Returning to the Mysterious Era

Whoosh!

The lithe black figure darted around the metal playing cards, moving as nimbly as a mountain cat, rapidly closing in on the magician.

At that point, Haisha's body no longer resembled that of a normal woman, especially her limbs. At some point, her shoes had been discarded, revealing furry, soft pads on her feet, with cushioned spots under each toe. Sharp claws extended from her fur, digging into the ground, giving Haisha explosive power and traction.

The magician saw only a wine-red flash before Haisha's figure appeared beside him, her hand fiercely slashing at his neck.

"Hmph!" The magician let out a cold snort, and the air around him suddenly distorted, as if heated by intense flames. In an instant, a small, semi-transparent barrier materialized in front of the magician, blocking his upper body and causing Haisha's claw to strike at nothing.

Boom!

The impact sent a ripple through the air, and dust and leaves flew all around.

Taking advantage of the moment, the magician quickly retreated, putting distance between himself and the catwoman. His hands were empty; he had used up all his playing cards.

"Meow!" Knocked back by the invisible shield, Haisha flipped backward several times, her movements graceful and agile, before disappearing into the dense forest again.

"Heh… not bad, your power is around that of a C-rank psychokinetic. Too bad you're still a C-minus, and still below me."

The magician confidently adjusted his hat. He tore his suit open to reveal a white lining beneath. The lining had been specially modified with numerous neatly arranged pockets, each holding seemingly heavy objects that the magician—a psychokinetic—could manipulate with his mind.

Though he couldn't yet affect his own or others' bodies, he could at least control these small, concealed weapons. With enough training, a psychokinetic could launch metal weapons freely, even simultaneously controlling two or three that could attack precisely from multiple directions.

“Secret Technique, Twin-Winged Butterfly!”

The magician's hands blurred as his fingers clicked rapidly, performing a series of strange gestures. Then he clasped his hands together, his index fingers and thumbs raised like a butterfly's wings.

Ding, ding, ding!

The pockets of his lining suddenly emitted the crisp sound of clinking metal.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…

A flurry of metal weapons flew out, guided by his psychokinetic force, tracing arcs through the air. Hundreds of projectiles shot into the forest, their overwhelming momentum resembling a swarm of bees.

From the shadowy forest came a faint groan—Haisha had been hit. The sound quickly disappeared, and a moment later, it was quiet, as if she had vanished once again. The magician scanned the darkness cautiously. With a wave of his hand, the remaining projectiles flew back like swallows returning to their nest, hovering shakily in the air.

A cold wind swept across the hillside, rustling the leaves, and making it hard to discern any movement. On the other side of the road, the three teens had relocated to hide behind some bushes. Their throats were dry—they had never witnessed such a thrilling and dangerous fight.

The way the catwoman and magician fought looked like something out of a movie—each move was brutal and executed without hesitation. They, too, were neo-humans, possessing abilities beyond that of normal people. However, all three had awakened their powers only recently. The strongest of them, the green-eyed boy, could barely use his eye technique to intimidate ordinary people. Never before had they witnessed a life-or-death battle.

The magician was especially impressive; with a flick of his coat, his hidden weapons attacked everything around him. The ground, stones, and tree trunks were marred by signs of battle—while the damage was small, it was enough to be deadly.

"Is this the kind of life Uncle Soro used to live?" The green-eyed boy exhaled deeply. "Dangerous…and thrilling!"

On the other side, the magician remained focused on the catwoman, his gaze vigilant and his muscles tense. Any unusual rustling or slight movement, and he would act without hesitation.

"Not here… Not here either… She's not here…" He walked slowly through the area covered by his projectiles.

Drip.

"Hmm?" The magician wiped his face in confusion and then quickly looked up. A figure darted down from above—Haisha, half-human, half-cat, her face rapidly growing larger in his vision, her eyes gleaming with predatory bloodlust.

Swish!

Haisha's figure flashed past the magician, her sharp, clawed hand slicing at his throat.

The two stood still on opposite sides of the forest clearing. Haisha wore a disgruntled expression. She looked down at her right hand, noticing black marks along the edges of her claws. ȒÀƝȰᛒʧ

Behind her, the magician's voice rang out. "Heh… You really thought I wouldn't have such a critical spot—my throat—heavily defended? A sneak attack? Not a chance."

Haisha turned sharply to see that the magician's suit collar had risen, revealing a circle of black-coated steel plating around his neck, with five long claw marks etched into it. With a snap of his fingers, the magician's psychokinesis lowered the steel collar and the plating around his throat disengaged smoothly.

That was how psychokinetics refined their abilities. Some fools roamed around without any tools, while the more cunning ones carried poisons and smoke bombs as part of their arsenal.

The magician was relatively practical—he wielded numerous projectiles and reinforced key parts of his body with steel plating for defense. His suit was no ordinary garment either; every part had been specially designed. Between the lining and outer fabric lay numerous steel plates, which could be moved with psychokinetic precision. With sharp enough reflexes, he could even block bullets!

"This one's got talent." In the shadows, Cassius stroked his chin in admiration.

The battle had gone on long enough for Cassius to understand that the two neo-humans weren't ordinary fighters. They were either Hellsing members or descendants of Hellsing.

Through some unexplainable means, they had managed to preserve their abilities even after the fall of Black Rain Manor. Both had developed their supernatural paths to a certain degree, forming rudimentary yet complete paths that gave them power—the magician's delicate control over his psychokinesis, and the catwoman's combination of raw ferocity and skill with her catlike combat techniques.

