The clearing had grown sharper in focus as the Scraggers moved with restless anticipation. Their huge frames were marked by thick hide and corded muscle, and their brutish nature was betrayed by the way they crashed against one another while maintaining an erratic circle.

"Now!"

The moment Na-Ri lowered her hand, Orion's shadow scout darted forward like a streak of darkened intent under his command. It bounded across the treeline, halting the gaze of the nearest beasts.

The two leading Scraggers lunged with unthinking aggression.

Na-Ri was the first to act as her blade swept in a clean arc, meeting the first brute head-on. She stepped inside its swing, cleaving through the softer joint beneath its mandibles.

The beast collapsed in violent spasms, while Orion's cloak writhed outward, transforming into three extending shadows that bound the second Scragger mid-leap and crushed it against the trunk of a nearby tree until bones splintered.

Kyle's eyes widened at the sight.

'...So it had a special effect?'

All the while that the handsome youth had adorned the dark cloak, he assumed it was merely to reduce visibility or perhaps to deflect attacks. Yet it seemed more like… umm… there was this story he once read about a vampire whose garment possessed its own consciousness. This felt similar.

In one sense, Orion had such a cloak: a living shadow, an impressive Element, and a handsome face. What a fortunate man he was, and that stood in harsh contrast to Kyle, who bore an average look and counted misfortune as his closest companion.

He swept those thoughts aside and moved behind Na-Ri, with Adela following closely as planned.

The rest of the pack roared in disarray as their scattered attention was drawn to both fighters.

From their vantage, Kyle gauged the way the beasts faltered whenever one of their number was struck down. They were creatures of brute force and instinct, not unity, and their disorder allowed Na-Ri and Orion to dismantle them one by one.

It took minutes of measured strikes before the path began to open. The line ahead thinned as the fighters drew the bulk of the Scraggers deeper into the clearing.

Na-Ri's blade carved arcs of steel, her control still precise though her breathing grew rougher as she drained what little stamina remained. Orion held his focus with the aid of his shadows, dragging stray beasts into his cloak where they vanished amid muffled thrashing before silence followed.

He had chosen not to wield his weapon at all.

Kyle watched closely for the moment of movement. When the signal came from Orion's hand, Adela stepped forward beside him, and together they pressed swiftly through the narrow lane that had been forced open.

The handsome youth grimaced.

"You should continue forward now."

They moved swiftly, but danger revealed itself with vicious timing. Three Scraggers broke free from the flank, slipping past the distraction and charging directly towards them with murderous intent. Their speed surpassed expectation as their snarling jaws closed in on Adela, who instantly summoned her blade with a dark expression.

'Not yet. I have to test out my skill again!'

Kyle reacted a heartbeat before her. His right hand snapped forward, black thread unravelling into view as it sliced cleanly across the first Scragger's neck, near invisible as it struck.

The beast stumbled, claws tearing at its own wound before it collapsed in a choking gurgle. He twisted his wrist and sent the thread lashing again, dragging it across the second brute's flank. The cut lacked the force to split it apart, yet it carved deep enough to rupture vital flesh, and the creature toppled after a final stagger.

***

[Alert!] You have slain a Enraged-rank Scragger...

[Alert!] You have slain a Enraged-rank Scragger...

Congratulations on your remarkable achievement, [Clueless]

***

It was the first time he had received no rewards for the kills he had made. That, however, was not what concerned him at the moment...

The third lunged past the arc of his skill and bore down upon Adela with its full weight.

Naturally, he could have recalled the thread to finish it, but he chose otherwise. With deliberate calm, he guided its path towards her, ensuring she had the opening to strike.

Adela's sword shimmered into being within her grasp, summoned in a flash of light as the beast descended upon her. She met the charge with steady footing, swung her blade upward, and split the Scragger's head cleanly before its momentum crumpled in a heavy fall at her feet.

'That was clean. Good job, Ad.'

Kyle couldn't help but praise her inwardly. He had no formal style beyond a dirty one, but his skill suited him well. The grey-haired beauty, on the other hand, stood in far better condition with her sword.

He caught the faint determination in her eyes as she stood over the fallen brute.

A discreet smile flickered across his face, gone as quickly as it came while he stepped forward.

Inwardly, he acknowledged her strike. Words weren't needed. She would grow stronger without falling behind.

Honestly, she lacked nothing — the grey-haired beauty was already sharper with a blade than he could ever be.

Without pause, he crouched by the three carcasses and set about harvesting their essence cores.

Adela's eyes followed him.

"What are you doing, Kyle?"

He didn't bother glancing up.

"Harvesting their essence cores, obviously. They'll help us grow stronger."

His hands moved with efficiency as he carved into the thickened flesh, prying free the faintly glowing stones that pulsed with contained energy.

He gave one to Adela in reward for the Scragger she had killed, and slid the remaining two into his pocket to consume once they were able to rest, sealing away the faint gleam before rising again.

"Well, let us continue moving," he said curtly, signalling Adela forward. She nodded and followed him.

Together, they pressed on through the last stretch of the lane, emerging beyond the beasts' line. The roars of combat still shook the clearing behind them, but distance grew as they advanced into the cover of another treeline. They held their pace steady until the noise softened into the background.

Behind a tree, they waited in tense silence.

Minutes passed, marked by the occasional cry of a beast cut short, and Kyle kept watch, ready to attack, though no further threats approached. Adela stood beside him, looking at him with something caught between quiet appreciation and respect.

At length, the figures of Na-Ri and Orion emerged through the brush.

Orion held his dark cloak in the form of a sack, filled with essence cores from nearly thirty fallen Scraggers. His eyes bore an expression of grim satisfaction, while his shadow instantly extended ahead to direct the way once more.

"We will be sharing this, guys!" the handsome youth announced to Adela and Na-Ri with a grin.

It had been Na-Ri's idea to share the spoils, as they all needed to grow stronger and catch up to her before they reached the Citadel, and fortunately there were many opportunities along the way so long as they did not die beforehand.

With this thought, she suddenly recalled the seventy–thirty arrangement between her and Kyle, and that alone brought a dishevelled look to her face. In truth, she knew she had fallen into his trap owing to the promise she had made, which he had then used to claim the greater share.

The beautiful stranger followed close behind, gripping the hind legs of one of the dead Scraggers. She dragged its corpse with unflinching resolve, ignoring the streaks of blood across the ground as though they were of no consequence. The carcass was heavy, yet she pulled it along steadily, intent on keeping it for food once they found a place to rest.

Even then, Kyle could not help but assume that this beautiful stranger had surely slain a human before. But of course, that was simply another of his many theories. The situation provided no indication that she had ever done such, even though she possessed the kind of aura capable of it.

Orion's expression revealed little beyond fatigue, but his cloak attested to the scale of what they had achieved.

With her usual indifference, she said:

"Let us cover some distance before resting."

Adela straightened her stance beside Kyle, the blood of her strike still visible on her blade before she dismissed the weapon once more. Kyle glanced at her briefly before looking away.

They regrouped in silence and turned their focus towards pressing further into the northern stretch.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.