Ray looked at the woman. She was shivering, cornered at the side of the bed, whimpering in terror.

Ray didn't want to harm her. He quickly turned his attention to Zeth's belongings.

He rummaged through the dead man's clothes, finding a heavy leather pouch, and took all the bucks inside.

With a final glance at the scene of the carnage, he jumped out of the same window he had entered through.

Just as he landed silently in the garden, a young man appeared in the hallway inside. He hadn't been able to sleep because of the earlier screaming.

"Can't even shut the mouth of a single bitch," he muttered in frustration, stepping out for the fresh air.

At that same moment, he saw the shadowy figure—the 'werewolf'—jump down from the second-story window.

"Who..." the young man muttered, freezing in fear.

Ray knew that every member of the Willson and Dorian families was involved in the heinous acts Zeth had committed.

He didn't flinch.

In a swift, brutal movement, he swung his claw on the young man, giving him the same fate as Zeth, the vice-leader of Delta squad.

The sharp claws of Lunar's Rage made quick, silent work of the Ray's second victim.

With two bodies left behind, Ray vaulted over the residency wall and vanished, heading back to the city he had just left, leaving a fresh bloodbath at the Willson house.

Ray reached the other city's gates before dawn. He slipped back into the inn room, drank the two remaining mugs of beer, and collapsed into the bed.

He slept deeply, a sleep earned by a long day of planning and a violent night of action.

When he woke up late, the sun was already high in the sky. Feeling refreshed, he dressed and went downstairs for the food.

The inn was busy with the mid-morning crowd—travelers having a meal, locals stopping for a drink, and the Innkeeper guy bustling behind the counter.

Ray sat at an empty table and ordered the breakfast that was included with his room.

As he ate, he couldn't help but overhear the loud conversation happening at the table.

A nervous-looking traveler was talking to the someone he knew.

Traveler: "...and they say it happened in Hosfield city, just a few hours from here. Terrible business."

Another guy: "Hosfield? What happened now? Always something going on in that eastern district."

Traveler: "It was a night creature attack. The worst kind. They say the Willson family lost their youngest son. Beheaded, right in their own house."

Another guy: "By the gods! Beheaded? Inside the city? Did the holy bell not ring?"

Traveler: "That's the strange part. No one heard anything until the screams started. But the horror doesn't stop there.

They say the vice-leader of the Temple's Delta squad—a man named Zeth—was there too. And he... he met the same end. Head severed by sharp claws."

Ray paused, a piece of bread halfway to his mouth. He set it down slowly, pretending to be utterly absorbed in his food while listening to every word.

The rumors were spreading fast, and the details were perfectly correct.

Another guy: "You mean the vice-leader of Delta squad from the temple? Killed by a night creature inside the city walls? The Temple won't let this go. This is going to be a disaster for that city."

Traveler: "A disaster for the Temple, more like. They'll be sending their best extermination squads. That's why I'm heading further west, just in case."

Ray finally spoke, leaning forward slightly in his seat, feigning a traveller's curiosity.

"Excuse me," he said, directing his voice toward the Another guy and the traveler.

"I couldn't help but overhear. Hosfield, you say? I just came from there. Was this some kind of wild animal, or a large beast?"

The traveler turned, eager to share his dramatic news. "A beast, young man, it must be night creature! They say it was a werewolf, though how it got past that holy bell..."

The traveler leaned in. "That's why everyone's in a panic. Not only did it kill one of the most powerful young men of the Willson family, but it also got to a Temple's one of the Vice-Leader."

Another guy: "The Temple won't take that sitting down, you can bet on it."

Ray: "If a Vice-Leader was killed, surely the Temple will send more than just a few patrol knights. Are there any rumors of squads moving?"

Ray's voice was casual, but his eyes were sharp, fixed on the traveler.

Traveler: "Oh, they're moving alright. My cousin works on the main trade route, and he sent word. They're sending two full extermination squads to the region.

