Reign watched the second hunter from above, observing the mes dancing from his de. The fiery streaks matched the ck kimono, which featured a striking orange me pattern at the hem.


    With each swing of his sharp katana, intense heat scorched everything in its path.


    Against the Zombie-Type Corrupted, the mes were particrly effective, as these creatures were really mmable.


    The hunter''s attacks and techniques were impressive, but his fatal weakness was too obvious.


    This was the problem with how hunters fought. They depended on each other to cover up their weaknesses, but when they were alone, they were less effective.


    ''His me can''t withstand a sudden high-speed attack,'' he thought to himself with a sadistic smirk.


    Unlike the previous one, who used the wind to slow down projectiles, this second hunter relied solely on his mes for defense.


    Although he could use Stream Guide to redirect attacks, it wouldn''t be sufficient against an overwhelming force.


    ''I''ll finish this quickly,'' he said with a cruelugh, pleased that his opponent was nothing more but an easy target for the picking.


    He aimed his railgun and began charging it. It remained his weapon of choice because it was both direct and practical.


    ''I should upgrade this baby once I be a demon king,'' he thought, unaware that his railgun was already damn too powerful for his rank.


    Even a Peak Demon Lord would have to think twice before facing such a weapon.


    The railgun hummed loudly as it gathered energy, sending vibrations through the air.


    Dark red electricity danced around it, hidden by the thick, dark miasma.


    Below, the hunter was too busy fighting off the corrupted creatures around him to notice the danger approaching.


    Meanwhile, Reign made a final adjustment to his aim and fired his railgun.


    ZZZZZZZ!


    The projectile cut through the thick mist with such force that it cleared a straight path in the miasma.


    As the shot rain down , the hunter realized he was in trouble.


    In a desperate move, he tried to block the attack by releasing a swirling tornado of fire.


    The fire vortex spiraled up into the sky, its intense mes whipping around in a powerful attempt to intercept the projectile.


    Itroared and crackled, trying to burn away anything in its path.


    But the high-speed projectile didn''t slow down at all. It tore through the swirling mes, pushing aside the fire without hesitation.


    Desperate, the hunter swung his sword again, trying to deflect the fast-moving projectile with Stream Guide.


    CLANG!


    But, the sheer velocity of the shot was too much.


    CRACK!


    Before he could even make a proper adjustment, his sword shattered under the pressure, breaking into pieces.


    The impact was devastating. The shot exploded through the hunter''s body, sending a spray of blood and pieces of flesh in all directions.


    His mangled body was flung backward, his arms and legs iling wildly as he tried to hold onto the broken parts of himself.


    Blood pooled around him, and his flesh was ripped open. He was left as a gruesome sight, showing just how powerful the attack had been.


    THUD!


    Reignndednext to the fallen hunter.


    With hisst breaths, the hunter''s eyes widened in shock as he saw the true culprit of his untimely death.


    He finally realized that they were facing something far more dangerous than corrupted creatures. He wanted to warn others, but he could only cough up blood.


    Hisst words were lost in the gurgle of his own life slipping away.


    Before he could mumble anything more, sharp tendrils shot out from Reign and pierced through the hunter''s head.


    Reign absorbed the remains, feeling a rush of experience point and collecting the valuable mutated organs.


    He heard the familiar notifications pinging in his mind, but, as usual, he chose to ignore them.


    The sounds were just background noisepared to the thrill of the hunt and the rewards it brought.


    With his second prize secured, he took to the sky again. His mind was already shifting to his next target.


    ***


    ***


    ***


    Back at the fort, the number of corrupted creatures kept increasing.


    The woman in charge of defending the area waspletely lost.


    She was a powerful Divergent mercenary, famous for her fighting skills and her use of power armor and performance-enhancing drugs.


    Her unique Divergent blood let her take more of these drugs than most people could safely handle.


    "What''s happening? What are those two hunters doing?" she shouted, her frustration evident.


    "This is way above my paycheck," she said, sounding more annoyed.


    Her power armor, built to handle heavy attacks, was not enough to deal with the endless waves of corrupted creatures.


    The fort''s defenses were failing, and even with all her upgrades, she felt overwhelmed. Corrupteds and their nonstop attacks were pushing her to her limits.


    ''Shit, I''ll abandon this area if those two don''te back,'' she thought to herself. She was just hired for this job and had no moral obligation to stay and die here.


    As she kept fighting with her two short des, she felt the ground start to shake. A bad feeling washed over her.


    Slowly, she turned to see what was causing it.


    "N —No way" Her eyes widened in shock. Something huge was moving inside the miasma.


    Without warning, hundreds of thousands of corrupted creatures surged forward.


    They moved together like a giant wave of monsters, their red eyes glowing in the darkness. It looked like a huge, creepy tsunamiing straight at her.


    The ground shook under their massive weight, and the air filled with their frightening noises—hisses and growls that made the scene even more terrifying.


    As they advanced, they swallowed everything in their path, making the ce look like a nightmare.


    "Corrupted No. 17 is here!" she yelled in panic.


    She turned to run, her mind racing as the wave of creatures closed in.


    But just as she started to escape, a sudden, sharp pain struck her head. She felt a cold, wet sensation and reached up to touch it.


    Her fingers came away covered in blood and fragments of her own brain.


    "Fuck," she muttered in shock before falling to the ground. Her body twitched violently before going still, her eyes staring nkly .


    Reignnded next to her, absorbed her remains, and then flew back into the sky.


    He was also surprised by the enormous number of corrupted.


    All he could see was a huge, dark wave of monsters with glowing red eyes covering everything in sight.


    A sadistic smile spread across his lips.''Oh, so the fun is finally starting,'' he thought.


    Corrupted No. 17 had made its move, and at this rate, it seemed nothing would be left after this.


    ''I need to hurry up,''


    SWOOOOOSH!


    Reign flew into the barrier, intentionally triggeringnd mines as he passed.


    The explosions erupted behind him, serving as his final aid to the corrupted creatures swarming the area.


    Reign didn''t stop after crossing the barrier.


    He headed straight for the center of the city, where the poption was most dense.


    With Number 17 in full attack mode, the city''s defenses would be stretched thin, creating an opening for him to begin his feast.


    The thought of how many humans he could devour filled him with satisfaction.