"Shit," Max muttered as the system flashed before his eyes. He kept coughing out blood, each breath harsher than the last, while Jake immediately spun around in deep concern.

"Max! Are you okay?" he shouted, dashing forward and crouching down right beside the dragon, who was on his knees in unbearable pain.

All of Max's veins were now on full display, glowing faintly as they pulsed with raw, unstable power. The sight was terrifying, his entire body trembling uncontrollably as he cried out in pure agony.

Jake's heart raced as he reached out, but there was little he could do. At that very moment, Lenny finally rose from the ground, blood dripping steadily from his mouth.

"Curse you all!" he roared, his voice filled with venom. In a flash, he darted forward, appearing right in front of Max. He swung viciously, but Jake was already there, teeth clenched and body moving on instinct to shield the dragon.

"I knew you would act," Lenny scowled as he ducked under Jake's strike. With brutal force, he bashed him away using his pincers, sending the hunter skidding violently across the ground, away from the kneeling dragon. Dust and rubble scattered from the impact.

"Now time for you to die," Lenny muttered darkly. Without hesitation, he swung his chitin-covered foot at Max with bone-crushing speed.

'Crap!' Max groaned inwardly as he barely managed to lift his hands to shield his face. The kick connected with devastating force, and blood burst violently from his mouth.

{-15 HP}

{HP: 5/100}

Max didn't even glance at the system prompt. His body was sent flying, smashing into the earth several distances away. He tumbled and bounced violently, tearing up the ground as fissures and cracks spread out in jagged lines. After several brutal seconds, his body finally came to a halt.

The young hunter lay unmoving, no sound escaping his lips. His chest did not rise, not even a twitch came from his battered frame.

Those who were still conscious—Jake, Lana, and Daki were left in utter shock.

'Di… did he just die?' Daki thought, her mouth slightly agape. Her mind raced, replaying the sound of Max's earlier roar. 'Wait… that roar. Why did it sound so familiar? According to what's been passed around, Max is supposed to be human.

So how on earth isn't he dead yet from the venom injected by a snake hybrid? Hybrids like that… their venom is potent, lethal, and fast-acting. But he's still alive… or maybe… is he…' Her eyes narrowed in the dragon's direction, suspicion blooming.

"Max!" Jake shouted in horror, his chest tightening as he saw his brother lying still, his body stretched out lifelessly a few meters away. His heartbeat thundered louder with every passing second. But then, the sound of heavy footsteps snapped his attention away. Lenny was approaching.

"And now, it's your turn," Lenny cackled, darting forward in a blur. His body cut through the air like a shadow of death.

"How dare you touch him? How dare you hurt him? Enough of holding back!" Jake thundered in pure rage. His aura flared violently, and he too blurred forward with unmatched fury.

In that moment, a deafening bang rang out as the two collided head-on. The impact shook the battlefield, releasing a storm of dust and raw energy.

Lenny's pincers shot out like lightning, aimed straight for Jake's chest. But they were met by Jake's glowing knuckles. The result was catastrophic: a thunderous crack erupted, followed by a shockwave that blasted outward in all directions. The already fractured ground split further, deepening under the sheer force of the clash.

"You should just go to hell!" Jake roared, his rage boiling over. His two remaining fists shot toward Lenny's exposed abdomen with merciless intent.

But Lenny was cunning and quick. At the last second, he pivoted, narrowly avoiding the devastating strike. Jake's punch slammed into the air with such force it detonated like an explosion, sending shockwaves rippling outward.

In the same breath, Lenny spun and drove his foot hard into Jake's side. The blow echoed like a hammer striking steel, but Jake didn't even budge. His eyes glowed brighter, burning with pure fury. Snarling, he grabbed the hybrid's leg mid-swing and yanked with monstrous strength, ripping Lenny off his feet.

The next second, the battlefield trembled violently.

Smash, Smash, Smash!

Jake began slamming Lenny continuously into the ground. Each impact was followed by a deafening bang, and fresh craters erupted across the battlefield like scars being torn into the earth.

The repeated shockwaves rattled the surroundings, dust and debris bursting into the air with every strike. For a few brutal seconds, the hybrid's body was nothing more than a hammer's target until, with desperate strength, Lenny managed to grab hold of Jake's arms.

In one fluid, vicious motion, he twisted and drove his second foot straight into Jake's chest, forcing the hunter backward. Jake stumbled, his feet dragging across the broken terrain before he dug his heels in and steadied himself.

Lenny, springing back up, staggered briefly. His head was bleeding profusely now, red running down his face and dripping onto the ground. Still, he shook it off with a crazed glare. Without hesitation, he blurred forward again, his figure vanishing and reappearing right in front of Jake in the blink of an eye.

The hunter was a little too slow to react, still regaining balance, and in that opening Lenny drove his pincers mercilessly into Jake's abdomen. They sank inches deep, the sound of tearing flesh followed by a violent spray of blood.

"I have killed him," Lenny grinned, his jagged teeth flashing as he yanked back. "So it's your turn." With that, he planted a brutal kick into Jake's stomach, ripping his pincers free and sending the hunter skidding backward across the dirt.

"KUK!" Jake coughed, a mouthful of blood spraying out, but he didn't fall. His stance remained firm, and his transformed form held strong. His rage didn't fade—it only grew. His glowing eyes locked on Lenny with frightening intensity.

"If you're willing to kill so easily," Jake said, his lips curling into a bloodstained grin, "then you should also be willing to be killed."

"Oh please," Lenny sneered, waving his pincer dismissively. "You can't kill me. You're a hunter, and your precious code forbids it. But me? I'm a gang member. I kill when I want, and no one dares stop me. Just look at that annoying peasant over there." His claw gestured mockingly toward Max's unmoving body.

Jake's eyes followed the direction. His fists clenched tighter, knuckles whitening as fury washed over him in full force. The glow in his eyes blazed even brighter, rage coursing through every vein in his body.

"Wrong," Jake said, turning back to Lenny, his tone like sharpened steel. "Hunter Jake won't be able to kill you." He paused, his chest rising with a deep breath as his eight arms flexed with power. Lenny's brow arched in confusion.

"But as a gang member too… I can."

BANG!

The ground cracked under Jake's sudden movement as he launched himself forward with explosive force.

A massive cloud of dust erupted as he shot into the air, his eight arms raised high above him. Lenny's mouth fell open, eyes widening in disbelief. He hadn't expected Jake to move so quickly.

Desperate, he swung his pincers forward to intercept, but Jake twisted midair, kicking off the very air itself. His body spun, avoiding the pincers by a hair's breadth. They grazed his side, slicing through flesh and drawing another spray of blood. Jake gritted his teeth against the pain, eyes never leaving his target.

He came down upon Lenny like a predator with no mercy. The hybrid was wide open, defenses broken, no escape left.

"I know I'll die now," Lenny spat, his grin still defiant, "but just know my father won't spare you if he finds out."

"Let him come for me!" Jake thundered, his voice resonating like a beast's roar. "I will wipe him out too. No one… touches Max!"

KA-BOOOM!

Jake's eight fists crashed down into Lenny's face with mountain-crushing force. The hybrid's head twisted violently, his body lifting clean off the ground before smashing back down with earth-shattering impact.

The ground caved in instantly, forming a crater ten meters deep. Cracks spread outward in jagged veins for twenty-five meters wide, tearing apart the battlefield.

A massive dust cloud erupted, swallowing the air as a shockwave blasted outward. It rattled every being still conscious, even jolting the unconscious awake with the sheer force. The ground trembled as if the world itself recoiled from Jake's fury.

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