The sun was sinking fast.
Golden light bled through the trees—fading, weakening, surrendering to the coming night.
Danir set his pack down, beginning to prepare their camp.
Cloth.
Tools.
Supplies—laid out with practiced movement.
"I'll get the firewood."
A few minutes later— He returned.
Arms filled with dry branches.
Then— His steps slowed.
A strange feeling crawled up his spine.
The forest had changed.
Too quiet.
Too still.
Then, his Amulet of Power suddenly pulsed— A steady green glow.
Danir froze.
"…An intermediate."
The last light of day dimmed further, shadows stretching longer between the trees.
Then— rustle!
Something moved.
Fast!
From one bush— To another.
Scratch! Scratch!
Not random.
Not careless.
It was circling.
Danir's eyes narrowed, scanning the darkness—but whatever it was, it stayed hidden.
Blending.
Watching.
Waiting.
"…Damn it. It's fast."
His grip tightened.
Every instinct screamed at him— This wasn't prey.
This was a hunter.
A hunter hunting hunter!
"Rigor."
The horse stirred immediately.
"Get up. Behind me."
Danir quickly untied him from the tree, guiding him closer while keeping his eyes locked on the shifting shadows.
The rustling stopped.
Silence.
Too sudden.
Danir lowered his voice.
"Listen… you protect yourself this time."
His tone was calm— But firm.
"We don't know what this thing is."
Another faint movement.
Closer now.
"If it charges—run."
Danir slowly drew his weapon.
"I'll fight."
A pause...
"I'll find you after."
The wind passed through the trees— Carrying with it a low, almost inaudible growl.
And in the dying light— Something moved!
Fast.
Too fast.
Danir's eyes sharpened— His body tensed— Preparing— For whatever was about to come next.
Danir dropped to one knee, gripping his dagger tightly.
No time to hesitate.
Scrape! Scrape!
He shaved thin curls of wood from a dry branch—small, fragile strips falling into his palm.
Kindling.
All the while— The sound continued.
Rustle… scratch… shift…
Circling.
Watching.
Waiting.
Danir's movements sped up.
Controlled—but urgent.
He piled the firewood.
Placed the shavings beneath.
Hands steady.
Breathing sharp.
"Come on…"
FLICK!
A spark caught...
Then another— WHOOSH!
Flame burst to life.
Just as the last trace of sunlight vanished beyond the horizon.
Darkness swallowed the forest.
The bonfire stood as their only light—
Flickering.
Dancing.
Revealing the clearing.
But beyond it— Only shadows.
The trees loomed like silent giants.
And between them— Something moved.
Then— it struck!
A blur of black shot from the darkness— Fast.
Silent.
Deadly!
Danir reacted instantly.
He grabbed the Thornbear's armored shell and pulled it over himself— CLANG!!
Claws collided against hardened thorns— Sparks burst.
The impact rang through his arms.
"Ghh—!"
The force pushed him back—but held.
The creature landed lightly, retreating just beyond the firelight.
Danir shoved the armor aside and rose— Eyes locked forward.
Rigor stood firm.
Not running.
Not backing away.
Facing it.
Then— The predator stepped into the light.
Slowly.
Silently.
A massive figure emerged from the darkness— Muscles rippling beneath sleek black fur.
Eyes glowing faintly in the firelight.
A giant wild cat.
No— Something worse.
A panther.
Nearly the size of Rigor.
Its claws dug into the earth.
Its tail swayed low.
Its gaze fixed entirely on them.
Predator.
Perfect.
Patient.
Danir tightened his grip on his weapon.
A slow breath escaped his lips.
"…So this is what's been stalking us."
The fire crackled between them— Casting long, shifting shadows.
Man.
Beast.
Predator.
All locked in the same moment.
And this time— There would be no running.
Only a fight to the death.
The beast didn't move.
Not yet.
It watched.
Patient.
Calculated.
It had been waiting... Waiting for the sun to die.
Waiting for darkness to claim the forest— Because here… This was its domain.
Perfect camouflage.
Perfect hunting ground.
Danir clenched his jaw.
"No time…"
No time to think.
No time to read.
No time to prepare.
Only fight.
"Rigor—run!"
But Rigor didn't move.
Instead— He stepped forward.
The panther's eyes gleamed.
Then it vanished.
A blur.
SLASH!
Dark claws ripped through the air— Leaving behind streaks of dark purple fluid, hissing as it hit the ground.
The stench hit instantly— Rotten.
Burning.
Like sulfur choking the air.
"Poison…!"
The beast moved again— Up!
It leapt onto a tree— Then— Down again!
Fast.
Too fast!
SLASH!!
"No!!"
Rigor cried out— A sharp, agonizing neigh as four deep claw marks tore across his back.
He staggered.
Then collapsed.
"Rigor!"
Danir's heart dropped.
The beast landed silently.
Watching.
Waiting.
Danir stepped forward— Placing himself between the predator and his fallen companion.
Breathing hard.
Grip tightening.
"I'll kill you…"
The beast attacked.
Danir swung— Missed!
Again— Missed!
Too fast.
Too precise.
It danced around him like a shadow.
Claws flashing.
Fangs ready.
Behind him— Rigor trembled.
Danir glanced back— Just for a second.
And saw it— Foam at the mouth.
Body weakening.
"…No…"
"Hang in there… I'll kill it first—!"
But then— Rigor stopped moving.
Silence.
"…Rigor?"
No response.
Something inside Danir— Snapped!
"NO!!"
The forest shook with his voice.
