Steeping before the assembled Hunters, heightened by the wooden platform of the sturdy hut. Alfred lingered for a while, letting the silence settle for a moment before clearing his throat.

"Everyone must have the gist of our operation tonight," Alfred began, his voice cutting through the cold air like a blade.

In response, the hunters all nodded, their eyes fixed on him.

Alfred's gaze was steely, the kind of look that demanded respect and attention. In a bit softer tone, he continues, reminiscent of a bitter past touching his stern gaze.

"I still remember the first beast I ever hunted. When bandits raided our village, I only escaped with my younger brother. But as we fled, a beast caught up with us. I watched it feast on him while I ran, too weak and terrified to save him. That shame has followed me every day since."

The crowd shifted, a somber, deeper silence falling over them as Alfred's words hung in the air.

"I was just a vengeful kid back then," he said, eyes distant as if reliving the memory. "I tempered myself, trained for years, and eventually tracked that beast down. And I failed. Again and again, I failed, even came close to death more times than I can count. But I never gave up. I kept pursuing it, like a thorn that wouldn’t let go, always irritating the beast with my persistence."

His voice grew harder, more intense. "I wore it down, hunted it so relentlessly that its annoyance turned to dread, then fear. I kept at it until it was too broken to even run from me anymore. Only then did I finish it off. Only then did I call myself a hunter. That feeling—the raging triumph, the satisfaction of finally slaying the beast that had haunted me—I know every one of you has felt it at some point."

A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd. Some nodded, others clenched their fists, their eyes gleaming with shared determination.

"But tell me this," Alfred barked, his voice rising above the noise, "Can we still call ourselves hunters when a cowardly beast is stalking our village, preying on our people, and not a single one of us has even seen its vile visage? Tell me! Can you proudly call yourselves hunters when we’re the ones being hunted?"

"No!" came the answer from the crowd, louder and fiercer than before, like a growl of a beast ready to strike.

"Then join me, my brothers and sisters!" Alfred shouted, his fist raised high. "Tonight, we end its reign of terror and reclaim our honor! Let’s show this monster what it means to be hunted! For we are the real predators in Green Land! We are humans!"

A roar erupted from the hunters, a unified cry of rage and determination that echoed through the village. They stomped their feet and raised their weapons, their spirits ignited by Alfred's words. It was a war cry, the kind that sent chills down even the bravest fighter’s spine.

Meanwhile, Kai, standing on the outskirts of the crowd, clapped his hands in a slow, almost sarcastic manner, as if bored rather than inspired. Not like he wasn’t unaffected by Alfred’s speech, but the fire that fueled the others simply didn't ignite in him. It wasn't that he didn't care—he just didn’t see the point in getting swept up by speeches about honor and glory, which he had so little of, in all honesty. Why would a student need that? And don't forget his too sleepy to be active in events.

Furthermore, it would take more than that to truly move him.

His gaze hardened as he scanned the faces of the hunters. They were fired up, ready to charge into battle, all because of some words about pride and vengeance. Though, truth be told, Kai felt a bit of pity for them mixed with a tiny bit of envy.

Not understanding their motivation to be so eager to risk their life for others and their home. On Earth, the majority of people would rather abandon their home for the sake of safety. Including him.

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Because all that mattered was survival.

'Two days,' he thought, his eyes narrowing. 'I just need to survive two days... nothing else matters.'

After Alfred's rousing speech, everything was said and done - Traps are purchased, their blades sharpened and other arsenal of weapons was prepared for the hunt. Now all that's left is beginning, marking the start of the serious play.

Following orders from above, the hunters began organizing into smaller groups to spread out and cover more ground in their search for the monster. The plan seemed straightforward—divide and conquer. But as the groups formed, Kai found himself standing there, isolated, with a sinking feeling settling in his chest.

The instructions were vague, leaving everyone to team up with whoever they knew best. Friends naturally flocked to each other, lifelong comrades pairing off without a second thought. He even saw couples teaming up, whispering words of encouragement to each other. It was like watching pieces of a puzzle snap together, each one finding its perfect fit.

And there he was—alone.

Everyone here was either born or moved in, spending a lot of time in this village to create bonds and familiarity. Something he doesn't have. Giving him a hard slap of reality check, as if mocking him that his still the old, introverted guy that has no friends or familiar comrades to speak of.

Well... Kaiser could put in a smile and somehow sneak in a group, blending in as he makes them his friends in mere minutes.

