“Peace, just for today—only until sunset—listen to Shishio, okay?”

– Kiaang.

Peace reluctantly replied—or at least I hoped that was his answer. I patted him and stood. Dawn’s light crept faintly across the sky. Three minutes to go. I turned.

“Don’t worry, Chief Han!”

Instead of Peace, Shishio called out energetically, waving. Yes, I trust you. I approached the building at the fortress’s center and placed my palm on the door.

[King’s Chamber. No monster may enter until all allied Hunters inside are dead. No allied Hunter may enter until all monsters are defeated. Enter?]

King my foot. I confirmed, and I was transported inside. A vast chamber of stone—walls, floor, and lofted ceiling—no bigger than a small arena. At its center stood the throne.

One minute remained. I dashed to the throne. No rule said I had to sit there, but it was preferable to collapsing on the floor. My footsteps echoed sharply. The throne looked as hard and cold as stone, but it had a cushion. I sat, then immediately activated Teacher skill.

To everyone within range.

“...Hut!”

I gasped. All senses flooded me like a waterfall. My vision fractured into dozens of kaleidoscopic shards and merged again, several times. It was my first time using Teacher skill on so many people simultaneously. Even with my upgraded skill rank, it was difficult to bear.

“Hoo...”

My hands clenched the armrests. Fingernails dug in, drawing blood. Violet-black light and the red-rising sun pressed into my mind. Voices praising the skill sounded like they were right beside me.

[Amazing! Hey, poke me—can you really feel my movement?]

[Range seems limited—about ten meters?]

[Still, with this, no one can stab each other accidentally.]

The sharing range was once wider, but perhaps too many users had caused it to shrink. My stomach churned and head swam, but I adapted enough to monitor the outside.

[Monsters!]

Someone shouted. I linked to a Hunter atop the highest spire. In the dim dawn light, something moved across the wasteland—faint tremors, dust rising.

[Guuuuu—]

A low conch-like resonance carried. Sunlit blade flashes dotted the walls. Even veteran Hunters, reminding us they were human, breathed tense whispers.

With senses so honed, the monsters’ advance felt almost leisurely. Yet the distance closed in an instant. A cloud of dust meters across billowed, and suddenly a shaggy head burst forth.

[-Kraaaah!]

Like a bison, it roared, twisting two pairs of sharp horns. Hooves pounded, and behind them, talons scraped the earth. Grunts, snarls, silent howls—huge beasts revealed fangs, horns, and claws.

[Skreeee—]

No signal needed: Hunters on towers and battlements drew bowstrings and hefted spears, staves raised to gather mana. Support-role Hunters unleashed every buff.

A maelstrom of mana surged, and—

[Twang!]

A massive arrow was loosed. Arrows, spears, and skills followed in rapid succession.

[Crack!]

[-Grrr!]

The first arrow pierced the bison’s skull. Its massive form tumbled in dust as a wolf leaped overhead. Screaming fangs flashed—

[Shwaaah—!]

Dozens of steel arrows rained down, mingled with wind and flame skills, blotting out the sky! Only five ranged Hunters, yet all S-Rank. Their volley was relentless; none fired single shots.

The sky seemed filled by archers firing in unison, striking the monsters’ vanguard.

[Boom! Crash!]

[-Keek!]

[-Kririk!]

Explosions shattered the earth; droplets of blood tinted the dust red. Though monsters ranged up to SS-Rank, many A-Ranks fell to single shots.

The charging horde faltered. Ranged Hunters pressed the advantage, raining more missiles and blasting the ground. Flames flared like bombs. Blood-tinged smoke thickened in the air.

In that brief silence—

[-Kuooaar!]

Crash! A giant foreleg, black-scaled, appeared through smoke. A colossal monster—shoulder height over ten meters. Arrows scraped its hide without penetration. It was at least S-Rank, a defensive brute.

Far shots would struggle to fell it. Hunters shifted targets, focusing on defensive monsters while the survivors renewed their charge at the walls.

[Thud, thud, thud!]

Earth tremors approached. Hunters behind barricades before the gate braced their weapons. Then—

Flap— Shishio strode forward, cloak billowing. Dawn became morning light, cutting through the dust. Facing the onrushing monsters, she cast her skill.

[Declaration of the Lion’s Domain!]

Or, in truth: Muddy Playground (SS). Once S-Rank against Yuhyun, it had grown to SS-Rank. Its widened area spread before the gate.

[-Kueh?]

Thud: the lead monster’s hoof sank into suddenly softened ground—pure mud. As it stuck, the earth hardened, trapping it. Allies within gained defense; foes suffered slowed speed and defense reduction.

“Charge!”

Shishio cried, and Hunters pounced on the mired beasts.

[Skinning scales is my specialty!]

A Hunter vaulted onto an armored monster, swinging a hooked spear violently. The hook caught between plates and delivered a defense-weaken debuff. Moments later—

[Crunch!]

The thick scales shattered in rows. An arrow immediately punctured the bare flesh; the Hunter leapt clear. Boom! The bolt exploded, the monster slumping in a spray of gore.

Nearby, Valery hefted a nearly three-meter sword, leaping off the reinforced ground. Her strike struck under the beast’s jaw.

[Ku-ung!]

The dull blade didn’t pierce scales but gouged deep—crushing bone and armor. The massive quadruped reared like a biped.

As Valery descended—

[Thud!]

Her greatsword drove into the monster’s crown. Its skull crushed, the beast collapsed.

Screams of agony rose—monster screams. Hunters remained unscathed. After years of slaying high-rank beasts, S-Rank Hunters now, with Teacher skill easing coordination, tore through the horde.

[-Kirrrr!]