"RIGOR!!!"
His vision blurred— Not from fear.
Not from exhaustion.
But from rage.
Pure.
Violent!
Uncontrolled.
"I'll kill you…!"
Mana surged.
Wild!
Unstable.
"Ice Shard Daggers!!!"
And then— It exploded.
Hundreds— No— Thousands of icy blades erupted into existence— Firing in every direction— Like a storm unleashed sideways through the forest.
SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Trees were shredded!
Branches snapped!
The ground tore apart!
The predator tried to move— Tried to escape— Too late!
THUD!
One shard— Struck its ribs!
Another— Then dozens more!
Its movements slowed—
From lightning-fast— To staggered— To vulnerable.
Danir didn't stop.
Didn't think.
Didn't hold back.
More shards.
More...
More!
"DIE!!"
The air itself froze under the relentless barrage— Until the beast was completely encased in jagged ice.
Still.
Helpless.
Danir stepped forward— Eyes empty.
Burning!
Then— With one final strike— SHATTER!!!
The frozen body exploded into fragments— Scattering across the bloodstained ground.
Silence fell.
Only the crackling of the bonfire remained.
Danir stood there— Breathing heavily.
Mana nearly drained.
Body trembling.
Then slowly— He turned.
"…Rigor…?!"
Danir dropped to his knees beside Rigor.
"Rigor…!"
His hands trembled as he pressed them against the wounds— "Nature's Touch…!"
A soft green light bloomed.
Once.
Twice.
Again!
Over and over— He cast it...
The glow flickered desperately across Rigor's body, trying to mend flesh… trying to push back death itself.
"Come on… come on…!"
But something was wrong.
The wounds closed— But the damage didn't stop.
The veins beneath Rigor's skin began to darken…
Spreading.
Crawling.
Purple.
Danir froze.
"…No… it's not… healing…"
The smell hit him again— That same burning, sulfur-like stench.
"…Venom…"
Realizing that it wasn't poison at all.
More vicious.
More absolute.
Naturally inborn gift in the beast, like it had an inborn magic talent...
Danir's breathing grew uneven.
"Hang in there, buddy… I'll find a cure… I'll—"
He scrambled toward his pack, nearly tripping over himself as he grabbed Yuri's diary.
Pages flipped wildly under the firelight.
"Come on… come on…!"
His eyes darted across the text—
Desperate.
Searching.
Begging.
Then— Silence!
His hands stopped.
Too late.
Slowly…
He turned back.
Rigor's body lay still.
The purple veins had spread completely— Visible beneath his skin like cracks of something corrupting from within.
"…Rigor?"
No response.
The forest held its breath.
Danir crawled closer, placing a shaking hand against Rigor's neck.
Nothing...
"…No…"
His voice broke.
"No… no, no, no…"
He pressed his forehead against Rigor's body— Still warm…
But fading.
"You can't… not like this…"
Silence answered him.
The fire crackled behind him—
Mocking.
Uncaring.
And something inside Danir— Collapsed!
"…I was supposed to protect you…"
His fingers clenched against the ground.
"I told you to run…"
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"…and you stayed."
A tear fell.
Then another.
And then— His emotions burst!
A violent surge of grief, rage, and guilt poured out of him— Spilling into the cold night air like something alive.
The forest itself seemed to recoil.
"I'll kill them…!"
A blaming defense mechanism too weak inside, too human...
His voice trembled— Not loud.
But broken.
"I'll kill every single one of them…"
The wind stirred.
The fire flickered wildly.
This wasn't just grief anymore.
It was a promise.
A turning point.
Danir slowly lifted his head— Eyes hollow.
Burning!
He understood now.
This was the price.
The reality of a solo hunt.
No backup.
No safety.
No second chances.
Only survival.
And loss.
"…I wasn't strong enough."
His voice fell into silence.
And under the dim light of the dying fire— Danir remained there…
Beside the body of the one companion who never left his side...
Danir didn't move...
Not immediately....
He stayed there— Kneeling beside Rigor's lifeless body.
The forest had gone quiet again.
As if nothing had happened.
As if nothing had been lost.
"…Get up."
His voice was low.
Barely a whisper.
"…Come on, Rigor…"
Silence.
Danir clenched his fists.
"I said… get up."
Nothing.
The truth settled in.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Rigor was gone...
Danir slowly lowered his head.
His shoulders trembled— Not from fear.
Not from exhaustion.
But from something far worse.
Guilt!
"I failed you…"
His voice cracked.
"You trusted me… and I—"
He couldn't finish it.
The image replayed in his mind— Over and over.
The claws.
The venom.
The moment he chose to fight instead of retreat.
A single decision.
And it cost a life.
Danir gritted his teeth, tears falling silently into the dirt.
"This… is what weakness looks like…"
His grip tightened.
"I wasn't strong enough to protect you."
The fire behind him began to die down, its light flickering weaker and weaker— Just like the warmth that once filled this place.
After a long while— Danir moved.
Slowly.
He gathered stones.
One by one.
Under the dim light of the dying fire, he built a small grave.
Careful.
Precise.
As if afraid that even now— He might hurt him again.
"…You carried me this far."
He placed Rigor down gently.
"…So I'll carry you from here."
The last stone settled.
Silence followed.
Danir stood there— Staring at the grave.
Then— He turned away.
No dramatic speech.
No loud vow.
Just a quiet, burning resolve raging inside him...
And this time— It wasn't just anger.
It was conviction.
Something colder.
Sharper.
More dangerous...