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The night was chilly. Under the moonlight, a young girl with wind-tousled hair stood calm and composed, her gaze piercing through the darkness towards the endless horizon. The wind picked up, swirling around her, but in the blink of an eye, she vanished.

On a boulevard, a silhouette darted swiftly through the night. After what seemed like an eternity, this figure came to a halt. Ahead lay Jade City. Standing tall outside the moonlit city gates was a giant man, his arms crossed. His gray plate armor and the two greatswords on his back gave him a formidable presence, reminiscent of a heavily armored tank. His ordinary appearance was marked by a cross-shaped scar on his forehead, making him quite noticeable.

Suddenly, Yaeger, a stunningly beautiful woman with a white flower adorning her hair, appeared before him. The man’s eyebrows rose in acknowledgment. “You came,” he stated.

Yaeger, initially taken aback, quickly surmised he had been waiting for her. She realized that anyone awaiting her at this hour was likely an adversary. “Here I am,” she replied, her voice stern.

“You shouldn’t be here,” the man remarked.
“But I’m already here,” Yaeger countered.
The man’s eyes narrowed. “If I were you, I would definitely never be here.”
“I’m not you. So, I’m here,” Yaeger shot back.

“You can come as you please. But leaving now is impossible,” he declared, his voice firm. With a swift movement, his swords leaped from his back, spinning through the air before stabbing into the ground in front of him.

Yaeger recognized this NPC, a significant character in a questline, though she couldn’t recall the details. Regardless, he was an NPC with hostile intentions, and she was prepared to confront him.

“I can’t believe I’ll have to kill a woman someday. How disappointing,” the man, known as Fiat, one of the ten bounty hunters and a Hitman, lamented. Drawing his swords, he pointed one at Yaeger. “I am Fiat. Woman, I shall take your head,” he announced, exuding confidence in his victory.

‘Fiat… I remember him. Forget it, I’ll think about it after I beat him up.’ Yaeger reflexively reached for her waist, only to find [Sunscorch] was not there. Remembering she had unequipped it and stored it in her backpack, she acknowledged that even if she had it, it was currently unusable. “It’s really inconvenient without a weapon at hand,” she stated indifferently, clenching her fists. Realizing there were only a few days left before the massive battle, she knew she needed to get [Sunscorch] repaired as soon as possible.

Noticing her unarmed state, Fiat expressed confusion. “Where is your weapon?” He was reluctant to attack an unarmed foe and had his moral standards, but he didn’t consider the notorious Black-hearted Princess innocent. “Against you, my fists are enough,” Yaeger replied lazily.

“Heh.” Fiat’s response to Yaeger’s words was a cruel smile, as though he had just heard a particularly amusing joke. “Woman, you are playing with fire,” he declared, his voice dripping with derision for what he perceived as naivety.

His aura surged, gathering momentum as he swung his swords in a display of martial prowess. With a resounding bang, the very air around them seemed to vibrate, stirring up clouds of dust and creating a gust of wind that swept through the area. Yaeger, unfazed, met this display of force with her bare hands, effectively nullifying the shockwave generated by his attack.

“Level 40? That’s fine,” she assessed calmly, noting the ten-level gap between them. In most situations, a Level 40 NPC would easily overpower an average Level 30 player in mere moments. However, Yaeger was far from an average player, and this disparity in levels did little to intimidate her.

“Woman, you have one more chance. Pull out your weapon!” Fiat demanded, his voice stern. Yaeger sighed, “So annoying,” and raised her fists defensively. “Come. I’ll give you five seconds to attack.”

Fiat’s anger peaked at her defiance. “Good! Very good! Woman, you have successfully provoked me!” he exclaimed, stepping forward with a murderous glare. “Don’t think you’re the strongest because you defeated the traitor, Yasa. I’m five times stronger than him!”

“Stop wasting your breath,” Yaeger frowned, losing patience. She swiftly closed the distance between them, her fist flying towards Fiat like a cannonball. Taken aback, Fiat reacted just in time, blocking her strike with his crossed blades.

The moment Yaeger’s fist connected, a dull thud echoed. Fiat, taken aback by the force, was sent sliding backward at high speed, sparks flying beneath his feet. A look of shock and awe spread across his face as he grappled with the realization, ‘She’s as strong as me!’ Despite his reputation as a formidable bounty hunter, he had underestimated Black-hearted Princess.

‘I must go all out!’ Fiat resolved as he struggled to regain his balance. Before he could fully recover, Yaeger’s green gauntlet appeared before his eyes. “Is that all you can do?” she asked, her voice ringing clear. Then, with a sudden eruption of force, she grabbed his face and pressed him into the ground. The impact caused the tough stone tiles to crack, shattering and scattering in all directions. Fiat, overwhelmed by the blow, felt his head reel in pain, his consciousness blurring.

Yet, Yaeger wasn’t done. She pressed down harder on his head, dragging him rapidly across the path, causing further destruction to the tiles. Fiat’s body wracked with intense agony, regretting his decision to undertake this mission.

When the dragging ceased, Yaeger lifted his head and slammed it against the thick city gate with a loud bang. Inside, the soldiers, startled by the violent sounds, prepared for combat but froze upon witnessing the scene outside. The sight of the notorious Black-hearted Princess, recognizable by the white flower in her hair, gripping a man’s head and slamming it against the gate, sent chills down their spines. Knowing they were no match for her, they chose retreat over confrontation.

As the clamor outside the gate eventually died down, Yaeger, still holding onto the nearly lifeless Fiat, had a moment of realization. “Ah, I remember. I think you have a great sister,” she remarked, recalling something significant about Fiat’s background.