They want to cleanse the whole area. And not only that but the Captain of the Delta Squad himself was coming to avenge his subordinate."

But suddenly Ray spoke, "They did nothing when a month ago two knights died, including few villagers and now that their one of the main guy killed, they are mobilising the two whole squads."

Another Guy warned, "Shhhh… Don't say such thing, how can we common people will know about what the people from the temple thinking."

Ray nodded, didn't argue or corrected the man.

He finished the last of his food, gave a polite nod, and stood up. "Thank you for the information. That is quite a shocking tale."

Ray walked away from the counter and returned directly to his room, his mind racing with what he has just found.

'The plan had worked perfectly—too perfectly.' He thought.

He locked the door behind him and took a deep breath. His body was still buzzing with residual energy from the night's actions, a wild, dark power that was constantly seeking release which was controlled by his Holy heart skill.

His decision was clear, he would rest for a day to let the frenzy fade, and then he would gather more information on the Temple's forces and their movements.

Ray sat on the bed, his eyes still closed, thinking of the strange list of abilities in his mind.

[Lunar's Rage]

[Blood Thirst]

[Blade of Dusk]

[Vigilant Hunter]

[Holy Heart]

He shook his head, a single line of frustration creasing his brow. He still had no idea how he had ended up with all five skills.

The standard rule, the very foundation at the beginning, was that a person got a single skill, one special ability that will be granted to the single person.

Yet, he had five, acquired one after another.

His focus shifted to the dark, wild power that still pulsed beneath his skin, the leftover energy from the previous night's rampage.

Just as he had guessed, his body now housed both Holy as well as dark power.

The Lunar's Rage and Blood Thirst were raw, instinctual, and tied to the night. But Holy Heart sat dormant, a cold, golden shard of power that was completely at odds with the rest.

The confusion was maddening, a constant conflict of nature, but all he could do now was continue forward and keep looking for the answers that he couldn't find now.

He pushed the thoughts away, and calm his heart.

…

Meanwhile, in Hosfield city, the entire city was paralyzed by fear. Whispers of the savage attack spread like wildfire, and the east district was in an even worse state.

In the lavish hall of the Willson manor, the heads of the three families—the surviving Willson patriarch, the Dorian patriarch, and Paul Epsten—stood looking down at the bloodied bodies of Zeth and the younger Willson son.

The scene was horrific, a level of violence none of them had ever imagined would touch their insulated world.

The Dorian and Epsten families were at a terrible, uneasy ease, as they weren't the immediate victims.

The Epsten family, especially Paul, silently speculated. They knew this must related to the heinous act that Zeth, the Dorian family, and the Willson family had committed—their dealings with the women.

It was too much of a coincidence. But they kept their mouths shut.

Speaking now would only draw the Temple's wrath onto them, and right now, survival meant silence.

Knights were everywhere, holding tight formations. Luna was there, along with other high-ranking knights, maintaining a perimeter and waiting for the two squad captains—including the Captain of the Delta Squad—to arrive.

The mood was tense, thick with the smell of blood and the fear of divine retribution.

…

Unbeknownst to the frantic preparations, Ray was already on the move. He was not one to hide. He knew the best way to avoid suspicion was to act normally.

He went downstairs and first sought out the inn owner. He pulled out the pouch of bucks he had taken from Zeth.

"I apologize for the delay," Ray said, handing the owner the money. "I was truthful when I said I lost my pouch. Luckily, I found it this morning."

The inn owner, seeing the money, was overjoyed. "No apologies needed, sir! I knew a holy man like you would keep his word."

Ray counted out the original hundred and twenty bucks, then pushed a few more across the counter. "I'll be needing the room for one more night," he said.

With his affairs settled and his appearance as a good, honest traveler cemented, Ray left the inn.

He headed out to quietly look at the city once again, just to stroll this time, but for the crucial information he needed about the Temple forces that were about to descend upon the region.

He was hunting the hunters now.

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