《Elion Hayes [Book One: The Beast Rings]》


 Chapter 1: Six Hours Ago

    Elion Hayes was one second away from getting his face ripped off.


    No exaggeration. No dramatic overstatement. Just a cold, horrifying reality.


    A seven-foot-tall ape-like creature loomed over him, showing its sharp teeth and bringing its claws down toward his head. Its glowing yellow eyes focused on his throat, and it smelled like a mix of rotten animals and smoke.


    Elion barely had time to think, let alone scream.


    To his right, Jordan Walker¡ªhis best friend and partner in terrible life choices¡ªwas swinging a metal pipe like his life depended on it. Which, fun fact, it did.


    To his left, Ronan Cross, the cowboy who they just met, was busy reloading his revolver one-handed, completely unfazed by the horror show happening around him.


    ¡°Ronan!¡± Elion yelled, desperately backpedaling.


    The cowboy snapped the chamber shut, spun the revolver, and fired in one clean motion.


    BANG.


    The beast-man¡¯s head snapped backward. Its body collapsed like a dropped bag of bricks.


    Elion exhaled sharply, heart hammering. ¡°Little close, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Ronan tipped his hat. ¡°Still breathing, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Elion didn¡¯t have time to argue because two more beast-men were already charging.


    They were too human to be animals, too monstrous to be men.


    They moved wrong¡ªtoo fast, too smooth like their bones weren¡¯t connected right. Their heads twitched unnaturally, sniffing the air, their too-wide grins stretching like they knew something Elion didn¡¯t.


    Bodies hunched like apes, fur rippling over twisted muscles. Their fingers ended in black claws sharp enough to carve through concrete. And their faces¡ªSun Wukong¡¯s nightmare cousins¡ªwere frozen in eerie, too-wide grins.


    Elion had exactly one second to remember everything Ronan had taught them less than an hour ago.


    Rule One: Don¡¯t let them touch you. Poison claws. Bad.


    Rule Two: Their reflexes are insane. Swing too early, you miss. Swing too late, you die.


    Rule Three: If all else fails¡ªpray.


    Because right now?


    Everything else was failing. Elion wondered how did his life take such a turn.


    Six hours ago, he was just a guy trying to survive another boring shift. No life-or-death chases, no monster attacks, no cryptic cowboys dragging him into interdimensional problems.


    Six hours ago, his life was perfectly normal.


    ***


    New Orleans was never quiet.


    At night, the city feels alive. Cars honk, neon lights buzz, and street performers sing jazz for tourists. The tourists pretend to enjoy the music before moving on to the next bar.


    Elion Hayes barely noticed any of it.


    He walked out of Good Books¡ªa bookstore and pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt. The air smelled like rain and fried shrimp, heavy with humidity that stuck to his skin. His backpack hung over one shoulder and felt too light for the weight he was carrying.


    Above the Mississippi, the sky threw its usual overdramatic tantrum¡ªgold bleeding into purple, clouds streaked like someone had taken a paintbrush to the horizon.


    People always said sunsets in New Orleans were magic.


    Elion didn¡¯t even glance at it.


    Sunsets were like opportunities¡ªbeautiful for some, constantly slipping away for others.


    And for him? Life felt like an endless game of catch-up.


    He fixed his bag strap and blended into the crowd on the sidewalk. He moved with the rhythm of the city. He never rushed or slowed down; he was always at pace with the surrounding chaos.


    It helped that he looked like someone worth noticing.


    At five foot ten, with a lean but defined build, he had the kind of athletic frame that made people assume he worked out¡ªwhich was only half true. His life kept him in shape whether he liked it or not.


    His sharp jawline and high cheekbones could have made him conventionally good-looking, but he didn¡¯t have the time¡ªor the patience¡ªto care.


    His black curls were always messy, always falling into his deep brown eyes, making him look like he¡¯d either just rolled out of bed or had been running on zero sleep for days.


    Some people could effortlessly own that ¡°reckless and charming¡± look.


    Elion? He just looked exhausted.


    Not that he cared.


    He had bigger things to worry about.


    Some guy in a suit nearly shoulder-checked him into next week, sprinting across the crosswalk like his entire life depended on catching a bus.


    Elion barely reacted. New Orleans had two speeds: fast and ¡°good luck.¡±


    A cyclist shot past so close he could have reached out and stolen the guy¡¯s backpack.


    A woman with AirPods power-walked through him, yelling at someone named Gary about a ¡°colossal failure in the spreadsheets.¡±


    A guy balancing three iced coffees with absolutely zero spatial awareness was on a direct collision course.


    Elion dodged them all without breaking stride.


    This was how life worked. No pauses. No space to breathe. Just keep moving, or you¡¯ll get flattened.


    His reflection flashed in a shop window. The black hoodie. The tired posture. The restless eyes that never stopped moving. He looked the same as always.


    But sometimes, when he really stopped and stared, it felt like he was looking at a stranger.


    Didn¡¯t recognize that guy.


    Didn¡¯t want to.


    Then his phone buzzed in his pocket. Just like that, everything changed. A feeling tightened in his chest before he even checked the screen. Because deep down, he already knew¡ªthis wasn¡¯t good news.


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    Elion barely pulled his phone out of his pocket before the buzzing stopped. The screen lit up.


    Six unread messages.


    A few were from his Mom.


    His stomach tightened.


    Mom never texted this much unless something was wrong.


    He swiped open the notifications, scanned the messages, and then played the first one. It was a voice message.


    MOM (Voice Message): ¡°Elion, I need you to talk to Liam when you get home.¡±


    Elion paused mid-step.


    Liam?


    He immediately tapped play. His mother¡¯s voice came through, soft but tight with frustration.


    MOM (Voice Message): ¡°He got into another fight. You know how he is. I tried talking to him, but he was not listening. I need your help to handle this before it gets worse.¡±


    Elion sighed.


    Liam had been picking fights for as long as he could throw a punch. Most of the time, it was just stupid posturing, a bad habit. But sometimes? It was worse.


    Still, this wasn¡¯t an emergency. His Mom would¡¯ve called if it were.


    He typed out a reply.


    ELION: I¡¯ll talk to him when I get home.


    A few seconds later, another message popped up.


    MOM (Voice Message): Okay. Can you grab some groceries first? The usual. And get extra eggs this time¡ªyour brother keeps inhaling them like they don¡¯t cost money.


    Elion smirked, shaking his head.


    At least she sounded calmer now.


    ELION: Got it.


    That was enough for now. Liam¡¯s fight could wait. Elion needed a place to clear his head and maybe... take a break from his responsibilities for a few hours. His plate was full at the moment.


    He took a deep breath, trying his best to forget everything. He put his phone in his pocket and kept walking, letting the busy city lead him.


    He walked without thinking as his mind wandered, troubled by worries he could not shake off. Then¡ªBEEEEP!


    ¡°Hey! Watch it, kid!¡±


    A grey car zoomed past, the tires slicing through the evening air like a blade.


    Elion stopped dead, heart hammering. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± he blurted, raising a hand in apology¡ªnot that the driver stuck around to care.


    He sighed and kept walking, that familiar exhaustion settling into his bones. Working wasn¡¯t the issue. He could handle long shifts, rude customers, and even late-night inventory restocks.


    The real problem? No matter how much effort he put in, he was just getting by. No savings. No progress. Just an endless cycle of study, work, sleep, repeat.


    As he turned onto one of the streets, a familiar voice cut through the evening air.


    ¡°Elion! Hold up, man!¡±


    He turned to see Jordan jogging toward him, looking effortlessly put together¡ªlike he hadn¡¯t just sprinted down the block. Before he could react, Jordan fell into step beside him¡ªall effortless movement and stupid confidence.


    Jordan Walker had that kind of energy that made people look twice. He walked through the city confidently, taking long strides. His shoulders were relaxed, and his hands were in his pockets as if he had all the time in the world.


    Elion was sharp and quiet, while Jordan was laid-back but always kept up with everyone.


    He was taller by an inch or two, built like an athlete who made everything look effortless. His hoodie was only half-zipped over a fitted shirt, the sleeves pushed up as if he had just rolled them up without thinking.


    Jordan¡¯s golden-blonde hair practically reflected the streetlights, like he¡¯d been personally blessed by the sun. He never had to put in much effort¡ªhis life seemed like a series of great moments. A few loose strands of hair framed his sharp face¡ªhe had high cheekbones, a strong jawline, and eyes that always looked playful.


    Well, to cut it short, Jordan wasn¡¯t just cool. He was the guy who could talk his way into anything¡ªand out of everything.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Elion said, managing a small smile as Jordan caught up.


    Jordan ran a hand through his hair like he was in a shampoo ad. ¡°I thought you went home already,¡± he said, still catching his breath. ¡°I checked the bookstore, but you weren¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°I left on time,¡± Elion explained. ¡°On my way to grab some groceries for my mom.¡±


    Jordan tilted his head. ¡°Groceries, huh? Mind if I tag along? I was about to grab a coffee, but priorities.¡±


    Elion shrugged. ¡°Sure. Just don¡¯t slow me down.¡±


    Jordan grinned. ¡°Please. I should be saying that to you.¡±


    As they walked, the usual noise of the city faded, replaced by something different¡ªa low, buzzing energy, like the moment before a storm hit.


    Up ahead, a soccer court¡ªwell-known as The Cage by the locals¡ªloomed under the streetlights.


    Elion¡¯s eyes were fixated on the court. It had been years.


    It wasn¡¯t just any soccer court. This was the spot. No refs, no soft turf, no mercy. Just rusted fences, cracked pavement, and bragging rights that lasted until the next game.


    Normally, the place would be alive¡ªshouts, scuffed sneakers, the rhythmic thud-thud-thud of a ball bouncing between players.


    But tonight?


    Dead silent.


    Instead of a match, a group of guys stood in a circle, talking in hushed voices, their expressions tense. The way they kept glancing around told Elion this wasn¡¯t about who gets to play goalkeeper.


    Jordan noticed, too. ¡°Huh. The Cage is never this quiet.¡±


    Elion nodded. ¡°Yeah. Either they lost the ball¡­ or short of players.¡±


    Before they could walk past, someone spotted them.


    "Yo, Jordan!"


    A figure broke away from the group¡ªRaymond Ortega. Built like a tank and pretty fast for his size, he was known for making sure you felt it when he tackled you.


    He jogged over, grinning like Jordan had just saved his life. ¡°Dude, perfect timing. We¡¯re short two players. You in?¡±


    Jordan smirked. ¡°Man, I haven¡¯t stretched in, like, a week.¡±


    Ray laughed before scoffing. ¡°You don¡¯t need to stretch even after if it¡¯s a year. You¡¯re Jordan.¡±


    He then looked around and said, ¡°We still need a player.¡±


    Jordan shrugged, clearly accepting this as a fact. Then he nudged his head toward Elion. ¡°What about him?¡±


    Raymond turned, giving Elion a quick once-over before looking back at Jordan.


    ¡°Uh¡­ who¡¯s your friend? Is he good?¡±


    Elion blinked. Well, that was expected.


    It had been years since he last played here or since he participated in high school soccer tournaments, but he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d been wiped from history.


    Faces changed. Players came and went. He got it. But they had played a few times before. At least, remember him.


    ¡°Elion,¡± he said flatly. Hoping that could trigger Raymond¡¯s memory.


    Raymond squinted like he was trying to connect to a memory that didn¡¯t exist. ¡°Elion?¡± He tested the name, then shook his head. ¡°Sorry, man. Doesn¡¯t ring a bell.¡±


    The other guys in the group started whispering, trying to place him. "Nah. Sorry, man. Never heard of you."


    The words hit harder than they should¡¯ve. Never heard of you?


    Elion started to feel like he was in a movie where everyone forgot a character. Like everyone¡¯s memory about him had been wiped.


    Jordan, meanwhile, just stood there, grinning.


    Elion side-eyed him. ¡°Something funny?¡±


    Jordan¡¯s smirk widened. ¡°Nope. Just waiting.¡±


    Raymond exhaled through his nose. ¡°Look, no offense, but we really need players who can actually hold their own. No rookies.¡±


    One of the guys muttered, ¡°Especially tonight.¡±


    Elion caught that but let it slide. What¡¯s so special about tonight?


    Before he could ask, Jordan clapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Rookies? Bro, if you think I have a shot at going pro, you should¡¯ve seen this guy back in the day.¡±


    Silence.


    A few players exchanged looks. Others raised their eyebrows, now giving Elion a little more attention.


    Raymond arched an eyebrow. ¡°For real?¡±


    Jordan nodded, still completely unfazed. ¡°For real.¡±


    Elion flexed his fingers. It had been a while, but muscle memory was a stubborn thing. His body still remembered the game, even if these guys didn¡¯t remember him. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll see,¡± he said.


    In soccer, he had his share of pride and confidence.


    Ray studied him for a beat, then shrugged. ¡°Alright. If Jordan¡¯s vouching for you, you get a shot. But if you suck, you¡¯re off the court in five minutes.¡±


    Elion smirked. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    As they walked toward the court, Elion felt it¡ªthe weight of doubt. Nobody remembered him. Nobody expected anything. But they were about to.


    Oh, they were about to.


    ¡°You okay with this?¡± Jordan asked. ¡°Will your Mom be waiting for the groceries?¡±


    ¡°No problem. Those are for tomorrow,¡± Elion replied as he pulled the red bib over his head, the fabric smelling like it had been marinated in sweat for the past year.


    He wrinkled his nose. "Man, when was the last time they washed these?"


    Jordan, already in his bib, grinned. "Pretty sure these things are self-cleaning¡ªyou know, in a ¡®let the next person¡¯s sweat cancel out the last guy¡¯s¡¯ kind of way.¡±


    ¡°Fantastic,¡± Elion muttered, adjusting the straps.


    Despite being street soccer, the setup was weirdly organized. Normally, The Cage ran 3-on-3 or 5-on-5¡ªfast-paced, high-energy, nonstop chaos. But tonight?


    9-a-side.


    Which was practically a full team, at least by The Cage¡¯s standards.


    The court was big enough to handle it, sure, but it was rare for Elion to see this many people playing at once.


    He glanced at the opponents in their white bibs. A few familiar faces jumped out¡ªguys he hadn¡¯t seen in years. Some were former players from his old days here, others just regulars at The Cage.


    Interesting.


    Jordan jogged up beside him, rolling his shoulders. "You look like you''re thinking too hard."


    Elion nodded toward the other team. "Recognize any of them?"


    Jordan followed his gaze, his eyes scanning the white bibs. Then, he let out a low whistle.


    ¡°Oh yeah. Couple of real ballers over there. That guy¡ª¡± he nodded toward a lanky dude adjusting his shin guards¡ª ¡°is Marcus. Crazy footwork. And that dude? Malik. I swear he has a sixth sense for interceptions. If he¡¯s marking you, good luck getting a clean pass off.¡±


    Elion hummed. "Yeah, I remember Marcus. I played against him years ago."


    Jordan raised an eyebrow. "Do you remember how that went?"


    Elion smirked. "Let¡¯s just say I left him with trust issues."


    Jordan laughed. "Man, I cannot wait for this."


    Elion laughed. Same here. He cannot wait, too.

 Chapter 2: We Won. They Lost. Now They Want Our Heads.

    They continued warming up¡ªlight jogging, quick stretches, a few passes between them.


    The rest of the players did the same; some cracked jokes, others focused, and others lost in their own pre-game rituals.


    ¡°Dear God, let us win tonight.¡± Some of the players were praying. Well, that was weird.


    Wasn¡¯t it just street soccer? Play for fun?


    Still, Elion continued his warm-up. He stretched his legs, rolling his shoulders as he took his spot¡ªright winger. He was trying to get back the feeling of playing.


    Jordan, of course, was a striker because where else would he be? The guy was built for scoring goals, and he knew it.


    The others jogged onto the court, passing the ball around as they warmed up. The air buzzed with anticipation, but something still felt... off.


    Elion nudged Jordan. ¡°Alright, be real with me¡ªwhy is everyone acting weird?¡±


    Jordan grinned, casually juggling the ball between his feet. With a grin, he said, "There must be bets involved. That''s the only possible explanation.¡±


    Elion stopped mid-stretch. ¡°Bets? Money?¡±


    Jordan smirked. ¡°Big game, big stakes. Wouldn¡¯t be the first time.¡±


    Elion frowned. ¡°You must be kidding... Things have changed a lot, huh?¡±


    Jordan laughed as he tossed the ball into the air and easily trapped it with his right foot. ¡°Don''t be silly, Elion. We were kids back then. Now? We¡¯re adults. Life changes people.¡±


    Elion sighed. He hated when Jordan said things that actually made sense.


    After about ten more minutes, Raymond clapped his hands from midfield, calling everyone in. "Alright! You all know the rules¡ªno refs, no whining, no mercy.¡±


    Elion leaned toward Jordan. "Is that, like, his catchphrase?"


    Jordan grinned. "Oh yeah. Guy loves saying that."


    Raymond continued. ¡°One rolling sub per team. Match is first to three goals or twenty minutes¡ªwhichever comes first. Play clean, play hard, and don¡¯t embarrass yourselves.¡±


    Jordan elbowed Elion. "Try not to embarrass yourself, rookie."


    Elion smirked. "Funny. I was just about to say the same to you."


    The teams moved into position.


    Elion flexed his fingers, rolling his neck. His pulse was steady, his body remembering the old rhythm, the way the game felt before everything else in life got complicated.


    Malik was onto him. Elion could see that on Malik¡¯s face, one could read, ¡®Where have I seen this face?¡¯


    Well, it was too obvious. Some people were squinting at him, like their brains were running on low battery, trying to process where they¡¯d seen his face before.


    He knew that look.


    The I-know-this-guy-but-where-from look.


    Which, honestly, was fair. Elion used to play here all the time, but he¡¯d never been the type to socialize much. No pre-game banter, no post-match celebrations. He¡¯d just show up, play, and leave¡ªmostly because Jordan had dragged him along.


    Back then, Jordan had been the loud, charismatic one who made friends with literally everyone.


    Elion? He was just the dude standing next to him, nodding occasionally like an NPC in the background.


    So yeah. People sort of recognized him. But actually, remembering him?


    That was a whole different challenge.


    Still, Elion chose to ignore him. He was trying his best to get his sense of the game as quickly as possible.


    Raymond placed the ball at the center.


    "Three."


    Jordan bounced on his heels, eyes locked on the ball.


    "Two."


    The other team tensed. Marcus flashed Elion a cocky smirk from across the court. It seemed like he remembered Elion.


    "One."


    The match began.


    Elion took his first step, and suddenly, it felt like he had never left. The ball was passed from Jordan to Raymond.


    Raymond held the ball at midfield, eyes scanning the court for an opening. ¡°Move it, you snails! Find open spaces!¡±


    He was shouting at his teammates with the ball still on his feet, eyes looking around. Finding a free teammate seemed like a trouble for him.


    ¡°Over here, dumbass! I¡¯m free!¡±


    ¡°Me! Me!¡±


    The opposing team, too, moved quickly into position, marking players closely and pressing hard. They were not just here to play; they aimed to win.


    Well, of course. If what Jordan told Elion was true, they must win.


    ¡°Where did I meet you?¡± Malik asked as he had locked onto Elion like a heat-seeking missile, shadowing his every move.


    ¡°No idea,¡± Elion replied. He was not really into talking right now. He felt his pride had hurt so much tonight when everyone forgot about him. His mood was bad.


    Raymond knew Malik¡¯s reputation; the guy was ruthless when it came to marking. Seeing Elion stuck under his pressure, Raymond sighed and decided against passing to him. "Well, another rookie, it seems."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Elion noticed how Raymond was looking at him. ''He thinks I can¡¯t handle it,'' Elion thought. That was when Elion did something that nobody noticed.


    Meanwhile, on Raymond''s mind, if Malik had Elion locked down, then it would be a wasted play. Just as he turned to find another option, something caught his eye.


    Elion was free.


    Elion did not shout or wave his hand. He simply made eye contact with Raymond. That was more than enough to convey his intention of where he wanted the ball to be passed.


    "How on earth..." Raymond blinked, momentarily thrown off.


    Just seconds ago, Malik had been glued to him, yet now he was looking around, confused, his hands out as if trying to figure out where Elion had disappeared.


    Jordan, watching from the center, grinned and muttered under his breath, ¡°Now you guys won¡¯t forget Elion anymore.¡±


    Without hesitation, Raymond launched the ball toward Elion with a powerful, direct pass.


    Marcus, one of the white-team strikers, laughed. ¡°What the hell, Ray? You trying to send the ball out of bounds?¡±


    Several players on the opponent¡¯s side smirked, already assuming possession. The ball was moving too fast, carrying too much force and a bit high for one to stop.


    To them, it was an obvious mistake¡ªthere was no way Elion could control it before it went out.


    That was when Elion stunned everyone. He didn¡¯t even think¡ªhis body just moved.


    With perfect timing, he jumped backward, twisting his body in mid-air. As he spun, he extended his right foot and, with the outer edge, stopped the ball dead.


    The trap was perfect. Some people called it a soft-tofu trap. There was no wild bounce, no struggle for control¡ªjust an instant, clean trap.


    ¡°Who¡­ the heck is he¡­¡±


    ¡°This is unfair. They must have called a pro.¡±


    Gasps rippled through the crowd.


    Raymond, who had assumed his pass had been wasted, stood frozen, unable to believe what he had just witnessed. That was when he felt something had triggered his memory.


    ¡°Wait a minute... Elion¡­ That Elion?!¡±


    Even Jordan, who had expected Elion to do something, raised an eyebrow in approval. "Whoa. Awesome as always, Elion."


    Elion just landed when Malik, furious at being outplayed, lunged at him with a full-force slide tackle. But Elion was already moving. He jumped over Malik¡¯s legs in one quick move as if Malik wasn¡¯t there at all.


    Once his feet hit the ground, he took off running.


    Elion sprinted down the right flank, moving at a pace no one had expected. One defender ran to block him, but Elion faked left and then quickly cut right, causing the player to stumble the wrong way.


    Another defender approached from the front, trying to steal the ball, but Elion spun past him smoothly, leaving him reaching for nothing.


    The sudden shift in momentum sent a jolt of urgency through the white team. ¡°Stop him!¡± Marcus bellowed as he tore down the court to reinforce the defense.


    Elion wasn¡¯t stopping. He had no reason to.


    With every step, he left another opponent in the dust. The Cage had seen fast players before, but Elion wasn¡¯t just fast¡ªhe was precise, his movements fluid and controlled. There was no wasted energy, no unnecessary showboating. He knew exactly where he needed to be, and he got there effortlessly.


    By the time he neared the corner, the entire red team was watching in disbelief. Meanwhile, the white team was scrambling, desperate to shut him down.


    ¡°Quick! Just do anything! Something!¡±


    ¡°Tackle him!¡±


    Meanwhile, Jordan was already in position, his body tense and waiting. ¡°Come on. I¡¯m ready, Elion.¡±


    Elion smiled as he saw Jordan¡¯s position. He didn¡¯t hesitate. He swung his foot and sent a perfectly timed cross curling toward the center of the goal.


    The ball arced through the air, landing exactly where Jordan needed it. "Thanks for the delivery!" Jordan said, and without a second thought, he leaped, meeting the ball with a powerful header that slammed into the net.


    The impact was loud and final. The ball hit the back of the goal. The goalkeeper was helpless.


    1-0.


    For a moment, everyone was silent. Then, the court erupted.


    ¡°Goallllll!¡±


    The red team cheered loudly, some still in shock from what they had just witnessed. Raymond ran a hand through his hair, showing both surprise and respect.


    On the white team¡¯s side, a few players were already arguing, clearly unsettled.


    ¡°Just break his leg! Why did you hesitate?!¡±


    ¡°How?! I can¡¯t even catch him.¡±


    Jordan brushed the dust off his bib, walking up to Elion with a smirk. ¡°Welcome back, man.¡±


    Elion let out a slow breath, rolling his shoulders as he glanced around. Every single player on the court was staring at him now.


    Someone on the red team finally broke the silence. ¡°You¡¯re that Elion, right?¡± His voice carried a mix of awe and excitement.


    Another guy smacked his teammate¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Dude. We¡¯re winning this. We¡¯ve got Elion Hayes.¡±


    ¡°Man, it¡¯s been years!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re confirmed to win tonight, guys!¡± someone shouted.


    Elion just smiled. Yeah. They remembered him now.


    But the white team wasn¡¯t just going to roll over and die.


    From the second the ball was back in play, they came at him with everything they had. The smugness in Marcus¡¯s expression was gone¡ªreplaced with something colder, sharper. They weren¡¯t playing for fun anymore. They were playing to break him.


    And yet, it didn¡¯t matter.


    Malik, who had spent the first half of the match tailing him, got more aggressive¡ªpushing, pulling, trying to disrupt his rhythm. But Elion had already figured him out. He baited Malik into lunging for the ball, only to flick it between his legs, leaving him spinning in the dust.


    The crowd gasped. Someone actually shouted, ¡°Ankles! He took his ankles!¡±


    Elion didn¡¯t stop. He sprinted down the sideline, faking out two defenders before cutting inside and threading a perfect pass to Jordan.


    Jordan grinned. ¡°Oh, now we¡¯re really cooking.¡±


    Boom. Goal. 2-0.


    The white team was in trouble.


    Desperate, they started playing dirty¡ªthrowing elbows, clipping heels, shoving just hard enough that the ref-less game wouldn¡¯t stop them. But the red team wasn¡¯t intimidated. They were fired up.


    Elion took another hit to the ribs. He staggered but kept going. The ball rolled toward Raymond, who immediately launched it forward¡ªstraight into the chaos of the penalty box.


    Jordan, mid-stride, went airborne.


    The keeper dove. He managed to block it. The ball then moved toward Elion''s direction. ''A chance,'' he thought. He jumped high into the air.


    A perfectly timed bicycle kick. The moment his foot connected with the ball, time seemed to slow.


    The ball slammed into the net with a sickening thud.


    3-0. Game over. Seventeen minutes after the game started, it ended.


    The red team had wrecked the opposition. Jordan had netted two goals, his striker instincts still sharp enough to slice through steel, while Elion had scored one and assisted two.


    Every time the white team thought they had their attack figured out, Elion and Jordan broke through like a wrecking crew with zero regard for their pride.


    The final whistle¡ªwell, Raymond¡¯s deafening ¡°GAME OVER!¡±¡ªrang through The Cage, and the red team exploded into cheers.


    "Dude, where have you been hiding?!" Raymond shouted, clapping Elion on the back so hard he nearly dislocated his soul. "You¡¯re much better now. You played like a pro!"


    Another teammate shook his head in disbelief. "Man, I swear you were possessed or something. That footwork? Straight-up wizardry."


    Elion smiled as he caught his breath. He had missed this feeling¡ªthe excitement, the teamwork, and the thrill of competing. He thought he was just filling in, but it turned out that tonight marked his official return.


    Well, for the summer break, at least.


    But not everyone was celebrating.


    Across the court, the white team wasn¡¯t just mad. They were furious.


    That was when it hit Elion. They had money on this match.


    The prayers before the game. The weird tension in their huddle. They were all way too into it for just a casual street game.


    Elion¡¯s stomach twisted. He had just wrecked someone¡¯s payday.


    ¡°I smell trouble,¡± Elion muttered.


    Jordan let out a low whistle beside him. ¡°Yeah¡­ they¡¯re not happy.¡±


    Elion glanced at the opposing players. Some were locked in heated, frustrated conversations, but a few?


    They were staring directly at him and Jordan. And not in a ¡°Wow, great game, man¡± kind of way.


    More like a ¡°We¡¯re debating whether to jump you in the parking lot¡± kind of way.


    Elion turned to Jordan. ¡°I believed we just make some enemies.¡±


    Jordan exhaled, wiping sweat off his forehead. ¡°Maybe. Probably.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Either way, not our problem. Game¡¯s over.¡±


    Elion frowned. ¡°Did we do the right thing?¡±


    Jordan¡¯s expression was unreadable for a second, but then he gave another shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t know. In the end, we played to win. That¡¯s on them for betting on it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s helpful,¡± Elion let out a slow breath, looking back at the white team.


    He had joined just to play, but somehow, he and Jordan had just decided the fate of a whole lot of money. And judging by the way the white team kept glaring at them¡ªthis wasn¡¯t over.


    Not even close.

 Chapter 3: When the Game Doesn’t End at the Whistle

    For a while, everything felt normal.


    Elion and Jordan walked along the sidewalk on a warm summer night. The neon lights flashed, and they could hear the city buzzing as they talked.


