The mist outside the dormitory thickened until it seemed to press against the walls, muffling sound, swallowing sight. Li Feng's pulse hammered in his ears as the last lantern sputtered out, plunging the courtyard into darkness.
The system's warning still burned in his vision:
[Hunter has locked onto your presence.]
His grip tightened on the dagger, its edge dulled from countless beast hunts but the only weapon he trusted. Each breath tasted of iron and damp wood. He could hear his heartbeat more clearly than the snores of the sleeping disciples across the hall.
A faint knock had come at his door moments ago, Qingxue's voice whispering, steady but hushed: "Don't open it. Something is moving in the mist."
And then came the sound.
Crack.
A footstep. Too heavy, too deliberate. Not human.
Another. The wooden floorboards outside creaked, each sound drawn out like the slow tightening of a noose.
The dormitory door rattled, hinges groaning. Li Feng stepped back, chest heaving, the system screaming warnings in his mind.
[Recommendation: Do not engage directly.]
[Survival priority: Evade or delay.]
Evasion? How? The Hunter was already here.
The wood splintered with a sharp crack! as a hand—or claw—pierced through, dragging down with casual strength. The door split like paper, fragments scattering across the room.
And then it stepped inside.
The figure that entered was draped in smoke-like Qi that writhed around it as if alive. Its body was tall, broad-shouldered, yet unnaturally lean, every movement deliberate, controlled. Its face was hidden beneath a hood of shadow, but two eyes glowed faintly crimson.
The air grew heavy, oppressive, as though the walls themselves bent under its presence. Li Feng's lungs strained to draw breath.
When it moved forward, the floor groaned under its weight.
The Hunter tilted its head, eyes narrowing as though dissecting him with a single glance. Its voice rasped through the air, low and metallic, like steel dragged over stone.
"You reek… of stolen power."
Li Feng's skin went cold. It could sense the fragments—the very essence the system had allowed him to collect.
The Hunter blurred forward, faster than his eyes could follow. One instant it stood in the doorway; the next, its clawed hand slashed across the room, aimed straight for his throat.
Instinct screamed. Li Feng dropped into a roll, the strike carving through the wall behind him with a deafening crack. Wooden beams snapped like twigs, the fragments scattering in a shower of dust.
Too fast. Too strong.
Another shadow moved outside—Qingxue. Her bowstring twanged, and an arrow whistled through the shattered doorway. It struck the Hunter's shoulder with a sharp thunk, glowing faintly with spiritual energy.
The Hunter paused. Slowly, deliberately, it reached up and plucked the arrow free. The glow sputtered out as it snapped the shaft in half with casual contempt.
Then it turned its crimson gaze toward the doorway.
"Another insect."
Qingxue released a second arrow, but this time the Hunter swatted it aside midair, the wood splintering uselessly against its claw.
Li Feng forced himself to his feet, gripping his dagger with white-knuckled hands. His body trembled, but he stepped forward anyway.
The system's voice rang in his ears:
[Warning: Host's current combat power insufficient.]
[Fragments may be gained during direct confrontation. Survival probability: 18%.]
Eighteen percent. He swallowed hard. If that was all he had, then he would gamble on it.
The Hunter lunged again, its claw arcing downward. This time, Li Feng met it head-on. His dagger clashed against the strike, sparks flying in the dark. The impact sent shockwaves through his arm, nearly dislocating his shoulder, but he held firm.
His bones screamed, muscles quivered—but he wasn't thrown aside.
For the first time in his life, he had stopped a monster's strike.
The Hunter's head tilted, a sound like amusement scraping from its throat. "Interesting."
Fragments scattered from the clash, unseen by anyone but him.
Ding! Strength +2.
Ding! Reaction Speed +1.
Even in combat—especially in combat—the fragments fell. His system was feeding on the danger, pushing him to keep going.
The Hunter lashed out with its other hand, faster than before. Li Feng barely ducked, the claw grazing his cheek, leaving a line of fire across his skin. Blood dripped, hot and stinging.
He staggered back, panting, but each breath seemed stronger than the last.
"Li Feng!" Qingxue's voice rang clear. Another arrow streaked from her bow, glowing brighter this time, infused with more Qi. It struck the Hunter in the chest.
The creature hissed, smoke rising from the wound.
Qingxue's eyes widened in shock. "It can be hurt!"
The Hunter turned its gaze on her, crimson eyes blazing. It stepped toward the doorway.
Li Feng's chest tightened. If it reached her, she'd die. Without thinking, he threw himself forward, slashing wildly. His dagger cut across the Hunter's robes, barely leaving a mark—but enough to redirect its focus.
The Hunter swung back, claws tearing through the air. Li Feng raised his blade in desperation. Steel rang against claw. His arms buckled, but he refused to fall.
"Shoot again!" he shouted, voice raw.
Qingxue loosed three arrows in rapid succession, her movements a blur. Each arrow glowed brighter than the last, Qi burning through her meridians as she overexerted herself.
The arrows struck true—two into the Hunter's back, one into its shoulder. Black smoke burst from the impacts, hissing like acid.
Li Feng seized the moment. He drove his dagger into its side, channeling every fragment, every drop of Qi into the blade.
The Hunter hissed, voice rising into a guttural snarl. Its claw lashed out, tearing across Li Feng's ribs. White-hot pain exploded through him as he was thrown against the wall, blood spraying from the wound.
He slumped, vision swimming—but when he looked, he saw it.
Dark ichor dripped from the Hunter's wound.
It could bleed.
His system flared with notifications, pulsing against the edges of his fading consciousness.
Ding! Strength +3.
Ding! Constitution +2.
Ding! Beast Vitality +5.
The fragments knitted into his body, numbing the pain, reinforcing his flesh. He forced himself upright, dagger trembling in his grip.
The Hunter turned toward him, its crimson eyes blazing brighter than before. No amusement now. Only hunger.
"You are not ordinary prey," it rasped.
Li Feng spat blood and raised his blade, forcing a grin through the pain. "Then you'd better start running."
For a moment, silence. Then the Hunter let out a low, metallic chuckle. It stepped back, smoke curling tighter around its body.
"Not yet. The hunt has only begun."
It dissolved into the mist, vanishing as suddenly as it had come.
The silence that followed was suffocating. Only the ragged sound of his and Qingxue's breathing filled the room.
She rushed inside, dropping her bow to catch him before he fell. Blood seeped from his side, staining her robes.
"You're insane," she whispered, eyes wide with shock. "Facing that thing head-on… you should be dead."
He forced a grin, though it twisted into a grimace. "Still alive. That's enough."
Her gaze flickered over him, lingering on the strange glow that pulsed faintly in his veins where fragments had merged with flesh. Her eyes narrowed. "Li Feng… what are you?"
Before he could answer, the system's voice roared in his head, louder than ever:
[Quest Updated: Survive the True Hunt.]
[New Timer: 30 Days.]
[Additional Reward: ???]
His heart skipped. The numbers on the timer began to tick down.
But then—another line appeared.
[Warning: Multiple Hunters have entered the realm.]
Li Feng's blood ran cold.
If one Hunter had nearly killed him tonight, what would happen when there were more?
He met Qingxue's gaze, his voice hoarse. "We don't have much time. Either we get stronger… or we're already dead."
Outside, the mist stirred again—thicker, heavier, carrying with it the faint sound of distant footsteps.