Raiden Alaric

I walked a few paces behind Sol and Luna, using my spear like a walking stick as we moved through the forest. The weapon's butt tapped against roots and stones in a steady rhythm that had become oddly soothing over the past hour.

Sol was gesturing animatedly as he explained something about tracking techniques to Luna, his hands moving to illustrate scent patterns or movement signs. Luna listened with genuine interest, her eyes bright with curiosity as she asked questions about human hunting methods versus beastkin instincts.

Initially, I'd been worried that Luna would notice the people following us. With her enhanced senses, there was no way those amateur scouts would escape her detection. Sure enough, about twenty minutes into our walk, I'd caught her ears flick back toward our trail and her nose twitch with recognition.

But instead of alerting us or suggesting we deal with the tail, she'd simply snorted dismissively and continued walking. When Sol asked what she'd scented, she'd waved it off with a casual, "Potential poachers. Not worth the effort."

Interesting.

Her dismissal told me two things: first, she was confident enough in her own abilities that a couple of stalkers didn't concern her in the slightest. Second, she was thinking tactically. Why waste time and energy on scouts when there were bigger prizes to hunt?

I found myself approving of both assessments. Luna wasn't just skilled, she was smart. The kind of smart that came from authentic experience dealing with threats and knowing which ones were worth your attention.

Well, would you look at that? She's actually enjoying herself.

It was the first time I'd seen Luna truly relaxed since we'd found her in that cave. Her usual guarded expression had softened, and when Sol made a particularly dry joke about his "superior human nose," she actually laughed. Not a polite chuckle or a sarcastic snort, but a real laugh that made her ears perk up and her tail swish with amusement.

"I still can't believe you tracked that wolf pack using broken twigs," Luna was saying, shaking her head in what looked like grudging respect. "Most humans would have walked right past those signs."

"Most humans don't spend their childhood learning to track anything edible through a forest," Sol replied with a grin. "Necessity makes for a good teacher."

Luna's expression grew more thoughtful. "That's... actually not that different from how beastkin cubs learn. We just use different senses for it."

I found myself smiling as I watched their easy conversation. It was good to see Luna starting to trust us, to let her guard down enough to actually engage instead of just tolerating our presence. The formal team arrangement had been practical, but this felt like the beginning of something more genuine.

Maybe she'll stop trying to maintain that lone wolf image and actually—

Luna's ears suddenly twitched upright, cutting through her conversation mid-sentence. She stopped walking so abruptly that Sol nearly bumped into her.

"Luna?" Sol asked, immediately alert. "What is it?"

She tilted her head slightly, her nose twitching as she tested the air. Her entire posture had shifted from relaxed to focused in an instant, every line of her body speaking of heightened awareness.

Something's got her attention.

I sent out a pulse, letting it drift outward to read the surrounding area.

Two familiar aura signatures flickered at the edge of my perception, maybe two hundred meters back along our trail. The same ones that had been shadowing us on and off for the past hour. Our watchers were back, though they seemed to be maintaining their distance this time.

Still playing spy games, I see.

But there was something else. Something much larger and more volatile, radiating a chaotic mixture of pain, rage, and raw power. The signature was massive, easily dwarfing anything we'd encountered so far, and it was close. Maybe half a kilometer ahead, moving in what felt like an agitated patrol pattern.

My pulse quickened as recognition dawned.

The bear.

A grin slowly crept across my face as the implications hit me. We'd been moving steadily north for the better part of an hour, following Luna's tracking toward our target, and now we'd finally reached it.

And here we were. Close enough to sense its massive aura signature, close enough for Luna's enhanced senses to confirm what we'd been hunting.

Perfect. Just like we planned.

The bear was worth 150 points. More importantly, it was a challenge that would test everything we'd learned about working as a team. The coordination we'd developed with the wolves, the trust we'd built during the team formation, the growing synergy between Luna's tracking, Sol's strategy, and my adaptability.

I could feel my heart rate climbing, with that familiar anticipation building in my chest. The same feeling I'd gotten before every major fight, every test, every moment when I got to push myself against something truly dangerous.

This is going to be fun.

Luna's nose twitched one more time before she turned to face us, her expression serious but determined.

"It's the bear," she said quietly. "Maybe half a kilometer ahead. I can smell the blood from its wounds, and..." She paused, tilting her head as if listening to something we couldn't hear. "It's agitated. Pacing. The scent patterns suggest it's been moving in circles for a while."

Sol nodded grimly. "Wounded and territorial. That's going to make it even more dangerous than usual."

"Actually," Luna said, her eyes taking on a calculating gleam, "that might work in our favor. I have an idea, but it's going to require perfect timing and coordination."

I leaned forward slightly, interested. "Let's hear it."

Luna crouched down and began sketching rough lines in the dirt with her finger. "The bear is wounded, which means it's slower than normal but twice as vicious. Traditional tactics won't work. We can outrun it for sure, but we can't overpower it in a direct fight."

She drew a circle in the center, then marked positions around it. "But wounded animals follow predictable patterns. They favor their injured side, they get tired faster, and they make mistakes when they're in pain."

Sol crouched beside her, studying the makeshift diagram. "What are you thinking?"

"Harassment tactics," Luna said, her voice growing more confident as she laid out the strategy. "We don't try to kill it in one engagement. We wear it down. Force it to chase us, make it expend energy, exploit its injuries until it can barely stand."

