THE GHOST HUNTER .

---

The Hunter's Betrayal

The hunter pressed his foot down, keeping them all in place.

"I've been tailing you from the start," he admitted, his smirk widening as he surveyed the group. "When those three orcs attacked you in town, I followed your falcon, Kael. And when it blasted that armored orc's arm off, I knew you were up to something."

He twirled the dagger in his hand, enjoying their reactions.

"So instead of following you, I followed them—straight to this place. I gathered information, uncovered the truth, and found out that the old geezer was pulling the strings with that gemstone on his wrist."

Ray clenched his jaw, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword.

The hunter crouched slightly, readying himself for a fight.

"To tell you the truth," he continued, "killing you wouldn't give me much of a reward. But taking over this place? Becoming the leader of the orcs? That would give me a comfortable life." He grinned. "So I waited for the right moment. And here we are."

Then he noticed something strange.

Ray stood tall. Unaffected.

The gemstone's power, which had just moments ago crushed even the strongest of orcs under its weight, didn't faze him at all.

"What the hell?" the hunter muttered.

Before he could react, Ray vanished from sight.

A blink.

Then—

Ray reappeared right in front of him, his sword swinging toward his abdomen in a lethal arc.

The hunter's instincts kicked in.

He channeled all the gemstone's power into his defense, forming a glowing energy barrier around his body.

CLASH!

The collision sent out a powerful shockwave, blasting everything around them.

Ray was pushed back, skidding across the stone floor. But the moment he stopped, he lunged again.

The hunter scoffed.

"Same move won't work twice."

Ray smirked. "Who said I'm using the same move?"

Instead of attacking from the front, Ray moved behind the hunter.

Yet—his sword still hovered at the hunter's abdomen, as if an illusion.

The hunter's eyes flickered in confusion. "What the—?"

Before he could react, Ray's fist came from behind, aiming straight for his neck with brutal force.

But then—

"STOP, RAY!"

Kael's voice cut through the chaos.

"If you kill him, we'll all die!"

Ray halted, his fist just inches from snapping the hunter's neck.

The hunter laughed. "Hah. That's right."

Kael's voice was tense.

"He has a failsafe. If he dies, his body will explode. And not just a small explosion—the blast will wipe out this entire place."

The hunter's grin widened. "Not just the city. The orcs. The people. The children. They'll all be gone."

Ray narrowed his eyes.

The hunter started punching him. The attacks were weak—barely even scratches. But Ray couldn't retaliate.

He couldn't kill him.

Kael turned to the hunter.

"How large is your blast radius?"

The hunter smirked. "Enough to wipe out this whole place."

Kael's expression remained calm. "You mean even the mountains?"

The hunter blinked.

"No, no—just this settlement."

Kael smiled.

Ray caught the signal.

A blink.

Then—

The hunter suddenly found himself far, far away from the settlement.

He barely had time to react before he saw the cold steel of Ray's sword already at his throat.

"Wait—"

A flash of silver.

A beheading.

The last thing the hunter saw was Ray's unyielding gaze.

Then—

BOOM.

A massive explosion erupted in the distance, far from the settlement, deep in the uninhabited mountains.

Ray reappeared among his companions.

Kael let out a breath of relief. "You really got him out of here fast."

Ray sheathed his sword, silent.

But before they could fully process the victory—

A choked sob broke the air.

The orc mage had regained her consciousness.

Her eyes landed on the old orc's lifeless body.

Then, she started crying.

Emily's expression hardened.

"…You still care about him?"

The orc mage trembled, gripping her robe tightly.

Finally, she spoke.

"You… You have no idea how much he loved me." Her voice was soft, fragile. "Everything that happened… it was because he took the entire burden on himself."

Ray's eyes darkened. "He enslaved you. He manipulated an entire race. He used fear to rule. That's love?"

The mage's lips trembled.

"When we were children, I was blessed by the Goddess of Love. But… I was the only one in our tribe who received such a blessing.

"As time passed, our land grew harsher. Life became harder. He and I wanted to do something to save our people."

She took a deep breath.

"I had divine blessings, but my power alone wasn't enough. He spent years—day and night—studying, researching, looking for a way to save our tribe. He barely slept. He barely ate."

Her eyes turned distant.

"Then, one day, he found the Arcane Stone. And he saw the snow dragon."

She closed her eyes.

"…Something inside him snapped that day."

Her voice trembled.

"He became… different. He became obsessed. He became abusive. And yet… I understood why.

"He believed that if he controlled me, he could control the dragon. And he was right.

"With me at his side, he had everything he needed to keep our people alive.

"But deep down… I think he also feared losing me. Because if I left, if I abandoned him—who else could control the dragon?"

A heavy silence followed.

No one spoke.

Emily looked away. Kael sighed. Ray remained expressionless.

Finally—

The orc mage wiped her tears.

She turned toward the Arcane Stone.

"…This power needs a guardian," she said. "Without the dragon, it will wither.

"And without me… it will stop working."

Ray's gaze hardened.

"You're saying you're going to take his place?"

She nodded.

Emily took a step forward. "There has to be another way—"

The orc mage smiled faintly.

"There isn't."

With quiet determination, she turned and walked toward the dragon's cave.

The orcs watched in stunned silence as she reached the Arcane Stone.

She turned to Ray, Kael, and Emily one last time.

Then—

She placed her hands on the stone.

Divine light engulfed her.

Her body glowed… then faded into the stone itself.

She had become one with it.

The stone pulsed—alive, vibrant, radiating warmth.

The city would continue to stand.

The people would continue to live.

And she… would remain here, forever.

---

The Aftermath

A day later, Ray, Emily, and Kael prepared to leave.

The orcs gathered to bid them farewell.

"We owe you our lives," one of the elders said, bowing deeply.

Ray simply nodded.

Emily looked back at the Arcane Stone, her expression solemn.

Kael sighed. "Let's go."

Without another word, they turned and walked away, leaving the orc city behind.

Snow fell gently around them.

The mountains stretched before them, vast and endless.

As they stepped forward, none of them looked back.

The past was behind them.

Their journey continued.