Hunt Race

Darius found Kael near the guild entrance.

“Kael.”

Kael turned.

“Captain.”

“Come with me.”

Kael followed him through the guild and into the captain's private courtyard.

It was quiet, with a small table beneath the shade of a tree. A few wooden chairs surrounded it, while a narrow stone path crossed the courtyard toward the other side.

Kael walked over and picked up the teapot.

“Tea?”

Darius sat down.

“Please.”

Kael poured two cups and placed one in front of Darius before taking the seat opposite him.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Darius took a sip.

Then he looked at Kael.

“How did the mission go?”

Kael leaned back slightly.

“I encountered an Elite Silver beast. I managed to injure it badly before it escaped.”

Darius's expression tightened.

“How did you survive?”

“At first, I couldn't keep up with its movements.”

Kael took a sip of his tea.

“It was too fast. I relied on mana sensing to keep up with it.”

Darius nodded.

“That explains it.”

Kael remained quiet for a moment.

“Then my Mark played a role too.”

Darius lowered his cup.

“You marked it?”

“After it escaped.”

Kael looked down at his palm.

“I used Prey Mark. I could still sense it afterward, but the mark disappeared the next day.”

Darius was quiet for a moment.

“That is natural. It's just a Bronze technique.”

Kael nodded.

“I know.”

Darius rested his cup on the table.

“A technique at that level isn't going to hold an Elite Silver indefinitely.”

Kael leaned back.

“I wasn't expecting it to.”

Darius's gaze shifted toward the garden.

“Still...”

He paused.

“Seems it wasn't alone.”

Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.

“You think someone removed it?”

Darius looked back at him.

“I think it's a possibility worth keeping in mind.”

Kael didn't respond.

He took another sip of tea, his thoughts returning briefly to the abandoned camp.

The three Hunters.

The Blood Drinker.

The strange way the creature had escaped.

Something about the entire incident still didn't sit right with him.

Kael lowered his cup.

“Captain.”

Darius looked at him.

Kael hesitated for a moment.

Then he asked,

“What about Ashvale?”

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