She pointed to different positions on her diagram. "I'll use my bow to draw its attention and keep it moving. The key is to target its wounded areas. Not to cause more damage, but to remind its body of the pain. Keep it off balance, prevent it from focusing."

Luna looked up at Sol. "You'll be our mobility controller. Use your speed and agility to stay just out of reach, forcing it to change direction constantly. Every turn, every lunge it has to make is energy it can't get back. Land any slashes you can in already open wounds to make them deeper. My first arrow will be your focus point."

Finally, her eyes fixed on me. "And you'll be our finisher. When it's exhausted, when it's too tired to defend itself properly, that's when you go in for the killing blow in the area where my first arrow landed. But not before. Sol will try to open that wound enough to give you a clean strike. I wouldn't risk waiting for it to stand on its hind legs for an opening. Too risky. You'd have easy access to the heart, but it's unpredictable whether you can get an opportunity."

I grinned, already seeing the beauty of the plan. "Hit and run until it drops from exhaustion, then finish it when it can't fight back."

"Exactly," Luna said, standing and brushing dirt from her hands. "It's not honorable or flashy, but it's smart. And smart is what keeps us alive against something that could kill any of us in a single swipe."

Sol was nodding approvingly. "That... actually sounds like it could work. Assuming we can maintain the pattern long enough."

"We can," Luna said with quiet confidence. "I can track its condition through scent - exhaustion has a very distinctive smell. And if we do this right, we stay in control of the engagement from start to finish."

I shouldered my spear properly, feeling the familiar weight settle into place. "Alright then. Let's go hunting."

We moved through the forest with practiced silence, Luna leading us along a path that kept us downwind of the bear while gradually closing the distance. Every few steps, she would pause to test the air or listen to sounds we couldn't detect, her enhanced senses painting a picture of what lay ahead.

"Blood scent is getting stronger," she whispered as we crept closer. "And I can hear it now - heavy breathing, the sound of something large moving through underbrush."

After what felt like an eternity of careful stalking, Luna held up her hand and pointed ahead. Through the trees, I could see movement in a small clearing. A massive dark shape pacing back and forth in obvious agitation.

Holy shit, that thing is as enormous as I remember it.

The Aetheric Bear was a monster beyond anything we'd faced. Even on all fours, it towered at least ten feet tall, its massive frame easily thirty feet long from nose to tail. Coarse dark fur covered muscles that rippled with every movement, and its head alone was the size of a small boulder. But what made my stomach clench was the evidence of its previous battles. Broken arrows jutted from its hide like twisted decorations, spear shafts protruded from its shoulders, and deep gashes crisscrossed its flanks where blades had found their mark.

Red aura flickered and pulsed through the wounds, the creature's life force trying to heal around the embedded weapons. Every movement seemed to cause it pain, but rather than weakening it, the agony only seemed to fuel its rage.

Luna nocked an arrow and drew her bow partway, testing the tension. "Remember the plan," she whispered. "I start the harassment, Sol keeps it moving, Rai waits for the opening. Nobody engages directly until it's exhausted."

Sol and I nodded, and we began moving to our assigned positions. Sol circled wide to the left while I took position to the right, leaving Luna with a clear shot from her perch behind a fallen log.

Time to see if this plan actually works.

Luna's first arrow flew, striking the bear in an existing wound behind its side, behind its leg. The creature's roar shook the trees, a sound like thunder mixed with rage. It spun toward the source of the attack with terrifying speed, its massive claws gouging deep furrows in the earth.

But Luna was already moving, her bow in hand as she sprinted to a new position. The bear charged after her like a living avalanche, each step making the ground tremble beneath our feet. Trees splintered and cracked as the massive creature bulldozed through anything in its path.

Christ, it's even faster than I remembered.

Luna barely made it to cover behind a massive oak before the bear's claws raked the air where she'd been standing. But her timing was perfect - just as the creature began to circle the tree, Sol burst from the underbrush on its left flank.

"Over here, you overgrown rug!" Sol shouted, his sword flashing as he delivered a quick slash across the bear's hindquarters before darting away.

The bear pivoted toward this new threat with a snarl that made my teeth ache. Its massive paw swiped through the space Sol had occupied, missing him by inches. The creature's momentum carried it forward, and it crashed through a stand of saplings like they were twigs.

For the first few minutes, the plan worked perfectly. Luna would strike with her bow, drawing the bear's attention and fury. Sol would appear from an unexpected angle, deliver a quick strike in the first wound, and vanish before those massive claws could find him. The bear roared and charged and swiped at empty air while its strength slowly ebbed.

The beast loomed, its scarred hide marked by battles no ordinary creature could survive. Multiple Ascendant teams had hunted it, yet here it stood, unbroken and ready to tear us apart.

The bear began to adapt.

Instead of chasing Luna's arrows, it started anticipating her movement patterns. When Sol appeared for his hit-and-run attack, the bear was ready, spinning faster than something that size had any right to move.

Sol's luck ran out on his sixth pass.

The bear's massive paw caught him across the chest, sending him flying through the air to crash against a tree with a sickening impact. He hit the ground hard and didn't get up immediately, blood trickling from his mouth.

Shit, shit, shit.