The encounter had been quite eye-opening for Cassius. Although their methods were still crude compared to Covert Martial Arts, they had begun to form their own paths.

Cassius thought for a moment, then straightened up, rising to his fullest height. He had seen enough—perhaps it was time to capture them and ask a few questions.

Just then, two figures came flying out of the forest, crashing heavily to the ground, and rolling a few times before scrambling to their feet. It was the magician and the catwoman! Both of them now wore expressions of sheer terror.

The magician coughed a few times, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "Steam golem!"

In the darkness of the trees, a pair of red eyes floated in midair. Soon, the owner of those eyes stepped forward into the moonlight. The creature was a combination of rock and steel, its body a patchwork of white stone and dark metal.

Its head was encased in a cylindrical metal helmet, much like those worn by medieval knights. Two glowing red lights shone from the helmet, and steam constantly seeped from the golem's body, the grayish-black vapor emitting a chilling aura.

"Aren't the Anta Mountains a level one safe zone? How could a steam golem show up here?!" Haisha searched the sky, noticing a shift in the atmosphere. "The energy from our fight must've attracted it! Damn it!"

She could no longer see the sky, only a small patch of cloud-like mist. The air felt heavy and oppressive, as though it were about to rain.

"I don't know if you've heard the rumor." The magician reached into his pocket, pulling out more projectiles as he spoke. "The Anta Mountains may be a level-one safe zone now, but decades ago, it was classified as a level-five zone, the most dangerous, hell-level zone! It's only been downgraded over time." He pulled out a handful of metal beads, panting heavily and wiping the sweat from his brow. "If that rumor is true, then it's no surprise that a steam golem, which is usually found in level-two zones, has appeared here."

The so-called classification of zones from level one to level five was defined by neo-human organizations over the past half-century. In addition to areas suitable for human habitation, there were also strange, dangerous regions scattered around the world.

In those zones, dangerous events were a frequent occurrence.

Level one: safe.

Level two: danger

Level three: trembling.

Level four: terror.

Level five: hell.

A level one, also known as a safe zone, was generally no different from any ordinary environment, presenting little danger. However, a level-two zone held strange phenomena—bizarre occurrences that defied the laws of physics, or roaming entities like steam golems.

Of course, as the saying goes, blessings and disasters are often intertwined. Dangerous places also held valuable rewards. Many neo-human organizations classified those Special Zones not only for their danger but also for the unique treasures and resources they held.

One of the most famous examples was Pure Black Demonic Water, a spring that erupted from fissures in the earth. The water wouldn't stay long and would dry up within a single night. Once gone, it wouldn't reappear in the same location again.

The water had potent effects on neo-humans and when diluted and consumed regularly, it accelerated the growth of their abilities, allowing them to progress several times faster than usual.

Pure Black Demonic Water could be found in zones from levels one through five. The higher the zone's danger level, the more potent the water's effects. It was said that Pure Black Demonic Water from a level-five zone could cause a person to undergo a complete transformation in a single day.

Standing before the magician now was a steam golem. Those creatures acted as guardians of the Special Zones and roamed endlessly. They also possessed great strength and unknown combat techniques. Surrounded by a corrosive, chilling black mist, they were relentless hunters who sought to kill people, particularly at night. They were mindless killing machines that acted purely on instinct.

The magician glanced at Haisha, the catwoman, and said, “If it were just one of us, we wouldn't stand a chance against the relentless pursuit of a steam golem. But with the two of us working together, escaping its range should be—huh?!"

Haisha had already bolted like an arrow from a bow, sprinting at high speed and covering a dozen meters in an instant.

Sometimes, when facing danger, you don't need to be the fastest—just faster than the other person!

"Damn it!" the magician cursed under his breath as he followed suit. Hidden under his shoes were iron plates. Metal was the best material for him to manipulate with his psychokinesis. By lifting the plates, he could reduce his weight, making himself more agile.

But even with that, he still couldn't match the speed of the catwoman. The two ran down the mountain path, one after the other. Behind them, the steam golem's red eyes whirled, locking onto its target as it charged forward, steam billowing from its body.

As it passed a boulder, the golem suddenly turned its head, red light flashing from its eyes. Behind the rock, the three teenagers felt their hearts pound in their chests and their palms slick with sweat. The girl bit her lip, gripping the hem of her skirt, her face pale with fear.

Luckily, the steam golem didn't pause, as if the three weren't as worthwhile as the two ahead. It continued its relentless pursuit, steam trailing behind it like its shadow.

Suddenly, as it passed a large tree, the golem stomped the ground, leaving a deep crater. It turned, the red light on its head shining like a spotlight on the tree trunk in front of it. The light illuminated the forest ahead, casting an eerie glow. It then paused for several seconds.

The three teens behind the rock glanced cautiously in its direction.

Smack!

A large, broad hand pressed against the bark of the tree, and from behind it stepped a cold, expressionless man.

"A cheap imitation of the Decaying Knights…"

Whoosh!

A blurred black shadow sliced through the air like lightning. Cassius retracted his hands, calmly clapping off the dust that had gathered between his fingers. A meter ahead of him, the steam golem stood frozen in place, dumbfounded.

Then…

Boom!

Its metal and stone body exploded on the spot. In less than half a second, its chest collapsed and its limbs shattered, the golem bursting into fragments in the air.

Cassius waved his hand, clearing the dust from the air.

He glanced back at the rock, where the three teens stood, mouths agape in shock. Turning in the opposite direction, Cassius looked far off at the two figures in the distance and muttered to himself, "The purity of the descendants of the Hellsing is far too low."

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