Spectral Regalia Resurgence

Immediately, the hunters sprang into action. They were quiet, yet they understood each other. Nocking their arrows, they fired shots off. Three of the five wolves were hit, yelping in pain. These wolves were not like those on Earth; they were slightly larger with thicker fur. The hunters, of course, weren't pushovers either. Their lifestyle made them stronger than the average man, and when you counted their hunting experience too, it seemed about even.

The wolves suddenly pounced at the hunters, all of whom had taken their swords out and began to fight. One of the uninjured wolves jumped towards Himon, but he shifted his weight and gave it a right hook square in the jaw. It yelped and bounced on the ground before getting up and growling.

Avrin was impressed by how well they worked together, though after remembering that all the men would hunt with each other for many years, this was commonplace. "Avrin, take the 5th!" his father roared out, fending off his own wolf, trusting his son's skills.

Meanwhile, the children were bawling their eyes out. At the lower part of the crevice, a boy and a girl were seen barely able to hold on. The boy was, of course, the leader, and the girl was one of the three that had given Avrin a present on his 10th birthday. She and several other girls would even invite Avrin to their own birthdays and give him gifts for his own. He never went and kept away, but it didn't stop the girls from trying.

"I... I can't hold on!" the girl balled her eyes out. The leader boy, his face twisted a bit as he gritted his teeth and yelled out, "Then go!" The leader grew annoyed, his cowardly nature kicking in, as he raised his right foot and kicked the girl down, right as the wolf looked like it was about to pounce. The girl screamed, falling flat on the ground, stunned for a moment. She then raised her face from the ground; it was scratched a little and dirtied. She saw the wolf approach, growling with ruthless eyes at her.

Freezing up, the girl couldn't even cry or run. She was too stunned to move. She watched as the wolf pounced at her, yet before it could land, an arrow tore through the air and directly hit the wolf's right eye, making the animal fall and lose focus as it yelped and fumbled about.

Avrin took the chance to rush over to the girl, helping her up and telling her to get behind him. Then, unsheathing his short sword, his eyes gave a serious light, gripping it with both hands in the stance his father taught him. The wolf with the bloodied eye looked at Avrin as if he were its lifelong nemesis.

Ferocity and cruelty showed, it barked several times, attempting to circle, but then its pain seemed to make it lose patience as it rushed towards him. Avrin wasn't worried; the wolf was already wounded.

As it attempted to bite his leg, he angled his blade and cleanly cut downwards along its open mouth. The wolf gave a pitiful whimper as it fell to the ground. This time Avrin's eyes shone with cruelty; death was something he was used to. In another move, he placed the blade against the wolf's temple and pressed down, killing it smoothly. He couldn't fault the creature; it lived based on its instincts, survival of the fittest.

Things had just wrapped up with the hunters; they dispatched their own wolves cleanly. It wasn't the first time they had such encounters.

Avrin's father rushed over, looking at his son first, then at the dead wolf. He looked proud, a wide grin on his face that he couldn't remove no matter how serious he tried to be. The kids, seeing the situation was settled, rushed down, crying and complaining. The girl from before made her way to her friends, and they hugged each other.

Meanwhile, the leader who had pushed the girl down was getting death glares from the others. Even the two boys who were his friends didn't seem to want to be beside him. He looked down at the ground, unsure if it was guilt or embarrassment.

One of the hunters then blew a horn in a specific rhythm to signal to the other hunters that the situation was in their direction. Though for the hunters and the kids, the feeling of joy was short-lived.

After the horn was blown, a large wolf howl caused their bodies to tense. Then from the shadows, a massive shadow could be seen approaching. Himon's eyes narrowed. "Avrin, take the kids, and rush back now." His father was no fool; he understood what this creature was immediately.

He quickly took out a torch -despite it being day- and lit it up. The other hunters followed suit. Avrin gritted his teeth. He wanted to argue with his dad, but right now he didn't want to risk the lives of the children. He ordered them to follow, and soon Avrin with the children rushed into the forest behind the hunters as the latter held their weapons and torches up.

Then, the creature exposed itself, a wolf several times larger than a normal one. It seemed as big as an elephant. In its jaws was a dead bear. The wolf sniffed about and dropped the bear. It looked around, seeing the dead wolves, no doubt from its pack.

In response, it snarled. A slight aura emitted from its deep blue and gray fur. Its paws pressing down caused the ground to shake a little. It sized up the hunters, knowing clearly they were responsible for the dead.

It suddenly opened its mouth, a piercing howl escaping. The hunters felt their hearts and minds shake. One of the younger hunters' legs shook in fear. He suddenly decided that for him, fleeing was the best option. He dropped the torch and ran off. "IDIOT, STOP!" Himon roared at him. But it was too late.

The magic beast sneered, its sharp tooth-covered mouth curling up. It vanished in a flash, and in a single moment, blood sprayed and a scream of pain echoed. Between the wolf's jaws, the man was caught and nearly bitten in half. The wolf crunched, and the hunter died. Then it tossed his corpse aside, its teeth covered in blood as it began to circle the other hunters.

Himon's face looked gloomy. He could only hope the others would arrive in time; otherwise, today would be his last day living.

Avrin and the others continued rushing back, but Avrin suddenly stopped and turned to them. "Keep heading in this direction; you will reach the exit! Don't take a different way no matter what!" Before he could move, the leader boy suddenly asked where he was going.

"I'm going to help my dad and the others!" He then tried to move from him but found the boy was still gripping tightly to his arm. Avrin was annoyed and looked at him, to which the boy yelled in fear. "You have to lead us all the way back home safely!! You're not going anywh—" The boy couldn't finish before Avrin punched him square in the face. He landed flat on his back, looking at Avrin in shock as his eyes welled up.

"Coward! Pushing a defenseless girl down to save yourself, now wanting me to help you! I've never seen such a wimp like you before." Avrin spat on the ground beside him, then began heading back to where his father and the others were.

Avrin panted heavily. In his mind, several situations were playing out, more so when he heard the second howl. "That was definitely a magic beast, but why is it so close to the outskirts? Something like that should be in the deeper parts of the forest. Could it be behind the blood trails and dead wildlife lately?" His face was gloomy, he didn't think his father and the others could handle it. Avrin didn't even think he would make a difference. But he had to try; his father in this life, despite not being blood-related, took him in and raised him as his own. He didn't deserve to be called his son if he simply ran.

He could only pray for a miracle to happen; this seemed to be something that worked in his favor lately. Several minutes went by before Avrin, with his sword gripped tightly that his knuckles were white, saw the scene in front of him.

The situation was indeed dire, and worse than expected. It was only a couple of minutes, but things had taken a turn for the worst, the scene in front of him making his eyes narrow.