"Sol!" Luna's concentration broke for just a moment, but that was enough. The bear had learned to track her voice, and it charged toward her position with renewed fury.

Luna tried to retreat, but her foot caught on a root and she stumbled. The bear was on her in an instant, rearing up on its hind legs to bring its full crushing weight down on her prone form.

Its chest is wide open!

I abandoned all pretense of strategy and hurled myself forward, aura flooding through my legs in a burst of enhanced speed that made the world blur around me. My spear was already leveled as I closed the distance, every ounce of my strength focused on a single, perfect thrust.

The spear point drove deep into the bear's chest with the full force of my momentum behind it. The weapon punched through hide, muscle, and bone to find the creature's massive heart. Blood sprayed across my face and arms as the bear's roar of pain and fury split the air.

But the massive creature wasn't finished.

The bear staggered backward, my spear still embedded in its chest, and fixed me with eyes full of rage and pain. Blood frothed from its mouth, but it gathered itself for another attack.

You want to go? Let's fucking go!

A laugh bubbled up from my chest, wild and unhinged as adrenaline and battle-fury took hold. This is it, the rush of facing something that could end me. My heart pounded, muscles twitching with anticipation, ready to meet a beast hell-bent on ripping me apart.

"Come on!" I shouted, charging toward the wounded bear as it lumbered forward to meet me. "Let's finish this!"

The bear dropped to all fours and lunged, its massive jaws opening wide to crush my body in a single bite. Time seemed to slow as those enormous teeth rushed toward me, each one the size of a dagger.

I reached up and caught the bear's upper and lower jaws in my hands, my aura-enhanced strength the only thing keeping those massive jaws from snapping shut. The creature's mouth was enormous, easily the size of my entire upper body; teeth gleamed like ivory daggers in the fading light. I could feel the incredible pressure as it tried to crush my skull. The bear's breath was hot and rank against my face, washing over me in putrid waves.

The massive creature's forward momentum didn't stop just because I'd grabbed its jaws. My feet began sliding backward across the forest floor, carving deep furrows in the dirt and fallen leaves as the ten-foot monster's weight and strength dragged me along. My shoes left twin trails in the earth as I fought desperately to maintain my grip and keep those crushing jaws from slamming shut. It kept shaking it's head trying to loosen my grip.

Hold on... just hold on...

My muscles screamed in protest as I fought against the bear's crushing bite force while being dragged backward like a rag doll. Blood ran down my arms where the creature's massive teeth had found gaps in my grip, but I held firm.

"SOL NOW!" I managed to shout through gritted teeth.

Sol appeared above us like an avenging angel, his sword raised high as he dropped from the branches of the tree he'd climbed. His roar of effort echoed through the forest as he drove his blade down with every ounce of strength he possessed.

The sword punched through the top of the bear's skull with a wet, final sound.

The massive creature's eyes went wide with shock, then slowly dimmed as death claimed it. The crushing pressure on my hands eased, and the bear's enormous body collapsed to the forest floor with a ground-shaking impact.

I staggered backward. My hands still tingling from the incredible strain, and looked up at Sol who was breathing hard on top of the fallen beast.

"That," I said, wiping blood from my face with a shaking hand, "was fucking crazy."

Sol slid down from the bear's head, favoring his injured ribs. "Remind me never to… ah fuck… it hurts to breathe… nevermind."

Luna picked herself up from where she'd fallen, her bow still clutched in her hands. There were scratches on her arms and dirt in her hair, but her eyes were bright with adrenaline and something that might have been pride.

"We actually did it," she said, staring at the massive corpse in disbelief. "We killed an Aetheric Bear."

I pulled my spear free from the creature's chest and began extracting its core with my dagger. The crystalline structure that formed from the bear's condensed aura was larger than any we'd seen, pulsing with concentrated energy.

"150 points," I said, holding up the core with a blood-stained grin. "I'm gonna be honest, this shit was a scam."

Luna stared at the massive corpse, but instead of satisfaction, I could see something like disappointment flickering in her blue eyes. "My plan fell apart," she said quietly. "I should have accounted for it learning our patterns. Should have had contingencies for when it adapted."

"Luna," Sol said, wincing slightly as he held his injured ribs, "that thing survived attacks from multiple teams. Of course Yogi here was going to be smarter than the average bear. Also, its heavy injuries allowed us to get off easy."

"But I'm supposed to be the expert," Luna continued, her ears drooping slightly. "I led you into a situation where we nearly got killed because I didn't plan properly."

I walked over and flicked her nose, making her ears perk up in surprise. "Hey. We all did this together. Your plan got us through the first phase, Sol's mobility kept it confused, and we all adapted when things went sideways."

"Rai's right," Sol added. "Plans are great until you meet the enemy. Then it becomes about improvisation and trusting your teammates." He gestured to the fallen bear. "And look what we accomplished."

Luna looked between us, then down at the massive creature we'd somehow managed to kill. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "We did do it, didn't we?"

"Damn right we did," I said, absorbing the core into our shared bracelet. "And we did it because when the plan went to hell, we fought for each other."

Sol nodded, his expression growing more serious. "That's what real teams do. They adapt, they improvise, and they make sure everyone makes it home."

Luna's smile grew wider, and for the first time since the fight ended, she looked genuinely proud. "Alright. I can live with that assessment."

