Morning, Vintermoor Icefield
That morning, Thousands of citizens filled the stands surrounding the main arena. Cheers and the sound of conversation filled the arena.
In the center of the field stood a giant magic screen visible from all the stands. The screen displayed the competition area, the Vintermoor Snow Forest, filled with towering trees, snowy cliffs, and the various monsters that roamed it.
Shortly after, a royal official stepped onto the main stage. He raised a crystal-shaped magic device that immediately amplified his voice throughout the arena.
"GOOD MORNING, CITIZENS OF VINTERMOOR!"
The cheers of the crowd immediately echoed across the plain.
"WELCOME TO THE ANNUAL HUNTING GAME OF THE KINGDOM OF VINTERMOOR!"
The applause and shouts grew louder.
The official raised his hand again, signaling everyone to pay attention. "As has been the tradition for centuries, the contestants will survive in the Snow Forest for two days!"
The magic screen changed to show various types of monsters being hunted. "They must hunt monsters, survive extreme weather, and collect as many points as possible!"
A few seconds later, the screen changed again, this time showing the two teams from last year's Hunting Game battling it out. "And remember! Defeating other teams is also allowed!"
The cheers of the crowd filled the arena again.
At the starting line, dozens of participating teams were ready. Among them stood Damian and Liam. Damian wore a white hunting coat with a thick fur lining around the neck. A brown leather belt wrapped around his waist, while two small knives hung from his right and left sides. Setsu'ryū was sheathed on his back.
Beside him, Liam wore a long black coat. Two revolvers were tucked into his waist holster, while a light bow and quiver were visible on his back.
Liam surveyed the participants around them before turning to Damian.
"Master Damian," he said with an enthusiastic smile. "We are truly participating in the world's greatest hunting game."
Damian rechecked his sword sheath and nodded slowly. "Yes."
He raised his gaze to the Snow Forest stretching in the distance.
"Let's… let's win this competition."
Liam grinned broadly. "I'm Ready, Master Damian!"
The royal official's voice rang out again throughout the arena.
"AND NEXT... PARTICIPANT NUMBER TWENTY-SEVEN!"
The giant magic screen immediately displayed two figures standing at the starting line.
"TEAM FROM ZEPHYRUS ACADEMY! DAMIAN KADE AND LIAM ASHVEIL!"
Cheers immediately filled the arena. Some people applauded, while others began whispering curiously.
"Zephyrus Academy?"
"The best school in the world?"
"It's rare for school students to participate in hunting games."
"I heard one of them recently saved the Evercrag Kingdom."
"That Damian Kade? Which one is he?"
"The one with the blue hair."
"So young..."
On the magic screen, Damian and Liam's faces were clearly visible as they prepared to enter the arena. In the audience stands, Rin immediately smiled broadly as she pointed at the screen.
"Look! Damian and Liam are here!"
Tessa also looked up. Damian was examining the Setsu'ryū sheath, while Liam stood beside him with an excited smile.
Tessa sighed softly. "If he starts acting like a hero again..." She clenched her fists. "...I'll go down to the arena myself."
Rin chuckled. "Do you even get to go in?"
Tessa crossed her arms. "Fine. Then I'll just shout from here."
Rin laughed again at that response.
The royal officer raised his magic crystal again.
"AND NEXT… THE THIRD-PLACE WINNER OF LAST YEAR'S HUNTING GAME! THE PRIDE OF VINTERMOOR'S SINGLE HUNTER… KAEL FENRIR!"
The crowd's cheers immediately grew louder than ever.
On the right side of the arena, a man stepped forward calmly. His silver hair flowed past his shoulders, while his gray fur coat fluttered gently in the wind. A large black sword hung from his back.
Rin stared at the magic screen in awe. "I've heard of him," he said quietly. "Isn't he a Legend Level?"
Tessa nodded without looking away. "Yes. Even without drawing his weapon… his aura is already different."
Damian watched Kael for a moment. "He's strong," he murmured.
Liam smiled excitedly. "Then… I'm getting impatient."
