At that moment, Kevin spoke from the side with a smirk, "Are you getting scared?"
Hearing this, Steve replied with a sly grin, "What's there to fear? We've been preparing just for this moment. We'll crush every monster we see."
Hearing their chatter, Captain Maya frowned and said sharply, "Talk less and get to your positions."
Thomas nodded and responded, "Okay, Captain." Then he added, "The new ones, stay behind. I'll handle the rest."
His voice held a commanding strength as he gave the final orders.
One by one, all the hunters took their positions. In the pale blue moonlight, the silhouette of terrifying, feral hyena-like monsters became visible in the distance. They were grouped together at the edge of the mountain beside the village. As Vice-Captain Thomas moved forward, he suddenly felt something under his feet.
Bending down to observe carefully, what he saw was horrifying—severed limbs of villagers scattered on the ground, bloody and mangled, being devoured by those monsters.
Furious, Thomas clenched his magical sword and charged straight toward the monsters without hesitation.
These monsters were unlike ordinary hyenas. They stood upright on two legs, with limbs resembling human arms and legs. Each one was the size of a full-grown man, their bodies covered in thick fur, eyes glowing crimson, and under the moonlight, they looked even more menacing.
Blood dripped from their mouths, and a foul stench hung in the air. The hunters began slaughtering the monsters with their weapons and magic, methodically eliminating those that came within range. There were about fifteen to twenty of them in the village, most of whom were swiftly killed.
Hunter Kevin, driven by a kind of cruel satisfaction, fought fiercely and mercilessly. His eyes burned with a twisted joy. Meanwhile, Captain Maya was eliminating the monsters at a blazing speed.
She wielded an enormous magical sword that was far too heavy and complex for an average warrior to manage—but she swung it with masterful precision, felling monsters with each strike.
As Kevin fought, he laughed and said aloud, "Were these weak things really the threat!"
Behind them, the three new hunters—Ken, Relar, and Xi—had been observing cautiously. Gradually gathering their courage, they joined the fight.
Ken, with great effort, managed to kill one monster, his breath heavy with both exhaustion and pride. Relar, on the other hand, swiftly took down two monsters with remarkable ease and skill.
Once the monsters were nearly all wiped out, the team began scanning the village, assessing the damage and ensuring no threat remained.
Captain Maya and Vice-Captain Thomas then used a special device to send a recovery signal, calling for a support team to assist in cleaning up the village, securing it, and collecting the remains of the fallen victims.
At the edge of the jungle stood Hunter Kevin in front of an abandoned house. Elsewhere, Hunter Steef had climbed to the rooftop of a nearby building, his eyes fixed intensely on the forest.
Feeling an unnatural disturbance in the air, he sensed deep inside that something terrible was about to happen. Using his special ability, he tried to perceive what was happening deep within the jungle.
But Kevin remained standing outside the house, completely unbothered, as if there wasn't a shred of doubt in his mind. Suddenly, a strange roar echoed from the jungle.
Before anyone could grasp what was happening, a massive monster leapt out and, in a single motion, severed Kevin's head from his body. Steef, watching from the rooftop, was stunned by the sight and immediately shouted to call the other hunters.
Everyone came running—Captain Maya, Vice-Captain Thomas, Ken, Xi, and the rest of the hunters—all rushing toward the terrifying monster. But seeing the monster's enormous form, Ken froze in fear. His legs trembled beneath him, as he realized none of them had imagined something like this. Meanwhile, Steef's face was filled with deep concern.
He kept repeating in his mind, "We were told there would only be weak monsters! Where did this thing come from?"
Among all of them, only Captain Maya showed no sign of fear. Though surprised, she had been mentally prepared for such an encounter. Vice-Captain Thomas looked at her and instantly understood what she was planning just by the look in her eyes.
He quickly gave the command, "Steef, try to hold it back as much as you can. Xi, start firing flaming arrows from a distance—keep the pressure on!"
The monster was truly horrifying. It had four enormous arms, thick and muscular legs, a towering body covered in black fur, and eyes that glowed like burning fire. Its face was a blend between a hyena and a jackal—just the sight of it could paralyze anyone with fear.
