"Senior Brother!" Shelly ran toward Kai, helping him stand up.
"Senior Brother, you were amazing! That was a spell on the level of an official caster!"
Kai chuckled weakly. "Just luck."
Shelly shook her head. "No, Senior Brother Kai, you really did it!"
The hunters cheered, but beneath their celebration, some grieved for their fallen comrades. Rony rushed toward Kai, and alongside Ferdinand, they carried an injured Mardoc and other wounded hunters.
"Kai, you did it," Chief Elder Oxor said, relief in his voice.
"No, we—" Kai began, but before he could finish, Shelly’s scream cut through the air.
A deep, guttural growl spread across the battlefield, turning the cheers into silence.
The hunters' faces paled as their gazes snapped toward the source of the sound. From the ruins of the shattered wall, the massive beast slowly stood up. Its body was covered in bruises and wounds, its once-impenetrable earth armor now cracked and broken.
But it was still alive.
Kai’s blood ran cold. How that's thing still standing? He had thought the beast was finished, but he had underestimated it.
“Don’t be afraid!” Elder Gido’s voice boomed, trying to bolster their morale. “It’s severely wounded! All we need to do is take it down with the ballista!”
A hunter from the crowd hesitated before stepping forward. "Elder... some of our ballistas were destroyed."
"What?" Elder Gido’s face darkened. Their best chance at victory had been ruined by the very beast they thought was defeated.
Kai clenched his fists, his face pale from exhaustion. He had put everything into that last spell, and yet… the beast still stood.
The Queen Antilla rose, its breathing heavy but its golden eyes burning with rage. Blood dripped from its wounds, but instead of weakening, it looked even more ferocious.
The hunters who had been cheering moments ago now trembled in fear.
"This… this isn't possible…" Ferdinand muttered, gripping his weapon tightly.
"That thing just took a caster level spell head-on and survived?!" Rony's voice cracked.
"We need to retreat!" one of the hunters yelled.
"No!" Elder Gido barked. "If we run now, this beast will destroy the entire village!"
"But Elder—"
THUD.
The Queen Antilla stomped forward, the ground shaking beneath its weight. Its thick rock armor was gone, revealing its true body—raw, powerful muscles covered in dark fur. Despite its wounds, it looked even faster now, more dangerous.
Kai gritted his teeth. "I underestimated it… This isn't just any magical beast…This is high tier magical beast."
The hunters paled even further.
"A High-Tier?!"
"No wonder it survived!" They thought
Jerome struggled to stand, his entire body weak from mana exhaustion. "We… we have to fight."
"With what?!" Rony snapped. "Half our ballista are destroyed, and our strongest caster is drained!"
For the first time, despair began to creep into the hearts of the villagers. And then—without further ado—the beast charged toward them.
"RUNNNNNNNN!" one of the hunters screamed.
Panic erupted as the hunters scattered, some grabbing their weapons while others instinctively fled. The ground trembled under the beast’s rampage, its furious roar shaking them to their core.
Kai gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand despite his exhaustion. 
"Senior Brother your injure" Shelly said
"We have to stop it... or we’re all dead." 
Jerome watched in horror as the beast stomped forward, charging toward the hunters. They couldn't outrun it—anyone caught in its path would be killed instantly.
He gritted his teeth, frustration boiling inside him. Why am I so weak?
Some of the villagers had already fallen. He knew it. And yet, he was powerless to stop it.
"We can't keep this up!" Henry shouted, breathing heavily.
"Then let's finish it!" Samuel yelled back.
Anthony nodded in agreement, gripping his weapon tightly.
"What are you all doing?!" Jerome yelled, his voice so loud that some hunters turned to look at him.
Henry, along with Samuel and Anthony, charged toward the beast, weapons in hand. They hacked and stabbed at its massive body while skillfully dodging its swinging arms.
Their attacks managed to wound the creature, but the injuries were shallow—not enough to deal a severe blow.
"Dieeeeeeeeeeeee!" one of them roared, striking with all their might.
