The first wolf moved like a falling boulder.
It lunged straight for Cassian.
The ground exploded under its weight as its massive jaws snapped shut where his head had been a moment earlier.
Cassian twisted aside at the last second.
"Too slow."
The noble slammed his foot down.
Mana surged through the soil.
A jagged earth spike erupted upward like a shark's fin, smashing directly into the wolf's ribcage.
CRACK.
The spike shattered.
Fragments of stone scattered across the clearing.
The wolf barely staggered.
Cassian clicked his tongue.
"Tch."
The creature's yellow eyes burned with irritation.
Then branches rustled behind him.
One wolf.
Two.
Three.
Cassian turned slightly.
Now three massive wolves stood behind him.
Their bodies spread out in a loose semicircle.
The pack had already begun coordinating.
Before they could close in—
Lightning flashed.
Shin landed beside Cassian.
"You really like attracting attention, don't you?"
Flames ignited on the other side.
Valen stepped forward calmly, fire swirling around his hands.
"Three seems excessive for one man."
Cassian smirked.
"I didn't ask for help."
Shin grinned.
"Too bad."
The three of them shifted their stance as the wolves circled.
Meanwhile—
The fourth wolf stood several meters away.
Facing Rei.
Rei walked forward slowly.
Behind him Mira and Elira had already moved into position without being told.
Elira's wind spiraled quietly around her hands.
Mira's water mana condensed into small floating droplets.
The patrol watched the scene unfold.
Several adventurers folded their arms.
One of them chuckled.
"Kid's got guts."
Another guard smirked.
"Or no survival instinct."
Kael watched with interest.
Then he spoke casually.
"That one."
He nodded toward Rei.
"He's unmarked."
The reaction was immediate.
"What?"
"Unmarked?"
"Wait—seriously?"
A ripple of surprise moved through the patrol.
Several adventurers leaned forward.
Their eyes returned to Rei.
The boy in front of the wolf didn't react at all.
His gaze never left the creature.
The wolf lowered its body.
Muscles tightened.
Rei started running.
The speed caught several observers off guard.
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Well."
"Didn't expect that."
Beside him Hale spoke calmly.
"He has excellent conditioning."
"Physical endurance. Balance. Efficiency of movement."
"Since he cannot rely on a Divine Mark, he compensates elsewhere."
Ahead of them the wolf attacked.
A claw ripped through the air.
Rei stepped sideways.
The strike missed him by almost a meter.
The wolf spun and lunged again.
This time the jaws snapped past his shoulder.
Closer.
Much closer.
Rei ducked.
Another swipe.
This one passed his face by barely a fraction.
He kept moving.
Not attacking.
Just watching.
Studying.
Behind him Elira released a controlled burst of wind.
The air around Rei shifted.
His next step became lighter.
Faster.
Mira flicked her fingers.
A thin layer of water spread across the ground.
Rei's foot touched it.
He slid sideways, redirecting his momentum smoothly.
The wolf snapped again.
Missed.
The patrol had gone quiet.
One adventurer murmured,
"They're supporting him."
Rei dodged again.
Closer now.
The wolf's movements were powerful.
But predictable.
And finally—
Rei saw it.
The creature's back was covered in thick hide and hardened bone ridges.
Every strike Cassian had attempted would shatter against it.
But its underside—
When the wolf twisted—
The belly stretched.
Soft.
Unprotected flesh.
The wolf lunged again.
This time it jumped.
Rei didn't step back.
He dropped.
Mira's water beneath his feet carried him forward.
Rei slid across the ground.
Straight under the airborne wolf.
Cassian's weapon flashed upward.
The blade tore through the creature's exposed belly.
The cut wasn't clean.
The steel ripped through muscle and flesh.
A wet tearing sound filled the clearing.
The wolf crashed to the ground behind him.
Blood exploded across the grass.
And across Rei.
He stood slowly.
Dark red soaked his clothes.
The wolf's body twitched violently.
Its abdomen hung open.
Blood.
And pieces of organs spilled onto the forest floor.
The patrol stood silent.
Rei wiped blood from his cheek with the back of his hand.
The wolf stopped moving.
The first monster was dead.
And the unmarked boy was standing in the middle of the mess.
