The Night of Hunting Games

Dan's nerves instantly tightened.

"Someone's hurt!" he shouted, drawing the attention of the nearby women.

The closer they looked, the clearer it became—it was a person covered in blood, struggling in agony about ten meters from the academy's outer wooden fence.

A scream pierced the night, followed by a wave of unease spreading through the crowd. Faces were filled with terror and confusion as they gathered towards the wooden fence. Some held their breath, eyes wide, unable to believe what they were seeing. A few timid villagers even began to tremble, their eyes shining with fear in the darkness.

"What's happening?" a villager whispered to another, nervously scanning the surroundings.

The principal and a few villagers quickly moved towards the gate, but Alex grabbed the principal's arm tightly.

"Don't go, Mr Zhang. There's... something out there."

The principal stopped abruptly, glancing around suspiciously. An ominous feeling washed over him. The surrounding villagers also halted, looking around warily.

"Alex, what do you see?" an impatient villager shouted."Stop messing around. Someone needs help!"

Alex smelled the increasing scent of blood in the air, a sense of dread overwhelming him. He listened to the wind's whisper, as if it held a secret. Gripping his spear, his palms damp, the rough cloth around the handle slowly absorbed his sweat.

At that moment, his ears caught a faint noise—heavy breathing from a creature lurking in the night, mixed with the sound of a large feline stepping on dry branches.

"Everyone be careful, they're coming!"

In the temple, his master had taught him many strange skills and secrets.

His master once made him stare at distant leaves until he could see every vein, then look at even farther leaves. After years of practice, Alex's vision could discern the slight reflections in moonlight—whether it was dew, water droplets, or something else.

Alex's heartbeat quickened, pounding like a drum in his chest. His hand, gripping the spear, trembled slightly. He took a deep breath, recalling his master's teachings on calmness, focusing intensely on the darkness ahead. He knew he had to stay alert, as any panic could lead to disastrous consequences.

Shadowy figures of dark creatures approached silently, their forms unclear. Though he couldn't see what they were, Alex shouted,"Something's coming!" His voice pierced the night, alerting the villagers at the gate.

"What? What's coming?" More students noticed the ground seemed to be moving slightly.

The impatient villager had already opened the gate and rushed toward the fallen person, but now, that person lay motionless.

"Stop him!" the principal yelled, but it was too late. In an instant, the impatient villager was pounced upon by a pack of dark beasts with glowing red eyes, swift and deadly. They surrounded him like a black whirlwind, dragging him into the night.

The man struggled, his fear making his cries sharp and desperate, echoing in the night:

"Help me!"

But his cries were cut short when a wolf bit his throat, blood spraying as his voice abruptly ceased.

The villagers were paralyzed by the horrifying sight, none daring to move closer to rescue him. In the darkness, the wolves' growls and the man's weakening moans mingled, like death reaping lives in the night. The villagers could only watch, filled with helplessness and fear.

A female student witnessed the horrifying scene, her face turning pale, eyes wide, and mouth slightly open, as if she wanted to scream, but fear choked her voice. Her hands trembled and hung limply by her sides, her whole body frozen in that moment, unable to move.

This gruesome sight thrilled the gamblers watching. In the dim light, their faces appeared twisted and fierce. Their eyes glinted with cold light, and each one had a strange smile on their lips. They held glasses of wine, some even with cigars, their eyes never leaving the bloody scene. Their fingers tapped lightly in the air, as if awaiting an imminent feast, with expressions full of sinister charm and greed.

The gamblers began to whisper, their tones full of mockery and excitement. A burly man laughed coldly,"Look, this is what they call 'despair'."

Another gambler sneered,"The show has just begun, don't be in a hurry to leave." Their words were filled with indifference to the victims' pain and a frenzied pursuit of violence.

"DONG! DONG! DONG!"

Heavy bells echoed in the night sky, tearing through the silent darkness and instantly capturing everyone's attention.

A shadow silently appeared, cloaked in black, its face hidden under a deep hood, like a god descending from the heavens, hovering in mid-air, mysterious and majestic.

"The deity! The deity has appeared!" cried out a few elderly female villagers, falling to their knees and bowing devoutly, seizing the opportunity to make wishes to the"deity."

"Deity, let me make a fortune this year!"

"Deity, let my daughter-in-law give us ten more boys, or eight will do!"

"Deity, let my paralyzed husband stand up! Or... just take him away!"

Sadly, this black-cloaked"deity" could indeed hear their prayers, but he was not there to grant wishes.

He slowly spread his arms, his voice like rumbling thunder,"Dear villagers, this is the moment of divine selection!"

The villagers looked at each other, whispering among themselves.

The cloaked figure continued,"You have 20 minutes to prepare. After that, these hungry wolves will begin to hunt you. If you are still alive after 10 minutes, the deity will spare your sin..."

He paused, a subtle, meaningful smile curling his lips,"Otherwise, you must offer your blood and flesh as a sacrifice!"

At that moment, a series of crimson numbers appeared in the pitch-black sky—a gigantic countdown timer!

[20:00]

The numbers jumped and changed to—

[19:58]

The blood-red glow was piercing, catching everyone's eyes. Next to the countdown, another red number—[107]—stood out, hinting at something ominous.

"What's that?"

"Never seen it before!"

"Is it a miracle?"

"What does the number mean?"

The villagers whispered, their voices blending into a sea of unease. The game had begun.

In the dark night, the villagers were in a panic. Some scattered in all directions, some hesitated, while others stood still, hoping for divine mercy.

Principal Zhang felt a chill down his spine, sensing a cold presence clinging to him like an invisible force he couldn't shake off.

"I'm being watched," he thought.

His intuition told him the cloaked figure had sinister intentions. But he still shouted,"Slowly move back to the building, women and children first, teachers keep order!"

Among the crowd, Alex and Dan also sensed something was wrong. Dan, the village hunter, had a natural sensitivity to danger. He saw the cloaked figure glance at the principal, setting off alarm bells in his mind. Alex noticed the principal's pale face and realized something was amiss.

"Principal, get inside!" Dan urged in a low voice.

Alex stepped forward, blocking Principal Zhang.

But the principal stubbornly shook his head, facing the panicked villagers. His voice was low and firm,"No, I can't go in first. I must ensure everyone gets inside without causing a panic."

"Now is not the time for reasoning!" Dan grabbed the principal's arm, his eyes filled with urgency.

"The cloaked man glanced at you. I'm sure he did something! You can't take the risk!"

Alex also lowered his voice, scanning the surroundings, fearing the cloaked man would strike at any moment.

"Mr. Zhang, if something happens to you, who will take care of these people? Who will teach the children?"

But Principal stood tall, his gaze steady like he was facing an unavoidable storm."You go inside!" he said firmly.

"Once everyone is inside, I'll follow."

The countdown's red glow reflected on his face, making him look solemn.

[07:12]

The air was filled with growing unease. The night wind whispered as if something was approaching.

A strange sound reached Alex's ears, like metal scraping the air or mechanical movements. He turned quickly, seeing a pair of crimson dots light up in the distance—the cloaked man's flying robots!

"Damn, the enemy is moving!" Alex growled, grabbing Principal's wrist, almost dragging him inside. But the principal pulled free, standing his ground.

"Listen to me!" his voice was authoritative,"I'll be fine, get inside!"

Dan looked at him with a complex expression, gritted his teeth, and finally yanked Alex, heading towards the building.

The principal's figure stood alone and resolute as the doors slowly closed. He looked up at the night sky, where the cloaked man floated, smiling as if enjoying the unfolding hunt.

Pairs of crimson eyes locked onto him—prey identified.