The Damned Demon

With the monstrous Kraken now emerging from the water, its silhouette casting a daunting shadow over the expanse below, tension was palpable among the hunters.

The moonlight further amplified the eeriness, reflecting off the wet, shiny carapace of the beast, making it look quite unsettling.

However, Skull Crusher scoffed audibly, looking towards his comrades with a hint of amusement, "That Umbralfiend Princess thinks she's clever, sending this monstrosity as her herald. But with our shields," he tapped on a rune-etched stone with his feet, "she can't get to us in time. And while she's trying to get through, we'll be bombarding her from up here. Killing a Soul Devourer from the safety of our perch? Almost feels unfair, haha."

Elias, who was eavesdropping on Skull Crusher from afar, smirked, "For once, I agree with that muscle head. It's almost a pity. I was hoping for a more hands-on experience."

A younger Hunter, his armor seemingly freshly polished, piped up anxiously, "But what about that Kraken? I've heard tales, stories of its invulnerability as long as it remains within the water. How do we deal with that?"

Skull Crusher let out a hearty laugh, the sound echoing in the night, causing a few nearby birds to take flight, "Ah, young Holt, always overthinking. We've been through this. Just keep raining your attacks on it. It's a young Kraken that hasn't even matured. It can't climb, and even if it could, this terrain is too steep for it. All it can do is wave its 'little' pincers at us." He punctuated his statement with a dismissive wave of his hand.

As the Kraken's gargantuan form advanced, causing minor tremors with each movement, the silhouette of its caparace gleamed eerily under the luminescence of the moon. Its beady eyes fixated on the group of Hunters above, filled with raw predatory intent.

One of the Hunters, Marla, her light auburn hair tied in a high ponytail and eyes darting in every direction, voiced the thought that was nagging everyone, "Where's the Umbralfiend Princess? And her cronies? They wouldn't just send the Kraken alone, would they?"

Skull Crusher, reloading his heavy machine gun, scoffed, "Exactly what I anticipated. They're using this monster to test our defenses, and hopefully pave a path for their entrance since they know they will get fucked if they come here first. But they're in for a rude awakening."

His grin widened as he lifted the machine gun, its frame adorned with intricate mystic runes. As he squeezed the trigger, the bullets ignited, radiating a vivid blue glow, infused with his powerful mana.

*TAK! TAK! TAK! TAK!....*

The rapid-fire assault echoed through the night, every shot making an impact on the hard shell of the Kraken.

"Unleash hell!" Skull Crusher roared, signaling the others.

Alaric, a slender Hunter known for his agility, leaped high and hurled a barrage of energy-imbued daggers, which, combined with other attacks, caused cracks on the Kraken's armor.

Simultaneously, Vera, another Hunter began chanting a spell. As she released her mana, torrents of ice shards rained down on the beast.

"KREEEEE!!"

The Kraken, bombarded by the attacks, let out an ear-splitting screech, the sound waves causing a minor disruption in the nearby waters. But it wasn't backing down; it retaliated by shooting a stream of pressurized water toward the Hunters, displaying its might.

The Kraken's relentless assault against the protective barrier resonated with tremendous force, sending shockwaves through the air. The shield, designed to be unbreakable, displayed signs of vulnerability as thin cracks began to spider across its surface.

Skull Crusher, recognizing the impending danger, barked out orders, "What are you five doing? Stop gawking and reinforce the damn shield!"

The five Hunters behind him immediately sprang into action, pouring their mana into the weakening barrier. Each of their palms glowed with a distinct color, signifying the unique magic they channeled to patch the fractures.

As more and more attacks rained down on the Kraken, the Hunters witnessed, with a mix of awe and dread, its incredible regenerative abilities.

It was as if each injury fueled its resolve, making it more aggressive, more determined.

"This isn't working!" Another Hunter exclaimed, narrowly dodging one of the Kraken's sweeping tentacles, "We can puncture its flesh, but it's just going back into water and coming back up again to fire attacks at us. Eventually, our shields would break."

Eryk, beads of sweat forming on his brow, added, "It's true. In water, the mosnter's healing capabilities are unparalleled. Even an S-rank would struggle to inflict lasting damage."

Most of the Hunters felt chills imagining how worse the situation would have been if they were facing a mature Kraken.

Skull Crusher, gripping his heavy machine gun tightly, yelled above the cacophony of battle, "Just 3 of us are more than strong enough to suppress it back into the water. So our priority is the shield. If that breaks, we're all fish food!"

He then gave another order with a sharp look, "I need ten of you to activate the reinforcement runes. We need to buy as much time as we can!"

With urgency driving their movements, the Hunters dispersed, each moving to a specific point on the rocky terrain.

Embedded in the ground, faintly glowing symbols illuminated their path.

These were the reinforcement runes. One by one, the Hunters began the intricate ritual of channeling their power into the runes, amplifying the strength of the shield.

