Hunt Begins

[Frost Needle]

A rough voice echoed through the dense jungle as a figure clad in hunter's gear stretched out a gloved hand. Dozens of icy needles shot forward, piercing through the air and embedding themselves into the flank of a fleeing boar.

Squeak! Squeak!

The boar let out a pained cry before collapsing to the ground. It writhed for a moment, its movements growing sluggish as the frost from the needles spread through its body, freezing its insides. Soon, the creature lay still, encased in a thin layer of ice.

"Another one! Today's my lucky day!" the hunter exclaimed, jumping in joy as he sprinted toward his fallen prey. He was a young hunter, not a novice but far from seasoned. His temporary pass had only been upgraded to a permanent one three months ago.

"I suppose that boar was too weak even for you," a deeper voice chimed in. The speaker was a taller man, standing over another dead boar—this one three times the size of the younger hunter's catch. A smirk played on his lips as he wiped his blade clean.

The younger hunter dragged his frozen prize toward the larger boar and grinned sheepishly. "I've got a lot to learn, but... you could praise me once in a while, Troy."

The two hunters shared a lighthearted laugh, their camaraderie evident. But their laughter died abruptly as a low, ominous rustling sound reached their ears.

"Did you hear that?" Troy asked, his hand instinctively gripping the hilt of the sword at his waist. His eyes scanned the dense foliage, alert and wary.

"Something big..." the younger hunter whispered, his eyes wide as he turned in a slow circle. The jungle was thick, but the midday sun provided decent visibility. Yet, they saw nothing—no movement, no sign of danger.

But they could feel it. Something was approaching. Something massive. Their instincts screamed at them to run, but it was too late.

"Hey, watch out!" Troy shouted, diving to the side. But his reflexes weren't fast enough.

Two black tentacles shot out from the shadows of the trees, moving with terrifying speed. In an instant, they pierced through the chests of both hunters, their sharp tips emerging slick with blood.

"Ac... Arg... ulp..." The younger hunter choked, his body crumpling to the ground. Blood pooled beneath him, staining the black soil. His mouth twitched once before falling still.

Troy followed suit, collapsing face-first into the dirt. The tentacles retracted as quickly as they had appeared, disappearing back into the shadows. The jungle fell silent, save for the faint rustling of leaves in the wind.

***

The atmosphere in the hunters' guild hall was tense. A group of hunters huddled near the notice board, their voices low and somber.

"Did you hear? Troy and his junior didn't come back from their hunt yesterday," one hunter muttered, his face grim.

"Yeah, I heard. They were supposed to be back by sundown. No one's seen them since," another replied, shaking his head.

"Do you think something got them?" the first hunter asked, raising an eyebrow. "Others went looking for them. Troy's friends haven't come back either."

"Troy was level 25. If something could take him down, it could take any of us. We should avoid the jungle until we figure out what's going on."

"You know the city depends on us, right? If we stop hunting, people will starve. We don't have enough supplies in the warehouses."

The hall buzzed with similar conversations. Troy had been a popular and skilled hunter, and his disappearance sent ripples of unease through the guild.

The chatter came to an abrupt halt as the guild's heavy doors creaked open. All eyes turned toward the entrance.

A striking woman with long black hair and scarlet eyes stepped inside. Her movements were graceful yet deliberate as she dragged a massive boar behind her. The creature's lifeless body thudded against the wooden floor, drawing gasps from the onlookers.

"Look at the size of that thing! It's at least level 30."

"Isn't she the newbie? The one who joined last night?"

"How is she dragging it so easily? That thing's full of meat!"

Murmurs and exclamations filled the air as Krista Demise Spilledblood walked toward the reception desk, her expression one of casual indifference. She ignored the stares and whispers, her focus entirely on the task at hand.

She tapped her finger on the desk, her scarlet eyes locking onto the receptionist's bewildered gaze. "So? How much for this?"

The receptionist cleared her throat, clearly taken aback. "Ahem... something this big was roaming the forest?" she asked, her tone laced with suspicion. Krista's arrival with such a high-level kill on her first hunt was unheard of.

