Monster Hunter Predator

A sterile white glow filled the hospital room, bouncing off smooth metallic walls. The air smelled of antiseptic, sharp and artificial, blending with the rhythmic beeping of the medical monitors. Transparent screens flickered weakly beside the bed, struggling to register something, anything about the patient lying there. The room was silent except for the faint hum of machinery, a mechanical rhythm that felt unnervingly hollow.

Orin's silver eyes snapped open. His breathing was steady, but his body tensed like a coiled spring. He shot up from the bed, his hand instinctively pressing against his ribs. No pain. No wounds. He pressed harder, waiting for the familiar sting of injury, the ache of bruised bones. Nothing. His skin was smooth, unmarked, as if the explosion had never happened.

But something was different. A strange sensation buried deep within him, something foreign yet familiar. And then, the memories came rushing back.

The explosion. The house engulfed in fire. His adoptive father in the center of it all, swallowed by the flames. His dog, torn apart by debris, its final cry still echoing in his ears. The force of the blast should have shredded him apart, should have left nothing but ashes and broken remains. But he was here. Alive. Whole.

Dead…? They're all dead?

A sudden force surged inside him. His body pulsed—THUMP!—a monstrous beat, deep and primal, like the heartbeat of a Titan. The room trembled violently. Medical devices rattled, their screens flickering in and out of existence before shattering to the ground. The transparent monitors blacked out for a moment before struggling back to life, flickering weakly.

What the flipping hell!!? Before he could process what had just happened, the door slid open with a soft hiss.

A young nurse rushed in, her sleek white uniform crisp with blue accents. Short brown hair tied neatly back, sharp green eyes scanning the mess around her. The moment she saw Orin sitting upright amidst the fallen equipment, her brows furrowed slightly, though she forced a bright, professional smile.

"Oh, you're awake!" she said, her tone light but with a noticeable edge of nervousness. Her gaze flickered to the shattered medical devices. "Please calm down, sir. No need to break things, those are very expensive."

Orin's gaze met hers, cold and unreadable. He didn't move, didn't speak, but the air between them felt heavier.

A strange pressure filled the room, like an invisible weight pressing down on her chest. Her fingers twitched slightly before she quickly masked it, forcing herself to maintain composure. She cleared her throat, shifting her clipboard. "Your name is Orin, right?"

She hesitated for a second before continuing, "An accident happened a week ago at your house. You were the only survivor."

A week? His mind replayed the moment the explosion tore through his home, the pain that had ripped through his body, the gaping holes in his flesh. I had a hole in my chest. No… more than one. He should have died. They wouldn't have wasted high-quality medical treatment on someone like him.

His silver-gray eyes flicked back to the nurse, studying her carefully. And this idiot actually thinks I broke these machines?

"Are you okay, sir?" she asked, her voice slightly uncertain, her fingers tightening around the clipboard.

His voice was flat. "What about my father… and my dog?"

She hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line before she finally spoke. "As I told you earlier, you were the only survivor. Your father was at the center of the explosion. Your dog was struck by debris. There was nothing left of them."

Orin barely reacted. Instead, he repeated one word, slow and deliberate. "Untouched?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "They brought you here because your body is… different. They couldn't tell if you were dead or alive. Normally, the machine can detect people states by scanning the heart or the core and obtain information about the person but someone like you it was impossible to read anything"

Orin already knew why.

He had no heart. No core. And when he was unconscious, his body mimicked death itself. Even with their advanced technology, they couldn't detect life in something that didn't beat, didn't breathe like a normal human. Not to mention that all information about innates is recorded in the core but for him he's undetected.

The nurse shifted uncomfortably, glancing at a small bag on the counter. "We brought you some clothes. You can wear them and get ready to leave."

Without a word, Orin stepped forward, grabbed the bag, and pulled out an outfit identical to the one he had worn before. He stripped off the hospital gown and started changing without hesitation.

The nurse's breath hitched.

She caught a glimpse of his upper body, flawless, lean muscle carved with precision. But what truly startled her wasn't his physique. It was the fact that he hadn't looked like this when they checked him before.

Something had changed.

She swallowed hard, turning away. "I-I'll give you a moment," she stammered before quickly exiting the room.

Orin ignored her reaction. He was too focused on his own reflection. His fingers brushed over his chest where there should have been a wound, a scar—something—but there was nothing.

Does this have something to do with me having no heart? No core?

He exhaled slowly. With a final glance at the mirror, he finished dressing and walked toward the exit.

Night had fallen by the time Orin arrived at the remains of his home.

The house was gone. Only a skeletal wreck of twisted metal and shattered walls remained. Smoke had long since faded, but the scent of burned materials and scorched earth lingered. The air was unnaturally quiet, the ruins swallowed by the darkness of the night.

He stood still, his silver-gray eyes scanning the destruction. His fists clenched tightly at his sides. It had been a long time since he last felt this kind of anger—not fiery rage, but something deeper. A cold, smoldering fury that burned beneath the surface. Someone did this. Someone killed his father.

He exhaled, steadying himself. Letting anger control him wouldn't bring him answers. Instead of standing there like a fool, he stepped forward, walking through the debris, searching for anything that remained.

Then—sharp pain.

Orin hissed, jerking his hand back. His fingers had accidentally scraped against a jagged scrap of metal, slicing open his palm. A thin line of red appeared… then vanished completely.

His eyes wide open in shock, what the..So this is what happened. I was injured in the explosion. I should have died. But my body… heals itself instantly.

But that wasn't all, a deep sigh echoed through the ruins.

Orin turned sharply.

A man in a black suit and dark glasses stood amidst the wreckage. His posture was relaxed, but there was an underlying sharpness in the way he carried himself. He glanced at the ruins and let out a long exhale.

"I didn't expect him to actually end up like this…" The man shook his head, voice laced with something between regret and frustration. "He was my closest friend."

Orin's eyes darkened. "How close were you?"

The man gave a half-smile. "Close enough to know why and who did this."

Orin's voice was sharp. "someone did this?..

But The man only adjusted his glasses. "Knowing won't help you. It's better to forget and move on."

Orin's jaw clenched. His anger erupted, and before he could think, he attacked. His fist swung forward—but the man caught his wrist effortlessly, twisting it behind his back. Orin struggled for a while without any results, until his body surging with strength, his muscles tensing.

The man's expression shifted slightly in surprise and realization, feeling a physical strength beyond normal . "Hoh?"

But with one swift movement, he countered, twisting Orin's arm and—CRACK.

Orin felt the pain and collapsed to his knees, panting. His broken arm hung limply.

The man flicked a card onto the ground. "it seems I have underestimatd you, If you want revenge, call me when you get a monster hunter golden badge." then he walked away without looking back.

Orin's broken hand trembled—then twisted back into place, fully healed.

He picked up the card.

A golden badge? I know where to get one,