Outside the Gate. Elliot fixed Tom with a steady, almost disappointed stare. “So, that’s all the information you managed to gather on him?” “Yes, sir. That’s correct,” Tom admitted, his tone small. Truthfully, there wasn’t much about Hal that stood out on paper. His record was unimpressive, his file barren of anything resembling greatness. Still, Tom bit back the urge to defend him. If he could only see Hal Rodgraim in person, I swear he’d change his mind…! Elliot sighed, rubbing his temple. “So, in the end, my only card is Leon.” The words came out with a wry twist of his lips. Unlike his subordinate, Elliot placed little faith in promises or reports. He trusted what he could see and what he had tested. Nothing more. “Don’t worry, sir. He’ll pull through.” The voice that cut in was firm, fiery—neither Tom’s nor Robert’s. Tobias Cage, Chief of the Vanguard Guild’s First Division, strode forward, his presence commanding. He had arrived along with several Guild officers as

The Ape monsters dropped to the ground from the trees, maintaining their creepy looks."Hey, stay back!" A Hunter shouted at the monsters, using his weapon to scare them off, but they didn't even flinch, just kept walking forward."Hey boss, what are we gonna do?" The green-haired kid asked Hal, as he moved closer to him, along with the rest of the Hunters, forming a circle that faced the incoming monsters.These creatures were too intelligent for Hal's liking, they were hunting them with a smile on their faces.Pretending not to be harmless, when he was pretty sure anytime from now, they'd be all over them, yanking at their throats.Well, he knew what to do. He would attack them first! The freaks thought they were smart?'Well, show on this!' Blitz!Before anyone could blink, Hal had left his position and gotten underneath the Ape nearest to him, stabbing his blade into its neck, then ripped it upward, dragging out the throat attached to the skull.He didn't stop there, but immediat

"You better keep it shut now, or you won’t have to worry about monsters killing you—I’ll do it myself!"Leon Magnus’s voice thundered, his rage-twisted face illuminated by the eerie glow of the dungeon. His teammates flinched at his words, their frightened murmurs dying in their throats.The Hunters, who had only wanted to express their unease about this cursed dungeon, could only swallow their fear under his glare. Their eyes darted downward, none daring to meet Leon’s burning stare.At that moment, black-skinned humanoid figures emerged from the mist—each one mounted on a massive jaguar-like beast. Their yellow eyes glowed faintly in the dark as they surrounded the Hunters in silence.Gasp!The Hunters froze in disbelief. They were still reeling from Leon’s furious outburst, and now this sudden ambush felt like death closing in.Leon’s jaw tightened as he caught the fear in their expressions. "What’s wrong with you all? Scared of some mindless monsters?" he barked, gripping his weap

The night jungle had descended into utter chaos as man gave chase to monster. Branches snapped and shattered beneath their weight, while startled animals scattered in every direction, fleeing from the thunderous pursuit that tore through their domain. Hal’s figure flickered between the trees, his feet barely touching the earth as he pursued the fleeing creatures. The Grim-Apes were fast, much faster than most monsters he’d fought before. Their powerful limbs swung from trunk to trunk, carrying them through the forest with blinding speed. Still, Hal didn’t feel fazed, no matter how fast they were, he knew they couldn't outrun him. These weren’t ordinary monsters, they were King-tier, and they kept him running for quite a while. As both Apes and Sapiens continued their track event, something strange pricked at Hal’s senses. A wave of energy, massive, dense, and overwhelming, swept through the air. ‘What is that?!’ Hal’s thoughts sharpened. Even as he continued to move, his percep

Leon summoned every ounce of his strength as he ran, and then ran even harder.The Kanarins glanced at the fleeing back of Leon and then raised their bows. Just as they took aim and got ready to fire..A Kanarin with thick black locks, extending all the way to his waist, raised its arm and stopped the attack.'.....'When the long-haired Kanarin signalled the others to follow Leon, they climbed on their mounts, and disappeared into the forest one by one, camouflaging with the greens.***Leon ran deeper into the forest, following a straight path his legs brought him on."Pant, pant, pant...!"He couldn't catch his breath at all, and the flashbacks of how his raid team died at the hands of those primitive monsters didn't do anything to help.His gaze involuntarily lowered to his hands.The way they shivered....The way he was shivering!'Ah! If it wasn't for those blighted insects, no...if we hadn't gone all those while on an empty stomach, we would have stood a chance.. but, but those