The Night of Hunting Games

Alex instinctively raised his hand to block, but the sharp claws grazed his forearm, tearing his sleeve and slicing his skin. A bright red wound appeared. He frowned, but in the next second, his pupils contracted—

"Tweet—!"

A sharp bird cry broke the silence. A huge black bird flapped its wings, flying over his head and disappearing into the night.

"Oh, it's just an owl hunting at night," Alex muttered, smiling wryly at his own overreaction. The night breeze blew again, and Alex looked at the hole in his sleeve, frowning as he hurriedly rolled it up and continued running toward the campfire.

Ahead, the forest split into two paths. Alex wanted to take the left path since it seemed closer to the campfire, but the shadow on the ground trembled slightly, as if warning him. After a moment of silence, he decided to take the other path.

In the darkness on the left path, a wolf stood out. It was much taller than the other wolves, and its yellow eyes shone with a human-like worry, piercing through the surrounding darkness and dense bushes, looking toward the campfire.

The wolf's yellow eyes began to fill with blood, turning crimson. It shook its head violently as if trying to shake off an annoying fly buzzing in its mind. But a surge of inexplicable anger and wildness filled its heart, like a devil whispering in its ear,"Kill them, make them stay here forever!"

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Finally, Alex arrived at the school. The glow of the campfire cast warm and cheerful light on everyone's faces. Surrounded by familiar faces and classmates, Alex felt like he was in a safe haven. The scent of roasting marshmallows and laughter filled the air, making the night feel magical.

"Hey, Alex, there you are! Did you get lost in the jungle?" called out a big kid, his tone a mix of teasing and excitement. Alex smiled and nodded, recognizing his friend, Barney. He playfully patted Barney's shoulder, saying,

"Barney, you're always stealing my favorite mashmellow! I got held up on the way," he replied, his ordeal in the darkness already forgotten as he joined the circle around the bonfire.

"Alex, don't forget your kung fu performance. It starts at nine tonight," said the principal, smiling, grab a bottle of coda from the ice box and put it in Alex's hand.

"Principal Zhang, can't I skip the performance?" Alex was never one to show off, especially not in front of his classmates. He made one last attempt to get out of it.

"Go and get ready. You're one of the few who know kung fu around here. Do you want me to talk to your master?"The principal smiled to himself, thinking,"Young man, humility is a good thing, but you will need some wonderful memories in your future life."

"No, no, I'll go!" Alex's master was not a man to argue with. Performing was the better option. Several classmates stifled their laughter, their faces flushed in the firelight.

The strumming of a guitar added to the flickering firelight, creating a harmonious atmosphere, like a cozy blanket enveloping everyone. The firelight danced on their faces, highlighting their joy and camaraderie.

"In the moonlight, the stars in the sky,

We gather on the playground, the night comes alive.

Laughter fills the air, echoing so sweet,

Dancing on the blacktop, moving our feet.

Oh, summer night, playground delight,

Memories we make, under the silver light.

Surrounded by friends, joy and cheer,

We'll cherish these moments, as the years draw near."

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Nearby, villagers gathered comfortably, while the principal occasionally added more wood to keep the bonfire burning brightly.

"Principal, how's my kid doing lately?"

"Your child is doing well!"

"Principal, don't be polite. I swear, if I don't keep an eye on them for three days, they'll be dancing on the roof."

The principal laughed and responded,"Then you should ask them to bring a ladder to school."

The villager looked puzzled, and the principal continued with a laugh,"That way, they can easily go to high school!"

Just then, a few children playing tag accidentally bumped into the principal. He quickly steadied them, checking if they were hurt. The children laughed loudly but stood at attention, bowing respectfully upon seeing it was the principal. The others followed suit.

"Go on, be careful and don't get hurt."

The children laughed happily and ran off. The principal smiled, watching them, the firelight casting a red glow on his face, highlighting the towering school behind him. The building, a four-story structure with an impressive wooden framework and intricate eaves, was the grandest within a hundred miles. It was built over nearly a decade by villagers during their off-season, continuously expanding.

