“No way…”
Sasha and the others followed Tina through winding corridors inside the mansion until they reached an open field.
Before the lush green lawn sat a warship.
About thirty meters in diameter and ten meters wide, its hull bore a clan emblem shaped like a heart.
“This is the Yixin Clan’s private vessel. It travels roughly five times faster than a standard passenger train. Nonstop, we’ll reach Heiyang City in just three hours.”
Listening to Agnes, Sasha felt increasingly certain she and the young lady lived in entirely different worlds.
If not for the money, she’d have fled on the spot.
It wasn’t that Tina herself was dangerous—but standing beside her invited jealousy, drew the clan’s attention, and risked being mistaken for disposable bodyguards by noble enemies.
Any scenario spelled trouble for cautious souls like Sasha and Roland.
Of course, none of this mattered once Tina dangled five thousand gold coins.
“This is an imperial Earl-class warship. It can withstand a Deity’s assault, so no need to worry about aerial disasters while with me.”
Tina’s words pierced Sasha’s thoughts—leaving her slightly flustered.
Inside, the ship’s decor was simple yet refined, devoid of gaudy nobility but unmistakably elite.
Spacious enough for all seven to sit across two sofa rows.
An awkward silence settled.
“Um…”
Thuke raised a hand.
“Lady Tina… who’s piloting the ship?”
“Why ‘Lady’ again? We agreed: just call me Tina.”
Tina offered a helpless smile. Thuke flushed.
No wonder—he’d never seen transport this sleek.
“The fanciest ride I’ve ever taken was first-class train… so yeah, kinda nervous. Ahaha… funny, right?”
Thuke laughed awkwardly, scratching his head. Others smiled faintly.
Tina covered her mouth with a gentle laugh. “Uncle De, Sunny Mansion’s butler. During hiring, he claimed he could pilot any vessel below Marquis-class. So we brought him on.”
“…”
*Any vessel below Marquis-class…*
Sasha recalled: imperial warships from Viscount-class upward required military-trained elites…
Uh…
Yeah. Must’ve cost a fortune.
“We’re now in range to receive signals from the Heiyang Mercenary Guild,” Agnes announced, already tapping her laptop.
She laid it flat on the glass table between the sofas.
A soft glow pulsed.
A hologram hovered mid-air, visible from both sides.
“These are the bounty monsters currently wanted by the Heiyang Mercenary Guild.”
“…”
Sasha scanned carefully:
Over 130 D-rank warrants.
Forty-plus C-rank.
A dozen B-rank.
Three A-rank.
Zero S-rank.
By habit, she and Roland would pick C-rank—tough but beatable with traps, timing, and weakness knowledge.
“A-rank. Top one. Bounty’s one hundred thousand? Perfect.”
Tina’s words snapped Sasha from her thoughts.
“Huh?!”
She blurted it—then instantly clapped both hands over her mouth.
Tina chuckled, ruffling Sasha’s hair. “Little Sasha? Something on your mind?”
“Ah… n-no… it’s just…”
Sasha faltered.
Was this a test?
But… accepting an A-rank hunt? Suicide.
A-rank monster meant parity with a high-level Sky-tier martial artist—yet monsters boasted far greater physique, destructive power, and defense.
Five Sky-tier fighters might still lose.
Their team had only Tina and Autumnwater at that tier. The gap was massive.
Even Agnes blinked. “A-rank?”
“Yes. A-rank.”
“…”
Autumnwater drew a slow breath but stayed silent—clearly hesitant.
Tina smiled calmly. “We don’t need to kill it. A-rank monsters guard territories. We can retreat when faced with difficulty.”
*Easy to say.* Hunters rarely let prey escape.
If *they* became the prey… casualties were inevitable.
*Is this young lady… reliable?*
Sasha’s first impression of Tina began to crack.
“…”
While they pondered, Agnes finished typing.
“Reserved the bounty mission: hunt the A-rank monster ‘Lionbite Shark’ with the Heiyang Mercenary Guild.”
“Good. Now activate the earlier camera setup.”
Tina slipped on the Faithhunter Goggles.
The elegant frames added scholarly charm to her poised features—a new aura entirely.
“Now I can see everyone.”
She glanced around.
Simultaneously, the laptop screen displayed exactly what she saw: Roland, Sasha, Autumnwater, Thuke, Xue Die, Agnes.
“Huh? What’s this?” Thuke pointed at the screen, then at Tina. “Is this… your viewpoint?”
“Precisely. The Faithhunter Goggles imprint the scene. Footage transmits directly to this device.”
Tina straightened slightly. “Next, we hunt the A-rank monster [Lionbite Shark] together. Though it’s our first collaboration, I believe our strength ensures victory.”
Her voice echoed from the screen.
She turned to Agnes. “Edit out everything except that line. Upload to the prepared platform.”
“Dishi?”
“Yes.”
Tina and Agnes shared a knowing look. The others stared, confused.
Xue Die’s ears twitched. “*[Dishi]*—the empire’s biggest video site?”
“Correct. Through Dishi, this short clip becomes promotion—a hook to attract viewers and followers.”
