Chapter 13 — The Hunter's Shadow
The street smelled of burned rubber, engines still ticked softly inside abandoned cars, some doors hung open where people had fled, others had been crushed flat by something far heavier than any vehicle. Aken's breathing slowed down slightly as he ran, not because he was really tired but because he was thinking. Running blindly would get them killed. The Hunter stepped onto the street behind them, the concrete cracked beneath its weight. Every movement it made was calm and controlled.
It wasn't rushing anymore, predators didn't rush when the prey was already trapped. Jae-Min looked back once, immediately regretted it. "…It's walking now."
Aken kept moving. "That means it thinks we're already dead."
"Well that's comforting." Jae-Min spoke sarcasticly
They turned another corner, a long avenue stretched ahead, tall buildings and shattered storefronts. The wind carried dust through the empty road, sirens echoing somewhere far away. Emergency units had already begun evacuating the district, which meant one thing, help wasn't coming. Miokuo spoke. "Master, the Hunter's behavior has changed."
"I noticed that" Aken said.
" Sure, but it looks like it's conserving energy." Miokuo finished
Aken spoke slightly. "So are we."
Jae-Min blinked. "…Wait what?"
Aken slowed just enough to speak. "If it wanted us dead immediately…" He glanced back. "…we would've be dead already."
Behind them, the Hunter raised one arm. For the first time since the chase began… something changed, the air warped around them, a thin ripple moved outward from the creature's body. Miokuo reacted instantly. "Master—"
Aken dove sideways, a split second later— the spot where he had been standing exploded, not cracked but exploded. Chunks of road blasted upward like shrapnel. A shockwave tore through the street, windows shattered across three buildings. Jae-Min screamed. "IT CAN DO THAT?!"
Aken rolled across the pavement and stood. "Look's like it."
The Hunter lowered its arm slowly, smoke curled from its claw. Its glowing eye fixed on Aken again. "CHOSEN ONE…"
Aken's stomach tightened, that word again. Chosen, he didn't like it, not even a little. The system window flickered again.
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[Extreme Threat Behavior Detected
New Ability Identified: Spatial Impact]
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Jae-Min stared at the crater behind them. He pointed at the hole. "…Okay, now where doomed."
Aken ordered as he took to his feet. "Run."
They ran again, this time faster than before. The Hunter moved again but now it wasn't chasing blindly. It was calculating, and predicting their path, two more steps. Another arm lift. Miokuo shouted inside Aken's mind. "Left!"
Aken grabbed Jae-Min's jacket and pulled him. They dove into a narrow street just as another invisible impact struck behind them, the blast flattening a delivery truck. The metal twisted like it was paper. Jae-Min's voice cracked. "…That's cheating."
Aken's mind raced. The creature was adapting, which meant the longer the chase lasted… the worse their odds became. They burst through a row of market stalls, fruit carts were overturned, wooden stands shattered. Aken vaulted over a table. Jae-Min followed, knocking over three chairs in the process. "…Sorry!"
No one answered, the district was empty, everyone had ran, everyone except them. The Hunter stepped into the market street seconds later. It didn't rush, didn't roar, it just simply walked and everything in its path broke. Miokuo spoke again. "Master, your cursed energy is increasing."
Aken glanced briefly at the system.
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Cursed Energy: 72
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Meditation had given him steady growth, combat was accelerating it but not fast enough. They reached another intersection, four roads branching outward. Aken chose the straight one. Tall apartment buildings rose on both sides, laundry lines still hung between windows, a forgotten bicycle lay on the sidewalk. Life had existed here minutes ago, now only silence remained, then—
THUD.
The Hunter landed ahead of them, Aken skidded to a stop. Jae-Min nearly collided with him. "…Oh."
He slowly turned his head. "…That's bad."
The Hunter stood in the middle of the road, waiting. It had jumped across three buildings to intercept them, its broken smile widening. "YOU… CANNOT… ESCAPE."
Miokuo's voice remained calm. "Master, you might have to fight."
Aken's grip tightened on the katana., the blade pulsed faintly. He looked at the timer.
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Time Remaining: 1 Hour 03 Minutes
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Still too long and way too dangerous. If he fought now… one mistake meant death. Jae-Min swallowed. "…We need a plan."
Aken took one slow breath, then spoke quietly. "…We run past it."
Jae-Min stared. "RUN PAST—"
Aken moved straight toward the monster, the Hunter's eye flared brighter. It raised its arm but he was already moving. His cursed energy surged, every muscle in his body tightened, his speed exploded forward, the distance closed instantly. Five meters, then three, the Hunter swung. Aken slid beneath the claw, the blade of Miokuo flashed, not to attack but to guide him. Aken's body twisted sideways as he passed the monster, Jae-Min followed, screaming something incoherent.
The Hunter turned but it was too late, they were already behind it. Running again, Jae-Min's voice cracked with disbelief. "…WE JUST RAN PAST IT."
Aken didn't slow down. "Of course we did."
Behind them—the Hunter roared, a sound so violent it shook the windows of nearby buildings. For the first time since the chase… it was actually angry, really angry at that. Miokuo whispered. "Well done, Master."
Aken didn't answer, he only kept running, because somewhere deep in his instincts… Aken knew something terrifying, the Hunter was still holding back and if it ever decided to stop playing…
It was game over.
END OF CHAPTER 13