Lumian moved through the trees like a starving shadow.
The scent of fresh blood was a thread guiding each of his steps, a clear trail within the chaos of the forest.
He leapt from a rock to a thick branch, then descended with a heavy, powerful thud when his feet hit the ground. The vibration spread through the damp earth like a warning, immediately alerting the duo of hunters who were fighting against the fresh corpses of two scrawny monsters.
The first hunter spun around abruptly, eyes wide with terror.
"It's the beast! The beast is here!" he shouted, charging without thinking.
The second hunter raised a hand, tense.
"Wait, you idiot! Don't rush in like that! We don't know wh—!"
But it was already too late.
Lumian lunged at the reckless one with brutal momentum. His claws struck the man's chest before he could raise his weapon. The crack of splintering bone filled the air as the hunter collapsed without even finishing a scream.
It's always the same… the ones who attack first are the ones who value their lives the least.
The second hunter stepped back quickly, placing his spear between them. Unlike his companion, his movements were more calculated, more aware.
"Monster… don't think I'll die that easily," he said, voice trembling but firm, eyes filled with fierce resolve.
Lumian tilted his head, studying the metallic tip.
He can't hurt me… the Fisherman's suit will block it. But still… he's fast, Lumian thought as he watched the spear move with impressive speed.
The hunter thrust with precision, aiming for the creature's joints. His spear struck the dark suit covering Lumian's torso, but only produced a dull sound—metal against something far harder. The hunter's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What…? Why won't it pierce you?"
Lumian answered with movement, not sound.
He slipped inside the spear's reach and struck. The hunter dodged the first slash and stepped back to keep distance. He breathed harshly, trying to steady his pulse.
"I—I'm not like the others! I won't fall that easily!" he growled, charging again.
Lumian felt a flicker of recognition at that.
This one… fights to live, not to show off. But that won't save him.
A twist of the body, a precise counterattack, and an extended claw were enough.
The final blow brought the second hunter down, collapsing to his knees before falling still, fingers still gripping his weapon as if death hadn't fully claimed him.
Lumian straightened, looking at the bodies without celebration.
Two more. There are still others… and that awakened one. He will be the problem.
Without losing time, he pushed off between the trees, following another trail. The third group was close; their scent was stronger… more prepared.
When he found them, the three hunters were already tense, as if they could feel the forest's silence closing around them. They carried better weapons, better armor. One of them even kept a clear defensive stance.
"Stay together," the leader ordered, jaw tight. "That thing has killed four already. Don't move even a step apart."
Lumian watched from above, hidden among the leaves.
These ones… are different. Stronger. Their smell isn't fear… it's resolve.
He dropped without warning, landing with an impact that sent dry leaves flying. The hunters reacted instantly.
"Contact! Don't give it space!" the leader shouted as the other two attacked from the sides.
The fight was fiercer than the previous ones.
Weapons struck the Fisherman's suit over and over, sending vibrations Lumian felt even through the resilient material. His movements had to be sharper, more deliberate.
Fast… disciplined… but not enough.
A mix of strength and agility broke their formation.
One fell from a blow to the neck, the second from a leap into his blind spot. The leader fought longer, stepping back with ragged breath and hardened eyes.
"No… I won't let you reach the city," he said, attempting one last desperate strike.
Lumian grabbed his arm and slammed him down with the same coldness with which night claims the light.
When silence returned to the forest, Lumian exhaled slowly.
This group is done. Only the awakened one remains… the real threat.
Lumian sprinted through the trees following the last trail.
The forest's scent mixed with that of the dried blood of the hunters he had already eliminated. Every jump over roots and rocks made the ground tremble beneath his weight.
The last one… the dangerous one. That man is nothing like the others. His scent… it's different. Sharper, colder. He doesn't move like an ordinary hunter.
The sounds of the forest wavered around him, but something made him grind his teeth.
I can't find him. He should be nearby already…
He stopped, sniffing the air. Nothing.
The trail had vanished, as if someone had erased it intentionally.
That's not normal. He… is hunting me.
A crack. A quick movement.
A heavy aura approaching.
Lumian tilted his head just as a powerful voice tore through the trees.
"So you're the beast playing at hunter."
The figure emerged from the shadows with firm steps. A tall man, holding a spear longer than those of the common hunters, wearing an incomplete armor reinforced with black plates. His eyes burned from within.
An awakened one.
Lumian didn't need language to understand; power filled the air around the man.
"You killed my men," the awakened one spat, fury simmering beneath his voice. "My comrades. The ones who spent months in this forest with me. And you dare roam around like you own the place!"
Lumian crouched slightly, claws brushing the ground. A low growl rumbled from his chest.
Grrr…
The awakened man gritted his teeth.
"Is that all you can do? Growl? Kill from the shadows? You're less than a beast."
Lumian narrowed his eyes.
He doesn't understand… if I could've let them live, I would have. But they… came to kill me first.
The man took a step forward, resting the spear on his shoulder.
"They carried the core we needed to complete the city's wall. And you… you ruined months of work. Do you know what that means?"
Lumian growled again, deeper, more threatening.
Grrrrrr…
The awakened one smirked with disdain.
"Perfect. That's what I wanted. For you to get angry. To look at me the way you looked at them when you tore them apart."
Lumian flexed his legs.
This human… wants a fight. He doesn't run. He doesn't fear. That smell… that stare… it's like a cornered animal that chose to bite until the end.
The awakened raised his spear, pointing straight at Lumian's chest.
"I'll show you the difference between a monster and a warrior."
Lumian answered with a growl that shook the forest, a roar muted by his lack of vocal cords but filled with murderous intent.
GROOOO…
"Come," the awakened provoked him.
"I'll show you how a real hunter fights."
Lumian took a step forward.