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The dawn broke with hues of orange and gold, painting the sky above the dense forest. The adventurer group had packed their camp with swift efficiency, every movement purposeful. Kenzai stood at the edge of the clearing, arms crossed over his chest, observing the team. His beast-like senses detected everything—the distant chirping of birds, the faint scent of dew on leaves, and the subtle tension in the group. They hadn't fully accepted him yet, but they were willing to tolerate his presence for now.
Korrin, the group's leader, adjusted the strap on his worn leather chest plate and approached Kenzai with a confident stride. His sword hung at his side, gleaming faintly in the morning light.
"You've got sharp eyes, stranger. I'll need you scouting ahead with Valeria," Korrin said, gesturing toward the elf who was busy inspecting her bowstring. "We need to cover ground quickly, but we can't afford to walk into an ambush."
Kenzai gave a slight nod, his bioluminescent veins flickering faintly as his body adjusted to the early chill. "Understood."
Valeria let out a soft sigh as she slung her bow over her shoulder and approached. Her emerald eyes met Kenzai's, sharp as daggers. "Try to keep up, beast-man. And don't make too much noise."
The two slipped into the undergrowth, their movements swift and fluid. Kenzai's primal instincts made him naturally silent, his padded feet gliding over the forest floor without a sound. Valeria seemed impressed but said nothing, her elven pride preventing her from acknowledging his skill aloud.
Behind them, the rest of the group—Korrin, Gorrath, and a short, wiry human named Tyren who carried a satchel filled with potions and vials—followed at a slower pace.
The forest grew darker as they ventured deeper, the canopy above blocking out most of the sunlight. The air turned heavy, thick with the scent of damp earth and something faintly metallic—blood.
Valeria raised her hand in a signal, and both she and Kenzai came to an immediate stop. Kenzai sniffed the air, his glowing eyes narrowing.
"Blood," he rumbled quietly. "Fresh."
Valeria nodded, her bow already drawn. "Something's nearby. Be ready."
From the shadows ahead, faint growls echoed, followed by the shuffling of feet—many feet. Kenzai's claws twitched, and his muscles coiled with anticipation. The beast within him stirred, urging him forward, craving the hunt.
Suddenly, a monstrous creature burst forth from the underbrush. It was a Cragmaw, a hulking wolf-like beast with stone-like plating covering its body. Its eyes glowed red, and saliva dripped from its jagged teeth. Behind it, two more Cragmaws emerged, their claws tearing into the soil as they growled low and deep.
"Three of them," Valeria hissed. "We can't let them alert others."
Kenzai stepped forward, his voice steady. "I'll take the lead. Cover me."
Without waiting for approval, he lunged forward, claws extending from his fingers. His speed caught the Cragmaws off guard, and before the lead creature could react, Kenzai was upon it. His clawed hand raked across its armored snout, sending it sprawling backward with a yelp.
The second Cragmaw lunged from the side, jaws wide open, but Valeria's arrow pierced its eye mid-leap, causing it to crash to the ground lifelessly.
The third Cragmaw roared and leapt for Kenzai's exposed back, but Kenzai's tail lashed out like a whip, striking the beast with bone-crushing force and sending it flying into a nearby tree.
The lead Cragmaw recovered and lunged again, but this time Kenzai's claws glowed faintly as his beastly power surged. He grabbed the creature by its throat and slammed it into the ground with enough force to crack the earth beneath them. A sickening crunch followed, and the Cragmaw fell still.
The forest went silent once more, save for the faint sound of Valeria lowering her bowstring.
Kenzai exhaled slowly, his chest rising and falling with controlled breaths. His claws retracted, and his glowing veins dimmed slightly.
"Efficient," Valeria said, stepping up beside him and inspecting the fallen beasts. "You fight like… well, like a beast."
Kenzai smirked faintly. "It's in my nature."
The rest of the party arrived moments later, with Korrin's eyes narrowing as he surveyed the scene.
"Cragmaws this close to the village?" he muttered. "Something's driving them out of their usual territory."
Tyren knelt beside one of the corpses, examining it with a professional eye. "These aren't just wandering beasts. Their patterns suggest they were… fleeing something. Something bigger."
A low growl rumbled from Gorrath, the lion-bear creature, as it sniffed the air warily.
Kenzai glanced deeper into the forest, his eyes narrowing. The Beast Domain within him stirred, an instinctive warning flooding his senses.
"Something's ahead," he said. "Something dangerous."
Korrin nodded. "Then we press forward with caution. If these beasts were running, whatever's ahead might be more than we bargained for."
The group pressed on, their pace slower but more deliberate. The air grew colder, and the oppressive silence of the forest weighed heavily on their shoulders.
Hours passed, and the faint sound of running water reached their ears. A river cut through the forest, its surface shimmering faintly in the sparse light that pierced the canopy.
But something was wrong.
The river was stained red. Blood.
Kenzai knelt beside the water's edge, his sharp senses overwhelmed by the metallic tang of fresh blood in the air. Valeria's face grew pale as she looked at the scene—dozens of monster corpses littered the banks, their bodies torn apart as though by a force far greater than any predator they had encountered so far.
"This wasn't done by Cragmaws," Tyren said, clutching his satchel tightly.
Kenzai's claws twitched, and his veins glowed faintly as the Beast Domain responded to the ominous presence in the air.
"They were hunted," Kenzai said softly, his voice low and guttural. "By something… primal."
Korrin unsheathed his sword, his expression grim. "Whatever did this… we might have just walked into its territory."
The adventurers exchanged uneasy glances, but there was no turning back now.
Ahead of them, deep in the forest, something waited—a predator, ancient and deadly.
And Kenzai could feel it watching them.
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End of Chapter 19