Chapter 32 – Hunt (1)

A tree was ripped from the ground with a sharp crack, its twisted trunk snapping like fragile bone. Then another, and another. The noise began in the distance, a muffled echo in the heart of the forest, but quickly grew in intensity.

The noise grew louder, reverberating like a raging storm, as something colossal swept through the vegetation without mercy. The ground shook. The air vibrated. Something monstrous was coming. Branches snapped with dry snaps, colossal trunks fell like twigs, and the ground shook under the weight of something colossal advancing without mercy.

"WOOHOOOOO!!"

Suddenly, even amidst the terrifying noises, a scream tore through the forest like the euphoric scream of a skydiver on the height of adrenaline in freefall, a wild explosion of pure euphoria amidst the chaos.

Three figures shot through the distorted landscape, fast as arrows, cutting through the mist and treacherous shadows of that anomalous forest.

Aline led the way, a black blur gliding between the trees that seemed to twist and try to grab her. Her eyes shone with excitement and absolute focus, her body moved with an inhuman fluidity, as if she were dancing on the edge between life and death.

Right behind, Rebecca, the imposing Taurinus, advanced like thunder. Her firm footsteps emitted a vibration that traveled through the ground, each step a brutal impact that made the terrain pulse in protest. Her muscles were tense, her lungs burned, but her expression was serious and focused, she did not intend to lose focus even with her hormones pulsing through her veins.

The third was Louise, a swift shadow gliding between the distorted beams of light. Her white hair contrasted with her coal-black skin, a ghost of absolute speed. Her body moved with surgical precision, without hesitation, without waste. If there was such a thing as elegance in hell, Louise personified it.

And then, a roar.

GGRRrhhhhhhh

A primal, guttural sound filled with fury and raw power reverberated through the forest, crushing the remaining silence.

The trees snapped like toothpicks, flung skyward as if a hurricane had ripped them apart.

He was right behind.

The Aligodon

The colossal beast tore through the forest like a living storm, felling trees, crushing rocks, and dispelling the darkness with the pulsing glow of its opaline skin. Its taut muscles moved with monstrous precision, and its claws, long and sharp as guillotine blades, scarred the earth in its relentless fury.

But most terrifying? It wasn't just advancing—it was hunting. And, worse, she kept up with them, even with all the obstacles in her path.

The mutagenic agent zone, which at night stretched for about two kilometers, had shrunk with the sunrise to less than half a mile. The three Hounds had already left this area some time ago, advancing at high speed in an attempt to increase the distance between themselves and the mutant beast.

"Hound Aline, are you listening? What's the situation?"

Aline was running in front of the group when Gregory's voice reverberated through the communication point in her ear, cutting through the tense silence of the race.

"You're listening, hahaha... We're keeping a controlled pace, but Rebecca is having trouble keeping up. The Aligodon may catch up with us soon. How much longer to the rendezvous point?"

She answered between quick breaths, her tone firm, but filled with barely contained euphoria.

The three women listened to the conversation, but it was clear that Aline was the only one so carefree and relaxed. Rebecca gritted her teeth. She knew she was the weak link, but that had already been foreseen by Gregory, who had ordered a pace that would avoid her extreme exhaustion.

"There are nine hundred meters to go," Gregory replied. "But you are slightly off course. Correct by twenty degrees to the right. Understand?"

"Understood. How is our reception? Rebecca and Louise need their equipment as soon as we engage in close combat."

"Everything is ready for you. Just keep up the pace and avoid unnecessary exhaustion." A brief silence followed before Gregory called out, "Rebecca."

"Yes, sir." His voice was a little more breathless than Aline's, but full of determination.

"As soon as we reach the rendezvous point, you will be given a cocktail of Neutritus, Energetics, and brain and physical stimulants. I know this is an abusive order, but I need you to do this for the good of the mission… I will formally apologize later, but for now, this is an order. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

The answer came without hesitation. Rebecca didn't like the idea, but she knew she had no choice.

"Thank you. I'll wait for you to start the second part of the plan. May God bless us."

The transmission ended. The three continued their escape, guiding the Aligodon far away from the lake.

