Luther Aima-Venator. He was always at the top of the class during his training days. Showing exceptional talent and skills in the field of hunting magic beasts and combat. Respected by every hunter on the continent for gaining the title of “Platinum Hunter Level” at a young age, making him the youngest hunter to reach this level. Through his achievements over the years, he was named the next clan leader of the Aima-Venator Clan.

  Every achievement he had accomplished made him the man he was now. A prominent individual in the nation and an excellent leader. He may have all of this, but he never sat on a high horse. Prideful, but he was never arrogant. Confident? Yes, he was. On every decision he makes for the team and for every mission he takes, there is always confidence in it.

  However, at this moment, the party captain was no longer confident in himself. He begins to question his abilities as a hunter and leader. Being a hunter was his life; from the moment he was born, his fate was already written. He was trained and raised by a family of hunters.

  ‘How the hell did this happen?’

  Loss of confidence? Maybe, for his team, but not for his ability to fight this creature. He may have lost his confidence in his team, but his pride as a captain was still intact. Right in those eyes of his. Rage is building up, waiting to explode. But he was not a fool to use his party members as meat shields or decoys just to take down this creature or escape.

  To fight the creature alone without thinking to protect the remaining member was his plan.

  But how did it come to this point?

  He always studied and examined every mission, including this one, but the appearance of this creature is one variable he never expected.

  ‘I lost elite hunters, a family members by taking this fucking mission that supposed to be an easy task.

  Luther grits his teeth with a deadly stare at the creature. What needs to be done is to secure the lives of his members, open a path for them to escape, and face the creature alone.

  Three members of the hunting party were already corpses, drenched in their own blood; two were headless, Jenny and Kilner. And Walter’s body was right there. He lay at the creature's feet with a through hole in his chest, facing the ground with his lifeless eyes directed towards his twin brother, Payne.

  As the moonlight poured down on the sanctuary, the creature looked magnificent but scary at the same moment. Blood slowly drips at the tip of its claws and slowly spreads its hands while its eyes gaze at the night sky above that is visible through the stone ceiling that was blasted and destroyed by Walter’s arrows.

  The creature's eyes were full of joy and malice. Then he turned his gaze at the remaining members with a sinister smile while still spreading his hands in the air, like he was about to perform a lifetime concert, a conductor about to end the final piece or the finale of the orchestra’s performance.

  “Oh…! I miss this scene, truly a magnificent scene, blood spreads and corpses all over under the moonlight.”

  The creature slowly moves his hands and embraces himself, trembling, not from fear but from the euphoria he feels from the killing spree he just did.

  “Hahahaha…..!”

  The creature was amused and laughing at the moment. Clearly psychopathic behavior. Its way of action could send chills to anyone who could see it. The creature’s sinister laugh echoed at the sanctuary, ringing like a bell at the remaining hunters.

  While the creature was still in his state of pleasure from the scene, Luther whispered to the others to escape while he faced the creature alone. But before he could convey his words. A large frame passed him, lumbering forward towards the creature.

  Stop! Luther can't say this word; in the corner of his eyes, he saw Payne with rage and tears in his eyes before he passed him. Of course, Luther also knows that feeling; that is what he feels right now.

  But Luther didn't want to be swallowed by rage and let his mind be cleared from anger, for that was what the creature was aiming for.

  The creature was waiting for Payne to strike him down. Its lips curled into a smile, and its red eyes were talking, like saying, Come at me with everything you've got.

  Payne raises his two-handed battle axe in the air vertically. The weapon suits him well considering his large physique. He struck downward from the vertical position in a light-speed manner. It was incredible to see that he swung his battle axe at that speed with his bulk physique. Usually people with this kind of body lose their speed, but Payne was clearly not that type of person.

  Thunk!

  The stone floor breaks apart, sending cracked pebbles everywhere with that strike. The creature evades the attack with ease.

  Swoosh! Swoosh! Thunk!

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  Payne delivers a barrage of strikes with his battle axe after the creature escapes the first strike. A shockwave was sent throughout with every swing of his weapon, creating vibration. Of course, with that large frame of his, there should be strength on it. And when added with magic energy. Such a feast is possible.

  Payne was set on a rampage with his twin brother’s death; his sanity was muddled. Unable to save his brother, he blamed himself for his death. Rage and guilt already consumed him.

  “Aaaah!” Payne cried out as he swung his battle axe.

  “Yes! More! More! Show me more of it; show me more of your rage.” The creature speaks out in the midst of Payne’s death blow.

  Just a single land of these strikes would truly erase anyone on the face of the earth. That is certain.

  But something is erroneous. He was swinging his weapon with all of his might, but he could not land a hit. The creature was holding its ground, evading the strikes swiftly with ease. It was dancing with Payne’s battle axe with a smile. A sharp smile indeed.

