Chapter 133 — The First Real Hunt

Morning arrived quietly.

Kael had already been awake for several minutes.

He sat beside the dying campfire, staring into the forest.

The System's message from the previous night remained in his mind.

[New Hunting Zone discovered.]

[Recommended difficulty: Level 10–15.]

[Potential boss detected.]

Kael looked at the three infants.

The baby Shadow Lion was stretching its tiny body.

The Verdant Serpent was slowly crawling down from the tree.

The Bone Sovereign stood near the stream, blue flames flickering inside its eye sockets.

Kael stood.

"Today, I won't help."

The Shadow Lion looked at him.

The Verdant Serpent tilted its head.

The Bone Sovereign remained still.

Kael pointed toward the forest.

"Whatever is in there will be your fight."

He paused.

"I'll only interfere if something goes seriously wrong."

The Shadow Lion immediately became excited.

It rushed forward.

Kael grabbed it before it could disappear into the trees.

"Not yet."

The lion looked annoyed.

Kael smiled.

"Observation first."

The little lion reluctantly sat down.

"Good."

Kael began walking.

The three infants followed.

The Hunting Zone

The forest changed after nearly an hour.

The trees became larger.

Their roots twisted through the ground.

The air became colder.

Kael activated Threat Analysis.

[Hunting Zone entered.]

[Recommended Level: 10–15.]

[Known Species: Ironback Wolf, Thornhide Stag, Bloodfang Ape, Shadowclaw Lynx.]

[Boss presence detected.]

[Boss location: Unknown.]

Kael stopped.

"Level ten to fifteen."

He looked at the infants.

The Shadow Lion lowered itself.

The Verdant Serpent disappeared into the branches.

The Bone Sovereign remained beside Kael.

Kael nodded.

"Let's start."

A sound came from the bushes.

The Shadow Lion immediately reacted.

It sprinted forward.

Kael didn't stop it.

A creature burst from the vegetation.

A massive wolf.

Its body was covered in gray-black fur.

Thick armor-like plates covered its shoulders.

[Ironback Wolf]

[Level: 11]

[Grade: Elite]

[Traits: Reinforced Hide, Pack Instinct, Charge, Enhanced Bite Force]

The wolf lunged.

The Shadow Lion met it.

The collision threw dust into the air.

The lion was pushed backward.

It rolled across the ground.

Kael didn't move.

The lion stood.

Its eyes narrowed.

It charged again.

This time, it didn't attack the wolf's head.

It moved around the side.

Shadow gathered around its paws.

The lion struck.

The attack left a dark mark across the wolf's flank.

The wolf turned.

The lion jumped backward.

Kael's eyes sharpened.

It's already using shadow energy intentionally.

The wolf charged again.

The lion waited until the last possible second.

Then vanished into a patch of darkness beneath a tree.

The wolf stopped.

It looked around.

Nothing.

The Shadow Lion emerged from behind it.

Strike.

Retreat.

Disappear.

Strike again.

The wolf couldn't keep track of it.

But the creature was tougher than the earlier monsters.

The fight lasted several minutes.

The wolf eventually turned toward the trees.

It was trying to escape.

The Shadow Lion chased.

Kael almost called it back.

Then stopped.

This is part of learning.

The lion tackled the wolf.

The two rolled down a small slope.

The wolf struggled.

The lion's claws glowed with shadow.

One final strike.

The wolf collapsed.

The System appeared.

[Ironback Wolf defeated.]

[Combat experience acquired.]

[Baby Shadow Lion Level increased.]

[Level 5.]

The lion stood over the defeated wolf.

It didn't celebrate.

It simply looked toward Kael.

Kael nodded.

"Good."

The lion's tail immediately began moving again.

The Serpent's Battle

They continued.

A few minutes later, the Verdant Serpent suddenly froze.

Kael stopped.

The serpent looked downward.

A large stag stood between the trees.

Its antlers were covered in sharp thorns.

[Thornhide Stag]

[Level: 12]

[Grade: Elite]

[Traits: Thorn Growth, Reinforced Hide, Charge, Nature Manipulation]

The serpent didn't attack.

Instead—

it began moving around the stag.

Slowly.

The stag turned with it.

The serpent continued circling.

Kael understood.

It was testing distance.

The stag suddenly charged.

The serpent vanished into the foliage.

