CHAPTER 23 - 23 – THE HUNT

Chapter 23 – The Hunt

Its roar shook the entire neighborhood like a rolling quake. Windows rattled, walls trembled, and with that one guttural cry, every single creature snapped their heads toward a single point—toward Jack.

Dozens of Black Spider Dogs, all at once, locked eyes on him.

A chill ran down Jack's spine. It didn't take more than a heartbeat for him to realize the disaster he had just stumbled into.

"Move, Jack!" Lune's voice rang out like thunder in the silence.

He shot to his feet and bolted, every muscle in his body burning with the command to run.

"RAWR!!!"

The beasts answered her cry with their own. In perfect unison, they charged. Their many legs clattered against the asphalt, fangs dripping with blood, eyes glowing red with the hunger to kill.

The thunderous pounding of their paws echoed across the ghostly quiet of the world. Their speed was terrifying—far faster than anything Jack had expected.

'They're fast!' Jack glanced back, frowning. The creatures were gaining ground with ease.

"RAWR!!"

Suddenly, a sharp screech ripped through the air. Jack instinctively ducked.

A split second later, one of the beasts soared through the space where his head had just been. It landed behind him and skidded with a guttural hiss.

Another lunged for his leg from behind.

Jack spun around, his heart pounding, and thrust his sword forward.

The blade connected, stabbing into the beast's face and driving into its eye. The monster shrieked, tumbling to the ground in pain. Without hesitation, Jack yanked the blade out and plunged it back in with both hands.

The weapon sank deeper this time, crunching through thick bone until the monster stopped moving.

A mechanical chime sounded in his ears.

[You have killed...]

[...]

[...]

[...]

[Your sword has sharpened.]

Jack didn't waste a second. He tore the sword out, got to his feet, and turned to face the oncoming wave of monsters. They were already upon him, attacking from every direction.

'I can't outrun them. Not like this. I need to thin their numbers... or I'm dead!'

His breathing grew heavier, his grip tighter. Eyes darting left and right, he prepared himself.

"RAWR!"

One of the dogs leaped at him, and Jack met it with a spinning kick. The beast collapsed midair, crashing to the ground before Jack drove his blade straight through its skull.

There was almost no resistance this time. The creature's flesh split cleanly beneath his weapon.

[Your sword has sharpened.]

"RAWR!"

He turned instinctively—another one was already mid-air.

Jack swung.

The blade sliced into the creature's jaw, cutting it wide open. But the beast's momentum still sent it slamming into him, throwing him off balance.

He stumbled back—vulnerable.

Another monster lunged from behind.

"Jack!!" Lune's eyes widened in horror as she saw the beast sink its jaws into his left arm. Blood splattered the pavement, and Jack grimaced as pain flooded his senses.

Still, he didn't scream.

Gritting his teeth, he jerked his arm forward, wedging the creature's fangs open just enough to strike. He plunged the sword into its eye. The monster reeled back. Jack didn't stop. He stabbed again. The beast went limp.

He shoved it off him and staggered to his feet.

'Damn it... my arm is numb... He pierced several veins...' Blood was gushing out quickly from his injured arm, enough to make him realize that he might bleed to death. However, he had no time to even consider what to do.

Before he could recover, another latched onto his leg.

Two more were closing in fast, eyes burning with hunger.

One mistake was all it would take.

"Jack!" Lune shouted again, her voice sharp. "Channel your Time Essence! It'll give you more power!"

Jack froze for a second. 'Essence?'

His body moved on instinct.

He reached inward—toward the energy pulsing within him. And the moment he did, it surged like a floodgate breaking.

Dark energy erupted from his body like a storm, sweeping through his limbs, bones, and nerves.

A burst of black mist exploded outward.

The beasts around him recoiled. A heavy weight fell upon them like an invisible hand pressing down. Their breath hitched, instincts screaming at them to run.

"Wow..." Lune's eyes sparkled in awe. 'So much essence... it's even stronger than before...'

Jack stood tall in the center of the street, shrouded in a dark mist that writhed like living tendrils. His injured arm trembled, but the rest of his body felt... unstoppable.

"I feel powerful," Jack muttered, flexing his fingers. 'It really does boost my abilities... I feel faster, stronger, more focused...'

He hadn't fully understood it before—how much essence could enhance him. But now he could feel it pouring through his system like fire in his veins.

He turned his gaze to the monsters circling him. It was cold. Ruthless.

'I'm not stopping at just one or two. I need to kill them all.'

The monsters flinched. They could sense the shift in energy. This wasn't the same prey they had seen moments ago.

He was something else now.

But still... he was injured. His left arm hung limp. His legs were bruised. If they attacked together, they might still stand a chance.

With growls and snarls, they lunged at him in a deadly wave.

Jack didn't hesitate.

He stepped forward—fast.

Swish

The first beast's throat opened wide as his sword passed through like a whisper. He pivoted and stabbed another between the eyes.

[Your sword has sharpened.]

[Your sword has sharpened.]

[Your sword has reached level 2 sharpness.]

The blade moved even more fluidly now, slicing through flesh as if it were paper.

Jack didn't pause.

He weaved between the monsters, ducking and dodging with enhanced reflexes, landing blow after blow with brutal precision.

Four more fell within seconds. Several others backed off, bleeding heavily.

'He's unstoppable...' Lune thought in awe, her breath caught in her throat. 'Even with no training, he's learning everything on the fly...'

It wasn't just power—it was adaptability. Jack absorbed everything: movement, timing, angles. Each second made him deadlier and smarter. She had never seen someone who learned that fast ever before. It was ridiculous.

One after another, the beasts dropped, their bodies piling around him like discarded husks.

His breathing was heavy. Blood dripped from his sword, from his clothes, from his wounds. But he didn't slow down.

The monsters' confidence began to crack.

Fear crept into their eyes.

The blood-soaked boy before them didn't flinch. He didn't hesitate. He just kept coming.

Then, one of them took a step back.

Then another.

And another.

Whimpers echoed in the street as the pack began to retreat, tails tucked between their legs.

Jack watched them coldly, his sword raised.

"Aren't you going to attack anymore?" he asked, swinging the blade lazily to the side. The metal glinted under the dim glow of a nearby streetlamp. It had reached level 3 sharpness—now even more lethal than before.

"Come at me," he said, walking toward them with unshaken steps. "I'll make it quick."

But the beasts had no intention of listening. Their courage shattered, they turned and ran—back into the shadows, desperate for escape.

Or so they thought.

BANG!

A deafening crash split the air as something massive dropped from the sky.

The street cracked. Blood and bone splattered. Bodies crumpled instantly beneath the impact.

Jack froze, wide-eyed.

From the rubble and crushed remains, a hulking silhouette rose slowly—towering, monstrous.

The pack leader.

It stood atop the fallen creatures, its wide, gaping maw already feasting on their broken bodies.

Jack's mind went still.

He said nothing.

He only watched.