The Lord-class beast roared, its searing flames engulfing the trial grounds. Each movement shook the ground like an earthquake, tearing deep cracks into the earth. The central area of the trial grounds was utterly destroyed—iron barriers and protective shields reduced to fragments.
Rein took a deep breath, gripping his short blade tightly as he stood at the forefront. His gaze locked onto the rampaging beast, and he knew better than anyone else: even if all the students combined their strength, they might still fail to stop this creature.
The Shadow Wolf stood beside him, its blue eyes glinting with icy determination. Its body was shrouded in dense black mist, radiating an ominous power.
"Shadow Wolf, you can't handle this fight alone," Rein said softly.
The Shadow Wolf let out a derisive snort, its tone mocking. "You give decent orders, but your strength is holding us back."
The Lord-class beast opened its massive jaws, spewing scorching flames directly at Rein. The Shadow Wolf leapt with blinding speed, its black mist forming a barrier that devoured the fire completely.
"Finally, it's my turn," the Shadow Wolf growled, releasing a massive shockwave from its body that sent nearby beasts flying.
All the students present stared in shock. The Shadow Wolf's power was far beyond their understanding of what an adolescent beast should be capable of.
"What is that… It's still evolving?" Ava murmured from the back, her gaze complicated as she stared at the Shadow Wolf.
Rein was equally stunned by the sudden transformation. Through their soul link, he could feel the Shadow Wolf's power surging rapidly—but alongside it came an overwhelming sense of pressure.
"This thing… was hiding this kind of power," Rein muttered through clenched teeth.
The Shadow Wolf didn't wait any longer and launched its assault. The black mist swept through the trial grounds like a gale, carving deep wounds into the Lord-class beast's body. The beast roared in pain, wildly swinging its massive claws in a desperate counterattack.
"It's slowing down!" Rein shouted, seizing the opportunity. "Shadow Wolf, focus on its hind legs and take out its mobility!"
The Shadow Wolf didn't reply, but its movements shifted immediately. It darted toward the beast's hind legs, its black mist forming a sharp blade that sliced deep into the beast's joints.
The beast collapsed to its knees in pain, but its eyes burned with even greater rage. It roared and struggled to rise, its spiked tail whipping violently toward the Shadow Wolf.
"Watch out!" Rein yelled.
The Shadow Wolf retreated with lightning speed, but the tail still grazed its body. Blood dripped from its shoulder, but its gaze only grew colder.
"This? It's nothing," the Shadow Wolf sneered.
The examiner stood at a distance, watching the Shadow Wolf's performance with a look of disbelief. He had never seen any contract beast hold its ground against a Lord-class beast, let alone an adolescent Shadow Wolf.
"This isn't possible…" the examiner murmured. "Could its bloodline be…"
Rein caught the examiner's murmur and frowned slightly. He realized the Shadow Wolf's power was far beyond what he had imagined, and that it likely hid secrets he was unaware of.
The battle paused briefly. The beast had lost most of its mobility, but its body still burned with intense flames, as if ready to unleash one final attack.
Rein glanced at the Shadow Wolf and asked tentatively, "Your power… it's not fully unleashed yet, is it?"
The Shadow Wolf chuckled coldly, its gaze mocking. "My power… isn't meant for you."
The words made Rein's heart sink, but he didn't press further. He knew the most important thing now was to end this crisis.
Just as Rein and the Shadow Wolf prepared to launch their final attack, the suspicious examiner suddenly stepped forward. In his hand was a dark red talisman, and a cold smile tugged at his lips.
"Not bad, driving it to this point," the man said quietly.
Rein's gaze sharpened. "Who are you?"
"The Cult of the Nether Pact… that name should ring a bell," the man said with a chilling smile. The talisman in his hand emitted a blinding red light that shot toward the Lord-class beast.
The beast's eyes reignited with ferocious light as its aura surged, seemingly breaking free of all restraints.
"Damn it!" Rein muttered.
The Shadow Wolf raised its head, its gaze icy and sharp. "Now this is interesting."