The battlefield outside Flamedale City had become a sea of blood and flames.
Explosions thundered continuously across the outer defensive sectors while thousands of beasts crashed against the city's defenses like a living tidal wave. Mana illuminated the skies in violent bursts of crimson, gold, blue, and silver. Deafening sound of Hunters screaming, Mana beasts roaring and Cannons firing without pause spread.
And amidst the chaos—
Daniel moved silently through the battlefield like a shadow.
BOOM.
Wind mana erupted beneath his feet as he accelerated across the ruined ground. Three Iron Fang Wolves lunged toward him simultaneously.
"Lightning Nexus Art…"
Blue lightning exploded around Daniel's legs instantly.
"First Move— Lightning Dominos."
CRACK.
His figure vanished. Then reappeared between the wolves in flashes of blue light.
SHING. SHING. SHING.
Three heads fell almost simultaneously.
The surrounding hunters froze briefly.
"…What the hell was that movement technique?"
"I didn't even see him move."
Daniel ignored them completely. Instead, his gaze shifted deeper toward the battlefield.
Apprentice Rank beasts were beginning to appear more frequently now. Massive mutated boars smashed through barricades while giant serpents slaughtered weaker awakened in groups.
Far above everything—
The Flameberry Butterfly hovered silently.
Watching.
Its scarlet eyes followed Daniel's movements continuously. The strange human moved unlike any awakened it had ever seen before. No wasted motion, No emotional fluctuations, No fear. Even surrounded by thousands of enemies, he fought with terrifying calmness.
Then suddenly—
ROOOOAR.
A gigantic black rhinoceros burst through the western defensive line. At the Third Stage Apprentice Rank. Its body resembled armored steel while dense earth mana covered its hide like living stone.
Hunters nearby immediately scattered in panic.
"It broke through Sector Four!"
"Stop it!"
Several awakened launched elemental attacks desperately. Burst towards it Fire Arrows, Ice Lances, Wind blades. However, none of them managed to pierce its defense.
The rhinoceros charged directly toward the defensive wall.
BOOOOM.
Barricades exploded apart instantly. The Archbound Legion immediately moved to intercept, but the beast was too fast.
Then suddenly—
Daniel appeared before it. The rhinoceros roared furiously before lowering its head.
BOOM.
The ground exploded beneath its charge. Daniel remained completely still until the last second.
Then lightning erupted beneath his feet.
"Lightning Nexus Art— First Move: Lightning Domino's."
CRACK.
His figure split into streaks of blue light.
The rhinoceros suddenly staggered mid-charge, then staggered again.
And again.
SHING. SHING. SHING. SHING.
Multiple slash marks exploded across its armored body almost simultaneously. The beast roared furiously before swinging wildly around itself.
However it was too late.
Daniel appeared directly above it.
Fire mana surged violently around Shadow. The surrounding temperature spiked instantly.
"Flame Nexus Series…"
The flames compressed tighter. Getting Hotter andDenser.
"Second Move— Flare Destruction."
SHING.
A single slash crossed the beast's back. For a moment nothing happened.
Then—
BOOOOOM.
Crimson fire erupted from inside the rhinoceros violently. Its mana core detonated instantly beneath the injected fire mana. The enormous beast collapsed heavily onto the battlefield.
Dead.
Silence briefly spread across the nearby area.
Several hunters stared blankly afterward.
"…Did a Novice Rank just kill a Third Stage Apprentice beast?"
"That's impossible."
Even Lucas narrowed his eyes slightly from atop the wall.
Daniel's combat power was becoming increasingly abnormal.
Meanwhile, high above the battlefield—
The Flameberry Butterfly continued watching silently. Its instincts screamed warnings continuously now.
Danger, not immediately but in the future.
The human below possessed something terrifying hidden beneath his weak cultivation.
The butterfly could feel it instinctively.
Then suddenly—
DING.
A blue notification appeared before Daniel.
