Hunter’s Vengeance: The Rise of the Predator

   "Bang!!!"

   'Hehe, this rabbit's head exploded like a pumpkin. This is the second time this has happened. I think I have become an expert in this kind of thing. It was funny, but it's a shame the blood is wasted. This is the last one for today. I've already taken down 9. Now I'll have exactly 10 to create the magic formation.'

   Kara didn't hesitate for long and carried the rabbit on her back, rushing towards the crevice in the mountain rock. Once there, she immediately opened the rabbit's throat with her bare hands and placed it next to the others on the edge of the pool to drain its blood.

   'Huh, how beautiful. I've arranged them like flower petals...'.

   Kara then began dissecting the rabbits in the order in which she hunted them.

   A few minutes passed, and everything was ready to activate the magic formation. This time the pool had 20 cm of blood in the area where the level was the lowest. So Kara had enough space to lie down completely, being almost entirely covered in blood.

   As the blood in the pool began to boil and glow, Kara started feeling the same sensation as the first time she underwent this process, but much stronger. She could sense herself filling up with energy like a sponge immersed in water. She submerged her head completely below the blood level without even closing her eyes or holding her breath. It was as if she had transformed into a fish, a fish that had been swimming in an ocean of blood for as long as he could remember.

   After emerging from the pool, Kara noticed once again that all her attributes had increased. 'I don't think I'll ever get tired of this feeling. If just a few pitiful rabbits brought such results, I wonder what will happen when I hunt a fire salamander or something much stronger? So now what will be the next step? Should I hunt more rabbits? No, that's not right. Something tells me I won't achieve significant results even if I use 100 rabbits to create a new magic formation. A predator who aims to reach the top of the food chain won't be satisfied with hunting only in their comfort zone. They will always seek to expand their territory as soon as they feel their powers allow it. And that's what I must do too. Yes, I need to venture deeper into the Great Moonshadow Forest where I will encounter more capable opponents.'

   Although her body was completely rested after absorbing the energy produced by the magic formation, Kara felt the need to sleep for a few hours to calm her mind. After a restful sleep on an improvised bed of rabbit fur, Kara resumed her hunting, this time going deeper into the forest. With the increase in her physical capabilities, her senses had correspondingly heightened. She could now detect a beast from nearly 200 meters away inside the forest using only her hearing and sense of smell, something nearly impossible for a human hunter, no matter how skilled. This was a great advantage for Kara, as she could now easily avoid overly powerful creatures and identify potential prey. After advancing about 10 kilometers into the depths of the forest, she had already begun identifying beasts with a danger level of grade D.

   'Yes, it looks good. We can get down to business again.'

   ..............................

   A month has passed since Kara entered the Great Moonshadow Forest. During this time, she hunted hundreds of D-rank beasts and even managed to hunt a few C-rank beasts in the past few days, such as fire salamanders and silver-tusked boars, the latter being considered extremely tasty by Kara.

   'If raw meat is this good, I believe it will be a true delicacy fit for a king once it's turned into jerky.'

   These were Kara's thoughts as she returned to her base, dragging a nearly half-ton silver-tusked boar behind her.

   'I think I should change my base. I've spent more time returning with the spoils than actually hunting. Perhaps my physical abilities have grown, but my prey has also become larger. Moreover, the area where I hunt now is much more dangerous, and staying exposed for too long can attract the attention of stronger beasts. So far, I've had to abandon my prey twice to avoid getting into a conflict where my chances of winning were slim... Huh, what's that sound? Please don't tell me another beast is following me, sensing the scent of blood..."

  Unfortunately for Kara, her senses did not deceive her, and within seconds, she could clearly see two giant wolves chasing after her, standing two meters tall with dagger-like teeth.

   'It seems they are dire wolves. Even though they are C-rank beasts, they can be considered among the most powerful creatures at this level. Moreover, they are intelligent, surprisingly intelligent for bloodthirsty beasts. I have to run as fast as possible. It's a challenge to confront just one dire wolf, but facing two would be suicide. I'm sorry, boar, but you won't be able to enjoy my company any longer.'

   After bidding farewell to the boar she had been dragging behind her, Kara accelerated at her maximum speed towards an area where the forest was denser, making it difficult for the dire wolves to pursue her. Kara hoped that they would lose interest in her when they saw the dead boar's body, but it seemed that only one of them stopped, while the other continued chasing her.

   'Oh, damn it. Isn't a half-ton boar enough for them? Do they want me as a dessert too? I have no choice but to keep running, and in case the other dire wolf doesn't come after me, I might try to confront this one that's chasing me in an area filled with trees and bushes, where its mobility will be greatly diminished.'

   Kara continued running among the trees at a speed similar to that of the pursuing dire wolf. 'Strange, even though my size is much smaller than the dire wolf's, and my dexterity is much greater, it should still be faster than me. What is he waiting for? Please don't tell me there are others in the area...'

   After a few minutes of trying to distance herself from her pursuer, Kara could feel that two more dire wolves were heading towards her, approaching from the sides.

   'This is not good at all. It seems they've set a trap for me. One of them chased me until now to drain my energy, while the others are prepared to attack me at full speed as soon as they see me slow down. But why are they so attracted to me? Even if they catch me, they won't be able to satisfy their hunger, right? I only weigh about 60 kilograms. No, they are not after my flesh but my powers. In this forest, many beasts hunt other creatures solely to devour their magic core, just like the fire salamander I killed three days ago. Although I don't believe I have something like that in my body, due to the accumulation of energy produced by the magic formations, my whole body has undergone tremendous improvements. Now, I'm ten times stronger than when I started the ritual. In conclusion, to my pursuers, I am like a walking magic core. No, they won't give up until they catch me. Damn it! I have no choice but to make the first move hoping to gain some advantage. It will be a tough fight, almost impossible to win, but I'm prepared to risk my life. If I wasn't willing to take such risks, I would have never started this ritual or entered this forest. Yes, I've always enjoyed being in control, and so far, at least in terms of hunting, everything has gone according to my plans. But maximum cruelty and violence cannot be achieved rationally, and these are some of the qualities that separate a true predator from the rest. He does not decide to be aggressive. He is aggressive. So forget any plan, Kara. Forget everything you knew about hunting and fighting! Don't think about what could go wrong! Don't think about pain! Just think about your goal! And what is your goal, Kara?'

   "To destroy all my enemies..." Kara answered herself aloud after abruptly braking and turning towards the dire wolf chasing her.