CHAPTER 7 - THE REVERSAL OF ROLES
----------------------------------------
[EVENT RULES FOR HUNTERS TO HUNT]
[EVENT DESCRIPTION: ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE DEEMED "THE HUNTED." THERE WILL BE SUMMONS THAT SPAWN IN THE FOREST’S CENTER AND HUNT "THE HUNTED." PARTICIPANTS WILL BE RANDOMLY TELEPORTED TO THE OUTSKIRTS, FURTHEST AWAY FROM THE SUMMONS. DEFEND YOURSELF BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY AND OUTLAST THE TIMER.]
[DIFFICULTY: 3 STARS]
[TOTAL PARTICIPANTS: 1,236 PARTICIPANTS]
[WINNING CONDITIONS: SURVIVE UNTIL THE EVENT ENDS – 24 HOURS.
SLAY ONE SUMMON WITHIN 24 HOURS.]
----------------------------------------
"What do they mean… ‘we are the hunted’?" Takeo muttered, his brows furrowed. The term gnawed at him, planting yet, another seed of unease.
He glanced around, observing the atmosphere among the participants. Some were cheerful, psyching themselves up for the challenge ahead. But scattered among them were others, like Takeo, who seemed deep in thought. A few fidgeted nervously, while others simply stared at their weapons.
Takeo could tell he wasn’t the only one troubled by the event’s setup.
It wasn’t the survival aspect that bothered him — it was the winning condition. Slay one summon and the event ends? The wording was ambiguous. Did the event end immediately, or would it still run the full 24 hours? If there were multiple participants that fulfilled this winning condition, would they share the victory?
Questions swirled in Takeo’s mind, each without an answer.
----------------------------------------
[FINAL PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY]
[FINAL PARTICIPANT COUNT: 1,236]
[INITIALIZING: AREA EXPANSION MULTIPLIER – 3 TIMES]
[SUMMONS: 15]
----------------------------------------
Takeo’s thoughts were interrupted as sudden bursts of activity erupted around the dome. Trees sprouted rapidly from the ground, their trunks thickening as foliage spread out above like a wave. Vines crawled along the soil, weaving into dense undergrowth. The dome's interior transformed into a sprawling, untamed forest within moments.
“The event is starting,” Takeo realized, feeling the warm, tingling sensation of Flow enveloping his body. It was similar to how it was when he entered the dome.
In an instant, the world around him blurred.
When Takeo’s vision cleared, he found himself standing in a completely different area. The vegetation here was dense, with towering trees and thick bushes providing ample cover. He quickly surveyed his surroundings:
* A narrow path led into the thicket.
* The outskirts of the dome shimmered faintly in the distance behind him.
* A few other participants were scattered nearby, their positions visible through brief flashes of movement.
* They were situated right at the edge of the dome.
It seemed the system had placed everyone along the outer edge of the dome in a circular pattern. For now, Takeo darted toward the path and took cover behind a cluster of bushes.
“The system put us as far as possible from the summons. But… what exactly are we up against? Why are we called ‘The Hunted?’” Takeo thought, gripping his bow. He frowned at the weapon, the memory of his hasty purchase biting at him.
This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Deep down, he knew the answer. But it was an answer that he did not want to acknowledge.
“Two silver coins wasted,” he muttered bitterly. “I’ll be lucky if I even get a chance to use this.”
As he mulled over his next steps, the sound of confident voices reached his ears.
“Let’s be the first to slay one of those things and move to the next event.”
“Damn right. We’re the elite team.”
“Heh, ‘elite.’ More like lucky you found me. I almost made it into the Alphabets.”
“Hehe. We found comrades in a hopeless place, eh?”
Takeo peered through the bushes, spotting a small group walking together, their chatter was oozing confidence. They didn’t look particularly strong, but their camaraderie and determination were commendable.
Takeo stayed hidden. Joining a group was a wise strategy, but this particular group didn’t feel like the right fit. Their confidence might lead them straight into a crisis which would be too late to avert.