The antlers slammed into a tree.

The serpent emerged from above.

Its body wrapped around one of the stag's hind legs.

The stag kicked.

The serpent tightened its grip.

The creature's scales began glowing faintly.

The stag charged again.

This time, the serpent was dragged several meters.

But it refused to release.

Kael watched carefully.

The serpent's body had changed.

Its scales were becoming harder.

The longer the stag struggled—

the stronger the serpent's defense became.

The stag's thorns grew.

The serpent's scales thickened.

Neither creature gave ground.

Then the serpent changed tactics.

It released the leg.

The stag stumbled forward.

The serpent struck from behind.

Its small fangs pierced the weaker section beneath the stag's armor.

The stag roared.

Green energy spread through the wound.

Its movements slowed.

The serpent attacked again.

The stag fell.

[Thornhide Stag defeated.]

[Combat experience acquired.]

[Baby Verdant Serpent Level increased.]

[Level 4.]

Kael smiled.

"You're learning defense and offense together."

The serpent raised its head proudly.

Bone Sovereign

The third encounter was different.

There were no footsteps.

No growling.

No branches snapping.

Only silence.

Then—

blue flames appeared in the darkness.

Not the Bone Sovereign.

Something else.

Kael activated Threat Analysis.

[Shadowclaw Lynx]

[Level: 13]

[Grade: Elite]

[Traits: Stealth, Mana Cloaking, High Agility, Ambush]

The creature disappeared.

Kael could no longer see it.

The Bone Sovereign looked around.

Its blue flames flickered faster.

The tiny skeleton raised its hands.

Nothing.

It lowered them.

The Lynx attacked.

The Bone Sovereign was knocked backward.

Its tiny body rolled through the leaves.

Kael's hand almost moved.

He stopped himself.

The Bone Sovereign stood.

One blue flame was slightly dimmer than before.

The Lynx disappeared again.

Another attack.

The Bone Sovereign raised its arm.

A small skeletal shield formed.

BOOM!

The Lynx collided with it.

The shield shattered.

But the attack had been blocked.

The Bone Sovereign immediately responded.

Three tiny blue skulls appeared around it.

The Lynx froze.

The skulls fired.

Blue projectiles crossed the clearing.

The Lynx dodged two.

The third clipped its side.

The creature vanished again.

The Bone Sovereign didn't chase.

It waited.

Kael watched.

The little skeleton had figured something out.

It couldn't match the Lynx's speed.

So it was forcing the enemy to come to it.

The Lynx attacked from behind.

The Bone Sovereign turned.

Another shield.

Another block.

Three more skulls formed.

The Lynx tried retreating.

The skulls followed.

This time—

all three struck.

The Lynx collapsed.

[Shadowclaw Lynx defeated.]

[Combat experience acquired.]

[Baby Bone Sovereign Level increased.]

[Level 4.]

Kael looked at the tiny skeleton.

"You learned positioning."

The blue flames brightened.

Kael smiled.

The Boss

Three victories.

Three different methods.

Kael stopped beside a large rock.

"You're improving."

The three infants gathered around him.

The Shadow Lion had become more confident.

The Verdant Serpent was exploring the surrounding trees.

The Bone Sovereign quietly watched the environment.

Then—

the ground shook.

Once.

Twice.

The birds in the forest suddenly flew away.

The System activated.

[Warning.]

[Major monster detected.]

[Level: 15]

[Grade: Boss]

[Classification: Hunting Zone Boss]

[Name: Ironmaw Alpha]

[Traits: Iron Hide, Pack Command, Berserk Charge, Blood Scent, Predator's Roar]

Kael's expression changed.

A massive wolf stepped into the clearing.

It was almost twice the size of the Ironback Wolf.

Its fur was black.

Metallic plates covered its chest and shoulders.

Its jaws were lined with dark iron-like teeth.

Behind it—

three Ironback Wolves emerged.

Kael stepped backward.

"This one is yours."

The Alpha growled.

The three infants lowered themselves.

The Shadow Lion moved first.

The Verdant Serpent disappeared into the trees.

The Bone Sovereign raised both hands.

The Alpha roared.

ROAR!

A pressure wave swept through the clearing.

The Shadow Lion stumbled.

The Serpent nearly fell from its branch.

The Bone Sovereign's blue flames flickered violently.

