Chapter 106 - 104: The Hunters Who Forgot What Hunting Meant

Chapter 106: Chapter 104: The Hunters Who Forgot What Hunting Meant

By morning, the enormous six-legged beast had eaten three hundred kilograms of food and destroyed a perfectly good feeding trough.

Arin stood outside Hollowbrook’s eastern wall, examining the splintered wood.

"Impressive."

Captain Mira Fen looked considerably less impressed.

"That trough belonged to the village."

"I’ll replace it."

"You said that about the fence."

"I’ll replace that too."

"And the southern storage shed."

Arin turned.

"What happened to the storage shed?"

Mira pointed toward the creature.

It lay beneath a temporary shade canopy, chewing through a mountain of cut vegetation with the enthusiasm of something that hadn’t eaten properly in weeks.

Arin stared.

"How?"

"It leaned against the shed."

Lucan laughed.

Mira folded her arms.

"Your monster is expensive."

Arin sighed.

"It’s not my monster."

The beast lifted its enormous head and looked directly at him.

Then made a low, rumbling sound.

Lucan smiled.

"It disagrees."

The creature had recovered surprisingly quickly after the removal of its mana-control band.

Its aggression had diminished.

The violent fluctuations in its mana had stabilized.

And its behavior was now more consistent with a territorial herbivore than a predatory monster.

EVE had identified several characteristics suggesting that it belonged to an uncommon species of armored highland grazer.

The creature’s enormous horns and thick mineral plates were defensive adaptations.

Its six legs allowed it to traverse steep terrain.

And its digestive system could process extremely tough vegetation.

Arin examined the latest scans.

"So it wasn’t hunting the village."

"Correct," EVE answered.

"It was being driven toward it."

"Likely."

Mira looked toward the beast.

"Then what about the Grimhide Stalkers?"

EVE displayed their movement patterns.

"The pack may have been displaced by the larger creature’s abnormal behavior. Their attacks could have resulted from territorial disruption and food scarcity."

Arin nodded.

"That makes sense."

Mira sighed.

"Wonderful. We nearly lost our village because someone decided to torment a giant goat."

Lucan stared at the creature.

"That is not a goat."

Arin smiled.

"Big goat."

Lucan looked betrayed.

"You stole my joke."

The investigation began shortly after breakfast.

Arin left the Civic Exploration Platform outside Hollowbrook under the supervision of the remaining crew.

Lyra and Luna were instructed to stay aboard.

Again.

Lyra protested.

Again.

Arin refused.

Again.

The argument ended when EVE suggested that the sisters help prepare replacement supplies for the village.

Lyra immediately became interested.

"Can we sell them?"

Arin stared.

"No."

"At a discount?"

"No."

"At cost?"

"Lyra."

She sighed.

"Fine. Charity."

Luna nodded.

"Good business."

Arin wasn’t entirely certain where his sisters were learning these things.

He suspected Tavian.

He would investigate later.

The search team consisted of Arin, Lucan, EVE, A-01, Mira, and two experienced Hollowbrook scouts.

The scouts knew the forest better than any map.

One was a middle-aged hunter named Bren.

The other was a younger woman named Sella.

Both had spent years tracking monsters through the surrounding hills.

Arin respected that.

Advanced sensors were useful.

But local knowledge often revealed things machines missed.

Bren examined the ground near the eastern forest.

"Tracks."

Arin looked down.

Several deep impressions marked the soil.

The six-legged beast had passed through recently.

But there were other tracks.

Boots.

Wagon wheels.

And smaller animal prints.

Sella crouched beside a broken branch.

"Someone was moving equipment."

Arin nodded.

"How recently?"

"Two days. Maybe three."

EVE scanned the area.

"Consistent with the estimated timeline."

Lucan smiled.

"Good."

Arin looked at him.

"Please don’t start."

The trail led deeper into the forest.

The terrain gradually became steeper.

Trees grew closer together.

The ground was covered in moss, fallen branches, and thick undergrowth.

After two hours, the scouts discovered the first campsite.

It had been abandoned.

But not long ago.

Ash remained in the fire pit.

Several food wrappers lay beneath a fallen log.

And a broken metal component had been discarded near a stream.

Arin picked it up.

EVE scanned it.

"Mana-regulation component. Similar construction to the device recovered from the beast."

Lucan frowned.

"So we’re close."

"Probably."

Bren examined the surrounding tracks.

