Chapter 56: No bounty=no bodyguard.

The Starise lodging house was absolutely packed. The lobby smelled like a mix of cheap alcohol, sweaty hunters, and very old wood. Hunter and Zyra had been standing in the long, slow-moving line for what felt like an eternity, shuffling their feet every time it crawled forward just a little.

If it wasn’t too late to be traipsing about in a jungle, Zyra would have chosen to go out on her own. Naturally, it was because she could hide in the beast domain for a while.

"Move, move, move..." she muttered.

Hunter put a hand on her shoulder, "Patience, wife. This is an opportunity to train your eavesdropping abilities. Places like this are gold mines for information."

Zyra sighed, her tired shoulders drooping. Her brain and ears were uncooperative. What she wanted the most was rest.

Finally, it was their turn after what felt like an eternity.

Hunter leaned against the wooden counter, giving the tired receptionist a cold look. "Two single rooms, please. The quietest and most private ones you have."

The receptionist didn’t even look up from her ledger. She flipped a page, tapped her pen, and gave a dry cough. "Only one single room left in the entire building. Take it or keep walking."

Hunter’s jaw dropped. He slowly turned his head to look at Zyra. "Uh... Z? Are you okay with sharing? It’s one room left...."

Zyra didn’t even let him finish. She was casually leaning against the counter. She responded with a nonchalant shrug, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. "I am way too tired to care," her voice completely flat. "As long as there is hot water and a bed, I am good."

Before Hunter could say another word, a large, burly hunter behind them growled, "Hey! guys! Step aside if you’re not taking the room! Some of us want to sleep!"

"We’ll take it! We’ll take it right now!" Hunter said quickly, slapping a few low-grade stones onto the counter and snatching the pass key before the crowd behind them could bite his head off.

He took her hand, gripping it firmly, not granting her the leisure of escaping from his side or walking like a snail on a holiday. When they finally stepped inside the room, he let go of her hand.

The room itself was nothing special, it turned out to be medium-sized and plain. It had a slightly creaky double bed, a worn-out rug, and a small wooden table in the corner. Zyra didn’t care about what it looked like. She collapsed face-first onto the mattress, her boots dangling off the edge, and tightly shut her eyes.

"Ah... heaven," she groaned into the pillow.

Hunter did not collapse like her. He checked the room like a secret agent who was doing an inspection before a VIP was allowed inside. "Never sleep before inspecting your surroundings." He barked at her.

Lazily, she replied, "Hmmm."

While her body was resting, the virtual screen suddenly exploded to life. In her mind-space, Beauty popped up wearing a tiny party hat, blowing golden confetti everywhere and sounding a loud party horn.

[We did it! We did it, Zyra!] the snake avatar squealed, doing a little victory dance.

Suddenly, bright blue notifications began to flash rapidly across Zyra’s closed eyelids.

[DING! Congratulations, Host! Your massive debt has been FULLY paid off!]

[DING! For successfully filling the measuring cup to the brim, your grand reward is: three Free Assimilation Skill opportunities! If you observe a skill, I can copy it and imprint it in your mind!]

[DING! For retrieving the Life sap roots and harmonization liquid for the beasts, your core Resonance Levels have shot up to 20%!]

[DING! For sparing the baby moles in the tunnel, you get four beast eggs, and a free shopping voucher.]

[DING! Bonus Reward: You have received 400 Free Resonance Points.]

Hearing the system alerts Zyra couldn’t contain herself. A massive, joyful laugh burst from her lips. She rolled over onto her back, clutching her stomach as she grinned at the ceiling. Each reward made her happier and happier. She went from debt to financial freedom and a free shopping voucher!

Meanwhile, Hunter was sitting on the old chair across the room, watching her squeal. She looked quite strange, staring into space, giggling maniacally, and rolling around on the bed. He slowly rubbed his chin, his face full of deep, genuine concern.

I think that she might need a doctor, Hunter thought, his heart sinking. Did the stress make her condition worse? First, she talks to the air, and now she’s laughing at nothing. Did I make a mistake choosing her?

He cleared his throat nervously, standing up. "Um... Zyra, listen, I’m going to excuse myself for a bit. I’ll go downstairs, check on Tyrant and grab us some hot food. Maybe some broth will... clear your head. You should take that bath before I return. Don’t open the door for anyone that is not me."

Zyra didn’t even hear a single word he said. She completely tuned him out; her eyes locked onto the updated statistics panel that the system had just generated for her.

Zyra Scorpion.

Resonance Points: 540

Unassigned Points: 60

Health: 97%

Strength: 10%

Agility: 5

Speed: 6

Command Aura: None.

Beast Bond: Stabilization Stage.

Beasts: 2

Skills: Knife assassin, soul sight.]

"System, add ten unassigned points each to strength, agility and speed." She wouldn’t add too many because a sudden change that could not be explained would be too suspicious.

Outside, Hunter made his way to the lodging house restaurant and made a food order for the both of them. He picked a table near the back. Its surface was sticky with spilled beer which made him grimace, but he sat down anyway. His muscles ached a little, and his stomach was violently demanding the food he had just paid for.

Right as he was rubbing his temples, a loud slam echoed from the center table. A group of rough-looking hunters, already three cups deep into their cheap alcohol, were red-faced and shouting.

"A total waste of time! Days tracking her through the mud!" one scrawny hunter barked, slamming his empty mug down. "And for what? The planetary assembly just posted the notice. The bounty on Zyra Scorpion’s head has been terminated!"

Hunter’s hand clenched. His ears practically twitched. Terminated?

"Are you serious?" another hunter groaned, throwing his hands up. "Who the hell took her down?"

"I am not surprised she has been found quickly; everyone wanted a share of the reward...it was just a matter of time.

"Some lucky bastard collected," the first man cursed, spitting on the floor. "Probably sneaked up on her while she was sleeping. If I ever find that bastard, I’ll break his legs for stealing my reward!"

"She is dead, nobody collected. I feel sorry for the bastards that dared to go into the jungles of the Wild lands looking for her."

"So, was she kidnapped or did she run away?"

Hunter blinked, a sudden, heavy lump forming in his throat. His chest tightened with a mix of shock and a strange, bitter spark of anxiety. Zyra’s bounty was gone.

That meant that she was no longer wanted anymore, and he was no longer of use to her. Did this mean she would terminate their agreement?