But as we stood there basking in our victory, Luna suddenly went rigid. Her ears shot upright and began swiveling rapidly, her nose twitching as she tested the air. Her entire posture shifted from relaxed to alert in an instant.

"What is it?" Sol asked, immediately picking up on her tension.

I sent out a pulse, letting the energy drift outward to read our surroundings. What came back made me freeze completely.

Perfect. Right on schedule.

At least 11 aura signatures surrounded us in a rough circle, maybe fifty meters out in the tree line. They moved into position while we focused on the bear, and now they completely enclose us.

Luna's head whipped from side to side as her enhanced senses painted a picture we couldn't see. "We're surrounded," she said, her voice tight with tension.

Sol's hand immediately went to his sword hilt, his eyes scanning the forest around us. "How many?"

"At least ten," Luna replied, nocking an arrow. "Maybe more. They've got us completely encircled."

Everything's going exactly as I hoped.

I could feel it building in my chest. That familiar surge of anticipation, the electric thrill of knowing the real show was about to begin. We'd just taken down an Aetheric Bear, proven ourselves as a team, and now the main event was finally arriving.

I had to press my hand over my mouth to hide the grin that was spreading across my face. All those little taunts, all those deliberate shows of capturing Wisps while their scouts watched. It had all been leading to this moment. I'd wanted them to find us. I'd been counting on it.

They took the bait beautifully.

Sol straightened his posture and shot me a knowing look. "Rai? You sense them too?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice to come out steady. The anticipation was almost overwhelming. Like a predator that had finally lured its prey into the perfect trap.

Luna's blue eyes were darting between the trees, trying to spot movement in the shadows. "They're good. I can smell them, sense them, but they're staying hidden."

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Thorgrim's alliance. Has to be. And they think we're exhausted and vulnerable from the bear fight.

The irony was delicious. They'd probably been waiting for us to weaken ourselves against the bear before making their move. What they didn't realize was that I'd been planning for this confrontation from the moment I smiled at their scout in the forest.

A slow, deliberate clapping echoed through the forest, the sound sharp against the ambient noise of wind and rustling leaves. From the treeline directly ahead of us, a figure emerged with confident, measured steps.

The man was nearly seven feet tall and built like a warrior from old legends, with platinum blonde hair and pale blue eyes that held the kind of confidence that came from real power. Scars marked his visible skin, and his aura pressed against my senses.

"Impressive work," he said, his voice carrying easily across the clearing as he gestured toward the fallen bear. "Very impressive indeed."

More figures began emerging from the surrounding forest. I counted them as they appeared. Eleven total. Each one maintained their position in the encirclement while stepping into the open.

A green-skinned dryad materialized from behind what I'd thought was just another tree, her golden eyes fixed on us. Two humans flanked the tall blonde's position, their weapons ready but not immediately threatening. The other four spread around the circle were clearly alliance members. A mix of races and weapon preferences, but all moving.

"I'm sure you know my name, Thorgrim," the tall blonde announced himself, confirming what I'd suspected from the descriptions. His attention seemed focused primarily on me. "And you must be the mysterious competitor who's been making such a... memorable impression on our operation."

Luna's bow was half-drawn, her arrow nocked but not yet aimed at any specific target. Sol had his sword partway out of its sheath, ready to draw fully at a moment's notice. Both of them were coiled for action, waiting for some signal of what we should do.

But I couldn't stop the grin from spreading across my face as I finally lowered my hand from my mouth.

"Took you long enough," I said, shouldering my spear casually. "I was starting to think you weren't going to show up."

Thorgrim's eyebrows rose slightly, and I caught the flicker of amusement that crossed his features. "So… you were expecting us?"

So he had assumed I was luring them, huh?

"Expecting? I was counting on it." I gestured broadly at the circle of hunters surrounding us. "All those little shows I put on for your scouts, the taunting, the deliberate displays of capturing Wisps... you didn't think that was all coincidence, did you?"

The dryad leaned forward with obvious interest. "You wanted us to find you?"

"After you just exhausted yourselves fighting that bear?" one of the alliance members called out, his voice carrying a note of disbelief.

I laughed, the sound carrying more than a little edge of anticipation. "Exhausted? Who said anything about being exhausted?"

Luna shot me a sideways look that clearly said 'what the hell are you doing?' while Sol's grip on his sword hilt tightened noticeably. But I was riding the wave of adrenaline and anticipation that had been building since I'd first sensed their approach.

"So," I continued, my grin widening as I looked directly at Thorgrim, "now that we're all here, what exactly did you have in mind?"

Thorgrim studied me for a long moment, his pale blue eyes calculating. "You should feel ashamed," he said finally. "Using your own teammates as bait to lure us out. That's low, even for someone who's been playing games with my scouts."

Sol's head snapped toward me, his expression shocked. "Rai wouldn't do that. We're a team."

I felt the grin on my face widen even further, and I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up from my chest. "No, he's right. I totally did that."

The clearing went dead silent. I could feel Luna and Sol's eyes boring into me, their shock and confusion practically radiating through the air.

"Wait, what?" Luna said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"The bear hunt wasn't just about the points," I said, still grinning as I looked between my teammates and Thorgrim's group. "I knew you'd been watching us, tracking our movements. And I knew you'd wait for the perfect moment, when we were exhausted and vulnerable, to make your move."

