"Why would you seek us out?" Ma Lu asked curiously, "Haven't you already encountered other hunters before?" He gestured with his mouth toward the woman with scars on her face, "Why not ask them for help?"
"Lord Dionysus has served as the First Judge of the Giant Curtain for a full twenty years; he detests evil vehemently, having put many people behind bars, and some even sentenced to death, so he has a lot of enemies.
"While he is in the city, it's fine since he has the judicial police for protection, but once they leave, he and his family are constantly in danger. This is also why Miss Methe dyes her hair. After all, Lord Dionysus's silver hair is just too famous."
Hulk said, "Captain Wang is a good person, but her team is too mixed right now, with members from five different Hunting Groups. Captain Wang is just a temporary leader and cannot make everyone follow her orders.
"I don't know if any of Lord Dionysus's enemies are among them, but in comparison, I'd rather trust the descendants of Captain Li.
"Moreover, I've heard of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group. Recently, you've been very outstanding, with each hunting trip being short but always able to capture rare game. Although the Hunting Group is not large, its strength is exceptional. If you would agree to protect Methe, I couldn't ask for anything better.
"Lord Dionysus has only this one daughter; he would surely remember your assistance this time, and if you encounter any trouble in the future, you can seek out Lord Dionysus."
Having said this, Hulk looked nervously toward Boggy. Even though they were now less than a few miles from the Giant Curtain, the young guard knew that the real test was just beginning.
It would not be easy to return to the city safely, especially since both he and Methe are not hunters. If they can't find strong support, they might be the first to fall behind when real danger arrives.
"My Hunting Group and I can offer you some protection," Boggy said, "I greatly respect Judge Dionysus, but there's no need for a commission. As a captain, I will prioritize the safety of my team members and will help you within my capacity."
Hearing this, Hulk felt slightly disappointed, as this was not quite the response he had hoped for, but he couldn't find a stronger and more reliable helper than the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group at the moment and could only nod.
"Then, thank you," he said.
Ma Lu did not speak, just listening quietly on the side. These kinds of decisions are usually made by the captain.
But if it were him, he would probably accept the commission immediately.
Although there was no practical difference between his and Boggy's strategies, prioritizing their own people first, just verbally agreeing to the commission would net them an extra fee for keeping Methe safe and the gratitude of a high judge.
"Oh, I'm thinking about how you all risked being locked out of the city to come find me." Ma Lu responded casually.
"Because you're the deputy leader of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, we definitely couldn't just abandon you. Besides, I said before we left that if anyone felt it was too dangerous, they didn't have to come, and in the end, no one backed out."
"You're making me feel like I owe you one," Ma Lu scratched his head.
"It's nothing. Deputy Leader, you've saved me before," Seta joined the conversation after coming down from a dune.
Mai Mai also said, "You've always been the core of our team, looking after us with your Meat Pigeon Ability. It's time we took care of you for a change, and besides, you stayed behind for us, didn't you?"
"Ah, mainly I thought it was a rare opportunity and I wanted to hunt properly," Ma Lu said truthfully.
His bold and confident speech did dispel some of the tension in Boggy and the others.
Encouraged, Mai Mai chimed in, "No matter how many wild beasts there are, they're only the prey we're hunting! There's no need to fear them. Since that's the case, let's have a good hunt!"
"Yes!" Seta, at the age when teen bravado burns bright, immediately caught fire at the comment, and even Sadie couldn't help but lick her lips.
After a short rest, Wang Zhen came over to discuss the plans for entering the city with Boggy. In another fifteen minutes, Gate 3 would open again.
The timing was perfect for leaving, neither too early nor too late. As long as they could reach the city, they would be able to enter right away.
But by then, there were even more wild beasts gathering outside the city, and the closer to the walls, the denser they were.
Near Gate 3 alone, there were hundreds of Bloodsucking Tail Weasels; they had drained the blood of those previously killed by the Golden Leopard and were now wandering like zombies under the city, eagerly seeking new blood to feast on.
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In addition to that, Ma Lu saw several Grey-Spotted Cheetahs, Angular Belly Black Swift Snakes slithering, Earth-Splitting Porcupines... as well as various other beasts whose names he didn't know.
Strangely, with so many animals gathered together, and some even encountering their natural enemies, although there were occasional conflicts, there was never a large-scale massacre. It was a rare sight, indeed.