Kael reacted in pure instinct. A split second before the wolf's jaws could clamp down on his throat, he yanked out the shotgun he stole from Renji. He pressed the muzzle right into the creature's open mouth and fired.
The blast cracked like thunder. The wolf's head jerked back and its body skidded across the snow. But instead of dying, it only staggered to its feet with a wounded snarl. The inside of its mouth smoked, but the creature looked more annoyed than harmed.
"Oh come on," Kael hissed. "Ordinary guns really do nothing."
Across the field, the A rank leader finally entered the fight. He drew his twin daggers, and in the blink of an eye he cut through more than twenty goblins and wolves. His speed was unreal, a blur of sharp steel and snow. When he noticed Kael struggling, he did not help. He simply smiled, like he was enjoying the little show Kael was putting on.
Kael pushed himself up from the ground. The wolf was coming again, still full of fury. He held his breath, calmed his shaking hands, and timed the lunge. When the beast burst forward, Kael aimed for its eyes and pulled the trigger.
The shot connected. The wolf shrieked and toppled in the snow, losing its balance. Kael rushed in, pulling out Renji's worn-out sword, and with one clean swing he drove the blade through its neck. The creature collapsed with a heavy thud.
"Good," Kael muttered, relieved. "At least the sword works."
The A rank hunter looked annoyed that the fight ended with Kael still in one piece. He continued slicing through goblins like they were made of paper, clearly trying to reclaim the spotlight.
A familiar sound chimed in Kael's ears.
[ Ding ]
[ LEVEL UP ]
[ 100 EXP gained ]
[ 10 points gained. Points can be assigned to increase your stats. ]
"Finally," Kael whispered under his breath, a small spark of joy rising in him.
But that joy did not last long. The C rank water elementor was locked in a brutal battle with the Alpha wolf. The beast was far stronger than the others. Each ice spike thrown at it shattered before reaching its body. With one furious roar, a shockwave blasted out from the Alpha and sent snow flying everywhere.
The wolf charged at the water elementor, only to be intercepted by a rain of arrows from the B rank archer. The rest of the crew was too busy dealing with the remaining monsters, leaving only the two of them to handle the Alpha.
The wolf suddenly changed direction and sprinted toward the archer with frightening speed.
But the archer did not budge. He simply smiled, calmly nocked five arrows at once and fired. All five hit, but the Alpha did not slow down. It kept tearing through the snow with unstoppable rage.
The archer still looked relaxed, like he already knew the outcome.
Five feet away from him, the wolf lunged.
The archer flicked his fingers.
Blood burst out from the Alpha's body like it had been drilled full of holes from the inside. The beast crashed into the snow, twitching as the life drained out of it.
"That is what you get for charging at me," the archer said, brushing snow off his sleeve.
Silence almost settled over the battlefield.
Then a roar shook the entire forest.
It was deeper, louder, and powerful enough to freeze the breath in Kael's throat. Even the A rank hunter stopped moving for a heartbeat. The ground trembled. Snow dropped from tree branches. A wave of fear swept across every hunter there.
From the shadows of the forest, a giant stepped out.
A massive goblin, towering over the trees, muscles bulging like stone, eyes glowing with murderous hunger.
A glowing screen hovered above its head.
[ GOBLIN BOSS ]
[ LEVEL 40 ]
The A rank hunter's lips curled into a hungry smile.
"Finally," he said.
Then he charged straight at the monster.
The Giant Goblin never stood a chance. It swung its massive axe in a desperate attempt to stop the A rank, but the man was already gone from its line of sight. In a heartbeat he reappeared behind it. His twin daggers flashed again and again, carving deep cuts across the monster's body with precise, merciless strikes.
By the time the Goblin Boss realized what happened, it was already falling. Its huge frame crashed onto the snow, its life gone in a single, short moment.
The A rank hunter walked back toward the group like a man who had only stretched his muscles, not fought a level forty boss. His expression held mild annoyance, as if he expected the fight to last longer.
"Wow… the boss is really strong," the female B rank whispered. Except it was not a whisper. Kael heard every word.
Kael exhaled in relief. At last, it was over. Or so he thought.
"Let's move into the forest," the A rank leader said calmly. "We need to finish this before it gets dark."
Kael's eyes widened behind his mask. What? We're not done? He nearly cried out. His face twisted in frustration.
The system did not help either. It struck him again.
[ Ding ]
[ Two hours remaining to complete your quest ]
[ Failure will result in instant death ]
Kael wanted to scream. And he did.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
The sound burst out before he could swallow it. Every hunter turned to him. His heart dropped. This was not part of Renji's behavior. His scream echoed in the silent snowfield like a confession of guilt.
Before Kael's mind could make sense of his mistake, the A rank leader appeared in front of him. Not walked. Appeared. One moment he was ten steps away, the next he stood towering over Kael, blocking the fading light.
Kael did not hear footsteps. He did not even see movement. The hunter simply materialized right in front of him.
He was twice Kael's height up close. His shadow swallowed Kael whole. His presence pressed down on Kael's chest so heavily that Kael's legs trembled on their own.
This aura… I have never felt anything like this, Kael thought, panic squeezing his lungs.
"Snake Eyes," the A rank said in a calm tone. Yet to Kael, it sounded like a quiet threat aimed straight at his neck. "Are you alright?"
His eyes stayed fixed on Kael's mask as if trying to peer through it. Searching. Testing.
Kael forced a stiff nod. He stepped aside and walked past him, pretending to take the lead again. His legs felt weak, but he kept moving, hoping no one noticed how close he was to falling apart.
He listened carefully for the A rank's footsteps behind him. Nothing. The man stayed where he stood, eyes still locked on Kael's back.
Then the A rank chuckled, a low sound that carried through the cold air far too easily.
"I will personally kill you here," he said quietly.
But to Kael, it sounded louder than his own heartbeat.
His pulse thundered in his ears. Fear washed over him in waves, leaving his thoughts scattered and cold.
The system had already started the countdown. Two hours left. Two hours to kill the entire crew. Two hours or he dies.
He still had no idea why the system gave him such an insane, impossible task.
He did not know why these hunters had to die.
All he knew was that the clock was ticking. And the hunters around him were far from easy targets.
And somewhere behind him, the A rank leader kept smiling.