Sol's grip on his sword hilt had gone white-knuckled as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You used us as bait without telling us?"

"Pretty much, yeah." I shrugged, completely unapologetic.

Luna's ears had flattened completely against her head, and her blue eyes were blazing with what looked like fury. "You manipulative—"

I couldn't help myself. The chuckle that escaped was pure, unfiltered amusement at the situation I'd orchestrated. "Oh come on, it's not that bad. Think of it as advanced team-building exercises."

"I mean, the bear hunt was still legit," I added, gesturing dismissively. "We needed those points, anyway. I just figured they were going to come after us, eventually. Which they were, might as well happen when we're warmed up."

Sol let out a frustrated sigh. "You should have just asked, Rai. We could have worked something out."

"But then you would have said no," I pointed out reasonably. "And then I would have had to convince you, and that would have taken forever."

"Yes, I would have said no!" Sol said, throwing his hands up. "Because you should have told us what you were planning!"

"But we handled the bear fine, and we can get to the good stuff now," I said with a grin.

Sol let out a frustrated sigh, his grip on his sword relaxing slightly as he did the mental math on our opponents. "I mean... it should be fine. Just would have been nice to know ahead of time so we could plan properly."

Luna's ears perked up as she caught the shift in Sol's tone, her anger faltering slightly. "Wait, you think we can actually handle this? Even injured?"

Sol glanced around at the alliance members with careful assessment, clearly factoring in their team's condition. "It's not ideal, but... eleven people sounds like a lot, but look at how they're positioned. Their formation's decent but not great, and most of them are favoring weapons they're not completely comfortable with." He winced slightly as he shifted his weight. "Honestly, the biggest problem is going to be that Rai's going to end up fighting most of them. All while we're trying to keep up with him in this state."

Luna stared between us, her expression shifting from fury to confused realization. "So you're... you're confident we can win, but you're upset because he didn't tell us we'd be fighting while injured."

"Pretty much," Sol said with a resigned sigh, favoring his injured ribs. "This is just Rai being Rai. He wanted a fight, so he engineered one. It doesn't matter whether or not he's in perfect condition. Honestly, he'd probably be doing this if he were missing an arm. You should see him at the A.A. he's worse over there."

Hey don't tell on me.

Luna looked at me with dawning understanding, her anger slowly transforming into exasperated disbelief. "You didn't betray us. You just... wanted to fight someone stronger and thought this was the best way to make it happen."

I grinned sheepishly. "When you put it like that, it sounds way less impressive."

Luna just stared at me for a long moment, then slowly brought her palm back to her forehead. "Unbelievable. You actually engineered this whole situation just because you wanted to fight someone stronger." Her voice carried a mix of anger and incredulous disbelief. "What is wrong with you?"

"There's plenty wrong, but where's the fun in asking?" I replied with a grin. "This way was way more organic."

I spread my arms wide, addressing both my teammates and Thorgrim's alliance with obvious amusement. "Besides, look how well it worked out. Points, teamwork, and now we get to see if all the hype about Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Stormy over there is actually justified."

Sol just shook his head with exasperated resignation. "You're impossible, Rai. Also, you're the only one who knew anything about this, how would I be thinking about the hype?"

Thorgrim's aura flared, that thunderstorm pressure intensifying until the air itself felt heavy and oppressive. His pale blue eyes had narrowed dangerously, and I could see the barely controlled violence radiating from his massive frame.

"You think this is a game?" he growled, his voice carrying the weight of absolute command.

Oh, are you upset we're ignoring you?

"Everything's a game if you know how to play," I shot back, my heart starting to pound with anticipation. "And honestly? Fighting boars and wolves has bored me to death. This should be way more entertaining."

Thorgrim's expression shifted, becoming more calculating. "Perhaps we can resolve this without unnecessary bloodshed," he said, his tone taking on a diplomatic edge. "You clearly have multiple Wisp cores. Hand them over, and we'll—"

"Nah, fuck that," I cut him off with a dismissive wave. "I'm not an idiot. You want them? Just come and take them like you planned to." My grin widened as I looked around at his alliance members. "But don't disappoint me by trying to run once you see how hard it is to take them."

"Though I'm curious," I added, looking around at the alliance members with obvious amusement, "Kael and Caelum told me you had twelve people total. I'm only counting nine of you, plus you makes ten." I glanced up at the dryad still sitting on her tree branch. "And the dryad makes eleven, but she doesn't seem interested in fighting. So where's the missing person? Did they run into the bear we fought, or maybe something else you couldn't handle?"

Thorgrim's expression darkened slightly, but he didn't answer.

"Let me guess," I continued with obvious amusement, "you've been picking on smaller teams and avoiding anything actually dangerous. That's why you all look so fresh and undamaged. Not exactly the conquering heroes your reputation suggested."

Thorgrim's diplomatic mask slipped, revealing the cold fury underneath. The air around him crackled with barely contained violence.

"Change of plans," Thorgrim announced, his voice carrying clearly across the clearing. "First one to bring me his bracelet gets a Wisp core."

The remaining alliance members perked up immediately at the offer. A Wisp core was worth 200 points, more than most of them had managed in the entire exam so far.

