The creature had finally ‘adapted’. Instead of leaping high with its claws, it barreled forward low, fangs bared, having already anticipated another roll.
But Renlo didn’t roll.
He darted sharply to the left, slipping past the lunging maw. Gritting his teeth, he tightened his trembling right hand on the spear, steadied himself, and drove it forward with everything he had.
The tip pierced the creature’s neck with a wet, meaty squelch. The beast spasmed once… then collapsed, lifeless.
Renlo yanked his spear out with shaky hands. A burst of black ichor sprayed from the wound, pooling across the floor.
He stood there, panting, wide eyed.
“I… I did it?” he muttered.
Even he couldn’t believe it. He stared down at the dead creature, then at his bloodied arm, then at the shocked faces of the other youths.
And then it hit him.
“I did it! WOOAAAH!!” he screamed, his voice filled with excitement.
“That’s enough, Renlo.”
Yonin’s sharp voice cut through his celebration. Renlo flinched and turned quickly, grinning sheepishly.
“S-sorry, Instructor!”
But the smile never left his face.
“Good job. Return to the line.”
Renlo nodded feverishly and bolted away from the center, not wanting to be there a second longer.
Yonin watched him go, his eyes narrowing.
‘It didn’t happen,’ he thought.
But he wasn’t the only one still watching Renlo.
‘He’s not bad,’ Malakai thought.
He’d observed the entire battle. Though it was messy and slow, Renlo had shown skill. Instinct. Timing. He did know how to fight.
‘He has the instincts… but his fear and overthinking keep shutting him down.’
Still, Malakai couldn’t stop wondering.
‘Where did that other Renlo come from?’ The other Renlo that had fought with him… It was like he left all the bad behind, and only the good remained.
A single clap turned the murmurs to silence.
The instructor turned to face the class, then locked eyes with one figure.
“We’re down to our last student,” he announced. “Ninth Vein… please step forward.”
At Yonin’s words, the entire clearing fell silent.
All eyes turned toward Malakai, even the veins.
It was safe to say this was the most anticipated fight of the day.
The youths had seen Malakai spar with Renlo earlier. They had watched how precisely he moved during the live combat simulation against the instructor. Among the youths, there wasn’t a single one who doubted the Ninth Vein could fight.
But knowing how to fight, and standing before a darkness creature, were two very different things.
Would he tremble?
Would he shake?
Would he run?
“He’s dead meat. The instructor will probably give him a grade one because he’s a vein,” one of the youths whispered.
The other youth’s eyes widened. “He’s still in the Genesis stage!”
It came out as a whisper, but the entire clearing heard it. And in that moment, the realization dawned on them.
He was right, Malakai was still a Genesis rank.
Because of everything that had happened, most had forgotten. They’d been so focused on his presence and his calmness that they had overlooked a crucial fact. He was still in the earliest stage of evolution.
As Malakai stepped forward and reached the front, Yonin studied him.
A smile appeared the instructor’s lips as he took in Malakai’s composed, unwavering expression.
“Grade one,” Yonin said calmly. “Any complaints?”
Malakai shook his head.
Yonin’s smile widened slightly, and he turned to fetch a creature from the cart.
“He’s going to lose…” one of the youths muttered under his breath.
The instructor had actually given him a grade one.
To the youths, there was simply no way around it. Technically, a Genesis rank could defeat a grade one creature, yes, but Malakai was too young. The fear alone should paralyze him.
And with fear present… it was nearly impossible for someone of the same rank as the darkness creature to defeat them.
But while the other students had already decided on Malakai’s defeat, the veins remained still, their eyes narrowed, watching closely.
They had seen his fight at the meeting personally. They had watched him kill Jorge. The youths may not have known the full extent of Malakai’s ability, but the veins did.
And yet… even they were curious.
How would he handle this?
The instructor returned, dragging a darkness creature within a dome of crimson blood.
He set it down across from Malakai. Then, with a motion of his hand, the blood receded, revealing the beast beneath.
The youths instantly gasped.
It was the same wolf-like type Julius had fought. But bigger. Almost half a size larger than the one from before. Its aura was dense, and its presence suffocating.
This was no ordinary grade one. This one was at the peak of the Genesis stage!
‘And I thought I was unlucky…’ Renlo blinked in disbelief as the creature let out a violent scream that tore through the air, ringing in their ears.
“Begin.”
The beast moved like a thunderbolt.
Its claws and fangs screamed toward Malakai at a speed that surpassed anything they had seen all day.
“He’s toast!” someone cried.
The creature was already upon him, and yet… Malakai hadn’t even drawn his weapon.
He just stood there, eyes calm, shoulders relaxed, as though the beast barreling toward him was nothing more than a gust of wind.
The youths were sure of it now. He wasn’t winning this.
But then… just as the creature’s claws closed the final inches, Malakai’s irises flicked toward it.
As the creature met Malakai icy gaze, its heart seemed to freeze.
Everything happened at once.
Malakai’s body vanished sideways, leaving the gleaming claws and snapping fangs tearing through empty air.
In the same second, Malakai’s hand reached behind him.
Shhkk.
The smooth metallic whisper of his scythe being drawn rang out as he spun.
His hand blurred, a flash of silver slicing the air.
Fwish.
The blade phased cleanly through the creature’s neck. And in the next instant…
Bam.
The beast dropped to the ground.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence.
Then…
Splrch!
Its neck split, as black ichor erupted from the severed flesh, spilling across the floor in steaming waves.
The clearing descended into a palpable silence as the youths stared wide-eyed at the scene.
One movement.
One strike.
One kill.
That was the perfect way to describe the impossible scene they had just witnessed.
He had actually killed a grade one darkness creature… that effortlessly?
What the hell…
The gazes of the Veins narrowed to pinpricks. While the rest of the class was stunned by Malakai’s impossible speed, the Veins were rattled by something else entirely.
They already knew Malakai could fight, but now, they had just discovered something that made them even more wary.
His will… it was terrifyingly high.
From the moment the creature had appeared to the moment it died, Malakai hadn’t flinched even once. Which meant the grade one darkness creature had almost no effect on his mind.
That wasn’t just talent. That was a problem.
That meant during the Hunt, he wasn’t just a participant… he was a threat.
Their expressions darkened. Malakai was dangerous.
