章節 45: Showdown? #45
Stowing away his blowgun, Kraven watched from his vantage point as his pet lion charged its prey. The target, Vito, seemed to panic at the sight of the beast but reacted quickly, raising his hand. A crossbow materialized in his grip, and he swiftly sent a bolt flying toward the lion.
Kraven couldn't help but be impressed by Vito's quick reflexes and accuracy, but he knew it would take more than that to down a beast he had trained himself.
The lion roared, raising its head so that the bolt struck its thick mane. The dense fur hampered the projectile's momentum, and while the bolt still embedded itself into the beast's neck, it did little damage, serving only to enrage it further.
Vito didn't falter. With the same efficiency, he made the crossbow vanish, replacing it with a pistol. He took aim and fired two shots, each hitting vital areas.
The lion's death was inevitable, or so Kraven surmised, but not immediate. True to his prediction, the lion, trained by him to be relentless, continued its charge, intent on dragging its target to the afterlife. With a ground-shaking roar, it lunged at Vito once it closed the distance, swiping its massive claws at him.
Kraven watched with a mixture of fascination and curiosity as the lion's claws raked down Vito's arm. The impact forced Vito to relinquish his grip on the pistol, yet remarkably, the claws failed to leave even a scratch on his hand. Vito's energy shield had held firm, but the force of the lion's attack was undeniable.
Vito's energy shield had held firm, but the force of the lion's attack was undeniable. The beast, now desperate, circled him with a wild gleam in its eye, charging once again.
Letting out a curse at the creature's tenacity, Vito materialized a spear in his hand. As the lion lunged, he fell onto his back, gripping the spear tightly. The tip penetrated the lion's heart, and with a grunt, he pushed with all his strength. The lion roared loudly, its maw wide open, mere inches from Vito's face.
"Die already!" Vito snarled, twisting the spear. The lion's roars grew more anguished, spittle and blood spraying onto his face. Finally, the beast's struggles ceased, and it slumped lifelessly to the ground.
Vito pushed the heavy corpse off him and rose to his feet, panting.
Kraven's smirk broadened at the sight, his excitement palpable. He waited until Vito was upright before bringing his fingers to his mouth and whistling loudly.
The sharp sound cut through the air, and Vito instantly turned to look at Kraven. Their eyes met for a brief second, one amused, the other shocked and struggling to process the situation.
Ultimately, Vito's attention was quickly drawn to the sound of rapid, heavy thuds approaching him. He turned to the source of the noise and found himself staring at a massive rhino charging straight toward him.
"Shit," Vito muttered, his eyes widening. He wasted no time, turning and sprinting toward the car.
Kraven shook his head, his voice carrying a note of amusement. "Wrong choice."
Before Vito could reach the car, a loud beep echoed in the air. He barely had time to register the sound before the vehicle exploded, engulfing it in flames. The shockwave sent him sprawling to the ground, his ears ringing from the blast. He scrambled to his feet, shaking off the disorientation, and scanned his surroundings.
The rhino was still charging toward him, undeterred by the explosion. With his gun and spear lost, Vito had to think quickly. He summoned a bow and a quiver of arrows from his inventory, nocking an arrow and taking aim. He released the string, and the arrow flew true, embedding itself in the rhino's shoulder. The beast roared in pain but continued its charge.
Vito fired another arrow, this one striking the rhino in the chest. The massive creature slowed, but its momentum kept it moving forward. Vito nocked a third arrow and aimed for the rhino's eye. The arrow pierced the beast's skull, and it let out a final, guttural bellow before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.
Breathing heavily, Vito approached the fallen rhino. He drew a hunting knife from his belt and plunged it into the beast's neck to ensure it was dead. He wiped the blood from his hands and turned to see Kraven descending from his vantage point with a slow, deliberate stride, a look of admiration mixed with amusement on his face.
Kraven approached, his eyes gleaming with a predatory light. "I was told I'd find prey here, not a fellow hunter," he said, his voice carrying a note of respect. He glanced at the dead lion and rhino, his smile widening. "What do you think of my pets? I trained them myself to be both vicious and fearless."
Vito ignored the question, his eyes scanning Kraven's imposing figure. The hunter's large build, the leather vest adorned with a lion's mane opened, revealing rippling muscles, and the fang necklace hanging around his neck were unmistakable. Recognition dawned quickly.
"You're Kraven the Hunter?" Vito's voice carried a mix of curiosity and wariness.
Kraven's smile widened, a glint of pride in his eyes. "I'm honored that a skilled hunter such as yourself has heard of me."
Vito didn't waste time on pleasantries. "Why are you here? What prey are you after?"
Kraven's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I'm here to hunt. I was told about the strange beasts you command. As a fellow hunter, surely you understand that I can't turn down such an opportunity..."
Vito's eyes narrowed. "Who told you?"
Kraven shook his head slowly, as if savoring the mystery. "All I can say is that the one who told me is a man. As for who he is and how he managed to find my contact information, I have no idea." He paused, then added, almost as an afterthought, "He did mention that you were under their charge, or something along those lines."
Vito's mind raced. Whoever had tipped off Kraven was likely from SHIELD, maybe even HYDRA. He'd have to have a few words with Dugan once he returned to the base but now was not the time.
The world's most efficient and lethal hunter, a man who constantly fought and defeated Spider-Man relying on his skills alone stood before Vito, and he had to deal with him first before thinking of anything else.
An idea sparked in Vito's mind. Raising his hand, he materialized a Pal Sphere. Kraven watched him with thinly veiled interest as Vito spoke, "Fine if you want a hunt, I'll give one..."
Without wasting any more time, he hurled the sphere to the ground. From within emerged Grizzbolt, a massive bear-like creature with long claws and electricity crackling around its body. In its clawed hands, it held a minigun.
Grizzbolt wasted no time. It aimed at Kraven and squeezed the trigger, the weapon's barrels spinning for a fraction of a second before unleashing a hail of bullets. Kraven's eyes widened in surprise, but his reflexes were nothing short of superhuman.
He ran faster than any athlete and dived behind the nearest cover, a fallen statue, reaching into his vest to retrieve two knives. He took a deep breath, steadying himself as bullets whizzed overhead, tearing through the air with lethal intent.
Watching Kraven take cover, Vito retrieved another Pal Sphere and hurled it into the ground. A Vanwyrm emerged from within its red and black feathers reflecting the light. Without wasting any time, Vito quickly climbed into the saddle on its back.
The Vanwyrm, sensing the urgency, took to the air, swiftly gaining altitude and making distance.
Kraven watched all of this, but his focus remained on the Grizzbolt. Emerging from his cover, he charged towards the beast with knives held tightly in his hands. Running in a zigzag pattern, he made himself a difficult target.
Despite his evasive maneuvers, two bullets grazed his left leg and shoulder, but Kraven didn't care, his senses heightened by the thrill of the hunt. He soon closed the distance and leapt into the air, aiming to bury his blades into the towering beast's head.
Just as he was about to strike, the Grizzbolt turned into blue light and flew into the sky. Kraven followed the light's trajectory, watching as it sped towards Vito, whose figure was shrinking into the horizon.
His prey had eluded his grasp, yet Kraven merely grinned. He had been pleasantly surprised by both the beasts and their master, clearly a skilled hunter. Though Vito was far from Kraven's level, he doubted that any hunter other than himself could match the former's skill on this earth.
Experienced as Vito was, he clearly hasn't been hunting for long, his skill gained from hunting down prey the likes of which Kraven could only fantasize about.
The hunt has only just begun, and it's only a matter of time before Kraven manages to track his prey again. Next time, he will be more thorough in his preparation.
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