One griffin was the first to dive down, its claws aiming straight for Ed's chest.
"Crack!" Fortunately, the silver armor blocked the attack.
Seizing the opportunity, Ed used his sword to deflect the griffin's assault while simultaneously launching a Moonstone rune.
With a loud explosion, the griffin's innards were blasted out!
Another griffin quickly followed, and after a few rounds of close combat, Ed seized the moment and sent another Moonstone rune flying, finishing off this second griffin.
Breathing heavily, Ed felt the heavy toll on his stamina. But there was still one more griffin circling above, watching him cautiously.
The deaths of its companions had made the remaining griffin more alert. Griffins were cunning creatures.
After observing Ed carefully for a while, it finally dove down, aiming directly for Ed's body.
Ed, too, was waiting for the perfect opportunity, hoping to use his last Moonstone rune to finish it off.
But just as he was about to launch the rune at the griffin's head, the creature, as if it had anticipated his move, spread its wings and nimbly flew away.
Ed quickly pulled back the Moonstone, almost letting the rune slip from his hand.
"It's learned! It's learned how to dodge!"
Ed immediately realized this, and sweat drenched his back.
This last Moonstone rune was the key to his victory—it absolutely couldn't miss!
The griffin then made several more dives, each one a feint, testing Ed's defenses. After each attack, it used its speed to flap its wings and retreat.
Time after time, Ed couldn't land a single solid hit.
"Ke ke ke—"
The griffin slyly bared its teeth. It had figured out a way to deal with Ed.
The villagers watched anxiously from the sidelines.
"Look! The young Hunter looks like he's about to fail!"
"No, he's our hero! He has to hold on!"
"The last griffin! Once we kill this beast, our village will be saved!"
This time, the griffin didn't aim for Ed's armor. Instead, it dove straight for Ed's head.
But just as before, its first strike was a feint. It had already studied Ed's combat pattern and figured out that Ed was holding a stone.
As long as it didn't get hit by that stone, it would be fine.
So the griffin planned to feint again, then suddenly take off and, when Ed raised the Moonstone, strike back and kill him in a surprise counterattack!
The griffin dove down once more, and Ed, as expected, raised his Moonstone in response, aiming it directly at the approaching creature.
But just before the griffin could make contact, it flapped its wings and soared back into the sky. Then, without warning, it swooped back down, attempting to take advantage of the brief moment Ed's hand was raised, planning to lunge at him and snap his throat.
"Roar!"
The griffin was certain the human was as good as dead, but what it hadn't anticipated was that Ed's hand holding the Moonstone was frozen in place.
Yet, his other hand, though wracked with pain, gripped the steel sword and swung it with all his might at the griffin's body.
"Crack!"
Blood sprayed everywhere as one of the griffin's wings was severed in an instant!
The griffin tried to retreat, but losing one of its wings had robbed it of both speed and agility.
Ed swiftly raised his other hand, aiming at the griffin's disoriented form, and the Moonstone emitted a brilliant silver glow.
"Boom!"
The final griffin was reduced to a pile of shredded meat by Ed's blast!
At that moment, both Village Chief Vladimir and his son stood stunned, their hands covering their mouths. The surrounding villagers erupted into cheers.
"Praise God, the griffins are dead, all of them are dead!"
"It's all thanks to this young man! He's our village's savior!"
"Waaah, respected Hunter, thank you for avenging my daughter!"
Amidst the pile of scattered griffin remains, Ed stood with an expression of exhaustion, his only feeling of relief being that, though the battle had drained his strength, he hadn't sustained any serious injuries.
However, even so, his shoulder was still scratched, and the poison from the griffin's claws was seeping deeper into his body. The searing pain from the wound was intensifying.
"Well, it's not life-threatening... I'll deal with that later."
As the battle ended, Viktor immediately approached, his face full of gratitude. "My God, respected Hunter, you're incredible!"
His attitude was a complete 180 from before. The way he looked at Ed now was filled with awe.
"I must ask—what was the rune you used to blow up those griffins? I've never seen anything like it in any of the books I've read."
Ed gave him a blank look, his voice tired. "I call it the Moonlight Rune."
"Benefactor! Thank you for saving my son, saving my village, and saving all the villagers!" Village Chief Vladimir stepped forward with sincere gratitude.
Before Ed could respond, the village chief pulled out a bulging pouch from his cloak and handed it to him.
"Respected Hunter, no need for words of thanks. Here are 100 gold coins. Please accept them as a token of my gratitude."
Ed didn't really understand the value of 100 gold coins but accepted the pouch nonetheless.
When he felt the weight of it, he realized just how heavy it was. Without hesitation, he stored it in his pocket for safekeeping.
"Hunter, it's getting late. I would like to invite you to dinner and treat you to show my gratitude!"
Village Chief Vladimir said with a broad smile.
By now, the sky had already darkened. Ed nodded and said, "Alright, I'd like to stay in the village tonight, if that's possible?"
Village Chief Vladimir's face lit up with surprise. "Of course, of course! It's our village's honor to have such a powerful Hunter stay with us."
"As the savior of our village, anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask!"
Ed nodded again and then added, "Also, please provide me with a map that includes the surrounding terrain, as well as the nearest city."
As soon as Village Chief Vladimir heard this, he immediately agreed, offering more thanks and well-wishes.
After all, Ed had truly saved the entire village, eliminating the griffins completely, not leaving a single one behind.
At that moment, Viktor suddenly approached Ed again and asked, "Hunter, are you planning to go to the nearby city?"
Ed nodded, and Viktor asked, "May I ask what you need to go there for?"
Ed didn't hide anything. "I plan to search for the Hunter organization there."
Recalling his experience of crossing over, Ed had awakened the Moonlight Meditation Technique. Not only had it saved his life in the hands of a sorceress, but it had also made him stronger, transforming him into a Hunter.
However, he still knew very little about the world of Hunters, so he had to go to the organization to gather more information.
To Ed's surprise, Viktor's face brightened up at this information.
Then, with a determined look, Viktor turned to his father, Vladimir.
"This time, no matter how you try to stop me, it won't work! I'm going to the city and joining the Hunter Association. I'll become a Hunter!"
"I'll go with this benefactor!"
Viktor's eyes were filled with intense longing to become a Hunter.
However, as soon as he said this, it immediately led to a strong protest from Vladimir.
"What did you say? How dare you!"
he yelled, his face turning red with anger. "As long as I'm alive, I will never let you become one of those freaks!"
After shouting these words, Vladimir suddenly remembered that Ed was standing right there, and quickly turned to apologize. "My apologies, Hunter. I didn't mean to offend you."
Ed shrugged indifferently and asked, "You seem very opposed to your son becoming a Hunter. Why is that?"
Village Chief Vladimir scratched his head and hesitated before replying, "Becoming a Hunter has its advantages, of course—enhanced physical abilities, a lifespan of over a hundred years—but for us ordinary people, there are many drawbacks that are hard to accept."
"They're seen as outcasts by society, and they can't have children. If my son really becomes a Hunter, I would have no descendants left."
After hearing this, Ed didn't know what to say. It seemed that wealthy people like Vladimir were particularly concerned with family lineage.
However, Viktor was stubborn. "Hmph, you've stopped me for so many years, but this time, I'm going. I have to go."
"You saw it yourself—our entire village was saved by the power of a Hunter. You have no reason to stop me anymore."
Hearing this, Village Chief Vladimir became visibly agitated. He picked up a cane from the corner and aimed it at Viktor's head, ready to strike.
Seeing the commotion, Ed sighed and decided to check on Luna to see how she was doing.