Team Battle
Time ticked by…
The further the contestants entered the Snow Forest, the more frequent the sounds of magical explosions and clashing weapons could be heard from various directions. Some teams began fighting each other for points, while others were busy hunting down as many monsters as possible.
The once-calm forest had now transformed into a battlefield.
Damian and Liam continued toward the eastern part of the forest.
Soon, they heard a roar from behind the trees.
As they approached, they saw three teams battling a giant ice bear. The monster was badly injured, but the contestants also looked exhausted.
Damian surveyed the situation for a moment. "Liam."
"Ready, Master Damian." Liam nodded immediately.
The two of them emerged from behind the trees. Their appearance drew the attention of all the contestants.
"Who are you?!" shouted one of the hunters.
Damian didn't answer. He immediately jumped from the ice cliff beside the battle arena.
BOOM!
Setsu'ryū hit the ground.
A wave of ice spread in all directions, freezing the feet of several contestants who tried to attack them.
"Now, Liam!" Damian said loudly.
"Okay, Master Damian!" Liam replied.
BANG! BANG!
Two magic bullets shot out. The first bullet struck one of the contestants' weapons, knocking them out of their hands. The second bullet struck another contestant squarely in the chest, sending them flying into a nearby tree.
Seeing this, the other teams immediately retreated.
Damian seized the opportunity. He darted toward the still-raging giant ice bear.
Swish!
One swift slash.
The monster's head was severed from its body. The ice bear's massive body collapsed onto the snow. Damian took the hunting token from the monster before turning to the other contestants.
"Sorry," he said calmly. "The points are ours."
The hunters gritted their teeth, but they were unable to catch up with Damian and Liam, who had already left the scene.
Shortly after, the officer's voice echoed throughout the arena again.
"AWESOME! TEAM TWENTY-SEVEN HAS DEFEATED THE OTHER COMPETITORS AND SECURED THEIR PREY!"
The magic screen updated the rankings.
TEAM 27 — 80 POINTS
"THEY HAVE MADE IT INTO THE TOP TEN!"
The cheers of the crowd filled the stands once again.
On the other side of the forest… Team Bloodfangs moved unhindered. Led by Kaldric Vorn, they continued to advance through the thick snow.
Strangely, the monsters around them didn't immediately attack. Instead, one by one, they approached the group.
Shortly afterward…
The roaring stopped. When the magic screen focused on the area again, dozens of monsters were already lying in the snow.
The four Bloodfangs stood unharmed.
In the observation deck, Rin was confused. "That's strange…" She continued to watch the screen. "It's like the monsters are coming at them on purpose."
Tessa also watched thoughtfully. "Not only that… They don't seem to be fighting back."
On the other side of the forest… Kael Fenrir continued moving alone. A giant ice tiger charged towards him. Kael didn't even pause.
Swish!
One swing of his sword. The monster fell instantly.
The cheers of the crowd rang out again.
The royal officer could barely conceal his amazement.
"AMAZING! KAEL FENRIR HAS ANOTHER ADDED POINT!"
The magic screen displayed his point total.
KAEL FENRIR — 200 POINTS
"THAT SINGLE PARTICIPANT HAS ALREADY ACHIEVED TWO HUNDRED POINTS ALONE! VERY DESERVING TO BE CALLED A LIVING LEGEND OF VINTERMOOR!"
Amidst the roar of the crowd, Damian glanced back at the rankings screen that had appeared in the sky.
He knew… The real hunt had just begun.
Two Days Later – End of the Hunting Game
Two days passed quickly.
The snow fell harder, covering the traces of the battle scattered throughout the Snow Forest. Many participants had already returned from the forest, while some teams were still trying to collect their last points before time ran out.
At the edge of an icy ravine, Damian and Liam stood catching their breath.
Their coats were covered in snow, and several small cuts were visible on Damian's face and hands. Despite this, both of them were still able to stand upright.
Liam looked up at the sky. "Master Damian... the hunting game time is almost up."
Damian nodded slowly. "If we can defeat one more monster, our chances of securing a top three finish will increase."
