Chapter 944: The Hunt Begins Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Han Sen ascended a mountain, led by an old man. He was on his way to Thorn Shelter. The mountainsides were steep, and unlike the woodland that circled them, they were barren. The environment there was poor, which provided little reason for creatures to visit; as such, there was a noticeable lack of them. The old man did not go too far across the mountain, and when he decided to return, he instructed Han Sen on which way he should go. Han Sen’s purpose for making this venture to Thorn Shelter was to meet the person who had supposedly risked life and limb in warning the knight shelter and its inhabitants of an imminent attack. After one hundred miles of travel, Han Sen was finally able to lay eyes on the black shelter which resided on the peak of that mountain. Above the foothills of the mountain, Han Sen caught sight of creatures, running to and fro. The human who delivered the news was said to live separate from the shelter, in a house that had been built in a nearby valley that was said to resemble the shape of a fish’s mouth. When Han Sen came to that valley, he spotted the house. It was wooden, but ill-kept and all-around ugly. Han Sen did not approach as he frequently did—casually and without care. He instead chose to approach stealthily. There didn’t seem to be anyone around, so he waited for the onset of night. As the sun was being reclaimed by the horizon once more, a man returned to the house. The man was built like a tower, and when Han Sen saw his face, he couldn’t help but quietly exclaim in shock, "Tiger of Blueblood, Tie Yi!" Han Sen and Tie Yi once butted-heads in a competition for a military position. He beat Tie Yi, thereby becoming Ji Yanran’s bodyguard. This allowed him to remain in the sanctuaries while he served in the army. "Who’s there?" Tie Yi was quickly alerted upon hearing Han Sen’s unexpected outburst. "Long time, no see. I didn’t expect to find you here, as a courier of bad news to the shelter that lies a good distance south of us." Han Sen arose from the bushes and smiled as he delivered his dialogue. "Han Sen? Why have you come here?" Tie Yi appeared to be just as surprised. "I have come here to find out when Thorn Shelter plans to begin its assault." Han Sen smiled. "Come inside; it would be best if we spoke there." Tie Yi took a gander at the surrounding environment and then opened the door. Han Sen followed, and when he entered the shack, he closed the door behind him. There were no chairs inside, so he had no choice but to sit on the floor. Han Sen observed the decor and decayed architecture of the home he found himself sitting in, and was surprised to see it so bare. Items of comfort were in short supply, and the majority of what lay scattered about were tools. There wasn’t even a bedframe, mattress, or duvet. "Have the people in that shelter evacuated?" Tie Yi asked. "No. We will fight Thorn Baron and slay her," Han Sen said with confidence. "Are you people insane? She also has a multitude of royal spirits in her service. They would be all that is required to conquer that shelter and its meager populace," Tie Yi finished with a concerned frown. "That won’t happen. We have a nice howdy-doody prepared for whatever threat comes our way. But can I ask if you know which spirits and creatures are to be rallied and sent against the shelter in the planned assault?" Han Sen asked. Unfortunately, Tie Yi shook his head, saying, "I am only here to grow geno vines for them; that’s all. I was lucky enough to overhear the murmurs that spoke of their planned conquering of that shelter, but I’ve been here long enough to learn a thing or two about how Thorn Shelter and its occupants operate. If Thorn Baron is going, she’ll lead the battle with eight mutant creatures." Han Sen nodded and said, "And when are they planning to strike?" Tie Yi shook his head and said, "I have told you everything you need to know. You and your people should leave, for Thorn Baron’s power is unmatched. She will slaughter whoever remains there." Han Sen smiled and said, "A matter of principle is involved in all this, and as easy as it would be to run away, we can’t do that. We, nor the people who initially claimed the shelter way back when, will not throw away all they have built." "If you don’t run, then at least consider a surrender. You might still walk away with your head attached to your shoulders if you do that," Tie Yi offered. It was, he believed, the only alternative to flight. "I am confident we can defeat Thorn Baron." After a pause, Han Sen continued by saying, "You can remain here. When we launch our counter-attack, we will save you." Tie Yi looked strangely upon Han Sen. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Are you naive? Are you stubborn? Or are you just too thick in the skull to not hear what I’m telling you? You don’t actually have a plan, do you? And a viable one at that?" "I won’t tell you more than you need to know, but I will save that shelter." Han Sen smiled and then continued by saying, "Now, tell me about the mutant creatures and the royal spirits we might expect to see." "I don’t know much but..." Tie Yi told Han Sen all he knew. After asking a few more questions, Han Sen decided to return to his shelter. Seeing Han Sen leave, Tie Yi could only sigh before closing the door behind him. Back in the shelter, Han Sen continued to refine and formulate more plans for the upcoming siege. Thorn Shelter was far more powerful than he expected it to be. If Thorn Baron decided to bring ten mutant class creatures, even with the snake on Han Sen’s side, they’d pay a high price in blood to secure the shelter’s freedom and future. "I think we should strike first. We can take the fight to them, and battle them beyond the immediate borders of home." Han Sen decided to return to the Alliance. Han Sen figured he needed a good bow; one that was good enough to slay mutant creatures. He had already maxed out his ordinary and primitive geno points and managed to obtain seven sacred geno points, as well as five super geno points. His fitness was over a thousand points by this point, and that put him in the range of mutant creatures. If he had a quality bow, he could make use of the Flaming Arrow he received off the porcupine and further increase its efficiency and power by employing the Drillhead Arrow skill. Killing the mutant creatures should not prove too difficult. The Alliance had many powerful bows he could use for such an occasion, but their use required much strength. Not everyone could use them effectively. With a fitness level of one thousand, Han Sen would only be able to use such a bow once or twice in rapid succession. Han Sen received a bow from Annie. The Z-steel arrows that were available for purchase would be ineffective against creatures of the Third God’s Sanctuary, so the best arrow to use would undoubtedly be his Flaming Arrow. Han Sen brought the bow and arrow with him, as he snuck near Thorn Shelter. He wished to find Tie Yi again, but before he could, he saw a group of people approaching him. Han Sen went into hiding and watched the people go by. They were all so strong, it was clear that they hailed from Thorn Shelter. When Han Sen saw the leader of the collective, he was delivered another shock; it was the female spirit he had once encountered in Thorn Forest.