  The creature's eyes soon lose their glimmer, and his smile soon disappears. After a brief period of playing with Payne, it gets bored. It was obvious from the creature's eyes that Payne had nothing left to offer that would pique its interest.

  “Aaaah!”

  Payne leaped forward with the battle axe raised above. The blade of the axe was gleaming with a red light and then turned blazing. The cold temperature in the area rises with this incoming attack. He was out of his mind; he didn't care if his attack would collapse the whole temple. Everything that’s on his mind is to take down the creature at all costs.

  “Take this.”

  [METEOR STRIKE]

  The creature didn't move an inch and waited for Payne to deliver his strike. It smirks while looking at him. Just toying with him.

  Clang! Break!

  The explosion never came. The creature caught the blade of the battle axe with his bare hands while its foot was buried in the stone ground from the impact of that attack.

  Is this creature made from steel?

  It was shocking; Payned was dumbfounded for the moment. Clearly, he already gave his all on that last attack.

  The creature’s arm muscle bulged as if it might rupture. Gripping the blade with raw strength that eventually broke the blade like a piece of glass. Shards flew in the air for evanescent before it hit the ground. The battle axe that Payne's twin brother had given him was destroyed.

  Payne's eyes were still full of fire and rage. With the battle axe losing its uses, Payne let go of the handle and threw a punch. His fist is quite big, but that won’t matter anyway. Being big does not mean indestructible. Before he could land his fist that said death. The creature's fist was already lodged in his stone-hard chest. The impact threw him against the wall with a thud.

  “Uaak!”

  Payne throws blood from his mouth, and the creature's fist leaves a visible mark on his chest. His incredible strength, which signifies him, was clearly outmatched by the creature.

  With a single step, the creature closes his distance to deliver his final blow at Payne. Payne had already accepted his fate when the creature let him taste its strength. To die alongside his brother was not that bad, though. He gave his all, but it wasn't enough. Just welcome and embrace your demise; that was all that needed to be done. But then!

  Clang!

  The creature’s claws clash with Luther’s dagger. Just in time, he was able to save Payne. The creature was startled, and Luther took this chance. Luther’s dagger moves in a flash and overwhelms the creature with just three attacks from his dagger.

  The first attack was a slash aimed at the creature's eyes. The second was a stab aimed at the throat, and the third one was also a stab aimed at the heart. The dagger flew in a fast motion that would seem to be invisible to a normal being, like a beam of light.

  Woosh! Woosh! Woosh!

  The creature scarcely evades the dagger and takes its distance away from Luther. It was annoyed at not being able to kill Payne.

  Ava and Jeffrey run towards Luther’s back and check Payne’s condition.

  “Tsk! You just made that man feel more pain,” the creature muttered. “If you just let me, he will no longer suffer.”

  Luther scowled at the creature's remarks. Of course, what kind of captain would let his men die in front of him? He died rather first before his men. Luther was a great leader from the start. That is the reason his men followed and trusted him.

  “Ava! Jeffrey! Take Payne and leave,” Luther exclaimed.

  “But boss, we can help you,” Ava said from his back.

  “Just do as I say; it’s an order. I can’t fight with all of my strength while trying to protect the three of you.”

  That was right; the three of them will just hold their captain from going all out. They just need to follow his command; this is the chance for them to survive. Even the captain is uncertain if he can survive the battle, but he doesn't care about that match. What he needs is to buy time for his men to escape.

  “Leave now!” Luther conveyed while looking at the remaining three members of his team. Though he was smiling, his eyes were clearly saying something: farewell—that’s what is conveyed.

  The creature was looking at them with a smirk.

  “Hmmm! If you want those three behind you to leave. I will grant that, but they can’t leave here with that wolf pup with them,” the creature said.

  Luther spoke without removing his gaze at the creature. “Leave it, Jeffrey.”

  With the words of Luther, Jeffrey takes two steps from where he is standing and slowly places the unconscious wolf pup on the ground. Then take a step back towards Ava and Payne.

  Jeffrey and Ava slowly help Payne to get up, supporting him to stand back on his feet and walk towards the exit. Jeffrey, Ava, and Payne can't help but feel remorseful. They cannot even help in the current situation; they will leave the scene with just the three of them. Payne turned his head and glanced back at the three corpses and his captain.

  “Forgive me.” Payne muttered.

  As the three of them walked towards the exit, the eyes of the creature slowly followed them. He wants to finish the three people who are leaving before he faces Luther. But of course, Luther won’t allow him to do that.

  Clop! Clop! Clop!

  Soon, the sound of the footsteps can no longer be heard.

  “Tsk! I guess it's you and me now. But how long can you make me stay here in this place? ” The creature said.

  “Then let's find it out,” Luther replied while removing his cloak.