"The Imperial Capital Hunter Tournament?"

Ed raised an eyebrow. He had heard about the tournament during an interview with Reve before it started.

All he knew was that it was an even grander event, and the one-eyed man explained the specific rules to Ed.

It was then that Ed learned that the Imperial Capital Hunter Tournament did not accept individual Hunters. All participants had to be part of an association.

If Ed wanted to compete, he would either have to create his own association or join an existing one.

Meanwhile, Thomas was breathing heavily, clearly excited. "Oh my god, this is the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association!"

Being personally recruited by a high-ranking figure from the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association was an incredibly rare honor!

It was something that countless individual Hunters in Dorey City dreamt of. If it were Thomas, he would be so thrilled that he'd wake up smiling in his dreams!

However, after thinking it over, Ed raised his head and, with a blank expression, asked a simple question:

"What if I refuse?"

The one-eyed man's expression stiffened slightly, though he didn't show it. He simply smiled and said:

"I still hope that Mr. Ed will carefully consider this and not make a decision you might regret."

After this, Thomas froze in place. Although the conversation wasn't meant for him to interject, he was still stunned. Ed was actually refusing an offer from the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association! What association could possibly be worthy of his attention now?

For a moment, Thomas's admiration for Ed grew even more!

But inside, Ed couldn't help but smile bitterly. Thomas admired him, but Ed felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff.

From the one-eyed man's words, he clearly detected an underlying threat.

Even though the one-eyed man was speaking kindly now, Ed knew that the moment their patience ran out, things could change in an instant.

Someone with Ed's talent—if he didn't join the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association—how could they possibly let him join another association?

Ed was sure that the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association would have him silenced right here and now.

Without a doubt, the people in the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association had the capacity to do such a thing.

Feeling cornered, Ed finally took a deep breath:

"Alright then, I'm willing to join the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association."

The one-eyed man instantly beamed with joy, smiling broadly. "That's great, Mr. Ed. You've made the right decision."

"From today on, you are a member of the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association!"

The one-eyed man's heart finally felt a little more at ease. He had lost his only disciple, but gaining Ed made up for it somewhat, lifting his heavy heart just a little.

Additionally, this could be seen as a merit, something to slightly offset his dereliction of duty during the competition. After returning, he wouldn't be entirely blamed for the failure.

The one-eyed man patted Ed's shoulder with one hand, his tone becoming much friendlier:

"Rest assured, by joining the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association, you become a part of our big family. We are very united within our ranks."

"Everything from the past can be forgotten. From now on, you'll be protected by the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association!"

"Once we leave here, we will give you the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association's emblem, and you should have a Hunter's cloak, just like everyone else."

Ed immediately smiled and said, "Alright, I finally have an association now. I'm truly honored to have this opportunity!"

"One-eyed sir, can you take me and Thomas out of here now? I don't want to stay here any longer, and the moonlight is unbearable."

Ed wanted to leave as quickly as possible, especially because, in the rush of time, he hadn't dealt with the battlefield and the bodies of Brown and Brian.

If the one-eyed man investigated thoroughly, he would surely discover something suspicious, and then Ed would be in serious trouble.

The one-eyed man smiled slightly. "Of course, no problem. I'll take you out of here safely."

Ed felt a bit more at ease, the weight on his shoulders finally lifted. He had managed to get past this hurdle.

But just then, a single sentence from the one-eyed man immediately made Ed's nerves tense again.

"However, before we leave, there's something that must be done," the one-eyed man said seriously.

He looked toward the direction of the abandoned village and continued:

"Brown and Brian were our people, and now they're dead. The Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association must recover their bodies."

"Also, we must take revenge. Mr. Ed, do you know where their bodies are?"

"Furthermore, after killing them, where did the ghost spirit go?"

At this question, Ed's heart sank instantly. It seemed he couldn't avoid this after all.

He didn't know how to fabricate another lie, so he simply said:

"Brown and Brian's bodies were dragged into the cellar by the ghost spirit."

"As for the ghost spirit itself, after I escaped, I've been hiding and haven't dared to come out. I really can't say where it is now."

The one-eyed man listened and began to think along with Ed's words.

"That cellar must be the ghost spirit's lair. Could it be that the ghost spirit devoured Brown and Brian's bodies?"

"Ed, let's go take a look. Let's see if the ghost spirit is still here, and at the same time, try to recover their bodies to bring them back for a proper burial."

