Alcala Mainland.
Light and Darkness alternated, whilst civilization and the wild co-existed with each other.
After the bell for the new generation rang, and the remains of the old generation still stubbornly stood rooted to the land.
Whilst technology was progressively advancing, terrifying things that were unimaginable to an ordinary person continued to lurk in the darkness. Only the Demon Hunters amongst humankind could fight against them.
…
Many memory fragments and pieces surfaced and were absorbed by Fang Yuan after being reorganized.
After who-knows-how-long, his eyelids fluttered open as he woke up.
He took in the pale yellow ceiling that had patches of mold. The mattress and blanket that he that was wrapped in and surrounded by, smelled of wine but were still soft and warm.
To his body which had slept on the hard ground and laid his head on a large sword, numerous times, there was no doubt that this was heaven.
The ground vibrated slightly as a large commotion came from the bar in front.
"Axe Bar…"
This was a gathering point for the Demon Hunters in this territory. It also had other services. In his memories, the smell of black oat wine and grilled sausages was still familiar.
"Hulk, is that the previous name of this body?!"
Fang Yuan was somewhat at loss for words. "If this body can provide the ability to transform into a giant, then the name and body would be a perfect match…"
He then lowered his head slightly and saw that his chest was bandaged up. Although medicine might have been applied, he still felt an unusual pain and conflict within his body.
"This time… I'm really unlucky…"
He didn't move but, instead, continued lying down and sorting out the memories of the body he was possessing. He couldn't help but laugh bitterly.
On this Alcala Mainland, civilization was similar to the period when the Industrial Revolution happened for the first time. However, there was no unifying empire—the entire mainland was broken up into many kingdoms and federations, as well as regions that had no jurisdiction and were in chaos.
Chaos, fighting, war, and starvation were seeping in and assaulting the originally fragile life of humankind all the time.
Under the surface of this chaos was a much, deeper fear—the Night Family Clan!
It was a general term for the mysterious species. They had terrifying forms, strange abilities, and either hid among humans or lived in the isolated wilderness. However, they were cruel and chaotic in nature, and they enjoyed hunting humans for food.
The so-called Evil Demon were the elites of the Night Family Clan.
Based on legends, the first Evil Demon in the world came from Hell. It was the powerful Mother of Reproduction, who was able to give birth to a series of family clans—the Night Family Clans in the mainland are its descendants.
In the olden days, the Heirs of Darkness even ruled the entire mainland and had built a strong empire. They used violence and fear to order humans around like lambs.
That was until the first Demon Hunter appeared and gave hope to the humans in the world.
Through generations of sacrifice, and many battles and bloodshed, the Empire of the Heirs of Darkness finally crumbled. The fortunate survivors of humankind back then welcomed their new life's freedom.
However, the power of darkness wasn't eliminated.
This was especially true for the elites of the Heirs of Darkness—Evil Demons. After healing their wounds and recovering in silence, they were hungering for a new society.
"I swear to use the sword in my hands to safeguard the Sacred Light!
"I swear to comply with the Demon Hunters' seven 'Taboos', and vanquish demonic entities forever!
"I swear that I will have a firm will and never be bewitched…"
…
The last of his memories was a solemn ceremony.
An immature newbie going into his first operation after making that vow. He was seriously injured by a demon as he was too excited and died, unfortunately…
Of course, only Fang Yuan knew about the last point as he had borrowed his body to live again.
"Mother of Reproduction? Evil Demon? Heirs of Darkness… Interesting!"
Thinking about these reports, the corners of Fang Yuan's mouth curled to reveal a smile.
This world had also been affected by the Demonic Heart Realm. If he was correct, then the Mother of Reproduction was definitely connected to the Demonic Heart Realm.
Even so, those demons might also be another form of Demon Spirits!
"Only…" he looked at his chest and furrowed his brows.
There were two powers occupying that space. They kept clashing with each other, making it feel difficult to move.
"This should be the leftover power from that demon from before, which is clashing with this body's vitality…" Fang Yuan thought about the way that Demon Hunters trained, and had to say that it was quite primitive—they stopped at muscles and techniques, having to depend on various kinds of weapons to fight with the demons.
"Also, they were able to increase the body's cell activity by drinking sacred water… If there's an opportunity, I can look at the production flow…"
He vaguely felt that something was wrong.
If Demon Hunters only had these power, how could they overturn the ancient Dark Empire and fight with the Evil Demons?
"Ultimately, this Hulk is a Demon Hunter newbie… It's normal to lack a deep understanding. I'll have to investigate this on my own. Of course, the main point is still to recover as soon as possible…"
Fang Yuan shut his eyes and a blurred screen appeared in the darkness:
"Name: Hulk (Fang Yuan)
Essence: 1.2 (110)
Spirit: 0.7 (100)
Magic: 5.0 (100)
Profession: Demon Hunter
State: Weak
Specialization: [Medicine (Level 3)], [Botany (Level 6)(Peak)], [Fiery Golden Eyes (Level 3)], [Body Seal (Ultimate form)]"
"It's this sensation again, I'm suppressed by the higher power of the Demonic Heart Realm… it's as if I'm at the Purple Eye Realm!"
