Night Stalker

'First, I need to focus on the fight...!'

I fought back before I could even pinpoint the source of my unease.

As I blocked the claws with the flat of my blade, bright red sparks flew, momentarily revealing the body of a black jaguar perfectly adapted for ambushes.

"Ugh...!"

Knocked down by its sheer weight, I immediately kicked the beast in the belly and scrambled back to my feet.

I swiftly swung my sword in a counterattack, but the jaguar vanished into thin air, leaving only a lingering trail of yellow light from its eyes.

As I strained to track the monster's presence, a low growl echoed from a corner of the spacious tent.

"There you are!"

I thrust my longsword forward instantly, but the beast vanished back into the darkness as if mocking me.

My blade, missing its target, only sliced through a harmless candlestick.

At that exact moment, the light behind me flickered and died with a soft *pfft*.

The moment I realized the beast's true intention, goosebumps erupted all over my body.

'It's putting out the lights inside the tent...!'

I couldn't understand it.

A Night Stalker shouldn't possess this level of intelligence.

My bewilderment at this bizarre behavior and the extinguishing candles was cut short as a sharp pain flared in my left arm.

"Argh?!"

Clutching my blood-soaked forearm, I used my wits and slashed open the tent fabric to escape outside.

'I need to light up the area...!'

I had placed lanterns equipped with ignition stones all around the clearing. If I could just light them as planned, I would be able to seal its abilities.

But the moment the moonlight illuminated the meadow, I froze in sheer shock.

Every single lantern was shattered, looking as if they had been hit by a localized typhoon.

'Did it seriously see through all my traps and neutralize them in that short span of time...?!'

"Damn it!"

*Grrrrr...*

A brutally alluring leopard pattern faintly reflected the moonlight before slipping back into the dark.

Without even having time to register the pain, I gritted my teeth and chased after the opponent hiding in the dark.

'Damn it... where is it...?'

My heart hammered wildly against my ribs from the extreme tension.

It felt as if Death itself was staring me down.

As I desperately searched for any sign of its presence, a fact suddenly crossed my mind.

'Feline predators have a habit of targeting their prey's back...!'

In that case, where would it appear?

"Right here!"

The instant I heard a rustle, I spun around and swung my sword.

But a split second faster, a searing pain ripped through my shoulder.

"Ugh...!"

What was the problem? Was my timing off?

I desperately endured the pain, sharpening my senses to their absolute limit.

Every time I spun around, I caught glimpses of those yellow eyes leisurely circling the clearing, biding their time.

The moment the glow vanished, the Night Stalker would materialize right next to me, clawing at my limbs before disappearing again.

Even as I stumbled, I thrust my blade forward with all my might.

But the Night Stalker dissolved back into the darkness like a mirage.

Before I could even catch my breath, a sharp pain shot up my left calf.

Once again, the Night Stalker slipped effortlessly into the shadows, as if mocking my futile efforts.

'It's too fast...!'

It was already incredibly agile, but with stealth added to the mix, my current speed couldn't keep up at all.

No, it wasn't just fast.

*Rustle!*

"There!"

Hearing the sound of grass being trampled, I instantly spun around and swung my sword.

But when I saw what had made the noise, I froze in sheer disbelief.

It was just a bundle of candles I had left in the tent, rolling across the ground.

"Fuck!"

The moment I realized it was a distraction, I instinctively threw myself aside.

But I was a fraction of a second too late. Claws tore cleanly through my robe and gouged into my flank.

Gritting my teeth, I thrust my sword toward the direction of the attack, but the blade only sliced through empty air.

*Grrrrr...*

The Night Stalker gave me a mocking look before vanishing back into the darkness.

"Damn it..."

It was already more agile than me, and its cleverness made it twice as troublesome.

At this rate, I would be toyed with until I died.

I needed a breakthrough.

For a split second, the thought of transforming into an undead crossed my mind, but I bit my lip while applying pressure to my bleeding flank.

