Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Cooperation

The death of the third Demonized Crow obviously scared the remaining two, flying in the sky and not daring to come down again. The other ordinary crows, seeing the sudden appearance of strangers, no longer fought desperately and turned back into a cloud, “cawing” angrily as they covered the entire sky.

At that moment, Aiven could only think of letting out a heartfelt curse.

The sky was filled with ravens, being chased by “ravens,” and the few strangely-dressed humans that appeared were also “ravens.”

Today, he was simply at odds with ravens, as if he had stumbled into a raven’s nest.

Now, as the crows left, only Aiven and a few peculiar people wearing bird-beak masks remained, making the atmosphere somewhat eerie.

“Who are you, and what are you doing hiding here?”

Since these peculiar people were the ones who shot down the large crow, Aiven didn’t immediately see them as enemies. He patted off the raven feathers sticking to him and asked, albeit in a somewhat unpleasant tone.

“I…” Sean, the closest to Aiven, was about to speak but was patted on the shoulder by the officer behind him, prompting him to step aside to make room for the officer.

“This…” Even the Crowman officer was momentarily unable to discern Aiven’s identity.

Though his hunting outfit was somewhat dirty and disordered, it was made of superb material and was neatly tailored. His skin was fair, and his face handsome, starkly different from those of ordinary hunters accustomed to dining on the wind and drinking the dew. He wielded a fine half-handed sword typically used by Navy officers; his swordsmanship, upon observation, also bore traces of military swordsmanship.

Logically, he should be an official personnel, at least from the upper echelons, yet Aiven clearly didn’t recognize their attire, making the Crowman officer a bit uncertain about his background.

Thus, he probed by asking:

“Excuse me… Sir, we belong to a secret unit of the Kingdom’s official forces. My name is Saber, and how may I address you?”

If Aiven were merely an ordinary hunter, he would have long used the authority granted by the Kingdom to forcibly enlist him. But facing this young man, whose strength seemed faintly above his own, the Crowman officer dared not act too assertively.

His own strength had already reached the Peak of Apprentice Knight; above him could only be Official Tier Extraordinary. Regardless of where one stands, Level 2 Powerhouses aren’t just anyone; they already meet the standards for school-level officers in the Navy, and with some luck, might even captain a ship.

In this world, strength dictates authority; though uncertain about Aiven’s background, his speech was exceedingly polite.

“There’s no need for introductions. I think you’d better leave quickly. Two Crow Witches are following me, and if you don’t go now, it may be too late. Do you know of the Crow Witches?”

Though strangers, Aiven didn’t want the Crow Witches chasing him to harm the innocent.

Especially since these people, both in manner and attire, exuded an official military aura. Though they potentially weren’t affiliated with him, they were roughly allies.

The three exchanged looks. Wasn’t this precisely their target? So instead of following Aiven’s advice to flee, they seemed quite eager.

Saber, the Crowman officer, spoke, his tone clearly joyous: “We’ve come exactly for that purpose. We’ve been tracking the three sisters, the Crow Witches, who escaped from Frostleaf Forest. Could you provide us with some intelligence?”

“Three sisters? No wonder killing one made the other two so angry. Is your mission to eliminate these three Crow Witches?”

“Precisely, we are…” Saber quickly shared their origins and mission with Aiven, as this degree of disclosure didn’t violate confidentiality rules in the war between humans and demons.

Encountering Aiven, a potential helper, was an unexpected delight for the Crowmen, as he alone took down an extremely troublesome Crow Witch, greatly easing their mission’s pressure.

If they could easily complete the mission, who would willingly wield steel swords and firearms, risking their lives against demons? The casualty rate of the Crowman Team, though never publicly disclosed, was well known to him.

Naturally, they sought to recruit Aiven, a powerful ally.

From Saber’s narrative, Aiven roughly understood the nature of the institution.

Ordinary people generally recognized the world known as the Surface World, where mortals lived and worked peacefully, where everything operated normally, and where superficial tranquility and harmony were maintained.

The world bustling with various Extraordinary individuals, Demonized Creatures, and monsters was referred to as the Inner World or Mysterious Side.

Strictly defined, the two weren’t clearly distinguished; though under the suppression by the True God Churches and official forces, most Extraordinary individuals adhered to the principle of concealment, not voluntarily exposing their oddities on a large scale, many who didn’t wish to abide by the rules, even wantonly, both existed.

This institution known as the Crowman Team was equivalent to official Demon Hunters, assigned to eliminate troublesome demons, violent creatures, and even fellow humans among the Extraordinary.

If one had been in contact with the world of Extraordinary individuals for any length of time, the Crowman Team should’ve been as familiar to every Extraordinary as thunder to one’s ears; Aiven had only just stepped into the Extraordinary Realm, gaining initial qualification to understand these secrets, hence his unawareness of their identity.

Upon learning of their origins, Aiven felt solemn respect.

As officials, this group of men naturally followed the path of the Knight, known for stability, but clearly lacking Extraordinary means in the early stages.

Yet these individuals, with their flesh and blood, forged a solid dam for mortals, preventing the bizarre and perilous Extraordinary World from intruding upon ordinary people’s peaceful lives.

To quote a phrase from a previous life: “There is no such thing as eternal tranquility, only someone bearing the weight for you moving forward.”

With this in mind, Aiven felt reluctant to leave. With their cooperation, the possibility of eliminating the remaining two Crow Witches was quite high.

Besides respecting their profession, it was his first time being pursued since crossing over, and Aiven couldn’t stomach escaping in defeat.

This Saber, as the team leader, already reached the Peak Apprentice Knight level, and while the other two were somewhat lacking, they had embarked on the Extraordinary Path, far stronger than ordinary people. As his helpers, they were certainly qualified.

After exchanging intelligence, they temporarily formed a unified front, and the tactics were simple: two Crow Witches remained, and Aiven and the Crowman Team each took responsibility for one.

Ultimately, no one was a child; although they had a common enemy, they maintained necessary caution towards strangers, especially in such wilderness. Neither Aiven nor the Crowmen could completely trust the other.

They didn’t have to wait long, just after Aiven finished reloading his firearms during the interval when the crows departed.

Whoosh–

Accompanied by a cold, damp, strangely fragrant gust, the two Crow Witches, who had been tightly trailing behind Aiven, flitted through the treetops, stealthily gliding like winged claws.

Gah gah gah…