Chapter 367: Chapter 367: The Hunt Reclaimed
The wind carried Vaelora’s words into silence. For a moment, Noel said nothing. Marcus first. Sylvette second. His sister climbing higher than him.
Selene’s eyes lingered on him, her expression calm but questioning. She could read the shift in his posture, the storm he refused to show.
Finally, Noel broke the quiet. "We continue." His tone was flat, unyielding.
Vaelora gave a curt nod, while Albrecht only folded his arms, unimpressed. Their presence loomed a moment longer before they turned away, leaving the ridge behind.
Once they were gone, Selene spoke softly, almost testing. "You don’t have to prove anything. We survived. That’s already more than enough."
Noel shook his head, his jaw tight. "No. I’m not just here to survive. I want to win this." His grip on Revenant Fang tightened until his knuckles whitened. "If everyone’s watching, then I’ll make sure they don’t look down on me—or on us."
Selene studied him quietly, her gaze unreadable. Then she inclined her head slightly. "Then we should cover more ground. I’ll hunt on my own."
Noel glanced at her, surprised by the suggestion, but her voice remained cold and steady. "It’s faster this way. You want to win, don’t you?"
He exhaled, smirking faintly despite the tension. "Fine. Just don’t hold back."
Without another word, Selene turned and strode down a narrow slope, her wand glinting faintly in the light. Noel watched her go for a moment, then turned the opposite way, shadows coiling faintly at his feet.
The mountain paths wound narrow and steep, but Selene moved as if the terrain itself yielded before her. Her steps were light, her expression sharp, her wand of frozen crystal gleaming faintly in her hand. Alone, she could breathe—without her mother’s gaze, without Noel’s words pressing against her walls.
The first beasts struck fast: scaled hounds with jagged spines, their claws tearing at the stone. Selene’s gaze barely shifted as she raised her wand. "Glacial Thrust."
A spear of ice burst forward, skewering the lead hound clean through. The others lunged, but she twisted her wrist, summoning another. Each motion was precise, efficient—one beast down with every strike.
Blood steamed against the frozen air as a screech rang above. A flock of winged creatures dove, talons glittering like knives. Selene’s lips parted slightly, her voice calm. "Zero Point Burst."
A sphere of gravity bloomed overhead, dragging the creatures inward before collapsing in a violent implosion. Wings snapped like dry twigs, bodies scattering to the ground in mangled heaps.
The valley fell silent again, shards of frost and torn feathers drifting through the air. Selene lowered her wand, her breaths calm and measured. There was no wasted movement, no hesitation—only control, precise and merciless.
She brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, her expression unreadable. "...You want to win, huh?" she whispered, the words stolen by the wind.
They sounded strange leaving her lips—too honest. She shook her head and pressed deeper into the frost-bitten slopes. ’Then I’ll prove it too. I won’t drag him down. I will be strong enough to be by your side.’
The mountain swallowed her figure, leaving only the echoes of shattered beasts behind.
The forest thinned into a jagged clearing, and Noel stopped. The air itself felt heavier, humming with metallic mana.
From the shadows, ten beasts emerged. They were massive—like wolves bred with iron golems. Their hides gleamed like hammered steel, claws black as obsidian, eyes burning red. Each step rattled the stones, their formation unnervingly tight for wild monsters.
Noel’s lips curved upward, sharp and hungry. "Perfect. If they’re watching... let’s put on a show."
The first lunged, faster than its bulk suggested. Noel slid low, shadows curling. "Shadow Step." He vanished, reappearing behind it, Revenant Fang igniting. "Ignition Surge." Flames roared along the cursed blade, carving through its armored hide. The beast howled, collapsing in molten spray.
The others roared, charging as one. Noel stomped down, leaving a glowing sigil. "Flare Trap."
The ground erupted in a column of fire, forcing two to scatter, but not before their armored flanks blackened.
A third raised its head and the ground split—metal spikes burst upward, jagged and sharp. Noel cursed, twisting aside, his coat torn by a near miss. He flicked his wrist. "Voltage Needle!" A crackling bolt pierced its skull, jerking its body before it crumpled.
Still, eight remained.
They encircled him, claws scraping stone, their snarls vibrating in his chest. Noel’s smirk widened. ’Good. Push me harder.’
He raised his palm. "Chain Flash!"
Lightning split the air, lancing into one beast and leaping into two more. The smell of scorched fur filled the clearing.
But they adapted—one beast slammed its claws into the ground, raising a crude shield of metal plates in front of its packmates. Another hurled jagged shards like arrows, forcing Noel into a roll.
He landed on one knee, Revenant Fang glowing with fire, ice already swirling in his other hand. Blood trickled from a shallow cut on his cheek.
Surrounded by nine, Noel chuckled low. "Not bad. But not enough."
The nine remaining beasts closed in, their steel hides gleaming in the firelight. Their roars shook the trees, claws carving furrows into the earth as they circled tighter.
Noel straightened, Revenant Fang humming with fire. Sparks lit his eyes. "Come on, then."
They attacked all at once.
One barreled forward, jaws snapping. Noel spun, slamming Ice Spikes into the ground—jagged crystals shot upward, skewering the beast mid-charge. Another leapt over the spikes, but Noel twisted his wrist, palm blazing. "Flamethrower." A torrent of fire engulfed it midair, the stench of burning flesh spreading as it crashed lifeless to the ground.
Seven left.
Two attacked in tandem—one from behind, another from the front. Noel vanished into shadow. "Shadow Step." He reappeared above them, arcs of lightning crawling across his frame. "Stormpiercer!"
He became a streak of blinding electricity, tearing through both creatures in a single flash. Their bodies convulsed as the smell of ozone filled the clearing.
Five.
But they adapted again. The survivors slammed their claws into the ground, jagged spikes of metal erupting everywhere. Noel gritted his teeth, dodging narrowly. One spike tore across his shoulder, hot blood soaking his sleeve.
His grin didn’t falter. ’Close. But close isn’t enough.’
He plunged Revenant Fang into the soil. Shadows rippled outward, swallowing the light itself. His voice was a low growl. "Eclipse Rend."
The clearing darkened, the blade’s arc splitting into afterimages of pure void. The swing carved forward, erasing three beasts instantly. Their armored hides dissolved as though devoured by the night itself, leaving hollow husks collapsing in silence.
Only two remained—snarling, desperate. Noel surged forward, Revenant Fang roaring under Ignition Surge. One swipe split the first beast from shoulder to hip. The last lunged wildly, claws raking his chest, but Noel rammed the blade through its throat, fire erupting as it fell limp.
The clearing went still. The ground smoked, littered with charred, frozen, and broken corpses. Noel stood at the center, chest heaving, blood trailing from his wounds but his smirk sharp as ever.
Above, the faint hum of a drone cut the silence. Its red eye glowed, recording every second.
The system pulsed across his vision:
[You have slain Elite – Adept (10). +1.50%]
[Current Core Progress: 30.73% – Mana Core: Ascendant]