Chương 370: Hunter and Prey

Vale and the others remained silent for a long while, each instinctively listening to the forest around them. The oppressive quiet only reinforced the feeling that something unseen had already found them. Even the wind seemed reluctant to disturb the ancient woods, and every shadow between the trees suddenly felt just a little deeper than before. Eventually, Eskar was the first to break the silence.

"Can't we just kill it?" Vale let out a slow breath before shaking his head.

"As much as I'd prefer that option, it's too risky. If it screams, it'll attract even larger predators, and we still don't know what category it belongs to. Charging in blind against an unknown beast is just asking to die." Eskar considered the answer for a moment before giving an approving shrug.

"Fair enough." Korin folded his broad arms across his chest, his gaze drifting between the surrounding trees.

"Alright then. So what's the plan? I assume we can't just keep walking like this." Vale nodded, though a hint of hesitation crossed his face.

"I do have an idea... though I doubt everyone will like it." The entire group looked toward him.

"I think we should split up." Silence settled over them.

"Groups of two," Vale continued.

"We'll regroup later." Nova frowned almost instantly.

"And why exactly is that your brilliant plan?" Vale snapped his fingers.

"There are only so many ways a predator can reliably track us." Holding up two fingers, he continued.

"Footprints... or scent. Scent is the more likely option, but either way, splitting our trail gives us information." Nym quietly spoke from the back of the group, her voice barely louder than the wind drifting through the trees.

"So... it'll have to choose." Vale turned toward her, surprised she had concluded so quickly. He nodded.

"Exactly. If we split apart, we can narrow down how it's hunting us. Once we understand that, dealing with it becomes a lot easier." Korin remained unconvinced.

"Unless it simply decides to hunt us down one by one." Vale smiled faintly.

"That's why every group will be capable of handling at least a Category Five beast on its own." Eskar crossed his arms.

"And how exactly are you dividing us?" Vale silently studied each member of the group, carefully weighing their strengths before speaking.

"First..." His eyes settled on Eskar.

"You and Nova." A faint smile crossed his face.

"I assume you'd rather stay by her side anyway." Eskar blinked before slowly lowering his gaze toward Nova. She was already looking back at him with bright, hopeful eyes. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. After a brief pause, he nodded.

"Yes. Thank you." He inclined his head respectfully before making his way toward the forest drake to retrieve supplies. Vale then turned toward Korin.

"You'll be with Shade and the drake." He gestured toward the injured mother and her young.

"She's still wounded. Between you and Shade, you're the most capable of protecting her if something attacks." Korin let out an exaggerated sigh.

"There goes my exciting assignment." Despite the complaint, he nodded without hesitation.

"Alright." As he walked past Vale, he rested a massive hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"Just don't get yourself killed." His voice lowered into a whisper.

"And try talking to her. You both carry something neither of you knows how to let go of. It'd be a shame if it stayed that way." For just a moment, Vale completely froze before forcing out a quiet, awkward laugh.

"Yeah. I'll try." Korin smiled warmly before continuing toward Eskar. The crimson-haired swordsman rummaged through one of the drake's packs before pulling out several compact tracking devices. Without saying a word, he tossed one toward Vale, who caught it before slipping it into a pouch on his armour in one fluid motion. Only then did he walk toward Nym. She avoided meeting his eyes. Vale smiled as gently as he could.

"Looks like we're together." Nym tightened her grip around her own arm before giving the smallest nod.

"Alright." Her reply barely rose above a whisper. Vale turned back toward the others, his expression becoming noticeably more serious.

"Before we split up, let's establish a few rules." Everyone gave him their full attention. Everyone... Except Shade, who appeared considerably more interested in sniffing around the drake than listening to the strategy.

"We each head in a different direction. Eskar, you take the left. Korin, straight ahead. Nym and I will head right." He tapped the tracker attached to his armour.

"We keep moving until dusk. Then we'll use these to regroup before midnight." His expression hardened.

"If it's still following us by then, we stop running."

"We set an ambush." The others exchanged uncertain glances before eventually nodding. Nova hesitated.

"And if one of us actually runs into it before then?" Vale remained silent for several seconds before offering a smile that was far less reassuring than he intended.

"Let's hope it's either a Category Four... or anything below that... i dont know if any of us can reliably deal with a category five at the moment." No one found that comforting. Without another word, the group separated, disappearing within moments into three different sections of the ancient forest. Vale and Nym pushed their way through the dense undergrowth toward the eastern route, carrying only a single tracking device secured within Vale's armour.

Although they walked only a few steps apart, the silence between them somehow made the distance feel much greater. Neither seemed capable of finding the words to bridge it. Before long, even the voices of the others had vanished completely, swallowed by the endless forest until only rustling leaves and distant birdsong remained. After several minutes, Nym quietly broke the silence.

"Do you think it's dangerous?" Vale glanced back, slightly surprised by the question.

"Yeah. I do." He turned his attention forward once more.

"The Tower's forest isn't filled with solitary hunters. Most dangerous beasts either hunt in packs... or they're so large that nothing else dares challenge them." Stepping carefully over an enormous root, he continued.

"The good thing is that most predators aren't very subtle." Nym frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"They make themselves known." Vale answered.

"They roar. They leave territorial markings. They break trees."

"They want everything nearby to understand exactly where they are." Nym's expression hardened.

"And the one following us?"

"Has it done any of that?" Vale grew quiet. His jaw slowly tightened.

"No... and that's exactly what worries me." Nym watched him carefully.

"Why?" Vale drew one of his black blades in a single smooth motion. The weapon flashed once through the air, effortlessly slicing apart a wall of tangled vines blocking their path before disappearing back into its sheath just as smoothly.

"Because it means it's thinking." He stepped through the opening.

"A smart predator doesn't announce itself. It waits. It watches. It studies." His pale eyes continued sweeping over the surrounding forest.

"Believe me... I've faced enemies like that before." His voice became noticeably quieter.

"The ones whose next move you can't predict... are far more terrifying than monsters that simply charge straight at you." The conversation died away once more. An uneasy silence settled over them as they continued walking, neither knowing how to fill it, and neither truly wanting to. Eventually, the dense vegetation gave way to a broad clearing where sunlight poured through the fractured canopy overhead. Vale breathed deeply, stretching his shoulders as some of the tension finally left his body.

"Finally..." He tugged lightly at the collar of his armour.

"I was beginning to think those bushes would never end." He stood there for a brief moment, simply enjoying the open air. Beside him, Nym quietly watched. Her gaze lingered on his face far longer than before. Countless emotions passed silently through her eyes, blending into something even she struggled to understand. Finally, she gathered the courage to speak.

"H-Hey-" ROOOOOAAARRR!! A deafening roar exploded through the forest. The earth itself trembled beneath the overwhelming sound as birds erupted from the trees in panicked flocks and distant beasts answered with frightened cries. Vale and Nym spun toward the source simultaneously. The roar had come from the direction they had just left. A slow grin spread across Vale's face.

"Well..." He couldn't hide the satisfaction in his voice.

"The good news is... our plan worked." Nym's expression darkened almost immediately.

"And the bad news?" Vale gave a nervous shrug before already breaking into a run toward the sound.

"... It seems to be really pissed off now."