Rei stood there, chest rising slowly, Cassian's weapon still in his hand.
Blood dripped from the blade.
From his arms.
From his clothes.
The grass around him looked like someone had overturned a barrel of red paint.
Several members of the patrol stared.
One of the adventurers muttered quietly,
"…The unmarked kid did that?"
Another guard scratched his head.
"Pretty sure he did."
Kael folded his arms, watching calmly.
"Well."
"That answers a few questions."
Rei didn't pay attention to any of them.
He simply turned and walked back toward Mira and Elira.
Each step left a faint bloody print on the ground.
As he approached—
Both girls instinctively stepped back.
Elira's eyes widened.
Her face turned pale.
Mira wrinkled her nose.
Rei stopped in front of them.
For a moment no one spoke.
Blood slowly dripped from his sleeve.
Something unpleasant slid off his boot.
Elira made a small choking sound.
She turned slightly away.
"…I might vomit."
The smell hit them next.
Iron.
Warm.
Rotting.
Rei glanced down at himself.
Then back at Mira.
"Water."
Mira looked at him like he had just insulted her ancestors.
"Absolutely not."
Rei blinked once.
"It would take ten seconds."
"Ten seconds of me spraying wolf guts everywhere?"
"Yes."
"No."
Behind them—
Lightning cracked through the trees.
Shin darted sideways as one of the wolves slammed its claws into the ground.
Cassian roared in irritation.
"Why won't this thing break?!"
Valen launched a stream of fire that splashed across the wolf's back.
The flames scattered uselessly across the hardened hide.
The creature barely reacted.
A second wolf lunged.
Cassian blocked with a rising wall of earth.
The impact shattered the barrier.
The three students were being pushed back.
Not because they were weak.
Because every attack they launched struck the wrong place.
The wolves' upper bodies were armored.
Bone plates.
Hardened hide.
Their attacks kept glancing off the toughest parts.
Mira keeps her nose wrinkled the whole time Rei stands there dripping wolf blood.
He looks down at himself once more.
Then back at her.
"Water."
Mira crosses her arms.
"No."
Rei blinks slowly.
"It would take less effort than complaining about the smell."
Elira makes a small distressed noise beside her, still half turned away from the gore.
"Please… do it before I throw up…"
"Fine."
She raises her hand.
Water gathers instantly in the air.
Rei waits.
The next moment—
A violent jet of water blasts straight into his chest.
WHAM.
Rei is pushed two steps backward, boots sliding across the dirt as the spray drenches him from head to toe. Blood washes off in dark red streaks across the ground.
The patrol watches with mild interest.
Shin, in the middle of dodging a wolf's claws, yells over his shoulder,
"Personal problem back there?!"
Mira cuts the stream.
Rei stands there soaked.
Dripping.
He looks at her.
"That was unnecessary."
Mira shrugs innocently.
"You asked for water."
Rei exhales quietly.
Good enough.
He turns and walks toward the fight.
Ahead of him the situation isn't improving.
Shin ducks under snapping jaws, lightning flashing as he tries to strike the wolf's shoulder again.
The bolt disperses uselessly across hardened hide.
Cassian slams another spike of earth upward.
It cracks.
Shatters.
Valen sends a burst of flame across a wolf's back.
The creature barely notices.
The three of them are holding their ground—
But they're clearly being pushed.
Rei approaches calmly, Cassian's weapon resting on his shoulder.
His eyes move across the battlefield once.
Then he steps forward to join them.
Rei approaches the fight at a steady pace, boots still dripping water and diluted blood.
Ahead of him the three wolves circle.
Shin ducks under a snapping jaw, lightning cracking across his arm as he strikes again. The bolt scatters uselessly against the creature's hardened back.
Valen releases another burst of fire. Flames splash across thick hide and bone plating before fading.
Cassian slams another earth spike upward.
It cracks against the wolf's upper body and shatters again.
"Tch!"
Rei stops a few steps behind them.
"Cassian."
Cassian doesn't even turn.
"What?"
"The lower body."
Cassian pauses for a split second.
Rei continues calmly.
"The belly. It isn't armored."
Another wolf lunges at Shin, forcing him to roll aside as its claws rip through the soil.
