Chapter 36 – Blood Moon Hunt
The city lay under a crimson haze as the blood moon rose high, casting eerie shadows over the skyline. Biro Kael stood on a rooftop, fragment pulsing faintly against his chest, the rhythm matching the pulse of the city below. Tonight wasn't just another patrol—something primal, dangerous, and unprecedented had stirred within the southern district.
Lyra hovered beside him, her orb radiating soft light, barely illuminating the wet cobblestones below. "Reports indicate a surge in monster activity," she said, voice low. "F to C-level rifts have spawned unusually large creatures. Some show adaptive intelligence beyond typical behavior. It's as if the rifts themselves are evolving."
Biro's eyes narrowed. He flexed his fingers, feeling the fragment thrum with latent energy. "Adaptive… huh? That makes them dangerous, but also predictable in a way. Every action leaves a trace. Every pattern can be read… if you know how." He glanced at Lyra, her analytical gaze meeting his. "We're going to need to coordinate. You guide, I strike—and we adapt together."
Descending from the rooftop, Biro landed silently in a narrow alley. The fragment hummed, sensing distortions in the air, faint echoes of temporal dissonance that ordinary humans would never perceive. The first rift shimmered near the edge of the district, pulsating unnaturally. The air felt thick, charged with energy that made the hair on his neck stand.
From the rift emerged a monstrous hybrid—part wolf, part serpent, covered in glistening, dark scales, eyes burning like molten gold. It let out a deafening roar that vibrated through the narrow alleys, testing Biro's reaction. Above the creature, a small, flickering indicator glimmered: C-Level Rift Spawn – Adaptive.
Instinctively, Biro crouched, fragment pulsing stronger. He felt every subtle movement of the creature, every tremor in the ground, every spike of energy that emanated from it. Lyra floated above, analyzing its weak points in real-time. "It favors the left side when lunging," she murmured. "Use that."
Biro nodded and moved like liquid, flowing between attacks with barely perceptible shifts. The creature lunged, jaws snapping, tail whipping like a living whip. Each movement was mirrored by instinct and fragment-driven reflexes. He released a small pulse of raw fragment energy from his hands, staggering the beast briefly, giving Lyra the opening to shine a guiding light that exposed the core of its shadowy body.
The creature adapted instantly, slithering into the shadows, re-emerging faster, smarter. Its attacks became more coordinated, almost tactical, forcing Biro to rely on a combination of instinct and the fragment's subtle guidance. Every dodge, every strike, every measured pulse of energy strengthened the bond between him and the fragment.
Minutes stretched like hours. Sweat ran down his brow, chest heaving, muscles screaming, yet his senses sharpened with every motion. Lyra's guidance was perfect, but the synergy between him and the fragment—his ability to anticipate and react beyond ordinary perception—was evolving exponentially.
Finally, Biro saw an opening—a faint distortion in the creature's flank, exposed when it lunged for a calculated strike. With a deep breath, he unleashed a controlled surge of fragment energy, infused with instinct and precision. The creature screeched, destabilizing as the energy struck true, pushing it back into the rift. With a violent shudder, the rift collapsed, leaving only a faint wisp of smoke in the alley.
Biro fell to his knees, breathing hard. Lyra hovered down, her orb dimming to a gentle glow. "You're advancing too fast," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice. "The fragment isn't just reacting to danger anymore—it's learning, adapting, growing with you."
He gave a small, tired smile. "Then we keep pushing," he said. "Every hunt, every rift… we get stronger. And tonight… we survived the blood moon."
Lyra reached out, her hand brushing against his arm. The warmth sent a subtle thrill through him, fragment pulsing in gentle resonance. "Together," she whispered. "We face everything together."
From the rooftop above, unseen, Cael watched silently. "The hunter awakens," he murmured. "Every test hones him… every victory shapes the future. Soon, the city itself will bend to his awareness."
Biro and Lyra stood in the crimson glow of the blood moon, fragments of closed rifts dissolving around them. The city's pulse seemed to echo theirs. Danger was ever-present, the rifts and monsters never ceasing, yet with each heartbeat, each shared glance, each victory, Biro felt something stirring deep within—a mixture of power, growth, and something tender he couldn't yet name.
Tonight, the blood moon had not only brought monsters—it had marked the beginning of a hunter's rise, a bond forged in battle, and the awakening of power that could shape worlds.