The First Men Chronicles

Chapter 27: The Hunt Begins

A cold wind swept across the towering mountain where Huey, Draven, Castle, and Roshi stood. Below them stretched a vast, unending forest, its canopy shifting like a living beast under the twilight sky. Draven's breath was heavy, his hands clenched into fists as he listened to Huey's instructions.

"Activate your other eyes," Huey ordered, his usual playful smirk lingering.

Draven furrowed his brows. "I haven't mastered it yet," he admitted.

Huey's grin widened. "And if you don't use it, how do you expect to master it?" He stepped closer, placing a firm hand on Draven's shoulder. " We're heading to Washington. We're going after the Pet."

Draven eyes blinked and asked ."The Pet?"

Huey turned towards the forest, inhaling deeply as though savoring the fresh air. "Each nation has its own Hybrid Beast—powerhouses of Shen." His fingers flicked through the air as he spoke. "There are five of them in total, and The Ten is going to acquire them all."

Draven's gut twisted. "Why?"

Huey finally turned to look at him, his golden pupils glinting in the dim light. "Because, Draven… you will be using them."

Draven felt his heart pound. "To avenge my family?"

Huey snapped his fingers, pointing at him like a game show host confirming the right answer. "Bingo." He chuckled. "And to work for The Ten, of course. I'm a businessman, after all." He tilted his head. "Do you understand?"

Draven hesitated, then slowly nodded.

Huey clapped his hands together. "Good."

Beside them, Castle stepped forward, his expression unreadable as he extended his right hand. A dark vortex spiraled open before them, warping the very fabric of space itself. The air crackled as the swirling void expanded, revealing glimpses of the location beyond.

Castle muttered a single phrase:

"Space Rift."

The world around them twisted and distorted, and within seconds, they stepped through the portal.

Washington, Hunter Association Research Headquarters

A low hum of security drones filled the air as the Hunter Association Research Headquarters loomed ahead. The fortified facility was surrounded by towering metal walls, reinforced with Shen-resistant alloy. The gate was lined with armed soldiers, their rifles trained forward, their armor embedded with Shen-infused plating.

"State your business." One of the guards barked, his voice firm.

Huey didn't stop walking. Neither did Castle, Roshi, or Draven.

The soldiers adjusted their stances, fingers hovering over the triggers. "This is a classified zone. Identify yourselves or we will open fi—"

CRACK!

Before the soldier could finish, thick wooden roots exploded from the ground, twisting like monstrous tendrils. Bones snapped. Screams erupted. Blood sprayed across the pavement as the roots crushed bodies, dragging them beneath the earth. The soldiers on the watchtowers barely had time to react before spiked branches erupted from the walls, skewering them instantly.

Draven stared in horror as the massacre unfolded in a matter of seconds. Huey didn't lift a single finger. He simply kept smiling as he strolled through the gate, his boots splashing in the growing pools of blood.

A shrill alarm blared from within the facility. Red warning lights flickered across the headquarters' exterior. Inside, the security system had activated, and countless personnel rushed to assess the threat.

Huey sighed dramatically as he continued forward. "Well, there goes our quiet approach." He glanced at Castle. "So, this is the place, right? The Hybrid's containment zone?"

Castle nodded, his gaze unwavering. "Number 8 confirmed it."

For a moment, Huey's mind flashed back to Number 8, sitting in a candle-lit chamber, detailing the facility's weaknesses and the presence of a certain Ss-Ranked guardian.

Back in the present, Huey stretched his arms lazily and exhaled. "Alright then… let's get this show started."

The hallways of the Hunter Association's Research Facility pulsed with flashing red lights. Scientists and security officers sprinted toward the control room, their faces drenched in panic.

One researcher, a man in a white lab coat, burst through a steel door, gasping for breath. He didn't even knock—he slammed his fist against the panel, forcing the door open.

Inside, a single man lay sprawled on a couch, arms crossed behind his head. His messy black hair hung over his tired, half-opened eyes. His lean, tall frame rested against the cushions like he hadn't a care in the world.

This was Quagmire.

"Sir!" The researcher's voice cracked. "We're under attack!"

Quagmire's eyes flickered open.

He already knew.

He could feel them—their Shen signatures pulsing through the air like ripples in a still pond. He could sense their numbers, the distance between them, even the way their energy fluctuated as they moved.

A slow yawn escaped his lips as he swung his legs off the couch, stretching his back lazily. "Tch… great." He scratched the back of his head. "And here I was hoping for a nap."

He casually strolled toward the door, the panicked researcher stepping aside. As the steel door slid open, Quagmire stepped into the corridor, greeted by the distant sound of approaching footsteps.

They were here.

A few feet away, standing just outside the facility's main entrance, stood Huey, Castle, Roshi, and Draven.

Huey's grin widened. "Well, well. You must be the Ss-Ranked guardian." His voice carried an amused lilt.

Quagmire tilted his head, his half-lidded eyes locking onto the group. He didn't look like much—his slouched posture and worn-out expression made him seem more like a lazy office worker than an elite hunter.

"Let me guess," Huey continued, raising a single finger. "You're here to stop us from taking the Hybrid."

Quagmire exhaled, rubbing his temples. "You guys really know how to make a mess." His gaze shifted toward the blood-soaked battlefield behind them. "This could've been avoided, you know."

Huey chuckled. "Oh, but where's the fun in that?"

He then took a single step forward and flashed his signature grin.

"Now, be a good little soldier and show us to the Hybrid, yeah? No one else needs to die. Well… no one else that matters."

Quagmire let out a long sigh, rolling his shoulders.

"Yeah…" he muttered.

Then, his half-closed eyes sharpened.

"That's not gonna happen."

The floor beneath him cracked,The air grew heavier.