    The earlier game at The Cage? Just another match. A great match, sure¡ªprobably the best Elion had played in years¡ªbut nothing worth overthinking.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t help the rush of excitement. After years of drowning in lectures, tutorials, and part-time shifts, he had finally gotten to play again.


    For a moment, just a moment, life felt simple.


    Then, of course, his brain decided to ruin it.


    He remembered the white team¡¯s glares. The way Marcus and Malik had stared him down after the final whistle. Their huddle had looked way too intense for just a bunch of guys taking an ''L'' in street soccer.


    They¡¯d get over it.


    ¡­Right?


    Elion let out a slow breath, trying to shake off the unease creeping into his gut. He had just gone there to play. No drama. No grudges. Just soccer.


    Surely, they wouldn¡¯t hold a grudge over one game.


    Surely.


    Pushing those thoughts aside, they slipped into familiar conversation¡ªtheir high school days. They talked about everything.


    Then, about soccer.


    Back then, they weren¡¯t just teammates. They were the Deadly Duo.


    Sounds cringe, right? But that was during school days, so it was a pretty normal title.


    Elion and Jordan had carried West Ridge High School on their backs, steamrolling their way through the city tournament and even making it to the National High School Championship as representatives of the state.


    Every sports page made them sound like the ultimate duo destined for greatness. Well, not actual newspapers¡ªlet¡¯s be real, no high schooler reads those. But on social media? Oh yeah. The hype was everywhere.


    But then?


    Life happened.


    Elion went the academic route, getting into Stanford University, one of the top universities in the country.


    Jordan? He took a step back, choosing to explore life before jumping into college¡ªthat he never attended. They even lost contact for about a year and a half after that.


    Elion always respected that decision. Even admired it. Jordan did things his way, without pressure, without a set path.


    Meanwhile, Elion had taken the ¡°practical¡± road¡ªscholarships, grades, and responsibility.


    Still, sometimes, he wondered what Jordan hoped to find or had discovered with all that freedom.


    Their conversation then turned to summer plans as they walked past the bright storefronts on the street.


    ¡°What''s the plan this summer?¡± Jordan asked, putting his hands in his pockets. ¡°Besides working your tail off, that is.¡±


    Elion chuckled, though it lacked real amusement. ¡°Not much, really. Just trying to save up some money, help at home, and maybe, if I¡¯m lucky, get a little break a few days before the break ends.¡±


    Jordan gave him a sideways look like Elion had just told him he enjoyed eating plain bread and calling it a meal.


    ¡°Dude, you¡¯re twenty,¡± Jordan said. ¡°You should be out having fun, not working and studying all the time.¡±


    He looked at Elion for a moment before asking, ¡°How about we hit the beach next weekend? Grab drinks, hang out, enjoy life?¡±


    ¡°Beach?¡± Elion wanted to say yes. He really did. But reality had other ideas. ¡°Well... Those are nice, but how I wish I could,¡± Elion said with a sigh. ¡°I need to help with this month¡¯s rent. My mom¡¯s been worrying about the money and my little brother...¡±


    "Liam? Let me guess¡ªhe got into another fight?"


    Elion sighed and nodded.


    Jordan ran a hand down his face like he was personally exhausted by Liam¡¯s life choices. ¡°That brat¡­ Look, I get it. Family first, always. But you need a break, too. If you want, I can have a little chat with him. You know, hit him with the classic Jordan Walker Slow Talk Special¡ªworks every time.¡±


    Elion almost laughed. Almost. Jordan had this unique ability of being able to cut through excuses like a hot knife through butter.


    But taking it easy? Yeah, that wasn''t even considered.


    A few minutes later, they arrived at a small grocery store. It was on the corner of the block. The store looked modest, and the sign had seen better days. But everyone in the neighborhood knew it was the only place that offered the cheapest essentials.


    Nobody quite understood how the owner managed to keep prices so low¡ªmaybe he cared more about helping the community than making a profit.


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    Elion pushed open the door. That was when the overhead bell let out a very weak jingle. Well, the sound resonated with how tired his body was.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± the cashier said. He was barely glancing up from his phone.


    Everyone could see how he looked so bored out of his mind that even scrolling seemed to have lost its appeal.


    Elion and Jordan nodded to the cashier before splitting up¡ªElion went straight for the essentials while Jordan wandered off, probably looking for something unnecessary.


    Elion picked up a basket by the register and started to gather his usual items: milk, bread, eggs, and a few cans of food. He chose everything carefully¡ªnothing too expensive, nothing extra, just enough to last the week.


    Jordan walked down the aisle, randomly picking up items and putting them back. He repeated that a few times.


    Then, as if he had found something interesting, he quickly picked up a pack of sour candies and threw it into Elion¡¯s basket. "Three-pointer!"


    Elion raised an eyebrow before smiling. ¡°Candy? Seriously?¡±


    Jordan grinned, the definition of unapologetic. ¡°Hey, man, it¡¯s called balance. Life needs some sweetness.¡±


    "But this one is sour." Elion shook his head, but he still kept the candy.


    They walked up to the counter, not realizing that the night was far from over. Just so you know, things were about to get complicated.


    Elion paid the cashier for his groceries and nodded politely. Jordan wanted to pay for his candies, but Elion signaled for him not to.


    "It was only a dollar," Elion said. He grabbed his bag, took out the candies, and tossed them to Jordan.


    ¡°Thanks, Elion,¡± Jordan said with a grin.


    They then made their way out. The air outside had grown cooler. Somehow, Elion felt like this was what he needed. It was becoming more peaceful, too.


    "It''s peaceful tonight," Elion said.


    "Yeah. Like the calm before the storm," Jordan replied.


    Elion stopped for a moment. He closed his eyes just to enjoy the peace of the quiet street.


    "Dude, you seem in dire need of rest," Jordan teased.


    Elion replied with a smile. Everything that Jordan said was true.


    As they continued down the road and stopped at the corner where they would go their separate ways, Jordan patted him on the shoulder and smiled his usual friendly smile.


    ¡°Anyway, think about the beach. You could really use a break, man.¡±


    Elion smiled a little. ¡°Sure. No promise, but I will think about it.¡±


    ¡°Cool. Just ring me up,¡± Jordan said with a smile. ¡°See you later, buddy.¡±


    Jordan had barely lifted his foot to start his usual light jog home when the air around them shifted.


    It started with a shadow moving in his path.


    Then another.


    And another.


    Elion¡¯s instincts screamed at him a second too late. By the time his brain caught up, the sidewalk was no longer just theirs. A group of guys appeared from the side streets like cockroaches in a scary movie. They approached with the skill of a planned ambush.


    His stomach dropped.


    The white team.


    Marcus and Malik stood at the front with expressions that showed nothing¡ªuntil Marcus chuckled slowly and amusedly. This laugh made Elion feel a tingle of warning down his spine.


    "Now, now," Marcus said, shaking his head as if they were misbehaving kids. "Did you really think you could just walk away after what we lost?"


    Jordan tensed beside him. Elion didn¡¯t even need to look to know that his best friend was sizing up the situation, already deciding whether they could run or if they¡¯d have to fight their way out.


    Spoiler alert: It wasn¡¯t looking good for option one.


    Elion gulped. This sounded bad.


    Jordan, on the other hand, smirked. "What, you can¡¯t handle losing? I thought we were just playing soccer."


    Elion snapped his head toward him, stunned. Dude, are you seriously talking back?


    He had never seen Jordan act like this. Back in school, Jordan had always been the calm one, the guy who let his skills do the talking. He had the build of an athlete, sure, but he had never been the type to start¡ªor escalate¡ªa fight. So why did he look so confident now?


    Elion did not want to take risks. Not here. Not now. He raised his hands, trying to de-escalate the situation.


    "Wait a minute. Let¡¯s just talk this out. How much did you guys lose?"


    Marcus narrowed his eyes, then lifted a hand¡ªfive fingers up.


    Elion''s brain immediately did the math. Five hundred?


    If that was all, then fine. He could cover that. Money could be earned back. But if he ended up in the hospital tonight, that would be a much bigger problem. His parents would panic, he wouldn¡¯t be able to work, and he¡¯d be in even worse shape than before.


    Elion exhaled slowly, like a man about to make a really bad investment. "Alright. Fine. I¡¯ll cover your loss. Five hundred, right?"


    He pulled out his phone, already opening his banking app. "Just give me your transfer code, and let¡¯s call it a night."


    Because, honestly? Five hundred bucks was a lot, but it was still cheaper than a hospital bill.


    But nobody responded. Everyone looked at him like he was a fool.


    Then¡ªlaughter.


    Loud. Amused. Mocking.


    Malik shook his head; his grin was full of pure disbelief. "Who the hell bets everything on just five hundred bucks?"


    Elion¡¯s fingers froze over the screen. He glanced up. "Then¡­ how much exactly?"


    Jordan let out a sharp exhale and shot Elion a look. "Don¡¯t entertain these guys." Then he turned back to Marcus. "Who asked you to bet five thousand?"


    Five thousand?


    Elion¡¯s stomach flipped. He stared at Jordan first, then at the group, trying to process what he had just heard. "Wait, wait¡ªfive grand? On a street soccer match?"


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re fools for doing that,¡± Jordan said with a chuckle.


    "Shut your mouth!" Malik clenched his fists, his body tensing up. He stepped forward, ready to swing, but Marcus raised a hand, stopping him.


    Marcus¡¯s jaw tightened. "We¡¯re not stupid. We¡¯ve beaten Raymond and his team over and over. That¡¯s why we bet big. We never thought two nobodies would show up and ruin everything."


    Elion could feel his pulse pounding in his ears. This wasn¡¯t just a post-game grudge. This was serious. And he believed they weren¡¯t getting out of here without a fight.


    Elion stumbled backward, nearly dropping his groceries as he and Jordan were pushed into an alley. A dark and quiet alley.


    Great. Just great.


    The city lights went away, leaving them in the dark and quiet. They were in a narrow alley with old brick walls, far from anyone who could see them¡ªfrom witnesses.


    ¡°Any plan, Jordan?¡± Elion asked. He felt his heart racing. This wasn¡¯t just about getting intimidated anymore. They were being cornered.


    Jordan seemed strangely calm, as if they were just waiting for a bus instead of dealing with a group of guys who were angry about five thousand dollars.


    Elion¡¯s brain went into overdrive, desperately flipping through his mental survival guide for How to Get Out of a Street Fight Without Becoming a Headline.


    Step one: Talk his way out.


    Except¡­ that only worked if the other side had ears instead of rage-induced tunnel vision. Judging by the way Malik was cracking his knuckles like a villain in a bad action movie, diplomacy was already off the table.


    Step two: Run.


    Nope. Too many of them, too little space, and honestly? He wasn¡¯t sure if Jordan would let him run. That guy thrived on bad decisions.


    Step three: Fight.


    Also a bad idea. Elion could handle himself, but these guys weren¡¯t here for a friendly spar. If things escalated, someone was walking away with a broken nose¡ªor worse.


    And to top it all off? He was still holding the groceries.


    Because, of course, he was.


    Man, he really needed to survive this. And not just for the sake of his bones¡ªhe really didn¡¯t want to go home and explain to his mom why they suddenly had scrambled eggs in a plastic bag.


    Which left him with exactly one option.


    He turned to Jordan.


    His best friend. His ride-or-die. The guy who had a habit of making everything worse before making it better.


    So yeah. Elion braced himself. Whatever happened next? It was definitely going to be Jordan¡¯s fault.

 Chapter 4: Jordan’s Guide to Making Enemies in Five Words or Less

    What kind of atmosphere do you expect when a bunch of guys are about to throw hands over a five-thousand-dollar bet?


    Calm? Civilized? A polite discussion over tea?


    Yeah, no.


    It was chaotic.


    And the worst part? Elion and Jordan weren¡¯t even part of the bet. Sure, they¡¯d played for the red team, the ones who won, but they didn¡¯t see a single cent from it. Not that it mattered to the sore losers currently trying to corner them like unpaid debts at a loan shark¡¯s office.


    Elion? He was extremely nervous.


    Jordan? He looked like a kid excited to open a birthday gift.


    Yeah. This guy was crazy. Or maybe just a little too eager for what was about to happen.


    Marcus stepped forward, cracking his neck, which was always not a great sign. He glanced between Elion and Jordan and sighed like this whole thing was an inconvenience for him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this any more than you do,¡± Marcus said. ¡°But five grand is a lot of money.¡±


    Jordan scoffed, arms crossed. ¡°Should¡¯ve thought about that before you bet it.¡±


    Elion nodded. For once, Jordan was making sense. Not that it helped their situation.


    Marcus¡¯s eye twitched, but to his credit, he kept his cool. ¡°We don¡¯t care how. You two are paying it back.¡±


    Elion exhaled slowly. "Oh, great idea." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "How, exactly? Cash? Check? Want me to Venmo you my imaginary five grand?¡±


    Malik was not in the mood for jokes. He smiled in a way that showed he really wanted to punch someone.


    ¡°Two options,¡± Malik said. ¡°One, you pay up. Right here, right now.¡±


    Elion fought the urge to laugh out loud. Oh sure, let me just dig into my overflowing vault of money, which definitely exists.


    If he could drop five grand like that, he wouldn¡¯t be stressing over rent and working himself to death.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not happening,¡± Elion said flatly. ¡°Let¡¯s hear option two.¡± His voice trembled slightly at the end, but hey, A for effort.


    Jordan, meanwhile, was barely holding in his laughter, enjoying Elion¡¯s attempt at false bravado way too much.


    Marcus smirked. ¡°Option two, then. We take it out of your hide.¡±


    Elion was definitely cursing the universe now.


    Jordan, however, grinned. ¡°Cool. Why not give it a try?¡±


    Elion felt the urge to grab his best friend and choke him to death. Jordan, do you have a death wish?!


    Malik cracked his knuckles¡ªlouder this time, like he was warming up for his big moment. ¡°Less talk, Marcus. Let¡¯s get this done quickly.¡±


    Elion clenched his jaw. This was bad.


    Jordan sighed, rolling his shoulders like he was about to clock in for work. ¡°So that¡¯s it? That¡¯s your big plan? Jump us in an alley over a bad bet?¡±


    Marcus shrugged. ¡°Money¡¯s money.¡±


    Jordan smirked. ¡°Yeah? So¡¯s your dignity. Shame you bet that away, too.¡±


    Elion groaned. Yep. They were definitely fighting now.


    Marcus crossed his arms. ¡°I¡¯m open to any better ideas you have.¡±


    ¡°Nah. I¡¯m good. Come on!¡± Jordan grinned. And for the first time since this all started, Elion felt something shift.


    Jordan was relaxed, but not because he was underestimating them. It was something else.


    Elion wasn¡¯t sure what¡ªbut whatever it was, it was coming soon. He barely had time to process Jordan¡¯s shift in attitude before Malik snapped. It was like something inside him had been boiling over all night, and now the lid had finally blown off.


    Well, if you give it a thought, two things happened to Malik today.


    One, he lost the bet. A big one.


    Two, he got humiliated by Elion over and over during the match.


    That second one? That stung like losing another five-thousand-dollar.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Chickening out?¡± Jordan taunted.


    "Enough!" With a furious growl, Malik charged. And just like that, all hell broke loose.


    Jordan didn¡¯t move. Not at first.


    He just stood there, watching with genuine curiosity as Malik¡¯s fist came flying toward his face like he was debating whether or not to bother dodging.


    Then¡ªright when it should have connected¡ªhe wasn¡¯t there anymore.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Elion barely even saw it happen. One second, Jordan was right there. The next, poof¡ªgone. Malik¡¯s punch sliced through nothing, sending him lurching forward like an idiot swinging at a ghost.


    Before he could feel embarrassed, Jordan turned, stepped on his heel, and elbowed Malik in the ribs.


    Hard.


    Malik gasped and stepped back. He held his side as he struggled to breathe.


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    ¡°What the hell?!¡± he asked, looking very angry.


    Jordan tilted his head, and he seemed very confused. ¡°Uh, dude? We¡¯re fighting. What, did you think I was just gonna stand here and let you hit me?¡±


    Then, because Jordan had zero survival instincts, he smirked and added, ¡°Also? You should really work on that right hook. Almost felt it.¡±


    Elion groaned. Oh, great. Now he¡¯s actively trying to get us killed.


    Well, if Jordan wanted the others to be pissed, it seemed to work. That was when the others joined in¡ªthree, four, five guys at once.


    Elion tensed. He had fought but never against this many people at once.


    He knew that he needed to jump in, needed to¡ªbut Jordan was already moving. And it was crazy. Elion wondered when Jordan learned or trained like this.


    Jordan anticipated every strike before it even landed.


    A punch from the left? Ducked.


    A kick from behind? Blocked effortlessly.


    Someone lunged at him? Jordan twisted their momentum against them, flipping them over.


    It felt like watching a kung-fu expert in an action movie.


    ''What in the world is going on?'' Elion had known Jordan was an athlete. But this? This was different.


    Still, Jordan took a few hits here and there¡ªa solid punch to the shoulder, a knee to the ribs¡ªbut he barely reacted.


    No flinching. No hesitation.


    If anything, he looked like he was enjoying it.


    Then things took a turn. Someone¡ªa guy Elion hadn¡¯t even noticed before¡ªgrabbed a metal rod from the ground of god knows who left it there.


    Elion¡¯s heart clenched. Oh, this smells like a bad idea.


    The guy¡¯s grip tightened around the rod. His eyes locked on Jordan, who was too busy dealing with Marcus and Malik to notice the incoming surprise.


    Something snapped inside Elion. He didn¡¯t think. He moved.


    Fueled by instinct¡ªor maybe just pure, undiluted survival panic¡ªhe dropped low and swept his leg out.


    His foot slammed into the guy¡¯s ankles with perfect timing.


    WHAM.


    The dude¡¯s feet vanished from under him, and he hit the ground so hard that even the alley winced.


    The guy tumbled backward, arms flailing. The metal rod flew from his grasp¡ªand Elion did the dumbest thing imaginable. Instead of letting it hit the ground like a normal person, he reared back and kicked it.


    Full force.


    The rod shot through the air like a missile¡ªsmashing directly into the back of Marcus¡¯s head. He crumpled instantly, collapsing onto the pavement. Out cold.


    Silence.


    For a second, nobody moved. Everyone looked at Elion.


    ¡°What? He wanted to hit with the rod first,¡± Elion said while pointing toward the guy who was lying in pain on the ground.


    Then Elion felt it. The pain. The stupid, blinding pain of kicking a freaking metal rod. He let out a sharp inhale, his foot screaming in agony. "Ow, ow, ow¡ªwhat the hell was I thinking!?"


    Seriously. Who kicks a metal rod?!


    Jordan, in the middle of casually deflecting another punch, glanced over and whistled. ¡°Damn, Elion. Didn¡¯t know you had that in you.¡±


    Elion wheezed. ¡°Yeah, well¡ªneither did I!¡± He had barely processed what just happened when he realized¡ªhe¡¯d just made things worse.


    Instead of backing off, the group was angrier than ever.


    They didn¡¯t care that Elion¡¯s metal rod stunt was pure reflex.


    They didn¡¯t care that they were the ones who tried to use it first.


    All they saw was Elion knocking out Marcus with a freaking flying piece of steel, and now they wanted payback.


    Malik staggered back, eyes wide with fury. ¡°How dare you?!¡±


    Elion blinked. Okay, seriously, what is this guy¡¯s deal?


    Always with ¡°How dare you?!¡±


    Did he think fights were supposed to be one-sided? Like, was everyone just supposed to stand there and let him win? Did he expect people to apologize after dodging?


    Before Elion could process just how delusional that was, Malik¡¯s rage went up another level. He stormed forward and grabbed the metal rod that Elion had kicked away, his grip so tight his knuckles turned white.


    Then he started swinging.


    Wild, uncontrolled, absolutely unhinged swings¡ªat Jordan, at Elion, at probably the concept of fairness itself. The rod sliced through the air with enough force that if it actually connected, someone was leaving this alley with fewer functional bones.


    Jordan had been handling their attacks well, but this time, he actually flinched. And Elion got it. Taking hits from fists and kicks was one thing, but getting smashed with a metal rod? That was a different level of pain.


    Elion tried to stand up, but the pain in his foot was sharp and strong. He needed time to ease the pain, but they were short on time.


    Then, something blurred past Elion.


    Someone intercepted Malik¡¯s attack before it could land. A massive arm shot forward, stopping the metal rod in its tracks. Elion¡¯s eyes widened.


    That arm? It wasn¡¯t Jordan¡¯s.


    And then he heard more footsteps.


    "Well, well," came a familiar, amused voice. "Looks like some people really can¡¯t handle losing a bet."


    Elion turned just in time to see Raymond standing between him and Malik.


    And then, more footsteps.


    At the entrance of the alley, the rest of the red team made their appearance. Relief flooded through him. The reinforcement had arrived¡ªthe one they never called.


    Malik, too blinded by rage to care, ripped his arm free and swung at Raymond without hesitation. Yeah. Bad move.


    ¡°Come. I¡¯ll let you taste my fist.¡± Raymond didn¡¯t even blink.


    With a casual shift of his stance, he dodged the strike and delivered a devastating punch straight to Malik¡¯s face.


    A punch from someone like Raymond?


    That wasn¡¯t just painful¡ªit was a ticket straight to the hospital.


    Nope. Malik didn¡¯t exactly go flying, but he collapsed immediately, completely knocked out from that single hit.


    The rest of the red team didn¡¯t wait for an invitation. The moment Malik dropped, they rushed in, taking on the remaining white team members with zero hesitation.


    The alley erupted into chaos, fists flying, bodies colliding, and Elion¡ªquickly clutching his grocery bag like an idiot¡ªjust let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Yep,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°This night just keeps getting better.¡±


    After a few more minutes, everything was settled.


    The white team members were scattered across the alley floor, some knocked out cold, others groaning in pain, and a few¡ªbecause they were cowards¡ªjust pretending to be unconscious to avoid getting hit anymore.


    Marcus and Malik? Completely out. Unmoving.


    Well, at least they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about their betting debts for a while¡ªbecause they¡¯d probably be waking up with a concussion instead.


    The red team? They had taken a few hits here and there, but they didn¡¯t care. If anything, they enjoyed it.


    Winning $5000 from the bet had already been a sweet victory, but getting to pummel their long-time rivals after the game?


    That was just the cherry on top.


    Raymond stood in the middle of the alley and looked at the wreckage. He let out a satisfied breath. Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out two cards.


    Without a word, he dropped them into Marcus and Malik¡¯s hands.


    Elion, still nursing his aching foot, narrowed his eyes. "What¡¯s that?"


    Raymond straightened up, dusting off his knuckles as he walked over to Elion and Jordan. "Nothing much. Just a little reminder for these idiots."


    Elion was too tired to ask, but the strange symbol on the card nagged at him. It wasn¡¯t a name, not a business card¡ªjust a black emblem¡ªa circle with a slash through it.


    Jordan, ever the laid-back observer, just grinned. "You guys always this dramatic?"


    Raymond smirked. "Only when people deserve it."


    Then his expression shifted, turning more serious. He let out a low sigh and looked between Elion and Jordan. "Look, sorry this happened to you guys. We didn¡¯t think these fools would take their loss this personally. But one of my guys had a hunch you two might get targeted."


    Elion was surprised. "A hunch?" He wasn¡¯t sure what was crazier¡ªthe fact that someone had actually predicted this would happen or the fact that these guys thought nothing would go wrong after betting that much money.


    Raymond nodded toward a member of the red team. He was a tall guy with sharp eyes standing off to the side. "He noticed some of them were acting off after the match.¡±


    He grinned before adding, ¡°By the time we figured they might come after you, you were already gone. So we had to split up. One of my guys tailed them while the rest of us tried to find you."


    Jordan chuckled. "So basically, you got lost."


    Raymond scowled. "No, it just took longer than expected to get everyone together."


    Elion, despite himself, smirked. "You got lost."


    Raymond rolled his eyes and shook his head. He quietly muttered something. "Whatever. Point is, we got here before things got too messy."


    Elion glanced at the pile of bodies on the ground. "Define ''too messy''."


    Raymond just grinned. "Look at them. Aren''t they still alive?"


    After looking at those people, Elion felt mixed emotions about the situation. A soccer match turned into a fight? Never had he imagined such a thing to happen and, worse¡ªbeing a part of it.


    Luckily, the night was finally over. Or so he thought.

 Chapter 5: Best Friends, Big Dreams, and Bigger Problems

    Elion had no idea how he ended up here.


    Less than an hour ago, he¡¯d been playing street soccer, buying groceries, and, oh yeah, surviving a street fight.


    But now?


    Now, he was in a club, Xylo Club.


    Not just any club. This place was overwhelming¡ªthe bright neon lights, loud music that shook his body, and a crowd of people who seemed to have never heard of responsibility or waking up early.


    The air smelled like sweat, expensive drinks, and disappointment.


    Meanwhile, Elion?


    He was sitting in a corner booth, sipping orange juice and still holding a grocery bag like some kind of lost time traveler.


    The weirdest part? No one else seemed to think this was weird, and to be honest, nobody cared.


    Raymond and the red team were dancing wildly on the floor, moving like tonight was the last night they had. People could mistake the shaking of the ground for an earthquake here. Still, nobody cares. Everyone was filled with energy.


    Across from him, Jordan smiled broadly or more like an idiot, enjoying his cola as if it were the best drink ever.


    "What the heck, dude? Who orders orange juice here?" Jordan said as he laughed and shook his head.


    ¡°Why? They have it here." Elion said, then glanced at Jordan¡¯s glass. ¡°And you¡­ aren¡¯t you the ¡®live a little¡¯ guy? How come you¡¯re drinking cola?¡±


    "You got me," Jordan smirked, taking another sip. ¡°Because I never drink alcohol.¡±


    Elion blinked. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Never have, never will. Gotta stay sharp.¡± Jordan shrugged and looked more serious as he leaned back in his chair. "Who knows what else could happen tonight?"


    That comment made Elion pause. What else might happen tonight?


    He glanced around the club, taking in the chaotic energy of the place. The flashing lights. The moving bodies. The sheer insanity of how his life had flipped upside down in the span of a single evening.


    For the longest time, his life had been a predictable loop.


    Wake up. Work. Study. More work. More stress.


    Repeat until emotionally numb.


    A never-ending cycle of responsibility, like a hamster wheel but with less fur and more existential dread.


    But now?


    Tonight had been... different.


    He had played the one true love of his life¡ªfootball (not that he had ever been in a romantic relationship, but hey, priorities). He had gotten into a full-blown street fight.


    He had kicked a metal rod straight into some guy¡¯s head (which, okay, not exactly his finest moment, but also, come on, that was some elite-level aim).


    For the first time in forever, his life didn¡¯t feel like a routine.


    It felt like chaos.


    And oddly enough?


    He kind of liked it.


    And somehow, it all felt¡­ different.


    Elion did not take it negatively. For the first time after so many years, he felt that his life was no longer dull.


    It was chaotic. Unpredictable. Maybe even dangerous.


    But it was alive.


    Elion stirred the juice in his glass and watched the ice cubes knock against each other. Now, he was replaying Jordan¡¯s words.


    What else?


    What else was waiting for him tonight?


    Could his life actually be turning into something better? Or was this just the beginning of something much bigger?


    Elion had no idea.


    But one thing was certain¡ªhe was about to find out.


    Elion was lost in thought, looking at nothing in particular. Then Jordan spoke, breaking the silence.


    ¡°What''s on your mind?¡±


    Elion blinked and smiled while leaning back in his seat.


    ¡°You know how dull my life has been all this time? It has always been about studying, working part-time, and getting by. But tonight¡­" He took a deep breath and looked around the club, where the neon lights reflected off his glass of orange juice. ¡°It just feels so much better.¡±


    Jordan grinned, swirling the ice in his cola. ¡°That¡¯s why I keep telling you, man. Enjoy your life. We¡¯re twenty. We should be out doing stuff like this.¡±


    Elion smirked. ¡°Stuff like this¡­¡± He rolled the words around in his head. Then, as if someone had flipped a switch in his brain, something clicked.


    His eyes sharpened. He leaned forward, lowering his voice. ¡°Speaking of which¡­ explain this. How did you fight those guys like some kung-fu master?¡±


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    Jordan¡¯s expression shifted. Well, he could not leave his usual grin, but it looked and felt different now. Before explaining, he took another sip of his cola.


