The Multiverse Hunter

Ali opened the door to the large bedroom where old man Stork used to sleep. He stepped inside for a moment, eyes sweeping over the stale blankets, the rotting wood, the smell of old age and lost dignity still clinging to the walls. He didn't bother stepping further in — instead, he closed the door gently behind him.

'I'm not sleeping in there…' he thought, already turning away as he moved down the hallway and out of the fortress gates without a single soul noticing him slip away.

Outside, the night sky stretched wide and sharp overhead, cold air brushing over his face as he walked past the fortress walls, through the quiet courtyard, past the low stone fences that marked the edge of the village. He didn't slow down — he broke into a steady run, his boots hitting the earth in smooth, measured strides that carried him all the way to the dark valley tucked between the two jagged mountains.

There, half-hidden in the shadows, Ali spotted a narrow cave mouth cut into the right side of the mountain. Old tools lay scattered outside — chipped picks, rusted chisels, the remains of half-finished crates. The marks of men who'd once tried to carve out a living here.

'Miles said he found traces of a copper vein in there,' Ali remembered, looking at the cave entrance. 'But it'll be deep — it'll take real work to reach.'

He stepped inside and settled at the edge of the entrance, the cold stone pressing against his back as he sat and closed his eyes.

'Power.'

A hush of wind, then the spark — his body flared from within as the silvery fire ignited under his skin, coursing through bone and muscle like a hidden star. Ali controlled the rhythm, forcing the wild current to slow, then speed, then break and reform — training to bend the raw torrent to his will. It was exhausting, but the grind thrilled him. He felt it, for the first time in years — true, deliberate growth, after so long being stuck at the same peak.

The night slipped by in silence. As dawn crept over the mountains, the villagers below rose from their new beds and stumbled out to rebuild roofs, mend fences, and lay more stone on the fresh roads. Their quiet voices and the scrape of hammers rose up the slopes like birdsong.

Ali stood at the edge of the cave's dark throat now, looking down at a deep hole he'd dug by driving beam after beam into the stone floor — the broken rock piled high at the bottom, evidence of a long night's training.

A faint ping on his interface. A message from Miles.

Ali looked away from the pit, turning toward the distant peak that overlooked his village and the wild forest that guarded its edge.

In the tree-line at the forest's fringe, Liza — the young bunny demi-human — stood half-hidden under the wide branches of an old tree, her ears twitching, her eyes locked on the peak. She still wore the ragged red cloth tied around her knee — the same scrap Ali had given her days ago.

"It's looking more and more like a trap to me, Liza. He's late," growled the voice behind her.

She didn't turn. The low growl belonged to Zeek — the wolf demi-human who had once chased Ali through the forest with blood on his fangs. His thick blue fur bristled under a battered cloak, and two broad swords were strapped across his back. He was the pack's enforcer — tonight, he was their wary messenger.

"He's coming. I promise," Liza said, her voice steady, her eyes never leaving the ridge-line. "Just wait."

Zeek's ears flicked. He bared his sharp canines, scanning the clearing, every muscle coiled.

And then — a sudden gust. His ears flattened. His claws brushed his sword hilts.

BOOOOOM

A shockwave rolled through the clearing as something hit the peak above, shattering loose stones and throwing up a cloud of pale dust that drifted down through the trees like mist.

Zeek shoved Liza behind him and drew both blades in one smooth motion. The swords pulsed with faint blue light as the wolf's muscles rippled under his cloak.

"Ali…?" Liza stepped out from behind Zeek, nose twitching as she caught a scent she couldn't mistake.

A voice answered her, low and cold from inside the drifting dust.

"Your people trusted your word and stayed."

The haze cleared. Ali stood on the peak above them, the morning light catching the dragon embroidered across the back of his white coat. His eyes were black stone in his sharp, calm face.

He looked down at Zeek, who snarled up at him, fangs bared and eyes hot with old hate.

"I remember you…" Ali said evenly.

Zeek spat to the side, the swords lowering just a hair but still ready. "Where's your pack, human?" he demanded, nose twitching at the wind for signs of hidden killers.

Ali shrugged once, his voice almost bored. "I'm alone. My people are down in the valley." He tipped his chin, eyes narrowing just slightly. "So, who am I speaking to? Liza… or the rabid dog?"

The mockery slipped between his words like a blade. Zeek's grip tightened on both hilts. The blue runes etched into his swords pulsed brighter.

"You're talking to me, coward," Zeek growled, stepping forward onto the rocks of the peak. His canines gleamed in the dawn light. "I remember you too. You ran from me, tail between your legs — then killed my brothers with your dirty human tricks."

