Hunt Race

The abandoned camp had gone silent.

Broken stone covered the ground where the battle had torn through the chamber, while blood stained the floor in wide patches. The walls were cracked, several pillars had been damaged, and the remains of the Blood Drinker's attacks were scattered throughout the ruined room.

Kael stood near the center of it all, breathing heavily.

His sword hung loosely in his hand as the wounds across his body continued healing. The process was slow, and the pain hadn't completely disappeared, but at least the bleeding had stopped in most places.

Then Kael looked upward.

The three Hunters were still hanging from the restraints above the chamber.

One of them was conscious.

Barely.

His head was lowered, and his breathing was weak.

Kael walked toward them.

The Hunter slowly lifted his head when he heard the footsteps.

"You..."

His voice was barely audible.

Kael looked up at him.

"Can you hear me?"

The Hunter nodded weakly.

Kael turned toward the other two.

Neither moved.

He stepped closer and checked them.

They were still breathing.

Kael released a quiet breath.

At least they were alive.

He reached for the restraints and cut through them one after another, catching the first Hunter before he could fall heavily against the ground. The man collapsed to his knees, unable to support his own weight.

Kael helped him sit against the wall.

"Don't move too much."

The Hunter looked toward the empty passage where the Blood Drinker had escaped.

"It... escaped?"

Kael didn't answer immediately.

His gaze remained fixed on the darkness beyond the chamber.

The beast had already disappeared.

The connection from Dead End was gone, but the sensation of its blood still lingered faintly within the Mark.

Kael raised his palm.

The black crescent was quiet.

He had already learned that the Mark wasn't absolute.

The beast had broken the connection and escaped.

But that didn't mean Kael had completely lost it.

Kael looked toward the wounded Hunters again.

"Stay here."

The Hunter frowned.

"Where are you going?"

Kael turned toward the entrance.

"Nowhere."

He paused.

"I'm just making sure it stays gone."

Kael stepped outside the chamber.

The abandoned camp looked even worse from outside. Several wooden structures had collapsed during the battle, and the surrounding ground had been torn apart by the creature's attacks. Blood stained the earth, leading away from the camp in an uneven trail.

Kael followed it with his eyes.

The trail disappeared between the trees.

The beast was already far away.

Kael didn't chase.

His body was too exhausted, and even if he caught up, he wasn't sure he had enough left to finish another fight against an Elite Silver.

Instead, he raised his hand.

The black crescent pulsed.

Kael focused on the faint trace left behind by the blood connection.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then he felt it.

A distant presence.

Weak.

Faint.

But still there.

Kael's eyes narrowed.

The beast was moving.

He could feel its direction, but the sensation was too faint to follow normally.

Kael slowly closed his fingers.

"Prey Mark."

The black crescent pulsed.

The distant presence suddenly became clearer.

Not close.

Not enough to reveal the exact location.

But enough.

A faint connection settled somewhere beyond the forest.

The beast had escaped the battle.

It hadn't escaped completely.

Kael lowered his hand.

Behind him, the wounded Hunter appeared at the entrance of the chamber, leaning heavily against the wall as he looked toward Kael.

"You found it?"

Kael glanced back.

"Not exactly."

The Hunter frowned.

Kael looked toward the distant trees.

"But I know where to look."

The Hunter stared at him for a moment before lowering his gaze.

Kael turned back toward the abandoned camp.

The other two Hunters were still inside, and leaving them alone in their condition wasn't an option.

He walked back toward the chamber.

As he entered, his eyes passed over the ruined battlefield one last time.

The Blood Drinker had nearly killed him.

It had forced him to fight beyond his limits.

It had even broken Dead End and escaped.

But Kael hadn't walked away empty-handed.

He had learned that the Mark could be resisted.

He had also learned that an opponent's blood could leave a trail even after the main connection was broken.

Kael looked at his palm.

The black crescent remained silent.

He closed his hand.

For now, that was enough.

He walked toward the three Hunters.

"Let's get you out of here."

The conscious Hunter looked at him.

"And the beast?"

Kael glanced once toward the darkness outside.

A faint smile appeared.

"It ran."

He turned away.

"But it didn't get away."

Far beyond the abandoned camp, something moved through the trees.

The wounded Blood Drinker stumbled forward, one arm missing and blood still flowing from the wounds covering its body. Its breathing was becoming heavier with every step, yet it refused to stop.

It suddenly slowed.

A strange sensation passed through its body.

The creature looked behind itself.

Nothing.

Only the dark forest.

It continued running.

Back at the abandoned camp, the black crescent on Kael's palm pulsed once.

Kael didn't look down.

He already knew.

The hunt wasn't over.

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