'No... I can't do that...'

Transforming here might work in the short term, but it would cause massive headaches later.

If the battle dragged on, there would inevitably be witnesses.

But if I tried to run, it would immediately sink its teeth into my neck and kill me.

'Damn it... if I could just boost my Agility stat a little more, I'd have a fighting chance.'

Night Stalkers are fragile monsters. If I could just land a single solid blow, I had a chance.

By now, Radie must be watching closely, waiting for the perfect opportunity to snipe it.

Once my mind was made up, my body was already in motion.

I kicked over the brazier burning at the entrance of the tent and screamed at the top of my lungs.

"Fire!"

'Perfect! It's burning well...!'

Since things had come to this, it was all or nothing.

If I was worried about witnesses, why not just make the stage as big as possible?

Ignoring the bewildered Night Stalker, I smashed the furniture inside the tent to pieces and shouted again.

"Fire!"

*Grrrr...?!*

As the massive flames flared up, the Night Stalker hesitated, staring at me with a bewildered expression.

Fortunately, the tent was filled with straw beds and wooden furniture I had set up to make it look like a normal dwelling.

I would have to pay for the damages later, but when my life was on the line, what did a few silver coins matter?

'Now that the flames have erased the shadows, it won't be able to launch a surprise attack from behind.'

It wasn't my original plan, but as long as I neutralized its ability, it was a win.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

I didn't stop there. I kicked the burning firewood in all directions, shouting like a madman.

"Hehehe!! Burn, baby, burn! Burn it all to the ground!!"

Since the grass was already soaked with oil from the shattered lanterns, the fire spread instantly the moment the sparks touched it.

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠merchants who had rushed over dropped their water buckets in shock upon seeing me and screamed.

"Oh my goodness!! That crazy arsonist is setting the field on fire!! Drag him out of there right now!"

"Wait... is he fighting something? Is that the rumored monster?"

"Black fur... agile build... Yes! That's the one!!"

The flames, fed by the dry wood, painted the sky red, while the crimson blood dripping down my limbs stained the grass below.

Every time merchants arrived in small groups after spotting the fire, gasps of horror echoed, and I could feel my stats rising.

Growing anxious at the crowd gathering on the hill, the Night Stalker unleashed a fierce onslaught, but I calmly blocked its attacks with the flat of my blade.

With its Shadow Leap sealed and my Agility stat nearly matching its own, I could feel its combat effectiveness plummeting.

"Haha! You've suddenly gotten sluggish. Did you sprain a leg or something?!"

*Grrrrrr!!*

With the flames at my back, I fought back fiercely.

The more wildly I swung my sword, the more intense our clash became.

But at the same time, I was reaching my limit.

'Damn it, the bleeding...!'

The damage accumulated from the earlier fight was too severe.

Since I was running around without properly stopping the bleeding, I could feel my wounds tearing open further.

At this rate, hemorrhagic shock would set in soon.

'I need a decisive blow.'

I had to turn the tables one more time, no matter what.

Coincidentally, I still had one card left in my hand.

I really didn't want to use this method if I could help it...

"Ah, screw it... Hey, you brainless beast!"

As the Night Stalker turned to look, I suddenly hurled my longsword straight at it.

The longsword spun through the night air, slicing through the darkness.

The beast lightly leaped over it to dodge, giving me a pitiful look, but a small silver object was already gripped in my hand.

A crude blade—a monster harvesting dagger.

I reversed my grip, holding it in a reverse style, and—

"...Watch closely, everyone."

With a grim smirk, I plunged the dagger straight into my own abdomen.

"──────!!!!!!"

The sensation of the blade slicing through my flesh exploded vividly.

Every cell in my body screamed, sounding alarm bells.

But I didn't stop at just once. I stabbed myself repeatedly.

Once. Twice. Thrice.

With every consecutive stab gouging my abdomen, blood splattered, and my vision flashed red.

With a sickening *shlick*, each time the ten-centimeter blade was pulled from the wound, a torrent of blood gushed out.

