I Hate Systems

If word of it got out, it would be a blow to their reputation. And hence, they commissioned Hitlawn. And in truth, the major Clans were the biggest customers of Hitlawn, a reason this criminal organisation could exist to date.

In tricky situations like this, the task would be given to Hitlawn. Neither the reputation nor the consequences of these actions would affect the Clans that put up the mission. All infamy would be borne by Hitlawn.

So, it was somewhat of a win-win situation for both.

To the Clans, the high price required for the assassination wasn’t a problem, in contrast to the perceivable blow to their reputation if they killed one of their own.

Upon seeing their targets increase their speed, Runka frowned for a moment as he snapped his finger. Immediately after, a human appeared beside him, his Invoked Spirit.

It spanned a height of five metres, a hulking giant that was running alongside them, easily keeping up with the horses. The Invoked Spirit was donned in what seemed to be a set of armour, as if built into its body.

But, it was light armour, not hindering it much. Though, there was nothing to hinder as the Invoked Spirit possessed insurmountable might. It only had a pair of arms like a normal human, but they were ripped.

Held on the left was a bow. Its right took out an arrow from its quiver that contained around thirty arrows, nocking one on the bowstring to pull it.

Pilkan gulped in nervousness upon seeing the draw length of the bow, aware that the arrow would possess tremendous power, enough to shatter through walls easily thanks to the giant bow.

“Isn’t that a waste of Mental Fragments?” Pilkan whispered to Fowma, the lady riding to his right, “It seems each arrow requires Mental Fragments from more than one human at the very least.”

“Ahh, these are his regular arrows.” Fowma commented casually, “They only require three humans per arrow. You must see his superior arrows. They are on a whole other level.”

“But,” She smiled, “They aren’t a waste. Runka only uses his arrows against strong opponents. His Invoked Spirit can simply crush the heads of weak people on its own. So, there’s no problem in accumulating enough Mental Fragments.”

Swoosh!

Runka’s Invoked Spirit released the arrow, watching it hum through the air before slamming into the wheels of the carriage, shattering it to smithereens, causing the people inside to shriek in response.

Their eagles were a bad matchup against him, for they couldn’t defend against his arrows without injuring themselves.

And considering the power displayed by his arrows, the Lan Clan family hesitated in sustaining damage to their Invoked Spirits just to protect their carriage.

“Ahh!” The girl screamed in fright, jumping onto her eagle at the last moment to cushion her fall, taking flight as she carried the trunk full of valuables with her.

The rest of her family too took flight, carrying their valuables as they sped through the air, intending to escape as quickly as possible. They had intended to conserve their Mental Strength before, but now that assassins were hot on their tails, they couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Good, they’ve taken flight now.” Runka smiled in response before turning left, staring at the girl that seemed younger than Pilkan, “Heela, keep a track of them.”

“Already on it.” Heela nodded, showing a palm-sized human on her hands. It was her Invoked Spirit.

“Why is it so tiny?” Pilkan was surprised, “Aren’t all Invoked Spirits at least as big as their source…”

It was at this time that a thought flashed through his mind, causing his face to pale as he stared at the girl with an incredulous gaze.

In response, Heela closed her eyes, turning her head sideways, not intending to speak further.

‘Impossible!’ Pilkan felt an urge to puke the longer he stared at her Invoked Spirit.

Considering its size, there was only one possibility: Its Mental Fragments were sourced from human foetuses.

And considering that they were only foetuses, at most one or two Mental Fragments could be sourced from each. Therefore, he felt revulsed, thinking of the sheer number of foetuses Heela would have killed just to create her Invoked Spirit.

“Her circumstances were difficult.” Fowma patted him, “So, don’t look at her like that.”

“A-Alright.” Pilkan could only nod in response and hold in his revulsion. Only now did it dawn on him that he was part of a criminal organisation. ‘Indeed, murder, theft, organ trafficking, etc. are all bread and butter to them.’

Even though Pilkan didn’t ask for the reason for his actions, Runka explained on his own initiative, “If those with an Eagle Invoked Spirit wished to escape, we cannot pursue them. But, once I destroyed their carriage, I’m leading their actions.”

Seeing his confusion, Runka explained, retracting his Invoked Spirit, “You see, our Mental Strength is limited. As their eagles are carrying them and whatever luggage they possess, it takes a harder toll on their Mental Strength. And unless they wish to faint from exhaustion, they would stop somewhere to rest and recover.”

“They’ll try to procure another carriage.” He smiled, watching Fowma reveal a map as he pointed at a town farther away, “They’ll make a beeline to this town before setting off into the Immortal Graveyard. That’s the surest way to escape the Lan Clan’s influence and avoid our pursuit. We’ll be facing them there.”

‘That’s impressive.’ Pilkan’s eyes lit up in amazement, observing that Runka had things under control, leading his target to their trap casually.

Fowma was pretty level-headed, and even though she hadn’t revealed her Invoked Spirit yet, upon seeing the confidence Runka placed in her, it was apparent that she was pretty strong.

And the one that ensured Runka’s schemes were carried out fully was Heela, possessing tracking capabilities as she was able to sense the position of their targets now that she had marked them.

Runka’s arrow was to create a window for her to mark them in the first place.

‘They’re on a different level.’ This was Pilkan’s honest opinion as he travelled with them, quickly making their way through the region, taking a shortcut to their destination to reach there before their targets.