"HRAAAAARRRGGH!"

  The Moon-lurker’s deafening roar echoed through the cavern chamber. I gritted my teeth, straining every muscle in my arms as I held back its massive claws with the heavy haft of Patrice's battleaxe. The leather armor across my chest hung in tattered ribbons, and the stone floor beneath my boots had been pulverized by the monster's devastating mana blast.

  I pivoted my right foot forward, dropping into a deeper stance and shifting my weight to anchor myself against the beast's crushing strength.

  From the corner of my eye, a tiny glint of silver flashed through the dark, flying straight toward the monster.

  SCHLUCK! "GUAAAAHHHH!" The Moon-lurker shrieked, its massive head snapping back as Mathilda's black-fletched arrow buried itself deep into its glowing left eye.

  Momentum! I wrenched the battleaxe violently to the left, ripping the beast's center of gravity out from under it. Releasing my grip on the haft, I spun on my heel, using the torque to whip my left leg upward in a devastating roundhouse kick. My boot collided flush with its jagged jaw, launching the massive creature sideways into the dark.

  I glanced toward Patrice, who was already sprinting into the fray. I kicked the fallen battleaxe up and tossed it to her.

  She caught the heavy weapon mid-stride without breaking her sprint. Using her forward momentum, she planted her boots, vaulted high into the cavern air, and brought the battleaxe down in a brutal, gravity-fed cleave.

  Sparks flew as the Moon-lurker managed to raise its forearm, blocking the steel edge with its hardened claws.

  But it forgot about the rearguard.

  Melting out of the shadows directly behind the beast, Hoiler executed a flawless ambush. He drove a punishing, mana-infused front kick squarely into the monster's lower spine. The bone-jarring impact launched the Moon-lurker stumbling forward, completely off-balance.

  Directly into the path of Kenny.

  Kenny had already taken his stance. A violent vortex of sapphire mana swirled around his spear. With a shout, he thrust the weapon forward, unleashing the magical projectile.

  In a split second, while still stumbling mid-air, the Moon-lurker infused its claws with deep blue energy and swatted the mana spear aside. Instantly recovering its posture, the beast extended its glowing claws and lunged directly at Kenny.

  I dashed forward, grabbing Kenny by the collar of his armor. I violently yanked him sideways, pulling him out of the beast's trajectory by a hair's breadth.

  The Moon-lurker crashed into the cavern wall, its claws gouging deep trenches into the stone. Slowly, the blue glow of its energy began to fade.

  Shit! It’s trying to blend into the darkness!

  Before the beast could vanish completely, the sharp twang of a bowstring echoed nine times in rapid succession. Glowing arrows rained across the cavern. As they embedded themselves into the bedrock, the walls, and the high ceiling, they detonated not with force, but with blinding, radiant light. The entire chamber was instantly bathed in a brilliant, sun-like glow, stripping away the shadows and exposing the Moon-lurker for all to see.

  I couldn't help but smirk. Fucking great job, Mathilda!

  "HRAAAAAGGGHHHH!" the beast roared in frustration, its camouflage completely neutralized.

  "Ten minutes!" Mathilda shouted from the rear. "The light will hold for ten minutes! That was my last drop of mana!"

  Hoiler and Patrice didn't waste a second. They converged on the blinded monster, unleashing a flurry of chained, coordinated strikes. The cavern rang with the deafening clang of steel against hardened claws. But even blinded in one eye, the beast was too fast, weaving and parrying their attacks.

  Suddenly, a volatile, high-pitched hum vibrated through the air. Deep within the monster's throat, a faint blue glow began to rapidly condense.

  I dashed toward them. "Patrice! Hoiler! Scatter!"

  They instantly broke off their assault, diving away from the beast.

  The Moon-lurker unhinged its jaws. A dense, swirling orb of concentrated blue mana had formed inside its mouth, burning brighter by the millisecond.

  I stepped directly into the beast's line of fire. Planted my feet, rooting my stance solidly into the cavern floor, and raised my empty left palm toward the Moon-Lurker.

  "You got a bad matchup, asshole."

  With a shrill hum, the Moon-lurker fired the mana orb like a laser. The moment the lethal energy collided with my left palm, it didn't burn. The violent magical energy was absorbed directly into my physical vessel. I gritted my teeth as the searing power coursed through my veins. Pivoting my hips, I channeled the stolen magic across my core, drew back my right arm, and threw a devastating, full-body punch at the beast.

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  The blue mana orb erupted from my right fist, rocketing straight back at its creator with twice the kinetic force.

  BOOM! The concussive impact launched the monster backward into the cavern wall. The reflected blast penetrated its torso, blowing a massive, smoking hole cleanly through its chest.

  On the left flank, Hoiler had taken a grounded stance, gripping his heirloom sword with both hands. A razor-sharp, hyper-dense blue aura gathered along the steel edge, humming with lethal intent.

  Stepping into the strike, he swung the blade, unleashing a crescent wave of pure aura.

  Shraaaakkk! The aura blade sheared cleanly through the weakened Moon-lurker's neck, severing its head in a single, flawless strike.

