Group One consisted of exactly one person: Elara Veylin.
Group Two, by contrast, was a congregation of the Kingdom of Thane's most prominent young nobles—all Gold-grade summoners. Together, they formed a picture of prestige and talent: Prince Valkas von Thane, Mary Greenward, Gail Kilt, and Kael Veylin.
The reasoning behind the division was straightforward enough. Elara's summon, Aria, was far too powerful to pair with anyone else, necessitating her placement in the most dangerous section of the Crimson Trail, where she could face mature Luminara beasts. Meanwhile, Group Two was stationed in a safer area, populated primarily by mature Astra beasts, with the occasional weaker Luminara beast straying into their path.
However, safety didn't mean simplicity.
"Hey!" Mary's voice cut through the clearing like a whip, sharp and indignant. Her Golden Lion snarled in frustration, swiping at the air as Kael's Royal Dragon casually batted its paw away, his gleaming white scales catching the light. "That divine core is mine!"
Kael, standing with an air of practiced nonchalance, barely spared her a glance. "My Royal Dragon did most of the damage," he said coolly, folding his arms.
"Damage?" Mary scoffed, her auburn hair flaring as she turned to him. "Your dragon barely grazed it. My lion finished it off!"
Their summons stood silently, regal in their own ways, while their masters devolved into an all-too-familiar argument. It was the third time in an hour, and it was no less grating.
Meanwhile, Prince Valkas and Gail Kilt observed from a safe distance, their summons—Infernal Boar and Royal Wolf, respectively—lounging nearby. Valkas ran a hand over his boar's obsidian back, the miasma creature's blue flames flickering softly.
"They don't exactly exude the dignity of high nobility, do they?" Gail remarked, leaning against a tree with an effortless, languid air. His black hair, tousled and carelessly framing his sharp features, only added to his disarming charm.
Valkas sighed lightly, his ruby-red eyes narrowing as he watched the escalating argument. "No, they don't."
The tension between Mary and Kael was hardly new. Both had summoned divine beasts, meaning every divine core found was a source of contention. Kael's Royal Dragon, despite its immature state, exuded an authority that made it hard for Mary's Golden Lion to claim dominance. Still, Mary was nothing if not determined, and the two clashed over every opportunity to strengthen their beasts.
For Valkas and Gail, this particular conflict was largely irrelevant. Valkas's Infernal Boar was a miasma beast, and Gail's Royal Wolf was a mana beast, meaning neither was interested in divine cores. This left the two of them free to observe, judge, and occasionally roll their eyes at the antics of their companions.
'And these two are supposed to be the most prestigious young nobles in the kingdom,' Valkas thought with a faint grimace. He scratched behind the boar's ear, earning a low, contented grunt.
"Kael and Mary bickering again?" Gail asked, his voice tinged with a trace of boredom.
"Obviously."
"Typical," Gail muttered, his dark eyes half-lidded as he glanced over at the pair. "You'd think they were commoners arguing over scraps, not heirs to the kingdom's most powerful families."
Valkas's gaze shifted to Gail. There was truth in his words, but Gail's own lineage was a quiet reminder that not all nobles needed to argue to display power. The Kilt family stood unmatched among the noble houses, surpassing even the Veylins and Greenwards in influence and strength.
The King himself had kept Duke Kilt from being elevated to Archduke, fearing that granting him such a title would tip the delicate balance of power within the kingdom. And for good reason—Duke Kilt's might as a Gold-grade summoner, with his fully matured summons, was legendary.
'The Kilts,' Valkas mused. They were a family shrouded in quiet ambition, powerful enough to rival the monarchy itself.
And Gail Kilt, the scion of that family, was a summoner of no small renown. His first summon, the Omega Luminara Mana Beast: Royal Wolf, was as impressive as it was ferocious. Though he carried himself with a casual demeanor, Valkas could see the calculation in Gail's dark eyes, always assessing, always weighing.
"Do you plan to stop them?" Valkas asked, gesturing toward the quarreling pair.
Gail smirked, pushing off the tree with an elegant ease. "Why would I? It's entertaining."
Valkas shook his head, suppressing a small laugh. "Entertaining for now. But we still have work to do, and their noise isn't exactly subtle."
Gail shrugged, his wolf padding silently to his side. "Fair point. But I'll leave the diplomacy to you, Your Highness."
