Chapter 15 – Cycle Hunters' Pursuit
The mist hung thick over the forest, curling around the tree trunks like living smoke. James could feel it pressing at him, cold and silent, as though the world itself were holding its breath. Every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves made him jump, and every shadow seemed to hide a predator—or worse, a Cycle Hunter.
"They're close," Lira whispered, crouched beside him on a fallen log. Her dark eyes scanned the fog, alert, unblinking. "I can feel them. They've been tracking us since we left the village."
James gritted his teeth, gripping his dagger tighter. "Then why haven't they attacked yet? Are they… waiting?"
"Not waiting," Lira corrected, her voice steady. "Observing. They know your type—reckless, unpredictable, dangerous. They want to learn your weaknesses before they strike."
James' stomach churned. Observing? Learning? He thought back to the dreams and fragmented memories of past reincarnators, each hunted and destroyed by humans who understood the system better than they did. I can't afford to be predictable.
Tracking the Hunters
They moved silently, weaving through the mist-drenched trees, keeping low, avoiding open ground. Lira taught him how to read the signs: broken branches that indicated movement, footprints partially obscured in mud, faint smudges of blood on leaves that suggested prior skirmishes.
"They've been here," she murmured, crouching beside a shallow depression in the earth. "Two days. At least four of them, maybe more. They've killed before you even knew they were near. That's their advantage—they strike without warning."
James swallowed, trying to steady his racing heartbeat. "Then we have to do the same. Learn them before they learn us."
[System Alert: Skill Fragment Active – Blade Insight]
[Warning: Stability 13%]
James felt the fragment pulse weakly in his chest, feeding him tiny bursts of intuition. He could sense patterns now—tiny, almost imperceptible tells in movements, slight shifts in posture. He narrowed his focus, practicing reading them from memory.
Lira noticed the change immediately. "You're faster… calmer. Focused. This is good, James. We can use that."
Ambush in the Mist
As twilight bled through the mist, they reached a narrow ravine. The path forced them close together, and the forest's fogy curtain limited visibility. Suddenly, movement flickered at the edge of James' vision—a shadow darting between the trees.
"They know we're here," he whispered. "Get ready."
Three figures stepped from the mist, tall and armed, each wearing a crimson sigil on their chest: the unmistakable mark of Cycle Hunters. Their eyes glowed faintly red in the dim light, scanning the forest as if sensing James' every heartbeat.
Lira placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do not engage until you have to. Let them make the first mistake."
James nodded. He could feel the system fragment pulsing harder. Blade Insight, he reminded himself. See their patterns. Wait for the opening.
The Hunters moved in, silent as death. James' eyes caught the way one of them adjusted his stance slightly before each step—tiny tells that hinted at his dominant hand, his preferred strike, his rhythm.
I can predict them, James thought. I can fight smarter.
First Clash
One of the Hunters suddenly lunged, dagger flashing. James reacted instinctively, sidestepping and driving his own blade toward the Hunter's ribs. The fragment guided his movements; it wasn't perfect, but it amplified his instincts.
The Hunter staggered back, surprised. Another attacker swung a heavy spear, forcing James to jump back onto a moss-covered rock. He barely avoided the blade, the impact splintering the stone beneath him.
"Move!" Lira shouted, slashing at a Hunter who tried to flank them. Her strikes were precise, clean, and deadly.
James felt the fragment surge, memories of past fights flooding him—patterns of attack, timing, momentum. He ducked, spun, and countered, each move informed by echoes of fallen reincarnators.
[System Alert: Skill Fragment Upgraded – Blade Insight II]
[Warning: Stability 12%]
The Hunters were strong, trained, relentless—but James and Lira fought as one, moving fluidly, anticipating strikes, setting traps with broken branches and loose rocks. Each hunter who lunged fell into James' carefully laid rhythm.
The Whisper Returns
During the chaos, James felt it again—the whisper, faint and mournful:
"The Hunters are not your only enemies… and trust is a weapon."
He glanced at Lira. Her eyes held no fear, only resolve. Trust… He had doubted it, feared it, almost rejected it entirely—but now he understood. Without her, he couldn't have held the line. Together, they weren't just two survivors—they were a force.
The Hunters fell back momentarily, reassessing. James wiped blood from his cheek, panting, adrenaline surging. His system stability was dangerously low. 12%. I can't overuse Blade Insight, he reminded himself, or it will consume me.
Yet he had learned something crucial: observation, patience, and trust could be more powerful than brute force.
Narrow Escape
As night fell completely, the Hunters retreated into the mist, but James knew it was only temporary. They would regroup, bring reinforcements, and return stronger.
"We need to move," Lira said, grabbing his arm. "They'll be back at first light, and we can't fight them again—not yet."
James nodded, exhausted, battered, but alive. The forest stretched endlessly around them, shadows concealing dangers beyond even the Hunters. And yet, for the first time in this broken world, he didn't feel entirely alone.
"Thank you," he murmured, his voice low. "For trusting me… for fighting with me."
Lira's eyes softened in the firelight, and for a moment, the world seemed less harsh, less unforgiving. "You're the Last Cycle," she said softly, almost to herself. "But maybe… you can survive this."
James allowed himself a small, fleeting smile. Survival was still uncertain. Danger was still imminent. But with Lira, he had a chance—a chance he hadn't known he deserved.
And in the darkness, the whispers of past reincarnators hummed faintly, as if echoing his thoughts: Learn. Adapt. Survive. You are the Last Cycle, and the end begins with you.