The city was terrorized by the heads of the Royal Knight and the Guardian Knights. The Church or even the City Lord could no longer suppress the issue as rumors spread around the city.
The head being thrown to the crowd was enough to scare the people, but it has to be the Royal Knight and the Guardian Knight. What did it mean? The City Lord and The Church force could not catch the perpetrator.
The perpetrator was so strong that even the Royal Knight and the Guardian Knight were killed. The atmosphere was getting worse as days went by.
The perpetrator was still free outside the city, throwing the heads to the city. In the last three days, they had been hearing the battle of magic in the sky. The mages tried to explode the head in the air but they always failed. The lightning kept countering the fireball from afar.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The booming sound of the fireballs being exploded filled the sky. The common folk looked worried when the battle ensued, they kept looking to the sky to make sure the spell did not hit them.
Meanwhile, Waskin Adventurer Guilds
The first-floor hall was crowded as usual. The booming sounds no longer bothered them as they discussed another matter, but not a little who talked about the issue.
"It starts again, it will be a while before they will stop," an adventurer voiced out his frustration.
While the Adventurer Guild announced Tang Shaoyang and his party were criminals, the guild did not send their force to capture them. The guild just kicked them out of the guild and revoked their license as an adventurer. So the adventurer never bothered to join with the City Lord and the Church to catch the criminal.
"Haven't you heard it? The Church and the City Lord issued a quest collectively. The quest is to catch Tang Shaoyang and his party alive, and they don't hesitate with the reward," the friend of the frustrated adventurer spoke up. He wore a red robe, and he was holding a staff in his right hand. From his attire, the man was a mage.
The frustrated adventurer was an archer, he was in fact, the leader of the party that consisted of seven people. Their party rank was platinum and the archer himself was a Platinum Rank Adventurer, "What's the reward?" The archer asked his friend.
"Great Blessing and ten Emerald Cards!" The mage replied, his eyes filled with greed the moment he mentioned Greater Blessing. One Emerald Card worth a thousand platinum coins, which meant the reward was ten thousand platinum coins. Not only they would get rich, but they also could get the blessing people dreamed of.
"Nah, you guys can form your party by yourself to accept the quest if you want to, I don't want to get involved with this shit," the archer waved his hand while slumping his head down to the table.
"But why? This is our chance to make it big!" The warrior in the party could not help but question their leader.
"You have to be alive to enjoy that, do you think we can catch that monster alive? Even the Royal Knight and the Guardian Knight can't capture him, do you think we can?" The archer was not easily blinded by greed.
"The quest is indeed to capture them alive," the female cleric agreed with her leader.
"Right? Haven't you seen him fight? He easily beat two Platinum Rank Adventurers and also…" the archer scanned the surroundings, making sure no one could hear him, "I heard a rumor said Tang who defeated Deril, and Murie also killed a Templar Knight and Grand Royal Knight," he informed his party members.
"That's just a rumor, you can't believe in the rumor, right?" The mage was not convinced by his leader.
"That's indeed a rumor, and if it was before those heads being thrown into the city, I will not believe such rumors as well," the archer nodded his head, "but after the head terror, I am inclined more to the rumor being true. In the last three days, over a hundred heads are being thrown. You can fill the hidden story by yourself, but let me remind you, that man is capable enough to take down over a hundred of the Royal Knight and Guardian Knight, do you think he could not defeat Templar Knight and Grand Royal Knight? On top of that, he still has his party member."
The party member was silenced by the archer, "But if you think this is your chance, I will not hold you guys back. You can form a new party with the others who want to try their luck."
But of course, while there was a party who did not want to get involved with the conflict, there were many parties who accepted the quest. The reward was too tempting to be ignored.
North gate of the Waskin City
The captain guard noticed there was a party coming over. The party consisted of ten people. He did a quick scan of the party. Two Shield Bearers, two Heavy Warriors, one Swordsman, two Archers, one Cleric, and two Mages.
It was a solid party, but…
"Good Morning, Captain Terry," the Swordsman seemed to recognize the Captain Guard as he greeted the old man politely.
"Morning," Captain Terry nodded his head, "Do you have a quest in the Orin Forest?"
"Yes, we accepted the quest "Capture the Evils!" from the Church and the City Lord, I wish you to open the gate for us," the Swordsman nodded his head politely and showed the party badge to the Captain Guard.
The badge was made of emerald, but the glow was not as much which meant it was just a normal Emerald Rank Party, not Sky Emerald.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The battle of the lightning and the fire was continuing in the sky. The explosion attracted the guards and the adventurers.
"Can you open the gate quickly, Captain Terry? We are going to catch him before he escapes to the forest again," the Swordsman urged the old man.
With a sigh, Captain Guard waved his hand to his subordinates to open the gate. As soon as the gate opened, the party immediately rushed out quickly.
Captain Terry followed until the gate as he watched their back receded to the forest. This was the fourth Emerald Rank Party who went to the forest. He sighed in regret because he knew that the Emerald Rank Party was not enough.
Maybe if the quest was to kill not to capture, these people could have a chance. But captured the man alive? As an insider who knew the full story behind the manhunt, the Captain Guard deemed the quest was a suicide.
"Hahhhh…" the old man let out a long sigh, "This winter will be hard for us."
The beast stampede was near, and the adventurers were sent to hunt a man that was more dangerous than the Beast Stampede itself. Aside from four Emerald Rank Parties, thirteen Platinum Rank Parties already had gone earlier to catch the Hell-Level Criminal.
*** ***
Tang Shaoyang kept shooting the lightning through his palm to counter the fireballs from the top of a tree. After a while, he stopped shooting the lightning and let the fireballs destroy the head.
"Huhu, the rats have come, it's time to hunt," he stood up and stretched his stiff body upon noticing the incoming group, "I wonder how many levels I will get today, 10 levels for my second class?" a wide grin plastered on his face while watching the incoming adventurers through his [Spirit Eyes].