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

"Stay close," Selena said again, her voice steady but quiet. "We'll figure this out, but only if we stay alert and cooperate."

"I'd like to know the same thing," Leila added, her eyes scanning the group.

Ashton and Freya exchanged a look before Freya finally spoke. "It seems we all ended up here because of the light," she said, nodding toward Selena. "And Ashton's domain, of course."

Selena frowned, her golden glow flickering slightly. "So we were drawn here... but we're not safe yet."

"No kidding," came a gruff voice. Roderick emerged from the fog, clutching his side. A bloody claw mark ran across his torso.

"Roderick!" Ashton ran to support him, but Reed got there first, throwing an arm around his shoulder.

"Does it hurt?" Reed asked, poking the wound.

"Of course not—AHHH!" Roderick yelled, glaring at him. "Reed, stop!"

Reed smirked but stepped back. "Just testing your pain tolerance. You passed... barely."

Roderick sighed, clearly too exhausted to argue. "Gathering here is better than being alone, but we're still sitting ducks. We need to move."

Freya stepped forward, her usual arrogance replaced with determination. "We already found the way out," she said, drawing everyone's attention.

Selena and Leila's eyes widened. "Really?" Selena asked.

"Yeah, Lukas left marks on the trees," Freya explained. "We just have to follow them, and we'll reach the entrance."

Ava's lips curled into a mischievous grin.

"Will we leave but I was just starting to have fun."

Selena ignored her, her gaze sharpening as she looked around. "Where is Lukas, anyway?"

"He was just beside Ashton," Freya said, her voice faltering as she turned to look. Ashton, realizing Lukas was nowhere in sight, cursed loudly.

"What the f***? Where did he go?" he shouted, his voice echoing in the fog.

Everyone fell silent, the weight of Lukas' absence sinking in. The glow of Selena's hair and Ashton's domain felt dimmer somehow, and the eerie growls from the fog grew louder.

"We need to find him," I said, stepping forward. My voice was calm, but inside, a cold fear crept in. "He wouldn't just leave without a reason."

The group nodded, and together, we began moving again, the marks Lukas left behind now feeling like a lifeline—and a warning.

.....

The cold air bit at my face as I moved, my cloak whipping around me. I crouched on the thick branch of a tree, steadying myself against the trunk. Below me, the group gathered near the faint golden glow of Selena's light. I could hear their muffled voices, some panicked, others sharp with worry.

My eyes scanned the scene, catching Reed's frantic movements. Despite his wild gestures and nonsense, he was safe. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

"Despite all his nonsense, he's still my so-called master," I muttered, a faint smile tugging at my lips.

I leaned back against the tree, watching them closely. Then Roderick appeared, limping and bloody. The sight of him sparked chaos in the group. They were yelling his name, scrambling to help.

My smile twisted into something between amusement and disbelief. "It took them ten whole minutes to notice I was missing?" I muttered under my breath. "Guess I overestimated my value here."

I shook my head, focusing on the fog swirling around me.

Hunter Instinct. Keen Insight.

The familiar rush of mana flowed through me, heightening my senses. The air around me felt heavier, the mana thick and dense. My vision sharpened, revealing subtle shifts in the fog. I could see where it was denser and where it thinned, tracing its movement like smoke trails.

It didn't take long to pinpoint the source. "Interesting," I whispered, my voice barely audible. The undead beasts were lumbering through the trees below, big and mindless. They didn't seem to have much intelligence or tracking ability. Lucky for me.

"Hm. Time to move."

I crouched low, coiling my legs beneath me, and leaped to the next tree. The branch swayed under my weight, but I balanced easily.

The forest was thick, vines and branches crisscrossing like a web. Instead of risking the ground, I stuck to the trees. My movements were calculated but fluid, nothing flashy—just the basic parkour skills I'd honed over the years.

The cold wind lashed at my face, its sharp bite a constant reminder of how high up I was. Each leap brought a rush of air past my ears, a moment of weightlessness before I landed on the next branch.

"Parkour is always fun," I chuckled, my voice a quiet hum in the eerie silence of the forest.