    ¡°The truth is... I¡¯m not sure,¡± he said seriously. ¡°You already know that after high school, I worked at my parents¡¯ company for a while. After a few months, I saved enough money to travel the world.¡±


    Elion nodded. He knew all that except the part about traveling the world because they had a time when they lost contact for more than a year.


    Elion waited for Jordan to keep talking.


    Jordan lightly tapped his glass, looking like he was thinking about how much to share. ¡°Well¡­ some parts of this world are rough, Elion. Too rough. And unlucky me? I ended up in one of them.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Arang.¡±


    Elion felt his stomach twisted. Everyone knew about Arang. It was a country famous for its crime rate, gangs, and corruption. A place that tourists normally avoid. But, talking about normal to Jordan¡­ sounds impossible.


    ¡°You went to Arang?¡± Elion expressed his disbelief. ¡°Why would you go there?¡±


    Jordan grinned, but his smile was different this time. It was smaller and more thoughtful. ¡°Well, that was the cheapest I can afford and... guess what? That¡¯s where I found out I could fight.¡±


    Elion stared at him. ¡°Fight?¡±


    Jordan chuckled, swirling the ice in his drink like he had all the time in the world. ¡°Yeah, I almost died that day. Some guys decided to rob me. Probably thought I looked too good to be broke.¡± He smirked at his own joke.


    Elion just stared. He never knew how to respond to this particular brand of Jordan humor¡ªthe kind where near-death experiences got filed under mild inconvenience.


    Jordan leaned back, his expression turning more serious. ¡°But something weird happened at that moment. I don¡¯t know how to explain it, but¡­ something inside me just shifted. Like, a switch flipped.¡±


    Elion frowned. ¡°Shifted how?¡±


    Jordan took a sip of his cola, eyes distant. ¡°That¡¯s the thing. I have no idea.¡±


    Elion leaned in, intrigued now.


    Jordan spoke quietly but firmly. ¡°I can''t explain it well. It felt like my body moved on its own before I even thought about it. Instinct maybe. But it was too good, Elion. Too good. Like I¡¯d been training my whole life without realizing it.¡±


    Elion frowned. ¡°So what did you do?¡±


    Jordan let out a small laugh. ¡°I kicked their asses.¡±


    Elion blinked. Hard. ¡°You fought them?!¡±


    Jordan chuckled. ¡°What do you think I was supposed to do at that time? Let them take my stuff?¡±


    Elion opened his mouth but then closed it again. He wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that. The worst could happen at Arang.


    They could kill Jordan before taking his things. But he believed Jordan never thought about this, and if he did, that was the reason he fought.


    Jordan stretched his arms as if this entire story wasn¡¯t completely insane. ¡°After that, I figured if I had a natural talent for it, I might as well get better at it. So I went to Thailand for half a year.¡±


    "Thailand?" Elion¡¯s eyes widened slightly.


    Thailand is one of the countries known for its martial arts. Many of the best fighters in the world train here. People trained there for years to master even the basics.


    ¡°And you just¡­ went?¡± Elion asked.


    Jordan chuckled. ¡°Why not? I believe that if I was gonna fight, I need to learn from the best."


    Elion could not believe what he heard. This was insane.


    This guy, whom he had known since high school¡ªthe one who used to skip morning practice because he was too lazy to get up¡ªhad spent six months training in one of the toughest martial arts countries in the world.


    Jordan saw the disbelief in Elion''s eyes and laughed loudly. ¡°Yeah. I know. It¡¯s crazy, right?¡±


    Elion didn¡¯t even know what to say. Crazy didn¡¯t even begin to cover it. And something told him Jordan¡¯s story wasn¡¯t over yet.


    True to Elion¡¯s gut feeling, the next thing Jordan said was even wilder than expected.


    Jordan leaned forward with a big grin. Again. Like an idiot. ¡°You know what? That was when I decided what I wanted to do with my life."


    ¡°Oh yeah? And what¡¯s that?¡±


    Jordan¡¯s grin turned sharp, his eyes glinting with something Elion rarely saw in him¡ªpure determination.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna compete in the city¡¯s qualification for the Ring of Tarung.¡±


    Elion¡¯s brain stopped functioning for a full three seconds.


    ¡°The¡­ what now?¡±


    Jordan chuckled. ¡°The Ring of Tarung. You know... It¡¯s kinda like MMA but with its own twist. More brutal. Less rules. But more money.¡±


    Elion looked at him in shock. "Dude... I know that. But, are you being serious?"


    Jordan nodded. Multiple times. ¡°Dead serious.¡±


    He then added, ¡°They¡¯re holding the Neiva City qualifications next month. I¡¯m gonna get in, climb the ranks, win the New Orleans Tarung¡ªthen move up to the state and then national, and finally¡­¡±


    Elion already knew where this was going, but Jordan said it anyway¡ªhis voice brimming with excitement.


    ¡°The Grand Tarung.¡±


    Elion leaned back, fully processing the insanity of what Jordan had just declared.


    Jordan wasn¡¯t just planning to join some underground fight league. He was mapping out his path to the very top.


    ¡°You¡¯re serious,¡± Elion repeated, just to make sure reality hadn¡¯t glitched.


    Jordan smirked. ¡°What, you think I¡¯d train in Thailand for nothing? I¡¯m gonna make my way from the bottom up. That¡¯s way cooler than just jumping in halfway.¡±


    Elion ran a hand through his hair. ¡°This isn¡¯t some video game where you just ¡®grind your way to the top.¡¯ This is real. People get hurt. You get hurt.¡±


    Jordan shrugged, completely unfazed. ¡°I know. That¡¯s the fun part.¡±


    Elion wanted to argue, to remind Jordan that normal people don¡¯t just wake up and decide to fight their way to world championship status. But then he looked at him¡ªreally looked at him.


    Jordan was serious.


    He spoke with excitement, and his eyes showed that he was really looking forward to his plans. This was not just a random dream for him.


    Jordan wanted to conquer the world.


    Before Elion could respond, Jordan leaned in with a grin and nudged him playfully. ¡°I will win the world title before I turn twenty-five.¡±


    Elion shook his head and laughed softly. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ awesome.¡± He really meant it.


    Jordan smiled and took a napkin from the table. He wrote something on it with a pen¡ªa thing that was almost impossible for him to carry around¡ªfrom his pocket.


    ¡°Here.¡± He slid the napkin over to Elion with a wink. ¡°Keep my autograph now. It¡¯ll soar in price later.¡±


    Elion laughed out loud, shaking his head a few times. ¡°Unbelievable.¡±


    But as crazy as it seemed, Elion trusted him.


    Elion stared at the napkin in front of him, Jordan¡¯s messy signature scrawled across it like a future stock investment. It was stupid. It was ridiculous.


    And yet¡­ Jordan had a plan.


    A crazy, over-the-top, full-send plan to take over the world of fighting. And the wildest part? He believed in it¡ªevery single word.


    Meanwhile, Elion had nothing.


    For the first time in a long time, he understood something important. He had always tried to do what was right. He worked hard in school, had a part-time job, and helped with money at home.


    But for what?


    What was his actual goal?


    What did he want?


    He studied Computer Science with a major in Artificial Intelligence. It seemed impressive on paper. He even aced all of the subjects. But was it his dream? Was it something that made him feel alive the way Jordan¡¯s goal did for him?


    Elion didn¡¯t know. He had never really thought about it. He had just followed the path that made sense¡ªthe safe one.


    Work hard. Graduate. Get a good job. Make money. Repeat until retirement.


    That was what people expected him to do. He had convinced himself that this was what he wanted.


    But now, sitting in a club with a grocery bag in one hand and an orange juice in the other, Elion watched his best friend talk about taking over the world. He realized something very clear¡ªhe had never planned his life.


    He had never stopped to ask himself, ''What do I actually want?''


    And for the first time, it bothered him.


    Watching Jordan¡ªseeing someone so sure, so fired up about what they wanted¡ªmade Elion feel like he had been standing still for years while everyone else had already started running.


    His entire life had been about surviving. But was that really enough? Was that all he wanted?


    Elion was still deep in thought, drowning in questions about his future, when the first scream ripped through the club.


    ¡°AAAAAH!¡±


    Then another.


    ¡°RUN!¡±


    Then, a whole chorus of them.


    "What''s happening?!" Elion asked as he looked around.


    Something was not right. His night was going to get crazier.

 Chapter 6: The Night Where We Fight a Bear-Man

    The club sounded as if it had just endured a chaotic fireworks display. The glass crashed and broke loudly, and it was hard to tell if it was bottles, windows, or screens that went down.


    Everyone was screaming, trembling, and running. Their actions and expressions were like they were auditioning for a part in a disaster or a horror movie.


    The mood in the club changed suddenly. Panic took over the fun atmosphere as if someone had switched it from ¡°party¡± to ¡°run for your life.¡±


    ¡°AAAAAH!¡±


    Everyone was running for their lives and pushing toward the exits. The tables were knocked over. Drinks flew everywhere.


    Elion¡¯s heart raced as he tightened his grip around his glass of orange juice¡ªas if he was trying to save it from flying, too.


    Jordan sat up straight; he had completely forgotten about his cola. Elion noticed that Jordan''s eyes were wide with curiosity, not fear, as he looked around.


    ¡°What''s going on?¡± Jordan shouted to be heard above the loud noise by whoever could hear it.


    Elion was unsure how to respond because he sensed that something was wrong.


    Seriously wrong.


    Then, they spotted Raymond.


    For the first time, Raymond¡ªthe guy who usually jumped into fights without thinking¡ªwas completely still. He felt tense like a locked vault, with his fists clenched at his sides. He just stood there without moving. Even worse, it seemed like he wasn''t breathing at all.


    Raymond felt as helpless as a warrior who just realized he had forgotten his sword at home.


    Elion exchanged a glance with Jordan, and they both knew that whatever was coming was big.


    ¡°W-wh-what¡­ is that?¡± Raymond muttered in a tremble.


    That was enough to set off every alarm in Elion¡¯s head. If Raymond wasn¡¯t jumping in to break skulls, then this wasn¡¯t just some bar fight gone too far. This was something worse.


    Slowly, Elion and Jordan turned to follow Raymond¡¯s gaze, expecting¡ªhoping¡ªto see something that made sense.


    Maybe a gang fight, maybe some drunk guy waving a weapon around. Anything logical.


    But what they saw instead sent every nerve in Elion¡¯s body into overdrive. They saw it. Just a few feet away from Raymond. Too near.


    It stood in the center of the chaos, surrounded by overturned tables and still bodies. A large figure loomed over the panicked crowd, making the scene feel almost unreal.


    What they saw should¡¯ve been impossible. It should¡¯ve been something straight out of a nightmare.


    A bear.


    No¡ªsomething worse.


    A bear-man.


    It had a large, heavy body covered in thick, tangled fur. Its arms were strong and long, ending in clawed paws that dripped with fresh blood.


    But the worst part? The part that made Elion¡¯s skin crawl?


    The face.


    It wasn¡¯t a bear¡¯s face. It wasn¡¯t even animalistic.


    It was human.


    A man¡¯s face¡ªtwisted into a sick, delighted smile. His eyes held no fear, no hesitation. He wasn¡¯t rampaging. He wasn¡¯t lashing out wildly.


    He was enjoying himself.


    The realization hit like a freight train.


    The bodies on the ground? They weren¡¯t unconscious.


    They were dead.


    Elion struggled to breathe as his heart raced in his chest. His mind told him to run, but his legs would not move.


    Every survival instinct he had¡ªtold him he shouldn¡¯t be seeing this. That this was impossible.


    Seeing how brutally murdered the victims were, Elion could not help but almost vomit on the spot. Well, a few other people had already beaten him to that.


    Beside him, Jordan spoke quietly, clearly shocked. ¡°What... is that?¡±


    The bear-man moved his head slightly. Then, as if things weren¡¯t already terrible enough, his smile grew wider.


    His eyes? Fixated on Raymond.


    And just like that¡ª


    It moved.


    Before anyone could react, the bear-man lunged.


    It¡ªor he¡ªwasn¡¯t insanely fast, but the way he moved was pure terror. No hesitation. No wasted motion. Just raw, overwhelming force, and¡­ his face was smiling creepily.


    And that was what made Raymond freeze.


    His usual confidence, his instinct to fight, completely shut down. He just stood there, wide-eyed, as the bear-man swung its massive paw straight at him.


    ¡°Move! You idiot!¡± Jordan moved first while his mouth cursing.


    Without thinking or a proper plan, he shot forward, his body reacting before his mind could catch up. He didn¡¯t have time to stop the attack entirely, but he managed to intercept the swing just enough to knock it off course.


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    Jordan¡¯s tackled the creature¡¯s body, redirecting the angle of its attack by a few inches. He felt pain right after. The bear-man was too tough.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t enough to ensure Raymond¡¯s safety.


    Even with Jordan¡¯s interference, the sheer momentum behind the attack was monstrous. The clawed paw still crashed into Raymond¡¯s shoulder with a sickening thud.


    Luckily, the claw missed, but not the paw.


    Raymond¡¯s body jerked violently from the impact, his feet leaving the ground for half a second before he was sent skidding backward, crashing into a table.


    Elion¡¯s breath caught.


    A sudden realization hit him. That was a partial hit.


    What would¡¯ve happened if Jordan hadn¡¯t deflected it?


    ¡°Raymond!¡± A few of his red-team teammates shouted. They quickly ran to him. Jordan, too. As of now, it seemed everyone from the red team was safe.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Asked one of them.


    Raymond wanted to curse as he grunted in pain. How is this considered okay?


    His body half-slumped against the broken table. His face twisted in agony as he clutched his shoulder, his fingers barely brushing against the damage.


    A few people helped him to get up. It was a suicide to stay here. They could be the next victims, anytime.


    Jordan crouched beside him, his usual laid-back expression replaced with one of genuine concern.


    ¡°Anything broken?¡± Jordan asked, though his tone already suggested he knew the answer.


    Raymond let out a bitter chuckle that turned into a pained hiss. ¡°Broken? I can feel my shoulder bone shattered to pieces.¡±


    Jordan¡¯s eyes widened slightly.


    Elion had already caught up to them, and he heard that. Shattered?


    He felt his stomach drop. He had moved closer without realizing it, but now that he was standing right there, the situation felt real. Too real.


    A single hit. That was all it took to turn Raymond¡ªone of the toughest guys they knew¡ªinto this.


    Elion¡¯s hands fumbled for his phone. He pulled it out and immediately dialed the police.


    His fingers felt awkward, but he managed to press the call button and turn on the speaker.


    Luckily, the bear-man was too busy dealing with the others.


    As soon as the dispatcher answered, Elion spoke fast.


    ¡°There¡¯s been an attack¡ªuh, a violent attack at Xylo Club,¡± Elion said, trying to keep his voice steady. ¡°We need officers now. People are dead, and¡ª¡± He glanced at the bear-man, who was still looming over the club like something out of a horror movie. ¡°¡ªthere¡¯s a suspect. He¡¯s still here. Very dangerous.¡±


    ¡°We have units nearby,¡± the dispatcher responded. ¡°They¡¯ll be there in minutes.¡±


    Elion exhaled, lowering the phone. ¡°Police are on their way,¡± he told Jordan and Raymond. ¡°In a few minutes.¡±


    Jordan scoffed. ¡°Yeah? And how many people are gonna die in a few minutes if we don¡¯t do something?¡±


    Elion swallowed hard.


    Jordan wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Screams still filled the club. People were trapped and trying to escape, but the bear-man was not in a hurry. He moved carefully, like a predator that knew its prey could not get away. The sick smile on his human face didn¡¯t waver like he was enjoying the terror.


    Jordan clenched his fists, standing up. ¡°I¡¯m stopping him.¡±


    But before Jordan could take a single step, Raymond grabbed his arm with his good hand and pulled him back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool, Jordan,¡± Raymond snapped. His voice was rough as he was bearing the pain. ¡°I¡¯m sturdier than you, and look what happened.¡±


    Jordan went still. He clenched his jaw and tightened his body as if he was trying to hold himself back.


    Elion¡¯s mind raced. They couldn¡¯t just sit here. But if even Raymond¡ªgot destroyed in one hit, then what were they supposed to do?


    His eyes darted around the club. There were still so many people left. Some were injured. Some were too scared to move. They were trapped.


    Elion took a deep breath. They needed a plan. And they needed it fast.


    Raymond was still on the ground, groaning in pain, while Jordan crouched beside him, checking his injury. The others from the red team? He did not see anyone that could go against the bear-man.


    People were screaming in the club and trying to escape. The chaos continued as they searched for any exit they could find. But the bear-man¡ªthe thing¡ªwasn¡¯t chasing after them.


    That was what made Elion pause.


    Despite Jordan landing a hit earlier, the monster hadn¡¯t focused on him at all. Instead, it swung wildly at those nearby, like a predator striking at whatever was closest. Its movements were terrifyingly strong but not smart.


    Elion¡¯s mind worked fast, analyzing everything. The beast wasn¡¯t moving like a trained fighter. It wasn¡¯t hunting¡ªit was reacting.


    That meant¡­


    ¡°His vision¡¯s limited,¡± Elion muttered over the noise.


    Jordan and Raymond snapped their heads toward him. They looked back at the creature, watching its erratic movements, and suddenly, it clicked.


    It wasn¡¯t tracking Jordan when he dodged. It wasn¡¯t picking specific targets. It was attacking whatever was closest.


    Jordan narrowed his eyes. ¡°You might be right.¡±


    Raymond groaned, still clutching his shoulder. ¡°Doesn¡¯t change the fact that things can rip people apart like paper.¡±


    True. The sheer power behind its swings was no joke. It had already split tables open with its bare hands¡ªor paws, or whatever the hell those were. If it did land a clean hit, the fight was over.


    Elion clenched his fists. His logical brain screamed at him to run. There was no reason to stay. This wasn¡¯t his fight.


    But then, his gut told him something else. After what this thing had done¡ªafter seeing the bodies¡ªhow could he just leave?


    And if he was being honest with himself¡­ after his conversation with Jordan earlier, after realizing how dull his life had been¡ªhe was thrilled for danger like this.


    ¡®What the hell is wrong with me?'' Elion was confused.


    Still, he wasn¡¯t reckless.


    They needed to buy time. But for what? Elion wasn¡¯t sure. Maybe for the police to arrive. Maybe for the monster to run out of energy. He didn¡¯t know why, but something inside him told him that was the key.


    ¡°We need to stall him,¡± Elion said, determination setting in.


    Jordan looked at him, then at the creature, and smiled. "I was hoping you would say that."


    Before Elion could stop him, Jordan moved¡ªclosing the distance fast.


    ¡°Wait¡ªJordan!¡± Elion yelled.


    But Jordan wasn¡¯t listening. He was already too close.


    Elion knew exactly what was going through his best friend¡¯s mind. If Jordan wanted to make a name for himself in the world of Tarung, then this was the kind of fight he needed to take on.


    But this wasn¡¯t a normal fight. Elion couldn¡¯t just stand there. He needed to do something¡ªfast.


    He looked around the wrecked club, searching for anything useful. Then he saw it¡ªthe overturned fridge with a broken glass door and cans rolling across the floor.


    A slow smirk formed on his lips. ¡°Take Raymond and anyone you can save out of here,¡± Elion ordered. The red team nodded and moved hurriedly.


    Meanwhile, Jordan was baiting the bear-man, dodging its massive swings with terrifying precision. He ducked, rolled, and sidestepped, but Elion could see it¡ªJordan was barely keeping up. It was only a matter of time before he got hit.


    ''Not if I do something first.'' Elion took a deep breath and launched his first kick.


    The can soar through the air like a missile, slamming hard into the creature¡¯s paw just as it was about to strike Jordan.


    The beast recoiled slightly, more surprised than hurt.


    Elion didn¡¯t stop. Another can. Another kick. This one smacked into the beast¡¯s knee. Then another. Right in the ribs.


    The monster staggered, now turning around to find Elion instead of Jordan.


    Elion¡¯s smirk widened. ¡®That¡¯s right. Find me, dumbass.¡¯


    Jordan noticed what he was doing and grinned. ¡°Damn, dude! You¡¯re insane!¡±


    But Elion wasn¡¯t done yet. He took a step back, lined up his next shot, and sent the final can straight into the monster¡¯s face.


    CRACK!


    The sound was sickening. A normal human couldn¡¯t take a blow like that without crumbling. Even with its monstrous strength, the creature stumbled, holding its face.


    Then Elion saw it. Something was changing. The beast was getting slower. Its massive arms twitched. Its muscles trembled. The fur was receding. Its body was shrinking.


    "What the hell is happening?" Jordan muttered in disbelief.


    The monster was gradually becoming human again.


    People who had been hiding looked out from their hiding spots, their eyes wide with fear. But then, another reality hit¡ªbodies were everywhere.


    Some of the survivors looked around at the carnage, and the moment the weight of it all sank in, several of them vomited or fainted on the spot.


    Elion exhaled, his heart still hammering. But it wasn¡¯t over yet.


    The man¡ªnow more human than a beast¡ªstaggered, his breath ragged. His body shook as if it couldn¡¯t handle the transformation.


    Then, in one last burst of desperation, he ran.


    Elion¡¯s instincts flared. "Let him go?" he asked Jordan.


    ¡°Oh, hell no,¡± Jordan muttered.


    Without hesitation, both of them bolted after him.


    They weren¡¯t letting him get away, not after everything that he had done.

 Chapter 7: The Bear-Man Was Scary. The Bull-Man is Worse

    Elion ran through the cold night air. Somehow, the situation made it hard for him to breathe. His lungs felt sharp, and his legs hurt. His chest felt tight, but he kept pushing himself harder.


    ¡®What are we thinking?¡¯ He wondered, even though the rational part of him knew that, who in their right mind was going after a bear-man?


    Still, Jordan was ahead, moving fast as if he was the predator. The bear-man seemed as if he was the one fleeing for his life.


    The bear-man was barely holding together. Its monstrous form had nearly collapsed in on itself, its hulking limbs shrinking, the fur peeling back to reveal raw, pale skin underneath.


    Every step was agony¡ªits body convulsed violently as bones cracked and twisted back into place. It was no longer fully a monster, but it wasn¡¯t fully human, either. And somehow, that made it more terrifying.


    Jordan wasn¡¯t slowing down. He was already ten steps ahead, vaulting over trash cans, dodging broken glass, eyes locked on their target like he wasn¡¯t even questioning if this was a good idea.


    Elion, however, was questioning everything.


    ¡°Jordan!¡± Elion gasped. ¡°Are you serious right now?! We don¡¯t even know what that thing is!¡±


    Jordan barely slowed. ¡°Exactly! That¡¯s why we can¡¯t let him go!¡±


    Elion swore under his breath.


    Of course.


    Jordan would do this¡ªchase the impossible or weird things. Rush into danger without a second thought. It didn¡¯t matter that they had just watched a literal bear-man tear through a club full of people.


    That it had killed people.


    That it wasn¡¯t supposed to exist.


    And yet¡ªhere they were.


    The bear-man stumbled forward, breathing heavily until it reached the end of an alley¡ªit was basically a dead end. A towering brick wall cut off any escape. That was when it stopped.


    Elion barely managed to halt before crashing into Jordan¡¯s back. ¡°Why did you stop?¡± he whispered, pulse hammering.


    Jordan answered calmly, ¡°Dead end.¡±


    Elion looked ahead and just noticed the dead end. ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    Jordan did not answer. He was too focused on the creature in front of them.


    The bear-man stood a few feet away, breathing hard. He was covered in sweat, and his muscles shook as if he was struggling. He tightened his fists and moved his fingers nervously.


    He took a deep breath and slowly turned to face them.


    Elion saw his eyes first. Not the eyes of a monster. Not the crazed, bloodthirsty look of the thing that had just torn through Xylo Club.


    Just a man.


    A man who was afraid.


    Elion¡¯s stomach twisted. What he was seeing now was not something that he had expected.


    ¡°H..help¡­ me.¡± The bear-man''s voice was too rough. Imagine it as someone who has been shouting for a long time.


    Jordan paused and lowered his fists a bit. ¡°What?¡± he asked, stepping forward. He could not feel the same danger coming from the man anymore.


    The man flinched. His fingers clawed at his own throat as if he was trying to rip something out.


    And that¡¯s when Elion saw it¡ªa ring.


    A thick black ring wrapped around the man¡¯s trembling finger, veins of cracked darkness running through its surface. And from those cracks¡ªblack smoke leaked out.


    "What''s that..." Elion¡¯s breath hitched. That wasn¡¯t normal smoke. It moved. It curled and coiled in the air like something alive.


    ¡°Help¡­ me¡­ I don¡¯t¡ª¡° The man shuddered violently, stepping forward, his body twisting, arms spasming. It was like he was being pulled.


    The man¡¯s muscles locked, his head jerking unnaturally like something was forcing his movements. His eyes widened, flickering between them. His lips trembled.


    He said in a weak voice, ¡°Run¡­ Run¡­ I... Can''t...¡±


    Jordan had very little time to react when the man ran at him.


    "Wait¡ª" Jordan wanted to speak, but he needed to avoid the first strike. He twisted his body just in time, but the second hit him¡ªa brutal elbow to the ribs.


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    He gasped and stepped back while holding his side. The man moved erratically as if he didn¡¯t want to attack but couldn¡¯t control himself.


    Elion¡¯s pulse hammered. Jordan blocked two more wild, desperate strikes before a fist slammed into his jaw. Jordan reeled sideways, crashing against the alley wall.


    "Jordan!" Elion shouted in panic.


    The man closed the distance quickly and grabbed Jordan by the throat.


    Jordan gasped, struggling.


    The man looked shocked, his eyes wide. ¡°Help¡­ me¡­,¡± he said, his grip getting stronger. His whole body convulsed, veins darkening, the black smoke from the ring spiraling faster. He didn¡¯t want to kill Jordan. But something inside him did.


    Elion had to move¡ªnow.


    But before he could¡ª


    BANG.


    A gunshot split the night. Everyone was stunned.


    The bullet hit the man before he fell backward. He landed on the ground, gasping and holding his shoulder. Black smoke poured out of the ring quickly, moving like it was in pain.


    "Is the police here?" Elion turned sharply.


    A man stood at the entrance of the alley, mostly in the shadows. He was still and held a revolver at his side.


    His long, dark cloak moved in the breeze. He stood firmly in his boots as if he planned to stay.


    Based on his attire? Definitely not a cop.


    The brim of his worn cowboy hat shadowed his face, but Elion could only see his eyes¡ªcold, calculating, and completely unbothered.


    Well, this wasn''t just a random guy with a gun.


    Anyone would share the same thought that this man looked like a hunter.


    Elion¡¯s brain scrambled to make sense of what he was seeing tonight.


    A half-dead were-bear (because what else could you call that thing?), a cowboy hunter, and Jordan, standing way too close to the guy with the gun.


    Yeah. This night had officially gone off the rails.


    ''Okay. Think,¡¯ Ethan¡¯s mind raced.


    If one wrong move is made, anyone in this alley could end up dead. And knowing his luck, that anyone would absolutely include him.


    The cowboy looked dangerously casual, as if killing bear-man or any kind of beast-men was just part of his nine-to-five.


    And¡­ the black smoke still curling from the ring made Elion¡¯s stomach churn. Whatever the hell had just happened¡ªit wasn¡¯t over.


    But priority number one? Prevent Jordan from saying something incredibly stupid, or he might anger the cowboy.


    Elion turned slightly, already anticipating disaster.


    Jordan coughed, still gripping his throat. ¡°What the hell¡ª¡±


    Yep. Called it.


    The man on the ground groaned, trembling, struggling to get up.


    The cowboy sighed. ¡°What a mess.¡± His voice was slow and careful as if he had plenty of time.


    Jordan sat up, anger flashing in his eyes. ¡°You¡ªwhat the hell is wrong with you?!¡±


    He walked closer to the cowboy and continued his rage. ¡°He needed help! He wasn¡¯t trying to kill us¡ªhe was fighting something!¡±


    The cowboy didn¡¯t react. Instead, he raised the gun again.


    ¡°Wait! Wait! Don¡¯t shoot!¡± Elion barely had time to process before¡ª


    BANG.


    The bullet struck the man¡¯s forehead. Blood splashed. It was crazy to see this scene. His body jerked once. Then¡ªcollapsed.


    Silence.


    Elion felt like vomiting¡ªagain. Even though he had seen too much killing tonight, he couldn¡¯t get used to it yet.


    Well, it was the opposite for Jordan. He was raging.


