The Huntsman Of Death:A Gamer's POV As Side Character

The beasts hesitated at the edge of Ashton's domain, their glowing eyes filled with hunger. Then, as if on some unspoken signal, they charged.

"Here they come!" Ashton yelled, raising his sword.

Freya was the first to act, her pride kicking in. She conjured a ball of wind in her hands and hurled it at the nearest wolf. The blast hit dead-on, exploding in a burst of force that sent chunks of flesh flying.

"Not bad, huh?" she shouted, grinning despite the situation.

"Focus," I snapped, cutting down a bird that had dived toward her.

Talia darted forward, her movements quick and precise. She slid under a lunging wolf, her dagger slicing through its exposed throat in one clean motion. Her face was pale, but there was a surprising determination in her eyes.

Ashton fought like a man with something to prove. His swings were wide and powerful, cutting down anything that came too close. The light from his domain seemed to empower him, and every strike left a faint glow on his blade.

I stayed at the edge of the barrier, my movements calculated. A wolf lunged at me, its jaws snapping, but I sidestepped and drove my blade into its skull. Another beast—a mangled deer—charged from the side, but I pivoted, slicing through its legs before finishing it off with a downward strike.

The fight was relentless, the beasts coming in waves. For every one we killed, it felt like two more took its place.

"This isn't working!" Freya shouted, her wind blasts growing weaker. "We're going to run out of energy before they stop coming!"

"She's right," Talia said, her voice trembling. "What do we do, Lukas?"

I glanced around, my mind racing. The fog was pressing against the barrier, thicker and bloodier than before. Freya's earlier words echoed in my mind: The more beasts we kill, the worse it gets.

"Stop attacking," I said suddenly.

"What?" Freya snapped, glaring at me. "Are you insane?"

"Just do it!" I barked, my tone sharper than usual.

Reluctantly, they all stopped. The beasts paused too, their glowing eyes flickering as if they were confused.

I stepped closer to Ashton. "Your domain is keeping them back, but it's also drawing them in. The light it's like a beacon."

Ashton frowned, his breathing heavy. "So what do we do? I can't just turn it off."

"We need to move," I said. "Slowly, carefully. Stick together and don't attack unless you have to. We'll find a way out."

Freya crossed her arms, her expression skeptical. "And is this a brilliant plan?"

"Move where?Just where the fuck do you want us to move? The smartwatch isn't working properly?"Freya screamed in anger, almost pulling out her hair.

She was flustered that she used foul words subconsciously that made me want to tease her if not for the situation.

Hearing this, a shady grin emerged from his lips.

"We will follow the mark."

"What mark?"Everyone shrieked in suspense when Lukas asked them to follow when they soon found a tree bark with an arrow pointing.

"This..."Freya hissed and then as though realizing something she spoke but Ashton spoke before her.

"Did you leave a mark anticipating something?"

I didn't answer but rather nodded and spoke seriously, "Let's move.Ashton can't sustain much longer so we will cut the interval and give a run."

"And I am sure we will accompany many in the path."

For once, Freya didn't have a comeback.

We started moving, the light from Ashton's domain guiding us. The beasts followed, but they didn't attack, staying just outside the barrier. The fog seemed to pulse around us, almost alive, as if it was watching and waiting.

I didn't know if we'd make it out. But as long as we kept moving, there was still a chance. And sometimes, a chance was all you needed.

The fog thickened around us as we followed the faint marks Lukas had left behind. The eerie silence was broken only by the occasional growls and the sound of our footsteps crunching through the undergrowth. Every shadow seemed alive, and the air reeked of blood and decay.

"Stay close," Ashton said, gripping his sword tightly. His voice was steady, but I could see the tension in his shoulders.

Suddenly, a faint glow pierced through the fog ahead. It wasn't Lukas' work—this was something different. The light flickered and moved, as if it were alive.

As we drew closer, we saw a group of people gathered around Selena, her golden hair emitting a warm, almost angelic glow. She stood at the center, guiding a small group of survivors like a beacon in the darkness.

