Andras hummed thoughtfully.
"Jula can only use Savage Mode to create earth shields."
"So it's impossible?"
"Let me think…" Andras leaned back.
"At the moment, I see only one option.
Instead of earth shields, you'd have to create sharp stone shards with your magic."
"But since you're not a mage, you'd need a catalyst.
Like an earth rune‑stone."
Beela listened intently.
"And since we're talking about hunting magical beasts…" Andras continued,
"stone shards won't do much from the outside.
Their hides are too tough.
Especially the earth‑armored ones."
Then Andras's eyes lit up.
"But from the inside… even magical beasts are vulnerable.
In other words: if a magical beast ever swallowed you,
you could kill it from within.
There's no other way for you to defeat such a creature."
Beela's eyes sparkled.
"So… I do have a chance to fulfill my childhood dream!
The other hunters always laughed when I talked about this.
Please, teach me this unique Savage Mode!"
"I'll gladly teach you," Andras nodded.
"But don't you dare leave Wolfwood and wander off into the world chasing magical beasts.
Who would hunt for the kitchen then?"
"Hahaha!" Beela laughed.
"I'm not leaving Wolfwood.
If the Goddess wills it, one day I'll face a magical beast…
and then I'll know my destiny."
"One warning," Andras added.
"The Bear‑Monster living in the Wolf Forest is my friend.
You're forbidden to harm him."
"I see… so any magical beast except the Bear‑Monster—
Wait, WHAT?! You befriended a magical beast?!"
"Yeah," Andras grinned.
"I named him Ursa Laci."
At that moment Noelle entered the kitchen.
"The scones are ready!
Were you talking about Ursa Laci?
He loves gingerbread."
Beela just held his head.
"At this point I wouldn't even be surprised if you befriended a dragon someday."
"That's the plan," Andras said with complete seriousness.
"I should've known…"
The memory faded.
Beela stood once more in the burning forest,
Eagle Claw in his hand.
This was the day they had spoken of.
The day he would finally face a magical beast.
And he would learn his destiny.
The Hunter's Final Hunt
Beela Hawkeye returned to the present.
A proud, determined smile glinted on his face — reflected in the cold steel of Eagle Claw.
It was the smile of a man who knew he was about to fulfill his destiny.
Savage Mode activated.
The power of the earth element surged through his body,
then flowed into the earth rune‑stone hidden within Eagle Claw.
Beela leapt from the bushes.
The Demon‑Toad spotted him instantly.
Its tongue lashed out like a whip,
and in a single heartbeat it yanked the hunter straight into its mouth.
But Beela was ready.
Savage Mode exploded inside him —
and the earth rune‑stone inside Eagle Claw exploded with him.
From Beela's body, razor‑sharp stone shards burst outward in every direction,
and the legendary blade shattered from within,
its fragments tearing the monster apart from the inside.
Inside the Demon‑Toad's stomach,
no organ remained intact —
the countless stone shards and sword fragments reduced everything to shreds.
The monster let out one final, guttural groan.
Its mouth fell open, blood pouring out,
its long tongue flopping lifelessly onto the ground.
Caught on that tongue was the ruined hilt of Eagle Claw —
or what little remained of it.
Even that had been half‑dissolved by the creature's acid.
Whether Beela died first from the acid
or from the exploding shards of Eagle Claw…
No one would ever know.
One thing was certain:
Beela's dream had come true.
In the final moment of his life,
he had slain a magical beast.
David slowly approached the corpse of the Demon‑Toad.
On the ground, he spotted the remains of the Talonblade's hilt.
He lowered his head and spoke quietly.
"Eagle Claw never accepted me as its wielder,
even though my wind element was compatible.
I always thought it was because I'm a hunter, not a true knight."
David lifted the hilt — now nothing more than a charred, acid‑scarred fragment.
"But seeing that it was willing to die with you…
I think I'm the one who lacked something."
He swallowed hard.
"I wish we had met sooner, Beela Hawkeye.
I would've loved to hunt at your side."
His voice trembled.
"What a waste…
I'll never get that chance now."
He closed his eyes.
"As long as I live, everyone in Greenwood will know
how the bravest hunter in the Kingdom slew a magical beast."
"Because of you, the Demon‑Toad never reached the city.
It didn't get to devour a single child."
David bowed his head.
"Thank you.
I will remember your sacrifice for the rest of my life."
A gust of wind swept across the clearing,
as if the forest itself bowed in respect
to the fallen Wolf Hunter.
The Gathering Flames
The Earth Demon‑Toad was dead.
Not slain by a Hero.
Not by a knight.
But by a hunter — Beela Hawkeye.
Yet the battle was far from over.
The forest burned hotter with every passing minute,
the smoke blotting out the sky,
and the demons still ravaged everything in their path.
Two hours had passed since the first clash.
Young Wolf sat on a fallen tree trunk,
with Ritta, the Silver Knight, beside him.
Floating around them was MS Eli, the spirit of the magical staff,
glowing softly with a faint, vibrating light.
"Someone is approaching," MS Eli said.
"But Noelle is still fifteen minutes away."
"Looks like Anita found us first," Andras replied, rising to his feet.
A moment later, Anita burst from between the trees,
followed by Annerose Redwood,
and then Botond, carrying Apollonia on his back.
Anita practically exploded into the clearing.
"Young Wolf! Finally! You're here!
Noelle isn't here yet?"
"She'll be here soon," Andras said.
"What happened to your eye? Come here."
Anita stepped closer.
Her right eye glowed brightly — pulsing with something foreign, something alive.
"Yeah…" Anita began casually.
"Ever since I started killing demons with my sword, I've been feeling stronger.
Weird things keep happening to me."
She lifted her demon‑slayer sword proudly.
"Guess what — I killed a Clan Leader.
My sword gave me five points for it, so I'm at ten out of a hundred now,
even though I've only killed six demons."
The clearing fell silent.
Ritta and Botond both snapped their heads toward her.
Annerose was still pale — shaken by fear and the tragedy of the pink pheasant.
Andras leaned closer, speaking quietly but firmly.
"Anita… this isn't just strength.
Something is changing inside you."
Anita shrugged, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
"Maybe.
But as long as I have demons to hunt, it's only an advantage."
MS Eli vibrated more intensely,
as if sensing the foreign energy radiating from the girl.
The group was finally together —
at least partially.
But in the burning forest,
with demons rampaging all around them,
everyone knew one thing:
the worst was still ahead.
Anita's Transformation
Andras studied Anita thoughtfully.
"So… the number of points you gain depends on the strength of the demons you kill, and how many you have to hunt with your sword. Interesting.
I wonder how many points a Demon General would be worth."
Anita shrugged as if Young Wolf had asked about the weather.
"Maybe a full hundred?"