Fang Yuan opened his eyes. "I need some time and medicine to treat my body's injuries!"
With his medical skills, he had the confidence to treat himself.
Furthermore, the demonic power that forcibly occupied his body roused his interest to research it.
Creak!
At that moment, the room's door was pulled open, and a tall person came in with a tray.
"Hulk… You're awake?"
"Yes, Uncle Jock, was it you who saved me?"
Fang Yuan pretended to be Hulk, his face showed a sincere, grateful look.
"You only fainted back then, all I did was carry you back from the battlefield… eat something first!"
Jock was a 40 plus year-old man with sideburns. His ginger hair was in a mess. There was also thick and heavy eye bags and circles around his eyes, making him look very decadent.
He managed to force a smile and went on to put down the tray. There was a bowl of mushroom soup that smells incredible, bread with a layer of butter on it, as well as grilled sausages.
"Thank you!" Fang Yuan painfully raised one hand, picked up the fork, and ate slowly.
Seeing his stubborn appearance, Old Jock wanted to say something.
"What is it?"
"Hulk… Have you, ever thought of demobilizing?" Uncle Jock reluctantly said, "It's just right, Axe Pub is in need of a waiter. You don't have to do a very tiring job and you'll soon get used to it."
While talking, his amber eyes were filled with pity.
"Oh…" Fang Yuan answered coldly and used a soup ladle to drink some soup. The thick buttery smell was rich, and the soup's texture was smooth, it was delicious. "Is it because of my injury?"
This attitude made Jock hesitate. "Yes… I've already used treatment water on you but it cannot expel the demon power inside your body…"
Treatment water was a magical object used by Demon Hunters. Even when one was seriously injured or even had a broken limb, one would be able to come back as long as it was used in time.
He was basically hopeless if using it was also futile.
"Treatment water? Isn't that quite expensive? Could it be that Uncle who covered the cost?"
Fang Yuan was clear that Hulk was at the extreme end of the poverty line. When he had a bit of money, he would purchase weapons and other materials; he couldn't afford the cost of treatment water.
Even if a strict portion of the treatment water was sold to the Demon Hunters at a discounted price, you would still need 10 items that cost the same as rubies before you could purchase it.
"Haha… just take it as Uncle lending a small amount of money to you!" Jock heroically slapped himself on the chest. "It doesn't matter, you can return it to me in the future!"
"That's a must, I just don't know how you would be able to face Auntie Sophia!" Fang Yuan smiled and thought of the hidden trait the former Demon Hunter in front of him had—a henpecked male.
"Cough cough…"
At the mention of this, Jock became mute, coughing for what felt like an entire day before suddenly asking, "Are you unwilling?"
"Of course I'm unwilling!" Fang Yuan made a worked up expression. "I've gone through thick and thin to finally become a Demon Hunter, so how can I give up now?"
In his heart, he silently rolled his eyes. He didn't traverse here in order to become a waiter.
"Sigh… you have such a stubborn temperament… ever since you were young!" Uncle Jock sighed once.
Hulk was an orphan who was taken care of by him from when he was at a young age.
After contemplating, he continued, "I'm powerless when it comes to helping you recover from your injuries, but the others from the labor union might have a way… You can go to the headquarters to try your luck!"
He thought of something and said in a doubtful manner, "Also… the rumored Master has many surprising abilities."
"Master!?" Fang Yuan's heart skipped a beat and thought of a memory.
This world had no absolute light and darkness, there would always be a grey area.
The so-called "Master" is one of the people in-between the light and darkness.
The Night Family Clan saw humankind as food, however, in special circumstances, they would also produce heirs with humankind.
If the will of its descendants were firm enough and were able to prevent themselves from becoming a demon by overcoming the effect of a chaotic will, then they would be able to retain their human form.
With the domestication from several generations, the power from their blood would adapt and activate surprising abilities.
These people were called "Masters," and were distinctly born from the Night Family Clan and a Demon Hunter. Hence, they were regarded to be in the middle. They could sometimes be the connection for both sides and act as a middleman to facilitate private trades.
Of course, this wasn't allowed on the surface.
Moreover, the Masters' emotions were usually extreme due to the effects of their blood and weren't good traders. On occasions, they would even degenerate completely into a demon. Once they were discovered, they would become an existence that would be chased by Demon Hunters and eliminated.
Then, Jock actually told Hulk to find a Master for help. It was obvious that he couldn't think of any more ideas.
"Masters are dangerous… Some are much scarier than the Night Family Clan, this is only the last resort!" Jock said solemnly, "Don't risk it… Remember, my child, the doors of the Axe Bar will always be open to you!"
"Thank you!" Fang Yuan nodded his head solemnly, but in his heart, his interest in the Masters had been rising more and more.