"So, it was really the ghost spirit?"

In the somewhat tense room, Reve left Ed alone and asked him once again the questions he had asked before, his expression serious.

The main points of concern were the deaths of Brown, Brian, and the most important question: how did the one-eyed monster die?

Ed's answer was the same as before—he blamed it all on the ghost spirit.

Reve asked again, "Then where did the ghost spirit go? And what about the high-level spiritual treasure?"

Ed shook his head, feigning confusion, "The battlefield was too chaotic, I was almost dead, and I really didn't see anything."

His answers were brief, the less he said, the fewer mistakes he could make.

By presenting himself as just a lucky survivor on the fringes of the battlefield, Reve, of course, had his suspicions. However, he couldn't conclusively determine whether Ed was guilty or not.

Reve still wasn't willing to give up. He stared at Ed for a long time, but Ed kept his head lowered, maintaining a neutral expression.

Reve said nothing, and neither did Ed.

For Reve, it was difficult to accept the outcome. The loss to the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association was huge this time. How could he be satisfied without digging up more information from the only surviving witness?

"Are you really sure you don't know anything more?"

Faced with Reve's repeated questioning, Ed shook his head again, "I really don't know. Most of the time on the battlefield, I was severely injured and half-conscious."

Reve sighed, "Alright then."

Ed let out a small breath of relief. Reve had temporarily stopped his interrogation and placed a hand on Ed's shoulder.

"Alright, Ed, don't be too nervous. I don't suspect you. Thank you for your cooperation. If you remember anything else, I'd really appreciate it if you let me know as soon as possible."

Ed nodded, "I will, Deputy Commander."

Reve corrected him, "Don't call me 'Sir' anymore. Before the one-eyed monster died, he told me that you were willing to join the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association. Now, you are one of us."

"From now on, you can call me Deputy Commander."

Reve softened slightly. After all, Ed was indeed a valuable talent.

Since they couldn't be sure of his innocence yet, they couldn't treat him as a suspect either.

Ed was still a bit confused about this new identity, but he adapted quickly.

Joining the association not only dispelled their doubts about him but also brought him closer to his enemies, which would help with his revenge.

"I understand, Deputy Commander… By the way, how long was I unconscious?"

"Less than a day. It's already light outside."

Hearing Reve's response, Ed felt relieved. At least it hadn't been too long.

He touched his abdomen and was surprised to find that the wound had almost healed, and it didn't hurt much anymore. He was somewhat amazed by the medical skills of the woman named Melissa!

With this, he wouldn't need to waste too much time resting. Additionally, he was uneasy about being left completely powerless in Reve's hands.

As Ed was thinking this, Reve, with a serious expression, spoke again:

"Ed, now that you're one of our members, from today on, you'll need to adapt to life in our association."

Ed looked up, confused.

"Adapt to life in the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association? Does this mean I'll be under confinement management from now on?"

Reve nodded. "Exactly. This is the same in all the major associations. But since we are a top-tier association, we will be even stricter. Once you join, you won't have access to the outside world anymore."

"All new Hunters must be grouped together for training and education!"

Ed felt a tightness in his chest. He hadn't expected this at all.

He didn't have time to ask Reve more questions because Reve quickly continued:

"For more information, ask Melissa. She'll tell you everything. You can follow her to the Apprentice dormitory shortly."

"As for me, I have other matters to attend to. I need to conduct a thorough investigation into the death of the one-eyed monster. We can't let any of our people die in vain!"

"By thoroughly investigating the battlefield, we will always uncover the truth."

Reve's face was serious, his words showing the determination to follow through. It was clear that he wouldn't stop until the truth came out.

Ed's heart sank slightly. It seemed that Reve didn't fully believe his story.

The battlefield had been too chaotic, and Ed hadn't had the chance to properly clean up the aftermath. It would certainly not hold up under investigation.

If Reve found something suspicious, Ed would likely be in serious trouble!

After finishing his words, Reve turned and began to walk toward the door.

"Wait, Deputy Commander!" Ed called out, stopping him.

"Mm?" Reve turned back.

"I'm not opposed to staying in the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association and being under confinement management. However, before that, would it be possible for me to visit home and speak to my family?"

When Ed mentioned his "family," he was, of course, referring to Uncle Du and the others. Although he didn't have any blood relatives, he wasn't completely without companions in this world.

Besides, he really needed to leave this place for a while.