Before they could speak again, the officer's voice echoed again.
"AND THE FINAL PARTICIPANTS... TEAM NUMBER THIRTY-FOUR! A TEAM FROM OUTSIDE VINTERMOOR THAT IS PARTICIPATING IN THE HUNTING GAME FOR THE FIRST TIME... THE BLOODFANGS!"
The arena was abuzz once again. Four men walked onto the field with calm steps. The man at the front wore a crimson coat with a horn-like symbol on the collar. His black hair flowed long, while his red eyes stared straight ahead without a hint of emotion.
Behind him, three others wore metal masks that covered their faces. They carried spears, large swords, and battle axes on their backs.
Liam lowered his voice slightly. "Master Damian..."
Damian continued to stare at the group. "I feel it too. Their auras... are different."
It wasn't because they were strong. Rather, the aura they radiated was unfamiliar. It was hard to explain, but Damian felt like he had felt something like it before.
The leader of the group suddenly stopped in his tracks. Slowly, he turned to Damian. Their gazes met for a moment.
The corners of the man's lips lifted into a faint smile before he resumed walking as if nothing had happened.
Damian narrowed his eyes. "Strange…" he muttered softly.
On the participant board at the side of the arena, the team leader's name was clearly written.
Kaldric Vorn.
The Hunting Game Begins!
The royal officer raised the magic crystal high.
"ALL PARTICIPANTS, READY!"
The arena immediately fell silent. All participants took their positions.
"THREE..."
"TWO..."
"ONE..."
"START!!"
BANG!
The magic bell rang loudly, signaling the start of the Hunting Game.
In an instant, dozens of teams dashed into the Snow Forest from all directions. Snow flew as the participants raced to find the best path to the hunting ground.
Damian and Liam immediately headed for the East Forest, following the plan they had developed the night before.
Upon entering the forest, Damian immediately gave instructions. "Liam, use the tracer bullets we tested last night."
"Okay, Master Damian!" Liam raised one of his revolvers into the air.
BANG!
A magic bullet soared high before exploding into a blue flash in the sky.
BOOM!
The resulting mana wave instantly spread throughout the area around them.
Shortly after, the sound of heavy footsteps began to sound from behind the trees.
Liam immediately scanned his surroundings. "Two monsters! Heading towards us, Master Damian!"
Damian immediately unsheathed Setsu'ryū. "You take the left one."
"Okay, Master Damian!" Liam said.
Two large shadows burst out from the snowy mist. A wolf growled as it charged at Damian.
Damian took one step forward.
Swish!
With a single slash, the monster's body was sliced in half before it could touch him.
On the other side, the second monster leaped toward Liam.
"It's finally here!" Liam grinned.
He fired a fire magic bullet into the ground, using the small explosion to leap up a tree trunk.
As the monster looked up—
BANG! BANG!
Two magic bullets struck its head and chest in quick succession.
The monster was defeated. Damian glanced at Liam. "Good job, Liam"
Liam smiled proudly. "Of course, Lord Damian!"
Shortly after, the official's voice echoed through the magic crystal that connected the entire arena.
"AMAZING! TEAM NUMBER TWENTY-SEVEN FROM ZEPHYRUS ACADEMY HAS DEFEATED TWO B-CLASS MONSTERS IN JUST A FEW MINUTES!"
The giant magic screen immediately displayed their points total.
'TEAM 27 — 20 POINTS'
The crowd cheered immediately.
"That was fast!"
"Didn't they just enter?"
"Those Zephyrus kids are amazing!"
In the stands, Rin smiled proudly at the large screen. "They really did it." Beside her, Tessa continued to watch Damian as he advanced deeper into the forest.
Unconsciously, the corners of her lips lifted slightly. "He… is getting stronger," Tessa muttered under her breath.
Rin turned her head with a mischievous smile. "Are you proud?"
Tessa immediately looked away. "Shut up, Rin." Her cheeks flushed again, while Rin simply chuckled at her friend's reaction.