Hey, guys! I'm back! this is the newest chapter of the hunt is eternal.
As always, I do not own Danmachi. Also, I only own my OC, Ren Cruz.
This work is inspired by many great works and I hope to reach their greatness one day.
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Ren crouched on a small cliff with his cloak now gone. Dark eyes glinted in the darkness as they scanned the area where his prey was currently located. A mostly open room created by the dungeon itself. It was an infant dragon, a monster commonly found around the floors above the tenth level, and was quite terrifying on its own.
His backpack was gone, and his armor had been increased by several things, such as a pair of gauntlets on his hands and a brigandine on his torso. He held his crossbow in one hand as he watched several adventurers enter the room. They were strong, and they were good. Reaching behind his back, the young man pulled out a mask. It was old, an artifact of some sort he had found during one of the shopping trips he accompanied Njada with. It was made up of bronze and had some strange writings on it. While designed to have the upper face of a humanoid, it had a frown on it and was connected with a hood.
"Go, this is your hunt," Aela told him. It has been three days since they entered the Dungeon of Orario and half a day since they caught the second Jack bird. They were hidden in the shadows as the young man watched the adventurers. It was a group of three led by a girl with blue hair armed with a sword. Alongside her was a pair of elves.
Dark eyes narrowed and shaped like a wolf's as he looked at the green-haired woman with sharp ears. "Loki Familia," He whispered as he recognized one of the strongest adventurers in Orario.
"Oh? Loki caught news of this prey, huh?" Aela said with a smirk as she watched the swordswoman hold her sword. "Strange, she did not bring the sword princess here."
"Ainz is probably bankrupting a Jagamarkun stall," Ren told her as he observed the battle. Oh, it seems like they are here to help the third member of their party to get stronger.
"Thousand elf," Aela said as she saw the pink-clad elf. The hunters of the companions were unnoticed as they watched the swordswoman rush in with her sword. The infant dragon saw this and looked at her. Opening its maw, the dragon let out a stream of flames that made her and the Nine Hell grab her student and jump away.
"Not yet, give me that moment," The young man whispered. Aela looked at her companion and said nothing as an aura surrounded him. Remembering a conversation with the man she saw as her little brother, she knew why he was like this.
"One shot," Watching as the infant dragon locked onto the swordswoman, Aela held the ring in her hand. A simple silver ring with wolf designs all over.
For an adventurer, life was hard. That is what Lefiya Viridis knew, so when Loki decided that she needed to find a good way for her to level up, her friend and idol Ainz Wallenstein told her of an infant dragon that had found its way on the 5th floor of a dungeon. Gathering her courage, the young brown-haired elf asked for the help of her mentor and a friend.
The three of them descended towards the dungeon on their own, with their companion often asking too many questions and being friendly all the time. She held her staff, chanting a spell as their blue-haired companion danced around the dragon, leaving numerous gashes. Midway to her chant, the Thousand Elf froze as
the bloodstained infant dragon looked at her.
Her mentor, Riveria, hastily cast a spell, sending the dragon skidding away. The brown-haired elf watched in horror as the infant dragon morphed in front of her eyes.
"It's evolving, huh," Said the blue-haired swordswoman as she gripped her sword, eyes narrowing at the beast. The Thousand Elf watched as the dragon reared its head before letting out a shriek of pain. Its eye had a bolt stuck on it, rendering it useless.
"Surprised, elf?" The trio looked behind them to see a red-haired werewolf holding a bow.
"Huntress," Greeted Riveria neutrally.
"Oh! Miss Aela! It's been a while!" Said the swordswoman as she kept her eyes on the dragon. A shadow caught her eye, and she noticed a young man that seemingly melded into the dungeon.
"We're on a hunt," Aela told them as she raised her bow and shot several arrows simultaneously.
"We?" Asked Lefiya curiously. She turned around and as a figure in the air holding an axe. It was a human male with dark hair. He had a mask on, yet an aura covered his body as the axe sunk into the dragon's head, severing a horn and blinding its other eye.
"Yeah, a level one performing his rites," Aela said as she watched with a grin at how Rex moved, hacking and slashing at the blinded dragon similar to a beast. "And about to wake up,"
hearing that a level one was about to take on a monster that took blows from a level 5 swordswoman, the trio watched as the adolescent dragon got slower as its body cracked.
"Poison?" Asked her mentor, she noticed how the adolescent dragon fell to the ground as it tried to raise its head. Her question was met with a smirk from the huntress. "Blood?"
"Aela!" Shouted the male as he landed on the ground, his dark hair defying gravity as his body pulsed.
"Got it, whelp!" The werewolf shouted with a grin as she flexed her hands before throwing a sword at the young man. Catching the blade, the young man smirked as he drew his dagger and stared at the bleeding dragon.
This is it! I want this! The thrill that my old yet beloved world could not give! The way my blood boils! My senses are raised to their very limits! Ahh! I can hear it! The beast inside wakes up, howling, calling, begging to be let loose.