Shouts and screams filled the air as the battle raged on. The beast growled, its rage boiling over. With a powerful swing of its arm, it caught Henry and sent him flying. He crashed hard into the ground, groaning in pain.
"Henry! Damn it!" Samuel shouted. His grip tightened on his weapon as anger took over. "Die, beast! Dieeee!"
He swung his weapon with all his strength, hacking at the beast’s thick hide. But before he could land another strike, the creature raised both of its massive fists, clenching them tightly before bringing them down with crushing force.
Boom!
Samuel was struck by the beast’s enormous arms. Blood splattered across the ground, mixing with dust and dirt. His body went still.
"Samuel!" Anthony screamed, terror gripping his heart. Panic overwhelmed him, and he turned to flee.
But the beast was faster. It leaped toward him, slamming its massive body down, crushing him beneath its weight blood splattered in ground.
"Samuel! Anthony!" Elder Gido screamed, watching his hunters die before his eyes.
His hands trembled, his heart pounding in his chest. They had fought bravely, but the beast was merciless.
"Elder Gido, what are you doing? We need to flee!" a hunter urged, grabbing his arm.
Elder Gido gritted his teeth, his fists clenching at his sides. He knew they were outmatched—any fool could see that. The creature was unlike anything they had ever faced before, its sheer size and power rendering their weapons useless. But could they really just turn their backs and run? This was their home, their village, where generations of their people had lived and died. Abandoning it meant abandoning everything they had built.
"Damn… the village is done for," Fang Mu muttered, crouching in the shadows.
From a distance, he watched as the village crumbled. Flame consumed the wooden houses, their embers rising into the night sky like dying stars. The air was thick with smoke, turning the once-lively settlement into a smoldering graveyard.
Screams still echoed through the chaos, but they were fewer now—some fading into silence, others cut off too suddenly. Whether the villagers had managed to escape or had simply been swallowed by the carnage, Fang Mu couldn’t tell.
The night was drenched in terror. Cries of the wounded mingled with the desperate sobs of mothers searching for their children. The acrid scent of blood and burning wood filled his nostrils. Shadows flickered wildly as villagers ran in every direction, some clutching what little they could carry, others frozen in horror, paralyzed by the sheer brutality of the scene before them.
The hunters fought desperately, their arrows slicing through the smoke, but they were useless. The Queen Antilla's thick hide turned them away like raindrops against stone.
With each step, the monstrous beast crushed what little remained of the village. Its massive arms swung through the air, sending bodies flying like broken dolls. The ground trembled beneath its weight.
Shelly and Jerome stood paralyzed, their faces pale. Was this truly the end? They turned their wide, fearful eyes toward Kai—the village’s strongest warrior, their last hope. But even he was struggling to stay on his feet, his chest rising and falling heavily, his grip on his sword unsteady. If even Kai was at his limit… what chance did they have?
Kai exhaled slowly, forcing down his exhaustion. His entire body ached, but there was no time for weakness. "It looked like he had no choice"
He tightened his grip on his staff and took a step forward
Kai wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His mana reserves were almost empty, and his body felt like it was made of lead. But there was no time to rest. If he collapsed, the village was doomed.
"Kai, no!" Shelly grabbed his arm, her eyes filled with desperation. "You're too weak! If you force another spell, you'll—"
Kai gently nudged her aside, his expression unreadable. He reached into his tunic and pulled out a medallion engraved with ancient magical symbols. He had always avoided using this artifact—his master had warned him of its cost. It was meant to be a last resort, something to be wielded only when all other options had failed.
But right now, the village was on the brink of annihilation.
His instincts screamed at him to flee, to survive. But if he turned his back now, how could he ever face his junior brothers and sisters again? How could he call himself a senior brother if he abandoned them in their time of need?
Gripping his staff tightly, he channeled the last of his strength. Sparks crackled at the tip, then burst forth, streaking toward the beast’s face in a dazzling flash of light.
The Queen Antilla roared in fury, its many eyes burning with rage. It reared back, momentarily disoriented, before locking onto Kai once more.
He barely had time to react before the beast lunged, closing the distance with terrifying speed.
Kai raised the medallion high, its runes glowing brighter—