Kael narrowed his eyes.

"Predator's Roar."

The three infants recovered.

The Alpha charged.

The Shadow Lion attacked.

The Alpha's front paw struck.

The lion was sent flying.

It rolled across the ground.

The three Ironback Wolves followed.

The Verdant Serpent dropped from above.

Its body wrapped around one wolf.

The Bone Sovereign fired.

Blue projectiles forced the other two backward.

The Shadow Lion returned.

This time—

shadow gathered around its entire body.

It became harder to see.

The lion rushed forward.

The Alpha turned.

Too late.

The lion struck its side.

The attack pushed the Alpha sideways.

But the creature barely reacted.

It turned.

Its jaws snapped toward the lion.

The lion escaped by inches.

The Alpha was far stronger than anything they had fought before.

Kael watched.

He didn't interfere.

They need to learn how to combine their abilities.

The Shadow Lion couldn't overpower the Alpha.

The Verdant Serpent couldn't restrain it for long.

The Bone Sovereign's magic wasn't strong enough to seriously damage it.

But together—

they had a chance.

The Alpha charged the Shadow Lion again.

The lion retreated.

The Serpent moved.

It wrapped around the Alpha's rear leg.

The Alpha pulled.

The serpent held.

Its scales hardened.

The Bone Sovereign raised both hands.

Six blue skulls appeared.

Kael's eyes widened.

The Bone Sovereign had learned something new.

The skulls fired simultaneously.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The Alpha's armor cracked.

The creature roared.

The Shadow Lion charged.

Shadow gathered around its paws.

It attacked the damaged section.

The Alpha stumbled.

For one moment—

the three infants had created an opening.

The Serpent tightened its grip.

The Bone Sovereign fired again.

The Shadow Lion struck again.

The Alpha collapsed to one knee.

Kael smiled.

"Now!"

He hadn't meant to interfere.

But the word escaped him.

The three infants attacked at once.

Shadow.

Nature.

Soul flame.

The Alpha was overwhelmed.

It tried to rise.

The Verdant Serpent held it down.

The Shadow Lion attacked from the side.

The Bone Sovereign's magic struck from above.

Finally—

the Ironmaw Alpha collapsed.

The System appeared.

[Hunting Zone Boss defeated.]

[Combat experience acquired.]

[Cooperative combat successful.]

[Three-Beast Synchronization increased.]

[Synchronization: 1% → 4%.]

Then—

three more notifications appeared.

[Baby Shadow Lion Level increased.]

[Level 7.]

[Baby Verdant Serpent Level increased.]

[Level 6.]

[Baby Bone Sovereign Level increased.]

[Level 6.]

Kael stared at them.

The growth was fast.

But he knew why.

They were Legendary Beast infants.

Their potential was extraordinary.

What mattered was whether they could control that potential.

And today—

they had taken their first step.

A Strange Reaction

Kael approached the Ironmaw Alpha.

Before he could inspect the body—

the three infants gathered around it.

The Shadow Lion sniffed the corpse.

The Verdant Serpent touched it with its tongue.

The Bone Sovereign raised one hand.

Then—

all three paused.

Kael noticed something.

Their energy was reacting.

Not to the monster.

To something beneath it.

Kael activated Metal Sense.

Nothing.

He activated Threat Analysis.

Nothing.

Then the Bone Sovereign's blue flames suddenly became brighter.

A faint System message appeared.

[Unknown energy detected.]

Kael frowned.

The message disappeared.

He looked toward the deeper forest.

The hunting zone wasn't finished.

The boss had been only Level 15.

But something else—

something deeper—

was producing the strange reaction.

Kael looked at the three infants.

"Did you feel that?"

The Shadow Lion stared into the trees.

The Verdant Serpent raised its head.

The Bone Sovereign turned toward the same direction.

All three had sensed it.

Kael smiled.

"Then we'll investigate tomorrow."

The forest remained silent.

But far beyond the clearing—

two enormous eyes opened.

Not human.

Not even familiar.

And unlike the previous monsters—

this creature had been watching the entire battle.

It had watched the three infants evolve.

It had watched their cooperation.

And now—

it was interested.

[Unknown Creature has identified three Legendary Bloodlines.]

[Hunting behavior changed.]

The eyes disappeared.

Kael remained unaware.

For now.