Ali only smirked, folding his arms across his broad chest as the wind teased at the dragon on his coat.

"Zeek, stop — we're not here to fight…" Liza's voice cut through the tension, her ears twitching as she stepped between the two men. Zeek's shoulders rose and fell with a low, frustrated growl, but he lowered his swords. His ears flattened back as he sheathed the twin blades, though his eyes stayed locked on Ali's face — sharp, unblinking, ready to settle this another day.

It was inevitable, they both knew.

Zeek's jaw tightened before he spoke. "Our leader says she is intrigued by your proposal, human. But if there's going to be a deal, she wants to meet you herself — face to face, to hear the details straight from your mouth. If you want this, you'll come to our camp alone. You'll be blindfolded and led in." His tone left no room for debate.

Liza turned to Ali, anxiety flickering in her wide eyes. "We won't hurt you…" she added quickly, her small voice softening the edge Zeek had left behind.

Ali's black eyes flicked from Zeek's snarling grin to Liza's worried face. A soft smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "So, you want me to walk blindfolded into a camp full of bloodthirsty demi-humans?" he asked Zeek, his voice flat but faintly amused.

Zeek bared his teeth in a grin. "Yes. It's a deal-breaker if you won't." He enjoyed saying it — he wanted to watch Ali flinch.

Ali didn't flinch. He just said two simple words. "I agree."

Zeek blinked. His grin faded for a second. "You agree?" His voice slipped, just slightly.

"Yes."

Liza's shoulders dropped in relief, her ears perking up with a small, shy smile.

Zeek stepped closer, the swords on his back rattling slightly. "Let's go now, then."

Ali raised his hand, palm flat, stopping him cold. "Not today. I'm busy with a war today — so we'll pick another day for my visit."

Zeek's grin returned, sharper this time. 'War means more humans nearby…' His mind flicked to knights, mages…

"War? What war?" Liza asked, tilting her head at Ali.

Ali shrugged once. "The barons next door are marching their knights right now. By the afternoon they'll be gutting each other in the hills."

Zeek's ears twitched. "Cinder and Nolan are fighting?"

Ali arched a brow at him. "You know them? I thought your people stayed out of human business."

Zeek let out a low, savage laugh. "Well… you humans tend to spill everything once you're tied up in ropes, staring at our claws." His canines flashed in the early morning light.

Ali only smirked back. "I'll be here in four days." His eyes slid past Zeek to Liza — and the soft look in her eyes made her cheeks turn red, her ears flicking back shyly.

Without another word, Ali stepped backward off the peak — a silent drop that made Liza's breath catch in her throat. Zeek turned, his expression hardening as he scanned the forest behind them.

"Let's move. The camp needs to hear about this war — we tighten the patrols now. No surprises." Zeek's voice snapped the woods back to life. He strode ahead through the trees while Liza lingered at the edge of the peak, watching the far-off fortress and the village below it. She could hear the echo of hammers, the faint laughter of children — life, untouched by chains and worry.

Hours later…

At the top of a hill that rolled down into a wide, roaring river, three Koreans crouched around a set of heavy steel mounts, bolting together the base of a massive torrent. Each barrel glinted under the rising sun, aimed perfectly at the open valley that lay between their hill and another ridge opposite.

Behind them, at the river's edge, Nolan knights hunched over rough logs, sharpening swords and hacking at stale bread. They ate in silence, checking their plates of boiled meat and stale cheese — fuel for the blood about to be spilled.

"Remember — close combat is the last option," said the senior player, adjusting the magnets on his high-tech belt as he checked each locked weapon. "Aura-infused steel will cut right through our armour if we're sloppy. Stick close, watch your angles, and don't risk your life for these idiots. We're here for maximum destruction, not glory."

The other two nodded, busy checking the barrels of ammo, quiet but focused.

Across the valley, hidden beneath a tangle of brush on the opposite hill, the Latina watched them through a sliver in the undergrowth. Her sharingan eyes spun lazily — red irises catching every flick of metal, every careless hand signal. She rolled three kunai between her fingers, each blade weighted with a thin paper talisman at its hilt.

'I'll take care of them first…' she thought, eyes narrowing. Her target was clear.

Behind her, House Nolan's knights stood in tight lines, armour gleaming, spears planted in the wet soil. Rage and steel filled the air like smoke. Thomas stood apart from them all, breath heavy, eyes burning orange. The grass at his feet bent under the pressure of his leaking aura — his fists flexed at his sides, ready to tear through whoever crossed him first.

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