The ground thrummed with every step of the Flamehorn Rhino.Kael crouched behind a jagged boulder, the rough stone digging into his palms. Heat rolled off the beast even from twenty paces away, the air shimmering above its molten cracks.
The patrol kept their distance — four hunters in Guild-issue leather, their armor lined with talismans against heat and shrapnel. They weren't here to kill the rhino. They were guarding it.
A living, walking fortune.
Kael's gaze darted to the beast's flank. Beneath the thick hide, a vein pulsed just behind the front leg. That was where the blood would be richest.
He slid lower, pressing himself into the shadows. If he waited until the patrol circled around the far side, he could close the distance before they saw him.
The rhino snorted, a plume of sparks drifting from its nostrils.
A whisper of movement tickled his senses — too soft for the hunters, but Kael's instincts were honed in the gutters, where noticing a shadow meant the difference between life and death.
Something was watching him.
He turned his head, slow and careful.
In the trees above, a pair of eyes glinted yellow in the gloom. Narrow pupils. Predatory.
The shape shifted — feline, but too large for a wildcat. Its black pelt shimmered as though made of smoke. Kael's breath caught.
Nightshade Panther. C-Rank. Darkness element. Silent stalker.
What in the hells was it doing here? This zone belonged to the rhino.
The beast tilted its head. And then, impossibly, it grinned.
A shout from the patrol cut the silence."Movement on the ridge!"
Kael swore under his breath — not at being spotted, but because the panther had vanished, melting into the shadows as if it had never been.
The Guild hunters split — two moving toward the sound, the others keeping their spears angled toward the rhino.
Opportunity.
Kael slid from his cover, keeping low. The heat grew oppressive, every breath tasting of ash. The rhino shifted its weight, grinding stone beneath its hooves.
Five paces.
Four.
The beast's massive head swung his way. A rumble like distant thunder vibrated the air.
Kael froze. The molten lines along its hide flared brighter — the Earth element bracing, the Fire element charging.
He lunged.
Knife out, he slashed across the vein at the flank. Blood erupted — thick, glowing faintly with elemental energy.
Kael jammed his vial beneath the wound. The heat seared his fingers, but the vial filled fast.
A roar split the gorge.
The rhino bucked, kicking Kael sideways. Pain exploded across his ribs as he hit the ground hard, the vial clutched to his chest.
[E-Rank (High) | GP: 10 + 100= 110]
The rush hit instantly — molten strength flooding his limbs, a solid weight anchoring his stance. His skin prickled, his muscles tightening as if wrapped in living stone.
But there was no time to revel in it. The Guild hunters were shouting now, charging his way.
And from the treeline… the panther emerged again. Only this time, it wasn't alone.
Three of them, fanning out, their eyes glowing in the dark.
The lead hunter skidded to a stop, face draining of color. "Panthers! Three of them! Call for backup!"
Kael's mind raced. Panthers didn't hunt in packs — unless driven by something stronger. Something that wanted both prey and hunters distracted.
The rhino bellowed again, fire licking at its horn.
The ground between Kael and the hunters cracked as molten lines split the stone. The patrol scrambled back, focusing on survival instead of pursuit.
Kael, crouched low, realized the chaos had given him exactly what he needed.
A clear path out.
He darted toward the ridge, vaulting over a fallen log, the vial tucked safe inside his coat. The panthers didn't follow — their eyes tracked him, but their attention stayed fixed on the rhino.
Something about that made his skin crawl.
By the time he reached the tree line, the sounds of battle echoed behind him — roars, shouts, the sharp crack of stone splitting.
Kael didn't slow until the glow of the molten beast faded from sight.
He collapsed against a tree, heart pounding, every muscle trembling from the flood of new GP.
[C-Rank Progression Threshold Reached: Breakthrough Possible.]
The whisper curled through his thoughts like a promise. He could feel the power pulsing inside him, begging to be shaped into something permanent.
But another thought gnawed at him harder than the hunger for power — the panthers. They weren't supposed to be there. They weren't supposed to work together.
Which meant something was changing in the hunting zones.
And change in the wild always meant danger in the city.