A thunderous crash shook the entire village.
The northern gate splintered inward as a massive creature slammed against it from the other side.
Thick logs cracked like dry twigs, and terrified screams echoed through Ashwood.
Dust filled the air.
I pushed myself to my feet, my heart hammering against my ribs.
“So soon…”
The villagers had barely finished preparing.
Hunters rushed toward the gate with iron spears and crude wooden shields, while others hurried women and children into underground shelters.
“Hold the line!”
Elder Rowan’s booming voice cut through the chaos.
“No matter what happens, don’t let them enter the village!”
Dozens of hunters answered with determined shouts.
Despite their fear, none of them retreated.
This was their home.
Behind them were their families.
If they failed here…
Everyone would die.
A deafening howl erupted from beyond the broken gate.
Then they appeared.
Shadow Fang Wolves.
One…
Three…
Seven…
More than twenty gray beasts emerged from the forest, their crimson eyes glowing with hunger.
Each stood nearly as tall as a grown man.
Their sharp black claws carved deep grooves into the earth.
The lead wolf stepped forward.
Its body was nearly twice the size of the others.
A scar stretched across its left eye.
It opened its mouth.
Rows of razor-sharp teeth gleamed in the morning light.
The hunters’ faces turned pale.
“It’s the Alpha…”
One of them whispered.
“We’re finished.”
My breathing became uneven.
Kael’s memories flooded my mind.
A single Shadow Fang Wolf required three experienced hunters to defeat.
There were more than twenty.
Including an Alpha.
Ashwood Village had no chance.
A blue notification flashed before my eyes.
Emergency Quest
Protect Ashwood Village.
Current Survival Probability:
2.8%
Reward:
Unknown.
Penalty:
Death.
I almost laughed.
“Only two point eight percent?”
The Origin Core had to be joking.
The Alpha suddenly raised its head.
Instead of attacking…
It sniffed the air.
Its crimson eyes slowly shifted across the battlefield.
Until they met mine.
The world seemed to freeze.
Everything else faded into silence.
It wasn’t looking at the hunters.
It wasn’t interested in the village.
It was looking…
At me.
A low growl escaped its throat.
Then, without warning—
It charged.
“Kael!”
Grandma Mira screamed.
The Alpha ignored every hunter standing in its path.
It leaped over the defensive line with terrifying speed.
Its only target…
Was me.
“Move!”
A hunter shoved me aside just as the wolf’s claws tore through the air.
Blood sprayed across the ground.
The man’s chest split open.
He collapsed without a sound.
“No!”
I stared in horror.
He had died…
Saving me.
The Alpha barely glanced at the corpse.
Its cold eyes remained fixed on me.
Why?
What made me so important?
Then I remembered.
The warning.
The Hunter Has Found Its Prey.
“So it’s because of the Origin Core…”
The realization hit me like lightning.
The monster wasn’t attacking the village.
It had come for me.
Another notification appeared.
Hidden Condition Met
The Void Hunter has confirmed your existence.
Origin Core Synchronization:
5%
New Skill Unlocked:
Origin Sight (Incomplete)
A burning sensation exploded behind my eyes.
Instinctively, I looked toward the Alpha.
Everything changed.
Golden lines appeared across its body.
They flowed like rivers beneath its skin.
Some were bright.
Others dim.
At the center of its chest…
One line shone brighter than all the others.
Without knowing why…
I understood.
That was its weakness.
“Kael!”
Elder Rowan shouted while blocking another wolf.
“Run!”
I didn’t move.
The golden line pulsed once more.
If…
If I could strike that point…
Would it die?
Ridiculous.
I wasn’t a cultivator.
I wasn’t a warrior.
I had never held a sword.
What chance did I have?
The Alpha crouched.
Its muscles tightened.
It prepared to leap.
Time seemed to slow.
The villagers screamed.
The hunters fought desperately.
Grandma Mira cried my name.
I took one step forward.
“If I’m going to die…”
I whispered.
“I’ll die fighting.”
The Alpha launched itself toward me.
Just as its claws reached my face—
A brilliant pillar of golden light erupted from the ancient monument in the center of the village.
The entire battlefield froze.
Every wolf whimpered.
Every hunter stared upward.
Even the Alpha stopped mid-air.
A voice older than the stars echoed across Ashwood.
“The First Heir has awakened.”
The sky split open.