Yes! The greatest high of combat! I could feel it!
rip and tear
Rip and Tear
RiP aNd TeAr
RIP AND TEAR
RIP AND TEAR
"Aela!" I call out to my older sister in all but blood. An axe would be more efficient as it required less dexterity to use. Catching the one-handed sword mid-air, I could feel the beast inside, the manifestation of my skill, awaken. Pushing half of the mana I had left into the blades on my hand, I could feel the grin on my face as the beast inside melded with my mind.
'Rip... tear... hunt... maim... kill... ' It whispered, and I could feel the rush. I could feel how my muscles throbbed, how my heart beat faster, as my lungs took in more air.
"Vlka Fenriya," With a single word, I could feel the beast inside grin as I could feel my senses sharpen along with another sensation. Hunger. A void that I must fill by letting the beast out of the cage in return for power as long as he is out. Now, he is out.
The dragon was bleeding from its wounds from my axe and that girl's sword combined with the poison I made from my crossbow bolt. It will only be a matter of time. That dragon will die by my weapons or my poison.
"Need help?" Asked the blue-haired swordswoman with a smile. I could only nod before rushing in. Dodging a lunge from the dragon by diving to the side, I plunged my dagger to the ground and used my momentum to deliver a slash on the lizard's neck, sending blood flying in the air.
"Take this!" I heard the girl say as her blade soared and severed the dragon's left wing.
'Holy shit!' I thought just as I felt my body fly through the air and hit the wall. Okay, that hurt! If I did not have my skill on, I would have died! So, you want to play! I'll give you something to play with!
Pushing myself out of the wall, I saw the heavily bleeding dragon get frozen into a Dragonsicle. Noticing the wafts of magic, I looked at where it came from and noticed green hair similar to forest leaves.
"Not bad, kid. Was expecting you to kill it yourself, but you're no longer a whelp! You're a distraction now," I could hear the amusement from Aela's voice as she dragged me like a sack of potatoes.
"Fuck off, old hag," I told her with no real bark. I could feel something wrong... What was...
"GET DOWN!" I shouted as the dragon inside the ice broke free. Its wings were now gone while its bleeding had slowed down.
"Whelp!" Aela called out to me.
"Go! I can still move!" I told her and felt myself fall on all fours. What was that?!
In front of my eyes, the orange-scaled adolescent dragon's scales turned black with white tips. The aura and feel of the dragon were suffocating as it looked at me. Where most would feel dread and accept defeat, I could only feel the excitement. The beast inside me had grown quiet, and the blood had calmed down, yet still awake
"Riveria!" Ignoring the voice, I looked at my red-haired older sister-in-all-but-blood. Sheathing my dagger, I took out my crossbow and moved.
Aela was fast, very fast. She was a red blur, shaving bits and pieces of the dragon every time her sword dug into its skin.
High-speed regeneration? Reaching a hand into a pouch in my belt, I pulled out the special batch of Poison I mixed from a few weeks ago after hearing about a monster from Skjor and Kodlak. Pulling out the cork, I dipped a bolt on the bottle before loading it on my crossbow.
"Move it, Weakling!" Ignoring the voice, I stared in front of the dragon and raised my crossbow. Man, I feel like big boss, solid snake, or Venom now! Seeing the opening I needed from Aela kicking the black adolescent dragon's head to the side, I pushed a good amount of the remaining magic I have into the Crossbow's enchantments I put in with my skill.
The bolt soared through the air as fast as Aela moved, piercing the dragon's injured chest. The special blend of poison I have concocted might not be as effective nor as strong as those that have a development ability, yet I have something they don't. An obsession with killing prey in the most efficient and effective way possible.
I can see it and feel the grin on my face. Formula number 23 was a success... for now. The dragon's healing slowed down and bled all over its wounds, leaving the ground crimson. Aela, sensing the opportunity, jumped from the ceiling and in one swift movement, severed the dragon's head. The head flew towards me and I could not help but stare blankly at my red-haired sister in annoyance.
I was about to move but sadly, my beast blood ran out. The damage I got from the dragon made it recede earlier than expected and with the loss of the boost I had, I was a sitting whelp, in Vilkas' words. Shit, this is gonna hurt! Bracing myself, I watched in surprise as the head was frozen mid-air and shattered into ice crystals. An Ice spell?! Woah! I could feel my luck run out and knew that Aela would get the others to feast on my poor wallet!
Turning weakly to the source of the magic, I saw the green-haired elf holding her staff. Our eyes met and I could only do one thing. The thing that came to the first thing on my mind.
Sheathing my crossbow, I raised my right hand and pointed it at her in a finger gun motion. "You're pretty good!" Just in time, I could feel everything catch up and could hear the laughter that came from a single person.
Shut up, Aela!
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Oh my? What is this? What is happening?
And Aela found new ammo to bully her little brother.