Kai continued on his hunting spree.

He scoured the Fire Swamp, finding a scourge of steel-tusked boars after another, slaughtering them and leaving behind a trail of blood with no carcasses. All of the carcasses were devoured, turned into fuel for his growth.

Devouring them without killing them is preferable.

It would yield more exp, but it would also take significantly more time and effort.

Not worth it.

Later, when he found better and more worth-it prey, then he’ll devour it without killing it.

He was in a race against Chester for the Rising Dragon II achievement.

Only those who could bring five Null Gems to the factory would be rewarded with this Rising Dragon II achievement, and that would mean killing five Star Beasts. Right now, Chester must already be trying his luck with the Star Beasts in the inner area.

His upgraded Halo should give him a bigger chance to kill one.

And that’s not a good thing for Kai.

If Chester and his group could even kill one Star Beast, then that’ll be game over for Kai.

For Angels and High Angels, being wounded is practically nothing; the healer in the infirmary would be able to heal them as long as the wounds aren’t too fatal. And that means they could keep on hunting Star Beasts a bit recklessly.

Kai, on the other hand, would need to rely on mere healing cream and Bree.

Neither would help him recover enough to fight the next day again.

So, he has a lot of catching up to do.

Kai placed his hand on a carcass and used the Deep Slumber, letting the night devour it and leave behind not a single trace other than a stain of blood. He straightened his spine and looked up, scanning the murky water ahead.

He saw bubbles on the surface, but they disappeared again before he could check.

"Tch." Kai clicked his tongue in displeasure.

"I think they can smell blood in the air or maybe could see the blood in your eyes," Bree said; her gaze still fixed on the particular spot where the bubbles had broken the murky water just moments before. "Or maybe they have a way of communicating, and they heard of you from their kin who you killed."

"I also suspected that, too."

"Just focus on the steel-tusked boars; they are dumber and easier to deal with."

Other than the steel-tusked boars, there are also the fish monsters inside the water.

But throughout the entire hunt, Kai and Bree hadn’t even met a single one.

They could see traces of the fish monsters, like a head that surfaced from the water, or like the bubbles they saw seconds ago, but none of them came out to fight. It seemed the strong fish-monster that Kai killed back then was someone important.

Like an Alpha.

And killing that one made the others scared or more wary of Kai, which was a shame.

Had that not been the case, Kai would’ve amassed much more usable exp.

[Usable exp: 833]

"Still a long way to go," Kai sighed after checking the amount of exp he had gathered.

But he was hopeful; he had gathered more in a day than he anticipated.

Since he wasn’t focusing on hunting down Awakened Monsters throughout the days he spent mining mana ores for the group requirement—he didn’t amass much usable exp. He thought it would take him at least a week to gather three thousand usable exp.

From the rate of things, he would be able to gather that many in five days maximum.

Faster than he was expecting.

"Where’s Dorian and Bryan?" Kai asked while rotating his right arm, sore from having a steel-tusked boar rammed into it.

"Same as us, hunting after mining mana ores," Bree replied with a shrug. Her eyes then shone when he remembered that one of them was missing. "Where is Matilda? I saw you speaking to her after the second class. Did she tell you why she didn’t come with us?"

"She said she already made a plan with a friend," Kai replied. "I don’t know who."

"I see..."

"Shall we get goi—"

Before Kai could finish what he was going to say, his eyes caught something. A flicker of what looked like a firelight not far from where they stood. His feet moved without permission as if he was drawn toward the glow like a moth to flames.

Only when he saw it clearer did he finally stop.

A few hundred yards along the trail of murky water, the swamp began to change.

It wasn’t a gradual shift; this was a line. A border.

On one side, the bleak and the mud-slick ordinary, on the other, a kingdom of fire. The water was the first to betray the difference. Its murk thinned, particles of silt burned away in a very slow dissolution, and from beneath the surface rose a glow.

A faint white then a bright red; then the pulsing orange-red of live flames.

Something underneath was lighting the water from within, turning the surface into a vein of liquid fire. Kai trailed his eyes sideways and saw the trees beyond the border also experienced the same change.

Leaves that had been grey and brown now unfurled in brilliant shades of flame.

And the mud beneath changed too; its texture shifted from wet earth to something volatile.

A black and oily loam that hissed at the lightest touch. Combustible.

Even though he was far away, heat brushed his face intimately like a predator’s breath. It was the wind that carried it across the border in determined gusts, almost—as if it was attempting to warn Kai of the dangers.

Each stroke left his skin a little tighter and drier.

