The Night of Hunting Games

Under the tranquil night sky, the distant mountains rise and fall like waves, their black outlines intertwining with the nearby ancient forest, creating a natural ink painting. Until a river, winding like a jade ribbon, silently draws a boundary, splitting the world into two different silences.

On a solitary, towering peak, a ten-year-old boy sits cross-legged. He's not sitting on the ground, but perched on the branch of an ancient pine tree behind the temple, his legs dangling naturally as he gazes at the sleeping village and rolling fields below. Tonight, the moonlight is as clear as water, its silver glow covering everything, the entire landscape visible. This pure and transparent night, city children can hardly imagine.

The boy quietly recalls his master's words:

"You young ones come from the bustling world, and in the end, you must return to it for training. Only with a heart free from attachments and great fears can you return to the temple and shave your heads."

"All forms are illusory; if one sees that all forms are not forms, then one sees the Tathagata."

He slowly raised his head, gazing at the boundless night sky, which looked like a breathtaking painting. The Milky Way stretched across the sky like a shimmering ribbon, splitting the night into two and adorned with stars that sparkled like scattered gold, radiating a mysterious glow.

As he immersed himself in the vast starry sky, a familiar young girl's beautiful silhouette suddenly appeared in his mind. The boy snapped out of his reverie, realizing he had been lost in thought for an unknown amount of time, even losing track of time itself. He looked around, squinting his eyes slightly—

The mountains and rivers were silent. The chirping of insects had disappeared, and the sounds of birds and beasts were nowhere to be heard.

Silence, like a tidal wave, swept across the land. Even the gentle rustling of the wind through the leaves seemed to be swallowed, an indescribable sense of unease permeated the night, as if the entire world held its breath.

"This isn't normal..."

Alex's heartbeat quickened as memories of the masters' discussions during the day flashed through his mind—recently, strange phenomena in the night sky had been occurring frequently, signaling that something significant was about to happen.

He glanced up.

Just moments ago, the stars had been twinkling as usual—but now a few were shining extra bright, as if someone had switched on a cosmic spotlight. At first, they simply twinkled on their own, then began to shuffle about like they were following a secret dance routine. Slowly, they formed a clear shape, as though the heavens were putting on a little show for him.

A triangle.

Then a pentagon, and a hexagon...

Finally, the stars gathered into the outline of a ship.

Alex's heart tightened.

"That...that's a ship?"

He rubbed his eyes vigorously, staring at the distant horizon.

Under the clear night sky, a strange ship drifted closer as if it had come from a very distant land just for him. At first, it looked as small as a hand, but in the blink of an eye, it grew into a little boat and then into a fast, smooth vessel gliding among the stars. Alex's breath caught, and his eyes, lit by the moon, showed a mix of wonder and surprise—enough to make even the calmest British chap raise an amused eyebrow.

"Such speed!"

Within a few seconds, the starship had expanded into a massive interstellar cruiser, with flickering lights in the portholes and a vague figure moving inside the cabin.

Alex's pupils constricted, and countless thoughts surged in his mind—

"What is it? Why did it appear? UFO? Aliens? What will happen if they discover me?"

But before he could make sense of his thoughts, the next scene shattered his composure completely—

—The cruise ship collapsed.

Countless stars crumbled like sand grains, reformed, and eventually formed a massive, skeletal figure.

It sat cross-legged in the void, with only its upper body, but it blocked a significant portion of the starry sky like a mountain. Alex had never felt such intense pressure before. It hung silently beneath the night sky, exuding an awe that surpassed human understanding. It seemed that even a slight movement could crush him and the entire land into dust.

Alex's throat was dry, and his limbs were stiff, unable to move. He felt like an ant standing under a mammoth's foot, and this mammoth was slowly lifting its enormous foot.

Fear surged wildly in his chest.

"Thump."

The boy fell from the tree. He wanted to run, but his legs felt nailed to the ground. All he could do was watch as the massive figure slowly lowered its head, casting a silent gaze upon him.

At that moment, a voice exploded in his mind—

"I am a man. A man can be defeated but never frightened!"

Then, the skeletal figure...moved.

It shuddered, then suddenly stood up—a giant that reached the sky. Its mountain-like foot stepped towards Alex.

Alex gritted his teeth, suppressed his trembling body, and struggled to stand up. He raised his head, straightened his back, and faced the invisible pressure with determination. The wind brushed his forehead, carrying the cold, unique to the mountain wilds.

Though everything happened within less than a minute, time seemed to stand still.

Alex could feel it—something had been noticed.

The next second—

The outline of the skeletal figure began to blur, as if swallowed by the night.

All the light, all the anomalies, vanished into nothingness in an instant.

The night sky returned to its calm state, stars still hanging, the Milky Way still brilliant, as if nothing had happened.

Alex gasped for breath, his eyes still filled with fear. He looked around wildly, searching for the giant figure, but the world remained unchanged, except for the whisper of the wind. The familiar croaking of frogs resumed, and the rustling of leaves in the night breeze made it seem as though the previous silence was merely an illusion.

Was it a dream?

He shook his head vigorously but couldn't shake the unease in his heart. Finally, he turned and ran towards the temple as if that was the real world, and everything that happened under the night sky was just a dream of his lonely self.