The further I went, the more the fog thickened, curling around the trees like ghostly fingers. The undead below moved aimlessly, their grotesque forms barely visible through the haze. Their guttural growls echoed faintly, but they didn't notice me above them.

I kept moving, jumping from tree to tree. The golden light of Selena's hair faded in the distance, leaving only the dim, eerie glow of the fog ahead.

Finally, I reached the source. A clearing stretched out below, the fog swirling thick and fast, almost like a living thing.

I perched on the last branch, gazing down at the scene. The cold wind stung my face, but I didn't flinch.

With a small smirk, I pushed off the branch and descended to the ground in one fluid motion.

"Here I come."

...

The hunched-back man stood in the center of the blood-soaked field, his ragged cloak billowing slightly in the chilling wind. His sunken eyes gleamed with a twisted light as he surveyed the grotesque scene before him—undead beasts gathered in hordes, their gnarled forms twitching restlessly. Around him, crosses made from broken branches stood like grim sentinels, their bases surrounded by gouged-out eyes scattered in macabre patterns.

He tilted his head back, his cracked lips curling into a malevolent grin as he gazed at the glowing moon. "Three days after the full moon," he muttered, his voice raspy and dripping with anticipation. "The time has come."

He straightened, his hunched form shaking with barely contained excitement, and let out a maniacal laugh. "It's time to reap the lives of those young fools and fulfill the requirements! Hahaha!"

With that, he spread his arms wide and began his prayer, his tone low and sinister, filled with reverence for some unspeakable deity.

"Great lords of chaos, devourers of light and hope, hear my plea. I offer these lives as tribute, their blood as your wine, their agony as your melody. Grant me salvation in the darkness of your embrace."

His words echoed in the stillness, carried by the wind like a poisonous whisper.

Then, with a sudden burst of movement, he slammed his gnarled hand to the ground. "Magic Circle Activate!" he bellowed.

BOOOM!

A pillar of crimson light erupted from the ground, surging into the sky like a beacon of corruption. The earth trembled under its intensity, and the man laughed hysterically, his cracked voice rising above the chaos. "Rise! Absorb the life essence gathered here!"

But then, the laughter stopped. His grin faltered, replaced by confusion. His eyes darted around the field, counting under his breath.

"One… two… three… nine… ten… Where are the remaining?"

A cold chill crept into his voice as his expression twisted into rage. He staggered forward, his hands clenching into fists.

"What the hell?!" he roared. "Who interfered with the remaining circles? Damn it! Don't let me find you, or I'll—"

He stopped himself, his breathing ragged. Slowly, he forced his shoulders to relax and rubbed his temple with trembling fingers. "No. Calm down. Let's redraw the circles and complete the array," he muttered to himself, his tone eerily calm now.

Just as he turned, a guttural roar erupted from the undead beasts around him.

GRRRR!

Their growls grew louder, echoing through the field like a warning. Ravens perched on the branches above cawed wildly, their black wings slicing through the fog as they fled in panic.

The man froze, a prickle of unease running down his spine. The air grew heavier, colder, and an inexplicable tension settled over the scene.

TAP. TAP.

The sound of slow, deliberate footsteps cut through the eerie silence. A sudden gust of wind swept away the fog, revealing the entrance to the field. The undead, previously restless, roared in unison, their grotesque forms quivering as if in fear.

Then, from the heavens, a bolt of lightning crashed down with deafening force.

BOOOOOM!

The crackling energy tore through the ground, reducing several undead to ashes. In the aftermath, a figure emerged from the shadows, stepping through the swirling smoke and embers.

A cold breeze followed his steps, blowing away the remaining fog and scattering the ashes of the fallen beasts. His presence exuded an aura of unyielding power, the calmness of a predator who knew the hunt was already over.

The hunched man's eyes widened in shock and fury. "Who—who are you?" he stammered, his voice quivering despite his efforts to sound menacing.

The figure stopped a few paces away, his piercing gaze locking onto the man. His tone was icy, yet calm, as he spoke.

"So, this is where you've been hiding."

The hunched man took a step back, his mind racing. "You… you dare interfere with my work?!" he snarled,