"Now that's more like it," I said, my excitement palpable as I dropped into a fighting stance with my spear held ready. My footwork borrowed from techniques I'd absorbed during our hunts. My guard position adapted from various fighting styles, and my weight distribution echoed lessons learned through the training node.

The alliance members didn't need to be told twice. But instead of retreating in fear, they spread out in a loose semicircle, each one eyeing me like a prize they intended to claim.

The dryad Kael had mentioned was sitting casually on a thick tree branch about ten feet off the ground. She crossed her legs as she watched this interaction with obvious interest. She fixed her golden eyes on me with curious calculation rather than hostility, and the filtered light seemed to make her green-tinged skin shimmer. Honestly, she's had her eyes on me since she got here. Kind of feeling a little self-conscious

An arrow whistled through the air toward my head. Sol's sword flashed in a casual arc, deflecting the projectile into a nearby tree trunk where it buried itself with a solid thunk. He didn't even look at me as he stepped into position at my back.

The forest exploded into motion.

The alliance members charged as one, their weapons ready as they cast shifting shadows through the forest. A spear thrust came at me from the left. I twisted, bringing my own spear up to parry, and the impact sent shockwaves up my arms. The force of the strike drove me back a step across the leaf-covered ground.

I've been dying to fight more Ascendants.

Luna and Sol fell into position beside me without hesitation, forming a defensive triangle. Whatever anger they felt about my manipulation, their tactical instincts overrode it when the fighting started. Professional to the core, both of them.

Sol's sword swept up to block a descending blade, steel meeting steel as the weapons clashed. The guy attacking him was skilled. His footwork was clean, his sword work looked practiced, and his timing was good. But Sol is someone I acknowledge, and it showed in the fluid way he redirected the strike and countered with a riposte that forced his opponent back.

Luna loosed an arrow that hit one of the charging alliance members in the shoulder, causing him to flinch, messing up his attack. Her bow sang as she grabbed another arrow, her enhanced reflexes letting her track multiple targets at once while keeping her shots accurate.

But there were nine of them still standing, and they moved with renewed purpose now that a Wisp core was on the line. They might not know each other well, but they all wanted that reward. The battle continued, but our formation eventually broke through all the dodgeing. Sol and Luna remained together as they compensated for one another. I on the other hand was alone. Not that I minded.

"On your left!" Sol shouted, deflecting another strike while simultaneously warning me about an incoming flanking attack.

I ducked under a war hammer's swing, feeling the wind from its passage ruffle my hair. The weapon cratered the ground where I'd been standing with bone-shaking force, sending up a spray of dirt and stone fragments that stung my exposed skin. This hammer wielder was good, his timing was perfect, and he'd positioned himself to cut off my escape route.

Who said I wanted to escape?

I came up grinning, aura flooding through my limbs as I swept the butt end of my spear toward the hammer wielder's exposed ribs. The wooden shaft cracked against his side with bone-jarring force, and he staggered backward, dropping his weapon as he clutched his ribs and tried to breathe through what were probably several cracked bones.

But as my strike connected, something interesting happened. That familiar flash of insight as I absorbed the essence of his fighting style. The way he'd positioned his feet for maximum leverage. His swing had torque that generated devastating force. The defensive posture he'd maintained even while attacking.

Oh, this is going to be fun.

I followed up with another strike using the spear's butt end, but this time I unconsciously mimicked elements of his hammer style. The hip rotation, the way he'd used his whole body to generate power, the rhythm of his attacks.

The blow connected with his solar plexus, and the hammer wielder staggered back.

I shifted my stance, testing how the hammer technique felt when adapted to spear work, and grinned wider as curiosity filled my mind.

Interesting.

Can I mix these styles together? What would happen if I combined his leverage with spear techniques?

"No point rushing this," I said aloud, spinning my spear casually. "I'm having fun, and there's so much more I can learn from you guys."

A sword thrust came at my back, but I was already moving. I spun my spear to block the attack, then used aura to slam its butt into the attacker's solar plexus.

Another technique absorbed, another style integrated into my growing resume.

More. I need more.

I flowed between opponents like water finding cracks in stone, my spear work becoming more fluid and deadly with each exchange. A dagger user's precise footwork, a spear fighter's reach management, a swordsman's defensive transitions. All of it flowing into my consciousness and being adapted to my spear techniques.

The alliance members were skilled, but they were fighting more like individuals who happened to be in the same battle rather than a coordinated unit.

Two more went down to strikes that combined techniques I'd stolen from their own allies.

This is almost too easy.

Sol

What the hell is wrong with him?

I parried another sword strike, my blade ringing against my opponent's as we locked hilts for a moment. The guy attacking me was skilled. His technique was clean, his footwork solid, and his aura control was decent for someone our age. But something about the way he kept trying the same combinations over and over felt predictable.

My ribs screamed in protest as I twisted away from his follow-up thrust. I spun and landed a kick to his hip, throwing off his balance as I put some distance between us. The bear's earlier hit reminded me with every movement of the severity of our injuries. The pain was sharp and constant, like someone had lit a fire between my bones, but I pushed through it with focused determination.

Stay sharp. Deal with the injury after we survive this.

While we were fighting, I could see Rai moving between enemies with that manic grin, laughing like this was the best day of his life. What struck me was how his fighting kept changing. He'd use one technique against an opponent, then suddenly shift to something completely different for the next one, like he was constantly learning and adapting mid-combat.

