The jungle at dusk glowed orange. Lin and Elara crouched behind a tree, every sense on edge.
This wasn't like the last predator. It was silent—too silent.
Crystal's voice cut in. "Congratulations. You killed the dumb ones. This one's different."
"Different how?" Lin whispered.
"It hunts you."
A low hiss came from above. Lin looked up—too late. The last predator, lean and serpentine, dropped from the canopy.
He rolled aside just in time, claws raking the dirt where he'd been.
Elara loosed two arrows; they bounced off its hide.
"Great!" Lin yelled. "We're fighting a ninja lizard!"
He activated Hunter's Instinct, scanning for weaknesses—nothing obvious.
"Crystal, any tips?"
"Yeah," she said dryly. "Don't die."
The predator lunged. Lin barely blocked, pain shooting up his arm. It was faster than the last two combined.
Elara shouted, "Trap it!"
Lin grabbed a vine, swinging it like a whip, snagging the predator's leg. It thrashed, snapping trees.
He triggered Reboot Surge, glowing faintly, and struck its jaw. It roared, stumbling back—just enough for Elara's arrow to pierce its eye.
The beast convulsed and fell.
System chimed:
> Quest Complete: Jungle Predator Hunt
Reward: +800 XP, Skill Upgrade Available
Lin collapsed to his knees, gasping. "Finally…"
But before he could celebrate, a soft clap echoed from the trees.
The blue-armored Guardian stepped into the clearing, staff glowing.
"Impressive," she said. "You've proven yourself worthy. Now, you will answer for your crimes."
Crystal muttered, "Oh, this is going to be fun."
To be continued…