The night was still at its peak as the rain stopped falling from the sky. The dark clouds slowly vanished, letting the moon cast light upon the forest below as the fog gradually disappeared.

  Splash! Splash! Splash! Splash!

  A splashing sound of group footsteps as it hits the puddle.

  At the deep part of the Mirkwood forest. A blue-eyed wolf pup with pitch-dark fur is trying to escape from the group of hunters. But not just an ordinary wolf pup; it's a magic beast.

  Thud-thud! Thud-thud! Thud-thud!

  With an impressive speed, the hunters can’t help but look at its tail as the magic beast kicks up some mud and speeds up more. Matching its speed would only increase the fatigue and reduce their chances of catching it. They needed to weaken its energy to make the pup less aware of the circumstances and the trap they had set in advance.

  Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!

  “Is that even a silver rank magic beast? The client should double the pay for this job. Don’t you agree, boss?” The hunter with narrow eyes muttered, referring to the man in front of them, who was leading the chase.

  “I agree with that.” The leader replied, frowning, puzzled at the moment.

  The magic beast exceeded their expectations, which were that the task would be simple. Three days before the hunt, a client visited their clan to commission a job. A search for the magic beast known as the "Blue-eyed Wolf." The client provides them with the location and specifics of the magical creature.

  “It’s my magic beast that got away; I want you to capture it and bring it back to me.” These are the words of the customer.

  But from the leader's perspective, their target seemed no ordinary magic beast; judging by its speed, it was way above the silver rank stated in the information. What can they do, though? A job is a job. There's no room to complain. Whether the information was false or not, they needed to finish the task they were being contracted for and just asked the client for more pay after wrapping it up.

  Tsk! The leader clicks his tongue.

  “Just proceed as we planned.” The leader exclaimed.

  “Yes sir!” The six hunters replied at the same time.

  The hunters who were right behind the leader split up after conveying their words and began hurling mana daggers at the wolf pups' track. The mana dagger hits the ground simultaneously and shatters into a net-like shape. Although it was pointless given the magic beast's speed. It was part of their plan. They had already scouted the area for possible escape routes and prepared a trap beforehand for the magic beast based on the intel the client had given.

  With the smooth execution of their plan, at last they led the wolf pup towards the entrance and eventually entered the ruined temple. The ruined temple was the trap they had set from the start.

  Thud-thud! Thud-thud! Thud-thud!

  Running through the tunnel-like entrance with all haste. The wolf pup just found itself trapped in the middle of a doom-like space inside the temple. With sharp eyes, it gazed at every side of the temple, looking for its way out of the situation; however, there was none.

  Though there was an opening at the ceiling enough for a person to fit in, that became a way for the moon's light to slightly brighten the sanctuary. It was quite high enough for the wolf pup to leap over. It may be possible with the creature's top condition; however, it was already tired after a long hour of chasing.

  With nowhere to go. It turned its back and faced the direction where it came from, waiting for the hunters growling.

  “Grrrrr!”

  A moment later, the hunters came out one after another.

  Woosh! Woosh! Woosh! Woosh!

  The blue eyes of the magic beast rigorously follow the movements of the hunters as they ring it. It slowly senses dread while glaring at the hunters. The wolf pup magic beast cried out. "Awooh."

  ***

  Boom! Crack!

  The thundering sound in the sky as the raindrops hit the earth vigorously. A blue-eyed woman with pale yellow hair was trading sword strikes with his opponent. A fierce battle in the middle of the rain with every clash of their swords resonates over the vast field. After the intense clash of swords, the woman fell to her knees.

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  Huff! Huff! Huff!

  Her chest heaved rapidly with heavy panting while kneeling with one leg, staring at her opponent while holding her sword that stuck to the ground with her two hands. As the blood in her wounds slowly washed away by the rain. The man with a sword soaked with blood steps forward and walks closer towards her. The sword raised above and struck down, the man turned his head, gazing with wicked eyes.

  Einar woke up sweating, panting heavily, catching his breath.

  Huff! Huff! Huff!

  “I’m sorry!” He whispered.

  Guilt, rage, and pain, a mix of emotions at the same time hits Einar.

  Einar scanned the place. Everyone was still sound asleep. He gazed outside and noticed that the rain had stopped already. He grabbed the dagger and rose to walk outside, trying to calm his trembling heart and restless mind from his nightmare.

