Rebirth: 100 Days Before Doomsday - Chapter 290

Chapter 290: Operation: First Hunt
The months that followed the Great Alliance’s decision to fight back were relentless.

The world changed once again.

The safe zones were still holding strong thanks to their barriers infused with dozens of high level Spirit Stones the countries had managed to gather over time. But outside the barriers, the land kept growing wilder.

And the Monster Beasts?

They were multiplying at a terrifying rate. Not only that, but it turned out that once their initial wrath died down, they stopped hunting the infected and the spirit beasts.

The Great Alliance kept working at a breakneck pace, training warriors, forming squads, and gathering intelligence. The academies expanded, new ones were built, and thousands were pushed beyond their limits in training, preparing for the battles to come.

But no amount of training within safe zones could compare to real combat.

And that was why Grace decided to lead the first mission against a Monster Beast pack.

Just like always, 2025 played its role in this mission as well. The little creature was the one to identify a group of Class 2 Monster Beasts lurking in the ruins of Lakeshire City. The beasts had nested in the area for weeks, and that particular area had no other high class beast, only a few dozen infected.

Class 2 Monster Beasts were strong, much deadlier than even Class 5 Shadow Beasts they had fought before. Their hides were tough, their strength monstrous, and worst of all, they were intelligent… much more than the Shadow Beasts.

Grace selected ten warriors to accompany her: Kevin, Seth, Aleena, Cara, Maven, Cesar, Silas, Veronica, Root, and Hans.

All these ten people were among the best warriors she had personally trained, especially the ones from her personal team. And tonight, they were going to prove their worth.

The air was thick with tension as the team stood just outside the ruins of Lakeshire City, hidden within the twisted remains of an old highway. Though it was middle of the day, the area was shrouded in shadows because of the thick layers of ash and dark clouds covering the sky.

Grace stood at the front, looking calm and composed. Her keen emerald eyes sweeped over her team.

“Final check,” she murmured.

One by one, her team confirmed their readiness.

Weapons? Loaded.

Spirit Energy levels? Stable.

Mental state? Steady.

She nodded.

“Remember,” she said quietly, her voice carrying over the wind. “I’m here to guide you. This is your battle. Learn. Adapt. Work together. If you hesitate, you die. If you panic, you die. If you fight recklessly, you all die.”

Her words weren’t cruel, they were reality. And her team understood it.

“Move out,” she ordered.

The ruins of Lakeshire City were nothing but hollowed-out buildings, twisted metal, and shattered streets. Thick vines and mutated plants were crawling over everything, reclaiming the land.

But beneath that eerie beauty… lurked death.

[The Monster Beasts are near.] Confirmed 2025.

Kevin crouched low, raising his rifle. His Spirit-infused scope locked onto movement in the distance, on the large figures lurking near what used to be a bank.

“Three o’clock, second building, second floor,” he whispered. “Two of them, moving fast.”

“More at eleven o’clock,” Cara added, her eyes tracking movement near an overturned truck.

Grace didn’t even have to look. She already felt the beasts.

“Silas?” she prompted.

Silas exhaled. “Eight total,” he confirmed. “They have sensed us. They are hunting.”

Grace smiled faintly. “Then let’s show them what real hunters look like.”

The Monster Beasts struck first. A huge, panther-like creature lunged from the darkness. It had black fur with glowing red veins, and its claws gleamed with something poisonous.

Cesar moved instantly, raising his massive shield. The impact shook the ground, but he didn’t falter.

“NOW!” Grace barked.

Veronica loosed an arrow, the Spirit Energy-infused projectile piercing straight through the beast’s eye. It screeched, thrashing wildly, but then, Seth darted in with his blades and with two precise slashes, he severed its head.

One down.

But the real battle just began.

The rest of the Monster had noticed them, and were charging at them as soon as their first partner went down.

A towering, ape-like creature roared, slamming its fists against the ground which sent a shockwave through the ruined street.

Hans reacted fast, activating a formation beneath the team’s feet. The energy absorbed the shockwave, preventing the team from being thrown off balance.

“Kevin, left flank!” Grace ordered.

Kevin fired, his Spirit Rifle blasting through the ape’s knee, making it stagger.

“Root, now!”

Root released his Spirit Beast, a massive mutated wolf, which pounced on the injured creature, tearing into its throat.

Another down.

The remaining six Monster Beasts were relentless.

One, a lizard-like creature with armor-like scales, slithered across the battlefield, striking like lightning.

Maven hurled an explosive directly beneath it.

BOOM.

The explosion sent the lizard flying. But it wasn’t dead.

“Cara, go!”

Cara moved like a ghost, her dagger flashing as she found the weak spot in its armor… its exposed underbelly.

It turned out a clean kill.

The battle raged on, but the team fought with precision.

Aleena was fast with her moves, making fatal strikes. Cesar tanked the heaviest blows, his shield dented but unbroken. Hans continued reinforcing formations, keeping the team’s energy levels high.

And Grace?

She watched. She commanded. And she guided.

This was their fight. And they were winning.

After an hour, there was only one Monster Beast left. It was a massive, wolf-like creature. Its fur was bristling with energy, and its amber eyes gleamed with fury.

It was wounded, panting, but still deadly. And it knew it was going to die. It let out a final, deafening howl, and then… it charged.

Grace finally moved.

She stepped forward, raised a single hand, and crushed the beast with pure Spirit Energy.

As the creature fell lifeless at her feet, everyone else stared in shock. Even though they knew that she was strong, far stronger than any other human walking on Earth, they still had no idea just what her level of power was.

“Lesson over,” she said while dusting off her hands. “Mission accomplished.”