Ed shook his head.
Viktor immediately wore a smug expression, as if he had caught Ed in a lie. "Ha, I knew it! You have to use a binding seal to fight griffins!"
"Someone like you would just be food for the griffins if you were sent up there! Useless!"
Village Chief Vladimir fell silent, his gaze turning serious.
Paul's face, on the other hand, looked grim.
Then, Ed broke the silence with an indifferent voice:
"Since you don't want me to help with the griffins, then I'll take my leave."
With that, Ed turned and walked out of the chief's residence, leaving both Vladimir and Viktor behind.
Outside, Paul looked at him with an apologetic expression.
"Hunter, I'm really sorry about this."
Ed replied casually, "It's fine. I haven't made up my mind yet."
Ed had originally planned to rest for the night in the village, replenish some supplies, and gather a bit of important information.
He also intended to pick up a map if possible.
Now, since they didn't want his help, he figured he might as well leave with Luna.
Suddenly, Viktor's voice echoed from behind. "Hey, next time you come out pretending to be a Hunter, at least try to look the part! Like I do!"
He stood there smugly, clearly proud of himself for having "exposed" Ed.
"Whoosh!"
At that moment, a gust of wind suddenly blew through the village.
Simultaneously, there was a loud sound from the sky—something tearing through the air.
The instant they heard that sound, everyone's nerves immediately tensed, and their faces turned pale with fear.
One after another, powerful, agile, and terrifying figures circled in the sky.
They were griffins—no one had expected that, less than an hour after the last attack.
The griffins would come back with a vengeance!
"Ah, it's those same five griffins! Damn them, they're back again!"
"Quick! Run! I don't want to be eaten by a griffin!"
The villagers panicked, shouting in all directions.
To them, the griffins were nothing but the embodiment of death. These powerful monsters could ravage helpless humans without breaking a sweat.
Paul and Viktor were visibly panicked, but it was too late to react.
One of the griffins came barreling straight toward Ed.
However, it wasn't aiming for Ed; its target was Paul and Luna, standing right beside him.
Ed quickly stepped forward, pushing Luna behind him to shield her.
The griffin used its claws to seize Paul, tearing his shirt to shreds in an instant!
Its powerful jaws, designed to crush, aimed directly at Paul's neck, ready to lift him into the air.
"No, no! Help! I don't want to die!" Paul screamed desperately.
"Boom!"
A fist shot out and struck the griffin's head with tremendous force.
In an instant, the griffin's head made a heavy, resounding thud.
It released its grip on Paul and flew upward, turning around to see what had threatened it.
It was Ed.
"Roar!"
The griffin let out a deep, furious growl.
It was clear that its lower jaw had caved in, and its entire head had been distorted from the blow!
The next moment, Viktor, who had been frantically searching for cover, widened his eyes in disbelief. "Holy shit! What kind of power is that?"
Ed remained alert, scanning his surroundings.
Five griffins were circling in the sky, each looking down menacingly.
He reached into his sleeve, feeling the Moonstone—he had five runes on him.
Just then, Village Chief Vladimir, hearing the commotion outside, hurried out and immediately spotted the griffin hovering above Ed.
"Watch out! That beast is coming down again!" Viktor yelled, warning him.
But Ed's hunter's senses had already detected the griffin's movements before anyone else.
The griffin, its face mangled from the blow, charged directly at Ed.
Its attack aimed straight at Ed's throat, intending to kill him with one strike!
But Ed had already prepared. His physical abilities, enhanced many times over, made evading the griffin's attack a simple task.
He sidestepped, causing the griffin's attack to miss entirely.
At the same time, he clenched the Moonstone in his fist and swung it toward the griffin's head again.
The griffin, however, was no fool. Seeing Ed swinging his fist, it opened its massive jaws wide, aiming to bite down on his fist and tear off his arm.
Simultaneously, its fierce claws lunged at Ed's body.
Fighting up close with a creature as large and deadly as a griffin was always a dangerous move, even for a Hunter.
"Boom!"
But just as the griffin prepared to strike, there was a sudden explosion of sound!
A brilliant moonbeam erupted from the griffin's mouth, instantly shattering its head like a watermelon. Its eyes shot out in all directions!
The griffin collapsed.
And Ed, exhausted from the effort, had used up one of his rune marks.
When Viktor saw this scene, he was completely stunned. "Oh my god! Instant kill! This imposter actually has real skills!"
Village Chief Vladimir also had a look of surprise on his face.
But Ed's expression wasn't optimistic. After killing the griffin, he took a few steps back and pressed his right hand firmly against his left shoulder.
There, a bloody wound had been torn open by the griffin's claws during the fight.
Luna immediately rushed over, her face full of concern, wanting to check Ed's injury.
"Ed, you're hurt!"
"I'm fine," Ed said calmly.
But when Luna forcibly moved his hand away, she saw a long, gaping wound beneath his torn shirt.
Even worse, the wound was starting to turn black.
Luna panicked. "It's griffin's poison! You've been poisoned!"
Ed gritted his teeth through the searing pain in his shoulder and spoke. "Luna, I'm really fine!"
The battle wasn't over yet. There were still four griffins circling in the sky.
"Hero, thank you again for saving me!"
Paul walked up, his voice full of emotion.
Ed glanced at him briefly. "Take Luna and go to a safe place, now!"
Hearing his savior's instructions, Paul immediately acted, and though Luna was worried about Ed's injury, she knew that staying here would only be a burden to him.
Reluctantly, she followed Paul to safety.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, another griffin let out a strange screech from the sky and dove straight toward Village Chief Vladimir's mansion.
Village Chief Vladimir's face changed, but the griffin wasn't coming for him. It went straight for his son, who was clad in silver armor.
With ease, the griffin pounced, slamming Viktor to the ground. It opened its mouth, aiming directly for his throat.
"Ah! No! Let go of me! Your breath stinks!" Viktor screamed, struggling violently.
But how could his strength possibly compare to that of a griffin?
Ed, watching the scene unfold, remained unmoved.
Village Chief Vladimir immediately shouted, "Hunter, please save my son!"
Ed gave him a cold glance. "You said earlier that you didn't need to hire me."
Village Chief Vladimir, in a panic, pleaded, "I'm so sorry, Hunter! I realize my mistake now! Please forgive my foolishness!"
"Don't hold my ignorance against me! Please, show mercy and save my son, he's my only child!"
"If you're willing to help, I will reward you generously!"
Hearing this, Ed nodded. With a quick motion, he dashed toward Viktor's side.
The griffin, focused entirely on killing Viktor, didn't notice Ed's approach.
This was a perfect opportunity.
Ed swung the Moonstone in his hand, and with a loud explosion, the griffin's head was obliterated.
Another rune on the Moonstone vanished.
Viktor scrambled to get up, pushing the griffin's lifeless body off him, his face still pale from the shock. "Thank you, Hunter! You saved my life."
Ed didn't even look at him, instead gritting his teeth against the pain in his shoulder as he scanned the sky above.
There were still three griffins left, and after losing two of their own, all their attention was now focused on Ed.
After all, Ed was a rookie Hunter. He was fighting alone and without any proper equipment.
If one of those griffins got another bite or claw on him, it would be a serious problem.
At that moment, Viktor quickly removed his silver armor and handed it to Ed. "Hunter, please wear my armor!"
"And take my sword! Use the steel sword against them!"
Ed didn't hesitate. He grabbed the armor and put it on, followed by the sword, which he firmly gripped in his hand.
Just as he finished donning the armor, the remaining three griffins had already begun circling overhead.