[Emergency Contribution Reward Updated]
[Third Stage Apprentice Rank Beast Eliminated]
[Reward: 3000 Credits]
Daniel glanced at the notification briefly.
Then mentally calculated something.
'Useful.'
The surrounding hunters nearly coughed blood if they knew what he was thinking during a battlefield filled with death and destruction.
Meanwhile—
Far behind the beast wave.
Several Adept Rank beasts suddenly emerged from deeper within the forest. A gigantic silver wolf. A venom-covered serpent over thirty meters long. And a massive black leopard whose mere footsteps distorted the ground slightly.
The battlefield pressure increased instantly.
Brutus Griffin's expression changed atop the city walls.
"…The commanders are moving."
Then suddenly—
The silver wolf howled.
ROOOOOOOAR.
The entire beast wave surged forward violently afterward.
The pressure on the city instantly doubled.
Apprentice Rank beasts began appearing everywhere simultaneously.
[Outer defensive sectors breached.]
[Additional rewards authorized for all participating hunters.]
[Apprentice Rank Beast Kill Reward Increased]
[1,500 Credits × Beast Stage]
Several defensive sectors collapsed almost immediately.
"Sector Seven breached!"
"Apprentice Rank serpent inside the barricades!"
"We need reinforcements!"
Chaos spread rapidly.
And amidst it all— The Flameberry Butterfly finally moved.
WHOOSH.
Its burning wings spread wider. The skies themselves seemed to turn crimson. Dense fire mana gathered around the butterfly continuously.
Lucas' expression darkened instantly.
"…It's attacking."
Then the butterfly descended, not toward the city but toward Daniel.
BOOM.
A pillar of crimson fire crashed downward from the skies.
Daniel's eyes narrowed instantly.
Wind mana erupted beneath his feet as he retreated sideways.
BOOOOM.
The ground exploded apart behind him. The butterfly hovered above the battlefield silently afterward. Its scarlet eyes locked onto Daniel completely now.
Around them, both beasts and humans instinctively began retreating from the area. An Expert Rank creature focusing its attention fully on one target created terrifying pressure.
Then the butterfly spoke, "…Human."
Daniel looked upward calmly, "You're interrupting my hunting."
The butterfly ignored the comment. Instead, its burning gaze remained fixed on him.
"…Why are you different?"
Daniel tilted his head slightly, "That is a very broad question."
The butterfly descended lower. The surrounding temperature continued rising.
"You do not fear death."
"No."
"You kill without hatred."
"Yes."
"You stand beneath an Expert Rank creature… and remain calm."
Daniel rested Shadow lightly against his shoulder, "I've seen worse."
The butterfly fell silent briefly afterward.
Then suddenly— A massive explosion echoed from the city walls.
Several sections of the western defense collapsed beneath the pressure of the advancing horde. The butterfly slowly turned toward Flamedale afterward. Hatred flickered inside its scarlet eyes again.
Daniel noticed immediately.
"…You lost something there."
The butterfly paused slightly, then answered quietly.
"…Everything."
For the first time since appearing on the battlefield, genuine emotion surfaced within its voice. Not rage but grief and regret.
Daniel remained silent.
The butterfly continued staring toward the city in the distance, "Humans burned our nests and destroyed our territory."
The surrounding flames intensified slightly, "They slaughtered thousands of us…"
Then its scarlet eyes shifted back toward Daniel, "…And called it expansion."
Below them, the battlefield continued burning endlessly.
Humans killing beasts, Beasts killing humans. The same cycle repeated endlessly across countless worlds.
Daniel understood that better than anyone, then finally, he spoke calmly.
"If you destroy the city today…" The butterfly listened silently, "…Stronger humans will come afterward."
Hearing this its eyes narrowed slightly.
"They will exterminate your species completely."
Silence. The butterfly already knew that.
Daniel continued.
"You evolved beyond instinct."His gaze remained calm, "So survive intelligently."
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then slowly— The flames surrounding the butterfly weakened slightly.