The First Men Chronicles

Chapter 39: The Hunt Begins

The dense forest stretched endlessly beneath the mist-covered mountains as Castle and Huey stood at the edge of the training grounds. The crisp morning air carried the scent of damp earth, yet the weight of their conversation hung heavily between them.

"It's time," Huey announced casually, his tone lighthearted despite the gravity of his words.

Castle scoffed, arms crossed. "Time for what?" He already knew the answer but asked anyway, more out of frustration than curiosity.

"The next hybrid," Huey replied with a smirk. "Russia. We're heading to Europe for the hunt."

Castle's expression darkened. "And who's going?"

Huey's grin widened. "Draven,but first we must head to Mount Everest"

Castle clicked his tongue in irritation. "Mount Everest? That place is a hellhole. A failed experiment lab. A graveyard. You know who runs that place, right?"

Huey chuckled. "Number Two."

Castle sighed, rubbing his temples. "Exactly. That lunatic still guards it and Draven is going "

Huey shrugged, unconcerned. "Draven's strong enough now. Besides, he needs this. His progress is beyond anything we've seen."

Castle shook his head. "You're insane."

Huey smirked. "And yet, you're still here."

Without another word, Huey's form melted into the earth, vanishing into the roots beneath him.

Draven stood at the edge of the base, gazing out over the vast stretch of wilderness. His power was growing, yet something inside him still felt incomplete. He clenched his fists, his mind replaying the battle against Quag over and over again.

A distortion rippled behind him.

FWOOSH!

Huey emerged from the ground, stepping beside him with an amused grin.

"It's time," Huey announced.

Draven didn't even flinch. "Where are we going?"

"Mount Everest," Huey said, stretching his arms. "And guess what? You're leading the next hunt for the Hybrid once we get back "

Draven turned to him, his gaze cold. "And what about Shiki?"

Huey's smile didn't waver. "After the final hunt. Once we retrieve the last hybrid, I'll personally deliver your brother to you."

Draven's fingers twitched at the mention of Shiki's name, but his voice remained steady. "Fine."

The next scene,They walked through the thick forest, their boots crunching against the fallen leaves. Huey suddenly stopped, his sharp eyes scanning the trees. His lips curled into a smirk.

"You know, Draven," he said, voice calm, "you're a descendant of Lord Arcade. Ever wondered what that means?"

Draven's brow twitched slightly, but before he could respond—

WHOOSH!

Two figures blurred into existence, landing on a ground ahead of them.

Draven stopped,So did Huey.

A familiar presence filled the air.

Feng and Gong.

Feng's breath hitched at the sight of Draven. He wasn't the same boy from the tournament.This Draven was different,More powerful,More terrifying.Feng's expression hardened as he stepped forward.

"Draven… what happened to you?"

Draven didn't answer. He merely stared, eyes unreadable.

Feng clenched his fists. "Come back with us. The Hunter Association is—"

"Lies," Huey interrupted, waving a dismissive hand. "Stop lying to the poor boy. Why don't you tell him the truth, hmm?"

Feng's jaw tensed. "What are you talking about?"

Huey smirked. "Tell him that the Hunter Association ordered his brother to kill his family."

Gong's eyes widened in shock.

Draven's breath hitched.

"…What?"

Huey's grin widened, watching Draven's reaction with amusement. "Oh? You didn't know?" He clapped his hands. "I thought for sure you would've figured it out since they had refused to bring him

To justice since your report"

Feng stepped forward, shaking his head. "That's not true."

Draven's body emitted a dark aura, his eyes burning with pure hatred.

"I'll ask him myself," he muttered.

And then—

"SITRA ACHRA."

A violent explosion of energy rippled from Draven's body. His eyes shifted into the celestial pattern of the All-Creation Eyes, and behind him—

IT MANIFESTED.

A colossal warrior, cloaked in flickering celestial energy, rose behind him.

WHOOSH!

The air trembled as The Sitra Achra Warrior pulled its bowstring.

Huey's eyes narrowed in amusement.

"Oh my, darkness… He's unlocked it."

Draven's voice was cold, emotionless.

"Sitra Achra: Arrow of Judgment."

The bow released.

BOOOOOOM!

The arrow tore through the landscape, uprooting trees, shaking the very foundation of the mountain.

Feng's eyes widened in horror as he realized—

He couldn't dodge it.

CRACK!

The arrow pierced straight through him, launching him 30 meters away, his body crashing into the ground like a meteor.

SPLAT!

Gong stood frozen, his limbs trembling.

Draven slowly walked toward him, his right hand crackling with red lightning.

He was going to kill him.

FWOOOSH!

Huey appeared beside him, a hand on his shoulder. "Let him go."

Draven stopped. "Why?"

Huey smirked. "Let him return. He'll be a witness. He'll tell them what happened here today."

Draven stared into Gong's eyes, his voice a low whisper.

"When I'm done… I'm coming for all of you."

Gong turned and ran.

Far away, on the mountain peak, Circe watched everything.

Her heart pounded.

"He's getting too strong and it's not good for him…"

Gong finally reached Feng's body, panting heavily—Only to realize there was nothing left.Feng's flesh had completely disintegrated,Only his skeleton remained.

Gong's knees buckled in terror.

"His arrow doesn't just kill… it reverts things to their dead state…"

His hands trembled.

"How powerful is Draven?"

Meanwhile, Draven and Huey vanished into the earth, their bodies swallowed by Huey's roots technique, traveling through the network of trees toward Mount Everest.

As they traveled, Huey glanced at Draven.

'His potential is increasing too fast,' he thought.

For the first time, Huey was slightly concerned, but this was what he expected of the descendant of lord Arcade.

What was Draven becoming?