The sound was unmistakable—a wooden creak, each groan and snap echoing through the night as something ascended the steps of a nearby house. It wasn't the skittering of insects, the rustle of the wind, or the random clatter of loose boards. This was deliberate, caused by something with legs, something heavy enough to make the old wood groan beneath it.

Kai’s heart thudded in his chest, his blood turning cold as his thoughts raced. Was it the monster everyone feared—the one that hunted and devoured its victims, leaving nothing or hollowed shells behind? The beast that had every hunter in the village on edge, and the same one he had been desperately avoiding?

A shiver ran down his spine, and for a moment, Kai was frozen, his breath caught in his throat. His mind screamed at him to run, to abandon this absurd mission. Why should he risk himself for the safety of the village? He had no loyalty to these people, no reason to prove himself as a hero. He would be a fool to face that thing head-on, even with his supposed immortality, it's uncertain if it could save him. The thought of being crippled or eaten alive sent pure dread flooding through him.

Kai was just about to voice a command, but

Brick beat him to it, his voice cut through the tense air.

"Kayla, stay behind me and aim at that window," Brick commanded, his voice steady unlike before, as if he had turned into the experienced hunter expected of him. Considering his the most experience in the group.

Kai stood still for a bit longer, cursing his own hesitation. Then realized he was already positioned just right in their makeshift triangle formation—Kayla in the rear with her bow being drawn, and he and Brick in front, poised to defend. It wasn't the worst setup for the situation, but he couldn't help but doubt if he would truly stand his ground.

No, he wouldn’t. His instinct was to run, to bolt the moment he saw a hint of the creature. There was no glory in risking his life for something that could swallow him whole. And yet, he forced himself to stay put, suppressing the urge to dash into the darkness. His foot had shifted almost instinctively, preparing to flee, but logic quickly chained it back in place. Running now, without confirming what they were up against, would only make him look suspicious to the others.

That's the last thing he wants, so instead, he adjusted his stance, trying to play off his aborted attempt at escape. His thoughts raced—if it wasn’t the monster, if it was something else entirely, then panicking would only put him under even more scrutiny. However, if it really is the the mysterious creature...

He will follow his own logic.

Meanwhile, Kayla’s hands trembled slightly as she held her bowstring taut, her arrow aimed at the shadowed window of the second story house. Brick and Kai drew their swords in unison, Brick slipping a whistle into his mouth, ready to sound the alarm the moment a threat was confirmed.

They waited, the silence thickening around them. Each of them was holding their breath, listening to the steady creaking from inside the house, hearing their heart beat pounding on their chest. Each subtle creaking raises the tension a notch higher. And then, just when the pressure was at its peak, a dark silhouette appeared at the window.

Kai's eyes widened, his thoughts scrambling to make sense of what he saw. 'Wait, wait, wait, wait—that's a-'

Before he could finish his thought, however, Kayla let her arrow fly the moment she spotted something. It streaked through the air with a high-pitched whistle, slicing toward the target. Kai could only watch in resigned disbelief as it sailed through the darkness.

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The silhouette in the window wasn’t some monstrous predator; it was another hunter—human! To think the first casualty in tonight's operation would be in the hands of their archer due to a misunderstanding.

Sure enough, their entire team would be held accountable, resulting in further troubles for him. He fought the urge to slap his own forehead.

A moment later, a soft thud echoed back to them, not followed by the scream of someone in pain, but rather an awkward silence. He frowned before looking at where it landed, then at their archer who scratched her head awkwardly, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Not like his anger, rather, the opposite. Kai’s lips twist into a half-smirk.

'No wonder no one picked this archer,' he thought, trying to contain his exasperation. After witnessing her wildly missed shot on a large target that wasn’t even that far away, he finally understood why she was left out of every team. Even a total newbie like him might have done a better job. Heck, Kaiser is confident in at least hitting the window.

'I guess someone's life was saved, on second thought, spared is more fitting.'

Soon after, the person at the window spotted them. Unexpectedly, instead of an angry shout or complaint, the Hunter who had almost been hit by the arrow burst out laughing, seeing how far off the mark it was.

"Gods, where are you even aiming?" he called out, still chuckling.

Another voice joined in, laced with amusement.

"Always as terrible as ever, but thank the heavens it was the legendary Kayla. We would have been dead if it was anybody else."

The female archer, lowered her head slightly at their remark. It was the kind of comment, which, though delivered in a light-hearted tone as a joke, it could easily be taken as an insult. Masked as playful banter but carrying a touch of truth. She seemed to shrink under the weight of it.

But Brick came to her defense. "Shut up, morons! Why the f*ck aren’t you two using your lanterns in the first place? If that shot had killed one of you idiots, who do you think would’ve been held accountable for your stupidity?!"

The two hunters went silent, their smirks fading into shy expressions before muttering their apologies in a more respectful tone.

While Kayla's eyes turned to Brick, a look of genuine admiration crossing her face. His defense meant more to her than any boastful claim he had ever made, and it showed in her softened expression adorned with a smile. Even Kai couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the scene.

It turned out that the two Hunters were part of a four-person cohort assigned to inspect the designated houses and set traps. Much like Kai's team, they were nearly finished with their task, though it had been similarly fruitless. With no other urgent duties, the group unknowingly gathered to exchange their experiences and discuss their disappointment with the operation so far. They also checked in with each other to see if any of the other teams had made progress, but everyone seemed clueless due to the lack of alarms or signals—suggesting that the monster remained elusive despite their throughout search. Considering both teams have nearly covered their assigned areas, it's safe to assume others are almost done, too. Yet no alarm sounding.

Meanwhile, Kaiser stood alone outside, leaning against the wall of the house. The warm glow of a lantern at his feet brought little warmth as he fought the urge to doze off, keeping one ear on the conversation inside.

Having been a part of this occupation for some time, they knew each other well enough unlike Kai who's if not a stranger, then a resented individual.

Brick was especially well-known, his reputation preceding him as both a skilled fighter and an arrogant braggart. And even the timid and clumsy archer, Kayla, was infamous for her poor aim and lack of natural hunting instincts—a young villager girl aspiring to become a Hunter despite destiny voting against it, she's more suited to become a shop keeper like Miss Lina in all honesty.

"Hey, weren't there three of you? I could've sworn I saw another guy with you, Brick. Wait, Don't tell me you—"

"Stop making dark assumptions about me," Brick snapped. "That guy’s just being a loner outside."

"Hmm, I don't recognize him from our ranks. That’s odd. Any idea who he is?"

Brick shrugged, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Probably some new intern they threw at us. Figures, right? Of all people, I end up babysitting a rookie on a wide-scale hunt, tsk, just don't dare put the blame on me if that pipsqueak died."

Is what Kaiser heard before losing interest in their chatter. At that point, he gathered enough information to conclude the hunt progress. Apparently, there were no signs of traps or sightings of the monster tonight and would likely stay that way the entire night.

Which favored his interest. Once dawn broke, he could finally rest, knowing he had only one patrol left to deal with tomorrow night. And after that, he won't come back hunting ever again. So, all he had to do is wait for time to pass.

'The monster really is unnaturally clever, unlike any ordinary beast. Otherwise, it would've shown itself by now instead of hiding, did it know the details of the operation or was hiding in a well hidden spot?'

Just as his thoughts trailed off, the door creaked open, and Brick stepped outside. He lingered for a moment, then leaned against the wall next to Kaiser with a heavy sigh.

As he silently observed him in the corner of his eye, Brick reached into his pocket, pulled out a small object wrapped in cloth and unwrapped it, making Kai frowned.

'This piece of...!'