  The massive, grotesque head tumbled through the air, hitting the stone floor with a wet thud and rolling to a stop directly in front of my boots. The headless corpse collapsed a second later.

  The cavern fell dead silent. The hunt was over.

  *

  I slowly broke my combat stance, rolling my shoulders to dispel the adrenaline. Closing my eyes, I drew a long, deep breath, letting the stale cavern air fill my lungs before exhaling in a slow, controlled stream through my nose.

  When I opened my eyes, the squad was standing motionless beside me. In the illuminated cavern chamber, their expressions were a mix of absolute shock and awe.

  "Let’s pack it up. We are moving out," I ordered, my voice cutting through the heavy silence. "Patrice, grab your sack and bag the head. The rest of you, sweep the perimeter while we still have light. Look for any clues that explain why this thing was nesting so close to the surface. I’ll examine the body. Understood?"

  "Yes, sir!" they answered, immediately dispersing to their tasks.

  I crouched beside the headless corpse.

  None of this makes sense. A Moon-lurker is an apex predator, the king of the Alphas. It should be deep underground, surrounded by a subservient pack. Why was it hiding alone in a dry cave?

  My eyes tracked over its massive, corded limbs and the charred, gaping crater in its chest.

  "Mentor? Is it normal for a werewolf to have a scar like this?" Patrice called out, walking toward me with the severed head in her hands.

  I stood, squinting at the monster's forehead. "No." I reached out, brushing my thumb over the disfigured flesh. "That isn't a battle scar. It was branded."

  "You've never seen a mark like this?" Patrice tilted the head. "Maybe it’s a tribal symbol? Or a magic rune?"

  "Maybe. Either way, put it in the sack. We will let the guild analysts look at it later."

  She nodded, stuffing the heavy head into her burlap sack.

  I rubbed the stubble on my jaw, my mind racing.

  It was a jagged, cross-shaped brand. Judging by the blistered, melted texture of the skin, it hadn't been cut with a knife; it had been seared into the beast's skull with a red-hot blade. But why? For what purpose? Was this brand the mark of ownership? Was it the reason a terrifying Moon-lurker had been driven into hiding?

  A moment later, Kenny, Hoiler, and Mathilda gathered around. None of them had found anything unusual in the chamber. With the illumination arrows beginning to dim, we packed our gear and moved out.

  As we stepped out of the cave entrance, the warm sunlight and the crisp scent of the forest breeze washed over me, a welcome change from the dead air below.

  "Sir, can I ask you about your moves back there?" Hoiler broke the silence the second we were outside.

  "Hmm?" I glanced at him.

  "Yeah! It was like you caught the Moon-lurker's magic and just bounced it right back with your bare fist!" Patrice was practically vibrating, brimming with raw excitement as she bounced on her heels.

  "It’s just a simple counter-technique," I retorted.

  "You have to teach us how to do that!" Hoiler and Patrice pleaded in unison.

  I couldn't help but chuckle. "You guys have barely survived a single week of basic training."

  "I swear to the Goddess, I will train twice as hard, sir! Will you teach me if I do?" Hoiler's eyes were shining, a massive, eager grin splitting his dirt-streaked face.

  I smirked. "Maybe."

  "Yes! I'm going to run all the way back to the guild hall right now! I need to train!" Without another word, he dashed down the mountain path.

  "Hey! I want to learn it too!" Patrice yelled, hiking her massive, bloody sack higher onto her shoulders and sprinting after him. Kenny didn't even speak; he just set his jaw in absolute determination and bolted after the two of them.

  I stood on the mountain path, laughing quietly as I watched the three of them kick up a cloud of dust on the horizon. Idiots. Funny, resilient idiots.

  "You’re a Voidmeister, aren't you?"

  Thump. My heart stopped. My breath caught in my throat. I slowly turned my head, my eyes locking onto the lone figure standing in the shadow of the cave entrance.

  Mathilda.

  Her usual shy, timid demeanor had vanished like smoke. She stood with perfect, predatory posture. Her eyes were sharp, analytical, and piercing, framed by a dark, knowing smirk.

  "Where did you hear that name?" I asked, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

  She ignored my question. "Are you, perhaps, an operative of the secret family? The shadows that serve the Voidorant Empire?"

  My eyebrows drew together. My jaw clenched so hard my teeth ached.

  "Or maybe..." Her gaze grew hollow, devoid of any human warmth. "Maybe you’re part of the exiled bloodline? The traitors who single-handedly butchered the Velvet, Voidorant’s elite secret intelligence agency. The Sortkreuz family."

  The air snapped.

  In a fraction of a millisecond, I crossed the ten feet between us. I seized her by the throat, lifted her off her feet, and violently slamming her back against the jagged stone wall of the cave entrance.

  "Who are you?" I demanded, my grip tightening.

  She gasped, her hands weakly clawing at my iron grip, but the fear never reached her eyes. Instead, she bit her lip, and that same grim, terrifying smirk curled across her face.

  "Interesting."