“Archer division, FIRE!” Joshua screamed at the top of his lungs.

Hawk and the sniper division unleashed a storm of arrows and bullets towards the beasts. After humans were gifted supernatural abilities, everything changed instantly. Drawing a compound bow string became easier with magically enhanced strength. It could be more damaging than mechanical guns now. Hawk had scavenged all the hunting stores in the surrounding area back at our camp for as much archery equipment and guns as he could find.

William and Beverly had spent countless days experimenting with different materials to create more powerful equipment. Even the arrows produced from the various materials we’ve received through hunting and cleanup have improved our survival. Iron and wood are great ingredients, but a razor-sharp tooth from a twenty-foot alligator from one of our nearby lakes was even better.

Hawk’s group peppered the goblins and wiped out about twenty percent of the attacking horde from the first salvo of arrows. The arrows penetrated the soft feathered fur of the harpies even easier. The problem was their speed and agility as they wove around the arrows and dove mercilessly towards the closest targets they could find.

Hawk looked down at the weaker warriors on the frontline and the camp behind them. “Damnit, I hate when he’s right,” he said while firing and pinpointing every target he aimed for. “We need something flashy to start this off right and boost morale. You’re definitely gonna owe me a drink after this, you smug bastard.”

Hawk closed his eyes for a brief second, muttered an unknown language, then snapped his eyes open immediately. An emerald, green light filled his sockets.

“I offer my left as payment!” He yells as his left eye explodes with an audible pop. Blood poured down his cheek as everyone around stared in shock. They screamed his name and rushed to check on him, but he just held up his hand.

“I’ll be ok, just fire everything on my signal! Got me boys!” he screamed through blood-soaked teeth.

“Yes Sir!” went up around the area and Hawk just smiled to himself. Maybe he should’ve taken that job as a shooting instructor in his previous life; this wasn’t half bad.

He redoubled his focus and activated a skill he’d been working on with Threads. He always preaches to think outside of what The System gives us, to keep evolving.

“Eyes of the Predator.” he said showing his costly trump card.

Eyes of the Predator

Temporarily grants the wielder and nearby allies supernaturally enhanced visual perception akin to the flawless instincts guiding apex hunters towards unwary prey.

All surrounding environmental factors are instantly accounted for.

Perceive the prey’s heartbeats, breath rate, and muscle tension through solid barriers.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Warning: Prolonged over channeling risks permanent blindness upon ability deactivation. as mortal ocular nerves struggle transitioning back from predator to human visual bandwidths.

Attention: Eyes of the Predator is attempting to be shared and boosted using a Mana-Bound Contract provided by Alexander Evans. Your power and your price will be halved each. A log of your memory to this point will be saved. Do you Consent?

“I agree, you masochistic idiot.” said Hawk, fearing the cost of his friends sacrifice.

Contract Initializing…

All effects of the skill will now be shared with your subordinates.

The moment he agreed to the contract, half of his vision returned. The blood seemed to vanish, and Hawk was left with a milky white eye and his pain receding. A scaled eye, larger than anything had any right to be, appeared in the sky. All of the Killing Fields froze in a scene of abject terror. This was alien.

As it slowly opened, everyone in the sniper division seemed to take on a green aura. They all closed their eyes and reopened them simultaneously. A palpable and visual change overcame the group, shocking everyone watching. Each squad member had slits in their eyes, like a lizard’s, complete with vertical blinking.

“That sonuvabitch!” Hawk said astonished. “Hawk Division, fire everything you’ve got! Now!”

Every shot, skill and projectile fired from that makeshift wall hit its mark. The harpies started falling like hail from the sky. Three minutes flew by, and Hawk had run out of arrows, stamina and mana. Hawk would swear he saw The Eye gaze downwards at him just before it closed and evaporated into the clouds.

It sent a shiver down his spine at the attention.

The primary group of harpies had been eliminated and any stragglers were being picked off by the other fighters below. Exhaustion hit the squad like a hammer, and they all fell to the floor gasping for air and holding their hands over their eyes.

“What skill was that commander?” asked one of the others. “If we had that, we could win easily!” he said with hope while gasping for air.

“I’m sorry son, I wish I could. That used up everything I had for quite a while, and I can only use it one more time.” he said unintentionally bringing the mood down. “Hey knuckleheads, look down there.” He said pointing to the front lines as well as the camp behind it.

Everyone from those heading to fight the goblins to William in the back chanted loudly. “Hawk Squad, Hawk Squad, Hawk Squad!”

He really hated when Threads was right. “We did it boys! Let’s get healed up and refreshed to be ready for the next crisis. War tends to throw the unexpected at you. Let’s be prepared.” he said motioning to the infirmary. The mention of rest and the completion of a solid objective rekindled the smiles on his people’s faces.

Hawk thought that it wasn’t a bad tradeoff for half the vision in one eye however it’s that other half that concerned him. He remembered the bastard saying that he had a plan, but this price seemed too steep. He thought maybe he’d head on over after getting his eye checked.

“What was that Hawk?” he heard from a familiar sounding ass.

“Just paving the way for you guys to clean up Josh my boy,” he said while walking towards Joshua. “Besides, as you said earlier, my power is my own.” he said, heading past him.

Joshua grabbed his arm as he passed by. Everyone turned with a puzzled look as he jerked Hawk back to face him. “That wasn’t just power, you’ve never manifested anything like that before. You should’ve told me so I could’ve coordinated a better assault plan. Where did it come from?” He questioned angrily.

Hawk jerked his arm back. “Your people need you fearless leader, don’t waste any more time on an old has-been like me. I did my job, now I’m going to have my last smoke. Later Josh.” he said giving a military salute and walking away.

As he headed to the infirmary, out of earshot, he sighed deeply. “This is a bomb waiting to go off. I hope you have a good plan Threads.”