Instead, Takeo decided on a different approach: to hide and wait out the event. With enough preparation, he could survive the full 24 hours. It wasn’t the most glamorous plan, but it was definitely the most practical and logical. After all, they just had to survive.
Moments later, the ground shook violently, and a thunderous roar echoed through the dome. A cloud of dust swept outward, rushing through the forest like a tidal wave.
----------------------------------------
[1 SUMMON HAS BEEN SLAIN.]
[REMAINING SUMMONS: 14]
----------------------------------------
Takeo froze. What? Already?
He cursed under his breath. “Did I make a mistake not joining them?”
Doubt crept into his mind. Was the summon weaker than he’d expected? If so, winning the event quickly and moving on would’ve been the better choice.
Frustration bubbled within him as he trudged forward, the damp forest air clinging to his skin. Dust now clung to his clothes, adding to his growing annoyance.
“Maybe I should try to join a group,” he muttered. “Or at least get closer to see what the summon is.”
"I guess I might just get to use this bow after all. 3 Silver Coins." Takeo smirked at his bow.
He adjusted his bow and veered toward the center of the forest, navigating by the dome’s curvature. The ground sloped gently upward but he was moving alongside the dome’s peak which was serving as a rough indicator of the center.
[TIME LEFT: 21 HOURS 05 MINUTES]
Takeo realized that the first summon had been slain within the hour. He’d spent two hours preparing to hide and the remaining time running toward the center. Despite his haste, caution tempered his movements.
“Remember, Takeo,” An image of Kaoru appeared in his mind. “Confidence is the downfall of everyone - even the strongest.”
Instinct.
His body tensed, and he froze mid-step. Something was wrong.
His instincts rarely failed him, but nothing seemed out of place. The forest was still—too still. After some deliberation, against his better judgment, he pressed on, switching to a stealthier approach. He crept through the underbrush, scanning his surroundings for any sign of danger.
There was a faint sound of fighting which grow louder and louder. Determined, he moved closer, using the bushes as cover.
What he saw froze him in place.
The earlier group, now joined by another, was locked in combat with a summon. But this was a one-sided battle.
One participant’s head flew through the air, their lips forming the words “Save me” before their lifeless body crumpled.
The summon towered over them, five times the size of an average human. Its thick, black-and-purple scales glinted ominously under the dome’s light. Heavy armor covered its chest and limbs, and its hind legs, thick and powerful, dug deep into the earth with every step.
Takeo’s eyes widened. “A dragonthrope… Those were supposed to be extinct. There hasn’t been a sighting since the early days of Primo.” He recalled it from reading one of the books. The creatures of Primo. As a Hunter, he needed to know all of these information.
The beast let out a deafening roar.
One participant yelled out "Piercer: Sharpening Level 5". The spear tip glowing. He hurled it straight at the Dragonthrope. The weapon pierced the Summon’s armor, drawing a spray of dark blood.
But the dragonthrope retaliated instantly, it opened his jaw and flames came spewing out from its maw and reducing the attacker to a charred skeleton.
This wasn’t a fight—it was carnage. A fight was supposed to give two parties a chance of victory. No matter how small the chance is. Hope was supposed to be there.
Another participant yelled out "Flurry. Dagger Stance". His hands moved with incredible speed and his dagger strikes repeatedly struck the dragonthrope. But it was repelled by his thick scales. The dagger was not quite enough to wound him. The dragonthrope drew his cleaver back to strike another participant but it appeared that the dagger participant became collateral damage.
Takeo watched as one by one, the participants fell. Daggers glanced off its scales. Arrows shattered against its armor. Each strike was met with swift, merciless retaliation.
More participants approached from the outskirts, drawn by the commotion. Some joined the fray, others froze in fear, and a few quietly retreated.
The dragonthrope let out another roar, and to Takeo’s horror, a second Summon appeared—a winged beast that emerged from thin air. This new Summon did not look like an easy target too.
He got his answer right. This was the one time he did not want to be right. True to it's name, Hunters to Hunt. They were hunted.
Takeo’s heart pounded. He needed to make a decision and fast too.