    Jordan¡¯s fists clenched. ¡°You¡ª¡±


    The cowboy finally looked at them. ¡°He was already gone.¡±


    Jordan¡¯s breathing sharpened, furious. ¡°You don¡¯t know that!¡±


    The cowboy didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he stepped forward, kneeling beside the now-lifeless body.


    Elion barely registered the movement before he saw the black ring crack further. More smoke poured out¡ªthick, unnatural. And instead of fading... it moved.


    It drifted toward the cowboy.


    Elion¡¯s breath hitched.


    The cowboy wore the same ring. But unlike the dead man¡¯s, his was pristine. Golden black.


    And as the black smoke reached it, the ring absorbed it. The tendrils sank into the surface like ink dissolving in water.


    The dead¡¯s man ring? Lesser smoke coming out from it.


    Elion¡¯s stomach turned.


    The cowboy picked up the dead man¡¯s ring, tossing it into his sack. A metallic rustling noise followed.


    Elion¡¯s mind whirled. Based on the sound, the sack wasn¡¯t just carrying one ring.


    Or ten.


    It was full of them.


    Jordan¡¯s voice was low, dangerous. ¡°What are you?¡±


    The cowboy dusted off his coat. ¡°A cleaner.¡±


    Jordan¡¯s fists shook. ¡°That¡¯s what you call this? Cleaning up?¡±


    The cowboy shrugged. ¡°You boys saw too much. This¡­ will be a trouble.¡±


    Jordan took a step forward, trembling. ¡°You just executed a guy..." He raised his voice as he said, "And you think we¡¯re gonna pretend we didn¡¯t see that?!¡±


    The cowboy sighed, adjusting his hat. ¡°I think you¡¯ll try... For your own good.¡±


    Elion swallowed hard. His entire body screamed at him to leave. He wanted to tell Jordan to walk away. But something inside him knew¡ªit was already too late.


    The cowboy lifted his sack over his shoulder, the metallic rings inside shifting. He looked at them one last time. ¡°Be careful, boys. You¡¯re not ready for what¡ª¡±


    The cowboy barely turned before the brick wall behind them exploded. The force sent chunks of debris flying, brick and mortar crumbling like wet sand. Dust filled the alley, and from within the wreckage, something huge emerged.


    Elion barely had time to process it before he saw it.


    A large, bull-headed figure stands at least seven feet tall, with strong muscles. Steam came out from its nostrils. Its hooves clicked on the pavement, and its thick skin shone in the dim light of the alley.


    Elion believed this wasn¡¯t just a mindless beast after everything that had happened tonight and how near-impossible it was for a bull to be roaming in the city.


    It was definitely a guy.


    Well, a bull-man guy.


    Because, of course, after a bear-man and a cowboy, the universe had to throw in a Minotaur-looking nightmare just to really mess with them.


    Elion groaned internally. ''Oh, fantastic. My night just keeps getting better.''


    It wore something¡ªtattered, battle-worn pants like it had once been human. Chains hung loosely from its massive wrists, clinking as it snorted, then lowered its head.


    And then, without warning, it charged.


    Not at Elion.


    Not at Jordan.


    But, at the cowboy.


    The impact was devastating. The cowboy barely had time to shift before the bull-man¡¯s horned skull slammed into his chest, sending him skidding backward. His boots dragged against the pavement, his long coat billowing as he fought to stay upright.


    But the real problem?


    His sack.


    He lost hold of it; it fell through the air and hit the ground with a loud bang.


    That was when Elion could see it.


    Rings. Everywhere.


    The alley was suddenly filled with dozens¡ªno, hundreds¡ªof rings of different colors scattering across the pavement. Some rolled away into the shadows, others clinked against broken brick, their eerie glow flickering in the dim alley light.


    Elion''s breath caught in his throat.


    Jordan took a step forward, eyes locked¡ªnot on the rings, not even on the bull-man. But... on the cowboy.


    Elion swallowed hard. ''Great. Just great.'' He had no idea what was happening anymore, but one thing was clear¡ª


    Jordan wasn¡¯t just watching.


    He was waiting.

 Chapter 8: The Fight Was Crazy. The Aftermath Was Worse

    The alley was a mess. A complete mess.


    One could see broken bricks, shattered pavement, and the aftermath of absolute chaos.


    The cowboy¡ªwho had just been some mysterious guy with a gun a moment ago¡ªwas now dodging the bull-man¡¯s attacks with almost unnatural precision.


    Each dodge sent the bull-man¡¯s fists slamming into the walls and pavement, leaving craters in solid stone.


    The ground shook beneath them, and Elion was half-convinced that the entire block was going to come crashing down.


    ''Please don''t let that happen,'' Elion prayed silently. It would be too much of a mess if that really happened.


    Jordan, on the other hand?


    He wasn¡¯t just watching. He was analyzing.


    Elion knew that expression on Jordan¡¯s face all too well. It was the same look he had when studying a pro player¡¯s movement in a high-stakes soccer match. The gears in his head were turning, processing every move, every counter, every mistake.


    Elion clenched his fists. He knew well what Jordan was thinking. Jordan wanted to know how to fight these beast-men, how to deal with them, and how to... win.


    For what purpose?


    ''Don''t tell me he wants to go beast hunting.'' That was the only thing that Elion could think of.


    It was insane¡ªthis whole night had been insane¡ªbut Elion was wondering. ''Where the heck is the police?!''


    Jordan was thrilled. "This... is crazy," he said with a smile. A really excited smile.


    This was everything he had ever wanted to experience in life. The impossible. The supernatural. The kind of stuff people only read about in books or watched in movies.


    Elion, meanwhile? Maybe he would be okay without the part where their lives were on the line.


    The bull-man let out a loud snort. He lowered his head, and that was not a good sign. He was ready for another charge.


    But something about him felt... different. Unlike the bear-man, this one wasn¡¯t just blindly attacking.


    His movements were controlled. Calculated. Each strike wasn¡¯t random¡ªit was targeted.


    Elion¡¯s blood ran cold as he asked, ¡°He¡¯s able to think?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Seems like it.¡± Jordan must¡¯ve realized it, too. ¡°He¡¯s not the same as the bear-man,¡± he muttered. ¡°He¡¯s calculating his next move.¡±


    That was when the bull-man spoke.


    ¡°Ronan Cross..." He said in a rough voice, a voice that suited a bull-man. "You¡­ are not supposed to meddle with the Lord¡¯s plan.¡±


    Elion¡¯s brain short-circuited. ¡®Ronan Cross? Is it the cowboy''s name?¡¯


    "So he has a name. Ronan, huh?" Jordan said as if he could do something just by knowing the other person''s name.


    Well, Elion did not really know if Jordan really could do something. As of now, he was full of surprises.


    Ronan barely reacted, casually rolling his shoulders as he dodged another pavement-cracking punch. ¡°Tch. Figures you¡¯d ruin the mystery,¡± he muttered.


    The bull-man snorted angrily, stepping forward. His hooves scraped against the pavement, and his massive arms tensed.


    ¡°You¡¯re making a mistake for going against the Lord,¡± he growled. ¡°You still have time to return to your world.¡±


    Ronan let out a slow, almost bored sigh. ¡°Lord?¡± he repeated mockingly. ¡°What a bullshit title.¡±


    Elion saw the shift in Ronan¡¯s stance. Up until now, the cowboy had just been dodging, keeping his movements minimal.


    But now?


    His ring¡ªthe same¡ªyet better kind of ring as the ones the bear-man and the bull-man had¡ªbegan to glow brightly. Too bright.


    It was the same black-gold hue from before, but now it pulsed with something dangerous. Ronan¡¯s lips curled into a lazy, mocking smirk.


    "He¡¯s no Lord," Ronan muttered, rolling his shoulders.


    "He¡¯s just using the wrong power at the wrong place. And you..." His ring flared. His voice dropped, colder than before. "You¡¯re just another fool who believed him."


    The bull-man snorted, nostrils flaring. His hooves scraped against the pavement, muscles coiling like a drawn bowstring.


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    Then they moved.


    One moment, they were standing still. The next, the alley exploded into chaos.


    Ronan dodged left just as the bull-man¡¯s fist came crashing down, sending cracks splintering across the pavement where he had stood a split second before.


    The cowboy twisted, his movements sharp and calculated, but the bull-man was already reacting, shifting his massive frame with shocking speed.


    The bull-man was faster than the bear-man and stronger. He was more in control. His horns shone under the dim alley lights as he charged forward.


    BOOM.


    Ronan had little time to react. He crossed his arms to block the impact, which caused him to skid backward, his boots scraping against the ground. The force hit him hard, but he steadied himself and absorbed the blow.


    "Over here, Elion!" Jordan shouted hurriedly for them to take cover. They then ducked behind a half-destroyed dumpster, watching the fight unfold.


    "What are we seeing? This is crazy," Elion whispered, feeling his heart race.


    "Yeah," Jordan laughed softly but winced as he touched his ribs. "And I think I have broken ribs, so that''s great."


    Elion glanced at him. "Wait, are you serious?"


    Jordan just grinned, even as his face twisted in pain. "What, you thought getting punched by a bear-man felt like a pillow fight?"


    Before Elion could respond, Ronan countered. This time, something strange happened to his right arm. It was similar to a gorilla¡¯s.


    ¡°He¡¯s the same?¡± Jordan blurted.


    Now, things were getting crazier. The cowboy, Ronan, could transform, too?


    Both Elion and Jordan now wondered whether they would make it out alive or not tonight.


    Ronan¡¯s gorilla-like arm¡ªor whatever it was¡ªswung forward with brutal force, catching the bull-man across the jaw. The bear-man staggered, hooves scraping against the broken pavement.


    But instead of stumbling, he grinned.


    "What¡¯s the matter, Ronan?" he sneered, cracking his neck. "Can¡¯t even deal with a low-level like me?"


    Ronan gritted his teeth. Something in those words hit deeper than it should have.


    Elion noticed the flicker in the cowboy¡¯s expression¡ªjust a moment of frustration buried quickly behind his usual bored demeanor.


    "If it wasn¡¯t for this world," Ronan muttered under his breath. "If it wasn¡¯t for that damn incident..."


    His fingers twitched. His stance shifted.


    Elion felt it before he saw it. Something changed.


    Ronan¡¯s ring pulsed brighter, hotter. Then he lunged. Now, both of his arms had changed into a gorilla¡¯s. They began moving faster.


    What had started as powerful, deliberate strikes turned into a storm of rapid blows. Each punch slammed into the bull-man like a wrecking ball.


    Elion could barely keep up with what he was seeing. The speed. The power. It was like watching a hurricane give form and fists.


    Jordan, despite his pain, whistled. "Man¡¯s got hands."


    Elion let out a breath. "No kidding."


    But the bull-man wasn¡¯t going down easy. Even as Ronan pummeled him with relentless force, he held his ground. His body absorbed the blows, muscles tightening, resisting the force behind them. And then he fought back.


    The bull-man let out a snarl and caught Ronan¡¯s wrist mid-strike. Ronan¡¯s eyes narrowed in that split second before a savage knee drove into Ronan¡¯s abdomen.


    The impact was so strong that it created shockwaves in the air.


    Ronan grunted as he was thrown backward, crashing into some debris. He groaned and sat up slowly, spitting blood onto the ground.


    "Okay," he said, wiping his mouth. "You''re really annoying me now."


    Elion and Jordan looked at each other when they heard that.


    Jordan grinned through the pain. "Think he¡¯s getting serious now?"


    Elion let out a nervous chuckle. "I really hope not. Because if this isn¡¯t serious, I don¡¯t wanna see what is."


    Ronan stood, rolling his shoulders. His ring flared one last time. "Playtime¡¯s over," he muttered. Then he dropped into a stance. His ring glowed brighter.


    The alley trembled.


    The air rippled.


    And this time, when Ronan moved¡ªhe didn¡¯t just punch.


    He destroyed.


    His gorilla-like arms slammed into the bull-man with such force that the shockwave alone sent dust and debris flying outward.


    BOOM!


    The bull-man froze¡ªhis massive body lifting off the ground, his feet leaving the pavement. His eyes went wide. Then, he was sent flying.


    Not stumbling. Not reeling.


    A flying bull.


    He crashed into the farthest wall with bone-crushing force, the impact shattering the bricks around him.


    For a moment, everything was quiet.


    Jordan and Elion gawked. How on earth could a human deliver such attacks?


    Jordan exhaled sharply. "That... was... insane."


    Elion barely managed to nod, his brain still processing what just happened. He looked at Jordan, who was looking at him, too.


    They exchanged glances and shared the same thoughts. What in the world were they watching?


    Ronan, meanwhile, cracked his knuckles, his usual lazy expression returning as he dusted off his cloak.


    That was when he turned, seemingly remembering something. He glanced at the alley floor¡ªwhere hundreds of rings lay scattered. His expression shifted.


    ¡°Damn it¡­ I forgot.¡±


    And right then¡ªthe rings trembled.


    Elion and Jordan could feel something was amiss. A weird pull in the air, like the moment before a storm hits. Their hearts skipped a beat.


    Jordan tensed, shoulders locking up as his fists curled. Despite the pain, he was ready for anything that was coming.


    The cowboy grimaced. ¡°Ah, hell.¡±


    Then¡ªthe rings started rising.


    One by one, like they had been yanked by invisible strings, they shot into the air¡ªspiraling upwards, scattering like fireworks launching into the sky.


    Elion and Jordan froze, watching dozens¡ªhundreds¡ªor more rings scatter toward who knew where.


    Elion felt a chill down his spine. ¡°That¡¯s not a good thing, right?¡±


    Jordan¡¯s voice was quiet. ¡°Not even a little.¡±


    Ronan sighed and rubbed his temple as he watched the last of the rings fade into the night. He then put his hands in his coat pockets and let out another sigh, treating it like just another day.


    ¡°What a bad day¡­¡±


    Elion¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°What happened?!¡± he raised his voice because he knew that the rings'' disappearance would spell more trouble.


    The cowboy turned back to them, completely unbothered. ¡°I think that¡¯s going to be a problem.¡±


    Elion gestured wildly at the now-empty ground where more than hundreds of potentially cursed rings had just flown off into the world. ¡°YOU THINK?!¡±


    Ronan shrugged. ¡°Not my fault. That¡¯s on you two.¡±


    Jordan blinked. ¡°Wait, how is that our fault?¡±


    Ronan pointed at Jordan. ¡°You chased them.¡±


    Then he pointed at Elion. ¡°You distracted me.¡±


    Elion clenched his jaw. ¡°Are you actually blaming us for¡ª¡±


    Ronan cut him off with a wave. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. They¡¯re gone. Someone¡¯s gonna find them. Then we¡¯ll have more of these idiots running around.¡± He gestured lazily toward the unconscious bull-man.


    Jordan¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°And what exactly are they?¡±


    Ronan gave him a long look. ¡°They¡¯re¡­. Uh. Never mind.¡±


    For a second, he almost answered.


    Then, just as quickly¡ªhe turned away.


    ¡°Too much for you to handle,¡± he said simply. Then, stepping over the rubble, he walked toward the bull-man¡¯s fallen body.

 Chapter 9: The Gun, The Sack, And The Cowboy Who Knows Too Much

    Ronan stepped over the rubble. A crunching sound was heard when his boots made contact with the broken pavement.


    He walked with confidence and maintained with his lazy gesture. He really looked as if he was simply doing his daily job¡ªlike this was just another cleaning task.


    Elion and Jordan watched cautiously from their spot near the dumpster, Jordan still wincing from his injuries. The fight had been insane, but it seemed like it was finally over.


    Or at least, it should¡¯ve been.


    As Ronan neared the fallen bull-man, something changed. A shift in the air. A flicker of movement.


    Before anyone could react, the still bull-man lunged.


    His massive arm shot forward with terrifying speed, catching Ronan square in the side. The impact sent the cowboy stumbling, his cloak whipping behind him as he skidded across the broken alleyway.


    Elion¡¯s heart nearly stopped. ¡°He¡¯s still alive?!¡±


    Ronan coughed, straightening himself. He glanced down at his side where the hit had landed, then let out a sharp breath.


    ¡°Tch¡­ Damn it.¡± His voice was low, irritated. ¡°How dull have I gotten since coming here?¡± He flexed his fingers, rolling his shoulders like he was trying to shake off the hit. ¡°Can¡¯t believe I actually let that land.¡±


    The bull-man groaned as he struggled to get up. His large chest moved up and down, and each breath came out in rough, uneven gasps¡ªlike a tired accordion making its last sound.


    ¡°You... shouldn¡¯t have messed with us, Ronan,¡± he said, his voice hoarse and dry. ¡°You... should''ve stayed away.¡±


    He was shaking and swaying, trying to stand tall like a tree in the wind. But his eyes showed he really wanted to believe he could walk away alive.


    Ronan let out a quiet laugh as he brushed the dust off his sleeve. He acted like he was getting ready for something more polite than a fight.


    ¡°You know,¡± he said. His tone was light and amused, ¡°You beast keep telling me that.¡±


    He raised his hands, feeling both frustrated and amused, but a small smile appeared at one corner of his lips.


    ¡°And yet¡ªhere I am. It¡¯s funny, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    He took a quick breath and rolled his shoulders to ease the pain from the bull-man¡¯s blow. His posture was still relaxed, almost lazy, but his eyes? They¡¯d gone dark like storm clouds rolling in.


    Then, without warning, Ronan reached into his cloak and pulled out the revolver. The same one that had put the bear-man down last week. The metal caught the light, cold and unflinching, and the bull-man¡¯s nostrils flared.


    Elion tensed the moment he saw it. He had seen Ronan use it before¡ªquick, effortless as if it was just another tool in his arsenal. But now that he was actually paying attention, something felt different.


    The gun wasn¡¯t normal.


    At first glance, it had the shape of an ordinary semi-automatic pistol, but under the dim alley lights, Elion could see it¡ªengraved across the barrel, the grip, even the slide¡ªsymbols.


    Strange, intricate patterns glowed faintly, pulsing in rhythm with the ring on Ronan¡¯s finger.


    Elion had trouble catching his breath. ¡®That¡¯s not just decoration¡­¡¯


    His gaze flickered toward the sack Ronan carried¡ªthe same faint markings glowed along its surface, running between the seams like veins of light. It wasn¡¯t a normal bag. And those rings inside? They weren¡¯t just metal trinkets.


    There was something behind all of this.


    Jordan must¡¯ve noticed, too, because he muttered under his breath, ¡°That¡¯s not just some regular gun, is it?¡±


    Elion swallowed. ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s not.¡±


    Ronan ignored them, shifting his grip on the gun. This time, he didn¡¯t fire right away. Instead, the symbols on the barrel glowed brighter, pulsing in synchronization with his ring.


    He was charging it.


    ¡°Jordan, I think we need to move further away,¡± Elion said as he felt the weight of the moment settles in his gut.


    Jordan gulped and nodded. He knew things were going to be really bad.


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    Worse.


    The last time Ronan shot, it had been quick¡ªone clean shot to the head, execution-style.


    But this? This was different. The air around them grew heavier, crackling with unseen energy.


    Even the bull-man seemed to realize it. He breathed harder, and his muscles tightened, but this time, he did not rush in recklessly.


    He knew that his end was¡­ nearing.


    ¡°N-n-no¡­ No way¡­¡± The bull-man stuttered.


    The shot was fired.


    But something strange happened. Really strange.


    The alley should have been gone. The walls, the pavement¡ªhell, maybe half the block should have been reduced to dust after what Ronan just did.


    But as the light from his gun faded, Elion found himself blinking through the settling haze, stunned by what he saw.


    The bull-man was dead.


    Not vaporized. Not turned to dust. Just¡­ dead.


    His massive body slumped forward, eyes vacant, steam still rising from his thick hide. His muscles had gone slack, and his breathing completely stopped.


    That was when his body slowly transformed back to his human form. No last words. No final struggle. He was just gone in the way that all things eventually were.


    Jordan stared. ¡°What the hell¡­?¡±


    Elion felt confused. ¡°Is he really dead?¡± he asked, his voice low.


    Jordan turned to face Ronan, his jaw clenched. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    Ronan, as usual, looked completely unbothered. He gave his gun a lazy spin before holstering it. ¡°I shot him.¡±


    Jordan¡¯s fists clenched. ¡°Yeah, no shit, cowboy. But what was that?¡± He gestured to the air, to the ground where the bull-man had fallen. ¡°There was this huge blast, but¡­¡±


    Jordan gulped a few times, tasting the words, ¡°No damage¡ªnothing except him just dropping dead!¡±


    Ronan exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck like this whole thing was more exhausting than it was worth. "Look. I think it is better for you to get out of here. More of them are showing up."


    ¡°More of them?¡± Jordan was stunned. The thought of more of these beast-men coming sent a shiver down his spine.


    Meanwhile, Elion¡¯s gaze flickered toward the ground¡ªtoward one of the things the bull-man had left behind.


    His ring.


    It lay there, glowing softly with a strange, pulsating energy. Thin strands of black smoke rose from its surface, twisting and fading into the night air.


    Elion swallowed hard. ¡°So¡­ it was the ring,¡± he murmured. ¡°Right?¡±


    Jordan turned to him. ¡°What?¡±


    Elion pointed. ¡°The bear-man. The bull-man. They both had rings. And when they died, the rings¡­ reacted.¡± He met Ronan¡¯s gaze, something clicking in his mind. ¡°The rings are the real problem, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s smirk thinned. ¡°Took you long enough.¡±


    He looked at Elion and said with a sigh, ¡°The source of all the trouble I¡¯m facing right now.¡±


    Elion¡¯s stomach twisted. ¡°Then, if they¡¯re so dangerous, why not destroy them?¡±


    Ronan let out a dry chuckle. ¡°Oh, you think I haven¡¯t tried?¡±


    He crouched down, picking up the bull-man¡¯s ring between two fingers. ¡°These things don¡¯t break. Believe me. I¡¯ve tried burning them, crushing them, even shooting them. Doesn¡¯t do a damn thing.¡±


    Elion¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°So what do you do with them?¡±


    Ronan twirled the ring between his fingers, considering. Elion and Jordan could see smoke being sucked from the ring into Ronan¡¯s.


    Then, with a casual flick, he tossed it into his sack. While in the air, something from the sack sucked the ring into it.


    The sound of the metallic clink of it landing among the others sent a shudder through Elion¡¯s spine.


    ¡°I stored them in that sack in order to tame them,¡± he said while pointing toward the sack. ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as it looks or sounds if you want me to tell you the truth.¡±


    Elion nodded. He knew that the symbols must have something to do with what Ronan was talking about.


    Jordan was still staring at the bull-man¡¯s corpse. ¡°So¡­ he¡¯s not coming back? No more smoke, no weird magic resurrection?¡±


    Ronan shook his head. ¡°Nope. This one¡¯s done.¡±


    Elion exhaled slowly. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was better or worse.


    Jordan, however, wasn¡¯t satisfied. His expression was still tight, eyes burning with something Elion couldn¡¯t quite place.


    Anger. Frustration. Maybe even disappointment.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve done that from the start,¡± Jordan muttered.


    Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°You could¡¯ve killed him right away like you did with the bear-man,¡± Jordan continued. ¡°But you didn¡¯t. You fought him. You let it drag out. Why?¡±


    Ronan studied him for a moment. Then he sighed, shoving his hands into his coat pockets. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    Jordan took a step forward, fists tightening. ¡°Try me.¡±


    Elion tensed. ¡°Jordan¡ª¡±


    But Jordan wasn¡¯t backing down. His body was still tense from his earlier injuries, but his frustration was clear. He wasn¡¯t just asking a question¡ªhe was challenging Ronan.


    Ronan tilted his head slightly, thinking of Jordan as if one might regard a particularly annoying fly. Then, with a lazy smirk, he said, ¡°You boys should be careful.¡±


    Jordan blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    Ronan gestured lazily toward the dead bull-man. ¡°Guys like him don¡¯t just show up for no reason. Someone sent him. And before I put him down, I was hoping he¡¯d spill something useful.¡±


    Jordan¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°And did he?¡±


    Ronan rolled his shoulders. ¡°Not really. You heard him, too. But hey, at least now I know they¡¯re getting bolder.¡±


    Elion¡¯s stomach twisted. ¡°You mean there are more?¡±


    Ronan gave him a flat look. ¡°Oh, kid. You have no idea.¡±


    He then walked slowly toward his sack before picking it up.


    Elion¡¯s skin crawled. He looked back at the bull-man¡¯s corpse, at the eerie stillness in the alley. The night felt¡­ wrong. Like something was still watching.


    Jordan exhaled sharply. ¡°So what happens now?¡±


    Ronan clicked his tongue, adjusting his hat. ¡°Now? We move on.¡±


    Jordan scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s it? That¡¯s your grand plan? Just keep shoving rings into a bag like you¡¯re collecting rare artifacts?¡±


    Ronan shrugged. ¡°Hey, if you¡¯ve got a better idea, I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    Jordan clenched his jaw. He was still clearly unsettled¡ªpissed, even¡ªbut there wasn¡¯t much he could say to argue.


    Elion, however, was still stuck on something. He looked between Ronan and the sack full of rings.


    Something about all this didn¡¯t add up.


    ¡°If you can kill them so easily,¡± Elion asked slowly, ¡°why don¡¯t you do it right away? Why fight them at all?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s smirk faded just slightly. For the first time, his usual cocky expression shifted into something more¡­ tired.


    ¡°Because they don¡¯t always go down easy,¡± he muttered. ¡°And because¡­ sometimes, they¡¯re not supposed to.¡±


    That last part sent a different kind of chill down Elion¡¯s spine. Before he could press further, Ronan suddenly tensed. His hand shot up, pressing his fingers to his temple as if he had just heard something only he could hear.


    Jordan caught the movement. ¡°What? What is it?¡±


    Ronan clicked his tongue. ¡°Tch. More bad news.¡±


    Jordan frowned. ¡°How bad?¡±


    Ronan exhaled sharply, adjusting his hat. ¡°Bad enough that you two should start running.¡±

 Chapter 10: The Portal Was Cool. The Landing Was Not

    Ronan took a small, crystal object from his cloak. His face was hard to read, which made Elion and Jordan curious. Before they could process or ask him anything, he squeezed the crystal hard.


    Then, he smashed the crystal to the ground.


    "What are you doing?!" Both Elion and Jordan were shocked.


    That was when something extraordinary happened.


    Just when the crystal hit the pavement, a bright light burst out. The light filled the alley with a mysterious purple glow. It was amazing to see energy swirled and twisted from the broken pieces.


    The real magic then happened¡ªa round portal appeared.


    Elion barely had time to process it. His heart pounded. ¡°What is¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Move.¡± Ronan¡¯s voice cut through the shock, firm and urgent. ¡°Unless you wanna be ripped apart in the next thirty seconds, step through.¡±


    Jordan¡¯s eyes practically lit up. ¡°No. Freaking. Way.¡± He turned to Elion, grinning like a kid who had just been given a golden ticket. ¡°Dude, this is teleportation!¡±


    Ronan was amazed to learn that. For him, it was remarkable for a human from this world to understand such concepts.


    Only if he knew how much humans in this world had developed the theory and illustrations of teleportation.


    Elion, however, wasn¡¯t quite on the same wavelength. His brain was still trying to wrap around the fact that portals actually existed. ¡°Wait. Hold on. Where does it go? Is it safe? What¡ª¡±


    Jordan, being Jordan, didn¡¯t wait for an answer.


    Without hesitation, he jumped straight into the portal.


    ¡°JORDAN¡ª¡± Elion shouted, reaching out instinctively, but it was too late. His best friend had already vanished into the swirling abyss.


    Ronan cursed. ¡°Dumbass.¡±


    Elion whipped around, panicked. ¡°Where did he go? Is he¡ª¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Ronan snapped. ¡°For now. You, on the other hand, won¡¯t be if you don¡¯t get moving.¡±


    As if to drive the point home, the ground suddenly rumbled beneath them.


    Elion¡¯s breath hitched. The vibrations traveled up his legs, a deep, unnatural tremor that wasn¡¯t just some random aftershock. Something was coming.


    Then, the noises came.


    Three distinct, guttural noises echoed through the alley¡ªdeep, primal, and hungry.


    Elion stiffened, his instincts screaming at him. If the last two beast-men had been a nightmare, what were the odds of him surviving three?


    He really didn¡¯t want to find out.


    Ronan turned, eyes narrowing into the darkness beyond the alley¡¯s edge. ¡°Kid, hurry up. You will not survive staying here.¡±


    Elion hesitated for exactly one more second. Then¡ªhe bolted.


    He didn¡¯t need to be told again. With his heart racing, he jumped forward and dove into the swirling portal.


