The Huntsman Of Death:A Gamer's POV As Side Character

Chapter 70 72:Intruder

I watched for a moment after the cat body dropped to the ground, silenced by my blade.

The air around us felt heavy, filled with the lingering tension of the fight. I took a breath and let my gaze shift to the others.

Ryan caught my eye first. As expected, he was struggling. Overconfidence had brought him down, literally. He tripped over his own footing, nearly landing flat on his back, but Talia stepped in. Quiet as ever, she struck at just the right moment, deflecting the panther's claws and saving his life.

"She isn't the best," I thought, watching her move, "but she's good. Reserved yet lethal."

I knew a bit about Talia from past missions of the games. She didn't have overwhelming strength or flashy abilities, but her faint presence made her an expert at landing precise, critical strikes. She was someone you underestimated until it was too late.

Then my gaze shifted to Freya. Of course, she had things handled. Her swordsmanship was sharp, her movements controlled, and her wind abilities devastating. She fought like she had nothing to prove, yet her expression said otherwise. After finishing off the last of the beasts, she turned to us, her head held high, as if expecting applause.

"As much I expected," I thought.

She thrived on praise but only from the right people, those with noble reputations. If you were a nobody and praised her, she'd think you were after her. And if you ignored her entirely, she'd see you as an eyesore. Either way, it was a trap.

I shook my head, pulling myself from my thoughts. That's when I noticed it movement in the bushes near Freya. My instincts sharpened, senses zooming in on the spot. A shadow moved, just enough for me to catch it.

I already knew what it was. Without a second thought, I stepped forward, pulling my blade from its sheath. In one smooth motion, I threw it toward the shadow, the blade spinning through the air.

Freya noticed immediately, her shocked reaction breaking her usual composure.

"WHAT!" she yelled, stepping aside just in time as the blade cut through the bushes.

SWOOSH!

A panther leaped out, narrowly avoiding the blade by swinging it's paw. Its fiery eyes glared at me, its growl low and menacing. It landed, preparing to strike.

But I didn't wait.

As everyone's attention was fixed on the spinning blade, I used Shadow Step. My figure melted into the darkness cast by the trees, vanishing into the shades. Moving silently through the shadows, I emerged from the bushes behind the panther. No one noticed how I moved as their focus was still locked on the panther.

The panther, not wart of the blade's direction, leaped ahead.

That was its mistake.Emerging, I caught the deflected blade and I aimed directly at its neck, my blade cutting through in a swift, precise strike.

The beast let out one last gurgled growl before collapsing, lifeless.

"Really!I didn't know that as I was busy."Freya gave an excuse.

"Yeah, too busy to show off around,"I snorted, making Talia look between me and Freya.

Freya blinked, pulling up her interface. When she clicked on the brackets, her eyes widened. "No one told me that! I've been too busy babysitting you pathetic slackers who got assigned to me!"

I couldn't stop the dry chuckle. "Don't make excuses, Princess. Learn to manage yourself. You won't always have servants and attendants hovering around to hold your hand."

Her glare could've cut through stone. "What did you just say?"

Before I could respond, Ryan interjected with his usual flair. "Miss Freya, ignore this idiot. You can rely on me for anything!"

Freya turned her icy gaze on him, her voice even colder. "Shut up."

Ryan flinched, his bravado instantly deflated. I smirked to myself but kept quiet. No sense in poking the beast any further.

As we approached the dungeon gate, my steps faltered slightly. Ryan was once again hovering too close to Freya, clinging to her like a bee to a flower.

As we appeared closer, I moved quickly and whispered into Talia's ears and then ran ahead.

Without a second thought, I shoved Ryan who was trying to snuck on Freya away, making him stumble and let out a startled scream.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Ryan yelled, glaring at me. "You've been acting like some stuck-up—"

I didn't respond as my focus was already ahead. Freya ignored his outburst entirely, her eyes fixed on the gate. She stepped forward, confident and unconcerned, completely dismissing the tension behind her.

Seeing this my pulse quickened. This was the moment I'd been waiting for. As Freya's foot crossed the threshold of the gate, a faint shimmer caught my attention. My instincts screamed danger.

Moving like lightning, I surged forward, my hand snapping around Freya's waist. "It's dangerous!" I shouted, my voice sharp with urgency.

Freya barely had time to process what was happening. Her eyes widened in shock as I pulled her back just as a blinding glow illuminated the dungeon.

The ominous light pulsed, and I knew what was coming.

Gripping her tightly, I spun around, shielding her with my body and trying to get as far away from the source as possible. But before we could move far enough, the blast erupted.

An explosion roared through the dungeon, its force sending a wave of heat and pressure that knocked the air from my lungs. Dust and debris rained down as we tumbled backward. My arms remained locked around Freya, keeping her shielded from the brunt of the impact.