Kai stopped at a safe distance; the outer area of the Fire Swamp was on his side, as treacherous as it may be, it was survivable. Ahead, the inner area waited. The true face of the Fire Swamp. Danger and its kin lived there.

And as if smelling the nervousness of death inside him, the Fire Swamp sent one of its own.

His eyes lowered and saw a ripple on the red water beyond the border.

Not from the wind or the current, but from something rising.

It breached without a splash, shedding sheets of luminous liquid from a body that wasn’t flesh at all. The creature had the anatomy of the fish monster in the outer area, but its hide was not scaled—it was charcoal instead.

Blackened and cracked, its surface a mosaic of fire-fissures that pulsed with dull orange.

Rock spikes protruded from its spine in irregular clusters, obsidian-sharp, and steaming.

A touch of it would’ve melted flesh without a doubt.

Its ribcage yawned open to the air, and in the hollows between the bones, fire churned like a living heart. The glow flooded every gap, every crevice, spilling even into the sockets of its eyes—turning them into pits of flame that fixed on Kai with an intelligence no creature should possess.

A pair of eyes that recognized Kai as someone who doesn’t belong to this swamp. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Someone who is a potential prey.

Kai unconsciously sweated under the heavy gaze; a primal fear gripping him tight.

Glowing red water sheeted down its charcoal body—as the creature rose higher, revealing a massive frame that towered a foot or two above Kai at least. Its lipless mouth curled savagely, as if tasting the fear in the air.

It didn’t roar or lunge; it simply watched Kai from across the border.

Almost like it was daring Kai to step into the inner area.

"A Pest-class Star Beast..." Bree whispered from the side—pulling Kai from his daze. His eyes snapped back into focus. "Look at the white null gem in its forehead. I am really curious how this one would compare to the one we fought in the hive."

Kai’s gaze narrowed, also sizing this Star Beast.

"That slime Star Beast felt overwhelming. This..." He paused, searching for the right word to describe this charcoal monster. "This one feels lethal. Not stronger, exactly. I guess it felt more dangerous. I really don’t want to fight this thing."

"Have some confidence, will you?" Bree laughed. "I’m sure it won’t be long before they fear your scimitar, like you fear its presence right now."

"Of course," Kai smiled. "Just that I need more time."

"Nobody is forcing you to fight it right now."

"You sounded like you are forcing me to fight it."

"How could I?" Bree let out a dry laugh, and then stopped abruptly. "But... it’d be kinda cool if you kill it right now. I’ll probably feel butterflies in my stomach if you bring its head for me like Leander."

"Very funny. Just say if you want me to die prematurely," Kai sneered at her fantasy. "Besides, Leander didn’t bring anything for Hero. Just swam through dangerous water."

"Doesn’t that mean if you kill it right now, you’d be greater than Leander?"

"You must not have gotten enough sleep. You’re still dreaming. Yes, that must be the reason."

Kai turned around, intending to leave; not wanting to entertain Bree’s fantasy anymore.

It was too much to keep up with her expectations.

He wasn’t afraid to turn his back against the dangerous Star Beast as he knew it couldn’t leave the inner area. It hadn’t swum toward him when it could have. It simply stood there—waiting, as if the fight wouldn’t begin until he chose to enter.

It was obvious that the Star Beast couldn’t exit the inner area.

Though Kai didn’t know why, it must have something to do with the red-light border.

It stopped the Star Beasts from coming out.

Just as Kai and Bree continued on their search for more scourges, they sensed a pair of people approaching them. After exchanging a look, Kai and Bree hid behind a tree and readied their weapons for a fight.

Ichor Legion is still here as always, so it might be one of them.

But when the figures came into view, Kai and Bree lowered their weapons.

It was Dorian and Bryan.

"Kai!" Dorian shouted. "I know you’re somewhere here. I can smell your stench."

"Stench? What, am I an animal? Screw you." Kai stepped out from behind the tree, ready to fire back until he saw Dorian’s face. The panic there was unmistakable, bright and stark as the moon against the clear night sky. Bryan was also wearing the same expression. "What? What’s wrong with you guys?"

"We need to leave right now," Dorian said urgently.

"Yes, yes," Bryan nodded repeatedly. "We gotta get the fuck out of here."

"Why?" Kai frowned, not expecting them to say this. "Is it the Ichor Legion?"

"Yes," Dorian confirmed, his voice tight. "Chester caught wind that you’re here. He’s deployed his entire group to track you down. We ran into a pair of them—overheard everything." He paused, the weight of it settling. "It’s a manhunt, Kai. They’re coming for you."