A loud rumble communicated to the crew that they were near a potential conflict. The thick treeline made it impossible to see below. So, Artie hardened the dome around the building, then drove straight down and crushed the blockade of colorful trees.

The structure touched down on a grassy floor, then Artie and, to his displeasure, Rachel both stepped from the guild house. With a sturdy barrier surrounding the base, Artie didn't worry about regular monsters getting past. He gathered Rachel in his arms, then dashed off into the forest.

Along the way, they crossed over slashed and burned tree-like monsters twice the size of humans. There were clear signs of a battle, and the quantity of those that perished only grew as they advanced.

While they transversed the oven-warm and unstable terrain, the distinct sounds of riled humans arose. Judging by the frequent quaking of the ground, the town's hunters had chosen quite the target. Though, considering their win/loss ratio, it was more probable that they were becoming the prey. And while Artie cherished his friends, he knew they were also fools cut from the same cloth. The ones that chose the largest dish when they had the smallest stomachs.

After several sprints, skips, and leaps, Artie and Rachel arrived. They jumped right into an active warzone, one with an apparent victor.

For some distance out, every previously standing tree had been toppled. All except one. The monstrous tree swung broad branches like arms and shifted dark, empty eye sockets across the hunters. It stood upright, towering the size of their three-story home.

This creature was stationed at the northmost edge of a partially burned battleground. Meanwhile, the hunters were spread south.

Four guilds were employed for the hunt, Mayumi's, Wana's, Skull's, and Sebastian's. They all aimed at the monster's base while it whipped at them with extensive vines and stabbed with flexible, extending branches.

Artie lowered Rachel at the southern edge behind the hunters. He inspected the scrabble, then waved his head in disappointment.

"They're losing," he stated.

"Certainly, it's odd they haven't disengaged," Rachel added.

While the tide was against them, it was evident that one pivotal factor made the difference in the battle.

Wana, the fire tank was bound to a defensive position. The dark-skinned woman was anchored in the soil only a few yards from the monster and used both arms to uphold her flaming shield. She repelled and torched dozens of vines and branches that repeatedly assaulted. Behind her were seven injured hunters that were all huddled together and being treated by a single medic.

In addition, the giant monster's range of attack kept Mayumi from getting close enough to deliver a decisive blow. Furthermore, despite his high level, Sebastian's slender knives did naught to hinder the tree's vitality.

"This really is botched," Artie mumbled, clasping his hand around the would-be weapon. However, he realized he didn't have the polearm.

"I normally never leave without it..." He whispered, peering at his empty open palm and lethal nails.

"At this rate, I really will just regress into a primal beast..."

He eyed the colossal enemy that shook the earth with each strike. It was definitely a God-Type, so he exerted caution when joining the fray.

After instructing Rachel to stay put, he dashed forward. Not far, because only a few feet in, a trap sprung. A stout vine blasted from the grass-covered ground and grabbed Artie's leg before elevating him high above the ground.

Uncontrolled, his body dangled upside down. But, only for a wink because he swiftly raised his claw and cut himself free of the snare. Artie flipped right-side up, landed on his feet, and then continued to charge ahead.

"Stay back!" Mayumi had shouted from across the damaged field.

Another step, and the ground grumbled beneath Artie. He hastily pumped the brakes, then one after another, pointed wooden branches fired up from the floor ahead of him.

His ears picked up on Sebastian shouting something about a trap, but it was useless information then.

Rachel wrung Artie back and suggested seeking additional support from Laria, a monster specialist. He hated the idea of adding another bystander. Still, after observing the one-side fight, he felt it necessary to compromise.

He quickly returned to the defended guild hall, then explained the situation to Laria, who immediately stiffened. She pointed to herself in awe and then began to stammer.

"Y-you want my help?"

Artie's unmoving face expressed his transparent assurance in the woman.

"You have a good eye; just watch the boss and tell us if you see any weaknesses," he instructed before walking toward the guild's exit.

He assumed she was right behind him, but nay. Laria hadn't moved. She set her palm on her light skin cheek, then tilted her head downward. The leather headband she wore across her scalp was fixed and held her dark hair in place.

Artie glanced back at the nailed-down woman, then halted. "Laria?" he voiced in concern.

Her features were hidden entirely, yet he could sense the frown on her face as she spoke.

"Sorry, I'm just a bit surprised."

"You all usually take care of things without my help, so…."

By her words, Artie figured she'd be overjoyed to finally feel "needed." Yet she diminished.

It was another moment in which he realized just how little he understood his friends.

"I wish I could address her properly, but we need to go..."

Artie understood what was required, yet he failed to act for some reason. Something about the woman lit an unusual urge within him. One that beckoned him to grab onto her, like a human tending to a wounded animal or wailing toddler.

Perhaps it was something about the woman's frailty, but it triggered a new emotion. Not one of human nature but a more carnal instinct.

He rebelled against his body, yet his arms inched outward toward her. At the moment, he was glad Laira was hunched over, or she would have caught his fully exposed fangs as he labored to restrain himself.

The desire to embrace then shifted into a hunger to take her into his clutches. His body steamed with an emotion he could only describe as "adult."

"What the hell, man, pull yourself together. There's no time for this!" he shouted internally.

Artie was still sexually pure; one didn't get to meet many women in a dying world. But because of his innocence, it was difficult to understand the influence that was likely caused by his genetic mutation.

In an involuntary, brutish manner, Artie brushed forward and grabbed Laria's thin face with both of his rough, broad hands.