Rei adds,
"Stop hitting the back."
Shin glances briefly toward the dead wolf behind Rei.
"…Right."
Valen's eyes narrow as he notices the massive wound on the corpse.
"So that's how you killed it."
Rei nods once.
"Keep them busy."
Shin grins.
"That part I can do."
Lightning sparks violently around him as he rushes forward again, drawing one of the wolves' attention with a series of quick strikes.
Valen steps to the opposite side, launching controlled bursts of flame that force another wolf to turn toward him.
The creatures snap and lunge, their attention splitting between the two attackers.
Cassian rolls his shoulders.
Earth mana gathers beneath his feet again.
This time he doesn't immediately attack.
Instead he begins circling his wolf.
Dodging.
Moving.
Keeping the creature engaged while the ground around him slowly begins to tremble.
The wolf lunges.
Cassian pivots aside.
Its claws slam into the dirt where he stood.
The soil behind the wolf begins to shift.
Stone grinds beneath the surface.
Cassian's eyes narrow.
Mana compresses.
The attack forms slowly beneath the earth.
This time—
He waits for the right angle.
The ground trembles beneath Cassian's feet.
He keeps moving.
The wolf snaps at him again, massive jaws closing just inches from his shoulder.
Cassian twists away, boots sliding across the dirt.
This time he doesn't attack the back.
He waits.
The wolf lunges again.
Its body stretches forward.
And for a brief moment—
The belly opens.
Cassian's eyes sharpen.
"Now."
His foot slams into the ground.
Mana surges downward.
The earth answers.
Three jagged stone spikes erupt upward from beneath the wolf.
Not toward its armored back—
But straight into its lower body.
The spikes punch through flesh.
A wet tearing sound fills the air as the wolves momentum drives it deeper onto the stone.
The creature howls in pain.
Blood spills across the rock.
The other two wolves recoil slightly, startled by the sudden attack.
Cassian steps back, breathing heavily.
"…That worked."
Rei doesn't look surprised.
"Shin. Valen."
Both of them glance toward him.
"Finish it."
Shin grins immediately.
"Gladly."
Lightning erupts across his arm.
He dashes forward, planting his hand against the wounded wolf's side.
Electricity explodes through its body.
The creature convulses violently as the lightning courses through the wound Cassian created.
At the same time—
Valen steps forward.
Flames ignite along both his hands.
He thrusts them toward the other impaled wolf.
Fire pours directly into the exposed wound.
The flames spread inside the creature's body, burning through flesh from within.
The wolves lets out a final violent scream.
Then its legs collapse.
The massive bodies crash to the ground.
Behind them the remaining wolf hesitates and runs away
The patrol watches silently.
These academy students had just taken down 3 monsters.
And they were starting to figure it out.
Shin exhales.
"Well."
Lightning fades from his arms.
"That's convenient."
Cassian pulls his hand away from the earth mana he had been gathering.
Valen rolls his shoulders, extinguishing the last flames on his palms.
Rei simply watches the direction the wolves disappeared.
Then Hale's voice comes from behind them.
"Fall back."
The four students step away from the battlefield and return toward the patrol.
As they approach—
A sudden sound fills the clearing.
Clapping.
One of the adventurers starts it.
Then another.
Soon the entire patrol joins.
A wave of applause rolls across the clearing.
Shin blinks.
"…Are they clapping for us?"
One of the older guards nods.
"You just killed three frontier wolves."
Another adventurer whistles.
"At Stage One."
He shakes his head.
"Do you know how many academy groups come out here and barely survive their first encounter?"
Cassian straightens slightly.
Valen looks mildly satisfied.
Shin grins openly.
Elira still looks shaken but relieved.
Mira crosses her arms, trying to look unimpressed but clearly proud.
One of the investigators chuckles.
"Not many students can say they defeated monsters on their first patrol."
Another guard adds,
"Most people don't even fight creatures like that until Stage Two."
Kael steps forward through the group.
His expression carries clear approval.
"Stage One students defeating frontier wolves."
He glances at the three corpses behind them.
"That's not a common achievement."
Beside him Hale simply watches the six students quietly.
The patrol slowly settles as the applause fades.
But the atmosphere has changed.