'Easier said than done. I'm not that kind of guy that makes socializing seem like a child's play.'

Sighing, a smile suddenly found itself onto his lips realizing how he easily made an enemy here, instead of friends.

Heck, their quantity can't even be counted by his fingers.

'Ah... Got damn life, I really miss Ariella and Cia.'

Kaiser watched the group's form, feeling more like an outsider than ever. He didn’t have any friends here, no allies or old war buddies. This village wasn’t his home; these people weren’t his comrades. To them, he was just a stranger, a face in the crowd that they didn’t recognize or care about.

'Why am I even here?'

Because of a punishment, that's why.

He sighed, pulling his hood a little lower over his face, concealing the frustration that simmered beneath the surface. He didn’t need their camaraderie or their trust. He just needed to make it through the night, play along with their hunt, and survive long enough to keep Ariella and Cia safe, to see them again. The two of them are all he needs. Everything else was just a distraction.

As the hunters who had already formed their groups began heading off, their camaraderie made Kai’s isolation even more pronounced. He stood there, the clear image of an outcast. Eventually, someone’s voice rang out from the dissipating Hunters.

"Hey, you three! Stop sulking in the corner and get over here!"

Kai blinked in surprise, then a grin spread across his face when he realized he wasn’t alone in his predicament. It was almost comforting to know there were others like him—misfits who didn’t quite belong. Misery loves company, after all.

But that sense of relief was short-lived. Moments later, his enthusiasm turned into regret when he found himself standing in a makeshift triangle with two others. The first was a young woman with a bow strapped to her back. She looked normal enough, but he couldn’t figure out why she would be considered an outcast. From what he had seen, hunters with ranged abilities were fewer than close combatants, and having a bow in the mix could be a crucial game-changer for any team in his opinion. Yet, there she was, on the sidelines with the rest of them, perhaps the last archer left in the camp.

And then there was the second member of their team—Brick, looking at him with disdain. Of all people, it had to be Brick! Kai’s grin vanished instantly, replaced by a scowl. He could feel a headache coming on just looking at the guy's smug face, his nose still bandaged from their previous encounter.

'Why did it have to be Brick?!' he complained, clenching his jaw. If there was one person he didn't want to be stuck with all night, it was that loudmouthed, arrogant fool. Their personal grudges against each other was also at play. Oh, the damned Hound was also with him. The two creatures he disliked the most in the same team as his.

Fortunately, it seemed like Brick didn’t recognize him. The guy stood there proudly, oblivious to Kai’s discomfort with unconcealed displeasure. The bastard was probably still nursing his bruised ego and likely too distracted by his own thoughts to pay much attention to his new teammates. It was a small mercy, at least.

An officer approached them with a stern expression, snapping them out of their silent standoff. "Listen up, leftover maggots," he growled. "You three will be scouting the southwest area. Head straight there and come back, and don't make me repeat myself. If you spot that monster or whatever that thing is, blow the whistle. And if any of you hear a whistle or hear a trap trigger, forget the original plan and get over there to help! Got it?"

The officer didn’t wait for an answer, instead shoving a rolled-up map into their hands. "This map shows all the trap locations. Don’t be stupid and step on one, or I’ll kill you myself if the trap doesn’t get the job done. Now, get moving!"

Kai, Brick, and the young woman exchanged wary glances as they accepted their supplies—a lamp, the map, and the grim sense of responsibility for their own survival. Though, the most crucial task is checking the map's details to not make any stupid mistakes.

Kai squinted under the pale moonlight to make out the details.

The map showed the layout of the village, with clear distinctions between the active areas and the abandoned ones. Red dots littered across it, marking the locations of various traps. Kai studied it carefully, committing the layout to memory to avoid any unfortunate missteps.

Kai flipped it to see if there was any more info.

And surprisingly... There is.

Kai blinked, and blinked again. Then narrowed his eyes and leaned forward to make sure he didn't read wrong.

To Hunt;

Unknown Monster - dead or utterly dead.

Kaiser - Alive, or barely alive.

Dumbfounded, staring at the words as if hoping they'll start to change. His name was right there, scrawled on the list as casually as any other target!

'You got to be kidding me. Did... Did he seriously put my name in the hunting list?!'

He swallowed hard, cursing Alfred's name nonstop.

Meanwhile, the said Hunter was striding back. His destination... Back to the Inn.