The stone-paved path, adorned with lush trees and wild grass, made the dark night atmosphere feel even more oppressive—each footstep seemed to avoid something, filling the night with dread.
A tall, slime-covered creature chased its prey, who was desperately trying to escape—the child ran with hope that they would soon be found.
Their breath came in ragged gasps from running nonstop to evade the starving beast. They hid behind a tree, just to take cover and catch their breath.
The creature let out a terrifying sound, like cracking bones every time it moved—the not-too-tall grass was stained with the monster's white slime.
The child peeked cautiously toward the starving monster, filled with fear. I want to survive. I don't want to die now.
The creature's menacing noise sent shivers down their spine. The little child sank to the ground, covering their mouth—afraid the monster would devour them just like their friend.
"Hey, damn monster! You've got the wrong target, you fool!"
The shout was followed by steady footsteps—the child glanced back to see a stranger facing the terrifying creature.
He swung the axe he carried toward the monster's body with confidence—striking it cleanly, but instead of blood, green slime splattered onto his wrist.
The monster leaped around and fled from the mysterious man—the child hiding behind the tree immediately came out to approach him.
He started wiping his hand with a red handkerchief—his face showed no disgust, only annoyance that the monster had gotten away.
"Y—who are you?"
the child asked nervously, twisting the hem of their clothes.
The man didn't answer right away—he ruffled the child's hair and smiled at them, grateful that at least one kid had survived the monster's chase.
"You're okay, right? Next time, don't go out at night, alright?"
he said, smiling slightly as he gently pinched the child's cheek.
The man left without revealing his identity, only saying they might meet again someday.
The child watched from afar as the man walked away—his bracelet fell off, and the child picked it up, planning to return it to him.
Ironically, the child was captured again by the creature without the man noticing—not a single scream or cry was heard.
The man turned back, feeling something was off. Wait, where's my bracelet? Did the kid head back already?
His phone rang. He reached into his pocket and answered it— the caller's name was displayed on the screen.
[Jiraya! Hurry back here! Don't just fixate on one place!
[Good grief, A Li, don't scold me like that.
[Hurry up and return—you still have plenty of tasks to do, idiot.
[Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't push yourself too hard either.
The call ended, leaving Jiraya with an annoyed look. The name known only to his organization was now out in the open—monster hunters like him were meant to use aliases like Jiraya.