Chapter 19 – The Predator of the Ruins
The ruins were silent. Too silent.
Kael stood in the shadow of a broken archway, Dawnfang resting across his shoulder, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. The air smelled of ash and damp stone, every gust of wind stirring the dust of a city long dead.
But beneath that silence… he felt it.
A pressure. A presence.
Predator's Instinct throbbed like a drumbeat in his veins, warning him again and again: Danger ahead.
The silhouette moved between the shattered buildings, its steps heavy enough to rattle loose stones from crumbling walls. A low growl rolled through the streets, deeper than any goblin's screech or beast's snarl. It was primal, ancient, and hungry.
Kael tightened his grip on Dawnfang. His palms were slick with sweat, but his eyes were steady.
The system's quest glowed faintly at the corner of his vision.
[ Quest: The Hunter's Path ]
Objective: Hunt and defeat a D-Rank Monster.
Time Remaining: 22:14:37.
"Alright…" Kael muttered under his breath, rolling his shoulders. "No running this time."
He stepped out from the archway and into the open street.
The monster turned toward him.
It was massive—twice the size of the Shadowfang Alpha, with jagged plates of bone jutting out from its shoulders like cruel armor. Its eyes burned yellow in the gloom, its snout dripping with saliva that hissed when it touched the cracked stones.
The system's voice whispered in Kael's ear.
[ Direfang Ravager (D-Rank) ]
A predator that thrives in ruins and devours everything in its path. Highly aggressive. Weakness: exposed joints at the base of its armored plates.
Kael's stomach twisted. It looked more like a nightmare than a beast—part wolf, part lizard, its tail lined with hooked spikes that scraped against the walls as it moved.
The Direfang sniffed the air, its head lowering until its glowing eyes locked on Kael.
Then it roared.
The sound shook the street, rattling broken windows, scattering pebbles. Kael's knees trembled, but he forced himself to stay rooted, his jaw clenched so hard his teeth ached.
"Come on, then," he whispered.
The Direfang lunged.
---
Kael barely had time to react. Predator's Instinct screamed, and his body moved before his mind caught up. He dove sideways, rolling across the cracked pavement as the Direfang's massive body crashed into the spot where he had stood.
Stone shattered, a crater exploding beneath its claws.
Kael scrambled to his feet, Dawnfang flashing as he slashed at its flank. The blade bit into flesh—but only shallowly. Sparks flew as it scraped against the bone plates.
The beast barely flinched.
It spun, its tail whipping around like a spiked club. Kael's instincts roared again, and he ducked low. The tail missed his head by inches, smashing through a wall behind him with a thunderous crack.
Dust filled the air. Kael's lungs burned as he sprinted out of the haze, his mind racing.
Too fast. Too strong. One hit and I'm done.
The Direfang snarled, its eyes tracking him easily even through the dust. Its claws gouged deep furrows in the ground as it stalked closer, every movement deliberate, merciless.
Kael tightened his grip on Dawnfang and forced himself to breathe. He couldn't win by trading blows. He needed precision. He needed to fight like a hunter.
He remembered the system's words. Exposed joints at the base of its armored plates.
That was the weakness.
Kael set his feet. "Alright, monster. Let's see if I can carve you open."
---
The Direfang charged again.
Kael darted forward instead of back, closing the distance. His body screamed at him, instincts shrieking warnings, but he ignored them.
The beast's claws slashed downward. Kael twisted, narrowly avoiding the strike, and drove Dawnfang toward the joint in its foreleg.
The blade pierced shallowly, hot blood spraying across his face. The Direfang roared, jerking its leg back violently. Kael was thrown off balance, stumbling across the stones.
Pain lanced through his arm from the impact, but he grinned through clenched teeth.
"It bleeds."
The Direfang lowered its head and lunged again, faster this time. Kael barely managed to roll aside, the beast's jaws snapping shut inches from his torso. Its teeth clashed with a metallic clang, shattering stone like glass.
Kael lashed out with Dawnfang, striking its neck. Sparks flew—again, the bone plates turned the blow aside.
The Direfang's tail whipped around again. This time, Kael wasn't fast enough.
The spiked end caught him across the ribs, launching him like a ragdoll into the side of a building. The wall crumbled under the impact, dust and rubble burying him.