"Cough!"

While everyone froze in shock at my mad stunt, I was already charging forward.

Dashing with an explosive boost in stats, the surrounding scenery blurred past like a shooting star.

Realizing it had been tricked, the Night Stalker instinctively twisted its body, but it was already too late.

"Dash!"

Closing the distance in an instant, I grabbed the beast by the scruff of its neck and plunged the dagger down without hesitation.

As the blade pierced the hide, blood sprayed, and a sickening, metallic stench assaulted my nose.

Clinging to its back as it thrashed like a wild stallion, I relentlessly gouged its flesh like a madman.

Slicing, digging, and twisting!

Once, then twice. Too shallow. Deeper!

I grabbed its lower jaw and drove the blade into its head!

It was a primal battle of slaughter, with no room for reason.

Every time my blade tore through muscle and tendon like a beast's fangs, the Night Stalker shrieked in agony.

As the beast desperately rolled on the ground, dirt filled my mouth, and a mixture of blood and screams—whose, I couldn't tell—blurred my vision.

In a moment of desperate cunning, the Night Stalker leaped into the fire to shake me off, but—

"Fuck off!!!"

I was used to burning.

Holding my breath to endure the searing pain, I slashed its leg and dragged it out of the flames.

I swiftly stabbed its eye with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the blade, making the jaguar shriek.

*Grrrrrrrr!!!*

The beast threw itself into the burning debris to escape and swung its claws, but I was already a step ahead.

Pushing my Agility stat to its absolute limit, I lunged forward. Pivoting on my foot to add spin, I penetrated even deeper.

As my tightly gripped dagger pierced its vital point, bone and muscle tore apart with a sickening crunch.

Without stopping, I dug the tip of my dagger deep into its chest.

An undeniable, fatal blow.

"Cough...! It's over."

Spitting out blood, I slipped behind the Night Stalker, whose movements had slowed down drastically.

But just before I could sever its carotid artery, the beast snapped its powerful jaws open and lunged for my throat.

Its hot, rank breath washed over me as its white fangs closed in on my neck.

The tenacious final struggle unique to wild beasts.

'Ugh...! Was a dagger not enough after all?!'

Just before its jaws clamped shut, my vision began to fade to black.

As strength drained from my grip, a silver flash pierced the darkness.

With a heavy *thud*, I opened my eyes to see the beast lying dead, a crossbow bolt buried deep in its neck.

It slowly collapsed, its eyes still glaring at me with the same intense hatred until its very last moment.

"Did... did we get it...?"

I groaned and slumped to the ground.

But before I could fully lie down on the grass, I felt something soft supporting my head.

Looking up, I saw Radie, who had rushed over in a single breath, cradling my head.

"Doran-nim!! Are you—?!"

"Ugh... don't scream in my ear. I feel like my eardrums are going to burst..."

"W-we need to check your wounds first!!"

Radie frantically pulled up my shirt.

There, amidst ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the beast's claw marks, were the clear, undeniable stab wounds I had inflicted on myself.

"Why... why would you do this..."

"Because it was the most surefire way."

"...What?"

"After the first one, I was mostly just pretending to stab myself. I-I'm fine... More importantly, we need to harvest this quickly..."

"You're bleeding buckets, what are you talking about?! We need to get you treated at the temple right now—!"

"No, even if we go, we have to check what needs to be checked first."

I picked up a piece of burning firewood and stood up, leaning on the kid for support.

In Velheim, monsters never just appear out of nowhere.

There had to be a reason why it showed up here.

If it had been driven out by a turf war, it could be a sign that a powerful boss had appeared in the nearby forest.

However, as I applied pressure to my wounds and cast light over the jaguar's corpse, a strong sense of unease washed over me.

"Wait... why is it covered in so many wounds?"

Upon closer inspection, its hide was riddled with scars.

Some of its claws were pulled out and patches of fur were missing, making it completely useless for taxidermy or fur trading.