The principal, an outsider who had wandered here a decade ago, had voluntarily started teaching the children literature and history. The school's fame and size grew, attracting more students and teachers. Merchants passing by were amazed at the school, remarking that in neighboring towns, such grand buildings were reserved for officials, but the principal only smiled faintly in response.

Years passed, and the merchants noticed that while the village prospered, the neighboring country suffered from internal strife and power struggles.

The boy, Alex, ran to the back garden of the school. Under the moonlight, the night-blooming jasmine in the flower beds appeared delicate, like little stars in the night sky, emitting a faint white light. The petals gently swayed like elves in the breeze, releasing a fresh fragrance that pierced through the night's silence.

The boy stopped, bent down, and took a deep breath of the flower's scent. Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the flower bushes, and a shadow appeared in front of him.

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But not everyone was as lucky as Alex to walk out of the dense forest.

Darek and Dylan were momentarily stunned. Suddenly, the bushes shook violently, and several fierce, low wolf howls came from the darkness. A few dire wolves appeared before them, their cunning green eyes gleaming with malice like evil sprites.

"It looks like tonight's party is a bit 'special,'" Darek said calmly and sternly, his eyes sharp as knives as he looked around. He picked up a thick branch from the ground, quickly stripped off its leaves, and skillfully turned it into a simple weapon. Darek's eyes were like torches."Bro, these dire wolves' weaknesses are their throats and bellies. The fur on their throats is thinner and easily injured, and their bellies are their least protected spots. Attacking these areas can effectively weaken them."

A mischievous glint appeared in Dylan's eyes. He laughed lightly, picked up a slender branch as a weapon, and winked at Darek."Boss, you're quite the 'professional.' But I think using these branches will surprise the wolves, so they don't think we're dinner!"

While staying alert and adjusting his grip on the branch, Darek said seriously,"Stay calm, don't expose our backs. Remember, there can't be a large pack of wolves here. We just need to aim for their weak spots and hit them hard a few times, and they'll back off."

The wolf pack began to close in. The leader wolf growled lowly, clearly not intending to let them off easily. Darek reacted swiftly, nimbly moving behind another wolf. The branch hit the wolf's waist with a dull thud, like punching a sandbag, and the wolf slid painfully a few meters away, letting out a mournful cry.

Seeing Darek succeed, Dylan didn't want to be outdone. He treated his branch like a sharp arrow, slicing through the air with a"swish" and hitting a wolf's side. The wolf howled in pain, staggering back a step.

As he swung his branch, he said mischievously,"Boss, our 'weapons' are pretty good!"

Darek's mouth twitched slightly, but he remained vigilant. He quickly swung his branch, driving back another wolf trying to pounce on them."Keep this up; the wolf pack's movements change constantly. We just need to hold out for a while, and more people will come! These wolves will have no choice but to retreat!"

The wolf pack's retreat was quicker than they had expected, disappearing in an instant.

"Glad this 'party' was a bit 'exciting,'" Dylan said with a laugh, patting Darek's shoulder playfully."Next time, I'll bring my bow and arrows for more fun!"

The two of them walked away, arm in arm, laughing and chatting happily. Dylan bent down to pick up a clay pot while Darek stayed behind, looking toward the campfire, hoping they hadn't delayed too long. Suddenly, Darek felt a breeze, and the distant campfire seemed to flicker. Before he could react, a sharp wolf claw slashed across his throat. Blood gushed out like a fountain, and he desperately clutched his throat, trying to stop the bleeding, but it was futile. The blood soaked through his clothes.

Hearing the commotion, Dylan turned to look, his eyes widening in shock. He saw two red eyes burning like embers. Then, a powerful force flung him against a tree. He heard his spine crack, and then he collapsed like a rag doll. In the dim light, a tall werewolf stood over the fallen brothers, coldly scanning the area to ensure no further threats. Then, it silently vanished into the bushes, leaving the scene as eerie and silent as when it arrived.

The wolf pack quickly regrouped, black mist slowly enveloping them. The dark spores triggered strange mutations. The wounds of the two injured wolves gradually coagulated, turning into black clots. They no longer felt pain, and even the bones around their wounds began to protrude. Their blood-red eyes were once again filled with an unending desire to fight.