Dawn broke over the Titanblood Tribe with a sharp, golden glow.
But today, the air felt different. Heavier. Sharper. Ready.
Kael stood before twenty selected villagers lined in formation, their eyes filled with anticipation — and a little fear. Behind him, rows of newly crafted weapons rested on a wooden rack, catching the morning light.
Today was not training.
Today was proof.
The Selection
Kael's voice was calm but firm. "Step forward when your name is called."
One by one, the chosen stepped forward: eight Abyssari women, physically dominant and unshaken by the weight of what was coming; seven human hunters, experienced but weaker; and five of Dean's warriors, raw but fierce in a way that made up for what they lacked in polish.
Dean stood off to the side, arms crossed, watching everything closely. Angelika held a wooden tablet, already tracking numbers before the hunt had even begun. Elara stood near Kael — silent, proud, but with a thread of anxiety she wasn't quite hiding as well as she thought.
Weapon Distribution
Kael lifted the first weapon — a Titan War Bow — and handed it to an Abyssari warrior.
"Your strength suits this."
She drew the string once.
THRUM!
Her eyes flashed with approval.
He continued down the line — Titanblade short swords, reinforced hide armor, standard war arrows — equipping all twenty fighters one by one. The transformation was immediate. They no longer looked like scattered survivors thrown together by circumstance.
They looked organized. Dangerous.
System Notice
[ Combat Unit Formed: Titanblood Hunt Squad – Alpha ][ Estimated Success Rate in Nearby Zone: 78% ]
Kael's lips curved slightly. "Good enough."
Angelika's Concern
As the squad made final preparations, Angelika stepped closer, her voice low. "Kael… this is your first organized hunt." Her eyes were sharp with worry. "If something goes wrong, our food chain collapses with it."
Kael looked ahead, calm. "That's why we win."
She bit her lip slightly — half frustration, half something closer to reluctant admiration.
Elara's Emotional Moment
Elara suddenly caught his arm, her grip soft but insistent.
"…Come back safely."
For once, the usually bold Abyssari chief looked genuinely vulnerable.
Kael's voice softened a fraction. "I'm not dying on the first hunt."
Her cheeks warmed faintly at that.
Angelika noticed. Her eyes narrowed just slightly.
Into the Wild
The twenty-person squad moved through the forest in tight formation. Dean led the front line, and two Abyssari scouts slipped through the trees like shadows, barely disturbing a leaf as they moved.
Angelika's planning held perfectly. Formation stable. Noise minimal. Morale high.
First Target Located
After an hour of careful movement, a scout dropped silently beside Kael.
"Beast herd ahead. Medium size."
Kael signaled a halt and climbed a rock outcropping to observe. Below, a group of Ironhide Boars grazed heavily, oblivious to the eyes now tracking them.
Large. Aggressive. Perfect.
Battle Plan
Kael spoke quietly. "Archers — first strike. Frontline — wait for my signal."
Dean's grin spread slowly across his face.
Finally. Real combat.
The First Volley
Kael raised his hand, paused, then dropped it.
THWIP—THWIP—THWIP!
Arrows rained down. Three boars screamed instantly, and chaos tore through the herd.
Close Combat Begins
"NOW!"
Dean charged like something unleashed, roaring as he went. His Titanblade flashed once — SLASH! — and blood sprayed across the grass.
The Abyssari women followed close behind, their strength terrifying to watch in motion. One of them caught a struggling boar mid-charge and slammed it flat into the dirt without breaking stride.
Even Kael's eyes flickered at that.
…Monsters.
Kael Enters the Fight
One massive Ironhide Boar broke through the line, charging straight toward the archers.
Angelika's eyes went wide. "Kael—!"
Too fast. Too close.
Kael moved — smooth, precise, no wasted motion.
SHING!
His blade flashed once. The boar slid forward a few more feet under its own momentum, then collapsed.
A clean kill.
System Explosion
[ First Organized Hunt: SUCCESS ][ Village Food Supply: +Major Increase ][ Squad Morale: SURGING ][ Kael Leadership Recognition: Rising ]
Aftermath
The ground lay scattered with fallen beasts. Heavy breathing. Wide, adrenaline-lit eyes.
Then the cheers erupted — not wild, not chaotic, but disciplined, proud in a way that spoke to everything the squad had just proven to itself.
Dean walked up to Kael, smirking. "…You're worth following."
High praise. Very rare, coming from him.
Emotional Closing
As the team began transporting the meat back toward the settlement, Elara moved quietly to Kael's side.
"You didn't just save us…" Her fingers brushed lightly against his arm. "…you're changing our fate."
Across the field, Angelika watched in silence, her expression unreadable.
But her grip on the planning tablet tightened, just slightly, and didn't ease for a long while after.
The forest had barely gone quiet again when Kael felt it — a faint vibration under his feet, traveling up through the ground itself.
Not fear.
Warning.
Dean froze mid-step. "…Something big is moving."
Angelika's head snapped up, eyes already calculating. Elara's fingers tightened slowly around her spear.
Then—
BOOOOOM…
The ground trembled once. Twice. And the trees ahead began to shake with something far larger than anything they'd hunted that morning — a warning that the day's proof of strength had only been the beginning of what this world was about to ask of them.