Pain exploded through his body. He coughed, tasting blood. His vision swam, the world spinning.
[ Warning: Vitality at 40%. ]
Kael groaned, shoving rubble off his chest. Every breath was agony, but he forced himself onto his knees.
The Direfang prowled closer, its eyes glowing through the dust. Each step was deliberate, savoring the kill.
For a moment, Kael's strength faltered. His arms shook. His lungs burned.
I can't… I can't do this.
Then, unbidden, Lira's face filled his mind. Her smile, soft even in hunger. Her small hand gripping his sleeve, trusting him completely.
Kael spat blood onto the stones and growled. "No… I have to do this."
He dragged himself upright, Dawnfang trembling in his grip. His body screamed to run, but his soul was steady.
He would not break.
---
The Direfang lunged again, but this time Kael was ready.
He sidestepped at the last instant, letting its claws smash through the rubble instead of his chest. He drove Dawnfang upward with all his strength, jamming it into the exposed joint of its hind leg.
The blade sank deep.
The Direfang howled, stumbling as its leg buckled. Its massive frame slammed into the ground, shaking the ruins.
Kael wrenched the blade free, his arms screaming with effort. Blood gushed from the wound, pooling across the stones.
The Direfang roared again and swiped with its claws, forcing Kael back. He staggered, barely keeping his balance.
The beast was wounded—but not nearly enough.
It was angrier now. More dangerous.
The Direfang's chest swelled, its ribs expanding. For the first time, Kael noticed the faint shimmer of energy gathering in its throat.
His eyes widened.
Oh, hell.
A blast of concussive force erupted from the Direfang's maw. The shockwave ripped through the street, hurling debris like shrapnel.
Kael dove behind a fallen column just in time. The shockwave tore through the stone, shattering it into fragments. Pain lanced across his back as shards cut into his skin.
[ Vitality at 28%. ]
Kael gasped, blood dripping from his nose. He was barely holding on.
But the Direfang was weakening too. Its movements were slower, its wounded leg dragging slightly.
This was his chance.
---
Kael forced himself forward, ignoring the pain. He darted around the beast's flank, Dawnfang glowing faintly with its crimson light.
The Direfang swiped again, but Kael ducked under its claws. He slammed his blade into the joint at its shoulder, the impact vibrating up his arms.
The beast roared, staggering sideways. Kael ripped the blade free, then struck again, aiming for the gap at its ribs.
This time, Dawnfang pierced deep.
Hot blood sprayed across him, the beast thrashing violently. Kael clung to the hilt, screaming as he drove the blade deeper and deeper.
The Direfang crashed into a wall, trying to crush him, but Kael ripped the blade free at the last second, rolling clear as rubble rained down.
The beast staggered, its breaths ragged, blood pouring from multiple wounds.
Kael rose slowly, swaying on his feet. His body was broken, but his eyes burned with fire.
"One more…" he whispered. "Just one more strike."
The Direfang lowered its head, growling weakly. It was still dangerous—but faltering.
Kael raised Dawnfang, every muscle screaming in protest. His vision blurred, but he steadied himself.
"For Lira."
He charged.
The Direfang lunged to meet him.
Their collision shook the ruins.
Kael drove Dawnfang into the beast's throat, just beneath the bone plates. The blade sank deep, crimson light blazing through its wounds.
The Direfang convulsed, its roar cut short in a choking gurgle. Its body shuddered violently, then collapsed to the stones with an earth-shaking crash.
Silence followed.
Kael stood frozen, Dawnfang buried to the hilt in the beast's throat, his chest heaving. Blood dripped down his arms, his body trembling.
Then the system chimed.
[ Quest Completed: The Hunter's Path ]
[ Reward: +800 EXP, Skill Unlock, Equipment Box. ]
[ Level Up! ]
[ Level 9 → Level 11 ]
Kael staggered back, barely able to believe it. The Direfang's corpse shimmered, breaking apart into motes of blue light. From its remains, a new crystal clattered to the ground—twice the size of the Alpha's.
[ Direfang Core (Epic). ]
Kael collapsed to his knees, clutching Dawnfang, blood and tears mixing on his face.
He had done it.
He was a hunter now.
---
⚡ End of Chapter 19 ⚡