Hunt In Reverse

The massive Leviasaur, its body convulsing in agony, tumbled through the air like a broken kite before crashing to the earth with a thunderous boom. Dust and debris swirled around its mangled form.

It tried desperately to transform back into its human form, but the effort faltered, leaving it trapped in a grotesque half-form.

Its black-scaled body, once a symbol of power and intimidation, was now covered in a network of deep, crimson wounds. Its freakish head, a gaping maw lined with razor-sharp teeth, gasped for air. Its clawed hand, stained with its own blood, reached towards its severed torso, a desperate attempt to hold itself together. The halberd had cleaved through its waist, leaving it a mangled, incomplete creature.

Panic and fear filled its eyes, replacing the arrogance and disdain that had once resided there. It slumped against a tree, its blood-soaked maw issuing a mournful wail. Its long, red tongue flicked out, tasting the metallic tang of its own blood, and its rough, scaled hand, burning with a feverish heat, cauterized the gruesome wound, a desperate attempt to staunch the flow of lifeblood.

From this day forward, there would be no more Karim Shaheen of Crown Mountain, the revered vampire slayer, only the Sixth Lord of the Pacific Leviasaurs.

Assuming, it thought, its fear mounting with each passing moment, I can even make it back to the Pacific.

Resentment burned in its monstrous eyes. It was a three-thousand-year-old vampire, a master of the Crystal Realm, yet it had been utterly helpless against Skyler Grant, a mere human.

"H.A.R.M.! H.A.R.M.!" it spat, its voice laced with venomous hatred.

As it regained some semblance of strength, envy consumed it.

The Crystal Realm was divided into three stages: Crystallization, Harmonization, and Spiritualization.

The second stage, Harmonization, was the most crucial. The crystal, like a placenta, initially contained only pure essence—an empty vessel waiting to be filled. What emerged at the Spiritualization stage depended entirely on what the crystal had been harmonized with.

Sword energy, flesh and blood, emotions, courage... these could cultivate a Ward of Nature. For vampires, this realm granted the title of Vampire King.

H.A.R.M. generals and the Admiral of Cascadia take a shortcut, the Leviasaur thought bitterly. They harness the power of faith, feeding their crystals with people's devotion to the Savior. Then they wait for these crystals to hatch, giving birth to a Redeemed Spirit.

This method transcended martial arts, a departure from the Path of Nature. It was a unique path, that of the Seeker of Redeemer.

In close combat, a Seeker of Redeemer was no match for a Ward of Nature. But they possessed a unique ability: to project their Redeemed Spirit, traversing vast distances, listening to the whispers of the populace, drawing strength from their faith.

This power originated from the belief in God. Through repentance and the construction of churches, they accumulated the faith of the masses, who put their trust in them as God-appointed protectors against vampiric evil. They carried immense power, anointed by God.

Skyler Grant was only eight hundred years old. Yet, relying on his reputation as Vancouver's vampire-slaying general, he had amassed tremendous might through the faith and admiration of the people.

He nearly killed me with a single blow, the Leviasaur thought to itself, the sensation of the halberd cleaving through its body sending shivers down its spine.

He could only briefly project his Redeemed Spirit, wielding his halberd with devastating force, but for a limited time. This meant that Skyler Grant's inner crystal had only formed a nascent Redeemed Spirit, awaiting the moment to fully emerge.

"Crown Mountain can't hold him!" the Leviasaur despaired. The Myriad Swords Formation could trap a physical body, but how could it restrain a Redeemed Spirit?

Even the Shaheen ancestor, a mere wisp of a soul residing in the ancestral sword, sustained by the lifeblood of generations of disciples, had believed himself untouchable by martial artists. He had dared to confront General Grant, only to be struck down by the general's Redeemed Spirit.

"Run!" the Leviasaur urged itself, dragging its mangled body across the ground. Its claws scraped the earth, leaving a gruesome trail of blood and viscera in its wake.

If it could reach the Pacific, its power would be restored. Not even Skyler Grant, nor the true Redeemed Spirit of H.A.R.M. Cascadia headquarters, could touch it then.

It had painstakingly cultivated its heroic reputation, used the blood and essence of Crown Mountain disciples to refine its crystal, and aimed to become the next Headmaster. It had been so close to seizing the faith of the disciples for itself.

Now, clinging to its human identity had cost it half its body! Reduced to this pathetic state, it dared not reveal its true form to fly across the sky, fearing another devastating strike from General Grant. What a disgrace!

The Leviasaur, desperately suppressing its aura, crawled across the ground, its speed rivaling flight. But on the ground, it found a sense of security it hadn't felt in the air.

Suddenly, it shuddered, its gaze drawn to the crimson glow emanating from the forest ahead. Footsteps approached, steady and unrelenting.

"Skyler Grant, you've gone too far!" it roared, its voice a mixture of fear and desperation.

It whirled around, only to be met with a sight that filled it with loathing and disbelief.