    The last thing he heard before the portal disappeared was the sound of heavy footsteps followed by sniffing.


    Three massive figures stalked into the now-empty alley.


    Their forms were humanoid, towering and muscular, but covered in thick fur. Their faces, however, were disturbingly human¡ªtwisted in expressions of irritation as they sniffed the air like hunting hounds.


    "They are gone," one of them said in a rough voice.


    The largest of the three was strong and built wide, with fur as dark as ink. He tilted his head and took a deep breath. ¡°The scent disappears here.¡±


    "Three of them?" Another, lankier but just as imposing, let out a low growl. ¡°Magic? Teleportation?¡±


    The third, the shortest but with sharp, intelligent eyes, scanned the ground where the portal had been. His lips curled in annoyance.


    ¡°Keep searching.¡± His tone was firm, unwavering. ¡°They won¡¯t get far.¡±


    ***


    Elion barely had time to process the sensation of being weightless before¡­


    WHAM


    He was unceremoniously kicked from the portal, landing face-first into the dirt with all the grace of a dropped sack of potatoes.


    "Ugh¡ª" He groaned as he felt pain in his jaw. "Ow. Ow. Ow." Now, he was lying on the ground.


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    His expression? Confused.


    His voice? Muffled as his mouth was full of dirt and leaves.


    "This must be a joke..."


    Elion heard someone mumbling just next to him after a loud thud. Of course, it was Jordan.


    Jordan most likely faced the same fate as him.


    Face-first.


    Elion forced himself to look up, spitting out dirt and leaves.


    Jordan was sprawled out beside him, groaning in pain, his face also thoroughly planted into the earth.


    And Ronan?


    The cowboy was standing¡ªor at least, trying to. His usual lazy posture was even sloppier than before, his cloak slightly torn, his hat tilted at an odd angle. He wasn¡¯t face-first in the dirt like them, but judging by how he was gripping his side, he wasn¡¯t exactly in top condition either.


    Elion blinked up at him. "You... landed on your feet?"


    Ronan exhaled through his nose. "Obviously."


    Jordan pushed himself up slightly, wincing. "Good for you, cowboy. We got drop-kicked by the universe."


    Elion groaned, rolling onto his back. His whole body hurt from the hard landing, but that wasn¡¯t the worst part.


    The worst part?


    When he finally looked around, he saw tall, thick trees above him. Their dense branches blocked most of the sky.


    The air felt different¡ªthicker and heavier, with an unsettling quiet. The only sounds were leaves rustling and, occasionally, a branch breaking in the distance.


    Elion felt a twist in his stomach.


    They were in a forest.


    A real, deep, wild forest.


    His brain immediately went into damage-control mode. What¡¯s the closest forest to New Orleans?


    The answer came quickly¡ªabout thirty kilometers west, there was a fairly large woodland area. It wasn¡¯t too far from civilization.


    That was the most reassuring possibility.


    Because if this wasn¡¯t that forest¡ªif they had ended up somewhere further, somewhere unknown¡ªthen they were screwed.


    Elion swallowed hard, pushing himself up onto his elbows. ¡°Where... are we?¡±


    Jordan, still half-sprawled on the ground, let out a breathless chuckle. ¡°I have no idea. But if this is how teleportation works, I¡¯m not a fan.¡±


    Elion didn¡¯t laugh. His hands clenched into the dirt beneath him. He had a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling.


    Ronan exhaled sharply, adjusting his hat before rolling his shoulders. ¡°Don''t worry. We¡¯re in the forest near New Orleans,¡± he said, his voice carrying that same lazy drawl. ¡°I can¡¯t use longer-distance teleportation. Not in my condition.¡±


    After Ronan finished speaking, he took off his cloak and let it fall to the ground.


    Elion was surprised to see that Ronan was not as muscular as he had expected.


    Ronan wasn¡¯t bulky, but he was fit¡ªlean muscle, the kind that came from constant movement rather than strict training.


    But what really caught their attention was the dark stain seeping through the fabric on his left abdomen.


    Blood.


    Elion¡¯s concern kicked in instantly. ¡°You were attacked there just now?¡±


    Ronan did not respond immediately. He looked at the wound as if he were seeing it for the first time. Then he gently pressed his fingers against it.


    Jordan, however, narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Jordan muttered. His voice had shifted¡ªanalyzing, breaking things down. ¡°You didn¡¯t get hit there during the fight.¡± He looked up, sharp realization in his gaze. ¡°Old wound?¡±


    That made Ronan grin. He tilted his head slightly, nodding. ¡°Good assessment,¡± he said, looking at Jordan with mild approval. Then, he turned to Elion. ¡°Good heart.¡±


    Before either of them could respond, Ronan let himself drop onto the ground, landing in a way that suggested he really needed to sit down.


    ¡°This is an old wound,¡± he admitted. ¡°Happened when I was sent here a few weeks ago.¡±


    Elion frowned. Sent here?


    ¡°Supposedly,¡± Ronan continued, ¡°I¡¯d have recovered in no time. But the air here isn¡¯t rich in the energy I need,¡± he said, waving his hand around them.


    Elion wasn¡¯t sure what that meant, but he could already have guessed. Besides, he could tell from the exhaustion in Ronan¡¯s voice that it mattered.


    ¡°Besides,¡± Ronan went on, exhaling tiredly, ¡°I¡¯ve been after¡ªor being after¡ªthose beast-men almost every single day. No time to rest. No time to recover. If I stop, more destruction happens. More people die.¡±


    That statement sat heavy in the air.


    Elion swallowed. His earlier suspicions had now solidified. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not from this world, are you?¡±


    Ronan smirked. It wasn¡¯t a full confirmation, but it wasn¡¯t a denial, either. "That... is something that I can''t share too much right now," he said, sounding lighter. "But at this moment, I need your help, so I might share a bit later."


    Jordan smiled, but he still felt pain from his bruises. His eyes practically sparkled. ¡°Wait¡ªyou mean, like, help help? As in¡­ you want us to fight beast-men?¡±


    Ronan laughed lightly but quickly regretted it. He grabbed his side and winced in pain. ¡°Ah¡ªno. No. That would be ridiculous.¡± He gave Jordan a look like he had just suggested wrestling a lion with bare hands. ¡°The beast-men aren¡¯t something normal humans can take on.¡±


    Jordan hummed thoughtfully, his eyes flicking toward Ronan¡¯s sack. ¡°Then¡­¡± He pointed at it. ¡°I need to use the power from the rings, right?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s expression changed immediately. His usual lazy smirk was gone, replaced by a sharper look. His posture stayed mostly the same, but Elion felt the air around them grow heavier.


    ¡°That,¡± Ronan said slowly, ¡°is something that must stay a secret.¡±


    Elion waited. He wanted an actual explanation, not just vague warnings.


    Ronan sighed and leaned back. ¡°We need to find a place to rest,¡± he said, changing the subject. ¡°Recover for a while.¡±


    Elion wasn¡¯t satisfied with that answer. Not at all. Right now, they had no choice as they needed to follow his lead.


    Ronan groaned as he pushed himself up, shaking off his tiredness. He lightly touched his wound but kept his face neutral. After a sharp breath, he turned to Elion and Jordan.


    ¡°We need to move. Fast.¡± His voice had lost its usual laziness, now edged with something more serious. ¡°I can¡¯t send you guys home yet.¡±


    Elion¡¯s stomach dropped. ¡°What? Why not?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°Because you¡¯ve already been smelled by them.¡±


    Jordan straightened at that, his earlier excitement dampening. ¡°You mean the beast-men?¡±


    Ronan nodded, his expression unreadable. ¡°Yeah. You don¡¯t fight creatures like that and just walk away clean. They¡¯ve got a lock on you now¡ªyour scent, your energy, whatever messed-up way they track people.¡±


    He adjusted his hat, then glanced between Elion and Jordan. ¡°And here¡¯s the real problem¡ªthose things? They might think you¡¯re with me.¡±


    Elion felt his stomach drop. Jordan stiffened.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how or why, but you two are my problem now. That means they will come after you just like they would come after me.¡± Ronan exhaled sharply. ¡°And if you¡¯re thinking about going back to your families¡ªdon¡¯t. You¡¯d be leading danger straight to their doorstep.¡±


    Elion exchanged a look with Jordan. So, to recap, they had accidentally ended up on some monster¡¯s hit list, and now they were apparently tied to a guy they had only just met.


    Yeah. Tonight just kept getting better.


    Elion felt something cold settle in his gut.


    His family.


    Jordan was serious this time. His hands were tight, and his jaw was stiff. He took a breath and nodded. ¡°Alright. Then what¡¯s the plan?¡±


    Elion swallowed hard. He didn¡¯t like this. None of it. But what other choice did they have?


    He nodded, too. ¡°We¡¯ll follow your lead.¡±


    Ronan smirked just a little. ¡°Smart choice.¡±


    Then, without another word, he turned and started walking. Elion and Jordan exchanged a glance before quickly falling in step behind him.

 Chapter 11: The Zodiac Order is Moving. And That’s a Bad Thing

    In an old fortress, a middle-aged man sat on a throne in a very dark room. The atmosphere felt evil and threatening.


    Sounds clich¨¦, right?


    But wait¡ªplot twist.


    The throne? Made entirely of bones. Human bones.


    Yep. Still clich¨¦. But at least now, it was the extra disturbing kind of clich¨¦.


    The throne gleamed eerily under the flickering torches. One could see the skeletal remains twisted with the armrests made from the polished skulls where their empty sockets forever locked¡ªin silent screams.


    Despite everything, the middle-aged man was an enigma. Imagine this. He was here, yet not. It was all because of his body that was cloaked in a shifting darkness. None of his features were clearly visible.


    Another thing to take note of was that his form flickered. It was like a projection that struggled to take full shape. Only his eyes were visible in the darkness¡ªpale and glowing like embers, they burned with a quiet threat.


    Twelve figures stood in two straight lines in front of him. They wore long black robes with golden symbols. Each figure radiated a strong presence, with some faces hidden under hoods while others were fully visible. Their expressions varied from cold and calculating to frustrated.


    They were called by one name and had a golden symbol, each linked to a Zodiac sign.


    A tall man stepped forward. The flickering torchlight highlighted his sharp features. His piercing gray eyes showed the burden of someone who had seen and done a lot. He carried responsibilities that would overwhelm most people.


    He dropped to one knee before the throne of bones. "My Lord."


    His voice was rough, like gravel scraping against steel. No hesitation. No wasted words.


    ¡°We have an update on Ronan.¡±


    The shadows around the throne rippled like living things responding to some unseen pulse. When the Lord spoke, it wasn¡¯t with a single voice¡ªit was a chorus, layered and guttural, each tone dragging across the air like something ancient and wrong.


    ¡°The brat from the Cross Family?¡± The voices overlapped, some amused, some disdainful. ¡°Speak.¡±


    The kneeling man, with the symbol of Capricorn, bowed his head slightly, the dim light casting harsh angles across his face. ¡°He has been interfering with our operations. More than we expected.¡±


    Beside him, a woman with golden eyes, Leo, scoffed, arms crossed. ¡°More than we expected?¡± she repeated, not impressed. ¡°That''s an understatement. We knew he would cause trouble.¡±


    The Lord tilted his head slightly and looked at them intently. ¡°You¡¯ve lost more rings, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Silence.


    A few among them stiffened. Some cast sideward glances.


    Capricorn hesitated before answering, but there was no use lying. ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡±


    The temperature in the chamber seemed to drop.


    The shadows swirled aggressively, getting thicker like a storm building up. ¡°And yet you still let him live.¡±


    A man with broad shoulders stepped forward. He crossed his arms. It was Taurus. ¡°We underestimated his survival ability,¡± he admitted. "He has been around longer than we thought."


    ¡°That''s because he is not from this world,¡± Leo said softly. ¡°He doesn''t think like others.¡±


    The Lord let out a sharp sound that was more like a growl than a sigh. ¡°Stop with the excuses. I want results.¡±


    A woman with silver hair and cold, calculating eyes¡ªVirgo¡ªstepped forward. Unlike the others, her voice carried no frustration, only precision. ¡°If I may, my Lord, there is... some good news.¡±


    The air grew still.


    The Lord¡¯s glowing eyes locked onto her. ¡°Speak.¡±


    Virgo inclined her head slightly. ¡°According to our energy radar, more rings have surfaced.¡± A small smirk touched her lips. ¡°The same rings that Ronan has been collecting.¡±


    The shadows momentarily steadied.


    At last, something worth hearing.


    ¡°The only good thing I¡¯ve heard tonight,¡± the Lord mused, though there was no satisfaction in his tone.


    Virgo continued, ¡°Still, retrieving them will not be easy. We all know the nature of these rings.¡±


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    A man with sharp eyes and a wolfish grin¡ªScorpio¡ªchuckled. ¡°That¡¯s hardly a problem.¡±


    The Lord turned his gaze toward him.


    Scorpio smirked. ¡°Whoever retrieves the rings will be consumed by their power. The beasts within will corrupt them, twisting their minds and turning them into monsters. And when that happens¡­ destruction follows.¡±


    He gestured outward with a sweep of his hand. ¡°The moment the rings scatter, we win. If people take them, they will become creatures of ruin. Chaos will spread. Blood will be spilled. No matter what way we look at it, the outcome is in our favor.¡±


    A quiet agreement spread among the twelve.


    The Lord stayed quiet for a while, lost in thought as the shadows danced around him. Finally, he let out a deep, low laugh.


    ¡°It is true.¡± His voice was amused, yet there was a cold calculation beneath it. ¡°Still, we must retrieve as many rings as possible.¡± His gaze darkened. ¡°We must prepare.¡±


    The weight of those words settled in the chamber like an unseen force. None of the twelve spoke, but they all understood.


    Prepare.


    For what, none dared to ask.


    But they knew their place. They knew their duty.


    The Lord slowly leaned back against his throne, the shadows around him thickening again. ¡°That will be all. You''re dismissed.¡±


    One by one, they each bowed to the Lord.


    Sagittarius was the first to leave. He quietly slipped into the shadows. Aries and Aquarius looked at each other and then walked toward the exit.


    Cancer and Libra whispered among themselves as they followed. Pisces, always the quietest, simply disappeared into the darkness.


    The last to remain was Leo.


    She stood still, her golden eyes fixed on the moving shadows of the throne. There was something hard to read in her gaze¡ªsomething sharp and calculating.


    The Lord¡¯s burning eyes flickered toward her, the shadows swirling ever so slightly. Unlike the others, she did not bow. She did not move.


    She was waiting.


    A low hum rumbled from the throne, almost amused. ¡°I have a mission for you."


    A pause.


    Then, the Lord leaned forward slightly, his form still flickering in and out of presence. ¡°The Cross has disrupted our plans far too long. The others may toy with their little victories, but I require a guarantee.¡±


    Leo¡¯s smirk widened, but her eyes remained cold. ¡°You want him dead.¡±


    The shadows pulsed. ¡°I want him erased.¡±


    Leo exhaled through her nose, tilting her head slightly. ¡°We¡¯ve sent plenty after him before. They all failed.¡±


    The Lord¡¯s voice dropped into something heavier¡ªsomething more final. ¡°They were tools. You are a weapon.¡±


    Leo let out a quiet chuckle and rolled her shoulders as if she had not really put the Lord in her eyes. ¡°Okay,¡± she said. She turned around, and her golden hair caught the dim light from the torch. ¡°But if I do this, I will do it my way.¡±


    ¡°You will not fail me.¡± It was not a request. It was a command.


    Leo paused just before the exit, glancing back over her shoulder. Her smirk faded a little, showing a more threatening expression.


    "Again, I will do it my way," she said softly.


    The Lord¡¯s shadows moved angrily, wrapping around the throne like smoke that was alive. ¡°Then do not disappoint me.¡±


    With that, Leo vanished into the corridors of the fortress, the air behind her humming with something dark and inevitable.


    The chamber fell into silence once more.


    The Lord¡¯s form flickered, still not fully present in this world. His voice, low and absolute, echoed through the empty space.


    ¡°The game has just started, Ronan.¡±


    ***


    The cave was cold and wet, like a basement that had not been cleaned in many years. The air smelled like wet rock and dirt, with a faint smell of rain coming in from outside as if the sky had been crying just before they arrived.


    Moonlight came in through the entrance, but it only made the shadows look creepier. The rough walls reflected the silvery light just enough to create illusions, making it seem like something was moving in the dark, waiting and watching.


    Because, you know, caves weren¡¯t already unsettling enough.


    Elion and Jordan stood near the entrance, taking it all in.


    ¡°Okay¡­ I did not know this forest had caves,¡± Elion muttered, rubbing his arms.


    Jordan huffed, looking around. ¡°Same. Thought it was just endless trees and mosquitoes the size of birds. But nope¡ªturns out, secret caves.¡±


    Elion shot him a look. ¡°We are not nature guys.¡±


    Jordan shrugged. ¡°Yeah, and whose fault is that?¡±


    Elion ignored him and focused on Ronan instead. The cowboy had moved deeper into the cave, settling himself against a smooth boulder. He was already pulling out supplies¡ªfrom where Elion had no idea.


    The guy didn¡¯t have a backpack. His shirt barely had any pockets big enough for the stuff he was taking out. And yet, he kept producing items like some kind of human vending machine.


    First, a roll of cloth. Then, a glass bottle filled with dark liquid. Then, a small bundle of dried herbs is tied together with a thin thread.


    Elion¡¯s curiosity got the best of him. ¡°Okay, seriously. Where are you pulling all that from?¡±


    Ronan didn¡¯t look up as he set the items beside him. ¡°Dimensional storage.¡±


    Jordan perked up. ¡°Wait. Like, an actual pocket dimension? You just have one? On you?¡±


    Ronan sighed, rolling up his sleeve. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Elion squinted. "That¡¯s really unfair."


    Ronan ignored them as he picked up the bundle of herbs. He crushed them between his fingers, releasing a sharp, minty smell. When the crushed leaves touched his wound, a light steam rose from his skin.


    Elion winced. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that hurt?¡±


    Ronan smirked through the pain. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Jordan crossed his arms, watching closely. ¡°So¡­ that wound. How¡¯d you get it?¡±


    Ronan stilled for half a second, just barely noticeable. Then he sighed, leaning back slightly against the cave wall.


    ¡°This?¡± He glanced down at the wound, his voice casual. ¡°Got it just before I arrived here.¡±


    Elion frowned. ¡°You mean when you first arrived?¡±


    Ronan gave a lazy nod. ¡°Didn¡¯t land in a nice place like you two. No trees. No cave. No breathable air.¡±


    Elion¡¯s stomach twisted slightly. ¡°Then¡­ where?¡±


    Ronan exhaled sharply, tilting his head against the wall. ¡°Middle of a damn wasteland. Nothing but cracked earth, burning sky, and things that wanted to rip me apart the second I showed up.¡±


    Jordan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Things? You mean like the beast-men?¡±


    Ronan chuckled, but it was humorless. ¡°Worse.¡±


    That one word sent a shiver down Elion¡¯s spine. He wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to know what could be worse than what they had already seen.


    Ronan grabbed the roll of cloth and started wrapping his wound. ¡°Fought my way out. But one of them got me before I made it here. Haven¡¯t had time to fully heal since.¡±


    Jordan watched him carefully. ¡°And because this world doesn¡¯t have the energy you need, you¡¯re stuck healing like a regular person?¡±


    Ronan nodded, finishing the wrap. ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    Elion exchanged glances with Jordan. The cowboy had been fighting every single day since arriving, all while dealing with a wound that refused to heal.


    And yet, here he was. Still moving. Still fighting.


    Elion swallowed. ¡°¡­That¡¯s messed up.¡±


    "Yeah," Ronan smirked, tossing the empty herb bundle aside. ¡°Welcome to my life.¡±

 Chapter 12: Never Leave Your Scent. Or Your Groceries

    Elion sat on a rock outside the cave. He held his phone up, trying to connect with civilization.


    It was a miracle that he had a signal out here, especially since it was so unreliable even in the city.


    Still, he wasn¡¯t about to question his luck. He had one shot at this.


    The signal was not strong enough to go online, especially to read about what happened at the club, but it was good enough for him to text his mother.


    He quickly typed out a message to his mother.


    Elion: [Mom, I¡¯m spending the night at Jordan¡¯s.]


    It was short, simple, and hopefully believable.


    It was also a little ridiculous.


    Twenty years old, and here he was, texting his mother like some high schooler, asking for permission to stay out. What was he even doing?


    A loud burst of laughter erupted behind him.


    Jordan. Of course.


    ¡°Oh, man. That¡¯s adorable.¡± He laughed and clutched his stomach. ¡°You¡¯re in the woods, avoiding beast-men, working with a cowboy from another world¡ªand the first thing you do is text your mom?¡±


    He smiled and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re a good boy.¡±


    Elion sighed, already regretting every life choice that had led him to this moment. "Look, I only have one mother. And after everything she¡¯s been through, the least I can do is remove one worry from her list."


    Jordan wiped a fake tear from his eye. "Wow. That¡¯s beautiful, man. I think I might cry."


    Elion chuckled. "You should cry. Because, unlike you, I actually have a functioning moral compass."


    Jordan held up a hand. "Hey, don¡¯t lump me into that."


    He then looked at the night sky and added, "I just think if my mom ever found out I was out in the middle of the woods with a cowboy and being chased by beast-men, she¡¯d just tell me not to be an idiot and go back home. No follow-up questions."


    Listening to the banter, Ronan¡ªwho had been silent for the past hour¡ªlet out a small chuckle.


    Both of them turned to him in surprise.


    Jordan raised an eyebrow. "Sorry? Anything funny?"


    Ronan shook his head and smiled. "Nothing. Just... you two. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been around people who argue about dumb things like this."


    Jordan placed a hand over his chest dramatically. "Dumb? Excuse you, sir. This is the very foundation of human connection."


    Ronan shook his head again, still amused.


    ***


    Several hours later, the three of them settled down in the cave for the night. They built a fire that crackled softly and created long shadows on the damp rock walls. The temperature dropped, and while the cave wasn¡¯t exactly warm, it at least provided shelter.


    It was only now, in the flickering light of the fire, that Elion and Jordan got a proper look at Ronan.


    Up until now, they had been too busy fighting for their lives or questioning their life choices to actually pay attention to the guy.


    Ronan looked like he was in his early thirties¡ªmaybe.


    It was hard to tell.


    He had a rugged, sharp face that showed he had experienced a lot in life, but he acted like it didn¡¯t affect him. His jawline was strong, his skin had a light tan, and his sharp gray eyes looked wise as if they had seen too much.


    If he cleaned up, he could look like one of those mysterious drifters from action movies¡ªthey always sat in the corner of a bar and had a past that no one discussed.


    But then there was the cowboy hat.


    That stupid cowboy hat.


    Jordan squinted at him. "Okay, I gotta ask... What is with the cowboy thing?"


    Ronan, who had been quietly tending to his wound, glanced up. "What?"


    Jordan gestured vaguely at his entire existence. "The hat. The cloak. The whole ¡®I walked out of a Western movie and ended up in the apocalypse¡¯ look. It¡¯s a choice."


    Ronan smirked. "What''s a Western movie? And what''s the problem with the hat?"


    Elion, who had been holding back the urge to say something, finally gave in. "Well, he forgot that you''re not from here. In conclusion, what Jordan wanted to say was... it''s terrible."


    Jordan nodded in agreement. "If you want to give off the ¡®mysterious badass¡¯ vibe, you need to really commit to it."


    Ronan furrowed his brow as he listened to that.


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    Jordan added, "Right now, you¡¯re wearing a cowboy hat with a modern combat outfit. It looks like you couldn¡¯t choose between being a soldier and a rancher, so you picked both."


    Ronan sighed and rubbed his nose. "Why do you care?"


    Jordan leaned back and stretched his arms. "If we¡¯re trusting you with our lives, we need to know if you can survive or if you just look good while dying."


    Ronan took a deep breath, clearly wishing he had not talked to these two."It¡¯s practical. Besides, you''ve seen me battling."


    Jordan raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. Sure. What¡¯s practical about it?"


    Ronan ignored him.


    Elion smirked. "He doesn¡¯t have an answer."


    Jordan nodded. "He totally doesn¡¯t."


    Ronan exhaled. "If it''s bothering you, I can take it off."


    Jordan waved him off. "Oh, no, please keep it. We love a good comedy element in our life-or-death situations."


    Ronan shook his head, clearly done with them both.


    But as much as they teased, Elion couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was a reason behind Ronan¡¯s strange mix of attire. He had seen those same glowing engravings on his gun, on his cloak and this combat attire, on the sack with the rings.


    Nothing about this guy was random.


    And if the cowboy hat was just another piece of the puzzle?


    Elion felt they would learn the truth soon. Then, he suddenly straightened up, his eyes wide as he realized something. ¡°Damn.¡±


    Jordan had just started to relax against the cave wall when he suddenly turned his head sharply. ¡°What? What happened?¡± His tone was instantly alert, muscles tensing.


    Elion¡¯s expression was grim. "I left my groceries."


    For a moment, there was only silence.


    Jordan blinked. Then blinked again.


    Then, he exploded. ¡°WHAT?! That¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about right now?! After all this?!¡±


    Elion nodded, his expression unshaken. ¡°Dude. I dropped it back there. You know what that means?¡±


    Jordan threw his hands in the air. ¡°Yes! It means your eggs and bread are gone forever.¡±


    Elion exhaled, running a hand through his hair. ¡°No, you idiot. If my bag is near the bodies of either the bear-man or the bull-man, and the cops find it, I¡¯m gonna be a suspect.¡±


    Jordan opened his mouth, ready to fire off another joke¡ªbut then paused.


    His brain finally processed what Elion just said.


    He frowned. Then, he thought about it a little harder.


    Then his face slowly dropped.


    ¡°Crap.¡± Jordan sat up properly, his face going pale. ¡°Yeah. That is a problem.¡±


    Elion nodded. ¡°I know, right? Imagine the headlines. ¡®Local man arrested for the brutal slaying of two unidentified victims. Found at the crime scene: an innocent-looking bag of groceries.¡¯ I¡¯ll be thrown in jail before I even get to explain that I had nothing to do with this.¡±


    Jordan let out a groan. ¡°Dude, that is suspicious. They¡¯d think you ran away from the crime scene.¡±


    Ronan had been watching their conversation closely. He finally sighed and said, ¡°You two are worried about the wrong thing.¡±


    Elion and Jordan turned toward him at the same time, both raising their eyebrows.


    ¡°Wrong? What do you mean by that?¡± Elion asked, now wary.


    Ronan¡¯s expression darkened slightly. ¡°If the bag was just found by regular authorities, sure, that¡¯d be annoying. But if it was found by the wrong people?¡± He leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. ¡°That would be a much bigger problem.¡±


    Elion and Jordan exchanged glances.


    Jordan narrowed his eyes. ¡°Define ¡®wrong people.¡¯¡±


    Ronan sighed. ¡°The beast-men.¡±


    The cave instantly felt colder.


    Elion¡¯s stomach twisted. ¡°...What?¡±


    Ronan ran a hand down his face, already regretting how complicated this was about to get. ¡°Between them, they can sample and pass scents to one another. If they get ahold of your bag, they can use your scent to track us. Easily.¡±


    Jordan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait. You¡¯re saying they can literally hunt us down like bloodhounds?¡±


    Ronan nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Elion¡¯s heart sank.


    Jordan blinked. "Oh, that¡¯s much worse."


    Ronan focused intently. ¡°And if they do get your scent?¡± He exhaled. ¡°Then congratulations, boys. You might be trapped here.¡±


    Silence filled the cave. The weight of that realization crashed over them.


    Jordan let out a slow breath, shaking his head. ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is... we¡¯re basically walking GPS signals for every freak out there?¡±


    Ronan smirked, but there was no amusement in his eyes. ¡°GPS? Pretty much.¡± Luckily, he understood what Jordan meant by GPS. He had studied a bit about the technology of this world before coming here.


    Elion groaned, rubbing his temples. First, the bear-man. Then the bull-man. Then, the cowboy-hunter. And now? This.


    Jordan exhaled sharply. ¡°Man, we are so screwed.¡±


    Elion nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ronan?


    He didn¡¯t say anything. But his expression alone told them everything.


    They weren¡¯t just screwed.


    They were hunted.


    ***


    The air was thick with the stench of blood and decay.


    The remains of the bear-man, and the bull-man were still lying in the ruined alleyway, but they were no longer alone.


    Scattered among the rubble and broken pavement were several fresh corpses¡ªpolice officers, their bodies twisted unnaturally, throats torn open. Their weapons were still in their hands, useless against the monsters that had torn them apart.


