Chapter 6: The Hunt Begins

The ground quaked beneath Kim Sehan's feet as monstrous beasts charged forward, their guttural snarls echoing through the battlefield. The survivors barely had time to react before the first wave descended upon them.

Sehan tightened his grip on his sword. He had expected something like this. The first challenge had culled the weak, but this one was meant to test adaptability.

System notifications began appearing in rapid succession.

[A Ravager Beast has appeared!]

[Survive for 30 minutes!]

The creatures were fast—too fast for a normal human to react to. One of them lunged at a nearby player, a man who had barely survived the first challenge. He raised his shield, but the beast’s claws tore through it like paper, ripping his body apart.

Blood sprayed into the air. Panic erupted.

Sehan didn’t hesitate. He sidestepped an incoming beast, slashing at its leg. His blade cut deep, severing tendons, and the monster collapsed with a deafening screech.

[Skill Mastery Increased: Basic Swordsmanship (15%)]

The instant feedback was reassuring. He could feel his movements becoming sharper, his strikes more precise.

Jinhyuk fought beside him, swinging a heavy axe. “Damn it! These things aren’t like the lesser nightmares! They’re too fast!”

Sehan’s eyes darted across the battlefield, analyzing the creatures. Unlike the lesser nightmares, these beasts relied on brute force and speed—but their legs were vulnerable.

“Go for the legs,” Sehan said coldly. “They’re faster than us, but if we cripple them, they’re as good as dead.”

Jinhyuk gritted his teeth and nodded.

The battle raged on. The girl Sehan had saved earlier was holding her own—barely. She dodged a beast’s attack but stumbled, her dagger trembling in her grip.

A second beast pounced at her.

Sehan moved without thinking.

He slid in front of her, his sword slashing in a controlled arc. The beast’s throat split open, black blood spraying across the ground. It let out a choked growl before collapsing.

She gasped, eyes wide. “You—”

“No time for thanks,” Sehan cut in. “If you hesitate, you die.”

She swallowed hard, gripping her weapon tighter.

Minutes passed in a blur of blood and steel. The survivors dwindled, but those who remained had adapted. They weren’t just fighting anymore.

They were hunting.

The system chimed again.

[15 minutes remaining.]

Sehan exhaled slowly, wiping sweat from his brow. The beasts weren’t stopping. If he wanted to survive, he needed to push himself further.

He tightened his grip on his sword and prepared for the next wave.