The Void Pathfinder from the Demon Hunter World

(Recommended background music for this chapter: "Blood on the Cobblestones" Source: The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Soundtrack.)

Back in Lindenville Village, in the yard of the village chief's house, the guard dumped a bunch of water ghost ears on the ground in front of the village chief and several villagers.

"Meliteli, so many." The bearded village chief exclaimed.

"There are no water ghosts along the river all the way south to the river bend, and we have also destroyed the water ghost nest. Half a year, you shouldn't be troubled by water ghosts in half a year. 30 orens, not a loss, right?"

"Not a loss, not a loss, thank you for your kindness."

The village chief guessed that this group of people was not small, and he was going to pay 30 orens no matter what, but who knew that he would get a surprise, so he quickly handed over the purse. Drina took it.

"Oh, by the way, remember to burn the bodies of the water ghosts by the river." His Royal Highness reminded the village chief: "Also, there is a hole by the river bend, do you know it?"

"Yes, there are strange sounds inside. A young man once went in and never came out. What happened?" The village chief replied.

"Well, there is indeed something wrong inside. We killed a few water ghosts in it, but there should be other monsters." Amavit was worried about the impact of the magic place on ordinary people, so he made up a lie: "Don't go in if it's not necessary."

"I understand, sir." The village chief put away the water ghost ears and asked: "Sir, it's getting late, how about I prepare something to eat?"

"Okay. We'll leave tomorrow morning."

"Ding!"

[Hint: The task "Clear the Water Ghosts" has been completed. Do you want to collect the reward book "Ming Dynasty Sword Weapon Atlas and Sword Skills Summary"? 】【Yes】【No】

Choose yes.

The prince raised his eyebrows, walked into the house, and flipped through the book interface of the learning machine.

[A collection of Ming Dynasty sword weapons and sword techniques: This collection includes the shapes, drawings and forging methods of sword weapons such as the Imperial Guard Sword (Miao Sword), Yanling Sword (Ming system), Liuye Sword (Ming system), Qi's Sword, Ring-headed Sword (Ming system), and Tiexun Silver Double Sword, including "Xinyou Sword Technique", "Single Sword Technique Selection", "Zhenji" and many other sword techniques. ]

He was very satisfied with this reward. Compared with the sword that is more effective at stabbing than slashing, he really likes the sword more.

…

The next morning, everyone packed their luggage, had breakfast, and set off on horseback…

Perhaps because they were close to the lord's castle, there were no accidents along the way, and they didn't even encounter any passing merchants.

A small town was protected by a log wall on the rising hill in front, and the crude wooden roof of the castle tower could be seen from a higher place. The hills were uniformly dug into cliffs to prevent enemies from approaching the walls from the surrounding areas. There was only a wooden bridge connecting the main gate of the town, which was a very good defense mechanism. This is Lord Velen's residence, "Crow's Nest".

The group went straight up the wooden bridge to the town. Two guards holding rusty spears leaned against the guardrail and chatted. When Amavit and his group went up the bridge, they just glanced at them and didn't even ask.

If the lord's guards had always been at this level, it would be understandable that they fled without fighting a hundred years later.

Entering the town, well, it's called a town, but it's about the same size as a village. It's just that the civilians are better dressed and look better than the villagers they met before. At least the women's skirts are different colors.

Opposite the main entrance of the town is the tavern. Everyone dismounted, the guards went to check in and pack up the horses, and Amavit turned to look at the notice board at the door of the tavern.

Recruiting soldiers... cursing in the streets... recruiting workers... the chicken is missing... the wife is missing...

The chicken is missing... it's just a simple chicken, not taken away by a monster...

The wife is missing: I ask someone with ability to help me. My wife has been missing for several days. I am very anxious and I can't find her anywhere. Kind people, please help me. I will pay you. - Hunter Niron in the town.

His Royal Highness smelled the smell of the mission.

He greeted Drina and took two guards to find Hunter Niron.

After asking around, they came to a stone house with several furs stretched outside the wall.

A man wearing a green coat and good-looking boots was busy at the door with his back to the street.

Amavit clapped his hands, and the man stood up and looked back. His eyebrows were wrinkled into eight characters, his beard was messy, and his coat was made of good material and very clean. It can be seen that his wife is very good at managing the family.

Amavit asked: "Hunter Niron?"

"It's me, who are you...?"

"Look at the signboard, your wife is missing? We are ready to accept this commission."

Niron looked at the young face of the black-haired boy, and then at the two tall and strong armored guards behind him, unsure of what these people were like. He hesitated for a moment, and still said with hope: "Yes, my wife is missing. You..."

