Rein stood in the central area, the Shadow Wolf at his side, its blue eyes filled with both vigilance and excitement. The examiner's expression was grim, while the other students appeared panic-stricken.
The low growls drew closer, and the ground trembled violently, as though a storm was about to descend.
"Everyone, form a defensive line!" the examiner shouted. "Contract beasts to the front, students maintain a safe distance!"
However, the orders failed to ease the tension. Several adolescent beasts burst out of the forest, completely ignoring the students as they fled toward the outskirts.
Then, an invisible pressure swept across the trial grounds, making it nearly impossible to breathe.
From the shadows, a massive beast emerged. Its crimson eyes gleamed with menace, and its body was cloaked in blazing flames. Its enormous frame seemed to dwarf the entire trial grounds.
"A Lord-class beast…" the examiner's voice trembled. "How is this even possible in a trial?"
The Shadow Wolf let out a low chuckle, its gaze locked onto the giant beast with a taunting gleam. "Now this is interesting."
Rein tightened his grip on his short blade, his eyes scanning the area calmly. In his memory, the trial grounds had never hosted a Lord-class beast. This was no accident—it had to be the work of the Cult of the Nether Pact.
"Rein, what do we do?" a panicked student asked.
Rein quickly assessed the situation. "Form a circle around it! Use the contract beasts to restrict its movement! Don't act alone!"
The students hesitated, but under the examiner's authority, they reluctantly followed orders. Their contract beasts encircled the Lord-class beast, attempting to restrain its movements.
"Shadow Wolf, are you ready?" Rein asked quietly.
The Shadow Wolf glanced at him, its tone icy. "This time, I don't need your orders."
It darted toward the giant beast as a black blur, its dark mist forming into sharp blades that slashed at the beast's forelimb. However, the Lord-class beast barely flinched before swiping a massive claw, forcing the Shadow Wolf to retreat.
"Its strength… is greater than expected," Rein muttered, frowning.
Meanwhile, the other contract beasts attempted to attack, but their efforts were insignificant against the Lord-class beast and only served to enrage it further.
The beast suddenly leapt, unleashing a wave of fire that sent several contract beasts flying, their cries echoing through the grounds.
Rein observed the beast's movements calmly. He quickly noticed that its left side was slightly sluggish—a potential weak point.
"Focus your attacks on its left leg!" Rein shouted. "Its movement is off!"
A few students hesitated but eventually followed his lead. The blazing Red Lion and swift Wind Fox darted toward the target area, attempting to deal damage.
However, the Lord-class beast's defense was formidable, and the flames and wind blades only left faint marks.
The Shadow Wolf struck again, darting like a phantom along the beast's left side. Its dark mist formed a massive scythe-like attack, landing a blow on the beast's joint and eliciting a pained roar.
"Good!" Rein said quietly. "Keep it contained!"
The Shadow Wolf shot him a cold glance, its tone laced with mockery. "I don't need you to tell me how to fight."
However, the beast's counterattack was swift. It turned its head sharply, spewing blazing fire directly at the Shadow Wolf.
The Shadow Wolf dodged quickly, but a wave of heat still grazed its body.
Steadying itself, the Shadow Wolf's gaze turned icier, clearly enraged.
The examiner tried to control the situation, but it was clear he was overwhelmed. His contract beast, an adolescent Iron Armored Python, had impressive defensive capabilities, but it was powerless against the Lord-class beast.
"Everyone, retreat! This beast is far beyond your abilities!" the examiner shouted.
But Rein didn't move. He knew that if they retreated now, the giant beast would surely destroy the entire trial grounds, putting all the students in danger.
"Examiner, we can't retreat," Rein said calmly. "This beast's behavior is strange—it's clearly being controlled. Its true purpose isn't to attack us but to destroy the trial grounds."
"Controlled?" The examiner froze for a moment.
Rein's eyes darted toward the edge of the field, where he spotted a suspicious examiner. The man's movements were unusual, and on his wrist was a faint, dark red tattoo—the mark of the Cult of the Nether Pact.
"It's him!" Rein muttered. "The Cult of the Nether Pact has infiltrated the trial grounds!"
Just as Rein was about to act, the suspicious examiner let out a cold laugh. He muttered an incantation, and the Lord-class beast became even more ferocious, ignoring all attacks as it charged toward the center of the trial grounds.
The Shadow Wolf's voice echoed in Rein's mind. "What now? You're the leader, aren't you?"
Rein tightened his grip on his short blade, his gaze resolute. "Shadow Wolf, we have to stop it at all costs."
The Shadow Wolf let out a sneer, its blue eyes gleaming with killing intent. "This time, I'll show it who the real predator is."
Amid the roars, Rein and the Shadow Wolf charged at the beast together, while the suspicious examiner's cold laughter echoed ominously across the field.