Inside the forest, the proctor leaped from tree branches to ground and back, leaving faint craters with each leap but made no sound.
"Buzzheads…"
Jun Kerian.
A 44-year-old retired mercenary, forced out of combat by an injury. For the past four years, he had taught at the Academy and his expertise laid in one thing:
Hunting.
He was living proof that brute strength and an axe could be just as lethal as finesse and daggers.
But in all his years, this was the first time he had seen such an anomaly; creatures from the Sixth Continent rampaging here, on the Seventh.
Dash.
His aura spread out like a territory, with his body in the middle, hiding his presence. He then swiped at the floating screen, and a cluster of red dots blinked nearby.
Howl!
The howls echoed between the trees, a chorus of hunger and death. He could already smell the blood.
By the time he arrived, the carnage had already begun. Three applicants lay in pieces, their red tracking bracelets flickering weakly before fading to darkness. The ground was slick with blood, and at the center of it all, the howlers feasted
Massive, twisted wolf-like creatures with glowing red eyes, their maws dripping with fresh flesh.
They turned their heads toward him in unison, growling slowly.
"Tch."
Jun rolled his shoulders and gripped his axe.
"Buzzheads picked the wrong playground."
One of the howlers lunged. Faster than a normal wolf, but not faster than him.
He casually leaned sidewards and dodge the attack. In one brutal swing, his axe cleaved the howler's head clean off.
Blood sprayed, and the corpse collapsed.
The howlers' thick hides, which had given Seven and Lythian trouble, were cleaved apart with a single strike.
"Come."
He gestured, mocking them.
The other howlers hesitated for only a second before attacking all at once.
Jun grinned.
"Finally. A warm-up."
He moved like a storm.
Each swing shattered bone. Each step sent shockwaves rippling through the earth. But still, there was no sound.
No clash of steel hitting claws and fangs.
No cries of dying howlers as they all got one-shotted.
Only silence.
Then a howler leapt at him from the side. Yet easily, he caught it by the throat, crushed its windpipe with a squeeze and hurled it into another.
Thud.
He didn't waste time; he finished them off with such strength that overwhelmed them completely.
One of the larger howlers snarled and pounced at him, its claws aimed at his exposed side. He twisted mid-step, grabbed its hind legs, and swung it with enough force to slam it against a nearby tree.
Crack.
Its spine shattered. It twitched once, then went limp.
Howl!
"More! Buzzheads! Pay for my salary."
A trio lunged at once.
Jun stomped. The ground cracked, sending a shockwave that staggered them. Taking the opportunity, he swung his massive axe in a deadly arc and cleaved through two in one fluid motion.
The third barely managed to leap back, his hand was already on its throat.
"Buzz off. Die."
He lifted it overhead and slammed it headfirst into the ground with such force that the dirt cratered beneath it, leaving a crater.
Silence.
The remaining howlers circled him now, wary. The howl earlier was their call for reinforcements.
And because of that, the applicants had time to escape.
Growl.
One howler, larger than any before, let out a faint growl. The others responded instantly, their hesitation fading into frenzied determination.
'A leader, then?'
Jun chuckled.
"Finally taking me seriously, huh?"
He cracked his neck.
"Too bad it won't matter."
Channeling his aura, his body surged with raw power. His muscles, already massive, seemed to expand slightly as veins pulsed.
Slash.
He swung his axe in a full circle, the sheer momentum creating a gust of wind that kicked up dirt and leaves.
The blade met flesh, carving through multiple howlers in an unstoppable motion.
Limbs and bodies were sent flying as he pressed forward, refusing to give them even a moment to regroup.
One particularly agile howler tried to leap onto his back, its fangs aiming for his neck.
But Jun anticipated it.
He twisted, using his sheer size and weight to crash his shoulder into the beast mid-air, sending it spiraling into another packmate.
Before they could recover, he was already upon them, his axe coming down in a devastating vertical strike that split the ground apart.
Now, it's no longer silent.
Every step he took, and every slash he made, reverberated into the forest.
Soon, only the leader remained. It panted, its red eyes flickering between fear and rage. It knew it couldn't win, but it refused to run.
Jun grinned.
"I respect that."
He rested his axe on his shoulder.
"Come on, Buzzhead. Show me what you've got."
With a furious snarl, the leader charged. This one was different as its movements were precise and dodged his first swing with ease.
Fast.
But not fast enough.
Jun let it get close. Made it think it had an opening.
He slammed his elbow into its ribs, sending it sprawling. Before it could recover, his axe came down.
"..."
The clearing was silent once more.
His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the scene.
'There should have been more.'
And then… a rustling behind him.
He turned sharply, but all he saw was a flash of a shadow disappearing between the trees.
No longer a beast, but the silhouette of a person.
His eyes widened slightly.
"A Lycanthrope.."
His instincts screamed at him to chase, but he hesitated just enough for the figure to vanish completely.
He followed, calmly.
Step.
By the time he reached the forest's edge, the surviving applicants were regrouping, faces pale with shock.
Among them was a single, bloodied figure he didn't recognize from the start of the test. Slipping seamlessly into the crowd.
Blending in.
Hiding.
Jun exhaled sharply. He could have chased it. Could have ended it right then.
But he didn't.
Not because he couldn't.
Because he wanted to see where it would go.
Howlers didn't shapeshift. And Lycanthropes hadn't been seen in decades.
Yet here one was, walking freely among humans.
A hunter who could blend with its prey.
For now, he let it run. Not out of mercy—but to see just how far it could go.
But it didn't get far.
The shapeshifter wove through the crowd, slipping past stunned applicants. Step by step, it neared the clearing's edge.
The proctor halted, seeing a boy, the one who was late earlier, interrupted the howler.
'Is he the accomplice…?'
***
The howler, Lycanthrope rather, now in human form, moved smoothly through the group of surviving applicants with head slightly bowed.
It didn't run—running would draw suspicion.
The applicants were still gathered around the clearing, assessing the damage. Bodies were being counted. Survivors were questioning each other.
The proctor had yet to return from the forest either. A perfect window to slip away.
Step.
Step by step, it distanced itself from the others, the edge of the crowd just within reach.
Plop.
A grape bounced off its shoulder.
It stiffened. Slowly turned its head.
Leaning lazily against a table, Seven Hart flicked another grape into the air, caught it in his mouth, and chewed.
And again.
Toss.
Catch.
Chew.
Seven then smirked.
He tossed another grape, catching it effortlessly.
Then, without breaking eye contact, he crushed it between his fingers, letting the juice drip onto the ground.
"You're pretty good at acting human."
He stood.
But as he did, Jun threw his axe at the howler fast enough that it couldn't dodge. Still, he made sure to avoid a vital spot as he needed it alive.
At the same time, Jun grabbed Seven's wrist and pinned him to the ground.
Then he yanked his hair upwards.
"Who are you?"