"It doesn't matter who I am. If you agree, we will start working. If you complete it, I will get paid, and if you don't, I will work for nothing. OK?"

"Okay!"

"Ding!"

[Task prompt: Missing wife. The wife of Crow's Nest Hunter Niron is missing, and he hopes you can help find his wife. Do you want to accept this task? 】【Yes】【No】

Choose yes.

"Okay, let's talk about the reward. How much do you plan to pay?"

Niron said excitedly: "100 Oren! If I can find her, I will give you all my savings." He really loves his wife, and will not let go of even one in ten thousand hopes.

"Hey, calm down, I still have questions to ask. This is necessary."

Nylon took a deep breath and said, "Okay, I'm fine. Ask your questions."

"When did your wife disappear? What happened on the day she disappeared?"

"Five days ago, I went out hunting before dawn, and she was still asleep. But when I got home in the afternoon, I found that she was gone. She never came back after that."

"Has she ever stayed overnight at someone else's house? For example, relatives or friends?"

"No. Her only relative is her sister, who lives next door. She never stayed overnight at other people's houses..."

A woman wearing a straw hat suddenly came over and interrupted: "My sister never leaves home for such a long time. Meritelli, I told her not to go around alone, but she never listened. "

"Have you asked other people in the town?"

The woman said first: "Almost the whole town has been asked, and no one saw her leave. Hannah must have left when everyone was asleep."

After the woman finished speaking, Niron said frustratedly: "I asked several friends to go to the woods to look for her, but they didn't find her..."

"Okay, this much is enough. Go get your wife's clothes, and leave the rest to me."

Niron nodded and turned back to the house.

The woman asked Amawit: "What do you want my sister's clothes for?"

"I have my own way." Amawit frowned at the woman, not knowing what she was going to do.

This woman has been weird since she appeared. You know, she is talking about her sister.

"No, you must say it!"

The woman's voice was harsh, making His Royal Highness frown even deeper.

Mind bewitched.

The woman's eyes became dull.

Amavit ordered: "Go home and go to bed."

The woman turned and walked towards the door next door...

The magic of mind bewitching is really good. If I had known this in my previous life, I wouldn't have to listen to the great boss's twisted human needs. How much less life would I have wasted? !

...

While having lunch in the tavern, Amavit told the general situation.

After lunch, the prince returned to the room and cast a tracking spell on the hunter's wife's clothes.

The distance seemed a bit far, and he couldn't see the magic thread. He closed his eyes and sensed the magic. There should be a forest in the northeast.

After leaving the horses in the tavern, everyone set out immediately and tried to complete the commission today.

All the way to the woods northeast of Crow's Nest, Amavit took out Hannah's clothes and cast a tracking spell.

The magic thread was visible to the naked eye, pointing to the depths of the woods.

Just as Amavit was about to walk into the woods, a woman's voice came from behind him: "Don't look for it, you won't find it!"

Amavit turned around and found that it was Hannah's sister.

When the woman approached, the prince asked expressionlessly: "What do you know?"

"You just go back and tell Niron that Hannah is dead. I will pay double the money."

"Oh? It seems you know a lot." Amavit tilted his head towards the guards: "Catch her and tie her up."

This was the first time in his life that he was seduced with money. This feeling was quite novel.

The woman was still in a daze when she was pinned down and tied up by two guards.

The woman was making a loud noise.

Amavit was annoyed and waved his hand: "Shut her up."

"Master, don't you need to ask her?"

"No."

Instead of arguing with a woman who is difficult to communicate with, it is better to follow the magic to find the truth.

The crowd walked deep into the woods...

...

The guards in front suddenly found something, and the prince went forward to check.

There were 4 clear scratches on a large stone, which looked like they were scratched by claws, and they were very new.

He asked Drina next to him: "Have you seen it? Can you tell it apart?"

The head of the guards looked carefully for a long time, stretched out his hand to measure the size of the claw marks, and shook his head: "No. But the claws of this thing are quite scary."

They were already deep in the woods, and the light was not good. Amavit cast an illumination spell on everyone's head and ordered: "Look around to see if you can find anything. Keep an eye on her."

"Yes!" ×4, "Okay, young master."

The woman stared at the illumination ball with wide eyes.

"Young master, here!" a guard shouted.

Amavit walked over and saw the same claw marks on a tree, and there were bloodstains. He dipped his finger in some blood and smelled it: "Human blood." There was also a tuft of thick and hard black hair under the tree.

"Drina!" The prince called the guard officer.

"Let's take a look."

Drina also took a little blood and smelled it: "Well, human blood, from the last few days, no more than a week."

"How do you tell the time?"

"The degree of dryness, the intensity of the rotten smell, and the smell of blood."

