Chapter 4- Risk of hunt

The doors of the cages opened, and the killers, as well as the lambs, were free to get out of their cages. Groups one and two were dumbfounded; they turned to look at the middle-aged man, hoping for an explanation.

"To hunt without considering the possibility of being hunted is not befitting of a 'HUNTED.' If you dare to take their lives, you should be ready to forfeit yours as well. Now, begin the hunt!!"

And with that, everyone jumped into action. The killers made their way out of the cages with the lambs. As it turned out, their belongings were not taken away after they were captured, so both those inside the cage and outside had their tools and a chance at survival.

A gruesome battle ensued, with groups one and two on one side and the killers and lambs on the other. Those who were coming out of the cage had nothing to lose, thus were fearless and crazed in order to survive. Meanwhile, those in groups one and two were trying to create a formation to systematically kill them. But how could it happen when they had to compete for the kills, and the killings were happening at an increasing speed, decreasing the chances of others being selected?

Thus, the formation broke, and both groups went into a frenzy of killing and surviving. The most noticeable were 19 people from groups one and two who killed their share of people and moved to the back to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. They were sure to become the "HUNTED" as long as they survived. These people made a team of their own, and more people kept joining them as they also completed their tasks.

But groups one and two weren't unscathed either; a large number of them were already dead. From where Hob was, there were a few who were surrounded and at the brink of death, but three of them who were surrounded together stood out as they kept killing everyone who came into their range. It was as if they instinctively knew what move the others would make and reached there to help them out. This group was making their way to the back as well, for they had completed their share of kills and thus lost interest in killing more.

Elsewhere, a group of eight killers was massacring people from groups one and two, and they didn't look like they would stop anytime soon, for they knew as long as even one of them was alive without completing their tasks, they wouldn't be safe for real.

Most of the weapons and tools being used were made out of wood, as metal, even the most common of them, was monopolized for the use of the "HUNTED." So, most of those fighting right now had to do so with wooden weapons. Some were ingeniously well-made for killing, such as tonfas and nunchaku. There were a few of these to be seen, but when used here, they were bringing down enemies at an extreme speed. Meanwhile, some were also using the most crude wooden clubs and maces. These were only as effective as the strength of their user and thus had a limited effect on the battlefield.

But the one who stood out the most was a girl among the lambs with a hollow tube of wood, shooting out darts dipped in a bit of poison. What was fascinating wasn't her weapon itself, but how she moved on the battlefield, collecting the darts back after the kill was confirmed. In the chaos of the battlefield, this woman was moving surprisingly well, avoiding the path of weapons and not missing a chance to retrieve her darts.

After around three hours of killing, everyone stopped as there was no point in fighting anymore. Ninety-seven of groups one and two were in a perfect defensive formation, having all completed their tasks, while sixty-three of them were in another defensive formation, unable to complete their tasks and forced to stay on the defensive by the killers and lambs.

As for the lambs and killers, around 400 of them were alive. Most were ferocious towards the 63 huddled in a defensive formation, but no one from either side dared to make a move lest they begin the killing again.

Seeing the passiveness of both groups, the middle-aged man spoke again, "Since none of you are making a move anymore, the test for groups one and two ends here. Those who have passed, form a line in front of me, and those who didn't pass but are still alive, join the lambs. As for group three, follow me at once and select a lamb from those in front of us. Take them on a hunt in three days. You have 10 minutes to select the lamb you like. Those lambs will be serving you if they survive the hunt, so make sure to decide after giving it some thought. Those who aren't selected, return to the cages at once."

As soon as the middle-aged man stopped speaking, Hob moved, determination flashing in his eyes. Before anyone could react, he had already reached a young girl almost the same age as him and lifted her hand, saying, "I select her." The girl looked calm, gazing at Hob questioningly. "I'll explain later," Hob assured her, to which she nodded.

"Decisive and quick," the middle-aged man praised.

With that, others also began to decide quickly based on what they had seen during the battle, selecting the best fighters among the lambs and taking them away.

Soon, everyone had selected their lambs, and the rest were put into the cages again. Those of groups one and two who completed their tasks were taken away to do the paperwork, and group three was taken to a base on the outskirts of the safe zone by the middle-aged man.

"All of you have three days to familiarize yourself with each other and your lambs, as well as think of your strategies for the hunt. You are allowed to form teams with others, but only one person will be considered passed for each monster you hunt. As for the details, you can look for them at the reception. For now, go and have a rest and prepare for your hunt," the middle-aged man said and left.