Among them was Reed, sprinting toward us like a man possessed. His screams echoed through the trees. "Beast! Beast! Someone save me! Mmamamamam!"

Behind him, a monstrous creature lunged from the fog—a twisted, fiery-eyed beast that looked like it had crawled out of someone's worst nightmare.

BOOM!

A fireball struck the beast, sending it sprawling. Reed froze and turned back to see Ava stepping out of the fog, her red hair wild and her hands coated in blood and ash. She grinned, a twisted, eerie smile.

"Th-thank y—" Reed began, only for Ava to let out a manic laugh.

"Kekeke!"

Reed's face went pale. "Mammama!" he screamed, bolting straight toward us.

He practically dove into Ashton's arms, clinging to him like a lifeline. "Oh, thank God you're here! You don't know what kind of nightmare I've just been through. I swear I saw a ghost!"

"A ghost?" Ashton asked, raising an eyebrow.

Before Reed could respond, a loud bang echoed through the fog, and a massive body was flung across the ground. Ava followed, stepping over it casually.

"It's Ava!" Ashton said, relief washing over his face. He glanced at Reed, who now stood with his arms crossed and a serious expression.

"Of course it's Ava," Reed said, his tone suddenly confident. "I was just acting earlier, you know. Had to test if you were scared. As a friend of my disciple, it's my duty to see if you're worthy of his friendship."

Ashton stared at him, his jaw dropping. "Are you seriously spouting this crap right now?"

Before Reed could respond, Selena spoke up, her voice calm but commanding. "What's going on here? Why are we all gathered like this? And where is the professor?"

The group huddled close, the faint golden glow from Selena's hair providing a fragile sense of safety against the encroaching fog. The air was thick with tension, every small rustle or distant growl making heads snap in all directions. The fog swirled like ghostly tendrils, playing tricks on the eyes.

Quiet murmurs began to ripple through the group.

"This is madness," someone muttered, barely audible.

"I don't even know where we are anymore," another voice added, strained with fear.

A young woman clutched at her partner's arm, her voice trembling. "Has anyone seen Edwin? He was right behind me when we started running."

The question hung in the air like a lead weight. People exchanged uneasy glances, but no one answered.

"Maybe he's up ahead?" Ashton suggested, though his voice lacked conviction.

"Or... maybe the fog got him," Freya muttered, her tone sharp but quiet. She crossed her arms and tilted her chin up, trying to mask her unease with arrogance.

"Don't say that!" Talia gasped, her shy voice breaking with panic. "He's probably just... just lost. Right?"

No one responded. The oppressive silence seemed to agree with Freya more than anyone else.

From the back, a voice chimed in nervously. "What about Roderick's team? They were supposed to meet us before this all started. Has anyone seen them?"

Ashton looked around, his brow furrowed. "Roderick mentioned something about them splitting up to scout. Maybe they're still out there somewhere."

Selena's voice cut through the chatter, calm but firm. "We can't assume anything. If they're alive, they'll follow the light and find us. We just have to stay together and move quickly."

"But what if they're not alive?" a man near the edge of the group asked, his voice shaking. "What if they—"

"Stop," Selena said sharply, her golden glow flaring slightly. "We don't know anything for sure. Fear will only get us killed faster."

Reed, standing off to the side, scoffed loudly. "Hah! You all worry too much. Roderick's probably out there fighting beasts and looking cool. Unlike some of you..." He gestured vaguely at the group, his attempt at bravado undercut by the way his eyes darted nervously into the fog.

"Shut up, Reed," Ashton snapped. "This isn't the time."

A faint growl echoed from somewhere in the distance, low and guttural. Everyone froze, their eyes widening as they strained to see through the fog.

"Did anyone else hear that?" Talia whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Yeah," Freya said, her confident façade slipping for just a moment. "And it's getting closer."

The group fell silent, the eerie atmosphere pressing down on them like a weight. The faint flicker of Selena's light seemed smaller now, swallowed by the swirling fog.

Lukas' absence loomed over them, unspoken but felt by everyone. The tension was palpable, the sense of dread creeping into the corners of their minds