    Standing over them were three massive figures¡ªape-like beast-men.


    They had broad shoulders and thick fur covering their muscular bodies, but unlike the bear-man and the bull-man, their faces were more human, disturbingly so.


    Their sharp eyes shone in the moonlight. They looked amused and satisfied.


    One of the three was the largest and held a grocery bag in his clawed hand.


    He looked at the woman standing a few feet away. She had golden eyes and long hair that seemed to shine in the low light.


    It was Leo.


    She was different.


    Unlike the others, she wasn¡¯t covered in fur. Her body was mostly human in form¡ªtall, lean, and dangerously poised. The only clear sign of her beastly nature was her feline-like golden irises and the quiet but undeniable sense of authority she carried.


    The ape-man stepped forward, extending the bag toward her. ¡°We found this near the body.¡± His voice was gruff, but there was respect in his tone. ¡°This is the only thing that did not belong to our men.¡±


    Leo took the bag without a word. She lifted it slightly, her nose twitching as she brought it closer.


    She turned it over in her hands, scanning it, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly. Her fingers brushed against the plastic, feeling for something more than just its physical presence.


    Then, she inhaled.


    At first, all she picked up was the mundane scent of groceries¡ªplastic, eggs, processed meat.


    Useless.


    But underneath that¡ª


    There it was.


    A human scent. Distinct. Faint but fresh.


    Leo¡¯s pupils narrowed into thin slits. This wasn¡¯t just any human. This was someone who had been here recently.


    She closed her eyes and inhaled deeper, filtering through the stench of death, blood, and burning asphalt. And then, something clicked.


    The scent disappeared.


    Right there. Right at that spot.


    Leo¡¯s eyes snapped open, her smirk returning. ¡°Interesting¡­¡±


    The ape-men waited as she processed it, knowing better than to interrupt.


    She tossed the grocery bag onto a nearby corpse. ¡°The human who carried this¡­ was with Ronan.¡±


    The largest of the monkey-men narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±


    Leo tilted her head slightly, her smirk widening. ¡°You doubt me?¡±


    He quickly looked away.


    She pointed at the exact spot where the scent vanished. ¡°Ronan teleported from that spot.¡±


    Her golden eyes gleamed in the moonlight, amused yet calculating. ¡°And whoever was with him¡­ disappeared at the exact same time.¡±


    The ape-men exchanged glances.


    ¡°More people?¡± one of them asked. ¡°Are they Ronan¡¯s allies from this world?¡±


    Leo flexed her fingers, rolling her shoulders. ¡°That remains to be seen. But one thing is certain¡­¡±


    Her golden eyes flickered toward the distant tree line, her smirk turning razor-sharp.


    ¡°They can¡¯t run forever.¡±

 Chapter 13: We’re Now Beast Hunters. Too Bad We Have Zero Qualifications

    Elion and Jordan stood outside the cave, staring into the vast darkness of the forest. Hours ago, they would have been unsettled¡ªnervous, even.


    But now? That fear had dulled.


    Maybe it was because they had seen Ronan take down the beast-men with an almost effortless air, even while injured.


    Maybe it was because Jordan, ever the thrill-seeker, was too excited to be afraid.


    Or maybe¡ªjust maybe¡ªElion himself had started to crave this kind of rush.


    Neither of them had a real answer.


    Jordan stretched his arms, letting out a slow breath. ¡°Man, who knew running for our lives would be this fun?¡± He turned to Elion with a grin. ¡°Admit it, this beats any regular night in New Orleans.¡±


    Elion scoffed. ¡°Oh, sure. Running from mutated freaks, fleeing with a cowboy, and possibly never seeing my family again. Absolute blast.¡±


    Jordan chuckled. ¡°See? You get it.¡±


    Before Elion could snap back, Ronan¡¯s voice cut through the quiet. ¡°You two, get inside. Now.¡±


    The cowboy stood at the cave entrance, his expression unreadable.


    Neither of them argued.


    The fire burned quietly in the cave, casting long shadows on the walls. It was cold outside, but as of now, the cave provided warmth and protection to the three of them.


    Elion glanced at Ronan, noticing how much better he looked. His skin no longer had that pale, blood-drained look, and his movements were stronger and more stable.


    ¡°You¡¯re healing fast,¡± Elion observed.


    Ronan smirked. ¡°Faster than you would. But still too slow for my liking.¡±


    Jordan plopped down on a rock, grinning. ¡°Alright, cowboy. You called us in. Spill. What¡¯s the big secret?¡±


    Ronan sighed, rubbing his temples. ¡°You two are seriously exhausting.¡±


    Elion shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ve been told.¡±


    Ronan exhaled sharply. ¡°I need your help.¡±


    Jordan smiled broadly. ¡°Oh-ho. Looks like we''re getting somewhere. What kind of help? Combat training? Infiltration? Assassination?¡±


    Ronan gave him a flat look.


    Elion, who was always careful, leaned in. ¡°Before we agree to anything, you need to tell us everything. Especially with what we''re dealing with right now.¡±


    Ronan studied them for a moment before nodding. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s what I was about to do before loudmouth over here started fantasizing.¡±


    Jordan raised his hands and acted innocent. ¡°I just want to say that if we are in an action movie, I want to be the main character.¡±


    "Well, whatever." Ronan preferred not to entertain Jordan because, most of the time, Ronan did not really understand what was being said to him.


    Ronan then raised his left hand. There was something on his finger. A golden-black ring gleamed faintly on his finger.


    Elion and Jordan both leaned in, eyes locked on the object.


    ¡°This,¡± Ronan said, ¡°is a Beast Ring.¡±


    Elion frowned. ¡°I believe you''ve mentioned that before, but... what exactly is it?¡±


    Ronan turned the ring slightly, watching the light from the fire reflect on its shiny surface. ¡°The Beast Rings were made a long time ago."


    He paused as if he was choosing the right words. "They are filled with the power of beasts. It was hard for humans to fully understand how it works."


    He exhaled hard before adding, "I''ll get to the history and the mechanism later."


    Jordan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°So¡­ people can actually use them?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Yes. But not all of them are safe.¡±


    Elion narrowed his eyes. ¡°Meaning?¡±


    Ronan sighed. ¡°The ones you saw tonight¡ªthe rings worn by the bear-man and the bull-man¡ªthose were corrupted.¡±


    That made both Elion and Jordan tense.


    ¡°Corrupted?¡± Elion repeated.


    Ronan nodded. ¡°Normally, a Beast Ring grants its user a controlled link to the creature¡¯s power. Strength, agility, heightened senses, and others. But someone...¡± his voice lowered, ¡°...has been tainting them. Turning them into weapons of destruction.¡±


    Jordan frowned. ¡°You mean¡­ they¡¯re not supposed to turn people into monsters?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Ronan confirmed. ¡°The transformation and the massacre you saw? That¡¯s not what the Beast Rings were made for.¡±


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    Elion¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°Then who¡¯s doing it? Who¡¯s corrupting them?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°The one your bull-man friend mentioned. The so-called ¡®Lord.¡¯¡±


    Silence filled the cave.


    Elion felt something heavy settle in his gut.


    Jordan, for once, looked uneasy. ¡°¡­And what does he want?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°Destruction.¡±


    "Of what?" Jordan asked.


    "This world and a few other worlds."


    Both Elion and Jordan were silent. Destruction of their world and other worlds? What kind of destruction? And there were really other worlds aside from this world?


    "How is he planning on doing that?" Jordan asked again.


    "With his army of beast-men."


    Elion swallowed. ¡°How many of them?¡±


    "For now?" Ronan met his gaze. ¡°More than a thousand rings.¡±


    The words hit like a sledgehammer.


    Jordan paled. ¡°Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. You¡¯re saying¡­ there are thousands of those things? And they¡¯re all like the ones we saw tonight?¡±


    Ronan exhaled. ¡°The ones you saw tonight were the lower-tier ones.¡±


    Elion¡¯s stomach dropped.


    "No..." Jordan shook his head in disbelief. ¡°No way. Just two of those things caused this much destruction. If there are thousands out there¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then this world is doomed,¡± Elion finished, a voice barely above a whisper.


    The weight of it all settled in their chests.


    The bear-man alone had turned a club into a massacre. The bull-man had nearly flattened an entire alley.


    Now imagine thousands of them¡ªor higher-level ones.


    Jordan ran a hand through his hair. "Wow, this is much worse than I expected."


    Ronan replied in a calm tone, but there was an edge to it. ¡°And that¡¯s why I need your help.¡±


    Jordan blinked. ¡°Help? How?¡±


    Ronan sighed, rubbing his forehead. ¡°Those rings that scattered earlier? Those were Lower Beast Rings. If normal people find them¡­¡±


    Elion clenched his fists as he finished Ronan''s words. ¡°They¡¯ll end up just like the bear-man and the bull-man.¡±


    Ronan nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    He leaned forward and looked serious. ¡°That¡¯s why we need to ret as many as we can¡ªbefore they end up in the wrong hands.¡±


    Jordan exhaled. ¡°So we really are going on a ring-hunting adventure.¡±


    Ronan smirked. ¡°If that makes it more exciting for you.¡±


    Elion shook his head. ¡°How do we even find them? It¡¯s not like they come with GPS tracking.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s smirk faded slightly. ¡°Not normally, no. But I have my ways.¡±


    Jordan grinned. ¡°Oho. Now we¡¯re talking. First step?¡±


    Ronan glanced toward the cave entrance, his expression unreadable.


    ¡°First step?¡± He exhaled. ¡°We survive the night.¡±


    Neither Elion nor Jordan argued with that.


    Because despite how safe they felt earlier¡­ They weren¡¯t stupid.


    Something was coming.


    And by morning?


    Everything would change.


    Elion frowned, the weight of everything settling into his mind. ¡°Alright¡­ so you need to retrieve these rings before they fall into the wrong hands. I get that. But what exactly do you need from us?¡±


    Jordan leaned forward, intrigued. ¡°Yeah, because I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but Elion and I are severely underqualified for ¡®ring retrieval missions.¡¯¡±


    He gestured to himself dramatically. ¡°I mean, look at me. Do I look like a beast-hunter to you?¡±


    Jordan was intentionally luring Ronan into his trap, hoping to fulfill one of his desires¡ªto wield the power from the beast ring.


    Ronan smirked but didn¡¯t answer immediately. Instead, he leaned back against the cave wall, crossing his arms. ¡°You two don¡¯t exactly scream ¡®survivors¡¯ right now.¡±


    He paused before adding, "You guys have the traits of the Slayer."


    Elion raised an eyebrow. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    Ronan ignored the question. ¡°Look. I can¡¯t be everywhere at once."


    He took a deep breath as if this was a very hard decision for him to make. "And since I doubt you wanna sit around waiting for the next beast-man to tear through your front door, I figured you might wanna learn how to actually handle yourselves out there.¡±


    "Now we''re really talking, Ronan," Jordan¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement. ¡°So you¡¯re saying we¡¯re getting training?¡±


    Ronan sighed. ¡°I wish not to say yes, but it is something like that.¡±


    Elion, however, still had more questions. ¡°Before that¡­ You said you were sent here to retrieve the rings, right?¡±


    Ronan nodded.


    ¡°Then¡­ why are you the only one here?¡± Elion pressed, his curiosity growing.


    That question made Ronan¡¯s expression darken. His jaw tightened slightly, and he let out a slow breath before answering. ¡°Because the idiots back in my world messed up. And instead of fixing it, they decided to pretend it¡¯s not their problem.¡±


    Silence.


    Jordan and Elion exchanged glances. That was never a good sign.


    Ronan continued, his tone sharp, edged with something deeper¡ªfrustration, maybe even guilt. ¡°The higher-ups back home? They were supposed to regulate who gets to travel between worlds. Monitor it. Keep things balanced.¡±


    He scoffed, shaking his head. ¡°But someone got lazy, or someone got greedy. Either way, they let people slip through. And not just the good ones.¡±


    He tapped his ring, the golden-black metal glinting in the firelight. ¡°These rings? They weren¡¯t meant to be here. They were created in my world¡ªfor our own fight and survival. But now?¡±


    He flicked a speck of dirt off his sleeve. ¡°They¡¯re scattered. And they¡¯re turning people into monsters.¡±


    Elion narrowed his eyes. ¡°So¡­ your world basically caused this mess?¡±


    Ronan exhaled, rolling his shoulders. ¡°Yeah. And the best part? They¡¯re not lifting a damn finger to stop it.¡±


    Jordan scoffed. ¡°Wow. Sounds like real responsible folks.¡±


    Ronan smirked, but it wasn¡¯t amused. It was the smirk of a guy who had long stopped expecting people to do the right thing. ¡°They don¡¯t care about right or wrong. They care about power. Control. And as long as the destruction stays far away from them? They¡¯ll let it happen.¡±


    Elion felt something cold settle in his stomach. ¡°And the Lord?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s expression darkened further. ¡°That psycho? He saw an opportunity. The moment the barriers between worlds weakened, he figured out a way to exploit it. More worlds meant more souls to sacrifice. More energy to take. He¡¯s not just trying to rule. He wants to consume everything.¡±


    Elion clenched his fists. ¡°And no one back home is stopping him?¡±


    Ronan exhaled sharply. ¡°No one¡¯s willing to. Except me.¡±


    Jordan studied him for a long moment. ¡°You volunteered for this, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Ronan didn¡¯t answer immediately. He just glanced at the fire, his smirk fading.


    Then, finally, he said, ¡°Yeah. Someone had to.¡±


    Elion felt something was off about that answer. It didn¡¯t quite sit right.


    Someone from another world choosing to throw himself into this chaos... alone? It didn¡¯t add up.


    But Elion didn¡¯t press further.


    Instead, he asked the more immediate concern. ¡°What if the rings have already been found? What if people have already awakened them?¡±


    Jordan nodded. ¡°Yeah, because if that happens, there¡¯s zero chance Elion and I are fighting some super-beast-powered lunatics for them.¡±


    Ronan shrugged. ¡°That would actually be less of a problem.¡±


    Elion stared at him, incredulous. ¡°Less of a problem?¡±


    Ronan held up his ring. ¡°My ring absorbed half the power from the ones that scattered. Any beast-men that emerge from those rings will be weaker than the ones you saw tonight. Half as powerful.¡±


    Elion wanted to let out a breath of relief¡ªbut then he imagined it.


    Half of what they had fought tonight.


    Half of that bull-man¡¯s strength. Half of that bear-man¡¯s rampage.


    Even at half, they could still kill people.


    Elion trembled slightly.


    Jordan groaned, rubbing his temples. ¡°Yeah, that still sounds like death for us, man.¡±


    Ronan chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not sending you in blind.¡±


    Jordan smirked, his excitement kicking back in. ¡°Oho? So you do have a plan.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s smirk mirrored his. ¡°Of course. You two need preparation. And that means¡­¡±


    He held up his ring, twisting it slightly between his fingers.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to teach you how to use a Beast Ring.¡±


    Jordan practically vibrated with excitement.


    Elion?


    He swallowed hard.


    This was really happening.

 Chapter 14: The Rings Were Made for War. And We Just Got Drafted

    ¡°We''re running out of time,¡± Ronan said, his voice firm. ¡°But every second counts. If you¡¯re going to help me retrieve those rings, you need to learn how to use them properly.¡±


    Elion wasn¡¯t sure what properly meant when it came to something as insane as the Beast Rings, but Jordan, as expected, grinned like a kid about to be handed his first sword.


    "Come. Come. I''m ready, Ronan," Jordan said excitedly.


    ¡°Sit,¡± Ronan instructed, motioning toward the ground. ¡°Cross your legs. Back straight.¡±


    Elion sighed but did as he was told, settling onto the cold stone floor.


    Jordan plopped down beside him with far too much enthusiasm.


    ¡°Alright, cowboy, what¡¯s next?¡± Jordan asked. ¡°Do we meditate? Do we summon a spirit guide? Will I start glowing? Oh man, am I gonna glow?¡±


    Ronan ignored him. ¡°I¡¯m going to transfer the knowledge to you.¡±


    Elion frowned. ¡°Transfer?¡±


    Jordan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Like a brain download? Are we about to get, like, Matrix-style kung fu knowledge?¡±


    Ronan smirked. "I don''t understand you."


    He then let out a heavy sigh before adding, ¡°But if it helps¡­ Something like that. The Matrix thing.¡±


    Without another word, he pressed his index and middle fingers against their foreheads.


    Elion had exactly one second to think this was weird before the world around him vanished.


    He wasn¡¯t in the cave anymore.


    He wasn¡¯t anywhere anymore.


    Everything was white. Endless. Empty.


    Suddenly, a voice spoke. It was deep and strong, like a narrator from an ancient documentary.


    "Across the universe, there are things that humans were never meant to possess.


    Such a thing was the Beast Rings."


    The words echoed through the void, heavy with an unseen weight.


    Elion had little time to react before the bright light around him cracked. He felt like he was standing in an endless void, but the world was still changing. It was splitting apart.


    Then¡ªrings.


    A collection of rings floated in front of him, perfectly still and pulsing with energy.


    White. Yellow. Green. Blue. Red. Black. Gold. And others¡ªcolors he couldn¡¯t even name, shifting between shades as if resisting definition.


    Each one thrummed with energy that sent an unnatural chill down his spine.


    The voice continued, emotionless yet carrying the weight of entire ages.


    "To some, they were miracles¡ªgifts of power beyond mortal imagination. To others, they were cursed relics¡ªborn from ambition and soaked in blood. But no matter what name history gave them, the truth remained absolute.


    They were never meant to exist."


    A pulse rippled through the space, and suddenly¡ªElion was watching rather than listening.


    The world unraveled before him, revealing war.


    Not just a war between armies but between species.


    Beasts and humans are locked in battle.


    The voice did not waver.


    "Before the first rings were forged, the beasts ruled the world."


    "They were not just animals or mindless creatures. They were gods in human form¡ªrulers of land, sky, and sea. Some walked as men, intelligence gleaming in their eyes. Others towered as titans, their bodies wreathed in armor and flame, shaking the earth with every step."


    Elion felt his breath catch as he saw them¡ªcreatures of nightmares and legends alike. Some had claws that could cleave mountains. Others had wings vast enough to blot out the sky.


    And before them, humans stood.


    Fighting.


    Dying.


    "For centuries, mankind fought. And for centuries, mankind lost."


    Elion saw it¡ªnumerous battles, desperate defenses crumbling under overwhelming force. Humans wielded various weapons and shields crafted from their finest forges.


    Among them, the gifted few commanded the elements themselves¡ªhurling fire, shaping wind, summoning storms. They were known as the sorcerers.


    It still wasn¡¯t enough.


    No matter their weapons. No matter their numbers. No matter their spells.


    Everything from the humans was levels below the beasts.


    "They burned their cities to keep the beasts at bay. They carved the sky with lightning and shattered mountains with magic. And yet, the beasts endured. Mankind, however, did not."


    The images shifted. Where there used to be armies, there were now only ruins.


    Elion clenched his fists. It was hopeless.


    Then the voice spoke again.


    "Until one man changed everything."


    And there he was.


    The First Crafter.


    A single person stands in the ruins of a war. He was cloaked in shadow and surrounded by the bodies of fallen creatures. In his hands, he held something new.


    A glowing stone.


    Not just any stone.


    A heartstone¡ªthe core of the beasts.


    "His name was lost to time, but history remembers his title¡ªthe First Crafter or... the First Slayer."


    Elion¡¯s pulse pounded in his ears. ''Slayer? Ronan had mentioned this once.''


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    "He was no sorcerer, no king. He did not lead armies or use magic like others. He was a scholar who sought to understand instead of fighting. And in the depths of forgotten ruins, he uncovered the forbidden art not from the world."


    "The Beast Slaying Art."


    The scene shifted, revealing knowledge that had long been erased from history.


    Elion saw the First Crafter not in battle but in study. He did not charge into war¡ªhe watched it. He studied the Beasts, their movements, their strength.


    And most of all¡ªhe studied their heartstones.


    The shimmering cores pulsed within the beasts'' bodies. The source of their power.


    No human had ever dared to tamper with them.


    "To steal a heartstone was to invoke the wrath of the gods. No man could survive such a crime. No man should survive."


    But the First Crafter?


    He did not just steal them. He forged them.


    Elion watched as the heartstone in the man¡¯s hands changed¡ªits shape warping, shifting¡ªbecoming a ring.


    A Beast Ring.


    The first of its kind.


    The voice grew heavier, as if even speaking of this moment carried an unbearable weight.


    "It was a sin against the natural order. It was a power that no human was ever meant to wield. But desperation breeds madness. And so, the First Crafter did what no one had done before."


    "He took the power of the beasts for himself."


    Elion saw it happen.


    The ring slid onto the man¡¯s finger.


    And the moment it did¡ªhe changed, not into a beast, not into a monster.


    Something in between.


    "With the Beast Rings, man gained what was once untouchable. The power to fight. The power to rule."


    The images flashed again.


    The First Crafter unleashed a storm of power, unlike anything Elion had ever seen.


    With his newfound strength, he tore through the battlefield¡ªmoving faster than any human should, striking with the force of a monster ten times his size.


    The tides of war shifted. For the first time, humans were winning.


    "And so, the Beast Rings spread. The warriors wielded them. Armies rose. The beasts, once the rulers of all, became the hunted."


    Elion felt a cold realization creep into his bones. This wasn¡¯t just a story about survival. This was a conquest. And it wasn¡¯t the beasts who had been the conquerors.


    It was humans.


    However, the scene darkened. The voice¡¯s tone deepened.


    ¡°What¡­ is this?¡± Elion was surprised to see the next scene. "Why is this happening?"


    "Power is a hungry thing. It does not satisfy. It does not soothe. It only demands more."


    "And the Beast Rings? They were no different."


    The voice carried through the void, vast and unshaken, as if it had been telling this story for eternity.


    Elion could do nothing but listen as the past unraveled before him, painted in light and shadow.


    The images came in waves¡ªkings and emperors, sorcerers and warlords¡ªall reaching, all grasping.


    "Word of the Beast Rings spread like wildfire."


    "They were no longer the guarded secret of a lone craftsman. They became legends. Desire. Obsession."


    Elion saw it¡ªkingdoms shifting, rulers turning their eyes toward the impossible power that had been forged. Some sought it for salvation.


    Others for conquest. But in the end, the desire was the same.


    To own. To command. To rule.


    The First Crafter had shared the rings with human kingdoms and empires... but something worse happened.


    "Kings, emperors, warlords, and sorcerers all wanted them. Armies clashed, not for land nor for gold, but for the rings. Kingdoms rose in glory and crumbled into dust because of them."


    The battlefield flickered before him. Soldiers, clad in gleaming armor, lunged at one another with beast-like speed and ferocity. Their bodies and weapons struck with the power of the beasts.


    When things seemed to favor the humans, then¡ª


    "Came the betrayal."


    Elion shivered as the scene shifted. The First Crafter¡ªonce the savior of humankind¡ªnow stood alone. Not against the beasts. Not against the monsters of the world.


    Against his own kind.


    "The First Crafter was hunted. Not by the beasts he once fought¡­ but by those who had once called him an ally."


    The sorcerers, the kings, the emperors¡ªthose who had sworn to use the rings for humanity¡¯s salvation¡ªnow saw him as a threat.


    Elion saw them gathering in the dark. Men and women of immense power, cloaked in royal silks and enchanted armor, wielding staffs and swords that gleamed with stolen magic.


    "To them, the First Crafter was too dangerous. Too powerful. If one man could command such strength, then who could stop him from ruling them all?"


    Elion felt his pulse race. He had seen this pattern before. History repeats itself again and again.


    "They were driven by the same forces they once sought to resist. Fear. Greed. The need to control."


    The First Crafter, for all his knowledge, for all his power, could not stand against an entire world united against him.


    They came for him in the dead of night, their forces vast, their numbers overwhelming.


    "They struck as one¡ªsorcerers, kings, warlords. Those who had once bowed at his feet now sought to break him. To take from him the very thing they had once praised him for."


    Elion saw the battle unfold, a blur of violence and desperation. The First Crafter did not fall easily.


    "Even cornered, even outnumbered, he fought. Wielding the power of Beasts long since slain, he tore through his betrayers like a storm through brittle trees."


    Elion saw him move¡ªa shadow among fire, his rings glowing with the power of creatures long dead. A dragon¡¯s fire roared from his fists. A wolf¡¯s speed carried him through the battlefield like a phantom. A titan¡¯s strength shattered stone and steel alike.


    But in the end¡ª


    "He was only human."


    The battle ended. The First Crafter fell.


    Elion¡¯s breath caught.


    "Some say they tortured him¡ªripped the knowledge from his mind, piece by agonizing piece."


    A flicker of agony flashed through the images¡ªchains, blood, whispered secrets wrenched from unwilling lips.


    "Others say he gave it willingly, hoping his knowledge would bring an end to the war between man and beast."


    A different image¡ªone of quiet surrender. A man who, even in defeat, believed he had done what was necessary.


    Elion swallowed hard.


    "Most believe the latter, for how else could they have defeated him?"


    The scene shifted again. The First Crafter was gone. But his knowledge¡ªhis legacy¡ªremained.


    "And so, the art of Beast Slaying was no longer his alone."


    The voice grew darker, edged with something more dangerous.


    "At first, humans used the Beast Rings for what they were meant to be¡ªtools to slay the creatures that once terrorized them."


    Elion watched as warriors donned the rings, facing down the towering monstrosities that had once ruled the world.


    And they won.


    One by one, the beasts fell. But the rings remained, and humanity was never satisfied.


    "The rings were made to slay beasts. But soon, they became something far worse."


    Elion saw it. The shift.


    The moment humans stopped using the rings against the beasts¡­ and started using them against each other.


    "With every beast slain, another ring was forged. With every ring forged, another war began."


    Elion¡¯s stomach churned. It was inevitable, wasn¡¯t it?


    With that kind of power, how could anyone resist?


    "What had begun as a means of survival became a tool of conquest. Kingdoms and empires fought over the rings. Sorcerers betrayed their own. Blood was spilled, not for freedom, but for dominion."


    He saw armies tearing into each other, wielding the power of beasts that had long been extinct¡ªfire, ice, storms, all at the command of men who had forgotten why they had ever fought in the first place.


    "The balance of power shifted. Humanity¡ªonce prey, once victims of fate¡ªnow stood as equals to the beasts."


    Elion exhaled sharply.


    "But equality was not enough. For both sides."


    The voice did not pause.


    "Humans had clawed their way to balance. But balance was never what they wanted."


    Elion saw it¡ªthe battles that continued long after the beasts had been driven back. The warriors wore their rings not in defense but in the pursuit of something more.


    "None wanted to be equaled. None wanted to be ruled."


    Elion¡¯s stomach twisted.


    Because he already knew how this story had ended.


    Elion barely had time to absorb it all before the vision changed again. Now, he saw a human body glowing faintly.


    Lines of light traced along it, forming a path of energy.


    "Don''t be surprised," Ronan¡¯s voice cut through the air. "And... sorry to cut this history lesson short. We''re short on time. I need to get to the main part now."


    Without wasting another second, Ronan added, ¡°To wield a Beast Ring, you need to open your Mana Gates.¡±


    The glowing figure pulsed.


    ¡°There are 118 Mana Gates in total. The more you unlock, the stronger your connection to the ring.¡±


    Elion watched as three specific points lit up¡ªone at the base of the spine, one in the chest, and one in the forehead.


    ¡°These are the first three you need to open. To at least be able to wield a Lower Beast Ring. Without them? The ring will tear your body apart.¡±


    Elion was then shown how to open them.


    The figure took a deep breath, hands forming a precise shape. The energy in its body began to move. The first gate shattered open. A rush of power flooded through the figure.


    To Elion''s surprise, he felt it, too.


    Even though this was just a vision, he felt it. The sensation.


    Then, suddenly¡ªeverything snapped back.


    Elion gasped, body jolting as if he¡¯d just been shocked. He was back in the cave.


    Jordan, beside him, looked equally shaken, his hands twitching. He stared at Ronan. His expression was hard to read.


    ¡°What was that¡­ How did you¡­ do it?¡± Jordan asked.


    Ronan pulled his fingers away, smirking. ¡°Welcome back.¡±


    Elion¡¯s breathing was ragged. His heart raced.