The amusement from earlier is gone.
Now the adventurers and guards look at the students with something closer to respect.
The academy group had just proven they weren't dead weight on the patrol.
Not even close.
Rei stands there while the applause slowly dies down.
Blood still stains parts of his clothes despite Mira's earlier "cleaning."
He glances at her again.
"Water."
Mira stares at him.
"No."
Rei waits.
"…There is still blood."
"Good. Wear it with pride."
Rei sighs.
Elira quietly nudges Mira.
"It still smells…"
Mira groans loudly like the world has personally betrayed her.
"Fine."
She lifts her hand again and sends a more controlled stream of water this time, washing the remaining blood off Rei's sleeves and boots. Red-tinted water runs across the dirt.
Rei nods once.
"Thank you."
Mira crosses her arms.
"You owe me."
Behind them Kael claps his hands once.
"Break time's over."
The patrol reforms.
Backpacks are lifted.
Weapons checked.
The group begins moving deeper into the forest again.
The further they travel, the stranger the forest becomes.
Trees grow twisted.
The air feels heavier.
Even the sounds of wildlife slowly disappear.
An hour passes.
Then the terrain begins to open.
Kael raises a hand.
The patrol stops.
Ahead of them the forest thins enough to see into a wide valley.
And what lies inside it.
Monsters.
Not one.
Not a few.
Dozens.
Large reptilian creatures crawl across the rocks.
Massive boar-like beasts move through the undergrowth.
Winged predators circle lazily above the valley.
Everywhere the students look—
There are monsters.
And then they see it.
At the center of the valley stands a creature so large it almost blends into the terrain itself.
Its body rises above the surrounding trees.
A massive armored creature.
Its back is covered in jagged stone-like plates.
Its head alone is larger than a wagon.
From this distance it still looks enormous.
Closer up it would probably be the size of a small building.
The six students stand frozen.
Shin's grin disappears.
Valen slowly exhales.
Cassian's jaw tightens.
Mira grips her staff.
Elira quietly steps behind her.
"…That thing is huge."
Rei simply studies the valley.
Behind them the patrol members show a completely different reaction.
Adventurers begin checking weapons.
Guards adjust formation.
Investigators quietly observe the valley while taking notes.
No panic.
Just readiness.
Kael steps forward slightly, looking over the scene with clear interest.
"…There it is."
His voice carries something almost playful.
"The reason we're here."
He glances back toward the students.
Several of them still staring at the enormous creature.
Kael smiles faintly.
"This patrol might actually be interesting."
Mira whispers,
"…That thing is the size of a building."
Elira nods silently.
Even Shin looks far more serious than before.
Behind them Hale studies the valley quietly.
Then he speaks.
"No wonder we didn't encounter many monsters on the way here."
Kael glances at him.
Hale gestures toward the valley.
"They're all gathered here."
Kael nods slowly.
"Exactly."
His eyes move across the massive gathering of creatures.
Then he glances briefly toward the six students behind him.
For a moment he considers something.
"…Do you think bringing them this far was the right decision?"
Hale doesn't answer immediately.
Kael watches the valley again.
"That," he says calmly, nodding toward the building-sized monster, "is not a small problem."
He crosses his arms.
"And we're standing here with academy students."
Hale finally speaks.
"They've handled everything so far."
Kael chuckles softly.
"Wolves are not that."
The massive monster in the valley shifts again.
The ground rumbles faintly even from this distance.
Kael studies the terrain.
The monster distribution.
The patrol positions.
Then he exhales.
"…Still."
A faint smile appears.
"Wouldn't want to interrupt the investigation now."
He glances toward Hale.
"We'll move in."
Several guards begin preparing immediately.
Adventurers adjust their weapons.
Investigators quietly step back toward the safer center of the formation.
Hale nods once.
"I'll watch the students."
Kael looks satisfied with that answer.
"Good."
He turns toward the patrol.
"Formation."
Guards move into position.
Adventurers spread along the flanks.
The students remain near the center under Hale's supervision.
Kael takes the lead.
His gaze fixes on the monster-filled valley ahead.
"Alright," he says calmly.
"Let's go see what's gathering them here."
The patrol begins moving again.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Straight toward the valley full of monsters.