"How do you learn this?"

The guard spread his hands: "I learned it after fighting for half a year."

"That's a really good idea." The prince pointed at the black hair: "What about this?"

The guard took off his gloves, rubbed the black hair, and smelled it again.

"A-choo! This smelly smell, let me think...ah, wolf, that's the smell. But what kind of wolf has such thick hair? Master, this is not right."

The prince took the tuft of black hair and walked towards the tied woman: "I think I guessed a little."

He stared into the woman's eyes, raised the tuft of black hair and asked: "Werewolf?"

The woman shook her head frantically: "Woo...Woo!"

"It seems that I guessed right. Your sister is really dead, killed by a werewolf, and is it related to you?"

The woman shook her head even more violently, and her straw hat fell off.

The prince sighed: "It seems that I guessed right again."

The prince took out Hannah's clothes and continued to move forward according to the guidance of the tracking technique. The guards pushed the woman to follow.

...

Finally, everyone stopped in front of a small cabin on the other side of the woods.

Continuing to follow the guidance of the tracking technique, they found a large hole behind the cabin, leading to the bottom of the cabin.

After going in and taking a look, there were obvious signs of wild animals, a pool of thick human blood and a small amount of broken bones, and nothing else.

Everyone came to the door of the cabin. The cabin was built a little low, and the wood was not carefully polished. Burrs could be seen everywhere, and a lot of chopped firewood was piled at the base of the wall.

The door was not locked. After entering the house, it was very simple. A pit was dug in the center of the house. There was extinguished carbon in the pit, and there was an iron bracket on the pit. This was a camping stove. There was a pile of straw beds in the corner.

This is a hunter's cabin, that is, a house for hunters and travelers to temporarily rest, and it is maintained by all people who pass by and stay there.

Throwing a lighting spell in the middle of the roof, Amavit ordered: "Look for it. There should be some surprise here."

"Yes!" ×5

Everyone began to search in the cabin, and poked the ground with swords.

The house was small, and five people were naturally searching quickly.

"Master, here!" Drina handed over a piece of parchment and said: "It's under the straw, and there is a small box buried underneath. I'll pry it out."

After a while, the box was pried out from the ground. It was a small box slightly larger than the palm. Drina fiddled with it and found that the box was locked.

"Master, it's locked."

"It should be the employer's thing. Let's talk about it after the commission is completed. Put it away first."

Amavit unfolded the parchment just now and prepared to read it out, so as not to trouble everyone to take turns to read it.

"I am who I am, and that cannot be changed. Clothes woven with parsley and potions made from virgin tears may only work in stories, but they are useless to me.

It's time to accept the facts. I have survived until now thanks to Hannah's love and iron laws. But I must remember to hide in the woods before the full moon rises, away from others and Hannah.

The transformation comes and goes. When I wake up, my hands are always covered with scars and my mouth tastes blood. Maybe it's a good thing that I don't remember.

Killing prey with a bow and arrow is one thing, but tearing them apart with sharp teeth and claws is... At least I won't hurt humans by mistake in the depths of the jungle. Merciful Meliteli, please bless those who approach me..."

"Wow..." One of the guards seemed to have guessed something and screamed. But he was hit by the guy next to him.

Amavit waved his hand: "It's okay, there's no need to be so serious." He walked in front of the woman. The woman huddled in the corner and cried silently since she entered the house.

"Neron was cursed by a werewolf, and he will turn into a werewolf on a full moon night. This is Neron's hunting lodge. Your sister was killed by a werewolf, or eaten by a werewolf. And you know all this. So... why did your sister go into the woods at night for no apparent reason?" He shook his head and walked away, too lazy to talk nonsense with this crazy woman.

Drina caught her blind spot in knowledge: "Master, werewolf curse? Werewolves are cursed?"

Amavit sat down on the straw pile, stretched his waist, and leaned against the wall comfortably.

"Yes, werewolves are not natural creatures. They are normal people who are cursed, and their souls and bodies are twisted. The magic world has not yet come up with a clear source of the curse, and the werewolf curse is irreversible, which means that Neron can't change back."

Seeing that His Royal Highness was not going to get up for a while, the guards also sat on the ground. Drina asked again: "What's the next step?"

"Wait until tonight. Niron always transforms in the cave below. Maybe if I'm lucky, I can wait for him tonight. If not, I'll think of other ways tomorrow. Keep an eye on her, and do whatever you want with the rest. Remember to call me for dinner."

After saying that, he fell on the straw pile and prepared to catch up on his sleep. He had to work overtime at night, so he had to get enough sleep. He was only 17 years old and still had to grow up. Note ①

……