________________________________

Meanwhile, about four kilometers east of the lake where the Aligodon was originally located, a huge rock wall rose above the trees, stretching for hundreds of meters.

At the edge of this formation, Gregory, Drake, Vivian, Daira and Zara watched the horizon, attentive to the trail of destruction that advanced through the forest. Trees fell like dominoes.

A cloud of dust and debris rose with each impact of the Aligodon against the ground. It was impossible to see the culprit of the destruction, much less the 3 hounds it was chasing.

"You know, as much as I agreed with this plan, I have to say... This is the most insane thing I've ever agreed to do." Drake lowered the binoculars and sighed, adjusting his posture.

Gregory smirked and raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying you're scared and want to give up now? I think it's a little late for that."

"Hahaha" Drake let out a dry laugh. "Scared? No way. This is going to be a story I'll tell everyone for the rest of my life."

"Hehe" Gregory laughed too. "I'm feeling the same way, but first, we have to get out of this alive. Then we'll celebrate in Efflium. On my own, of course." "I can already smell barbecue... "

The two laughed and exchanged a firm handshake, like old friends.

Vivian rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. Daira, on the other hand, gave a discreet smile. Zara, the orange-haired Catinus, just frowned, confused by the relaxed atmosphere in the middle of such a dangerous situation.

GGGrrrrhhhhhhhhh

Interrupting the friendly atmosphere, the Aligodon's guttural roar tore through the air, reverberating through the rocks and making the sound even more terrifying.

Gregory turned to Vivian and Zara. "It's time. Let's act as agreed. All right?"

"Yes, sir." The two answered in unison, with a professional posture and determined looks.

He then looked at Daira. "Stay ready, but don't put yourself in danger. Got it?"

Daira smiled, relaxed. "Alright."

Gregory nodded and then took a deep breath. "Barnes, let's get started."

Without waiting for an answer, he ran to the edge of the wall and threw himself down, rappelling down.

On the opposite side, Barnes advanced to a higher point, where his favorite weapon was located... A Thanatos P907 semi-automatic anti-material rifle, which he nicknamed Black Death.

A state-of-the-art anti-material rifle, developed to eliminate highly resistant targets at long range and with extremely high accuracy.

Built with Titanite, the same material that Rebecca's shield and most of the Hunters' and Hounds' defense equipment were made of. An almost perfect material. Its structure is ultra-light, very resistant and capable of dissipating heat in a few moments depending on the environment.

With a length of 158 cm and weighing around 5.8 kg thanks to the ultra-light and ultra-resistant material, the Thanatos P907 uses .50 HYP (Hyper-Penetrator Explosive) caliber ammunition. This is made of a special compound, capable of piercing any known armor before detonating with devastating force.

The speed of each projectile reaches 1,500 m/s and has an effective range of 3,000 meters. In addition, despite being a semi-automatic or High Power Single Shot, it has a cartridge with 20 standard shots and 30 shots in the extended version.

It has an Energy Vortex Recoil Cancellation that allows the user to fire bursts with precision. In addition to a multi-function system that uses the noise muffling system as a weapon cooling system.

A weapon worthy of Barnes' entire 5 months' salary... That's why he takes great care of this weapon that has guaranteed him the success of several missions.

"Come on, baby, it's just another day of hunting..." Gently smoothing the weapon, Barnes covered himself with a camouflage cape and lay down to better handle the rifle.

His task was very simple: to make a precise and well-timed shot.

His success would guarantee the success of the mission much sooner than planned.

If he missed, he would be practically useless for the rest of this stage of the plan. Since even with the power of his weapon, the most the projectiles would cause the Aligodon would be a sensation comparable to a grown man being stung by a bee.

"One shot... Just one..."

___________________________________

Did you like this content? Leave a like to show your support! 💬 And don't forget to comment: your opinion is very important and helps enrich the discussion. Let's keep the conversation going!

Do you like my work? 🎨✨ Consider supporting me on Patreon! Your support allows me to continue creating amazing content for you. 💖 Visit: [patreon.com**/UndeadNazar] and be part of my journey!"