    Knowing that Ronan was not going to explain what and how everything happened, Jordan let out a shaky laugh. ¡°That¡­ was¡­ insane.¡±


    Ronan leaned back, arms crossed. ¡°Now you know. But... The question is¡­¡±


    His eyes gleamed. ¡°¡­Are you ready to open your first Mana Gate?¡±

 Chapter 15: Just in Time to Get Wrecked

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 Chapter 16: Three Apes, One Cowboy, and Two Dead Men Walking

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 Chapter 17: Baiting Beasts for Beginners

    Elion had no idea how he got himself into this situation.


    One minute, he was running for his life and the next? He was baiting a monstrous ape-man while Jordan tried to smack it with a glowing metal rod.


    And, let¡¯s be real¡ªhe was not doing a great job at it.


    Elion danced backward, hands up like he was trying to talk his way out of a parking ticket. ¡°Hey, buddy. Over here. Come on, focus on me¡ª¡±


    The ape-man swiped at him.


    Elion yelped and ducked, nearly tripping over his own feet. ¡°NOT THAT MUCH FOCUS!¡±


    Jordan lunged forward and swung the metal pipe at the beast¡¯s side.


    WHAM.


    The impact sent out a dull shockwave, but the ape-man barely stumbled.


    Jordan grimaced. ¡°Okay, so maybe we need to hit harder¡ª¡±


    The ape-man turned on him with a snarl. Jordan quickly backpedaled. ¡°¡ªor maybe we should rethink our entire strategy.¡±


    Meanwhile, Ronan was somehow taking on two ape-men at once, barely looking fazed. If anything, he looked bored.


    And while dodging and shooting at them, he was teaching them like this was some casual training exercise.


    ¡°Rule One¡ª¡± Ronan fired a shot that ricocheted off one of the ape-men¡¯s thick skulls, making it stumble back. ¡°Don¡¯t let them touch you. Poison claws. Bad.¡±


    Elion, still frantically avoiding his own ape-man, froze mid-step. ¡°I¡¯M SORRY, WHAT?!¡±


    Jordan blinked. ¡°Poison? Oh. Cool. Love that.¡±


    ¡°Keep moving,¡± Ronan continued, spinning his revolver as if this was just another Tuesday.


    ¡°Rule Two¡ª¡± He ducked low as an ape-man swiped at his head, then retaliated with a brutal kick to its chest, sending it flying into a tree. ¡°¡ªtheir reflexes are insane. Swing too early, you miss. Swing too late, you die.¡±


    Elion, dodging wildly, did not like the sound of that. ¡°Can you maybe tell us these things before we fight them?!¡±


    Ronan ignored him. ¡°Rule Three¡ª¡±


    BANG.


    A perfectly placed shot clipped the second ape-man in the shoulder, causing it to howl in rage.


    ¡°If all else fails¡ª¡± Ronan smirked, reloading his gun in one smooth motion.


    ¡°¡ªpray.¡±


    Elion had just enough time to process how deeply unhelpful that rule was before his own ape-man swung at him with the force of a wrecking ball.


    He barely managed to duck. Barely.


    The beast¡¯s massive arm whooshed past his face, and for one terrifying second, Elion felt the wind of death rushing by his ear.


    His brain helpfully supplied a single thought, ''Well, that¡¯s not ideal.''


    He hit the ground, rolling out of the way as the ape-man¡¯s fist slammed into the dirt, sending up a cloud of dust.


    ¡°Elion, move!¡± Jordan yelled, rushing in for another swing.


    Elion scrambled back, heartbeat hammering in his ears. ¡°Oh yeah, no problem! Let me just casually not die for a second!¡±


    Ronan, still calmly dodging attacks from his own opponents, glanced at them. ¡°Less talking, more fighting.¡±


    Elion shot him a glare. ¡°Oh, sorry, let me just ignore the fact that I was almost turned into a smear on the ground.¡±


    Jordan, meanwhile, finally landed a proper hit. The metal pipe connected with the ape-man¡¯s knee, making it stagger with a loud snarl.


    Jordan grinned. ¡°Oh-ho! That actually worked!¡±


    Elion, seeing an opening, immediately went for the next step of their so-called plan.


    Which was, of course¡ªto distract the beast before it could recover.


    With absolutely zero grace or dignity, he picked up a rock and chucked it at the ape-man¡¯s head.


    THUNK.


    The ape-man slowly turned to face him. Its glowing yellow eyes locked onto Elion.


    Elion immediately regretted everything. ¡°Oh. That was a mistake.¡±


    Jordan sighed. ¡°Dude, did you just throw a rock at a monster? Have you learned nothing from horror movies?¡±


    ¡°I PANICKED, OKAY?!¡±


    The ape-man roared its fury, now entirely focused on Elion.


    Ronan sighed like a disappointed teacher. ¡°See? This is why you¡¯re the bait.¡±


    Elion groaned, bracing himself for impact.


    Yeah. This training session was going great.


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    Ronan watched as Elion and Jordan stumbled through their fight, dodging and swinging in a chaotic, barely-organized mess of survival instincts and desperation.


    ¡°See?¡± Ronan said, almost lazily, as he sidestepped a swipe from one of the ape-men he was handling. ¡°They¡¯re not so scary anymore, are they?¡±


    Elion, panting, barely dodged another clawed strike. ¡°You say that because you¡¯re not the one being actively mauled!¡±


    Jordan, swinging his metal rod again, actually managed to land another solid hit on their opponent. ¡°Okay, but kinda getting used to it now.¡±


    Ronan smirked. ¡°Told you.¡±


    Before he could say more, one of the ape-men fighting him let out a guttural snarl and lunged past him¡ªstraight for Elion.


    Ronan¡¯s smirk vanished.


    With a heavy sigh, he muttered, ¡°Why do they always go for the weakest one?¡±


    Then, in one smooth motion, he activated his ring. A pulse of energy rippled through the air, followed by a deep, earth-shaking hum.


    Elion barely had time to process it before he saw Ronan¡¯s arm shift. He was pretty lucky to catch all of this because Jordan was going head-to-head with the ape-man all by himself.


    Jordan was totally in the zone.


    Ronan''s already strong, lean muscles expanded, dark fur rippling over them. His fingers lengthened, his knuckles hardened, and his entire arm transformed¡ªmassive, dense, and powerful.


    Like a gorilla.


    Elion¡¯s mind raced. ''Again? Is his Beast Ring based on a gorilla?''''


    It made sense. It looked like a gorilla¡¯s arm. But he still had no idea how the rings actually worked.


    Not that it mattered¡ªbecause Ronan moved.


    And when he moved? The air cracked. His massive new arm swung forward, and before the ape-man even realized its mistake¡ª


    BOOM.


    The impact sent the creature flying. It crashed through the trees, snapping branches like twigs before slamming against the ground with a thunderous thud.


    A heavy silence followed.


    Jordan let out a low whistle. ¡°Whew. That was disrespectful.¡±


    Elion swallowed. ¡°I¡¯d say overkill, but I¡¯m pretty sure it deserved that.¡±


    The second ape-man, still standing before Ronan, snarled at the cowboy¡ªrealizing that it was now alone.


    Ronan cracked his neck and flexed his transformed arm. The fur shimmered, the muscles coiling with unbelievable strength.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said, smirking. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this.¡±


    The ape-man roared and charged. It moved fast¡ªfar faster than anything that big should be able to.


    Ronan, completely unfazed, planted his foot and swung.


    The ape-man dodged. It dropped low, suddenly skidding on all fours, then sprang up, aiming straight for Ronan¡¯s chest.


    Elion barely processed how smooth that movement was¡ªhow the creature had adapted instantly to Ronan¡¯s raw power.


    Jordan tensed. ¡°Uh. That¡¯s new.¡±


    Elion¡¯s stomach twisted. ¡°Ronan¡ª¡±


    Too late.


    The ape-man¡¯s clawed fist shot forward and met an open palm.


    Ronan caught the punch effortlessly.


    The beast snarled and tried to pull back. Ronan¡¯s grip tightened.


    The air tensed.


    Elion barely had time to register the shift in Ronan¡¯s expression¡ªhow his usual smirk had hardened, how his eyes darkened¡ªbefore Ronan yanked the ape-man forward and slammed his forehead into its skull.


    CRACK.


    The impact was brutal.


    The ape-man staggered, its massive form swaying like a toppled statue.


    Before it could recover, Ronan spun his entire body, bringing up his transformed arm¡ªand delivered a full-powered back fist.


    BOOM.


    The ape-man soared through the air like a ragdoll. It crashed into the earth so hard that the ground trembled.


    Dust rose. Silence followed.


    Then¡ªnothing.


    It didn¡¯t get back up.


    Elion and Jordan stood completely frozen.


    Jordan was the first to break the silence. ¡°¡­ Okay,¡± he breathed. ¡°Yeah. No. That was definitely overkill.¡±


    Elion nodded very slowly. ¡°Yep. That was¡ªyeah. That was insane.¡±


    Ronan, finally relaxed, rolled his shoulders. The gorilla-like transformation faded, his arm returning to normal.


    Then, like he hadn¡¯t just murdered two giant monsters with his bare hands, he glanced at Elion and Jordan.


    ¡°Alright. Your turn.¡±


    Elion groaned. Of course.


    Elion had no doubts about what Ronan had muttered earlier¡ªhe was the weakest among them.


    No contest. He only had his speed and wisdom, but he was still too far off to be of any help.


    Jordan had raw strength and a fighter¡¯s instinct. Ronan was a monster in human form. But Elion? He had¡­ sarcasm.


    And the ability to run away really fast. It''s not exactly the most useful skill set when fighting actual monsters.


    They were lucky tonight. Lucky that Ronan had recovered just enough to handle all three ape-men alone without breaking a sweat. But something gnawed at Elion.


    If a thousand beast-men came at them, how long would Ronan last? Could he fight them all off?


    Could anyone?


    That thought was still sinking in when Jordan screamed.


    Elion¡¯s head snapped toward him just in time to see the ape-man¡¯s clawed hand swipe across Jordan¡¯s shoulder.


    Jordan staggered back, hissing through his teeth. The slash wasn¡¯t deep, but Elion immediately noticed the worst part.


    The wound was smoking.


    The claws were poisoned.


    "Damn it!" Jordan cursed, stumbling as he tried to move back, but the ape-man pressed forward. Its massive form loomed over him, ready to finish the job.


    "Ronan!" Elion shouted, but Ronan did nothing.


    That''s when Elion jumped into action before he even had a chance to think. He couldn¡¯t let any more trouble come Jordan''s way.


    One second, he was standing still. The next¡ªhe jumped. Way higher than he should¡¯ve been able to.


    His body felt light, his muscles coiled with new strength, and he soared through the air. Higher. Faster.


    His mind flashed back to soccer. Back to every volley shot he had ever taken, every goal he had ever sent rocketing into the net.


    And now?


    The ape-man¡¯s head was the ball.


    ''What is this feeling?'' Elion wondered as he twisted midair, his body moving perfectly on instinct¡ª


    CRACK!


    His foot slammed into the side of the beast¡¯s skull. The force was enough to make it falter. Its body swayed, momentarily dazed.


    Jordan, despite the poison burning through his veins, gritted his teeth and swung the metal pipe. "Die!"


    WHAM.


    The impact sent the ape-man crashing into the dirt.


    Elion barely had time to process what he had just done¡ªwhat he was even capable of¡ªwhen Ronan sighed.


    The cowboy¡¯s right arm transformed again.


    More fur. More muscle. More power.


    The third and final ape-man barely had time to react as Ronan stepped forward and punched.


    The force behind it was monstrous. This could not be considered a fight anymore.


    It was a beatdown.


    The impact sent the creature flying across the forest, slamming into a tree with a sickening crunch.


    The fight was over.


    But Elion wasn¡¯t paying attention anymore. He was already rushing toward Jordan. ¡°Hey! Are you¡ª¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T TOUCH HIM!¡± Ronan¡¯s sharp bark froze Elion mid-step.


    Elion looked up, startled. "What¡ª"


    "No! Listen to me!" Ronan was already moving. His expression was serious.


    No smirk. No sarcasm. Just urgency.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch his blood. Don¡¯t touch the wound.¡±


    Elion swallowed hard and stepped back. He recalled Ronan''s warning, but he was really worried about Jordan, who was already sitting on the ground. He was propping himself up with a metal pipe.


    Jordan¡¯s face had gone pale. Too pale. His body was trembling, his breath shallow. The poison was already spreading.


    Ronan ignored them for a moment. Instead, he crouched beside the fallen ape-men and retrieved their rings.


    Three kills. Three rings.


    Elion barely saw how he did it. One second, the rings were on the beast-men¡¯s fingers. The next, they were inside a sack that appeared out of nowhere.


    Then, just as fast, the sack vanished.


    Elion had no clue how that worked, but right now, he didn¡¯t care. Because Jordan was getting worse.


    Ronan reached into his dimensional storage and pulled out a tiny vial. The liquid inside was pure white, glowing faintly.


    Elion didn¡¯t know what it was, but Jordan¡¯s condition was bad¡ªhis veins had started turning dark.


    ¡°Drink,¡± Ronan said, kneeling beside him.


    Jordan, barely able to hold himself up, gritted his teeth and tilted his head back.


    Ronan poured the liquid into his mouth. And then, something magical happened.


    Seeing that, Elion could only hold his breath.

 Chapter 18: The Night the Lion Was Born

    The city of New Orleans was in chaos. Sirens blared through the streets. Helicopters hovered over shattered buildings. The remnants of the massacre at Xylo Club had spread like wildfire, filling the news with hysteria.


    And yet¡ªon top of the Hancock Whitney Center, where the wind howled, and the city lights flickered like dying stars, a woman stood, utterly unbothered.


    She was Leo.


    Wearing a snug black outfit with a cool red lion logo stitched on her back, she radiated a vibe of absolute power. Her golden eyes sparkled with a strange sense of fun as she looked out at the far-off forest.


    A slow, playful grin appeared on her face.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Her voice was smooth and kind of fun, but you could tell there was something serious behind it. ¡°All three are dead already?¡±


    She let out a soft chuckle¡ªlow and unsettling.


    ¡°Impressive.¡±


    For a moment, she considered heading there herself, cutting through the trees like a lion on the hunt. But she didn¡¯t move.


    No, she wasn¡¯t foolish enough to rush in blindly. She did not know the full extent of Ronan¡¯s power. Nor did she know how deep the Cross Family¡¯s influence ran.


    Throughout the year, Leo learned one important thing. Never underestimate anyone from the same place as the Lord¡ªthe Beast World.


    The wind pulled at her coat, but she held her ground, staring at the moonlit forest as memories came rushing back.


    A year ago, she was a whole different person.


    Someone weak. Someone powerless.


    Someone forgotten.


    ***


    It was the same place, the same routine, a year ago.


    This place always had that smell of greasy food and cheap beer hung in the air.


    Leo¡ªback then, just Leona Alvarez, a waitress.


    She was once again behind the counter of a small, messy diner, holding a tray. She was ready to bring it out.


    She would always hold it so tightly that her knuckles turned white.


    If she made a mistake while bringing food or drinks, she would get in trouble for it, even though it usually wasn¡¯t her fault. Today was no different.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± a tipsy dude shouted from one of the booths, waving his drink slowly. ¡°Gimme another round. And maybe a smile this time, huh?¡±


    Leona didn¡¯t respond. She didn¡¯t even look at him. She had long since learned that eye contact was an invitation.


    ¡°Damn, girl.¡± Another one whistled. ¡°What¡¯s with the attitude? You too good to smile for us?¡±


    More laughter. The kind that made her stomach twist.


    She turned, walking away quickly.


    ¡°You bitch! How dare you ignore me?!¡±


    It was bad enough to get insulted, but then out of nowhere, someone grabbed her butt.


    Leona froze. It was an instinct¡ªone beaten into her over years of dealing with men like this.


    Don¡¯t react. Don¡¯t escalate. Just walk away.


    She shivered as the guy''s fingers now gripped her arm. His strong, alcohol-laced breath hit her shoulder.


    ¡°Come on, give me some face.¡± He held on a bit harder. ¡°Just say somethin¡¯ nice for me.¡±


    Her teeth clenched. She wanted to scream. She wanted to rip his hand away. To throw his drink in his face. To break every single one of his disgusting fingers.


    But she didn¡¯t.


    Because she couldn¡¯t.


    Because this was how it always was.


    Her manager stood by the bar, watching but not interfering. The other waitresses pretended not to notice.


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    Because in their world, this was normal.


    This was what it meant to be weak.


    A commodity. A toy. A thing.


    And when the man finally let go¡ªlaughing like it was all a joke¡ªLeona turned and walked away.


    She didn¡¯t cry. She didn¡¯t react. She just kept moving.


    Because that was the only thing she could do.


    Her life was the same every day. After work, she went home.


    Leona hated going home.


    As always, the second she stepped through the door, she would see her father.


    Not only that, the ones that would greet her first before anything was the overwhelming stench of alcohol and cigarette smoke.


    Her father?


    He was an alcoholic. A gambler.


    He was lounged back on the couch, his shirt all stained, eyes red and puffy, with half a bottle of whiskey sitting on his belly. The definition of a useless father.


    He would always greet her with the same lines as she walked in.


    ¡°You''re late.¡± His speech was a bit muddled. ¡°Where''s my money?¡±


    "Your money?" Leona gripped her purse tightly. ¡°I told you¡ªI barely make enough to¡ª¡±


    THWACK.


    The bottle slammed onto the coffee table. Her father slowly sat up, glaring at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t start.¡± His voice was low, dangerous. ¡°Just hand it over.¡±


    She figured it was pointless to argue, as always. Talking to him was useless.


    With no other choice, she reached into her purse and took out the crumpled bills she had saved from tips.


    "Why so slow?!" Her father grabbed them right out of her hands.


    "What? Is this all you''ve got?" He shot Leona a dirty look. "Did you blow it all already?"


    Leona was shaking with fear and anger, but she just shook her head. Her eyes were fixed on the floor. "No... I''ll think of something to get some extra cash."


    Then, he leaned back as if she wasn''t there and took a long drink from his bottle.


    Leona just stood there. This was her life.


    Day in. Day out. The same thing.


    Until that day, it had gotten so much worse.


    The loan sharks came on a Thursday.


    Leona had just gotten off the bus after a long shift at the restaurant. Her uniform smelled like smoke, her feet hurt from standing all day, and she was hungry because she hadn¡¯t eaten since morning.


    But hunger could wait. Sleep could wait. Everything could wait.


    Right now, she just wanted to take a shower, go to bed, and pretend for a few hours that her life wasn¡¯t a total mess.


    That was when she heard voices.


    Men. Low, laughing.


    And beneath them¡ªher father¡¯s voice.


    Slurred. Desperate. Begging.


    Her fingers clenched around her keys. Something was wrong. She opened the door slowly, breathing unevenly as the voices grew clearer.


    The sight before her made her tremble. This was new. This was different.


    Her father knelt in the living room. Three men in suits stood over him, their presence heavy and uncomfortable, like smoke in a dark bar.


    "What''s... happening?" she asked. Her voice was trembling.


    Even though her father had problems and never treated her well, she still worried about him.


    The bald man with cold, dead eyes turned and smiled.


    "Oh? There she is."


    Her father quickly turned his head, his eyes wide and red. His lips shook as he reached out a trembling hand toward her.


    ¡°Leona,¡± he said. ¡°You¡ªyou can fix this, right? You¡ªyou can help your father, right?¡±


    Leona¡¯s fingers locked up. Her gut twisted. Some deep, primal part of her already knew¡ª


    ¡°¡­What?¡± she whispered.


    The bald man sighed and rolled his shoulders as if this were just another day at work.


    ¡°Look... Your father over here,¡± he said, ¡°he owes a lot of money.¡±


    He pointed to their small, old apartment. The wallpaper was peeling, the couch was sinking, and there were empty beer cans piled in the corner.


    "Well, look at him," the bald man added. ¡°No car. No savings. Not a single valuable thing left.¡±


    Then, he turned back to her and smiled widely.


    ¡°But he is lucky,¡± he said as he pointed to her as if she were a special prize on display.


    ¡°He still has you.¡±


    A heavy, horrible silence descended.


    Leona felt nauseous. Her blood ran ice-cold.


    Her father wouldn¡¯t.


    He couldn¡¯t.


    She turned to him¡ªto the man who was supposed to protect her, to the man who was supposed to be her father¡ª


    And she saw it.


    The guilt.


    The shame.


    But no regret.


    Her world tilted. Her breath came short and shallow.


    He had done it. He had actually done it.


    The bald man sighed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing personal, sweetheart. Just business.¡±


    Then he stepped toward her.


    Leona¡¯s body locked up. Every instinct told her to run, to fight, to do something, but she couldn''t.


    She was finding it hard to breathe. Because this was it. This was how it ended.


    Her chest tightened, her mind spiraled, and for the first time in her life¡ª


    She wanted to die.


    She wished she had never been born.


    She wished she could just disappear.


    She wished¡ª


    SHHHK.


    A head rolled onto the floor. Blood splattered the walls.


    Leona gasped.


    The bald man twitched, his mouth still locked in a smug, predatory grin¡ªbut his head was already separated from his body.


    A shadow stood in the doorway.


    No¡ªnot a shadow.


    Not a man.


    Something else.


    The remaining two men staggered back, hands darting toward their guns.


    But the shadow moved first. It was fast. Too fast.


    The second man¡¯s body was torn in half before he could even scream.


    The third managed to fire a single shot¡ªbut the bullet vanished into the darkness like it had never existed.


    And then¡ªhe was gone, too.


    Leona stood still; her breath was shallow, and her body shook.


    Her father, who was still kneeling on the floor, sobbed. Too drunk, too weak, too pathetic to do anything else.


    Then, the shadow turned to him.


    The old man looked up, his face twisting in terror. ¡°P-Please¡ª¡±


    It was the Lord. It was the first day Leona met the Lord.


    Despite her father''s begging, the Lord did not hesitate. "You should die."


    A black tendril shot forward, wrapping around her father¡¯s throat.


    Leona watched¡ªsilent, unblinking¡ªas the darkness squeezed.


    There was no struggle. No screams. Just a sickening crunch.


    Then, the darkness let go. Her father¡¯s lifeless body slumped onto the floor.


    Leona did not move. She did not even cry. To be honest, she did not feel anything at all.


    She just stared at the man¡ªthe thing¡ªthat had just changed everything.


    Then, with a voice smooth as velvet, the Lord spoke.


    ¡°Power. I can give it to you.¡±


    Leona¡¯s breath hitched.


    ¡°A way out. I can give it to you.¡±


    Her heart was racing in her ears.


    "Do you wish for a new life?"


    This was it. Leona believed that this was her fate. She could die here, or she could become something else.


    Her hands balled into fists.


    Slowly, she looked up.


    Then, in a voice stronger than she expected, she quietly said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    And so¡ªLeo was born.

 Chapter 19: How to Get Poisoned and Learn a Life Lesson in One Night

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 Chapter 20: Apparently, Saving Lives Makes You a Suspect

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 Chapter 21: Seeing Without Seeing, or Just Guessing Blindly

    Ronan stood in front of them, arms crossed, eyes glinting in the morning light. His usual smirk? Nowhere to be seen.


    That was never a good sign.


    ¡°This,¡± he said, voice steady, ¡°is where you two stop being rookies.¡±


    Elion and Jordan exchanged glances. They had fought beast-men, barely survived poisoned claws, and unlocked their Third Mana Gates¡ªhow much harder could this possibly get?


    Apparently, a lot.


    ¡°The Beast Slaying Arts,¡± Ronan continued, ¡°are what separate True Slayers from people who just happen to have a beast ring.¡±


    He gestured toward his own, the golden-black metal glinting ominously.


    ¡°Most Slayers slap a ring on their finger, get some beast traits, and think they¡¯re warriors. And for a lot of them? That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Jordan squinted. ¡°Wait. So, you¡¯re saying most Slayers aren¡¯t true Slayers?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s lip curled. ¡°Not even close.¡±


    Then, he turned and placed his hand on a large rock.


    ¡°Watch closely.¡±


    Without warning, he flicked his wrist.


    CRACK.


    The rock split in half¡ªnot from a punch, not from a blade, but from the sheer force of his movement.


    Elion¡¯s breath caught. Jordan swore.


    Ronan turned back to them, completely unbothered. ¡°Beast Slaying Arts,¡± he said simply.


    Elion stepped forward, staring at the shattered rock. ¡°Okay. What the hell was that?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s smirk returned. ¡°Aura manipulation. A basic technique.¡±


    Elion¡¯s brain stalled.


    Basic?


    Jordan scratched the back of his head. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re saying we can do that?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Ronan admitted. ¡°But with training? Absolutely.¡±


    Jordan grinned. ¡°Oh, hell yeah.¡±


    Elion, still staring at the broken rock, shook his head. ¡°Alright, back up. If this technique is so powerful, why don¡¯t more Slayers use it?¡±


    Before Ronan could answer, another thought hit Elion. ¡°And¡­ why didn¡¯t you use it during the fight?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s smirk faded.


    For a second, his fingers flexed slightly at his side¡ªso small, most wouldn¡¯t have noticed. But Elion did.


    ¡°¡­Because most Slayers are lazy,¡± Ronan said. His tone was even. Too even.


    Then, quieter, almost as if admitting something he didn¡¯t want to, ¡°And I¡¯m just not good enough to use it in this world.¡±


    Elion narrowed his eyes. That wasn¡¯t the full answer.


    But Ronan wasn¡¯t in the mood to explain. Instead, he continued like nothing had happened.


    ¡°Most Slayers rely on their rings,¡± he said. ¡°They let the beast power do the work. The rings amplify their strength, speed, endurance¡ªwhatever they need. The stronger the ring, the stronger the Slayer.¡±


    He glanced over his shoulder. ¡°But the True Slayers? The ones at the top? They don¡¯t need their rings. They can fight without them.¡±


    Jordan looked like a kid on Christmas. ¡°So you¡¯re saying we could get so strong we won¡¯t even need the rings?¡±


    Ronan shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s possible. But having a ring will always be an advantage. If you master both¡ªyour own strength and the ring¡ªyou¡¯ll be unstoppable.¡±


    Elion was listening carefully, absorbing every word. But something still felt¡­ off.


    Ronan wasn¡¯t telling them everything. His words were too controlled, too careful. Like the Beast Slaying Arts held a deeper truth¡ªsomething Ronan wasn¡¯t ready to share.


    Elion wanted to push him for answers. But now wasn¡¯t the time.


    They were still in the middle of nowhere, still being hunted, still trying to get back to the city.


    For now, the goal was simple: learn, get stronger, and survive.


    Elion exhaled, rubbing his forehead.


    He had a mother waiting for him. A bookstore job that¡ªlet¡¯s be real¡ªprobably wouldn¡¯t survive him ditching work for two days straight.


    He needed to let them know he wasn¡¯t dead.


    But deep down, he already knew the truth.


    His normal life?


    It was over.


    Ronan¡¯s next words snapped Elion out of his thoughts.


    ¡°Aura is the foundation of the Beast Slaying Arts. If you don¡¯t understand it, you¡¯ll never master the rings. More importantly¡ªyou¡¯ll never survive against the real beasts out there.¡±


    Elion narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is aura¡­ like life energy?¡±


    ¡°Close, but not quite,¡± Ronan said. ¡°You guys already knew about mana. It¡¯s what fuels your inner strength¡ªyour spells, your stamina, your beast ring usage. But aura?¡± He smirked. ¡°That¡¯s the world¡¯s energy. It¡¯s external. It¡¯s everywhere.¡±


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    Elion processed that. ¡°So, mana is something we generate, while aura is something we tap into?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Ronan crossed his arms. ¡°Mana is what fuels you. Aura is what fuels everything else¡ªthe air, the ground, the life force of people, beasts, everything.¡±


    Ronan added, ¡°And the stronger your ability to sense it, the more you can predict movement, sense attacks, and detect enemies.¡±


    Jordan¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°That¡¯s how you could sense the beast-men coming, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Ronan smirked. ¡°Bingo.¡±


    Jordan frowned. ¡°So, if we get good at this, we could sense attacks before they happen?¡±


    ¡°More than that,¡± Ronan said. ¡°Aura perception allows you to see what¡¯s hidden, feel what¡¯s coming, and react before your opponent even moves. It¡¯s what separates an amateur from a real fighter.¡±


    Jordan, as always, didn¡¯t seem bothered. ¡°Alright, fine. Let¡¯s get to it, then. How do we start?¡±


    Ronan crossed his arms. ¡°First, you need to learn how to feel aura. If you can¡¯t feel it, you won¡¯t be able to use it.¡±


    He gestured at the forest around them. "Now that you have opened the Mana Gates, you can better understand your surroundings and sense auras."


