Speeding through the forest, a creature from the other side raced under the pale glow of the moonlight and crowns of greenery. Its form mirrored its slain kin: tall and fearsome, with white fur stretched taut over black, sinewy flesh. From a distance, it resembled a fearsome, elongated hound, its unnaturally long neck supporting a head that defied natural order. Its skull's top was flat and eyeless, as though sliced cleanly across the top, leaving behind only four pointed ears, a grotesquely wide maw brimming with jagged teeth, and a twisted, blackened nose that twitched hungrily with each breath.

At close range, the true horror of the beast became clear. It stood over three meters tall, towering higher than any warhorse, its lean, muscular frame radiating predatory intent. Like any remnants of the monstrous kind that had wreaked havoc in the burning woods during the previous war. And now, this abomination was hurtling through the forest, its powerful legs carrying it with astonishing speed toward the inferno ahead, where the scent of blood and the promise of prey awaited.

The closer and closer it came, its maw dripping with anticipation, its prey was near. But all of a sudden—

A swift and sharp whisper of steel split the night, and the creature's elongated head was severed cleanly from its body. The dismembered skull flew through the air before landing with a sickening thud. Its lifeless form continued crashing forward, momentum dragging its headless corpse across the forest floor before it crumpled into a heap.

Behind the slain invader, the pack came to an abrupt halt. Snarling and growling, sensing danger ahead, the remaining nine sniffed the air, their instincts now tempered with wariness. Amid the mingling odors of dirt and ash, they discerned something else: the faint, undeniable scent of another creature made of flesh and blood in disguised, resurfaced now that they are looking carefully instead of dashing.

Soon, a figure emerged from the shadows of a tree where the dead invader just passed by before dying. Stepping into the moonlight. He appeared ghostly, his tattered clothes and torn hood clinging to his dirt-streaked body. The hood cast deep shadows over his face, revealing only glints of cold determination in his eyes. As if a corpse of a faller hunter rose from the dead, like a vengeful spirit armed with a blade forged to reap destruction to his killers, for all eternity. In his hand, he held a sword of elegant design, its glass-like edge stained with blood, glowing faintly under the moonlight.

The invaders snarled, their twisted hunger momentarily clashing with their instincts. This prey was unlike anything they had faced before, and the air around him seemed heavy with danger. But beastial hunger won out, convinced by the mindset of eat or be eaten.

Their monstrous forms tensed, claws digging into the ground as they prepared to pounce.

Seeing all of them, Kaiser allowed himself a fleeting, grim smile. His heart hammered in his chest as he gripped Windslayer tightly, steadying himself. Each one of these creatures was a force to be reckoned with, and he counted nine of them. Nine deadly, otherworldly monsters, their lean frames vibrating with savage energy.

He adjusted his stance, drawing a deep breath of the cool night air. It was a far cry from the suffocating heat of the battlefield he just left—the battlefield where he and countless hunters and volunteers had fought valiantly, only to fall one by one. Now, he stood alone, the last line of defense between these monsters and the innocent lives they sought to devour.

'Come, damned horses, I've been waiting!'

The invaders charged, their elongated limbs propelling them forward in a terrifying burst of speed. The first came low, aiming for Kaiser's legs. In an instant, he sidestepped, slashing Windslayer downward in a fluid motion. The blade, sharp as death itself, met some resistance but driven by his renewed might, it cleaved through the creature’s neck, its head hitting the ground with a dull thud. Dark blood oozing out.

He grinned in satisfaction.

'Dang, this thing is sharp!'

Two more lunged from either side. Kaiser ducked beneath one’s gaping maw, spinning on his heel to slash upward. His sword cut cleanly through its chest, the force of the blow splitting the beast underside in a terrifyingly wide wound that bleeds excessively. The other lashed out with claws, grazing his shoulder as he pivoted. Ignoring the sting of the shallow wound, he drove his blade through its open mouth, the tip emerging from the back of its skull.

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Four down.

Kai can't almost believe it, but it's true.

He just slayed four invaders in mere seconds without much of a sweat, one dying by his ambush, three on his blade, leaving six wary predators from the horde of ten.

To think he struggled in slaying these horrid creatures moments ago in the fiery war.

'What the heck is happening here...'

Although, he asked that, Kai knew the answer very well.

The invaders fell so easily because, despite their ferocity, they severely lacked the nuance and understanding of true combat. Their attacks were governed by instinctive savagery, driven by hunger and primal rage, but devoid of any grace or strategy, mindless and feral. They had no concept of feints, no understanding of defense, and no finesse in their strikes, nor technique in wielding their maws and claws. These beasts relied solely on their overwhelming physical power and speed to dominate their prey. Nothing more.

Against the previous army, this brute strength had been more than enough. The humans, wielding mundane weapons and insufficient strength, had stood no chance. Their blades too crude dulled against the invaders’ unnatural hides, and their bodies faltered under the relentless onslaught while all their pebble strength could achieve was shallow wounds. It was a massacre—a testament to the creature's sheer physical superiority.

