Vayu was in no rush as he made his way toward the open field. A wooden spear rested in his hand, while the iron spear was tied horizontally across his back. The open terrain made it easy to carry both the spears without restricting his movements. When he reached his destination, he removed the large bag from his back, it was a makeshift bundle made from an old bedsheet, in which he carried the fifty carrots. One by one, he tossed the golden-painted carrots near the traps, relying entirely on memory to place them in the right spots.
Once he was done, he gripped the wooden spear and began running after the rabbits, throwing it with all his strength. But despite the force behind the throw, the uneven weapon wobbled through the air and dropped halfway to the target. Without stopping, he reached back, untied the iron spear in one fluid motion and threw it next. This time the spear whistled sharply through the air, driven by the same strength as before, and slammed into the ground nearly ten feet ahead of the fleeing rabbit. The difference was clear in those two spears but, carrying and using two completely different spears was disrupting his stance, his aim and the flow of his movements. He couldn't tell whether to adjust his strength, his timing, or his balance. The wooden spear, in particular, proved utterly unreliable. Gradually, Vayu stopped paying attention to it altogether and began focusing more and more on the iron spear, and started to get familiar with it. But still Vayu faced a major problem, he had grown up using small weapons all his life. His village trained fighters for narrow paths, forests, close-quarters combat where reactions mattered more than range. But now inside this open field, everything was the complete opposite of whatever he had learned his whole life, here the ground was wide, exposed and he was using long-ranged attacks. While throwing a weapon it required timing and patience. The unfamiliar environment gave him a headache, but the tension only hardened his resolve as giving up was never an option.
He continued throwing the spear again and again. Slowly, painfully, his throws began to improve. Each attempt landed closer to its target than the last, but still, none struck the targets. Frustration simmered beneath his calm expression, until a sudden idea flashed through his mind. He stopped himself and steadied his breathing and forced his thoughts into order. Then he switched weapons, placing the iron spear back across his shoulders and taking the wooden one in hand. He selected the nearest horned rabbit to him. But instead of chasing it, Vayu bent his body backwards and threw the wooden spear with all his strength. The moment the rabbit sensed danger, it bolted and Vayu sprinted after it. The wooden spear didn't hit its mark as he had expected and fell some distance ahead of him, embedding itself into the ground at a shallow angle. As Vayu closed the distance, his foot struck the exposed base of the spear, pushing it with his foot so the shaft tilted in the opposite direction, without braking the momentum his next step landed on the slanted shaft, the spear bent slightly under his weight and redirected his momentum upward. Using the spear like a springboard Vayu leapt, his body arching through the air. In mid-jump, his hands moved instinctively to his back, gripping the iron spear. The motion was fluid, as if he had practiced it 1000 times. For a brief instant, he looked like a war god descending from the sky and a roar tore from his throat "I AM THE HUNTER"
The iron spear whistled through the air, piercing straight through the horned rabbit's body before slamming deep into the ground. Vayu landed moments later, rolling across the ground before rising smoothly to his feet. The open field fell silent, broken by his heavy breathing and suddenly he erupted into a laughter, as he at last got the reward for all his hard work. This was the first rabbit Vayu had killed, a horned rabbit after days of relentless effort. His eyes shone with excitement as he rushed toward the spear and pulled it free from the ground. Slipping it back across his shoulders, he drew one of his daggers and swiftly opened the horned rabbit's body. His fingers moved inside the cut with precision and he stared wiggling them, searching until they brushed against something cold and solid. He pulled it out, and a tiny demonic crystal, came out. Without hesitation, he slipped it into his pocket. Just as he was about to leave, his body paused on its own. After a brief moment of thought, he took out the bedsheet he had brought earlier, wrapped the rabbit inside it, and continued hunting.
Nearly two hours later, Vayu was heading toward the western gate, a quiet satisfaction settling in his chest. He had caught two more horned rabbits and the success filled him with renewed confidence. Slipping back into the city unnoticed, he made his way behind the laboratory and stopped at the entrance of the underground chamber. As he sat down, the black liquid slowly rose from the underground chamber, watching him with interest. Vayu glanced at it and smiled faintly "We'll have a feast tonight" he said.
He quickly gutted the rabbits, keeping only what he needed. Anything he couldn't eat was tossed toward the black liquid, which swallowed it whole, dissolving flesh and bone without a trace. Vayu kept the meat and the horns intact, then began preparing the food, the scent of cooking meat slowly filling the hidden chamber as night settled in. Vayu wanted the meal to be perfect, just like the ones he used to make back when he was part of a hunting squad. For that, he needed spices. He quickly slipped back into the city to buy what he needed. But by the time he reached the market, his expression turned gloomy as all the shops were already closed. Disappointed, he started walking back toward the laboratory, his steps slow and his mood felt heavy. That was when he noticed an inn still lit in a distance, without hesitation, he circled around and entered through the back door. Inside, he quickly searched through the storage area, grabbing whatever spices he could find and stuffing them into his pockets. Just as he was about to leave, a sharp voice rang out behind him. "Hey, stop! What are you doing here?" Vayu froze for a split second, then clutched a box filled with spices and bolted. The sudden commotion caught the attention of the guards, and soon footsteps thundered behind him as they gave chase.
Vayu who was not using overdrive for hunting used it to steal spices, it looked comical when he ran with the box of spices. He sprinted through the streets, widening the gap, then turned two corners in quick succession. The moment he felt some distance open between him and guards, he switched back to his human form. He knew that if he stayed a fox, they could track him by scent, but as a human he blended in far more easily. To make it look natural, he changed his direction and calmly headed in the direction he had originally come from. Moments later, the two guards rushed past him without a second glance. Vayu without looking back he slipped into the crowd, disappeared among the late-night passersby, and quietly made his way back to the hidden underground chamber.