"I went deeper into the jungle. Didn't feel like hunting foxes and rabbits," Krista replied coolly. "How much?"

The receptionist stepped out from behind the desk and approached the boar, the other hunters parting to give her space. She knelt beside the massive creature, examining it closely before standing and addressing Krista.

"The rate is clear. A level 30 kill is worth 3,000 gold coins. Additionally, your temporary hunter pass will be upgraded to a permanent silver-class one."

"Damn, 3,000 gold coins? That's insane!"

"I've been hunting for three years, and I'm still stuck with a bronze-class pass!"

The whispers grew louder as the hunters exchanged envious glances.

"Seems about right," Krista said with a dismissive shrug. She accepted her silver pass and a receipt for the 3,000 gold coins, which could be exchanged for resources later.

"Thank you for your efforts, Miss Krista," the receptionist said politely as Krista turned and walked out of the hall, leaving behind a trail of stunned faces.

***

Another night passed, but the situation only grew worse. Of the five hunters who had gone searching for Troy and his junior, only two returned—dragging the corpses of their fallen comrades with them. The city was in shock as the grim procession made its way through the streets, the horrified faces of civilians and hunters alike bearing witness to the tragedy.

The guild hall descended into chaos as the two survivors recounted their harrowing experience. Their faces were pale, their eyes wide with terror as they stood before the guild master and the assembled hunters. Staring with disbelief at the large gaping holes in the chests of their former comrades.

"Tentacles... black tentacles," one of the survivors stammered, his voice trembling. "They came out of nowhere. We didn't even see what it was. It moved too fast... too fast..."

The other survivor, a woman with a deep gash across her arm, nodded in agreement. Her hands shook as she clutched her wound. "It was like the shadows themselves came alive. One moment, we were searching for Troy and the others... the next, those things... they just... pierced through them like they were nothing."

The guild master, a grizzled veteran with a scar running down his cheek, stepped forward. His presence alone silenced the murmurs in the room. "Did you see anything else? Any details at all?" he asked, his voice steady but firm.

The male survivor shook his head. "No... it was too dark. The jungle was thick, and the thing... it didn't make a sound. Not until it was too late."

The guild master's eyes narrowed. He turned to the rest of the hunters, his expression grave. "This is no ordinary beast. Whatever this thing is, it's intelligent. It's hunting us, and it's doing it with precision."

The room erupted into panicked whispers. Hunters exchanged worried glances, their confidence shaken. Troy had been one of their best, and if something could take him down so easily, what chance did the rest of them have?

"Enough!" the guild master barked, silencing the room. "We're not going to sit here and let fear paralyze us. We need to figure out what this thing is and how to kill it. Until then, no one goes into the jungle alone. Hunt in groups, and stay alert. If you see anything—anything at all—you report it immediately."

***

Krista stepped into her inn room, closing the door softly behind her. Fur sat in the corner, her eyes flicking toward Krista as she entered.

"You didn't cause any trouble, did you?" Krista asked, her tone sharp as she glared at Fur. The creature rolled her eyes and looked away, clearly uninterested in responding.

Krista sighed and sat down on the bed, leaning back against the pillows. "Oh well, it seems you're still hungry. Cooked meals aren't to your liking, are they?" she mused, her fingers gripping the sheets. "Dianelle," she called out.

From the shadows at her feet, a slimy substance began to seep out, coalescing into the form of a woman—Dianelle. Her face was adorned with a wide, unnerving smile as she knelt before Krista.

"Thank you for the opportunity to prove myself, Mistress," Dianelle said, her voice dripping with reverence. "It was quite delightful to taste human blood again."

Krista waved a hand dismissively. "Your work isn't complete yet. And you haven't proven anything."

"My lady!" Dianelle chimed, her smile unwavering.

"Keep targeting them until their numbers dwindle or the food supply is critically low," Krista ordered, her voice cold and unyielding. "We need them desperate enough to call in their elite vampire hunters."

"And once they do..." Krista's eyes gleamed with a dangerous light, her bloodlust filling the room. Both Dianelle and Fur shivered under the weight of her aura.

She left the words hanging, the promise of chaos and destruction lingering in the air like a storm on the horizon.