"I need you," he impulsively growled.

Laria's face was mushed within his hands, and her features ignited like the sky of a festival. She squeezed her fair pink lips together and choked on whatever words she wanted to exhale.

Artie's body moved on its own, just like the night when he grabbed Mayumi. A perfectly sane mind, yet a disobedient frame.

As he peered at his flustered subject with ravenous eyes. A saving grace appeared. A single word that always seemed to override his body in the direst moments.

"Run."

"Just run."

Releasing her face, he swopped the woman into a cradle, then held on tightly before bolting out of the building.

He could feel Laria's gaze the entire time but was committed to his single-tracked objective.

 

<>

 

They dashed directly to the battlefield without an utterance. Once there, Artie let her down, then hastily and awkwardly pointed to the monster in indication.

Fortunately, the rampaging God-Type seemed to unclog Laria's shrouded mind. She activated. The woman stood on the tip of her toes, then meticulously examined the monster and field.

A minute later, she took a written utensil from her pocket and tossed it on the ground. As expected, within the second, spikes sprung.

"God monsters are very vengeful," began Laria.

"Once their kin is slain, they'll do anything to avenge them. The traps are probably a mechanic meant to stop the target from escaping."

"Just tell me what to do," Artie said, beyond anxious to join the war.

Their recent interaction still appeared to occupy her mind. Because Laria glimpsed at Artie but instantly abandoned the act.

"F-first, let's talk moveset..."

"The vines whip enemies within any distance of the boss. The branches, however, have a much shorter range of 20 yards but are much more lethal."

"The God hasn't moved its spot once. It's likely because it rooted itself in the ground to plant traps and pull resources from the earth. Hench, why it looks in good condition despite the fight lasting this long."

"I'd wager the two holes on its body are eyes. There would be no need for them if they weren't operational. So, If someone got behind it, there would be no way for the monster to see them."

"Of course, there are probably traps at its blind spot as well."

The woman's lecture was presented like an online tutorial video. It made it easy for Artie to understand, and together they thought of a strategy that utilized Laria's knowledge.

With the monster healing over time, he knew Wana was their best chance to kill it quickly. However, no one else was capable enough to endure more than five minutes while protecting the group of injured.

Rachel's confidence in the humans provided an answer. In place of Wana, she suggested allocating five of the most formidable hunters to defense instead.

It was a plan. An unpolished one, but it had to do.

Artie removed his shoes, uncovering the dark nails on his feet. After a deep breath, he dug into the ground, then tackled forward. He wasn't as fast as Sebastian, but he could speed by the traps before they impaled him.

While Running toward the battle, he shouted to the necessary parties and explained the plan.

"Finally!" Sebastian enthusiastically exclaimed.

He, Mayumi, and Wana broke from their current positions and withdrew to Artie's line. Ryu, Skull, Steel, and two other hunters took defensive around the injured and repelled attacks in Wana's place.

Artie's task force ran in a tight diamond formation toward the right side of the monster, heading for its blind spot. He was worried Wana wouldn't fit into their well-established cooperation. Yet, her adaptability was just as exceptional as her leadership.

"Incoming attacks!" Sebastian shouted from the rear.

Wana squeezed her previously sliced arm, and the blood splashed onto the flaming shield and fueled it. She readily blocked all the direct attacks as they ran, guarding their arrangement.

The woman held on until they reached the monster's flank, where the party stopped behind her hoisted shield. Mayumi stood shoulder to shoulder with Artie, and they both squatted down with outspread legs and hands.

Sebastian turned his back to them, then dashed away. After sprinting several yards, he turned around and bulleted toward the two arranged hunters.

Artie and Mayumi inhaled sharply and tightened their muscles in preparation. When Sebastian vaulted toward them, they caught his left and right leg, then grunted as they tossed their spine back and launched him into the air.

"Woooooo!" He hollered, propelling like a dart toward the monster's right side.

Upon approach, he held his knives like climbing picks and stabbed into the God-type. With his continuous momentum, he dragged the blades across the bark and trailed from its flank to its unprotected backside.

Deep lines of incisions afflicted the monster, which bobbed and angrily slammed its vines against the ground and their guilds.

After releasing his knives, Sebastian landed and immediately began sprinting along the floor while triggering all the set traps. Within his mastery, he could throw more knives at its backside while bolting onward.

The earth quavered, and the God uprooted from the ground to rotate its massive body. In a fit of rage, its attacks lost course and haphazardly slapped at the entire zone.

"Your turn," Artie notified, slapping his hand against Wana's back.

She was confused for a moment but soon realized what was transpiring when Mayumi also pressed against her.

Wana held her weapon up to her chest in anticipation. Then, Artie and Mayumi tensed and heaved Wana off the ground and toward her second weapon. She landed, then exchanged the shield for her black, scaly sword.

Ferocious flames enraged from the sword when she bled onto it. Then the crimson-eyed commander began to dash onward. She beelined for the frenzied monster, ignoring its uncoordinated attacks.

The mayor closed in fast, burning intensely with flames, and fuming with the scent of charcoal and blood.

Near her target and inevitable impact, her attention was stolen by a spine-chilling outcry.

"Move!" Laria had shouted from where Artie left her.

It was followed by a fearful thump, a sound comparable to a body that crashed into a solid object.

An ice-cold sweat slid down Artie's nervous back when he heard it.

With shaky hands and broken breaths, he circled to see an unfortunate scene. Then, a soft, barely audible gasp deserted his lips, and he mouthed.

"Laria?"