But now, the battlefield has changed.

Kaiser had grown far beyond what he had been in that first encounter. His strength had been forged through pain and tempered by experience, rising rapidly as he fought and survived, killing multiple members of their previous horde, bringing him to the level of these nightmarish creatures. The leveling of his abilities had pushed him to a new height, granting him the raw power to match these monsters. And thus, their monstrous advantage over humans was erased against Kaiser. Coupled with Windslayer in hand, a real relic from that ancient Player passed down to Garba's ancestors and ending up in his hands, his current weapon fitted his capabilities nicely unlike mundane swords that crumbled under his grip. Windslayer's blade can pierce even the toughest defenses, saving him from ten trouble of forcing a bended iron in those tough hives. He was no longer a helpless participant in the slaughter, for Kai now has the strength and suitable tool for killing these terrors.

The remaining five circled him, their savage growls echoing through the trees. One of the smaller invaders broke formation, darting forward with deceptive agility. Kaiser crouched, feinting low before launching himself upward, slamming Windslayer into its exposed spine, cutting the bone before quickly retracting. The creature howled before collapsing, lifeless.

The remaining four attacked together, their movements erratic and unpredictable, a deadly combination of speed and savagery. Kaiser’s breath came quicker as he dashed under one of them, swinging Windslayer with all his might and killing another.

'Isn't this too easy?' He commented, noticing a crucial disadvantage of these creatures aside from their horrible fighting style, they're also too big against a swift slayer like himself. Kai's skill set up with Zara's beastiality as the foundation was focused on reflexes, lethality and agility, making him more of an assassin, than a stalwart fighter. Thus, weaving under their bodies, avoiding thrashing limbs easily manageable, all the while allowing him to strike freely on their belies, if he wanted to, Kai could just cripple their legs.

Actually, now that Kaiser think about it, this abominations evolution were just too. Rigid? Without their strength advantage, what's left of their capabilities was just too inconvenient for fighting against other creatures of equal might, more so due to their lack of crucial perception of vision. Other than running, they're not much of a threat, really.

Then again, all his attacks were powered by everything he had without reservation. Because he no longer needs to ration energy, and simply goes all out. Straining all his movements without calming down.

Sweat dripped down his face, mingling with the grime and blood coating his skin. His arms burned from the relentless strain, his muscles screaming for respite. But there was no time for rest. There's no more need.

Kaiser’s immortality gave him a staggering advantage. Every ounce of physical strain, every minor wound, and every ounce of exhaustion that would have hindered another warrior vanished at his command. His body, revitalized and restored, moved with precision and force. There was no hesitation, no need to hold back his strength to conserve energy. He fought at his peak, unrelenting, every strike calculated to kill.

The invaders, so used to crushing inferior foes with ease, had no answer for him. Their instincts were no match for Kaiser's understanding of the fundamentals of combat. He understood the rhythm of battle, the flow of attacks and counterattacks, strategic styles, and awareness where weaknesses are located. Each swing of Windslayer carried purpose; every dodge and parry flowed seamlessly into his next move. Against a foe who knew how to fight, who could exploit their lack of discipline, the invaders' monstrous strength meant little.

Strangely enough, he felt like his fighting the past him. The brat who only possesses strength but no skills to speak of, moving crudely, awkwardly, hesitantly.

A mindful combat really changed the game. The gap between him and the invaders strength was at the same level as them, if not, a bit greater or lesser, but in terms of intelligence, Kaiser was tremendously above this beasts leagues.

That's why humans reign over earth despite their physical inferiority compared to other species of animals and rise as supreme beings that made numerous species extinct with greed alone. All the while the animals stayed helpless under their rule.

With a sharp, subtle whistle, another invader fell. Kaiser surged forward, slicing through the final two invaders in a single, decisive motion followed by a throw of Windslayer to the crippled invader's head, ending its life. Their bodies collapsed in a heap, the eerie silence of the forest returning as their snarls faded into nothingness.

As the final beast collapsed, its lifeblood soaking the ground, Kaiser stood amidst the carnage. For a moment, his gaze lingered on the broken bodies of the invaders, and an unwelcome thought surfaced.

'If I had this strength before…'

The question lingered, gnawing at the edges of his mind. Would more hunters have survived? Could he have made a difference in the face of that earlier slaughter?

But it was too late for regrets now. The dead could not be saved, and mourning them would not protect the living. His purpose was clear: Buy time.... Or destroy every invader that crossed his path.

Panting, Kaiser surveyed the carnage. His chest rose and fell as he straightened, willing Windslayer to fly back and gripped the hilt. Around him lay the remains of an entire horde of otherworldly creatures, their black blood pooling beneath their broken forms.

Alone once more, he wiped the sweat from his brow, his resolve hardening. This was only the beginning. The night was far from over.

Seeing another tremor on the Southern Boundary's surface, Kaiser sighed and moved on.

'Might as well see what's going on there.'