhou Shu simply nodded at Hazada and said, "The nights are growing increasingly dangerous. Hurry home."

With that, he hoisted the "courier monster's" garments, leaped gracefully, and vanished right before Hazada's eyes.

"..."

This left Hazada feeling even more nervous.

She tried to comfort herself, "I suppose elite experts are just like this. The officers of the Special Operations Team are all extremely busy."

Besides, for this officer to leap up onto a five-story building while carrying a corpse demonstrated just how terrifyingly powerful he really was.

The reason Zhou Shu snatched the corpse and vanished was simply because he intended to wring this courier dry of every last drop.

Since he had made the trip to District 11, he needed to extract every ounce of available energy.

Besides, doing so eliminated the body, leaving no traces behind.

Just from this single monster, once it was completely wrung dry, he reaped 1.7 units of energy.

A mere Tier 1 monster yielded an energy harvest approaching that of Tong Tianhua—who had been on the verge of reaching Tier 5—which vividly highlighted the critical importance of achieving instant kills.

Much like this monster; if it were counted as a formal, prolonged battle, it would have ended in a single kick anyway.

Having squeezed out the energy, Zhou Shu resumed sprinting across the rooftops.

According to Mashiro's intelligence, that gang of monsters was hoarded inside a nightclub.

Consequently, the Buddhist monk and the Onmyoji would likely face a hostage situation as well.

These monsters loved hiding in crowded places—first, to secure a food source, and second, to use ordinary people as human shields. It seemed the entities in District 11 were even more uninhibited about it.

They operated under the guise of the "Yakuza," and since many Yakuza syndicates frequently intertwined with nightclubs, these monsters fit right in.

Before long, Zhou Shu sprinted onto a building adjacent to the nightclub.

This nightclub was quite large. Once illuminated at night, it looked resplendent and golden, while retaining the traditional architectural style of District 11.

Compared to the surrounding modern skyscrapers, it exuded a distinct cyberpunk aesthetic.

In particular, Zhou Shu noticed that the roof of the nightclub featured a massive skylight, through which a grand banquet was clearly visible.

Standing atop the tall building, Zhou Shu overlooked the banquet scene. There were men and women eating, drinking, and embracing one another; yet, with his sharp eyesight, he could instantly spot something gravely wrong.

In the middle of exchanging affectionate kisses on the neck, someone suddenly sank their teeth right in.

Not the "kissing" kind of bite, but a savage, raw tearing of flesh—the literal meaning of "eating."

Catching sight of this, Zhou Shu leaped straight off the rooftop.

The roaring wind whipped his red jacket violently, and the crimson ghost-spirit mask on his face looked exceptionally ferocious.

[Bullet Time, activate!]

[Mental Attribute, maximized!]

"Crack!"

The bulletproof glass on the roof was shattered instantly, sending sturdy glass shards flying in all directions.

The people inside the venue were startled by the sudden disruption, but within Zhou Shu's field of vision, their every movement unfolded in sluggish motion.

Utilizing his bullet time, Zhou Shu employed telekinesis to control the falling shards of glass.

His attribute scanning range of over eighty meters in radius instantly swept across the venue, filtering out the monsters and humans present.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"

The controlled glass fragments sharply altered their trajectories, hurtling straight toward the chests of the monsters.

"Puff, puff, puff..."

The glass shards accurately bypassed the ribcages, piercing through the flesh between the gaps to drive directly into their chests. Packing tremendous kinetic force, they sheared gaping holes straight through the hearts—severing major arteries in the process—and instantly stripped those monsters of their combat capabilities.

However, there was one exceptionally powerful entity among them. If he guessed correctly, this must be the leader of this pack of monsters—the Great Demon itself.

"Who are you?!"

It abruptly sprang to its feet, yanked the glass shard out of its chest, and roared angrily at Zhou Shu in Japanese.

Only to discover that none of its subordinates were standing up.

"This..."