Rebirth: 100 Days Before Doomsday-Chapter 264: The Hunt

As soon as Grace gave the order, Rune was the first one to move.

Like a shadow, he vanished from sight, only to reappear in an instant right above the creature, carrying a sword. His blade descended, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle while aimed straight for the monster’s head.

The monster reacted in a blur, twisting its body unnaturally to dodge. It was fast. Faster than anything they had faced before.

But Grace had anticipated that.

She lunged, carrying an energy sword of her own that blazed with power. She sliced it toward the monster’s exposed side, and this time, the blade connected. It tore through the creature’s flesh, causing it to screech. The sound was high-pitched and grating, reverberating through the forest like nails on metal.

But it didn’t fall.

Instead, its long, grotesque limbs lashed out, forcing Grace to leap back as its claws nearly grazed her. It was learning with their every attack.

"Switch tactics," Rune’s voice was calm despite the intensity of the battle. "Grace, keep attacking. Davian, with me."

Davian didn’t hesitate. He vanished in a flicker of light, reappearing on the opposite side of the monster, his hands raised. A portal opened behind the beast.

Rune struck with precise, brutal force, driving the creature back. It stumbled, its massive frame barely fitting inside the portal’s swirling entrance. But before they could push it in completely, it braced itself, digging its claws into the ground.

Grace knew they couldn’t afford to let it escape again.

She raised her free hand, channeling raw energy into her palm. The air around her crackled as nature’s power surged, responding to her call. Green vines, sharp as blades, burst from the ground, wrapping around the monster’s limbs, binding it in place.

"NOW!" she shouted.

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Rune moved first. His blade was glowing ominously as he slashed through the monster’s arm, severing it completely.

A guttural shriek filled the air.

The creature thrashed violently, but Davian was already ahead of it. With a flick of his fingers, the portal sucked in the severed limb, trapping the creature in the abyss.

"You should have never stepped into our world," she whispered, her sword igniting with a golden glow.

And then, with one final strike, she drove her blade through its chest.

The monster screamed one last time before its entire body convulsed violently, its form collapsing inward as if something was pulling it apart from the inside.

Then, in a burst of dark energy, it was gone along with the portal.

Davian exhaled slowly, his grip on his weapon relaxing. "That was stronger than anything Earth has seen before."

Grace wiped the sweat off her forehead while trying to steady her breathing. "And there will be more."

Rune gave a half-smile. "Well, at least we sent this one straight to hell."

But Grace didn’t smile. Instead, she turned to face him. "Did you sense anything… unnatural about it?"

Rune hesitated before nodding. "It wasn’t just a mindless beast. It had intelligence. It was toying with us."

That was what worried her the most. If this was just a scout, then the real army behind it would be far worse.

"Let’s head back," she finally said. "We need to prepare. This feel like merely the beginning."

- - -

By the time they returned, the entire settlement was awake. Their team and the warriors had been restless, waiting for their return.

Grace wasted no time. She gathered them in the training ground, taking in their grim expressions as they stood in formation.

"You have seen the monster now," she addressed them, keeping her voice strong. "The infected were never our only enemies. The real monsters have just started arriving."

Murmurs spread through the crowd, but no one spoke up. They were all shaken, but still determined.

"You are the first line of defense," she continued. "And starting today, we are increasing your training. Strength alone won’t be enough. You need strategy, speed, and unity."

She turned to the supply crates she had set aside earlier. With a wave of her hand, the lids flew open, revealing the remaining halves of the Level Two Spirit Stones.

"You will all absorb the remaining halves of the stones within the next five days. That’s the most time I’m giving you to get used to the first half you all have already consumed. Get used to the changes within you and prepare to move ahead. We no longer have the luxury to take things slow."

Overnight, two more cracks appeared in the Veil. Who knew if within next twenty-four hours, more such cracks would form or not? There was a limit to how many cracks she could try healing, and doing so would only distract her.

At her words, the residents exchanged looks, determination flashing in their eyes.

"We will follow your lead." It was Captain Harlow who spoke first, accompanied by the rest of the crowd voicing their agreements.

Hence, from the very next morning, Grace launched a new training curriculum for the warriors. This one was especially designed by 2025 after studying each warrior in detail.

While the warriors were training under her guidance, Rune remained behind and focused his attention on another matter.

He had been keeping his focus on the Veil. While they didn’t close the two cracks, no other monster entered Earth.

Everything was calm for two more days, and then...

As usual, Rune was sitting in the living room of their unit. Closing his eyes, he extended his consciousness outward, reaching beyond Greenstone, beyond the cities, beyond the world’s natural energy flow.

And that’s when he saw it.

Two new cracks.

His eyes snapped open as soon as he noticed another problem other than the two new breaches in the Veil.

A presence, it had slipped through one of the cracks. A dark, malignant energy unlike anything he had ever felt before. It wasn’t like the previous two monsters they had dealt with.

The very next moment, he was sprinting out of the apartment to look for Davian and Grace. They noticed him immediately, the entire training ground coming to a halt as they waited for him to speak.

"We have a problem," he announced.