As Valkas approached Kael and Mary, he couldn't help but wonder how the group dynamics would hold under the pressure of the Crimson Trail. They were strong—each of them exceptional in their own way—but strength alone wasn't enough.
And in the deepest reaches of the Forbidden Zone, there was no room for petty arguments.
Valkas strode toward the quarreling pair, his expression calm but carrying an undeniable weight of authority. His Infernal Boar followed behind him, its flames flickering brighter as if mirroring its master's simmering impatience.
"Enough," he said sharply, his voice cutting through their bickering like a blade. Both Kael and Mary turned to him, their faces flushed—Kael with irritation, Mary with indignation.
"My Royal Dragon—" Kael began, but Valkas raised a hand, silencing him.
"Your dragon and Mary's lion both contributed to the kill," Valkas said evenly. "Argue all you want later, but right now, we need to focus on efficiency. If you're still fighting over a single divine core when something stronger shows up, we'll all be in trouble."
Mary crossed her arms, her lips pursed, but Kael's gaze softened slightly. Valkas seized the moment and continued, "We split it. Half for the lion, half for the dragon. Both of them gain something, and we keep moving."
Mary opened her mouth to protest, but Valkas fixed her with a pointed look. "Unless, of course, you want to explain to the Headmaster why your fight slowed the group down."
That shut her up. With a reluctant sigh, she turned to her Golden Lion. "Fine. Half."
Kael nodded, stepping back and allowing his Royal Dragon to share the spoils. The divine core split cleanly under their summons' control, the glowing fragments absorbed into each creature's body. The air around them seemed to pulse momentarily as both summons grew slightly stronger.
"See?" Valkas said, his tone lighter now. "That wasn't so hard."
"Speak for yourself," Mary muttered under her breath, but the tension between her and Kael had eased—at least for the moment.
The group began to move again, their summons scanning the area for more beasts. Valkas allowed himself a moment of relief, thinking the worst of the day's drama was behind them.
That was when they heard it: the rapid, uneven crunch of footsteps on the forest floor, growing louder with every passing second.
Valkas turned toward the noise, his brow furrowing. "What—"
Before he could finish, Elara burst through the undergrowth, her face pale and her breath coming in gasps. Her Diamond Grimoire was clutched tightly in her arms, its pages glowing faintly as if in warning.
"Elara?" Kael called out, alarm flashing across his face. "What's going on?"
She didn't answer immediately, her gaze darting behind her. And then they heard it—a deep, guttural roar that sent a chill racing down their spines.
Out of the trees emerged a massive silhouette, its form wreathed in a swirling miasma that seemed to choke the air around it.
Omega Luminara Miasma Beast: Shadow Stalker.
It was huge—easily three times the size of the Twin-Headed Ogre Elara had faced earlier. Its sleek, panther-like body rippled with muscle, and its glowing red eyes locked onto the group with predatory intent.
"Run!" Elara shouted, her voice cracking with urgency. "Just run!"
The group didn't need to be told twice. They bolted, their summons bounding alongside them as the Shadow Stalker gave chase. Its movements were unnervingly fast for something so large, each step shaking the ground.
But behind them, a figure stepped forward, calm and unyielding.
"Aria," Elara called, her voice steadier now despite the panic in her eyes. "Keep it off us!"
Aria nodded, her black hair whipping around her as she turned to face the approaching beast. Her aura flared—gold and black intertwining as her Duality trait activated. The Shadow Stalker lunged, its massive claws aimed to crush her, but she met it head-on, her small frame moving with impossible speed.
The impact of their clash sent shockwaves through the forest, trees splintering and crashing to the ground. Aria's fists glowed with a mix of miasma and divine energy as she struck, forcing the beast back with each blow.
"She's holding it off," Valkas muttered, his voice filled with awe. "She's actually holding it off."
"Don't stop!" Elara yelled, urging them forward. She could feel the strain through her grimoire, the immense power of the Shadow Stalker pressing against Aria's defenses. But her summon didn't falter, her movements precise and relentless.
As they ran, Valkas glanced back once more. Aria stood in the clearing, her aura blazing brighter than ever, a tiny figure against the towering beast. Yet, somehow, it was the Shadow Stalker that seemed overmatched.