Date: 14th Everdusk, 2103 | Location: DC-23 City, Dyna Crest Country, CGA Branch – Beast Grove Fields
"Is this sh*t for real?"Evan's voice rang out as a thunderous boom tore through the grove, shaking the ground and splintering several thick trees.
Just minutes earlier, Lucas and Ilya had ventured deeper into the grove, staying near the outer zone to begin their hunt. Lucas, ever cautious, kept his talent activated to scout for monsters. His eyes soon locked onto a beast grazing peacefully nearby—a Wild Stag, its antlers gleaming beneath filtered sunlight.
"Ilya, I'm going after that one. Be on guard, just in case," he said, gripping the hilt of his new sword—specially delivered by Tess to ensure his safety. His upgraded armor shimmered faintly under his coat.
"Got it. I'm ready whenever you need me," Ilya replied with confidence, standing alert as Lucas stepped forward.
He launched a [Fireball]—nearly maxed out in level—intending to wound the stag and initiate combat. But just as the fireball sailed through the air, the stag shifted to munch on another patch of grass. The fireball missed... and singed the tip of its tail.
The stag let out an enraged bellow, loud enough to shake the nearby canopy. At that moment, something changed. Its body pulsed with a strange reddish glow, as if awakening some dormant power.
RROOOAARRRR!
With a roar filled with fury and pride, the Wild Stag's strength spiked. Its body grew leaner and denser, speed increasing exponentially as it charged—not at Lucas—but in a random direction... directly into a different zone.
Lucas's eyes widened. "Sh*t, that's the boar zone!"
The beast barreled ahead, trampling everything in its path. Lucas cursed and turned to Ilya. "Come on! We need to make sure no one gets caught in that charge!"
Meanwhile…
Evan had just finished surveying the boar area and was taking a short walk to scout further when he heard the distant crash of trees falling. The earth trembled slightly beneath his boots.
He turned.
What he saw made his eyes widen.
A furious Wild Stag, glowing unnaturally, was charging straight at him, bloodlust in its eyes. Behind it, Lucas and Ilya were giving chase—far too late to stop it.
"…What kind of mess has Lucas created now?" Evan muttered, his tone laced with disbelief. "Does trouble follow me every time I see him, or what?"
Without delay, he reached into his inventory to draw his weapon. But in his rush, he pulled out the heavy longsword he'd looted from a boss—not the lightweight Ember Fang he was used to. The unfamiliar weight disrupted his balance.
The sword dropped slightly—just as the stag reached him.
Evan braced for impact.
And then—whoosh!
A sudden wind surged around him.
BANG!
A translucent wind slash burst from the blade. One of Evan's dormant passive skills—Blade of the Tempest (Lv.1)—activated instinctively under stress. The wind blade, fueled by Evan's strength and the stag's proximity, slammed into the beast's chest with a sonic crack.
Blood sprayed. The stag stumbled mid-charge and crashed into the ground, sliding violently across the dirt. It stopped just a few meters away, its massive body twitching.
Evan didn't hesitate.
"[Charge] – [Power Slash]!"
He surged forward, slashing through the monster's exposed throat, finishing it off.
Lucas and Ilya froze, arriving just in time to see the aftermath: Evan—masked and composed—standing over the fallen stag.
He quickly checked his mask. Still on.Good. Don't need any more trouble.
Without wasting a second, he began storing the stag's corpse into his inventory, not wanting to attract attention by using his talent publicly.
A few nearby hunters ran over, confused.
"What just happened? Why was a stag here?" one asked Evan.
Before Evan could speak, Lucas cut in. "Ah, it's our fault. We startled it during a hunt, and it just went berserk. Charged right toward here. Lim—uh, he—was just in the path and managed to take it down."
Evan chuckled lightly. "Well, thanks for the assist—I just picked up another monster. Guess your chaos worked in my favor."
But just as he was about to leave, Ilya stepped forward, arms crossed and eyes sharp.
"Wait! Return that stag. It was our prey. You can't just claim someone else's kill!"
Evan raised an eyebrow. "I killed it. My system even logged the kill notification."
[You've slain Lv.32 Wild Stag – +860 EXP (+77% Level Bonus)]
[EE Gained: 32 | Total Points: 1359]
"I saw it fall right in front of you!" Ilya snapped. "That means we weakened it first. You just landed the final hit!"
Around them, murmurs rose. Some hunters began questioning Evan's actions.
Lucas stepped in. "Ilya, stop. We messed up and caused this. Let it go."
"No! If we let trash like this steal kills, what's next?"
Evan sighed deeply. So she wants to play this game… fine.
"Alright. Just to clear up this nonsense and shut down your fake accusations, I'll pull out the corpse. Let's all check the damage together, shall we?"
He summoned the stag from his inventory and laid it before everyone.
A high-ranking hunter from a nearby team stepped forward to inspect the corpse.
"Three major wounds: a small burn near the tail, a deep gash in the chest, and a killing cut to the neck," the hunter reported. "Based on the direction and depth, the slash and final blow were from the same sword. Burn's clearly from fire magic."
Lucas raised a hand. "That burn's mine. I missed the first hit—nothing else."
Evan stepped forward, expression calm. "Chest slash and killing strike? Those are mine. And I can show the sword, too. Any more doubts?"
The crowd quieted. Ilya's smug confidence evaporated. She clenched her fists, looking away as Evan put the beast back into his inventory.
"Now then," Evan continued, "I hope there won't be any rumors circulating about me stealing kills. I don't have time for petty drama."
He turned and began walking away.
Lucas chased after him. "Hey, Lim—wait! That was a misunderstanding. Can we talk? Maybe… even become teammates?"
Evan stopped but didn't turn.
"Lucas, we'll talk next time. Right now, anything more will just sour things further. You hunt. I'll go home."
Lucas reached out, trying to stop him, but Evan gently broke the hold and walked away without looking back.
Ilya followed Lucas, fuming. "Why'd you make me apologize? That guy's not team material!"
Lucas shook his head. "You're wrong. That guy's something else. A level 21 solo hunter just cleanly took out a level 32 stag. That kind of performance? Only those who pass special branch tests—ones where you must beat monsters 10 to 15 levels above in front of a branch manager—can pull that off."
Ilya's eyes widened slightly. "He… did that?"
Lucas grinned. "He's no ordinary hunter. That's a future Ranker right there."
And from a distance, as the trees gently swayed again…The Grove grew silent once more.