With that, the one-eyed man's expression grew heavy again, and he walked toward the abandoned village.

Ed's heart sank. His mind grew tense, but he could only obediently follow behind.

It seemed he would have to deal with whatever came his way. No matter what happened next, he could only face it head-on.

At that moment, Ed had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Meanwhile, Thomas, completely unaware, followed behind them.

They arrived at the center of the abandoned village, where the one-eyed man immediately activated his hunter's senses. He easily detected the many signs of battle that remained in the area.

There was blood on the ground, a lingering aura, the presence of the ghost spirit, Ed's scent, and Brown and Brian's scents.

However, the one-eyed man noticed something odd. The distribution of these scents seemed to differ slightly from what Ed had described.

Immediately, he furrowed his brows, walking around the area, carefully observing, and saying nothing.

Ed stood to the side, his heart racing with anxiety.

Fortunately, after a while of observing, the one-eyed man, while noticing some inconsistencies, didn't find enough evidence to suggest that Brown and Brian had been killed by Ed.

"It looks like there was indeed a fierce battle here, but why can't I sense the ghost spirit's presence anymore?"

The one-eyed man furrowed his brows again. He activated his hunter's senses once more, scanning the area, but he couldn't detect the ghost spirit's presence at all.

"Cough cough." Ed nervously cleared his throat, but remained silent.

The one-eyed man looked toward the cellar. "Isn't this supposed to be the ghost spirit's lair? But there's no trace of the ghost spirit's presence inside."

"Could it have really escaped?"

Such a thing was possible. A B-grade ghost spirit could even master speech, so it wasn't entirely devoid of intelligence.

As the barrier was about to dissipate, it might have sensed the presence of dangerous Hunters outside and used the opportunity to escape.

The one-eyed man felt frustrated at not being able to kill the ghost spirit with his own hands.

What he had lost wasn't just a ghost spirit, but a high-level spiritual treasure as well!

The one-eyed man sniffed the air again. Although there was no trace of the ghost spirit in the cellar, there was still the scent of bodies.

He turned to Ed. "You were right. My disciples, Brian and Brown, their bodies are indeed down there."

He sighed softly. "Mr. Ed, please wait here for a moment. I'll go down to retrieve their bodies, and then I'll take you back."

Thomas, witnessing this, couldn't help but mutter quietly.

"Having a powerful association and a master backing you up really is great. Even in death, you won't end up abandoned and wandering as a lonely spirit. At least someone will collect your body!"

At that moment, Ed's face remained calm, but his back was already drenched in cold sweat.

The traces at the scene might not be enough to make the one-eyed man discover the truth.

However, once he retrieved the bodies, even if the one-eyed man were a fool, he would definitely realize something was wrong.

"So... what should I do?"

Ed's hand instinctively moved toward the sword on his back. Right now, the one-eyed man was facing away from him, preparing to descend into the cellar.

It was the perfect opportunity for an ambush!

Since the one-eyed man would eventually figure out that Ed was the one who killed Brown and Brian, and since the one-eyed man would surely seek revenge, why not strike first?

Ed's mind was in turmoil, torn by the decision.

At that moment, the one-eyed man's communication stone suddenly emitted a faint glow. As soon as the one-eyed man noticed, he immediately stopped moving toward the cellar.

"Hmm? It must be Vice-Captain Reve contacting me," the one-eyed man's expression changed, and after a brief moment of hesitation, he picked up the communication stone.

Ed immediately stopped the motion of drawing his sword.

Then, Ed saw the one-eyed man speaking to Reve, apparently reporting the situation:

"Vice-Captain, Ed has agreed to join us in the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association. He is now officially one of us."

"...Yes, Brown and Brian are indeed dead. This was definitely my mistake!"

"As for the ghost spirit and the high-level spiritual treasure? It's suspected that the ghost spirit escaped, and the spiritual treasure has vanished as well. I'm preparing to take my disciples' bodies and leave Nightmare Wasteland!"

After the report, the one-eyed man set the communication stone down, sighing tiredly.

"The vice-captain is very dissatisfied with the outcome."

"Thankfully, Mr. Ed, you're willing to join the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association. This has helped lessen some of my responsibility," the one-eyed man said, looking at Ed.

"Now, I'll go down and bring up the bodies. After that, I'll take you back to the association to report."

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