A young man, his handsome face streaked with sweat, his black uniform fluttering in the breeze, stood before it, his hand gripping the hilt of his black sword, his eyes burning with an unwavering killing intent.

… …

I stopped at a safe distance, my gaze fixed on the Leviasaur, my expression resolute.

"It's you," the Leviasaur hissed, a wave of bitter amusement washing over it.

Was I truly so pathetic that even a Wave Realm brat dared to hunt me down?

"You're just a captain," it sneered, its voice laced with contempt. "A measly twenty thousand a month. Why chase me alone?"

I wiped the sweat from my brow. I had never run so far, so desperately, in my life. Thankfully, the inexplicable connection, the faint aura guiding me, had allowed me to keep pace with the fleeing Leviasaur, despite my exhaustion.

I raised my hand, my expression grim.

The full force of my Bloody Quintet essence crashed down upon the Leviasaur's mangled form, a wave of crimson energy engulfing its body.

Finally catching my breath, I explained, "Because you looked at me."

White marks appeared on the Leviasaur's scales, its wounds reopening, demonic flames licking at its flesh. But its expression remained unchanged, a mask of disdain and disbelief.

"You want to kill me because I took a look at you?" it scoffed.

"Three times," I corrected, my voice calm but firm, my gaze unwavering. "Not just you," I added, "your entire family." My words were heartfelt, forged in steel.

In the Leviasaur's eyes, I saw hatred and resentment, but also the stark reality that my survival hinged on its demise. Even the slightest chance of its escape had to be extinguished. Otherwise, the entire Pacific Leviasaur clan would hunt me relentlessly, seeking retribution.

The Leviasaur, observing my unwavering determination, burst into laughter, its body shaking with mirthless amusement. "You're not entirely stupid," it rasped, regaining its composure.

Karim Shaheen had been cherished by the Crown Mountain Headmaster, treated like a son. They shared a common trait: a fierce protectiveness towards their own.

Maple Rex, the young Leviasaur I killed in Temple Village, wasn't a half-vampire. It was the pure-blooded offspring of this Leviasaur, born before the creature left the Pacific. Concerned for its offspring's safety, the Leviasaur had brought it out of the ocean home, attempting to shield it from the brutality of its own kind.

It was its only true child.

The familiar aura emanating from me filled it with rage. Even with the threat of Skyler Grant's chase looming, it couldn't resist the urge to eliminate this Wave Realm insect who had dared to kill its child.

"What are you waiting for?" it taunted, its voice dripping with sarcasm. "Come! Kill me!"

It crawled forward, its movements a grotesque parody of its former power, only to see me calmly retreat, summoning another wave of Bloody Quintet essence.

It advanced, I retreated. Every step matched perfectly, a macabre dance of predator and prey.

The Leviasaur was speechless. This human, this insignificant insect, was toying with it.

"Don't come any closer," I said, my voice steady. "I'm a bit scared." I admitted my fear without hesitation, then unleashed a third wave of bloody essence, the crimson energy illuminating the forest.

The earlier clash between Crystal Realm experts had been beyond my comprehension. I wasn't confident in my ability to defeat this creature, even in its weakened state.

The bloody essence, usually so devastating, seemed to have little effect on the Leviasaur. But I remained resolute. I believed that even the smallest strikes, accumulated over time would eventually yield results. If not, then I simply needed to strike more.

I continued my relentless assault, my face growing pale with exertion. The increased power of my bloody essence came at a cost, draining my energy far faster than before.

Crimson energy rained down on the Leviasaur, staining the sky a deep, ominous red. Just as the creature sensed victory, believing me to be exhausted, I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. Then, I reopened them, my pupils glowing with a renewed intensity.

My hand, which had momentarily paused, rose once more, summoning another wave of crimson energy.

"What sorcery is this?" the Leviasaur hissed, its composure finally faltering. A prickle of unease ran down its spine as it felt the searing pain in its back intensify. With a final, hesitant glance at me, it turned and crawled away, its movements filled with a newfound desperation.

Something's not right, it thought. I need to escape.

The soft patter of footsteps echoed once more.

The Leviasaur whipped its head around, its eyes blazing with fury, but it quickly averted its gaze and continued its desperate crawl, fear overriding its anger.

The footsteps remained unhurried, always close behind, stopping only when the creature turned to face its pursuer, a silent, menacing presence that refused to be shaken off.

I, ever vigilant, maintained a safe distance, denying the Leviasaur any chance to counterattack.

And with each step, another wave of crimson energy rained down, each strike chipping away at the creature's dwindling strength.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Leviasaur's tough scales, once impenetrable, finally crumbled under the constant barrage. Wounds reopened, and dark blood seeped into the earth, staining it a gruesome red.

Finally, it stopped, its bloodshot eyes fixated on the relentless figure behind it. "You don't fear shit! You bastard!" it roared, its voice filled with rage. "Get lost!"

What kind of person is this? the Leviasaur despaired. Where's the honor among martial artists? Picking on a disabled Leviasaur...