WORLD END

Hunter’s

In a dark green-painted office-like room, four holographic individuals, a man and a little girl, sat around a glass, systematic table. A Male voice spoke up, “Hmmm, we have quite a lot of rookies this season.”

Another voice replied, “Soon, different guilds will recruit them—sending them to fight and collect beast crystal and resources, and protect civilians from Beast attack all so humanity doesn’t fall.”

A female voice added, “Look at this list of participants this year 300 participate more than we've ever seen before. And all of them are participating to get Hunters’ IDs. The population of hunters have increase lately, even if it's a dangerous job ”

“Demons have been more active over the last few months” another voice added. “Regions and towns that have fewer hunters defending them are now calling for more hunters to protect and assist them during beast wave attacks, and the pay is good, it natural for people to register to be hunters so they can travel freely and assist where they are needed.

“Daddy, why are hunters the ones to help? Can’t you chase the demons away?” a small girl sitting on a man's lap asked.

“I don’t want to stay far from you too long, baby. Chasing demons requires me to be away,” her father replied gently.

“Gyato, why did you bring your daughter to this meeting? Couldn’t you leave her with a nurse or an attendant at home?” one of the men with spiky hair spoke up.

“No, I don’t want to leave Daddy. I don’t need anyone,” she pouted.

A feminine voice cooed, “Awwwwwn, she’s really cute, Gyato.”

“Annoying…” the same man muttered under his breath.

“Well, Gyato, we’ll leave you to it. This meeting is concluded,” a low-toned voice said. And then the hologram projectors of the individuals were deactivated

“Ahhh, let’s go, daughter,” Gyato said.

“Okay, Daddy,” she replied.

⸻

“We made it just in time before the test ended,” Miles said with a smile, holding a soul crystal shaped like a kite, blue in color.

He seemed very interested in soul crystals.

“We were really lucky to get out of the dungeon before time ran out,” Sil thought. “And those slime beast's we defeated were just at the entrance. We were fortunate to see our ticket to pass the hunter’s test right there.”

“Miles, what are you going to do with that slime soul crystal?” Sil asked.

“Oh, I’ll sell it and buy some good equipment. We’ll be working together more, right?”

“Yeah, but that one slime soul crystal probably won’t get you a shield or anything useful right now,” Sil said.

“I’ll earn more as we clear dungeons and go for beast hunt together. I’ll buy equipment once I’ve got enough,” Miles replied confidently.

⸻

Boooooom!

A crashing explosion echoed from the center of the hall.

“Fire in the sky!” Sil exclaimed.

He looked forward and saw a dragon with shiny black scales, huge wings, and two heads. Bloodlust radiated from the creature, sending the crowd into panic.

hunters that are unable to handle the bloodlust emitting from the beast screamed and ran for their lives. The dragon swiped its tail, and a gust of wind sliced anyone too close, killing those close to it instantly.

Sil was prepared to run, but first, he looked for Miles. He didn’t see him and decided he had to escape on his own.

Reaching the front entrance, pain struck him—he didn’t know if his first friend had escaped. He turned back and fought through the fleeing hunters.

Finally, he spotted Miles—but he was lying unconscious where Sil had left him.

Running forward to grab him, Sil felt the dragon’s bloodlust wash over him. “What… is this? I can’t move!” he thought. Panic surged. “Miles… I have to get him out of here.”Sil’s chest tightened. Every instinct screamed at him to run—but his feet refused to move.

Twenty hunters were using their abilities to distract the dragon, drawing its attention away from the crowd.

One head of the dragon opened slightly, exhaling a faint green fog. The gas spread through the hall. A hunter fired at it, and everyone took cover.

Then the dragon stood still, as if waiting for something. Its chest glowed, and the other head unleashed a massive flame that engulfed half the hall, killing all twenty hunters instantly.

Sil’s heart sank. “It… killed them all in an instant. I have to get Miles and get out of here.”

The dragon roared, sending bloodlust surging through the room again.

Sil’s legs shook. The dragon was even more terrifying now.

It repeated its attack—breathing gas and flames, burning hunters who ran and those who couldn’t escape due to the bloodlust.

Sil froze, realizing the truth. “We’re going to die here…

Suddenly, a green object tore through the air, slamming into the dragon’s chest. The impact was massive—it drove the beast backward, skidding across the hall and straight into the teleportation station. Before the dragon could recover, it was shoved through an active teleporter, vanishing in a flash of light. A violent gust of wind rushed past Sil from behind. In the very next moment, a figure clad in green armor stood before him.“What just happened?” Sil muttered, his voice tight with worry. Without hesitation, the armored figure sprinted forward and ran with incredible speed into the same teleporter the dragon had been forced into, disappearing just as suddenly.

“Dr. Gyato,” Stella said sharply. “You just used a charged attack on that beast and your energy level just dropped to 50%. You didn’t bring a backup crystal for your armor.”We already have a crystal, Stella,” Gyato replied calmly. “ looking at the teleport .”He sprinted into the blue teleporter—the same one the dragon had been forced through. On the other side, the world shifted. Gyato emerged into a land overflowing with greenery: towering trees, tangled vines, and vast stretches of swamp. Thick mist hung low over the ground. Since it was a blue portal, there should have been dwellers nearby, yet the area he arrived in was nothing but murky water and rotting vegetation. There were no signs of human life anywhere. Gyato extended his hand. From a distance, the object that had struck the dragon flew back toward him, retracting as if pulled by an unseen force. It settled neatly into his grasp—a spear with a green shaft and a gleaming silver tip. Dark blood dripped slowly from its sharp edge, the beast's blood still fresh.“Ah… target location confirmed,” Stella reported. Gyato looked ahead and smirked. “It seems Hermes couldn't finish you in a single strike. You're strong—but not strong enough.”With a burst of speed, Gyato dashed forward, charging straight toward the direction of the dragon-like beast. As he locked eyes with the wounded beast, a smile spread beneath his masked armor.