Though Alex was not formally ordained as a novice monk, he had been sent to the temple since childhood and raised by his master. There were many children like him in the temple. When they reached school age, the master would send them down the mountain to study, but in their spare time, they still had to recite scriptures and practice martial arts in the temple. The master had high hopes for Alex, hoping he could not only master martial arts but also understand the cause and effect of the world, becoming a guardian of the temple. However, not everyone could adhere to the path of purity—some had been lost in the hustle and bustle of the world and eventually chose to leave.

Compared to other children, Alex is naturally quiet, speaks little, and dislikes noise. The villagers have mixed feelings about these children raised in the temple—they are neither fully-fledged monks nor ordinary village children. They walk between the two worlds, neither revered as true monks nor easily fitting into the village's everyday life, always seeming to be on the fringes, searching for their place.

-----------------

The night descended, deep and dark as ink.

A stealthy UFO floated silently in the night sky, blending in as part of the starry sky, overlooking the earth. It was large enough to cover half the sky but made no mechanical noise, like a beast hidden in the night, patiently waiting for its prey.

However, it was neither a secret military ship nor some kind of probe, but something even more outlandish—it belonged to the largest entertainment group in the galaxy, a high-altitude hunting ground.

In front of the ship's panoramic window stood a tall figure in a black robe, gazing down at the green valley below. His aura was cold, like an extension of the night. Behind him, a warrior in high-tech alien armor sneered, his eyes filled with disdain.

"Master, why bother with this hassle?" The armored warrior Nyx's voice was low and icy, like a blade."Just give the order, and I can wipe out these filthy natives anytime. They'll ruin this beautiful land sooner or later."

The black-robed elder Caron turned slightly, his voice tinged with a hint of resignation."Nyx, I'm the one from the wiser galaxy, that line should be mine, shouldn't it?" He squinted his eyes, giving Nyx a complex look."You're an Earthling, yet you act more like an alien than I do."

"Oh, right, this robe I'm wearing is only for the masters on your Earth, isn't it?"

Nyx remained silent and nodded.

Caron glanced at his defiant subordinate with a hint of resignation, then continued squinting his eyes, looking down at the earth as if gazing at livestock waiting for slaughter.

At that moment, a communicator under Caron's black robe buzzed, and a haughty voice rang out:"Caron, your position?"

Caron rolled his eyes but quickly made his voice respectful."Honorable boss, I have arrived at the designated location."

"Oh?" The voice had a cold, mocking tone."This is the second time you've moved the ship without permission this quarter. Your show's ratings are dismal, and the company's patience is limited. If you can't attract more viewers... next quarter, you'll be mining."

Caron's eyes narrowed, his mood instantly darkening like ink. But then, a dangerous smile appeared on his lips.

"Boss, don't worry, this show will be extraordinary." His voice was filled with barely restrained excitement."A hunting game combining blood, horror, and extreme challenges is about to begin—it will definitely capture countless viewers' attention!"

He rubbed his hands together, almost able to envision interstellar gamblers frantically placing bets.

However, the cold voice in his earpiece interrupted his fantasy."A slaughter game like pigs and dogs? The audience is already bored! Let me remind you again—if you can't make money, go mine."

A flash of disgust crossed Caron's eyes, but his tone remained ingratiating."Boss, this time will be different, wait for my good news."

Nyx watched coldly, a hint of disdain on his lips, but said nothing.

Caron's face turned cold again. He waved his hand and said in a deep voice,"Nyx, go! Target that village surrounded by the forest, release the monitoring system. I want to see if these Earth natives are worthy of the stage."

The monitoring screen quickly scanned the biological data on the ground. Suddenly, the screen flashed red, and alarms blared—

"Abnormal individual detected: high mental resistance, not infected."

Caron sat up straight, his eyes fixated on the screen like an eagle.

"Abnormal individual detected: high physical resistance, not infected."

"Abnormal individual detected: high mental resistance, not infected."

His fingers tapped the armrest, his gaze turning dangerous.

"Interesting..."

Caron squinted, a dangerous smile slowly forming on his lips.

"It seems... we've found some interesting toys."

He exhaled slowly, then commanded in a low voice,"Release the evolution devices, let them evolve into worthy prey."

With those words, the bottom of the spaceship slowly opened, and several small spherical drones silently glided toward the ground like ghosts. They scattered countless black spores into the night wind, like nightmare snowflakes, slowly falling, seeping into the soil, leaves... and human flesh.

In the temple, everyone felt an overwhelming pressure suddenly descend upon them.

The monks, who were chanting scriptures, suddenly turned pale, their throats emitting painful groans, then one by one they collapsed unconscious. The candles in the temple flickered wildly, shadows twisted, and the entire temple seemed to be swallowed by some darkness, even the air turning cold.

A thin boy was sitting cross-legged under a pine tree behind the temple. He suddenly opened his eyes, clutching his chest, his heart pounding as if something was trying to invade his consciousness. He gritted his teeth and held firm, his figure as steady as a rock, as if standing in the eye of a storm.

He could feel some invisible darkness devouring everything around him.

He mustered all his willpower, fiercely blocking out the invading darkness!

His forehead was covered in cold sweat, his legs trembling slightly, but he still gritted his teeth, straightened his back, and his eyes burned like flames.

He slowly scanned his surroundings. The entire temple was deathly silent.

Only the sound of the night wind whistling past the eaves.

The boy squinted slightly, looking up at the night sky.

He didn't know... he had become prey in a terrifying game.