He'd used us. Actually used Luna and me as bait without telling us, setting us up to be exhausted and hurt after the bear fight so he could lure out this alliance for his own entertainment. The tactical brilliance was almost as irritating as the manipulation itself.

Focus. Process the anger later. Stay alive now.

I deflected a slash a twist of my wrist, channeling aura through my blade until it glowed with faint energy. The enhanced edge sliced through my opponent's guard, cutting deep across his forearm and drawing a spray of blood. He cursed and stumbled backward, giving me space to breathe and assess the battlefield.

But the aura enhancement cost me. I could feel the drain as energy flowed from my core into the blade. My reserves are already lower than I'd like after the bear fight. A faint tingling started in my channels. Nothing dangerous yet, but a warning that I couldn't keep this up indefinitely.

Two more alliance members were closing in from my right. These weren't random competitors, but they weren't exactly best friends either. Just people who'd agreed to work together for better odds.

My sword swept in a wide arc, the aura-enhanced blade leaving a trail of light as it cut through the air. Both attackers had to leap back to avoid the strike, and I used their momentary retreat to check on Luna.

Luna was holding her own despite being pressed hard by two alliance members. Her bow sang as she sent arrow after arrow into the fight, but she was being forced to use her dagger more than her preferred ranged combat. I could see blood seeping through the bandages on her side, and her movements were getting more careful, more restricted.

And through it all, Rai fought like someone who'd found exactly what he'd been looking for.

Did he actually plan this because he got bored, like actually?

My opponent pressed his attack, his sword work becoming more desperate as blood loss affected his performance. I deflected his strikes with practiced ease, my blade work flowing through defensive patterns I'd drilled thousands of times. But my mind kept circling back to Rai's casual attitude about the whole thing.

"No point rushing this. I'm having fun, and there's so much more I can learn from you guys." Like we were just training dummies for his amusement.

A spear thrust came at my chest from the left. The second alliance member had gotten tired of waiting for an opening. I twisted aside, feeling the point tear through my shirt and score a line across my already tender ribs. Pain flared, sharp and immediate, nearly doubling me over.

Push through it.

The spear wielder followed up with a thrust toward my throat, but I was already moving despite the pain. My sword came up in a rising cut that took him across the wrist. His weapon clattered to the ground as he clutched his injured hand, and I pressed my advantage with a pommel strike to his temple that dropped him.

He hit the ground hard and stayed down, groaning and holding his head, but his bracelet remained inactive. Injured enough to be out of the fight, but not enough for the safety measures to kick in.

Four down. Six to go.

But even as I counted our remaining opponents, I could feel that something fundamental had shifted in the fight. The remaining alliance members were pulling back, regrouping around their leader rather than pressing their attack. And Thorgrim himself was finally moving, his massive frame stepping forward with terrifying speed.

The seven-foot giant's war mace crackled with concentrated aura that made the air itself hum with energy. His exposed skin was a roadmap of scars from past battles, and his pale blue eyes reflected the cold calculation honed through years of combat.

He was heading straight for Rai.

Oh shit.

Rai was still engaged with the remaining alliance members, but I could see his attention had shifted. His head turned slightly toward Thorgrim's approach, a predatory grin spreading across his face as he registered the new threat. He was completely aware of what was happening.

In fact, he looked excited about it.

"Finally," I heard him say, his voice carrying that manic edge that always appeared when he found a real challenge.

The massive warrior's mace swept in a devastating arc, aimed at Rai's midsection with enough force to shatter bones. Rai was more than fast enough to react, bringing his spear up in a textbook defensive block to intercept the weapon.

The impact was catastrophic.

Rai had underestimated the sheer power behind Thorgrim's strike. The wooden spear shaft exploded on contact. Splinters flew in all directions as the mace continued through the broken weapon as if it was nothing. The force transferred through the destroyed spear and into Rai's arms, launching him backward through the air like a cannonball.

The sound was like thunder mixed with breaking wood, violent enough that I felt it in my bones from thirty feet away.

No!

My sprint intensified, aura flooding through my legs despite the screaming protest from my injured ribs. My sword began to glow with golden energy as I channeled everything I had into the blade, preparing for a desperate strike against the massive warrior.

But as I closed the distance, Thorgrim casually deflected several of Luna's arrows with his mace, the projectiles spinning harmlessly away. He didn't even seem to consider us a threat, walking toward our position with unhurried confidence.

Immense pressure rolled through the forest from where Rai had been launched. The wave of aura was so intense it made my steps falter, forcing me to stop as the oppressive energy washed over me.

Then out of the forest, there was a single ever-present sound.

Laughter.

Luna Nightwhisper

I could feel my aura pool running dangerously low, the familiar hollow sensation that warned of approaching exhaustion. Each enhanced sense I maintained, each arrow I prepared to infuse with energy. It all came at a cost I wasn't sure I could afford much longer.

My side throbbed with renewed pain as the adrenaline wore off, the wound reminding me I was far from peak condition. The bandages felt tight and restrictive, and I could smell fresh blood seeping through the fabric.

Need to conserve what I have left.

The moment I saw Sol break into his sprint toward Thorgrim, panic flooded through me. This was happening too fast, too sudden. Rai was about to be blindsided by a someone who could crush him.

