Re:Awakening with Ultimate Power as a Cosmic God
Chapter 70: Ch 70: Prelude to hunt - Part 2

Chapter 70: Ch 70: Prelude to hunt - Part 2

The sun was barely above the horizon when Malrik led Nova and Anna to the royal hunting grounds.

The forest ahead was quiet, dense, and ominous.

A sharp contrast to the open space behind them where Queen Eleysa and the rest of her court had already gathered—draped in silks, armored in pride.

Anna noticed it immediately—the startled glances. The hushed whispers. Every noble face twisted slightly upon seeing her. She recognized the look.

It was the same one people gave graves that had been dug too early.

So they knew.

She kept her expression calm, her gaze low, but her fingers curled into fists. Whoever had sent those intruders last night must be in this crowd. Watching. Waiting. Probably amused.

Queen Eleysa stood slowly from her throne-like seat, her sheer dress catching in the wind like smoke.

Her eyes fell on Anna, cold and glittering with disdain.

"And what is the meaning of this extra burden?"

The queen asked, voice sharp and amused.

Anna didn’t flinch, but her stomach twisted.

Malrik, unfazed, smiled lazily.

"We thought we’d make things interesting, Your Majesty. It would hardly be a test for someone like Nova if things remained too easy."

A few nobles visibly stiffened. The jab was subtle but landed hard. Everyone knew that power in Callex often came through connections, not competence.

Malrik’s words burned without ever catching fire.

Queen Eleysa’s gaze flicked across her court, then back to Malrik.

"If anything happens to her, you’ll take full responsibility."

She said, voice flat.

Malrik gave a shallow bow.

"Of course."

With that, he motioned for Nova and Anna to follow. They left the clearing and moved toward the outer village where the hunt would begin.

The horn blared seconds later—low, deep, final.

And the hunt began.

The moment they crossed into the forest, the mood shifted. The woods were thick and unwelcoming. Trees bent low, heavy with twisted vines.

The air held the scent of blood and broken bark.

Anna stumbled not even five steps in. Her boots caught a gnarled root, and she nearly went face-first into the undergrowth. Nova didn’t look back. Malrik did, only briefly.

"Keep moving."

He said, adjusting the grip on his spear.

She nodded and pushed herself forward.

They moved fast. Too fast. Nova was quiet, focused, weaving through the trees with an ease that didn’t match the weight of his steps.

Malrik kept pace with him, occasionally pointing out monster trails or leading them toward faint aether pulses.

Anna could barely keep up. She tried to be useful, scanning the area, keeping alert, but compared to the two ahead of her, she felt like dead weight.

They were efficient. Dangerous. Monsters didn’t even get the chance to scream.

The first beast lunged from the shadows—a hulking creature with bone-plated arms and teeth too long for its mouth.

Anna froze, but before it landed, Malrik’s spear went clean through its head. The second was torn apart by Nova, a clean vertical slice down the middle with his sword.

Neither of them said anything.

Anna tried to breathe.

They pressed forward. Bodies of monsters littered the path they took—each one felled by clean strikes, with barely any effort. If this was the Queen’s challenge, it wasn’t difficult for them.

But Anna was beginning to feel like the monsters weren’t the only danger in the forest.

She noticed it after the fourth beast. Eyes. Watching. Movement in the distance that didn’t feel like animals.

Figures too quiet, too coordinated. Shadows that ducked back when Nova turned.

She wasn’t sure if she should say anything.

Malrik stopped suddenly, placing a hand against a tree, his expression unreadable.

"We’re being watched. Likely a few of the queen’s loyal pets."

He said, calm.

Nova didn’t even look surprised.

"How many?"

"Hard to say. At least two groups."

Anna stiffened.

"They’re trying to make this look like an accident."

Malrik gave her a look.

"They always do."

Nova turned his attention ahead.

"Doesn’t matter. They can keep watching."

Anna bit her lip.

"They came after me already."

"You’re still here."

Nova replied without turning around.

That shut her up. But it didn’t make the knot in her stomach go away.

A howl echoed through the trees. Something bigger was coming. Something fast.

Malrik grinned.

"Finally."

He surged forward, disappearing into the woods before either of them could say anything. Nova sighed and followed, slower, more careful. Anna ran after him, trying not to fall behind.

The deeper they went, the worse the forest got. The trees thinned out, replaced by jagged stone ridges and open clearings that smelled of decay.

A group of monsters poured out of the north side—fast, lean, all fangs and limbs.

Malrik was already in the middle of them. His spear danced through the air, each movement calculated and lethal. Nova joined the fight with a single swing, taking down three at once.

Anna stood back, unsure if she should intervene or stay out of the way.

By the time the last monster fell, covered in its own blood, the clearing was littered with corpses. Malrik wiped the blood off his cheek and whistled.

"That was a warm-up."

Nova glanced at Anna.

"You alright?"

She nodded quickly.

"I... yeah."

But her heart was still racing.

"Then keep moving."

He said.

And she did. Behind them, the shadows moved again.

The hunt wasn’t over yet.

______

A shimmering screen of pale blue mana hovered in front of Queen Eleysa, casting faint light over the high dais where she sat with her council.

The hunting ground played out on the screen in perfect detail—each swing of a blade, every dying cry of a beast.

Nova’s movements were sharp, clean, almost too precise for someone unfamiliar with their terrain.

The council members around her shifted in their seats, muttering with increasing agitation as the outsider continued to dominate.

"Lucky bastard."

One of them spat under his breath, arms crossed as he glared at the screen.

"Is he really just a traveler? He fights too well."

Another murmured, eyes narrowed.

Queen Eleysa said nothing, her posture elegant as she leaned forward. Her eyes stayed on Nova. Anna trailed just behind him, clumsy but still alive.

That alone seemed to irritate the court more than anything.

"How is she still breathing? She’s nothing but a burden."

One of the elder councilors asked.

Eleysa scoffed quietly, the sound more venomous than amused.

"Fools. You sit here criticizing them while unable to handle a dagger without slicing your own fingers. Tell me—why do I even keep you lot around?"

She said, not bothering to hide her disdain.

None dared answer.

Unlike her council, Eleysa could see clearly.

Nova wasn’t faking his strength—she had felt it the moment he entered her court. He was dangerous in a way none of her warriors were. Efficient. Unshaken.

The kind of man who didn’t need to prove himself because the proof was in every swing of his sword.

She watched him bring down another beast with a single movement, the mana screen flashing briefly with the impact.

Fascinating.

Each minute that passed only drew her in deeper. His posture, his control, his quiet dominance over the field—it stirred something in her blood. Something primal.

A man like that didn’t belong to the wilds.

He belonged at her side.