"Then let's go find it before it's too late, Master Damian!" Liam said enthusiastically.
The two of them resumed their run through the forest. But before they had gone far...
BOOM!!
A huge explosion shook the entire forest. The ground shook slightly, sending snow falling from the trees.
Damian immediately stopped in his tracks. "That sound..."
Liam also turned his head in the direction of the explosion. "To the west."
They quickly moved closer.
As they reached the pine trees, the snow mist slowly dissipated.
In the distance, two figures were facing each other. One was Kael Fenrir. The other… Kaldric Vorn.
Kael's black sword was already in his hand, while Kaldric stood calmly with his weapon in hand.
Neither of them moved. However, the mana pressure filling the air was enough to send the snow flying around them.
A moment later—
BOOM!
Both of them disappeared from their original spots.
The clash of their weapons generated a wave of mana that shattered the surrounding trees and created long cracks in the ice surface.
Damian watched the fight unblinkingly. "Kael…" His gaze then shifted to Kaldric. "…he's no ordinary person."
Liam swallowed hard. "I can even feel their mana pressure from here, Master Damian."
The fight was moving so fast it was difficult to follow with the naked eye.
A moment later—
DENGGG...
The sound of a magical bell echoed throughout the Snow Forest. The royal officer immediately announced the end of the match.
"HUNTING GAME TIME HAS ENDED! ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE REQUIRED TO RETURN TO THE MAIN POST IMMEDIATELY!"
Kael and Kaldric both halted their movements. Without a word, they both slowly lowered their weapons.
Final Results Announcement
Shortly after all the competitors returned to the main arena, the giant magic screen lit up again. A royal official stepped forward holding a scroll displaying the results.
"AND THESE ARE THE FINAL RESULTS OF THIS YEAR'S HUNTING GAME!"
The entire arena fell silent.
The official unfurled the scroll and read it aloud.
"Third Place…"
The magic screen displayed two familiar faces.
"TEAM NUMBER TWENTY-SEVEN! DAMIAN KADE AND LIAM ASHVEIL FROM ZEPHYRUS ACADEMY!"
Applause and cheers immediately filled the arena.
"Amazing!"
"The Zephyrus boys made it into the top three!"
"Even though it's their first time participating!"
The official continued.
"Second Place... KAEL FENRIR!"
Kael stepped onto the podium without the slightest change in expression.
"And the first place winner of this year's Hunting Game... TEAM NUMBER FOUR... THE BLOODFANGS!"
Cheers erupted again.
Kaldric Vorn walked to the top podium with his three team members. His gaze remained calm, while a faint smile still graced his face.
In the stands, Rin and Tessa joined in the applause as they watched Damian and Liam receive their medals.
"Congratulations…" Rin murmured with a smile.
Tessa simply nodded slightly. "They deserve it."
On the podium, Damian gave Liam a small smile. "Good job."
Liam replied with a proud smile. "Thank you, Master Damian."
Liam then looked up at the top podium. "But… to be honest, I'm not satisfied."
Damian followed his gaze. "Me neither."
On the top podium, Kaldric stood calmly, gazing out at the crowd.
Slowly, the corners of his lips lifted. "The real game… has just begun."
His voice was so low that no one heard him. Not far away, Rin's gaze fell on the symbol on the lapel of Kaldric's red coat.
She immediately frowned. "That symbol..."
Tessa turned her head. "What's wrong?"
Rin continued to stare at the symbol for a few seconds. "I feel like I've seen it before."
Rin tried to remember. "Back in the Zephyrus library... I read an ancient book about world history." She took a deep breath. "If I remember correctly... that symbol is very similar to the symbol once used by one of the Demon Lord's kingdoms."
Tessa's expression immediately turned serious. "Are you sure?"
Rin shook her head slowly. "No. But I'm sure I've seen that symbol before."
Tessa immediately turned her gaze to Damian, who was still on the podium. "Then... we should tell Damian and Liam about this."
Rin nodded slowly.
Meanwhile, Damian was still eyeing Kaldric suspiciously.