Dust swirled across the sky over Jaxi District, tiny yellow particles rising from the sandy outskirts. It was a clear sign that a sandstorm was coming.
People looked up. Dust and yellow grains began to fall. Children warned their mothers. Wives called out to their husbands. Everyone moved quickly to prepare.
They wrapped cloth around their faces, leaving holes only for their eyes. Even then, they protected their eyes with goggles made from scrap metal.
The wooden roofs creaked. Sand slipped through cracks in the walls, biting at skin like thousands of tiny needles.
The sandstorm slammed into Jaxi District. Not a single smart survivor dared to step outside and stand in the street like a fool.
They could be swept away by the storm. Worse… they could be eaten by flying monsters.
Yes. Flying monsters the size of dog, shaped like dragonflies. They rode the sandstorm, hunting for food wherever it passed.
Some said the storm was caused by the desert dragonfly monsters. Others believed the creatures simply used the storm as camouflage.
"Stay away from the window, Rexy!"
A little girl ran inside and hugged her mother. Three people stood in the house, their faces already covered.
The father stood in front of his family, gripping an axe in his right hand.
If a desert dragonfly monster broke through the roof, he was ready.
"Come here, you filthy buggs!"
The sandstorm finally moved on, rolling south past Jaxi District. But a few desert dragonfly monsters still lingered behind.
Rexy, seven years old, walked to the front door and reached for the handle. Her parents froze in shock.
The door opened.
A desert dragonfly monster hovered outside. Red eyes. Flesh-tearing teeth.
Rexy stood still, her face pale, her hands trembling.
"Father…?"
The man sprinted forward.
"REXY?!"
STAB!
His eyes widened.
Rexy ran back into her father's arms, safe.
The desert dragonfly monster that had threatened them was dead.
A dagger had flown through the air and pinned the creature to the wooden wall behind it.
"Go to your mother!"
Rexy nodded and ran to her mom.
The man stepped outside and saw who had saved his daughter.
"Kaine?" he said, pulling down his face covering.
He yanked the dagger free and dragged the monster's body over, handing it to the young man. "Thank you."
He glanced at the leather bag Kaine carried. The twenty-year-old's face was still hidden behind a black mask and goggles, a dark hood covering his head.
"You went on a raid? How many did you get?" the man asked.
Kaine retrieved his dagger, sliced open the dragonfly, and removed the monster core from inside. The man watched him dissect the creature with steady hands.
"Not much. Enough to buy food," Kaine replied.
"You saved my daughter. Eat dinner with us tonight."
Kaine slipped the core into his pouch. 13 level 1 monster cores in total. One monster, one core.
"No," Kaine said. "You can keep the dragonfly. Be careful with the tail. Cook it separately."
"Of course. Thank you, Kaine."
Rexy stepped outside again and waved at him shyly, thanking him. Kaine gave a short nod and walked away.
Other residents had already begun hunting the remaining desert dragonflies. Once their wings were cut off, they were helpless.
There was one rule in Jaxi. Whoever killed a monster owned it.
Kaine watched people take advantage of the storm's aftermath. They killed dragonflies, pulled out their cores, and boiled the meat in large pots.
Disaster turned into opportunity.
He walked down the dusty dirt road without looking around. A hard stare could be taken as a threat.
Better not to look than to start a fight.
Ahead of him stood a large two-story building. People went in sober and came out drunk.
The door opened. Kaine stepped inside. The tavern was more crowded than usual. Many had been trapped there when the sandstorm hit.
He had no interest in them. Alcohol dulled awareness. And dulled awareness got you killed.
He climbed to the second floor alone. Some people watched him. Most did not care.
At the end of the hall was the Hunters Administration room.
He opened the door.
A woman sat behind a wooden desk, writing on a mission sheet. She looked up and smiled.
"Welcome, Hunter Kaine."
Kaine set a black cloth pouch on the desk. "13 level 1 cores."
"You never lie. I trust you," she said.
She did not bother counting. She simply handed him coins in exchange.
"Here."
Kaine reached out and took 26 copper coins. Then he paused.
"26?"
"I gave you four extra. Free."
He left the four extra coins on the desk. "No need."
Without another word, he left.
Back downstairs, he sat at the bar and ordered water and a glass of milk.
One level 1 core was worth two copper. Higher level, higher price.
One copper could buy a simple meal of vegetables and boiled meat.
Kaine removed his mask and goggles.
A sharp, handsome face was revealed. Strong brows. Blue pupils. Small lips. A firm jawline. Pale skin, though still dusty.
The women in the tavern stopped talking and stared.
The men clicked their tongues in annoyance. They could not compete.
"Bad hunt?" the bartender asked.
"Yeah. Too many level 2 monsters killing the level 1s."
The water and milk arrived. The milk cost one copper. Water was free.
Kaine drank the milk in less than five seconds.
"You want to hear something interesting?" the bartender asked.
Kaine stared ahead. "What?"
"You remember Red Hanging Tree Land?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
"I heard there's a wounded fox spirit there."
"Fox?!" Kaine's voice rose sharply.
"I know you're obsessed with foxes. Just telling you," the bartender said.
The tavern had gone tense when he shouted. Kaine relaxed his posture, acting normal again.
"If you catch it, sell it fast. Slave prices are higher than cores."
Kaine smirked at the empty glass in front of him.
"Sell it as a slave? That's not worth it."
"Then what?" the bartender asked.
Kaine lifted his head, his blue eyes sharp, "I'm going to tame it."