A soft hum filled the air, harmonizing with the raging roars of the Kraken, as the once fragile shield started regaining its lost vigor. The barriers grew brighter, and the cracks began to mend.

Skull Crusher's triumphant laughter echoed around the rocky terrain, resonating a feeling of victory amongst the Hunters, "Just look at that!" he boomed, pointing to the Kraken's receding form, "A creature of its size, forced to retreat. The might of a monster is nothing in the face of our combined strength."

Kai, one of the Hunters, added with a smirk, "That's right. It can't match our pace. We'll wound it faster than it can heal."

But as the minutes ticked by, the atmosphere turned tense. The calm waters, illuminated by the moonlight, began to shimmer with a strange, emerald glow. The light intensified, casting eerie shadows upon the rocky cliffs, making the very air seem to throb with anticipation.

"What in the—" began Vera, her words cut short by the monstrous sight that unfolded before them.

*KREEEEE!!!*

With a chilling screech that sent shivers down their spines, the Kraken rose from the depths, crashing monstrous waves against the rock.

But this wasn't the creature they had fought moments ago. Its once-fleshy form was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a terrifying exo-skeleton, black as midnight, loomed above them. The dark green flames that blazed across its body seemed to dance with malevolent glee, giving the Kraken a spectral, ghastly appearance.

For a moment, all was silent except for the flickering of those haunting flames and the soft lapping of the waves against the shore.

Eryk, his face pale, whispered, "It... it's undergone some kind of transformation..."

Skull Crusher's voice sliced through the conversations, his anger palpable, "Enough! Stop talking bullshit. Focus on bringing this monster down!"

But as moments passed, the Hunters' unease grew. Their attacks, which were effective before, seemed to indeed cause some damage to its blazing bones, but they were regenerating within the blink of an eye. Its strength also seemed to amplify with every blow it absorbed, making it harder for them to even destroy its bones.

"Something is wrong! It's only getting stronger! It's literally like a undead but worse!" exclaimed Dara, another Hunter.

"We need to regroup and rethink our strategy!" yelled another Hunter, Kael, as he cast a desperate spell towards the Kraken.

However, amidst this chaos, two of the Hunters, who were busy reinforcing the shield on the eastern edge of the rocky terrain, felt a different kind of disturbance. Their ears picked up on faint, hushed voices coming from the nearby bushes.

Royce whispered, "Did you hear that, Kera?"

Kera nodded, her gaze sharp, "Someone's there. How did they slip past in this madness?"

Royce's grip tightened on his double-edged axe, the blade shimmering under the moonlight. "Doesn't matter. They won't get any further."

Drawing closer to the rustling bushes, they readied their weapons. With a swift coordinated move, Royce pushed aside the foliage with his weapon, ready to kill the intruder.

But their eyes widened as all they saw was just a small orange crystal.

The Echo Crystal, with its telltale orange glow, pulsated with an otherworldly light, casting weird, undulating shadows. The haunting whispers emanating from it seemed to distort the air around Royce and Elara.

"Damn, an Echo Crystal!" Kera recognized it immediately.

Royce's voice grew heavy with realization, "Which means..."

But before he could complete his sentence, the ominous glint of a pair of daggers accompanied by cold, deep blue eyes appeared behind them.

The attacker moved swiftly, almost a shadow, the sharp daggers stabbing into their napes with a powerful burst of power as the two Hunters fell to the ground, their life force snuffed out in an instant.

The figure with the dark blue eyes, whose form flowed with feline grace, melted away, blending into the night. Her presence went unnoticed as the rocky terrain echoed with the roars and cries from the continuing battle with the Kraken.

Back in the middle of the terrain, under the cover of the surrounding rocks,

Cain, leaning against a rock, shook his head as he let out a low growl, "Honestly, with all the bragging, you'd think Skull Crusher and his buddies would've made short work of a young Kraken. What a farce."

Gildon, sipping a dark concoction from his goblet, chimed in, "We need not bother. Only less than 25 minutes left, and then we can use our fancy treasures to help us survive the rest, keke."

But suddenly, Axton got up, making the others go silent.

As if on cue, a blood-curdling screech suddenly split the night. It was unlike anything they had ever heard, echoing with pure terror to the point even Axton and his friends winced slightly, even if the screech wasn't even targeting them and was quite afar.

However, all of their expressions were brimming with a sense of excitement.

Gildon smiled with all his dark yellow teeth showing, "She is quite determined. I like her more and more, hehe."

Elias' eyes darted around, the winds around him subtly shifting as he licked his lips with an eerie smile, "They actually managed to get in? This is going to be fun, keke."

They could hear the cries and howls of the Hunters standing outside. Yet, Axton and his friends didn't seem deterred or worried at all and stood in place with a glint of eerie excitement in their eyes.

Axton, his smile taking on a sinister edge, remarked, "Well, it seems our little party is about to get a lot more interesting."