As I examined the corpse with a disappointed look, Radie spoke in a low voice.

"...Aren't those the wounds you made, Doran-nim?"

"No, look closely. There are fresh wounds layered over old scars."

The injuries weren't just cuts from a sword; there were fractures, missing claws, and even self-inflicted damages.

I was sure I had seen these kinds of scars somewhere before...

"...Do you think it escaped after being locked in a cage?"

"Escaped from a cage?"

"Yes, I've seen fighting dogs before, and their condition was very similar. Orbital fractures from slamming their heads against iron bars, missing claws from scratching the floor... and most decisively, there are chafing marks on its neck. Those are chain marks, right?"

"You're right... Was it really a monster bred for an arena?"

In this world, where entertainment was less developed compared to Earth, monster arenas were extremely common.

After all, hadn't I just watched a monster circus with Radie earlier today?

"...But that makes it even stranger."

"Huh? Why..."

"It means someone captured this beast and treated it like garbage. Why would anyone use a rare monster that could easily fetch dozens of gold coins if presented to a king or noble in such a wasteful way?"

Radie drew her harvesting dagger, her face pale.

"D-dozens of gold coins...? It was that rare of a monster?! W-we have to harvest it right now...!"

"Don't bother. The hide is too damaged. Even if we harvest it now, we won't get anywhere near that amount."

"No way... But now that you mention it, it really is strange. There's no way a rare monster arena would be anywhere near a place like this."

"Exactly. Something doesn't add up. It's as if it wasn't bred for money in the first place..."

...Wait a minute.

Not for money?

"I need to check something."

I pulled the hem of my robe to block the firelight.

And then, I saw it clearly.

A faint, snowflake-like light rose from the body of the supposedly dead Night Stalker and began to pool into its claws.

"T-this is...?!"

"......"

I silently watched the phenomenon unfold before my eyes.

It was a sight so wondrous I could hardly believe it even as I stared.

'...I never imagined I'd actually witness this in person.'

The creation of a rune from a monster's corpse—the process of a portion of its living soul settling into its physical remains.

Unless a god-like being fragmented their own power, this was how a normal monster's rune was typically formed.

Once the light faded, I gently touched the claw I had detached from the corpse and spoke.

"...Have you heard of this? Runes are the crystallization of obsession and consciousness. The more battles a creature survives in life, the higher the chance a rune will form upon its death."

"W-wasn't that just a superstition? I thought rune generation was completely random... The probability is so abysmally low that research on it is barely existent."

"Random... I wonder."

Based on my experience of defeating tens of thousands, if not millions, of monsters, it was definitely not a mere superstition.

In other words, someone had intentionally bred and abused this Night Stalker to extract its rune.

Radie, who had been listening in shock, suddenly brightened up as if realizing something.

"M-more importantly, a rune from such a rare monster! If we put this up for auction, I can't even fathom how much—!"

"...No, we can't use this."

I felt bad for throwing cold water on her excitement, but I calmly explained as I harvested the Rune of the Night Stalker.

'Because this rune has a fatal flaw.'

Regardless of its rarity, it was a so-called "suicide rune" that would kill its user.

That made it even more bizarre.

Who would breed a Night Stalker, throwing away a fortune, just to obtain a rune with a minuscule drop rate that couldn't even be used properly?

No matter how much I thought about it, no plausible candidate came to mind.

...Actually, there was one possibility.

In my experience, when something this inexplicably bizarre happened, it usually wasn't the work of humans, but...

"...Ah, whatever. It's not like I can ask them directly."

"Doran-nim?"

"I need to rest now. I'll leave the rest... to you."

I collapsed backward onto the grass and closed my eyes.

I had been holding on through sheer willpower, but I had finally reached my limit.

"Doran-nim?! W-wait...! Doran-nim!! Wake up! If you fall asleep now, you'll die!!"

With Radie's frantic voice calling my name fading into the background, I quickly lost consciousness.