The Hunter’s Shadow

Zane woke up to the distant calls of crows.

The cave's air was cold and damp, the fire from last night reduced to glowing embers.

His body ached, his wounds stiff, but at least he was still breathing.

Beside him, Lyra sat awake, sharpening her spear against a stone.

She had probably been awake for hours.

Zane groaned, pushing himself up.

His system screen flickered to life.

[STATUS UPDATE]

HP: 28/35 (Minor Wounds Healing)

STAMINA: 15/50 (Slow Recovery)

HUNGER: Moderate (-10% Strength)

THIRST: Low (-5% Speed)

MENTAL STATE: Stressed (-5% Focus on Combat)**

Zane sighed.

They were alive, but that didn't mean they were safe.

The Blood Pact was still out there.

Karl was not dead.

And last night's shadowy presence had vanished, but it could return.

He glanced at Lyra. "Did anything happen while I was out?"

She didn't look at him, still dragging her spearhead against the stone.

"No."

Zane raised an eyebrow.

She was lying.

Zane and Lyra stepped outside the cave, boots sinking into the damp forest floor.

The fog had thinned slightly, but the trees still loomed like silent sentinels.

Zane checked his map fragment, but it was incomplete.

[OBJECTIVE: SCOUT THE AREA]

Find clues about the Blood Pact's location.

Gather supplies.

Avoid unnecessary combat.

Lyra spoke quietly as they walked.

"They won't stop hunting us."

Zane nodded. "I know."

She glanced at him. "Then why not strike first?"

That made him pause.

Fight back? Instead of running?

A system notification flickered.

[NEW STRATEGY UNLOCKED: HUNTER'S REVERSAL]

You are no longer the hunted.

Track the Blood Pact before they track you.

Find their weaknesses. Exploit them.

Zane smirked.

"Alright," he murmured. "Let's turn the tables."

They moved silently through the underbrush, scanning for tracks.

It didn't take long to find something.

Lyra knelt beside a fresh bootprint, half-buried in the mud.

"Blood Pact," she murmured.

Zane examined the ground.

The prints were deep—whoever made them was heavy.

Karl?

No.

Too small.

Arnold, maybe. Or Orion.

Then, a red system warning flashed.

[WARNING: TRAP DETECTED]

Poisoned Spike Pit Nearby.

Triggering it = Instant Death.

Zane froze.

He followed the warning symbol, eyes scanning ahead.

There.

Just a few steps ahead, a section of the forest floor looked slightly off—

A thin layer of leaves covering something.

They set a trap for us.

Zane stepped back.

"They knew we'd come this way."

Lyra frowned. "Then they're close."

A system notification flickered.

[NEW OBJECTIVE: AMBUSH THE BLOOD PACT]

Use their own traps against them.

Eliminate at least one enemy before reinforcements arrive.

Remain unseen.

Zane grinned.

"You were right," he murmured to Lyra. "It's time we hunted them."

She smirked. "I like the sound of that."

They moved quickly but silently, circling through the trees to get ahead of the tracks.

Then—voices.

Zane and Lyra dropped low behind the thick roots of a fallen tree.

A small Blood Pact scouting party had stopped in a clearing, barely ten meters away.

Arnold.

Orion.

And one other scout.

Karl wasn't with them.

This was their chance.

Zane and Lyra exchanged a glance.

Two against three.

They couldn't fight head-on.

They needed precision.

[TACTICAL OPTIONS]

Silent Takedown – Kill Orion first (Eliminates ranged threat).

Trap Trigger – Lure them into their own spike pit.

Distraction & Escape – Use noise to separate them.

Zane's mind raced.

He chose Option 2: Trap Trigger.

If they could bait Arnold into the pit, they'd eliminate the biggest threat immediately.

Lyra nodded in agreement.

"I'll draw them in," she whispered. "You push him."

Zane tensed. "Be careful."

She just grinned.

"I always am."

Lyra picked up a loose stone and hurled it into the nearby trees.

The sound echoed sharply through the clearing.

The Blood Pact immediately reacted.

Arnold growled. "What was that?"

Orion raised his bow. "Could be them."

The third scout moved toward the sound, blade drawn.

That left Arnold standing right beside the spike pit.

Zane moved.

Fast.

One shot. One chance.

He sprinted out of the underbrush, slamming his full weight into Arnold's side.

CRACK—THE GROUND GIVES WAY.

Arnold's eyes widened in shock as he stumbled backward—

Directly into the spike pit.

[CRITICAL HIT! INSTANT KILL]

Arnold Eliminated.

Blood Pact Morale Reduced.

The clearing exploded into chaos.

Orion cursed, raising his bow—

But Lyra was already on him, her spear flashing forward.

Third Blood Pact Scout Details

Name: Ronan, the Stray

Weapon: Shortsword (Balanced, medium speed and damage)

Trait: Survivor's Instinct – Can react faster to danger, slightly increasing dodge chance.

He was the first to investigate the noise Lyra made.

He had a slightly better reaction time, which meant Zane had to move fast.

But Zane caught him off guard with brute force, overpowering him before he could fully react.

As Arnold plummeted into the spiked pit, Ronan spun around, eyes wide with shock.

"What the—?"

Zane was already moving.

Ronan instinctively raised his shortsword, his Survivor's Instinct kicking in.

Too slow.

Zane's spiked club crashed into his ribs, lifting him off his feet.

[CRITICAL HIT! -20 HP TO RONAN]

Armor Penetration Bonus Applied.

Internal Bleeding Inflicted.

Ronan staggered back, coughing blood.

Lyra lunged at Orion, their fight beginning.

Zane pressed the attack, giving Ronan no chance to recover.

The Blood Pact scout tried to counter, swinging his shortsword—

Zane ducked under the blade, slamming his club into Ronan's skull.

A brutal, killing blow.

[RONAN ELIMINATED]

Blood Pact forces reduced.

Threat Level Decreased.

Ronan collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Zane exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow.

One less hunter to worry about.

But Karl was still out there.

And soon, he'd come for revenge.

Too late.

Zane's spiked club smashed into his ribs, sending him sprawling.

Orion rolled away from Lyra's strike, barely dodging.

He fired an arrow—

Lyra twisted, the arrow grazing her shoulder.

[-5 HP TO LYRA]

Orion was alone.

His face twisted in fear.

"You think this changes anything?" he spat.

Lyra stepped closer, spear raised.

"No," she said coldly. "But it's a start."

She lunged.

Orion tried to retreat—

But Zane was already behind him.

No escape.

Lyra's spear drove through his chest.

[BATTLE COMPLETE – BLOOD PACT SCOUTS ELIMINATED]

Orion and Arnold are dead.

Survivors: 0

Zane exhaled sharply, wiping blood from his forehead.

Lyra stood over the fallen bodies, her breath steady.

She glanced at him.

"We just made a statement."

Zane nodded.

Karl would find the bodies.

And when he did—he'd come for them.

This wasn't survival anymore.

It was war.