Daisy crouched in the dense undergrowth, her sharp eyes locked onto her prey in the murky swamp. She slowly drew her bowstring, steadying her breathing as she focused. A familiar sensation coursed through her—a slight surge of power. She had leveled up again. Without hesitation, she released the arrow with a sharp whooshing sound.
A heavy thud followed. The three-eyed toad collapsed without even a twitch, dead before it could react.
Satisfied with her handiwork, Daisy slung her bow over her shoulder and stepped out of her concealed position. She moved confidently toward the lifeless creature, her senses alert as always. With practiced efficiency, she scooped up the toad and stuffed it into her sack. Tracking was second nature to her—her keen nose made her the best hunter in the group, allowing her to pick up scents that others couldn't.
Opening her sack, she counted her trophies. Six dead beasts. Not bad for the day. "That should be enough," she thought. "Time to head back to camp."
Just as she turned to leave, her nose twitched. A scent—faint but distinct. Blood.
She froze, her muscles tensing. A few strides ahead, a nearby bush rustled. Daisy immediately slipped into a defensive stance, her hand hovering near her arrows, ready to react to whatever emerged.
A figure stumbled out.
It was a young man, his face smeared with blood, his body covered in bruises and scrapes, as if he'd been dragged through a thicket of thorns. His breath came in ragged gasps.
"Help..." he croaked weakly.
Daisy's sharp eyes widened. "What happened?" she asked urgently.
"A monster... A monster is coming..."
Before Daisy could respond, a massive shadow swept through the trees. In a blur of speed, the youth was snatched into the air. He barely had time to scream before the beast clamped its powerful jaws around him, shaking him like a ragdoll.
Daisy could only watch in horror.
The creature was unlike anything she had seen before—a monstrous fusion of a gorilla’s hulking body with unnaturally slim forearms and the head of an antelope, its elongated jaws lined with razor-sharp teeth. With a powerful motion, it hurled the youth to the ground. He landed with a sickening thud, motionless. Probably dead.
Daisy's blood ran cold.
Her body trembled, fear gripping her like an iron vice. But the beast’s deafening roar snapped her out of her daze. She spun on her heel and bolted.
Her heart pounded against her ribs with each desperate step. The ground quaked beneath her feet. The monster was chasing her. Its growls grew louder, closer.
She knew she couldn’t outrun it forever.
Gritting her teeth, she skidded to a stop, pivoted sharply, and nocked an arrow in one swift motion. She leveled it with her eye, took a quick aim, and released.
The arrow struck true.
The beast let out an ear-splitting roar, so loud it made her ears ring. Instead of slowing down, it became even more enraged. It charged at her with terrifying speed.
Before she could react, a massive force slammed into her. Pain exploded through her body as she was sent flying. The impact sent her crashing into the ground, her arm absorbing most of the shock before the rest of her body hit the mud. A sharp, searing pain shot through her limbs. Dirt and grime clung to her skin.
Her vision blurred.
She tried to scramble to her feet, but her body wobbled. The heavy thuds of the beast’s approach filled her ears. It was coming. If she didn’t move now, she was dead.
With sheer determination, Daisy forced herself to stand, her legs shaking beneath her. She staggered forward, but the slippery mud betrayed her. Her feet gave out. She collapsed.
Her breath came in short gasps.
Was this how it ended?
She squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the final blow.
But it never came.
The beast loomed over her, its nostrils flaring as it sniffed the air. It let out a deep growl, turning its head left and right, searching. Then, after what felt like an eternity, it huffed, gave one last snarl, and... retreated.
Daisy's eyes shot open. She lay there in stunned silence, her body still trembling.
Why had it left her alive? She didn’t know.
All she knew was that she had barely escaped death. And for that, she was grateful.
She didn’t linger in fear, nor did she wait to see if the beast would return. Gasping for air, she forced herself to move, her legs trembling beneath her. With all the strength she had left, she pressed forward, determined to escape the forest.
Her grip on her bow tightened. She remained vigilant, her senses sharp, every rustling leaf and distant growl setting her nerves on edge.
Time blurred as she pushed on, her breaths ragged, her body aching.