  Einar sat at the entrance of the ruin. Gazing at the trees that surrounded it as the fireflies danced around with the light of the moon that served as their spotlight. With a subtle smile, he hid the deep sadness in his eyes and enjoyed the forest scene. He turned his gaze to the night sky above, staring at the majestic moon, reflecting the moon’s light, creating a mirrored image in those hazel-brown eyes of his.

  He must have remembered something that was buried deep inside his memories. Perhaps he wished someone were right there sitting beside him.

  “I hope you are doing well right now.” He whispered out in the cold night, staring at the skies decorated with stars.

  Einar bent over his head and drew the dagger from its scabbard, staring down at its honed blade. Considering whether he was prepared to spill blood and pursue a road of revenge that would ultimately lead to nothing but death and blood. Drowned by his thoughts, a sudden cry rang out from the blue, ringing in his ears and restoring him from his deep thoughts.

  Einar rose and examined the surroundings, trying to find the source of the cry he heard just now. He just heard the cry of a magic beast. He is curious about the event and wants to take a peek, but something in his mind keeps telling him. “Don't be stupid.” He smirks while breaking a sweat. Perhaps dread and excitement are mixed inside him. Well, what can you say? Curiosity is a driving force. Einar stepped forward and slowly changed pace from a walk to a dash.

  ***

  Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

  The hunters start to strike the wolf pup with their chains. This chain has pointed ends like arrows on it that could penetrate stones with the use of superhuman strength. As the wolf pup tried to evade this attack, it didn’t notice the attack wasn’t meant to kill but to create a net-like trap for him; a chain prison was made out of the strikes these hunters had displayed. Seconds just passed; the wolf cub was cornered at the center of this chain prison.

  "Even though it's a magical beast, it's still simply a puppy, so catch it. You won't get hurt by it," the leader declared. He wants to give the novice a try at hunting magic monsters in the real world.

  Jeffery, the newbie hunter who was near the wolf pup’s location, steps forward. He was the new recruit of the clan, and this was his first mission. The dream to be a hunter and join the ranks of the best hunters in the country was his long-held dream. With full confidence in himself, he wants to show the leader his resolve.

  As he tried to grab the pup’s neck, a fierce bite from it made the hunter step back far from it, recoiling.

  “Fuck!” He exclaimed.

  “Hahaha….” The other hunters tease him. “You got scared with just a pup.”

  Hearing the teasing words from other hunters made him mad. He looked ridiculed in front of their leader. The leader speaks up with a positive tone. “Whether it’s a full-grown or a pup, a magic beast is a magic beast. They are fierce and deadly creatures; don’t let your guard down. Engrave that in your mind.”

  With his moral boost from the leader's words, at this moment he used a dash skill to instantly close that gap between him and the wolf pup. He kicks up some dust in the air with his rush.

  Thud! Thud!

  The wolf pup was stunned with the hunter’s speed; magical energy instantly rose within the wolf pup’s body. Unleashing a magical attack, however, it was already tired after an hour of chase. The magical energy it poured with his attack was not enough to stop the newbie hunter.

  The wolf pup releases a dark lightning attack directly at the dashing hunter. However, it was a failure. The hunter easily deflects the attack with just a swing of his sword. The wolf pup made a follow-up attack but was unable to do so. The gap between him and the hunter was not enough to unleash another attack. Time is badly needed to perform another.

  Unable to dodge the hunter’s assault. The pup rebounded and rolled a few meters with the newbie hunter’s kick into the underbelly; this made the pup unconscious. The newbie hunter smirked at the pup’s state he just did. He walks toward the unconscious magic beast and pulls out something at his back, a chain to bind the wolf pup.

  The chain was no ordinary one; it was imbued with magic to seal the magic beast's prowess. With this, the wolf pup can no longer use its magical abilities. Although it's a magic beast, it was still young to fully use its magical capabilities. The newbie hunter grabs the wolf pup after securing the chain.

  “Let’s go, our job here is finished” The leader said.

  In the midst of their action to leave the temple. The hunter named Kilner, who was near the exit, blurted out. “Wait! Someone is coming.” The hunters gazed at the exit with a hard expression. The temple has one entrance and one exit only. They start to feel a sinister atmosphere inside the temple. Soon, a radiant red light flashes at the exit.

  “Grrr!...” An intimidating growl reverberates through the temple. Made the hunters sense dread.

  Thud! Thud! Thud! Heavy footsteps that create vibrations in the ground.

  A black wolf with red, piercing eyes slowly steps outside from the shadow. It was six feet tall, a giant wolf to be exact. The hunter’s eyes grew wide seeing this wolf, who might be feasting on them anytime.