"Rai! Look out!" I shouted, my voice cracking with desperation as I frantically reached for my quiver.

In my haste to nock an arrow, I pulled too hard on the bandages around my side. Pain lanced through my wounded ribs like fire, making me gasp and nearly drop my bow. Blood seeped through the fabric, but I forced myself to ignore it, drawing the arrow back with shaking hands.

I was too late.

The massive mace connected with Rai's spear, and I watched in horror as the weapon exploded into splinters. The impact launched him through the air like a broken doll, his body spinning helplessly before crashing through the trees.

No. No no no.

My eyes went wide as I tracked his flight path, watching him disappear into the distant undergrowth with a sickening crash that echoed through the forest. The sound of splintering wood and the impact against the tree trunk made my heart stop.

Rage flooded through me like molten metal. This bastard had just tried to kill my teammate.

I ignored the pain screaming through my side and began loosing arrows as fast as I could draw them. One after another, each one aimed with desperate precision at Thorgrim's center mass. The first caught nicked him in the shoulder, the second grazed his arm, but the rest he deflected with casual swipes of his mace.

"Is that the best you can do?" Thorgrim chuckled, his voice carrying easily across the clearing as he began walking toward us. My arrows spun away harmlessly, and he didn't even bother to quicken his pace.

The pain in my side was a constant throb, each movement pulling at the bandages and reminding me how close I'd come to serious injury during the bear fight. Hours of healing had helped, but I was still far from perfect. Every draw of my bow sent a spike of discomfort through my torso, and I could feel warm wetness where the wound had started bleeding again.

Focus through the pain. Use what you have.

I nocked another arrow, my hands trembling with fury and exhaustion, when my ears suddenly flicked toward the tree line where Rai had crashed.

A wave of pressure rolling through the forest like an invisible tsunami. Rai's aura surged outward from his position, carrying with it an intensity that made the trees rustle despite the still air and caused the ground to tremble slightly beneath our feet.

The aura felt different now, dangerous in a way that made every survival instinct I possessed scream at me to run.

I could feel it from here, that familiar azure blue aura beginning to flare and pulse with new intensity. But there was something different about it now, something that made the air itself feel heavier and more oppressive.

That's when I heard it.

Laughter. Wild, unhinged laughter that made my fur stand on end.

The distant laughter continued, growing more unhinged with every passing second.

"Yes! Yes! This is it!" Rai's voice carried across the clearing, wild with enthusiasm that bordered on insane. "This is what I've been waiting for!"

What the hell…

"Chronos was right! Real Ascendants are so much better!"

He's laughing like a madman after taking a hit that should have eliminated him.

The alliance members around us had begun to back away from the tree line, their weapons still raised but their confidence clearly shaken. Even Thorgrim looked unsettled, his pale blue eyes fixed on the direction where Rai had landed.

"What kind of maniac laughs after taking a hit like that?" one of the alliance members muttered, his voice tight with unease.

My nose twitched as new scents reached me through the wind. Blood, yes, but also something else. The metallic tang of aura being pushed to its limits, the ozone smell of energy discharge, and underneath it all, a predatory musk that made my wolf heritage want to submit and bare my throat.

Whatever's coming back has changed from the person who got launched through those trees.

Through the trees, I caught a glimpse of movement, something large stalking back toward the clearing. The laughter had stopped, replaced by something far worse. Complete, predatory silence.

The forest seemed to hold its breath as a figure emerged from the shadows between the trees. At first, all I could see were two points of blue light glowing in the darkness. Rai's eyes, but not as I'd ever seen them before.

As he stepped into the filtered light, the full extent of his transformation became clear. His clothes were shredded, hanging in tatters that revealed cuts and bruises covering his skin. Blood ran down his arms and face in dark rivulets, mixing with dirt and bark debris.

But it was his smile that truly terrified me.

Wide, savage, and filled with an anticipation that bordered on ecstatic. He looked like someone who had found exactly what they'd been hunting for their entire life.

His aura spiraled around him like visible smoke, making the air itself feel heavy and oppressive.

The remaining alliance members began backing away instinctively, their weapons trembling in hands that suddenly seemed inadequate. Even Thorgrim had stopped his casual advance, his pale blue eyes narrowing as he reassessed the figure walking toward him through the trees.

When Rai finally stepped fully into the clearing, I almost didn't recognize him.

He wasn't hurt as badly as I had anticipated. One thing was certain, exhilaration filled him.

What's gotten into him? This isn't the same person who was laughing with us an hour ago.

My aura pool felt like it was running on fumes, the familiar warning signs of depletion making my vision slightly fuzzy around the edges. The constant sensory enhancement, the aura-infused arrows, the pain management. It had all taken its toll.

But I couldn't look away as Rai sized up Thorgrim with that predatory smile, his stance loose and ready despite the injuries that should have had him unconscious or dead.

Every instinct I had was screaming at me to lower my eyes, to bare my throat, to submit to whatever apex predator had just emerged from those trees.

Then Rai shifted into a fighting stance that made my blood run cold. His legs spread shoulder-width apart, right shoulder forward, left hand tucked behind his back. His right arm extended toward Thorgrim, palm up, fingers beckoning in an unmistakable invitation.

"I'm not even close to satisfied," he called out, his voice carrying that wild edge of someone who'd found exactly what they'd been craving. "Come at me!"

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