Chapter 1: I Want to Be a Hunter

Tianxin Town is a quiet and peaceful little town. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces the sea on the fourth. The mountains are rich in various fruits and medicinal herbs, including many rare varieties, while the sea is abundant with all kinds of seafood. The people here work at sunrise and rest at sunset, living lives as quiet and peaceful as the town itself. The neighborly relations are also quite harmonious and friendly; whenever a family encounters trouble, everyone helps out together.

There has always been a legend here that Tianxin Town was discovered by a legendary hunter, Master Tianxin, who settled here with his clansmen. However, when they first arrived, the area was inhabited by various monsters that were very unfriendly to humans. Master Tianxin led his clansmen in a bitter and arduous battle against these monsters, eventually defeating them and driving away their leader. From then on, Master Tianxin led his people to settle down, eventually developing into Tianxin Town. But one hundred years after they settled, the monsters began to riot again. The monster leader that had been driven away reappeared, its injuries fully healed. By this time, Master Tianxin was already an old man in his twilight years; although he was still alive because he was a legendary hunter, his strength had regressed significantly. However, the reappearing monster leader had grown even stronger. The people of Tianxin Town had no choice but to engage in another round of bitter and arduous fighting against the monsters. Although they defeated the monster horde, Master Tianxin was ultimately defeated by the monster leader due to its greatly increased strength. Just as the people felt despair, Master Tianxin activated a contingency plan he had prepared: a powerful explosive. In this way, Master Tianxin and the monster leader both died in the explosion. Since that battle, the monsters have no longer harassed the people, and thus they have survived.

To commemorate Master Tianxin and to celebrate the town's survival, the people designated this day every year as Tianxin Festival. During this time, the people of Tianxin Town dress up elaborately and bring their treasured food to the bonfire party to share with the townspeople. Of course, this is not the most important thing; the most important thing is that on this day, the people select seeds to participate in trials, ultimately to strengthen Tianxin Town. After all, the monsters were driven away, not extinct. The reason for doing this is to prevent future monster attacks, ensuring that the people have the ability to protect themselves or even drive the monsters away.

Of course, this is also the time for the elders to tell stories to the children, and every year they tell the same story: the story of Master Tianxin leading everyone to defeat the monsters and establish Tianxin Town.

Zhuge Tianxin is one of the children who was instilled with the heroic deeds of Master Tianxin and their ancestors by the elders this year. Now, Zhuge Tianxin is filled with infinite longing to become a person like Master Tianxin, and he also longs to walk out of Tianxin Town to see the outside world.

He had once heard merchants who came to collect herbs and seafood talk about the wonders of the outside world, so he particularly yearns for it. Every day, he longs to walk out of Tianxin Town, see the outside world, see the people the herb merchants said were even more powerful than Master Tianxin, and see those who can fly in the sky; at the same time, he also wants to become such a person. He also knows that Tianxin Town holds a hunter selection every year at this time. As long as one passes the hunter selection, one can obtain the qualification to go to the nearest hunter organization audit point for the official hunter exam. Only by passing this exam can one become a true hunter.

The hunters Zhuge Tianxin wants to become are the masters of this world. They are a group of people who possess a license to kill—a Hunter License. They are all managed by the Hunter Association, but they are not restricted by it. Every hunter is a free individual; the Hunter Association is only responsible for auditing, issuing hunter licenses, and registration. It cannot demand that a hunter do anything; it can only issue hunter missions, which hunters then claim and complete. However, the Hunter Association has the right to revoke a hunter's status, though that is only if the hunter has done something that invokes public wrath, such as things that affect the fundamental rules of the Hunter Continent. But the Hunter Association will not bother with ordinary killings; even if the hunter kills a good person or kills intentionally, they will not interfere. Of course, hunters can also attack and kill each other, which is also permitted. At the same time, the families of those killed by hunters can also post hunter missions on the Hunter Association's mission board, offering a bounty to kill the hunter who harmed their family, as long as you can provide a stake that makes other hunters tempted.

At the same time, because there are so many hunters, all kinds of people exist. They might kill you just because they saw you on the street, or they might help you with anything just because they like the look of you. It can be said that the hunter group is filled with all kinds of perverts, murderers, good people, eccentrics, strange people, and people with various personalities. The hunter world is also filled with all kinds of abnormal, normal, and unclassifiable events. These things happen on the Hunter Continent every day, but do not think that because of this, the Hunter Continent must be in misery and suffering. In fact, most places, people, and times on the Hunter Continent are peaceful, and it is even in a state of prosperity.

All of this is because of the existence of the most fundamental rules of the Hunter Continent. These rules have always maintained the harmony and stability of this continent. Of course, in places where people cannot see, there will always be some undercurrents. These things are not discovered by people, but some people have always been paying attention.

All of the above makes some people shrink back, but for those with hot blood and an adventurous spirit, especially young people, it has a fatal temptation. Every moment of every day, they strive to become hunters, learning about hunter-related matters through various channels every day, hoping that one day they can become the god-like existence in their hearts—a hunter. At the same time, because of the desire to become a hunter, countless people have lost their lives, but these people are still happy to do so. Of course, every day, people make the decision to become hunters.

Therefore, the Hunter Association conducts hunter assessments every year. As long as a person passes the hunter assessment, the Hunter Association will issue a hunter license, proving that they have officially become a hunter. The hunter assessment also has no restrictions on ability or status. As long as you can pass the hunter assessment, it doesn't matter if you are a murderer or a good person; as long as you pass the hunter assessment, your identity is only one—a hunter. Other things have nothing to do with you.

So for Zhuge Tianxin, he is particularly excited every year at this time, but in previous years, he could not participate in the town's hunter selection due to his age, which is his biggest regret. However, this regret will not appear this year because he is already 15 years old. This is the minimum age for Tianxin Town's hunter selection. As long as you reach 15, you are eligible to participate in the hunter selection. As long as you pass the hunter selection, you can walk out of Tianxin Town to see the outside world.

"I want to be a hunter," Zhuge Tianxin said to himself silently in his heart.

===== CHAPTER 2 =====