At dusk, a campfire had just been lit in the camp.
Just then, the sound of very urgent, slightly chaotic footsteps broke the camp’s silence. Five figures stumbled into the camp.
The silver-white armor of the Holy Light Knights they wore was no longer recognizable. It was covered in claw marks deep enough to reveal bone, and corrosive mucus was sizzling and emitting black smoke.
The leading captain had half his face burned black, his helmet long gone, and one eye blocked by dried blood.
He lunged forward.
His knees hit the ground hard.
He opened his mouth, but only a hoarse wheeze came out. Blood streamed from his lips and dripped onto the ground.
“Saint…!”
“Saintess!”
With his last strength, he pulled out a badge soaked in blood from his chest. The Border Town Guard emblem on it was still visible. He extended it with trembling hands.
“Scout Camp!”
“We’re back!”
Seraphina was tidying Yisela’s windblown silver-white hair. Her hand stopped in an instant.
Seeing the scout captain in this state, a flash of pain passed through Seraphina’s eyes. Without caring that her casual clothes would be stained with blood, she immediately dropped to one knee. One hand pressed on the captain’s chest, the other cradled his back.
Dispel.
“Light Healing, Purification!”
A soft, dazzling golden light burst from her palm, instantly enveloping the captain’s broken body. Seraphina frowned deeply, channeling the holy light within her to drive out the magic beast toxins corroding his body.
When the holy light touched the toxins, a crackling sound echoed.
The captain’s wounds, still smoking, began to stop bleeding and scab over visibly. His originally ashen face finally regained a bit of color.
But Seraphina’s expression grew more serious.
She felt the captain’s life force like a sandbag with a hole—no matter how much holy energy she poured in, a cold, sinister force quickly devoured it.
She had seen many different magic beast toxins. This type didn’t just destroy the body; it burrowed deep into vital organs with a cruel, conscious intent.
“Damn it!”
“It’s corrosion soul poison. Too much time has passed—most of his internal organs are corroded.”
Seraphina gritted her teeth, sweat beading on her forehead.
She forced the toxin’s spread to stop, then sent a final gentle healing spell into the captain’s heart to stabilize his pulse.
After that, she gently handed the unconscious captain to the medics who had rushed over. Then she turned to the other four panicking scout soldiers, her voice calm.
“Speak.”
“What exactly happened?”
The scout tasked with reporting watched the saintess’s miraculous healing, a spark of hope reigniting in his eyes. He gasped for breath, each word like blood squeezed from his lungs.
“Border Town—magic traps!”
“Already set up.”
“But!”
“But the situation has changed!”
“Based on our reconnaissance from the rear, the nearby Fallen Leaf Town… its defenses!”
“Have been breached. Everyone in the town is dead. Not a single survivor!”
“What?!”
The surrounding knights erupted in chaos; the sound of swords being drawn filled the air.
Seraphina’s face remained eerily calm. She simply clenched her fist.
“Fallen Leaf Town.”
“Go on.”
The scout captain’s body shook violently—not from fear, but exhaustion and blood loss. He jerked his head up, using his one good eye to stamp the hellish scene he witnessed into everyone’s mind.
“Those magic beasts!”
“Inside Fallen Leaf Town!”
“They’re not hunting there, Saintess!”
“They’re…”
“They’re slaughtering!!”
“Old people, children, women!”
“Not one spared!”
“The whole town!”
“Is now a city of the dead.”
He swallowed the blood rising in his throat, his voice suddenly rising.
“Then!”
“Then they stopped!”
“Like a well-trained army, they assembled in the center of the town!”
“Next!”
“It was as if they caught a scent—the smell of our holy light. No, something even more attractive than holy light!”
“They suddenly changed direction, marching in perfect formation straight toward us!”
“They’re not mindless beasts wandering without purpose!”
“They have a commander!”
“Tactics!”
“Even…!”
“There are traces of high-rank magic beasts mixed among them!”
“We made it back to report because they didn’t even consider us a threat. They…”
“Are coming for our camp!”
“Coming for!”
His words failed him. His body stiffened, and a mouthful of blood sprayed out. He pitched forward.
The medics rushed over and carried him away.
Not a coincidence.
It was a hunt.