The silence after the Wraithspawn battle was heavy—too heavy. Even the trees seemed to lean in, as though the forest itself held its breath.
Rihan tightened his grip on his sword. His muscles ached, but something in his chest—an ember newly lit—refused to die down. He glanced at Elira. "That sound… it wasn't normal, was it?"
The elf warrior's expression was sharp, eyes narrowed into the shadows ahead. "No. That roar belonged to the Blackwood Hunter. A predator that feasts on corrupted mana."
Lyra paled, her fingers tightening on her staff. "If it's drawn here, the residue of the wraiths must have attracted it. We need to move quickly."
Before Rihan could ask further, the air split with another roar—closer this time, a guttural bellow that rattled the very soil.
Branches cracked. The treeline shuddered.
And then it stepped into view.
---
The Blackwood Hunter towered over them, easily three times Rihan's height. Its body was a grotesque mix of beast and shadow—wolf-like frame, clawed arms too long for its torso, and a face twisted with jagged bone plating. Its eyes glowed a sickly green, dripping with malice.
The System pulsed instantly:
[Boss-Class Enemy Detected: Blackwood Hunter – Lv. 15]
[Warning: High Threat Level. Escape recommended.]
Rihan muttered under his breath. "Yeah, sure, escape… tell that to my legs."
Elira stepped forward, drawing her twin blades. "We can't outrun it. If it's locked onto us, the only way out is through."
Lyra raised her staff, light blossoming around her. "Then I'll keep you alive. Just… don't falter."
---
The beast lunged.
Its claws raked the ground where Rihan had been standing a moment before. He rolled desperately, dirt scraping his arms. "Holy—! That thing's fast!"
Elira darted in, her blades flashing green arcs. She sliced across the Hunter's flank, sparks of corrupted ichor spraying, but the wound sealed almost instantly with writhing shadows.
"Tch—regeneration." She clicked her tongue.
The System chimed:
[Weakness: Light / Purification]
Rihan's eyes widened. "Just like the wraiths…"
The beast turned on him, jaws snapping. Instinct screamed at him to run, but something deeper flared inside his chest. He raised his sword, focusing, calling to the ember of light that had saved him before.
"Come on… Soul Purge!"
His blade flared with radiant fire, and when the beast lunged again, Rihan struck upward. The purging light carved through the Hunter's jaw, forcing a shriek of agony as its regeneration faltered.
Elira's eyes glimmered. "So it does work!"
---
The fight turned chaotic.
The Hunter slashed wildly, uprooting trees, each blow strong enough to shatter bone. Rihan dodged and countered, each Soul Purge strike burning fragments of shadow from its body. But every activation drained his strength, the light flickering weaker each time.
Lyra stood firm behind them, weaving protective barriers that shattered under each impact but reformed again and again. Sweat beaded on her brow. "I… can't keep this up forever—!"
Rihan gritted his teeth. "Then we finish it before you drop!"
---
Elira landed on the beast's back, stabbing both blades deep. "Now, Rihan!"
The System flared again:
[New Combo Available: Purification Resonance]
[Condition: Synchronize with Ally Mana Stream]
Rihan's breath caught. He could feel it—the rhythm of Elira's mana pulsing through her blades, resonating faintly with his own.
He roared, lifting his sword high, pouring every ounce of willpower into it. The blade erupted in blinding white light.
"SOUL PURGE—RESONANCE STRIKE!"
He leapt, driving the glowing blade straight into the Hunter's chest where Elira's blades pinned it.
The forest exploded with light.
The Blackwood Hunter shrieked, its corrupted body convulsing as flames of purification burned through it. The shadows melted away, its form collapsing into dust and ash.
---
Silence.
The ground smoldered where the beast had fallen. Only faint motes of light drifted into the sky, the remnants of corrupted mana dispersing.
Rihan fell to one knee, panting, his vision blurry. His sword flickered out of existence again.
The System's voice rang clearly:
[Boss Defeated: Blackwood Hunter]
[Experience Gained: +450]
[Ability Soul Purge – Level Up → Lv. 2]
[Party Bond Strengthened]
[New Passive Unlocked: Purification Resonance (Tier I)]
---
Elira landed beside him, wiping ichor from her blades. She gave him a rare smile—sharp, but genuine. "Not bad, outsider. You strike like someone born for battle."
Rihan coughed a laugh. "Born for battle? More like born for running away. But… thanks."
Lyra rushed over, pressing healing light to his bruises. Her voice was soft, but steady. "You risked everything without hesitation. That is not something ordinary men do."
He looked at both of them, exhaustion weighing on him, but something else warming his chest—trust.
For the first time, he didn't feel like just a lost stranger.
He felt like… part of something.
---
But then, Elira's expression hardened as she stared into the darkened forest.
"This was only a Hunter," she murmured. "If such a creature is roaming so close to the old ruins… it means something far worse is stirring."
The System chimed ominously:
[Main Quest Updated: Investigate the Source of Corruption]
[Hint: Journey to Sylvaris – The Elven Capital]
Rihan's pulse quickened. The fight was over, but the war had only just begun.