"Six or seven people."

Sella shook her head.

"More."

She pointed toward a second trail.

"At least ten."

Arin nodded.

"Then we proceed carefully."

Lucan smiled.

"Carefully?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

Arin looked at him.

"You’re very annoying."

Lucan laughed.

The first trap appeared twenty minutes later.

A thin wire stretched across the trail.

Nearly invisible beneath the undergrowth.

Sella spotted it first.

"Stop."

Everyone froze.

She crouched.

Then carefully exposed the mechanism.

A concealed spring launcher.

Loaded with metal darts.

Arin examined it.

"Not a hunting trap."

Bren shook his head.

"No."

Lucan looked toward the forest.

"Someone doesn’t want visitors."

Arin nodded.

"Apparently."

EVE scanned the surrounding area.

"Additional traps detected."

Three more appeared.

Then five.

Then twelve.

The trail had been deliberately secured.

Arin frowned.

"That’s a lot of effort."

Mira looked grim.

"Whoever they are, they’ve been operating here for some time."

The team bypassed the traps.

Then reached a narrow ridge overlooking a hidden valley.

Below stood a collection of temporary buildings.

Wooden barracks.

Storage sheds.

Animal pens.

And a large central structure built around an old stone quarry.

Several wagons stood near the entrance.

Armed guards patrolled the perimeter.

Inside the pens, monsters moved restlessly.

Some were ordinary forest creatures.

Others were larger.

Several wore metal bands similar to the one recovered from Hollowbrook’s attacker.

Arin’s expression darkened.

"Found them."

Lucan studied the camp.

"Illegal monster hunters?"

EVE scanned the structures.

"Likely an unauthorized capture and conditioning operation."

Mira stared.

"Conditioning?"

Arin looked toward the pens.

"Someone’s capturing monsters and forcing them to behave violently."

Bren clenched his fists.

"Why?"

Arin considered.

"Money."

The answer became clearer when EVE intercepted a short-range communication signal.

The camp was transmitting orders to a nearby transport convoy.

Several messages referenced delivery schedules.

Live specimens.

Aggression conditioning.

And buyers.

Arin listened.

Then sighed.

"Monster trafficking."

Lucan nodded.

"Looks like it."

Mira looked furious.

"They nearly destroyed our village."

Arin’s expression hardened.

"Yes."

EVE continued analyzing the intercepted messages.

Then displayed a name.

RED TALON HUNTING COMPANY.

Lucan frowned.

"I’ve heard of them."

Arin looked toward him.

"Where?"

"Royal Guild complaints. Illegal capture operations. Unlicensed monster transport. Several regional investigations."

Mira stared.

"Then why are they still operating?"

Lucan shrugged.

"Different territories. False licenses. Bribes. Moving camps."

Arin nodded.

"That explains the hidden location."

Then EVE added:

"One more detail."

Arin sighed.

"What?"

"The camp appears to be preparing a large transport departure within the next two hours."

He looked toward the wagons.

Then smiled faintly.

"Then we should interrupt."

Arin contacted the Civic Exploration Platform.

"EVE, notify the nearest Royal Guild authority and regional patrol."

"Already done."

"Estimated response?"

"Approximately six hours."

Lucan smiled.

"Too late for the convoy."

Arin nodded.

"Yes."

Mira looked toward him.

"What are you planning?"

Arin examined the camp.

"Stop the transport. Secure the animals. Capture the operators."

Bren looked skeptical.

"There are at least thirty armed men down there."

Lucan smiled.

"Thirty?"

Arin nodded.

"Maybe forty."

Mira looked between them.

"You’re not worried?"

Arin considered.

"About the animals, yes."

The operation began with the transport gate.

A-01 approached from the northern slope.

Lucan moved toward the eastern watchtower.

Mira and the scouts remained on the ridge to observe escape routes and provide support.

Arin descended directly toward the main entrance.

He did not hide.

He did not sneak.

He simply walked down the road.

Two guards noticed him.

One raised a crossbow.

"Stop!"

Arin stopped.

The guard stared.

"Who are you?"

"Visitor."

"This is private property."

Arin looked toward the monster pens.

"Interesting business."

The guard frowned.

"What?"

"Do you have permits?"

The second guard reached for his sword.

Arin sighed.

"That’s usually the wrong answer."

The guard attacked.

Arin stepped aside.

Caught his wrist.

Twisted.

The sword fell.

The man followed.

