The next day, Unit Seven was summoned before sunrise.
The sky was still dim, the horizon barely touched by light, when Zarek arrived at the designated meeting point. A stone platform stood at the edge of the sect grounds, overlooking a descending forest valley.
Mist drifted through the trees below.
The air felt heavier there.
Untamed.
Lira and the others were already gathered.
This time—
No one spoke.
The tension from the previous day hadn't disappeared.
But it had changed.
Now, it wasn't just fear.
It was anticipation.
Rovan stood at the front, his expression unreadable as always. Beside him stood another elder, one Zarek recognized from before—the one who had given him the suppression ring.
"…You've been training as a unit," the elder began, his voice calm but firm. "Now, you will be tested as one."
Zarek's eyes shifted slightly.
"…A mission," he thought.
The elder continued.
"There have been disturbances in the lower forest. Low-tier beasts, but unusually aggressive. You will investigate and eliminate any threats."
A pause.
"You will operate as a team."
His gaze moved briefly toward Zarek.
"No unnecessary risks."
The meaning was clear.
No excessive use of power.
No loss of control.
Zarek remained silent.
"…Understood," Lira said.
Rovan stepped forward slightly.
"This is not a competition," he added. "You succeed together—or you fail together."
His eyes lingered on Zarek for just a second longer than the others.
"…Remember that."
Moments later, Unit Seven began their descent into the forest.
The moment they crossed the boundary—
The atmosphere changed.
The air grew thicker.
The sounds of the sect faded behind them.
And the forest—
Felt alive.
Zarek walked at the rear of the formation, observing.
The others had taken natural positions.
Lira in front.
Dain slightly to the side.
The others forming a loose perimeter.
They knew how to operate.
But their spacing—
Still adjusted for him.
Zarek noticed.
But said nothing.
The system activated quietly.
[New Environment Detected]
[Wild Energy Density: Moderate]
[Potential Threats: Multiple]
"…Good," Zarek thought.
This was different.
Not controlled.
Not observed.
Real.
They moved deeper.
Branches cracked underfoot.
The wind shifted unpredictably.
And then—
A sound.
Low.
A growl.
The group froze.
Lira raised her hand slightly.
"…Positions."
They adjusted instantly.
Zarek didn't move.
But his senses sharpened.
From the shadows—
It emerged.
A beast.
Roughly the size of a wolf—but heavier, its body layered with dark, hardened fur. Its eyes glowed faintly with unstable energy.
"…Not normal," one of the members whispered.
Zarek could feel it too.
The beast's energy was erratic.
Unstable.
Almost—
Familiar.
It lunged.
Fast.
Lira reacted instantly.
"Left!"
The group split.
Dain moved in from the side, striking with controlled force. Another followed from behind, targeting its legs.
Their coordination—
Was solid.
But the beast—
Didn't respond normally.
It twisted mid-motion, ignoring one attack entirely and charging straight through another.
"…It's not reacting to pain," Lira said sharply.
Zarek stepped forward slightly.
"…Its energy is unstable," he said. "It's not processing damage properly."
Lira glanced at him.
"…Then we bring it down faster."
The beast roared again—
And charged.
This time—
At Zarek.
The moment it locked onto him—
Something shifted.
Zarek felt it clearly.
A pull.
"…It's targeting me," he realized.
The others reacted instantly.
"Intercept!"
Dain moved first—
But Zarek raised his hand slightly.
"…No."
He stepped forward.
The beast lunged.
Zarek didn't dodge.
He met it head-on.
Their clash echoed through the forest.
The impact forced him back a step—
But he held.
His hand shot forward—
Grabbing the beast's neck.
"…Devour."
The pull activated.
Stronger than before.
Because this—
Wasn't a controlled environment.
The beast's energy surged wildly—
Then began to collapse inward.
Zarek felt it.
Raw.
Chaotic.
The system reacted instantly.
[Foreign Energy Detected]
[Nature: Corrupted / Unstable]
[Warning: Absorption Risk Increased]
But Zarek didn't stop.
The energy flowed into him—
Violent.
Unrefined.
For a moment—
His control slipped.
His grip tightened.
His eyes darkened.
The ring pulsed.
Suppressing.
Restraining.
But the energy—
Pushed back.
"…Zarek!" Lira's voice cut through.
The others froze.
Because what they saw—
Wasn't control.
It was something else.
Something dangerous.
Zarek's breathing shifted.
Faster.
The energy inside him surged violently.
The system responded urgently.
[Stability Compromised]
[Initiating Emergency Regulation]
Zarek's grip trembled.
For a second—
Just one—
He almost lost it.
Then—
He let go.
The beast collapsed instantly.
Dead.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Zarek stepped back slowly.
His breathing steadied.
The energy inside him—
Still unstable.
But contained.
For now.
No one spoke.
Because they had all seen it.
That moment.
That slip.
Lira's voice was quieter this time.
"…Are you okay?"
Zarek didn't answer immediately.
Then—
"…Yes."
But even he knew—
That wasn't entirely true.
The system pulsed again.
[Corrupted Energy Partially Integrated]
[New Trait Detected: Instability Resistance (Minor)]
Zarek's eyes darkened slightly.
"…So even that becomes part of me."
Dain stepped forward slowly.
"…That wasn't normal," he said.
Zarek looked at him.
"…No," he replied.
A pause.
"…But it worked."
Dain didn't argue.
Because the result was clear.
The beast was dead.
But the cost—
Was something else entirely.
Above, unseen—
Rovan watched from a distance.
His expression—
Unchanged.
But his eyes—
Sharp.
"…He almost lost control," the elder beside him said.
Rovan nodded slightly.
"…But he didn't."
A pause.
"…That's the problem."
Back below—
Zarek stood in silence.
The forest felt different now.
More alive.
More dangerous.
And deep within—
Something had changed.
Not just in his power.
But in the way he understood it.
Control—
Was no longer optional.
It was necessary.
Because next time—
He might not stop.