The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

“It worked… it actually worked.”

A long breath escaped her lips. This was her first time casting a spell in actual combat. Guiding the spiritual energy, infusing it into the wind, and then using it to gently support the two who had been blown away—these few brief steps had subjected South Creek to an immense trial.

“Run, quickly, run!” she shouted at the two still-stunned figures. South Creek once again focused her mind, and in a sudden surge, the spiritual energy around her began to boil, swirling rapidly.

[Attach it, but attach it to what…?]

A throbbing pain pulsed through her brain. The intense concentration was taking a severe toll on South Creek, and a profound weariness began to seep through her body.

[Right… the wind, the wind! Stop!]

Responding to the girl’s will, the gale that had been churning from the monstrous bird’s flapping wings vanished in an instant. No matter how furiously the creature beat its wings, it could not disturb the surrounding air in the slightest.

“Caw—”

As if sensing something amiss, the monstrous bird shrieked in frustration. This time, it didn’t bother flapping its wings; instead, it plunged directly towards South Creek.

“Ahhh!”

It was then that the advantage of being in the dense jungle became apparent. South Creek darted nimbly through the undergrowth, weaving and twisting, while the monstrous bird, relying on its terrifying brute strength, smashed through trees and tore up the ground in its pursuit. Yet, even such a formidable body had its limits. After snapping several trees in succession, the creature finally began to falter. It reared its body upright, letting out two furious cries.

“Ha, ha… I can’t, ha, I can’t keep this up…”

Panting heavily, South Creek collapsed into a patch of tall grass. Her physical stamina was never her strong suit, and having evaded the terrifying bird for so long was the result of her pushing herself to the absolute limit.

“Caw!”

Suddenly, the monstrous bird seemed to perceive something and once again began to beat its wings, its movements sending another gale echoing through the jungle. As it turned out, South Creek had long since dispelled her spell. Given the intense mental strain, she naturally couldn’t maintain it for an extended period.

“Boom—”

This time, the monstrous bird chose not to whip up another storm. Instead, it soared straight into the sky, circling once more above the jungle, attempting to locate the three children hidden within.

“…”

Desperately suppressing her ragged breaths, South Creek silently prayed that the monstrous bird wouldn’t discover them, even as she once again focused her mind.

Meanwhile, Jack and Fanny stumbled deeper into the jungle. Though their hearts were heavy with worry for South Creek, they knew that fleeing was their only viable option.

“Get down! That thing’s airborne!”

Spotting the colossal silhouette circling in the air, Jack made an immediate decision, pulling Fanny with him as he plunged headfirst into a nearby pool of water.

“Caw…”

As if it had noticed something, the monstrous bird circled above them for a prolonged period, showing no inclination to leave. With each passing moment, the two hidden beneath the water struggled to hold on.

“Ugh…”

In stark contrast to their earlier situation, Fanny, who often played in the village pond, was a far stronger swimmer than Jack. With one hand, she held onto Jack, who was now struggling upwards, desperate for air. Her heart pounded with frantic worry. In a flash of desperate resolve, Fanny cast aside all hesitation. Gritting her teeth, she pressed her lips directly to Jack’s, her tongue forcefully prying open his mouth and allowing oxygen to flow between them.

Jack’s eyes widened in utter shock. He had never imagined Fanny would make such a move. In this rather conservative world, women held their chastity in the highest regard, and Fanny’s actions were, without a doubt, a defilement of herself. A torrent of complex emotions surged through Jack’s mind.

Fanny, however, wasn’t thinking so deeply. She was simply terrified of being discovered. As for offering her first kiss to this annoying boy… well, that was purely a matter of dire necessity. If he couldn’t hold his breath and they were found, she wouldn’t escape either.

After an indeterminate time, the sound of beating wings vanished, and only then did the two emerge from the pond.

“Hoo-hah! I thought I was going to suffocate…”

“You…”

“South Creek, where’s South Creek? Is she alright?”

More concerned about her friend’s welfare than their recent ordeal, Fanny gazed up at the sky. The monstrous bird that had been circling overhead was now nowhere to be seen. She then scanned her surroundings, only to find utter devastation.

“Ha… ha… Don’t worry, she should be fine.”

Under Fanny’s piercing gaze, Jack suddenly felt a pang of nervousness. After a slight cough, he explained: “You must have seen it earlier, the power of that spell. And in a forest like this, South Creek can definitely protect herself better than we can.”

A prickle of guilt stirred in Jack’s heart. His words were merely a desperate ploy to calm her. In truth, against such a terrifying monster, children like them stood no chance.

And just as Jack suspected, a short while ago, on the other side…

[Damn it…]

Upon realizing the monstrous bird had been circling one spot for an extended period, South Creek surmised that Jack and Fanny were about to be discovered. They were merely ordinary children, and if found, their fate would undoubtedly be death. After taking several deep breaths, South Creek gritted her teeth and unleashed a wave of spiritual energy in all directions.

“Caw?”

Just as she expected, drawn by the sudden surge of spiritual energy, the monstrous bird immediately veered towards her. South Creek, no longer concealing herself, deliberately exposed her presence directly beneath the creature’s gaze.

“Come on… come on… I’m not afraid of you…”

The instant she felt its gaze upon her, a jolt like an electric current shot down South Creek’s spine, rendering her body momentarily limp with terror. Even so, she forced herself to stand firm, confronting the terrifying monster head-on.

[Is this what it feels like to be prey?]

Her calves trembled uncontrollably as South Creek watched the monstrous bird gather its strength in the air before plummeting towards her. Every tree in its path was mercilessly shattered, yet the creature’s speed did not diminish in the slightest.

“Pierce through—!”

With a furious roar, the spiritual energy that had been swirling around South Creek plunged into the earth. The very next moment, thick, jagged stone spikes erupted from the ground, aiming directly at the rapidly diving bird.

“Caw!”

Unable to dodge, the monstrous bird thrashed its wings desperately, striving to avoid the sharp stone spikes. However, its terrifying momentum made it impossible to deviate from its trajectory, leaving it to watch helplessly as the distance between itself and the spikes rapidly closed.

Thwack—

The next moment, blood splattered.