Kai lunged at the beast again, his blade flashing with cold precision as he aimed directly for its head. But the damned creature was quicker than expected. With a violent shake of its massive body, it flung him off midair like it had swatted an insect away. He hit the cave floor hard, tumbling over jagged rocks before slamming against a slab of stone.Thud.Dust scattered and stone cracked.Kai rolled once, twisted to his feet, and immediately ducked—just in time. The beast’s claws came down where his head had been a second ago, shattering the ground with sheer force.He leapt back, chest heaving, face smeared with dust and blood. The next strike came too fast.The tail.It slammed into him hard, sending him crashing into the far wall with enough force to split the stone and drop shards from the ceiling.Zora gasped. The others froze.Kai groaned as he peeled himself from the cracked wall, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His jaw clenched. His eyes sharpened.A weak beas

The moment they stepped out of the cave, the air changed. Cool. Crisp. Free from the suffocating pressure that had clung to them underground. Kai inhaled deeply, stretching his shoulders back as his boots met solid earth once again.Zora exhaled beside him, her arms stretched over her head. “Ahhh, freedom,” she said, tossing him a glance. “Not bad, Kai. I didn’t think someone like you could actually do a good deed.”Kai’s brow twitched. “Someone like me?”Zora grinned, elbowing him. “You know... emotionally constipated, sarcastic, morally grey with a superiority complex.”“I prefer ‘selectively merciful,’” Kai muttered, rolling his eyes. “Besides, I believe in karma. You repay good with better.”"Wow. So you really can do good, huh Mr. Grumpy?"He shot her a look. “Saving you from those half-baked cultivators back in the forest? That doesn’t count in your shitty little moral dictionary?”Zora huffed, crossing her arms with a pout. “I didn’t say that. I just didn’t think you’d do it ag

Zora kept glancing at Kai as they moved with the group, her brows slightly furrowed, thoughts loud in her head. For someone who always walked alone, always scoffed at working with others, it was strange—unsettling even—that Kai had agreed to team up with these strangers so easily. This man who had once told her that "teams slow you down and noise gets you killed" was now walking side by side with a dozen strangers… and not even complaining?She was shocked, but not entirely displeased. Deep down, she was glad. They were in a dangerous forest crawling with unknown creatures, and having more people—especially ones who looked like they knew what they were doing—felt oddly reassuring.Still, Zora being Zora, she couldn’t keep quiet for long. She leaned closer as they moved along the thick brush. “I thought you hated walking in groups,” she said, half-whispering, half-accusing.Kai didn’t even turn his head. He gave a lazy shrug, voice calm. “These ones are different,” he said. “Stronger.

Meanwhile, the group that had sent Kai and Zora ahead was basking in misplaced confidence.They had followed the trails left behind, and the absence of any threat along the path only fueled their belief that Kai and Zora had either failed or died quietly. In Celia’s mind, that was perfect. Less bloodshed, fewer mouths to share the spoils with.“They probably engaged the beast by now,” Celia said with a satisfied smirk, arms folded. “It’s best we move while the distraction lasts. We’ll grab the cubs, disappear with the valuables, and leave the scene before it gets messy.”None of the others objected. They were already staring at the two small beastlings nestled near the tree trunk. Their eyes were closed, bodies slightly twitching in sleep. Easy prey.Celia motioned with her hand. “Quick. Grab them.”Staring at the cubs of the beast nestled in the quiet grove, the group prepared to make away with their supposed reward. The little creatures were too still, too unaware of the danger cree

Blending into the restless crowd was easy. Kai adjusted the hood of his cloak, his presence shrinking into the background, while Zora stuck close beside him, her eyes darting across the anxious faces gathered around the edge of the forest. Murmurs rippled through the gathering, some shocked, some angry, most confused.They had come out to see what the commotion was about, but what they heard was far more revealing than either expected.“…I heard from an elder cultivator—those beasts, the horned ones, they’re guardians of this forest. Not just wild creatures.”“Yeah, they don’t usually attack first. You could walk past their young and they’d just watch you. So long as you didn’t draw blood.”“It’s not the territory that enrages them. It’s the intent.”Kai’s gaze sharpened at that. He remained still, but every word spoken around him clicked into place like pieces of a strategy puzzle.Another man spoke, a merchant by the look of his robes, his voice laced with awe and fear. “Someone sai