The boundary was different.
Arjun stopped at the edge of Zone 17-A.
The air ahead—
Felt heavier.
Darker.
Unstable.
Zone 17-B → HOSTILE
"…This isn't like the last one," the older man said.
Arjun nodded.
"…Yeah."
"This one fights back."
The map flickered.
Enemy density: High
Control resistance: Severe
"…So no negotiations this time," the girl muttered.
Arjun stepped forward.
The moment he crossed—
The system reacted instantly.
[Hostile Zone Detected]
[Immediate Threat Activation]
The ground trembled.
Unlike before—
There was no delay.
No testing phase.
No warnings.
They came immediately.
From broken buildings.
From underground cracks.
From the shadows.
Monsters.
Not basic.
Not elites.
Something in between.
[Hunter Units Detected ×6]
"…So this is their territory," Arjun said quietly.
The Hunters didn't circle this time.
They attacked.
Direct.
Fast.
"Spread out!" Arjun shouted.
The squad moved.
Faster than before.
More controlled.
The first Hunter lunged.
Arjun activated Threat Prediction.
He stepped aside.
Fired.
The plasma shot hit—
But the Hunter didn't stop.
"…Faster than before."
The second Hunter attacked from behind.
Arjun turned.
Blocked with his rifle.
The impact pushed him back.
[Suit Integrity: 61% → 57%]
"…Stronger too."
The battlefield exploded into motion.
The older man engaged one Hunter.
Careful.
Measured.
The girl dodged two attacks—
Barely keeping up.
The injured man stayed back.
Supporting.
Creating openings.
Arjun focused.
Six Hunters.
Fast.
Coordinated.
"…This isn't random," he muttered.
The drone confirmed.
[Pack behavior detected]
"…So they're hunting us."
Arjun moved.
Faster.
Sharper.
He targeted one.
Weakest movement pattern.
A step.
A dodge.
A shot.
Direct hit.
The Hunter staggered.
"…Got one."
The others reacted instantly.
Two Hunters shifted toward him.
"Good," Arjun said.
"…Come here."
He pulled them away from the squad.
Creating space.
Control.
One Hunter lunged.
Arjun sidestepped.
Grabbed its arm—
And slammed it into the ground.
Before it could recover—
He fired.
Point-blank.
The Hunter collapsed.
[Hunter Unit Eliminated]
"…One down."
The second attacked immediately.
No delay.
No hesitation.
Arjun smiled slightly.
"…Better."
He moved into its range.
Closer.
Riskier.
The Hunter struck.
Arjun slipped past—
Fired into its side.
The impact broke its movement.
He followed up instantly.
Second shot.
The Hunter fell.
[Hunter Unit Eliminated]
"…Two."
Behind him—
The squad struggled.
"Arjun!" the girl shouted.
He turned.
Three Hunters were pressuring them.
"…Too many."
Arjun moved instantly.
Speed Boost activated.
He reached them in seconds.
One Hunter turned—
Too late.
Arjun fired.
The shot pierced through.
[Hunter Unit Eliminated]
"…Three."
The remaining Hunters hesitated.
Just for a moment.
That was enough.
"Push forward!" Arjun shouted.
The squad reacted.
Together.
The older man struck.
The girl followed.
The injured man supported.
The formation—
Worked.
Another Hunter fell.
[Hunter Unit Eliminated]
"…Four."
Two remained.
But now—
The pressure had shifted.
Arjun stepped forward.
"…You lost the advantage."
The Hunters didn't retreat.
But—
They changed.
Their movements became sharper.
More desperate.
"…Final phase," Arjun muttered.
They attacked together.
One from the front.
One from above.
Arjun moved.
Perfect timing.
He dodged the first.
Turned.
Fired upward.
Direct hit.
The Hunter dropped.
[Hunter Unit Eliminated]
"…Five."
The last one remained.
It didn't attack.
It watched.
Then—
It retreated.
"…Running?" the girl said.
Arjun shook his head.
"…No."
"…Calling something."
The system flashed.
[WARNING]
Arjun's eyes narrowed.
"…Here it comes."
The ground cracked.
Deeper.
Heavier.
Slower.
Something was rising.
Not fast.
Not agile.
But powerful.
The entire zone trembled.
The squad stepped back instinctively.
"…What is that…" the older man whispered.
Arjun didn't answer.
He already knew.
This wasn't a Hunter.
This was something else.
Something bigger.
[New Entity Detected]
Arjun steadied his stance.
"…So this is how hostile zones work."
The ground burst open.
And the real fight—
Was about to begin.