Ten minutes passed...

Half an hour passed...

Soon, the hour mark Shino had predicted for their return also arrived.

The Hunters all looked up, but the sky was so clear that there wasn't a single cloud, let alone a drone... not even a shadow.

The emotions of the Hunters were clearly starting to turn anxious and restless.

Just at this moment, the third green signal flare appeared in the sky.

Finally, one of the Hunters couldn't help but say, "I have a feeling that waiting like this is going to get us nowhere."

"Look at the position of the signal flare, those Hunters have probably already reached the entrance to the ruins of the research institute," another Hunter chimed in.

"Thinking back now, maybe following them was the right call." The Hunter who spoke first glanced cautiously at Sun Hang, and seeing no reaction from him, continued, "So many of us have died, we've lost ninety percent of our supplies, and now we're stuck in a dilemma... they, on the other hand, haven't lost anyone or anything, and reached their target without a hitch..."

"The cautious ones ended up mostly dead, and now we still have to face the problem of hunger." Another Hunter began to complain, "Those folks we thought were being rash didn't encounter any danger and even scored the highest trial points... damn, it feels so unfair."

"Damn, with what you just said, I'm starting to suspect that the Angsa knew about the Yamata Orochi in advance, which is why they rushed into the forest so eagerly!" A bearded Hunter slapped his thigh hard, "They were trying to kill us!"

"That shouldn't be the case, withholding crucial intelligence is a serious crime," Shino shook his head, "and even Dubhe Tower hasn't received news of Yamata Orochi leaving the Fusang Sea, so the Angsa likely don't have that capability, right?"

"But no matter what, they definitely got their hands on some exclusive intel!" The bearded Hunter grumbled angrily, "Damn those bastards!"

"Forget it, instead of sitting around here cursing and complaining, I think we should take this chance to pass through the forest and meet up with them," a Hunter with a horn growing from their head suggested.

"Is it even possible to make it in time if we go now?" The bearded Hunter hesitated, "And even if we do catch up, knowing the Angsa's way of doing things, they might not welcome us with open arms."

"I couldn't care less about whether they welcome us or not... at least, we're all Hunters, it's not like they'll fight us, right?" The horned Hunter said this, stealing a quick, subtle glance at Sun Hang with the corner of his eye, "In the worst case, we'll just tag along behind them; they eat meat, we drink soup... the ruins of the research institute are so dangerous, having an extra team should be beneficial to them, right!"

"You've got a point," the bearded Hunter nodded, "anyway, I'm done waiting."

"Alright then, anyone who wants to pass through the forest and find the other group of Hunters, come with me. Those who want to keep waiting, stay here." The horned Hunter turned to Sun Hang, "What do you say?"

"Decide for yourselves, I won't force anyone to make a choice." Sun Hang said with his hands in his pockets, looking indifferent to the whole situation.

What was that old saying again?

"It's hard to persuade a damned soul."

Seeing that Sun Hang had no intention of stopping anyone, several Hunters immediately stood beside the horned Hunter, and after a moment of contemplation, the bearded one also picked up his weapon and walked over.

"After we meet up with them, we'll use their drones to send a message back here." The horned Hunter seemed to retain some conscience, "If you can't wait for reinforcements, you can come find us; we'll leave markers along the way."

Several more Hunters stood up and joined his group... within a few minutes, only the Fisherman, Shino, and the female Hunter who had been with them from the beginning, were left by Sun Hang's side.

"Why didn't you follow them?" Sun Hang asked, a bit puzzled by the three people who stayed behind.

"I just don't trust the Angsa," the Fisherman said, "I've seen Angsa Hunters stab their comrades in the back for credit; since then, I've never trusted those people."

"And what about you two?" Sun Hang looked at Shino and the other female Hunter.

"They all ignored one fact, the one you mentioned not long ago," Shino said slowly, "The behavior of the Yamata Orochi is indeed very abnormal. You Xiazhou Continent people have an old saying: 'When something goes against the norm, there must be something fishy'... I just feel like the situation on this Nameless Island is far more complex than we imagined... and you give me a very special feeling."

Sun Hang burst out laughing, "A very special feeling? What kind? Let me just say, my sexual orientation is perfectly normal, I like women."

"It's like the kind of feeling that you seem capable of controlling the whole situation," Shino said, "From you, I can't sense any fear or panic... rather than follow those who are indecisive, I feel like sticking with you might have a higher chance of survival."

"You can't sense fear or panic?" Sun Hang's mouth twitched, "How do you know I'm not just putting on a facade of calm? There's a book called 'The Actor's Self-Cultivation,' ever heard of it?"

"My ability is to detect other people's emotions," Shino said with a self-deprecating smile, "So, does that sound like a pretty useless ability? If it wasn't for me being a researcher at Dubhe Tower and having automatic qualification, I would have been eliminated in the first round of the trial."

"Oh? Then when I threw that guy out just now, what emotions did you perceive in me?" Sun Hang asked with interest.

"No emotions..." Shino took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "As if what you threw out wasn't a person, but a piece of trash."

"Described quite accurately, that guy was indeed trash," Sun Hang looked sideways at the corpse, and then turned to the last female Hunter, "And what about you? What's your reason for staying?"

"I don't want to walk with that guy from just now," the female Hunter said, "He kept leering at my private parts with that lecherous look..."

"Which guy?" Sun Hang scanned the female Hunter, noticing that although her looks were quite ordinary, her figure was very attractive, and her tight waterproof combat suit emphasized her alluring curves.

"The one with the horn on his head... he's very strong, I couldn't beat him," the female Hunter answered.

"So you think I'm a good guy?" Sun Hang couldn't resist joking with her, "Actually, I've had my eye on you for a while."

"Ah..." the female Hunter was taken aback, but when she looked into Sun Hang's eyes, she noticeably breathed a sigh of relief.

She shook her head, "Your look is different from his... you're... just joking, right?"

"Can you tell that easily?" This time, it was Sun Hang's turn to be surprised.

"Whether I can tell or not, I don't know," Shino said from the side, "but I can sense you don't have that kind of lecherous desire for her..."

"Can this ability of yours read minds too?"

"No, it's different from mind reading." Shino shook his head, "For more intense emotions, like anger, fear, and desire, I can discern them, but that's about it."

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