Then—
In the distance, figures emerged.Hunters.
Relief surged through her chest. She recognized their silhouettes immediately—three huntresses from her group.
Mustering the last of her strength, she broke into a weak run, her voice hoarse as she cried out, "Help!"
The huntresses turned, their eyes widening as they spotted her.
Her vision wavered.The ground tilted beneath her.Then—darkness covered her sight.
She collapsed.
~~~~
AT THE CAMP
Lucy and Kate sat in the lounge, taking a moment to rest while sipping their hot soup. The warmth provided a brief comfort in the midst of all the chaos.
A few moments later, a middle-aged woman in a nurse’s uniform entered the room.
"The doctor says Daisy is in stable condition," the nurse informed them. "However, her arm is broken, and it will take some time for her to recover."
Lucy let out a sigh of relief. "Well, at least she's alive. It could have been much worse."
"I’ll update you on her condition later. For now, I need to attend to another patient—one of the paralyzed survivors," the nurse added.
"Understood. Thank you, Nurse," Kate said with a nod.
The nurse gave a small bow before leaving the room.
Kate scooped another spoonful of soup and nibbled on a piece of bread. "This hunting period has been full of problems," she muttered.
A sudden knock at the door caught their attention.
Lucy and Kate exchanged glances before standing up.
"Come in," Lucy called.
The door swung open, revealing an elite hunter in full gear. His presence alone commanded attention.
"Good evening," he greeted.
"Good evening, sir!" Both girls immediately stood at attention and saluted.
"I'm here to investigate what happened."
Lucy nodded, her expression serious. "As I said earlier, we don’t know much. Daisy just suddenly arrived in that condition."
Kate nodded in agreement.
"I see," the hunter mused.
"Sir, is something wrong?" Kate asked hesitantly.
"There’s nothing to worry about for now," the hunter assured them. "A distress call was made, so the hunting period has been canceled. Something unexpected happened out there, and we can’t risk anyone else getting hurt. The other hunters are already in the forest, recalling the remaining trainees."
Lucy and Kate exchanged uneasy glances.
"For now get some rest first. We’ll head back once the other trainees have returned."
"Understood, sir," Lucy finally said.
"Good. I have other matters to attend to," the hunter said before turning to leave.
The two girls nodded in unison, watching as he exited.
The room fell silent, the weight of the situation settling in. Something had gone terribly wrong in the hunt, and they were only beginning to grasp just how dangerous it truly was.
----------------------
Fang Mu hovered on the edge of consciousness, his vision blurred and his body aching. In front of him stood a young man, watching him intently.
"Why is Henry’s preference so strange?" the youth murmured to himself, a puzzled expression crossing his face. "Did he really torture this beast?"
An odd feeling crept over him as he observed Fang Mu. Something about Henry’s actions didn’t sit right. Slowly, he leaned closer to the creature suspended in the ropes, curiosity getting the better of him.
That was his mistake.
The moment the youth leaned in, Fang Mu's eyes snapped open. With a flick of his tongue, he struck—his sharp appendage shooting forward like a whip, piercing the youth’s neck.
The young man gasped, choking on his own breath as searing pain flooded his body. He clutched at his throat, his eyes wide with shock. Blood trickled between his fingers as he staggered backward, convulsing violently before collapsing to the ground.
A smirk played on Fang Mu’s lips.
The ropes still bound his feet, but his head and upper body were free. That was all he needed.
He rocked his body back and forth in a slow, rhythmic motion, forcing himself to bend forward each time. With each repetition, he edged closer to his feet, his small but sharp teeth finding the rough fibers of the rope.
Bite. Pull. Bite. Pull.
The process was painstakingly slow, but Fang Mu was relentless.
Finally, the rope loosened.
With one last tug, it unraveled completely, sending him tumbling to the ground. He landed with a soft thud, his body pressing against the cold dirt. Beside him lay the lifeless corpse of his own kind, a grim reminder of what could have been his fate.
Wasting no time, Fang Mu scrambled to his feet. His movements were low and careful as he crept toward the exit, his heart pounding in his chest.
.