The first Fog Shadow rushed out of the hidden passage without a sound.
Its speed wasn’t fast, but its movements were decisive. It headed straight for Xiaoma.
"Xiaoma, get down!" the second team’s leader shouted instantly.
Xiaoma dropped to a crouch.
The Fog Shadow rushed to the space just above Xiaoma’s position and was hit by a shot from the second team’s leader.
The bullet was a Silver-Lead Bullet. As it passed through the Fog Shadow, it released a tiny halo of silver light.
The halo flashed for a moment, and the entire Fog Shadow dispersed just above the boy’s head.
"It’s clean," the second team’s leader said, reloading his rifle.
Xiaoma was still crouching in place.
"Get up. Watch your back."
Xiaoma scrambled up from the ground, his face pale from the close call.
A second, third, and fourth Fog Shadow tumbled out of the entrance, each picking its own target.
Three of them went for the first team.
The first team’s leader himself sidestepped, raised his hunting rifle, and pulled the trigger.
"BANG!"
The projectile traced a very short arc through the air, striking the first Fog Shadow.
After being hit by the projectile, the entire ball of fog dispersed with a HISS.
The second one immediately moved in to take its place.
The team leader followed through, bringing the butt of his rifle down hard.
A Dark Silver Gemstone was embedded in the stock, and its silver light sliced the second Fog Shadow out of the air.
The third was dealt with by a male team member from the first team, who was holding a Silver Dagger.
The male team member flicked the Silver Dagger in his right hand through the air.
The Silver Dagger, pulled by an invisible thread, flew out on its own and struck the core of the third Fog Shadow.
When the blade hit it, the Fog Shadow dispersed more cleanly than any of the others.
The Silver Dagger fell to the ground. The team member picked it up and held it once more.
Richard used his Spiritual Vision to look at the Silver Dagger.
A wisp of extremely fine silver thread was embedded in the dagger’s hilt. A Technique was hidden within that silver thread.
The entire sequence of movements was incredibly smooth; they had clearly established a complete response procedure.
This squad of Practitioner Level Hunters had been honed by over a decade of fieldwork.
The battle on the outer perimeter lasted for about a minute.
In that minute or so, a dozen or more Fog Shadows had poured out of the hidden passage.
Each of the six members of the patrol team had dealt with at least one.
Winterworth also made his move. He drew his dual blades from under his coat and charged toward the seventh Fog Shadow.
He was so fast that Richard’s eyes could barely keep up.
The Inscriptions on the hilts lit up, tracing scorching red trails through the air.
The moment it was hit, the Fog Shadow exploded from its center.
Immediately after, the second blade struck the eighth one.
Winterworth brought his two blades to rest at his sides and came to a stop.
His Breathing was a little rough, and his shoulders rose and fell slightly. The brief burst of Ether was over.
After the brief exchange of fire on the outer perimeter, the number of Fog Shadows pouring from the hidden passage noticeably decreased.
"...Is another wave coming?" Xiaoma whispered to his team leader from the outer ring.
"Hard to say." The second team’s leader raised his rifle again. "Stay with me. Keep your eyes on the entrance."
"Yes, sir."
On the outer perimeter, a few more Fog Shadows tumbled out of the hidden passage.
This time, the last one’s direction was off.
Unlike its companions before it, it didn’t pick the closest target.
It curved around, passing between the patrol’s two teams.
In the process of crouching and standing back up, Xiaoma’s breathing rhythm had been momentarily disrupted.
To this particular Fog Shadow, that slight disruption was a clear signal.
The Fog Shadow rushed toward Xiaoma.
"Xiaoma!" The second team’s leader noticed a beat too late.
Hearing his team leader’s shout, Xiaoma instinctively raised his flintlock gun.
But the entire ball of fog was already lunging for the boy’s face.
Richard glanced at Mrs. MacNeil. The Spirit Medium was standing about ten feet away from Xiaoma.
But Mrs. MacNeil didn’t move. She simply shook her head.
On the other side, Major Aud raised his iron hand.
Under Spiritual Vision, the Silver Rivets embedded in the joints of the steel prosthesis lit up.
From the shoulder down to the fingertips, the entire prosthesis was wreathed in an extremely thin layer of white airflow.
It was an extremely compressed air bullet.
Major Aud bent his index finger slightly, and the entire mass of compressed air was fired.
It made a tiny curve in the air, bypassing the bodies of the patrol members on the outer ring, and shot straight for the Fog Shadow in front of Xiaoma.
The airflow hit the Fog Shadow’s core.
"POOF!"
The entire ball of fog was shattered in mid-air by an invisible fist.
Xiaoma stumbled back a step and was caught by the second team’s leader.
"Huu..." He gasped for breath, his face still pale.
"Alright, now." The second team’s leader patted his back. "Steady yourself. Don’t move around."
"Mhm." Xiaoma nodded forcefully.
Major Aud lowered his right hand, and the white airflow covering the steel prosthesis slowly dissipated.
"Clear the area. Secure the entrance."
The first and second teams approached the entrance to the hidden passage.
Mr. Hutton explained softly at his side:
"That’s an enhancement from pre-selecting the Gale Tradition."
"Gale?"
"A highly aggressive minor tradition."
"Its lineage comes from the Highland Celtic Priests. In essence, it uses wind pressure to attack."
"Wind itself has no weight, but air compressed to the extreme can possess sufficient killing power."
"Hunters of the Gale Tradition don’t need any physical weapons; their entire body is the weapon."
"The Silver Rivets embedded in the Major’s steel prosthesis are his own signature Marvels."
"Alright." Mr. Hutton gently pressed Richard’s shoulder.
"He’s made his move, which means this particular outbreak is over."
"It’s a routine outbreak during the window. Just needs to be dealt with."
The old gentleman shifted his gaze back to the innermost circle.
"According to the plan, it’s time to loosen the Fifth Ring."
Richard pulled his gaze back from Major Aud.
The patrol members on the outer perimeter were already checking the status of the hidden passage’s entrance.
The male team member from the first team, the one with the Silver Daggers, glanced into the hidden passage and made a hand signal toward the Major.
"No new ones emerging for now."
"Clean up. Prepare for the Fifth Ring," Major Aud said.
The atmosphere inside the cave relaxed once more.
Winterworth returned his Enchanted Dual Blades to their sheaths.
"I’ve used up a bit, but it’s not a major drain. I can still handle the rest of today’s workload."
"Mm," Major Aud acknowledged.
The second team’s leader took a small silver pot from his satchel and held it to Xiaoma’s lips.
"Take a couple of sips. It’ll calm your nerves."
Xiaoma took the silver pot and took a sip. The color slowly returned to his face.
"You okay?" the second team’s leader asked.
"I’m fine," Xiaoma nodded. "It’s just that moment..."
"Everyone’s like that their first time." The second team’s leader took the small silver pot back. "You’ll get used to it with more practice."
"Yes, sir."
Mr. Hutton spoke softly beside Richard:
"This year’s wave is considered normal."
"Last year, six Lower-rank Evil Beings and one Middle Tier Evil Being came out. We lost a member then, which is why Xiaoma is here this year as a replacement."
"Don’t just stand there. The Fifth Ring is next."
"Yes, sir."
Richard raised his camera again.
Major Aud stood his ground on the outer perimeter, not completely relaxed.
He scanned the edges of the cave.

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