At that moment, a small but intense and terrifying battle broke out. The hunters attacked together—Xi launched a barrage of magical arrows from afar, Thomas hurled whirling blades with his power, and Captain Maya gave swift orders from the front lines. For a few moments, it seemed they might be able to slow the monster down. But the control didn't last long.
The monster suddenly let out a deafening roar, scanned its surroundings, and swiftly killed both Hunter Rilar and Hunter Steef. Witnessing this, Vice-Captain Thomas became furious. Though his body was already injured, he leapt toward the monster in rage. But with little strength left in him, he too was slain within moments.
Now only three hunters remained alive—Ken, Xi, and Captain Maya. Ken was lying on the ground, exhausted beyond measure, his body cut and bleeding. He couldn't move. On the other side, Xi was still putting up a fight with her magical bow, but it was clear she wouldn't last much longer.
Just as the monster lunged toward Ken to finish him off, Captain Maya appeared before it and blocked its path. She raised her sword and began to fight, though her body had no strength left. She fought using the very last of her energy, refusing to give up.
From a distance, Ken watched the dreadful fight unfold. His body wouldn't move anymore. He watched until his consciousness faded, and then collapsed on the ground.
Night passed. The first light of dawn broke through the mountains and fell upon the ruins of the village. As the golden light spread, the devastation came into focus—bodies half-eaten, destroyed houses, and pools of blood everywhere. Dead monsters lay scattered.
Amid the silence, Ken's hand moved slightly. It was clear—he was still alive. He slowly opened his eyes and, with great effort, managed to sit up. His eyes immediately went to the monster's corpse. It lay there, unmoving. Ken realized that somehow, the monster had been killed.
But where were the others? Ken looked around, scanning the surroundings carefully. That's when he saw the bodies of the other hunters lying around, lifeless. Then, his eyes landed near the monster—Captain Maya was kneeling beside it, her sword still in her hand. Her head hung low, her hair messy, her arms and face covered in wounds, blood dripping steadily to the ground, staining the grass red.
Ken shuddered. It felt like his heart might stop. Fear was etched clearly across his face. But even then, he forced himself to stay calm and began dragging his weakened body toward Captain Maya.
After some time, he reached her and gently touched her. The moment he did, she collapsed to the ground. It was clear—she was no longer alive.
Ken understood then—Captain Maya had fought the monster all night long, giving everything she had to protect the rest of them. Her final breath had been spent in battle.
After a few more moments, Hunter Ken somehow gathered what little strength he had left and stood up. Limping heavily, he made his way toward a large tree on the edge of the forest beside the ruined village and sat down beneath it. He rested there for a while, catching his breath, then slowly got up again and began to walk into the dense forest path, leaving behind the destruction and death.
Meanwhile, the village was still littered with corpses—of the hunters and the innocent villagers. Not long after, a recovery team arrived in vehicles, responding to the distress signal sent by Captain Maya and Vice-Captain Thomas. They began collecting every body one by one, from monsters to villagers to hunters, and pulled out a list to verify each name.
First was Thomas Edren — Age 29, Height 5'7".
Then, Xi Redhead — Age 21, Height 5'5".
Stiff Mecaow — Age 22, Height 6'1".
Rillar Fott — Age 19, Height 5'6".
Sylvia — Age 19, Height 5'2".
Kevin Kelvin — Age 20, Height 5'8".
And lastly, Captain Maya Chandran — Age 25, Height 5'7".
But there was one name left on the list—Ken Renar. He was nowhere to be found. After a long search that led nowhere, the team finally assumed he had been taken by one of the monsters or lost forever within the forest.
On the other side, Ken was still trudging forward through the dense woods, his steps weak, his body torn and bleeding, but his will still alive. At a certain point deep within the jungle, he heard something strange—a sound that didn't belong. Instantly alert, he slipped behind a tree and tried to peek through the bushes to see what was ahead.
But he saw nothing.
As he began to slowly retreat, careful not to make a sound, suddenly his body collided with someone behind him. He immediately turned around—and froze.
Standing before him was someone unknown…