The first guard fired his crossbow.

The bolt struck Arin’s armor and bounced away.

Arin looked at him.

"Really?"

The guard dropped the weapon.

"Monster!"

Arin sighed.

"That’s rude."

Then the camp alarm sounded.

Chaos erupted.

Armed men rushed from the barracks.

Several climbed the watchtowers.

Others ran toward the transport wagons.

Lucan appeared on the eastern wall.

His sword flashed.

Two guards collapsed.

A third attempted to flee.

Lucan struck him with the flat of his blade.

The man dropped.

A-01 reached the northern gate.

Its shield absorbed several arrows.

Then it tore the gate’s locking mechanism apart.

Arin walked into the central yard.

"Everyone drop your weapons."

Nobody listened.

He sighed.

"Of course."

The fight lasted less than five minutes.

The camp’s ordinary guards were no match for Arin’s team.

Most surrendered.

Several attempted to escape.

A few were restrained by security drones.

But the camp’s leader was different.

He emerged from the central building wearing dark armor and carrying a heavy mana-powered spear.

A scar crossed his face.

His left eye had been replaced by a crude mechanical implant.

He looked toward Arin.

"House Elysium."

Arin raised an eyebrow.

"You know me?"

The man smiled.

"Everyone knows you."

"Then you should know this is a bad idea."

The man laughed.

"Maybe."

Then he activated the spear.

Dark mana surged along its blade.

Lucan stepped forward.

Arin raised a hand.

"I’ve got this."

The man attacked with surprising speed.

His spear struck toward Arin’s chest.

Arin shifted aside.

The blade carved a deep trench into the ground.

Lucan whistled.

"Not bad."

The man spun.

Struck again.

Arin blocked with one hand.

The impact released a burst of mana.

Dust exploded outward.

The man smiled.

"Impressed?"

Arin looked at the spear.

"Interesting weapon."

"Made from high-grade monster materials."

"Poor balance."

The man’s smile vanished.

"What?"

"Too much weight near the tip."

He lunged again.

Arin caught the shaft.

Twisted.

And pulled.

The spear flew from the man’s hands.

Arin examined it.

"See?"

Then he snapped it in half.

The man stared.

Lucan laughed.

Arin looked toward him.

"You’re under arrest."

The man slowly raised his hands.

The camp was secured.

Forty-three people were detained.

Several escaped into the surrounding forest.

EVE recorded their identities and transmitted descriptions to regional authorities.

The monster pens were the next problem.

There were sixty-seven captured creatures.

Some injured.

Some exhausted.

Some aggressive.

Several had been fitted with crude mana-control devices.

Arin examined the equipment.

"Can we remove them safely?"

EVE nodded.

"With appropriate stabilization."

"Good."

The medical team was summoned from the platform.

A-01 helped secure the larger creatures.

Mira and the scouts identified which species belonged in the surrounding forest.

The process took hours.

Not every monster could simply be released.

Some required treatment.

Others needed transport to suitable habitats.

Several were too dangerous to release near populated areas.

Arin accepted that.

Saving them meant doing it properly.

Not merely opening the cages and walking away.

The Royal Guild response team arrived shortly before sunset.

Captain Ressa Vorn stepped into the camp.

Looked at the detained operators.

Then at the damaged gate.

Then at Arin.

She sighed.

"Again?"

Arin smiled.

"Hello, Captain."

Ressa looked toward the pens.

"Red Talon."

"Yes."

"We’ve been investigating them for months."

"Congratulations."

She stared.

Arin smiled.

"You’re welcome."

Lucan laughed.

Ressa shook her head.

"You’re impossible."

The investigation uncovered several important records.

Transport manifests.

Payment ledgers.

Buyer lists.

And correspondence with intermediaries in multiple territories.

The camp had been capturing monsters, fitting them with aggression-inducing devices, and selling them to private buyers.

Some were destined for illegal fighting pits.

Others for dangerous security work.

Several had been ordered specifically for testing the control devices.

Arin examined the records.

Then frowned.

"Who designed these?"

Ressa looked toward him.

"We’re investigating."

EVE displayed a manufacturing mark.

Three interlocking rings.

The same symbol found on the device recovered from Hollowbrook.

Lucan nodded.

"Consistent."

Arin looked toward Ressa.

"Can you trace it?"

"Possibly. The Guild has records of similar equipment."

"Good."

Ressa studied him.