Reve paused for a moment, considering.

"Our Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association has strict regulations for managing its members. Normally, this kind of request wouldn't be permitted."

"But, considering how exceptional you are, I'll make an exception. You can go, but make sure you return before dark."

...

Leaving the headquarters of the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association, Ed walked along the road back to Uncle Du's inn, his emotions somewhat complicated.

At the same time, there was an unshakable sense of tension between his brows.

The reason he was able to be accepted by Reve now was entirely because the one-eyed monster, before his death, failed to send any news back. Instead, he had told Reve that he had become a new member of the association.

It was as if he had used the one-eyed monster to create a layer of insurance for himself.

But that insurance was incredibly fragile and could be broken at any moment!

"Right, the high-level spiritual treasure!" Ed suddenly reached for his body and discovered that the storage pouch was still there.

Inside it, both the black bell and other items were carefully stored.

Ed immediately let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, I'm glad it wasn't confiscated."

"Otherwise, if they had discovered the high-level spiritual treasure on me, I would have had no way to explain it."

"However, I don't know how long their temporary trust in me will last..."

Ed felt a sense of urgency. Reve had mentioned he was investigating the battlefield, trying to uncover the truth.

Right now, Ed didn't have the power to take down Reve, and he needed to gain the strength to protect himself before the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association finished their investigation.

Otherwise, he was as good as dead.

As he walked along the street, Ed couldn't help but overhear conversations from passersby.

Many were holding newspapers with the latest news about the Hunter competition, and the most sensational headline was the death of the one-eyed monster's team!

"My God, this is huge news! All three members of the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association were wiped out!"

"Even such experts can make mistakes. This competition was truly dangerous!"

"And yet, it was extremely exciting. So many people died, but if you didn't watch, you'd regret it. I had the best time when I watched!"

"Sigh, I really regret it now. I could only read about it in the paper. It's all my miserly old father's fault for not letting me go!"

A young man holding a newspaper complained loudly.

At that moment, Ed hurriedly passed by him, accidentally brushing against his body.

"Excuse me, thank you."

Ed was in a rush to return to Uncle Du's inn. He had little time left and needed to get back to the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association headquarters before nightfall.

"Hey, can't you watch where you're going? Walking so fast, are you in such a hurry to die?"

The young man, who had been brushed against, became very upset. He stepped forward and blocked Ed's path, not letting him pass.

Ed immediately frowned. He didn't want to waste time with a random passerby.

Just as he was about to resort to force, the person in front of him suddenly looked incredibly surprised:

"My God, you're that person!"

He pointed a finger at Ed, his mouth wide open. Wasn't this the mysterious person from the competition?

The other people around were also drawn to the commotion, and soon, they began to shout excitedly.

"Look, it's the mysterious person!"

"My idol! Can you sign something for me?"

Ed felt a wave of annoyance. He pushed through the crowd, finally making his way back to Uncle Du's inn.

Since leaving the competition venue, Viktor and Iris had been extremely restless, barely managing to sleep the night before!

"Dad, has he come back from the arena yet?" Iris asked, unable to hold back the question for the umpteenth time.

Today, the inn was still closed, and Uncle Du hadn't gone out. He was also thinking about Ed. While wiping down the table, he said:

"I've heard that he was taken out of the Nightmare Wasteland and brought to the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association."

"Right now, we definitely won't be able to see him... I'm not sure if Mr. Ed is alright."

Even the three powerful members of the one-eyed team had died in the arena. Who could guarantee Ed's safety?

Iris and Viktor both felt a sharp pang of worry.

"What? Why was he taken to the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association?"

"Could it be because he had conflicts with people from the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association before, and now they want to get revenge?!"

They didn't know much about the situation; all they knew was that Ed had been at odds with Brown and Brian during the competition.

The thought that Ed, all alone, had ended up in the hands of the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association filled Iris and Viktor with an ominous premonition.

But just then, the door creaked open, and someone stepped inside:

"Uncle Du, I'm back."

The three of them turned their gaze toward the door, and when they saw Ed, Viktor immediately rushed forward, excited.

"Lord Ed! You're back! I heard that everyone in the center of the Nightmare Wasteland died—are you alright?!"

Then, Viktor noticed the bandages wrapped around Ed's body, and his expression immediately stiffened.

"You're injured?"

Ed waved his hand dismissively. "It's just a minor injury. There's no time to talk. I have something to do now that I'm back."

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