[-Piiiiik!]

Then, a sharp cry overhead. Feathered and membranous wings shimmered in the bright sky.

[Flying monsters incoming!]

[Ranged Hunters, focus on air combat!]

One ground Hunter gathered ranged weapons from bodies and flung them toward a tower. A rope snaked out, snaring arrows and javelins mid-air.

[Protect support and healers first!]

Flying foes aim for the unprotected backline. Even with flight, humans can’t match a winged monster’s speed. But—

[-Grrr]

A massive flaming-winged beast soared above the walls: Flame Horn Lion—Peace. Having returned to adult form and grown massive, his presence halted several flyers. Encouraged by numbers, they pressed closer.

Peace advanced, his white fangs bared, crimson fur rippling like flames.

[Roaaaaar—!]

His flame breath engulfed the sky. The blast seared the flyers; wings singed, membranes torn. Though powerful, their greatest strength—wings—was also their weakness.

[-Kirrk!]

Those aflame plummeted. Survivors with fire resistance dove into welcoming hailfire.

[-Keek!]

Ranged Hunters targeted heads and wings. Peace would not stand idle—his horns skewered monsters in midair.

Carcasses piled before the gate, and support points accrued.

‘Still good.’

No one hurt yet. We hunted easily, though dawn had barely broken. I inhaled deeply and downed a second mana potion.

“This is no joke.”

No Enhae use even drained my mana well. Earrings and Mana Imprint replenished a bit, but mana was sucked away instantly. Only Teacher skill, yet—over twenty applied. No wonder.

“Ugh...”

Every movement made my fur prickle. Dozens of sensitive Hunter senses passed through my body. In combat, they were even sharper. My own awareness spiked.

Praying the sun would set soon, I checked the support window.

‘Gather as much as we can.’

Priority purchases were lifesavers. I just needed to hold out until all points were collected. It was smooth so far, but the SS-Rank monsters hadn’t yet swarmed. It would get harder.

[Gather weapons!]

[Replenish mana!]

[Don’t get separated—injuries cost points!]

[Fight as close to the walls as possible!]

Taking advantage of a lull, some readied the battlefield. With flyers incoming, arrows and javelins had to be reused.

[-Graaaah!]

Soon, fresh roars from beyond the wasteland. The piled corpses vanished like snow in sun, leaving only the stench of blood. A second horde closed in.

[Victory will be ours!]

Shishio tossed her spent potion bottle high. Now only S-Rank monsters, no A-Ranks. Some survived direct hits, but they battered Hunters:

[-Kyaak!]

Thud! A clash of beast and Hunter. Thanks to Shishio’s area skill, Hunters still held the advantage. Weapons swung, skills rained, blood spattered.

Mana and power tangled, vanished, and reformed in a whirlwind. Even S-Rank Hunters reeled. I nearly retched, but breathed deep to refocus.

“...Ah!”

I sensed something faint below. I snatched the megaphone linked to the exterior wall and microphone.

“Under the ground—monsters!”

My voice boomed through amplified speakers. Hunters reacted; one thrust a spear into the earth.

[Boom!!]

The ground exploded. With a rumble—

[Guruuuung!]

A burrowing monster raised its head: a massive worm.

[-Kririririri!]

A multi-meter-long body emerged, teeth like layered saws, tendrils sprouting from its length.

“Block that hole!”

Thunk, crack! Hooked wires snared the worm’s body in multiple spots. Veterans at monster hunts responded swiftly. The bound worm’s head was crushed.

Yet others pressed to the walls.

[Thud!]

A rhino-like beast rammed the wall with its horn. It didn’t fall, but cracks snaked along the stones.

‘Damn!’

Now repairs would cost points! Hunters quickly cut down the approaching beasts. Just as we breathed easy—

[Gak!]

A Hunter stumbled back, driven by a monster’s charge. He shouted:

[SS-Rank!]

At last, a top-tier appeared. Not large—two meters at the shoulder, a white-furred fox. It stared at us, then vanished.

[Evade!]

Even S-Rank eyes couldn’t track its speed. The attacked Hunter tried to dodge, but the beast moved faster. Its fangs glowed with azure poison.

[Gurrrung!]

From the earth sprouted mud dummies—Shishio’s SS-upgraded playground skill’s extra effect.

[-Keek!]

The fox, coated in mud, wheezed. Hunters countered. Poison and speed: high speed means low defense. Support and combat-role Hunters poured every slow debuff on the fox. Then the speed-enhanced fighters charged. They closed the gap and, powered by the buffs, struck.

A lone S-Rank rarely bests an SS-Rank. But now:

[-Kang!]

A blade pierced the fox’s throat. United effort caught and surpassed its speed, and it was over.

A sigh of relief. Even SS-Rank threats could be handled in ones and twos. I recalled pre-regression SS-Rank foes. That fox was unfamiliar, but knowing its traits would help next time. I downed another mana potion and gripped the microphone.

After a short lull, another horde arrived. The battle renewed.

“Fire resistance! Weak to cold!”

“Slow, but tail stings with poison!”

“Two heads—one hidden!”

I shouted every insight I had.

Time flowed both slowly and swiftly. Monsters surged; corpses stacked then vanished; points accumulated. Hunters sustained small wounds; SS-Rank appearances rose. Stamina potions appeared one by one.

The sun climbed to midday.

[Gruggrrrng]

Through the heavy rumble, a colossal shadow fell. Its entourage monsters were ominous too. I gasped and checked points—nearly gone.

“Shishio.”

At my call, she shrugged off her tattered cloak and stepped forward.

“Prepare yourself.”

When the time comes, use it. My girl is so amazing—skill, go!