"You’re not going to chase the entire organization?"

Arin smiled.

"No."

She looked surprised.

"Really?"

"You’re the investigator."

Ressa blinked.

Then slowly smiled.

"That might be the most encouraging thing you’ve ever said."

Arin shrugged.

"I have an ocean to visit."

Lucan laughed.

The following morning, Hollowbrook received the news.

The illegal camp had been dismantled.

The operators were in custody.

The captured monsters were being treated.

And the immediate source of the attacks had been removed.

Mira looked relieved.

Then exhausted.

"Thank you."

Arin nodded.

"You’re welcome."

She looked toward the damaged walls.

"We still have repairs to make."

"I know."

"Food stores to replace."

"I know."

"Guards to train."

Arin smiled.

"That one’s your responsibility."

Mira laughed.

"Fair."

Arin arranged for limited construction assistance.

The damaged watchtower was repaired.

The broken fences replaced.

And the village received additional medical supplies.

Not enough to make Hollowbrook dependent on Elysium.

Enough to help it recover.

The enormous six-legged grazer was the final problem.

It had recovered fully.

And eaten another feeding trough.

Mira looked furious.

Arin stared at the creature.

"Again?"

The beast made a low rumbling sound.

Lucan smiled.

"It likes the village."

Arin sighed.

"We’re relocating it."

Mira nodded immediately.

"Excellent."

The creature was transported to a suitable highland grazing area, well away from settlements.

It departed peacefully.

Mostly.

It attempted to eat one of the transport straps.

Arin confiscated the strap.

The beast looked offended.

Lucan laughed.

By afternoon, the Civic Exploration Platform was ready to depart.

Hollowbrook’s residents gathered near the gate.

Children waved.

The village guards saluted.

Mira stood beside Arin.

"Will you come back?"

He smiled.

"Maybe."

She nodded.

"Then we’ll try not to shoot you next time."

Arin laughed.

"I’d appreciate that."

Lyra appeared beside him.

"We sold all our biscuits!"

Arin looked down.

"Congratulations."

Luna nodded proudly.

"And we gave some away."

Arin smiled.

"Good."

Lyra hesitated.

Then added:

"Free samples."

Arin sighed.

"Of course."

The platform resumed its eastern journey.

The forests gradually thinned.

The terrain became more open.

And the air began to change.

Arin noticed it first.

A faint smell.

Sharp.

Clean.

Unfamiliar.

EVE stood beside him on the observation deck.

"Do you smell that?"

He nodded.

"Salt."

She looked toward the horizon.

The distant sky seemed brighter.

The wind stronger.

And somewhere beyond the hills—

Something vast waited.

Lucan joined them.

"How far?"

EVE checked the map.

"Approximately six hundred kilometers to the nearest coastal region."

Lucan smiled.

"Getting closer."

Arin nodded.

"Yes."

Then Lyra appeared.

"BIG BROTHER!"

Arin sighed.

"What?"

"Can we buy a boat?"

"No."

"A small boat?"

"No."

"A tiny boat?"

Arin looked toward EVE.

EVE smiled.

"Perhaps a supervised coastal excursion could be arranged."

Arin stared.

"You’re not helping."

Lucan laughed.

That evening, the platform stopped beside a broad grassland.

The crew prepared dinner.

The sisters counted their profits.

Victor complained that he had missed the entire Red Talon fight.

Lucan exaggerated his own heroics.

And Arin sat near the observation window, reviewing the route.

The ocean was closer.

The platform had performed well.

The family was safe.

And the journey was finally beginning to feel like an adventure.

EVE approached.

"Arin."

"Yes?"

"One additional update."

He sighed.

"What?"

"The eastern coastal navigation advisory has been expanded."

Arin looked up.

"Expanded how?"

EVE displayed the latest report.

Three additional vessels had disappeared.

Two fishing boats.

One coastal freight ship.

All within the same general region.

The authorities had issued temporary restrictions on offshore travel.

Arin studied the map.

"Any confirmed cause?"

"No."

"Survivors?"

"None reported."

Lucan leaned forward.

"Pirates?"

"Possible."

"Sea monsters?"

"Possible."

Arin looked toward the dark horizon.

The ocean was waiting.

And apparently—

It had problems of its own.

He smiled faintly.

"Well."

Lucan grinned.

"Adventure?"

Arin leaned back.

"Maybe."

Then he added:

"But first, we’re going to the beach."

Chapter End