God System: Growing My Cult Across the Multiverse-Chapter 12: Back to the Hunt

The soft, moist blanket of moss covering the ground muted the steps as they walked through the forest.

It's only been a few hours since the night onslaught had ended, but the villagers had already dragged Zayne back to the forest, to hunt the monsters. Now that they knew that he would be leaving soon, they wanted to take advantage of his presence as much as they could in the little time that remained.

Not that Zayne minded. Going to the forest to hunt, that is. He was rather displeased with the villagers' opportunistic attitudes, but...

He could let it slide this time. He also didn't want to waste the time. There were still two nuisances he wanted to eliminate before his departure, after all, and he needed to find a good opportunity to do that, in a way that wouldn't ruin his image.

The hunters led the way. They knew the terrain best, including the locations of the monster dens. Werewolves were nocturnal creatures, and should be resting right now, making it the best time to ambush them...

That was the plan.

Except, things wouldn't quite go their way.

Zayne was the first to notice the monsters slowly encircling them. After the night, with all the points he had spent, his senses were now much sharper than those of an average human being. He could easily pick up on the soft sound of paws stepping on the moss.

However, he stayed quiet. For his purposes, it would be best if their group got separated. Otherwise, it would be hard for him to make a move on his targets.

It was only when they were fully surrounded that he tapped the nearest hunter's shoulder.

"Monsters," he mouthed.

He was the 'prophet', after all. He couldn't possibly allow the villagers to think they noticed the monsters before him.

One by one, the men were all quietly informed of the situation. They didn't panic - they weren't some newbies who had never faced werewolves before, but experienced hunters who knew how to behave in dangerous situations. They stopped advancing and raised their weapons, vigilantly looking around, as they tried to figure out which direction the monsters might attack them from.

Zayne raised his hand, and slowly drew a circle, giving them the answer.

All around. The werewolves would attack from all the sides.

There was a brief pause, as the hunters froze, comprehending the situation.

It was worse than they thought. Depending on the number of monsters... With nothing to shield them, and no way to retreat, they might all be done for.

How could they have ended in such a predicament? They were quiet. Approaching the monster den on a sunny early afternoon. In clean clothes, after washing themselves in the river, and then smearing mud over themselves, to mask their natural human scent as much as possible. They did everything right, based on their experience. By any means, the monsters shouldn't have discovered them, not when they were still a fair distance away from the den...

Of course, they shouldn't. If it wasn't for the torn scraps of material, soaked in werewolf and human blood, hidden underneath Zayne's clothes. The villagers' sense of smell couldn't pick up on that, but the werewolves' noses were far more sensitive, especially regarding the scent of blood.

The corners of Zayne's mouth twitched, but he suppressed his urge to smile. Some of the hunters, particularly the younger ones, were constantly glancing at him, since they saw him as their hope to get out of the situation alive and unscathed. He couldn't possibly let them see how much he enjoyed their predicament.

If they did, then they would all have to die, and that would be a bit of a waste, considering they just had had their faith reaffirmed. Not that Zayne cared all that much, but he wanted to give them at least a chance to survive.

So instead, he put on a serious expression, staring straight ahead, into the forest. With his knees bent and his sword raised, he was ready to fight.

And the moment he sensed the werewolves making their move, he also shot forward, swinging his sword while activating its lightning ability.

There were more than enough monsters around. Even if he were to slay a few, they would still be able to fulfill their purpose. So, Zayne could comfortably put on a nice show.

"Argh!"

"Ugh!"

"Ah!"

The hunters behind him struggled. Attacked from all sides, it was difficult for them to defend. Although they fought hard, they were quickly pushed in various directions. The elder, more experienced men tried to stick together, but some of the younger ones started looking for ways to retreat...

Well.

Zayne shrugged his shoulders, beheading another werewolf.

Some casualties were to be expected. Losing a few hunters would hardly make a difference when it came to his income, so it wasn't a big deal. As long as his goal was achieved.

He sent another werewolf flying, its body twitching as it hit the ground, the electric current causing violent muscle spasms. With it, a small gap finally opened in the encirclement.

Zayne remained quiet, just focusing on slaying the monsters. He didn't want to be the one to suggest any potentially dangerous ideas, as it would reflect on him badly if there were any casualties...

But there was bound to be someone who would do so.

And sure enough, soon one of the young men noticed the gap.

"Ah! Dere's a path! We can escape!" he exclaimed, rushing forward without hesitation.

A few others followed him.

But how could such a small gap remain open for too long, when they were encircled? It quickly became filled by the werewolves again, splitting the group into two.

Seemingly paying no mind to what had just happened, Zayne continued to slay the monsters, creating openings here and there.

Some of the hunters took the opportunity when it was right in front of them, and tried to flee. The situation in the encirclement only continued to worsen, after all, so what did they have to lose? Staying in would most likely lead to their deaths anyway, so it was better to take a chance...

In the desperate situation, they lost their cool, and didn't even pay attention in which direction they were escaping. They just tried to get away, as far away as they could.

At the end, only the most experienced hunters remained with Zayne. And, although not without any casualties on their side, they emerged victorious in the end.

Zayne swept his eyes with satisfaction over the scene. Neither of his targets were among the dead, but they both escaped somewhere. If he was lucky, they might not have reached the village yet.

"Alright," he exhaled deeply, turning toward the remaining hunters. "We need to find everyone who was separated from us... They might be in danger. I should be fine on my own... So I think it would be best if we split. Then, we can cover more ground," he suggested.

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"'Right. We'll go in dis direction den," the leader of the group gestured to the right.

Zayne hesitated briefly, but in the end, he nodded his head in agreement.

Zozek fled to the right, but Sydell went to the left. So, it didn't matter which direction he took, he should be able to get at least one of them.