“Ah… my rotten luck…”
Renlo looked like he was standing on a mattress tied to a trampoline in a windstorm.
His entire body trembled violently as he stared at the darkness creature in front of him. It was still trapped inside a dome of Yonin’s blood, but Renlo knew it wouldn’t be for long.
“Are you ready?”
Renlo’s trembling intensified at the instructor’s words. He sent the man a pleading look, shaking his head, but Yonin was having none of it.
With a simple nod, the instructor released his blood.
‘Shit shit shit! Did I offend this bald-headed man in my past life or something!?’
Renlo clutched his spear tighter, feeling the cold sweat gathering in his palm. He lowered his stance, though his trembling legs barely held him up.
The blood fell away, revealing the creature in full.
It was similar to the one Julius, the eighth vein, had faced. Wolf-like, with steel-like muscle packed across its limbs. Though smaller in size, its aura was unmistakable. A grade one enhancer.
The creature’s white eyes darted around, searching for prey… then locked on Renlo.
His entire body froze. The trembling stopped, not because he wasn’t afraid anymore, but because the fear had grown so intense, his body simply refused to move.
The creature screeched.
A sharp, piercing sound stabbed through the air, sending Renlo’s heart into overdrive.
The creature tensed… and then it moved, blasting forward with terrifying speed, claws tearing straight for his throat.
Malakai’s eyes sharpened. ‘He’s not moving.’
He watched with focused eyes, tracking every movement. Especially Renlo. Only that, Renlo wasn’t moving.
‘He’s frozen in fear. If he doesn’t move, he’ll die.’
The other youths reached the same conclusion, and many sneered.
Renlo had only ever faced gradeless creatures during class. That Yonin had suddenly changed his mind had baffled many.
But now, even though he was facing a grade one, he was still in the node formation stage. To be unable to exchange even a single attack, it was disgraceful. What was he doing in the advanced class?
“He’s done for.”
“What a weakling.”
The murmurs filled the air, filled with nothing but scorn.
But right now, Renlo couldn’t give a damn.
‘Move! Move! Move, c’mon Renlo!’ He screamed different things in his head, even hurling insults at himself, anything to trigger his motion.
The gleam of those claws flooded his vision, but still… his body refused to budge.
‘Do you want to stay weak your whole life!?’ He roared in his mind one more time… and that did it.
Memories of his past flashed through his mind, and control returned like a tide.
His grip on the spear tightened. Quickly, he pivoted to the right, raising the shaft of his spear just in time to meet the creature’s claws.
The impact was jarring, steel meeting steel. The shock burst through his arms and rattled his bones.
Sparks danced from the clash as the sheer force of the blow overwhelmed him.
He was sent flying backward like a broken kite, but midair, he twisted, digging his feet into the ground and skidding to a rough stop.
Many of the watching youths raised an eyebrow, surprised by the last-minute movement.
Even Malakai’s eyes narrowed. Feeling slightly surprised, but it vanished just as quickly.
‘He’s still the same.’
The change he’d been waiting for hadn’t come. The Renlo Malakai had seen back then had been a refined warrior.
But now even though Renlo had blocked the strike, his body was still trembling, still shaking.
‘Maybe… a life-and-death battle isn’t the catalyst,’ Malakai thought, gaze pinned on Renlo. ‘Or maybe this just isn’t enough to force it out.’
He let the thought go and returned his focus to the battle.
By the time Renlo regained his balance, the creature had already shot forward, another vicious claw tearing toward him.
But this time, Renlo wasn’t frozen. Though his body still trembled, he dipped low and shot forward, rolling under the creature and narrowly evading the strike.
He rolled to his feet and spun, just in time to see the creature already hurling toward him again.
This time, Renlo didn’t run.
His legs still shook, but there was a new firmness in his eyes. He was still terrified, but Malakai, who was watching closely, instantly recognized it.
‘He’s forcing himself to fight.’
“Bloodflow.”
A surge of power ignited in Renlo’s veins. He thrust out his spear to meet the descending claw.
Sparks exploded from the collision as steel met power, but Renlo grunted, his arm flaring with pain as the impact shot a brutal wave of force through his bones. He clenched his teeth, trying to focus…
But the creature lashed out with its other claw.
Renlo’s eyes widened. He threw himself aside, but it was too late. The beast’s claw sliced across his left arm, pain surging violently as blood sprayed in the air.
Regardless, Renlo shoved it all down. Even as his nerves screamed, the creature lunged again, its fangs bared to rip his head clean off.
Renlo’s eyes widened, and he dipped low once more, rolling under the monster by inches.
He came up to his feet, gripping the spear tightly with only his right hand. His left arm had now turned limp and was burning in pain.
‘Shit shit shit…’
The pain was intense. His arm felt like it was on fire. Every part of him wanted to drop the spear and run…
But he shut that voice out.
‘You can’t keep running away.’
Renlo turned to face the beast again.
‘I can’t clash with it directly.’
That much had become clear in their earlier exchanges. He was weaker, noticeably so.
‘Because I formed my nodes in my stomach. Argh… stupid me!’
But now wasn’t the time for regrets. The creature had already turned and lunged again.
As it neared, Renlo repeated his move, rolling beneath it and avoiding the claws.
The creature turned and lunged again.
But Renlo evaded again.
Then again.
And again.
The crowd of youths narrowed their eyes. What was he doing? Was he planning to run forever?
But only the instructor and Malakai gazes narrowed. They had seen it.
Though Renlo’s movements seemed random, from his eyes, it was clear. He was planning something.
He rolled again. Then again. Evading with the same movement over and over.
And then, as the creature turned and shot forward one more time, Renlo’s eyes sharpened.
‘Finally.’