    Elion and Jordan followed his gaze, seeing only trees, the faint morning mist, and scattered patches of sunlight.


    Jordan scratched his head. ¡°Okay, so how do we see it ourselves?¡±


    Ronan smirked. ¡°Close your eyes.¡±


    Jordan blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°You heard me. Close your damn eyes.¡±


    Elion sighed, doing as he was told. Jordan hesitated before following.


    ¡°Now,¡± Ronan continued his voice even. ¡°Forget about what you see. Focus on what you feel. The air. The ground beneath you. The wind on your skin.¡±


    Elion furrowed his brows. It sounded simple, but the moment he tried to focus, his thoughts scattered. His mind was too used to relying on his sight.


    Ronan continued his tone firm but patient. ¡°You don¡¯t see an aura with your eyes. You feel it with your whole self. Right now, you are too focused on what you see."


    Ronan exhaled and cracked his neck. ¡°Alright. Since you two are new to this, let¡¯s keep it simple.¡±


    Elion and Jordan stood in front of him, eyes closed, were ready but also slightly confused.


    ¡°Every ten seconds, I want you to sense me. Point and tell me exactly where I am.¡±


    Jordan raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s it? Just point at you?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Jordan crossed his arms. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too hard.¡±


    Ronan chuckled. ¡°Oh, it will be.¡±


    And before either of them could say anything more¡ªhe was gone.


    Not gone gone. But moving. His steps were light, smooth, and completely effortless. He was circling them, weaving between trees, changing his pace and rhythm at random. One second, he was to their left; the next, he was behind them, and then suddenly¡ªsilence.


    Elion strained his ears, trying to catch even the slightest sound.


    Nothing.


    Jordan, beside him, turned his head wildly. ¡°The hell? I can¡¯t hear him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to hear me,¡± Ronan¡¯s voice came from somewhere ahead of them. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to sense my aura.¡±


    Elion took a deep breath and tried to focus. He closed his eyes, blocking out distractions. And slowly¡­ something changed.


    At first, it was subtle, just a shift in the air. A weight that shouldn¡¯t be there. It wasn¡¯t something he could see or touch, but he felt something.


    Something moving.


    Jordan, meanwhile, was still completely lost. ¡°This is stupid,¡± he grumbled, pivoting in circles. ¡°It¡¯s like playing hide and seek with a ghost.¡±


    Ronan laughed. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re trying to find me with your ears instead of your sense.¡±


    ¡°Sense? Do you think I¡¯m an animal?¡±


    ¡°Beasts hunt by sensing presence,¡± Ronan pointed out. ¡°You wanna fight them? You better learn to do the same.¡±


    Elion ignored their back and forth. He focused on that feeling¡ªthat presence shifting around them. It wasn¡¯t clear, not like a solid shape, but more like¡­ ripples in the air.


    Was this aura?


    He raised his hand, pointed in a direction, and took a chance.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re to my right,¡± he muttered.


    A moment of silence. Then¡ª


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Ronan¡¯s voice was exactly where Elion had pointed.


    Jordan¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Wait, WHAT?¡±


    Ronan stopped moving, stepping back into view. His golden eyes studied Elion with mild interest. ¡°Most first-timers are completely clueless, like Jordan over here.¡±


    Jordan scowled. ¡°Hey.¡±


    Ronan ignored him. ¡°But you¡¯re picking it up fast. Which means¡­¡±


    Without warning, he quickly moved to a different location, reached down, picked up a small stone from the ground, and flicked it straight at Elion¡¯s head.


    Elion¡¯s brows furrowed as his body moved on its own. His arms snapped up and blocked the incoming pebble before he even fully registered what had happened.


    For a second, the world stood still.


    Then Elion''s brows furrowed. He opened his eyes and looked at his own hands in shock. ¡°Wait. What was that?¡±


    Jordan, too, opened his eyes and looked around, completely lost. ¡°What was what?¡±


    Ronan smirked. ¡°Seems like Elion¡¯s perception is waking up.¡±


    Jordan turned on him. ¡°Okay, hold on¡ªWHAT?!¡±


    Elion was just as confused. He hadn¡¯t seen the stone coming, but somehow, he had felt it.


    Ronan studied him for a moment longer before nodding to himself. ¡°You¡¯re more suited for this than I expected.¡±


    Jordan¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°No. Nope. I refuse. There¡¯s no way this dude is ahead of me in this Slayer thing.¡±


    ¡°Jealous?¡± Ronan teased.


    Jordan huffed. ¡°He had higher speed, wisdom, and mana. Now you¡¯re telling me he has better aura sensing? This is too much, man.¡±


    Ronan chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°Calm down. The more frustrated you get, the harder it¡¯ll be.¡±


    Jordan clenched his fists but exhaled, trying to shake it off. ¡°Fine. Whatever. Just tell me what I need to do to surpass him.¡±


    Ronan grinned. ¡°Good. Now, let¡¯s try again. Close your eyes.¡±


    He turned to both of them, his stance relaxed, but his presence somehow heavier. ¡°This time, really focus. Don¡¯t just guess¡ªsense. Feel the way the world moves around you. Every ten seconds, find me.¡±


    And with that, he disappeared again.


    Elion closed his eyes. This time, he wouldn¡¯t just rely on a hunch. He would really know.


    Two hours had passed.


    Elion and Jordan were drenched in sweat, their clothes sticking uncomfortably to their skin. What had started as a simple exercise in sensing aura had quickly escalated into something far more brutal.


    It wasn¡¯t just about feeling Ronan¡¯s presence anymore.


    It was about reacting.


    Dodging.


    Blocking.


    Surviving.


    Ronan didn¡¯t hold back. The moment they started to get a feel for the aura, he ramped up the difficulty. What had once been harmless pebbles turned into full-force strikes, sweeping kicks, and feints designed to trip them up.


    Elion had barely managed to block half of them.


    Jordan, despite his superior physical strength, was struggling even more. His frustration showed in every missed dodge, every late reaction.


    And Ronan?


    The bastard looked like he had just gone for a casual morning jog.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Ronan finally said, clapping his hands. ¡°That¡¯s enough for now.¡±


    Elion and Jordan practically collapsed onto the forest floor, gasping for breath.


    ¡°Holy hell,¡± Jordan groaned. ¡°That was torture.¡±


    Elion wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°I thought we were just sensing aura, not dodging death.¡±


    Ronan grinned. ¡°You learn faster when you have consequences.¡±


    Jordan glared up at him. ¡°Consequences?! Dude, you attacked me.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t block it,¡± Ronan said with a shrug.


    Jordan groaned again, rolling onto his back. ¡°I hate you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll thank me later.¡±


    Elion sat up, stretching his sore arms. His body ached, but he had to admit¡ªhe felt different. His reflexes were sharper. His awareness had expanded.


    He could feel things now.


    Not just physical things¡ªthe world around him. The life in the trees. The movement of the wind. The presence of things he wouldn¡¯t have noticed before.


    And Ronan?


    His aura was terrifying.


    It wasn¡¯t just strong¡ªit was controlled. Precise. Lethal.


    Jordan huffed. ¡°Okay, so what¡¯s next? More dodging? Or are we finally learning how to use the ring?¡±


    Ronan checked the sky, noting the position of the sun. ¡°It¡¯s already nine.¡±


    Elion blinked. ¡°Wait, what? We¡¯ve been at this since dawn?¡±


    Jordan groaned dramatically. ¡°No wonder I feel like I got hit by a truck.¡±


    Ronan rolled his shoulders. ¡°You two have made some progress. At least now, you won¡¯t get completely blindsided if something jumps you.¡±


    Jordan sat up, cracking his neck. ¡°I dunno, man. I think I¡¯d still get jumped.¡±


    Elion smirked. ¡°Yeah, especially with your big mouth.¡±


    Jordan scowled. ¡°Screw you, man.¡±


    Ronan ignored their bickering and turned toward the direction of the city.


    ¡°We need to move soon,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ve spent enough time here.¡±


    ¡°Before that,¡± Ronan said, holding up a beast ring between his fingers. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to learn what makes a Slayer truly dangerous.¡±

 Chapter 22: Why Don’t We Just be the Coolest-looking Suspects?

    Elion, Jordan, and Ronan arrived in a dark alleyway after teleporting. The air smelled of damp concrete, garbage, and hints of the city¡¯s usual noise.


    This time, both Elion and Jordan were ready. They managed to land on their feet.


    Jordan sighed as he stretched his arms. ¡°Man, that never gets less weird.¡±


    Ronan smirked. ¡°You get used to it.¡±


    Elion barely heard them. Outside the alley, he could sense a commotion and chaos were happening.


    He could hear people talking, hurried footsteps, sirens, and the sound of news reports playing on people''s phones.


    To cut it short, the city was restless.


    "Why does it sound so chaotic out there?" Elion wondered aloud.


    He wanted to step outside of the alley, but Ronan was much faster and, of course, stronger. Elion''s shoulder was grabbed by Ronan, stopping him.


    ¡°No. Don''t go yet,¡± Ronan said. His voice was firm but not harsh. ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything good right now.¡±


    Jordan frowned. ¡°Does it have something to do with what happened last night?¡±


    Elion frowned but decided to give in. He took out his phone from his pocket. When he unlocked it, his stomach dropped.


    17 missed calls. 32 unread messages.


    All from his mother.


    His chest tightened. He quickly looked at Ronan. ¡°Can I call my mom first?¡±


    Ronan nodded, his expression unreadable. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Elion didn¡¯t waste time. He hit the call button. The phone rang once, twice¡ª


    Then, his mother answered.


    ¡°Elion.¡±


    Her voice was barely above a whisper. Tight. Controlled. But he knew her too well. She was trying not to panic.


    ¡°Mom? What¡¯s going on?¡± Elion asked, heart pounding.


    His mother took a shaky breath. ¡°Listen to me. Do not come home. Not now.¡±


    Elion¡¯s pulse spiked. ¡°What? Why?¡±


    There was a pause. Then, her next words chilled him.


    ¡°Check the news.¡±


    Click.


    She ended the call.


    Elion stared at his phone, stunned.


    Jordan raised an eyebrow. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Ronan said nothing, watching him closely.


    Elion swallowed. ¡°She told me¡­ not to come home.¡± His grip on his phone tightened. ¡°She sounded scared.¡±


    Jordan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Check the news. Now.¡±


    ***


    In the small apartment, Shasha Hayes sat stiffly on the couch, gripping her phone tightly. She needed to be strong for her kids.


    Especially for Elion in this current situation.


    Shasha stared blankly at the news broadcast, her fingers tightening around her phone. The grainy footage of the bear-man played in a loop, overlaid with sensationalized headlines.


    Her pulse quickened.


    ''Is it happening already?''


    She had seen and been warned about something like this before, not on screen, but in real life.


    It happened years ago.


    A night burned into her memory, one she tried to forget. A monstrous figure, its eyes gleaming with unnatural hunger, its presence suffocating¡ªjust like the one in the recording.


    Back then, she had been helpless.


    But someone had saved her.


    A man.


    Thinking about that fateful night, a mix of emotions washed over her.


    Could it really be¡ª


    "Mom?"


    Across the room, Liam, her youngest son, peeked beneath the front door, his sharp brown eyes scanning the hallway.


    Shadows.


    Tall, unmoving shadows stood just outside their door.


    Liam turned back to his mother and his little sister, Alia, lowering his voice. ¡°They¡¯re still out there.¡±


    Shasha closed her eyes, exhaling through her nose.


    Alia, only ten years old, fidgeted beside her. ¡°Was that Elion?¡± she whispered.


    Liam snapped his head toward her. ¡°Shh!¡± He made a quick gesture for silence, his expression firm. ¡°Don¡¯t say his name here.¡±


    Alia shrunk back, glancing toward the door. ¡°But why? He¡¯s our brother.¡±


    Liam¡¯s voice was tense. ¡°And if those cops hear us? They¡¯ll be on us even harder. They¡¯re waiting for him to come home.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Alia bit her lip. ¡°But¡­ did he really do what they said?¡±


    Silence.


    Shasha clenched her jaw. ¡°Of course not,¡± she said firmly.


    Liam nodded. ¡°Elion saved people. He fought that monster.¡± His eyes flickered with anger. ¡°And now they¡¯re treating him like a criminal.¡±


    Alia shifted uncomfortably. ¡°But the news said¡ª¡±


    ¡°The news says a lot of things,¡± Shasha cut in, her voice sharp but steady. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it true.¡±


    Alia fell silent, unsure.


    Shasha sighed, pulling both of her children closer. ¡°Listen to me,¡± she murmured. ¡°We trust Elion. No matter what the media says.¡±


    Liam stared at the door again, fists clenched. ¡°Yeah. But trusting him won¡¯t make the cops leave.¡±


    His mind raced with possibilities. He needed a plan to help his brother.


    ***


    Elion¡¯s hands were clammy as he scrolled through his phone. The news headlines were everywhere.


    "BREAKING NEWS: TWO INDIVIDUALS ASSOCIATED WITH XYLO CLUB INCIDENT UNDER INVESTIGATION"


    "ELION HAYES AND JORDAN WALKER: PERPETRATORS OR HEROES?"


    "AUTHORITIES ARE SEEKING INFORMATION ABOUT TWO MEN IN RELATION TO THE TRAGIC EVENT."


    Elion¡¯s stomach sank. "I can¡¯t believe this."


    Jordan choked on air while reading over his shoulder. ¡°WHAT?!¡±


    Ronan, completely unsurprised, just chuckled.


    Elion scrolled through the reports, his grip tightening with every sentence.


    The police weren¡¯t outright calling them criminals, but they were officially listed as ¡°wanted for questioning.¡±


    But then came the real problem.


    The media.


    After reviewing the CCTV footage, the social media exploded.


    Someone uploaded a blurry, shaky video from the club, showing Elion and Jordan chasing after the bear-man.


    Some called them brave.


    Some called them suspicious.


    Then came the influencers.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, man. You¡¯re telling me two random guys could fight a literal monster and survive?¡±


    ¡°They chased after it, which suggests they were involved in some way.¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯re innocent, why are they hiding?¡±


    Jordan dragged a hand down his face. ¡°This is insane. How did people even come to this conclusion?!¡±


    Elion had no words. It was worse than he expected.


    If only they knew that it got worse when Marcus, Malik, and the white team entered the chat.


    The ones who got their asses handed to them by the Red Team? Yeah, they weren¡¯t happy.


    They started spreading rumors. Twisting the narrative.


    Jordan threw his hands up. ¡°Oh, COME ON!¡±


    He was trying his best to calm down. "I should''ve beaten them harder."


    Ronan finally spoke, a dry chuckle escaping him. ¡°Looks like our worlds have something in common.¡±


    Elion turned to him, exasperated. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Media manipulation.¡± Ronan grinned. ¡°Gotta love it.¡±


    Jordan scowled. ¡°No, I do NOT love it. How do we fix this?!¡±


    Elion rubbed his temples. ¡°First thing¡¯s first. We need to figure out what the police actually know and want to know from us.¡±


    Jordan nodded. ¡°Right. Because if we just walk into a police station saying ¡®Hey, we totally didn¡¯t fight a bear-man,¡¯ they¡¯ll definitely believe us.¡±


    Ronan leaned against the wall, arms crossed. ¡°If they only ¡®want to question you,¡¯ it means they don¡¯t have real evidence.¡± His gray eyes gleamed. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Elion exhaled. ¡°Define good.¡±


    Ronan shrugged. ¡°Means they¡¯re guessing. They don¡¯t know what really happened, so they¡¯re grasping at straws.¡±


    Jordan rolled his eyes. ¡°Yeah, and those straws are us.¡±


    Elion was about to respond, but then¡ª


    A shadow loomed at the alley¡¯s exit.


    A man stood there, a few meters in front of them, clad in a dark rider jacket, hands casually stuffed into his pockets. His posture was relaxed, but his smile¡ªthat was what set off every alarm in Elion¡¯s head.


    It wasn¡¯t a normal smile.


    It was the kind that said, I know something you don¡¯t, and you¡¯re going to regret walking into my territory.


    Jordan, ever the king of comedic timing, let out a low whistle. ¡°Oh wow. Never thought I¡¯d be VVIP status. Feels nice to have someone waiting for us already.¡±


    Elion didn¡¯t take his eyes off the man. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s someone,¡± he muttered. His fingers twitched toward his beast ring. ¡°Pretty sure this leans more toward something.¡±


    Ronan chuckled, completely unfazed. ¡°Maybe this is the best time for you two to put everything you¡¯ve learned into practice.¡±


    Elion turned to him slowly. ¡°What?¡±


    Ronan grinned. ¡°Y¡¯know. Your one-day Slayer training course. Let¡¯s see if it actually paid off.¡±


    Elion deadpanned. ¡°A one-day training course, Ronan. That¡¯s not even a montage length.¡±


    Jordan threw his hands up. ¡°Yeah, man! We didn¡¯t even get a dramatic training sequence with some epic music! Just two hours of dodging rocks and getting our asses kicked!¡±


    Ronan smirked. ¡°Sounds like a you problem.¡±


    Elion exhaled sharply. ¡°You¡¯re actually enjoying this, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s gray eyes gleamed. ¡°A little.¡±


    The man in the jacket finally moved, taking a single step forward. The air around him shifted, thickening in a way that made Elion¡¯s skin crawl.


    ¡°Alright, boys,¡± Ronan said, cracking his knuckles. ¡°Lesson time¡¯s over.¡±


    He tilted his head, watching the man closely.


    ¡°Welcome to the real test.¡±


    There was a reason Elion and Jordan weren¡¯t afraid.


    Not even a little.


    The man standing before them radiated threat, sure. His aura felt heavy, wild, like something barely restrained. But compared to Ronan?


    Yeah, not even close.


    They had already faced Ronan¡¯s aura¡ªan ocean compared to this guy¡¯s puddle. The sheer weight of Ronan¡¯s presence, the suffocating pressure he could release when he actually tried? That was a monster.


    This guy?


    Like Ronan said, he was just another test. But this could not be considered a real test.


    The man exhaled sharply, his breath coming out in a deep snort. His body twisted and expanded, skin shifting into thick, coarse fur. Bones cracked, muscles stretched, and in an instant¡ª


    The alley shook as a towering bull-man landed heavily on the pavement.


    Jordan, who had not forgotten about a certain bull from last night, grinned. ¡°Oh, another bull-man?¡± He rolled his shoulders. ¡°Good. I didn¡¯t get the chance to go against one last night.¡±


    Without hesitation, he activated his beast ring.


    A dark golden-black glow surged over his arms, spreading like liquid metal before hardening into something much denser¡ªthick, plated rhino armor.


    His arms didn¡¯t just look stronger. They were walking battering rams now.


    Ronan sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. ¡°I literally told you not to use that form.¡±


    Jordan blinked. ¡°You did?¡±


    Elion, already lifting his own beast ring, nodded. ¡°Yeah, something about wasting mana.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Jordan shrugged, flexing his new rhino arms. ¡°Well, too late now.¡±


    Elion smirked. If Jordan was going to go all-in, he might as well match the energy. His ring flared.


    Power rushed through his legs, changing them¡ªshifting them into something faster, sleeker, stronger. His feet became black panther legs, reinforced with golden-black plating, claws razor-sharp.


    Jordan grinned. ¡°Damn, bro. We actually look¡ª¡±


    Ronan shook his head. ¡°Idiots. Both of you.¡±


    Because this morning, during training, he had specifically warned them that using the ¡°cool¡± transformation would burn through their mana way faster.


    And yet, here they were. But then Ronan was reminded of something.


    Earlier, during training, he noticed something weird about Elion and Jordan.


    Unlike him, who had to conserve mana and pick the most efficient transformations, these two recovered their mana faster than expected.


    Even though Earth¡¯s natural energy was weak, Elion and Jordan had somehow managed to restore their mana quicker than him.


    He wondered why. The only explanation for now was that maybe they were original Earthlings, unlike him, who came from the Beast World.


    Their bodies weren¡¯t just adapting to the environment. They were built for it.


    Ronan frowned. ''That¡­ was interesting.''


    Meanwhile, Elion stretched his panther-enhanced legs, testing his balance. His golden-black plated feet barely made a sound as he shifted his weight.


    It almost felt natural. Like this was how his body was supposed to move.


    Jordan cracked his knuckles, admiring his rhino armor arms. ¡°Dude, we look sick.¡±


    Elion really wanted to see what they looked like right now. With their golden-black plated beast parts, he believed that they didn¡¯t just look like Slayers.


    They looked like something more. Something stronger. Something impossible to ignore. He wondered what else was in store for them, such as if they were able to open up more Mana Gates or... what if they were able to go to the Beast World.


    What kind of life awaits them?


    A slow smirk spread across Elion¡¯s face.


    ¡°Well,¡± he said, rolling his shoulders, ¡°since people are taking us for suspects¡­¡±


    He kicked off the ground, his new panther legs barely making a sound, the world feeling just a little slower around him.


    ¡°¡­why don¡¯t we just be the coolest-looking suspects?¡±

 Chapter 23: When in Doubt, Let the Bull Hit First

    The bull-man let out a deep, guttural snort, his nostrils flaring as he stomped his massive hoof-like foot against the concrete. The alley trembled under his weight.


    Jordan cracked his knuckles, flexing his rhino-enhanced arms. ¡°Alright, big guy. You and me. Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    Before Elion could throw in his own taunt, a sharp caw echoed through the alley.


    "Something is coming!" Elion shouted to warn his friends.


    His instincts flared just in time for him to duck as something black and fast swept past his head, slicing through the air like a dagger.


    "Elion!" Jordan shouted. He was shocked to see that.


    Elion barely caught a glimpse of razor-sharp talons retracting as the attacker landed gracefully on a nearby rooftop.


    "What now¡­" Jordan was caught off guard by the newcomer.


    A humanoid crow stood above them, draped in a tattered coat of sleek black feathers. His beady red eyes gleamed under the city lights, and his sharp, hooked beak twisted into something resembling a grin.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± the crow-man mused, tilting his head. ¡°The order from Lady Leo only mentioned one Slayer. But now... there are three?¡±


    He flared his wings slightly, adjusting his stance. ¡°That¡¯s going to be a problem.¡±


    Jordan snorted. ¡°Oh, trust me. We are a problem.¡±


    Elion, however, wasn¡¯t listening. He sensed another presence.


    Because slithering out from the shadows, creeping way too close for comfort, was the third arrival.


    A lizard-man.


    His entire body was covered in shimmering green scales, his limbs unnaturally long, his yellow slit eyes locked onto Jordan. His forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air.


    Jordan tensed.


    Elion saw it immediately. Jordan¡¯s entire body stiffened.


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Elion muttered, realization hitting him.


    Jordan¡¯s face had gone slightly pale.


    The bull-man? No problem.


    The crow-man? Bring it on.


    But the lizard-man?


    Jordan took a slow step back, muttering under his breath. ¡°I¡­ I hate reptiles.¡±


    The lizard-man blinked, tilting his head. ¡°Oh? A Slayer with herpetophobia?¡±


    Jordan¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°I''m not afraid. It just... You. I don''t like the way you move, man."


    The crow-man cackled, clearly enjoying this. ¡°This is delightful.¡±


    Elion sighed, slapping Jordan on the back. ¡°Jordan, focus.¡±


    Jordan gritted his teeth, shaking off his unease. ¡°Fine. But if this guy licks me, I¡¯m burning this whole alley down.¡±


    The bull-man snorted impatiently, clearly done with all the talking. He charged first.


    ¡°Whoa! This bull-guy is really not into chatting,¡± Jordan said, gearing up for the hit. ¡°But I guess this is cool, too.¡±


    "Don¡¯t get too full of yourself, Jordan," Ronan said.


    As soon as Ronan finished speaking, the force of the impact alone sent shockwaves through the alley as Jordan met the bull¡¯s charge head-on, his plated arms locking against the beast¡¯s massive horned skull.


    Jordan gritted his teeth, planting his feet on the pavement. He barely held his ground.


    "Okay," Jordan muttered through clenched teeth. "You''re¡ªstronger¡ªthan I thought."


    The bull-man snorted in his face before jerking his head forward, ramming Jordan full force in the stomach.


    Jordan went flying.


    CRASH.


    He smashed straight through a stack of crates, knocking the wind out of him.


    ¡°Jordan!¡± Elion shouted¡ªbut he had his own problems.


    The lizard-man struck fast. Annoyingly fast.


    Elion tried to weave out of the way, but the lizard¡¯s whip-like tail lashed out, catching him in the ribs.


    CRACK.


    Pain exploded through Elion¡¯s side as he was slammed into the alley wall.


    He barely had time to recover before the crow-man swooped in from above¡ªrazor-sharp talons aiming straight for his throat.


    Elion rolled away at the last second, barely dodging. But he was too slow.


    The crow-man¡¯s wing clipped his shoulder, sending him sprawling.


    Elion coughed, spitting blood. ¡°Okay. Ow.¡±


    Now he realized¡ªjust having a beast ring and three open Mana Gates didn¡¯t mean jack. All it did was keep him from dying instantly.


    Winning? Yeah, that was a whole different story.


    For that, he needed something way more valuable.


    Experience.


    And¡ªunfortunately¡ªstupid amounts of reckless courage.


    Ronan smiled and was just chilling, leaning back and watching his students go at it. It was not the time for him to meddle yet.


    The lizard-man grinned, his forked tongue flicking out. ¡°You¡¯re quick. But not quick enough.¡±


    Elion gritted his teeth. He wasn¡¯t used to fighting with his new panther legs yet. He had the speed, but his reactions were still off.


    Jordan, meanwhile, had recovered¡ªbut just barely.


    The bull-man stomped toward him, raising a massive fist to crush him into the pavement.


    Jordan rolled aside at the last second, panting. ¡°Okay. Blocking? Bad idea.¡±


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    Still, as confident as they sounded, Elion and Jordan were getting wrecked.


    No sugarcoating it¡ªthey were getting knocked around like punching bags at a gym where the only rule was "hit harder."


    Jordan had taken a direct hit from the bull-man''s charge, crashing through a stack of crates like a human wrecking ball. Elion had barely dodged the lizard-man¡¯s whip-like tail, but his side still burned from where it grazed him.


    And the crow-man? That guy was playing with them. Swooping in, clawing at them, retreating before they could counter. It was humiliating.


    Elion wiped the blood from his lip, panting. ¡°Okay. So, uh¡­ we suck at this.¡±


    Jordan groaned, pushing himself up from the ground. ¡°No kidding. Thought we were supposed to be Slayers, not a live demonstration of getting our asses handed to us.¡±


    The bull-man snorted, scraping his hooves against the ground.


    The lizard-man flicked his tail, eyes narrowing.


    The crow-man? He was smirking.


    Ronan, completely untouched, leaned against the alley wall, arms crossed. ¡°You do remember what I taught you, right?¡±


    Jordan¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°If you say ¡®stop getting hit,¡¯ I swear¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Ronan pushed off the wall and tapped his temple. ¡°Aura sensing.¡±


    Elion and Jordan froze.


    Oh.


    Right.


    Ronan sighed. ¡°You two were so busy flailing around that you forgot everything you learned this morning.¡±


    Elion and Jordan shared a look.


    The pressure of the fight, the chaos, the pain¡ªit had drowned out their training.


    But now, as they forced themselves to focus¡­


    They felt it.


    A shift in the air. A flicker of movement before it happened. The weight of their enemies pressing into the space around them.


    Elion took a slow breath, blocking out the noise, the pain, the adrenaline.


    The crow-man swooped in again, talons gleaming¡ª


    There.


    Elion moved. Not because he saw the attack coming. Because he felt it.


    He ducked just before the claws could rake across his back. Sidestepped at the last second, kicked off the wall, and flipped over the crow-man¡¯s attack.


    Then, mid-air, his panther-enhanced legs coiled.


    BOOM.


    His heel smashed into the crow-man¡¯s wing, sending him spiraling off-course.


    The bird-man crashed onto a rooftop, cawing in pain.


    Elion grinned, breathing hard. ¡°Oh, you felt that, huh?¡±


    Meanwhile, Jordan adjusted.


    Instead of charging headfirst like an idiot, he let the fight come to him.


    The bull-man lunged¡ªagain¡ªhorns down, ready to turn Jordan into roadkill.


    But this time?


    Jordan didn¡¯t block. He didn¡¯t punch. He dodged.


    At the last second, he twisted his body, stepping to the side just enough for the bull¡¯s own momentum to send him stumbling forward.


    The beast-man staggered, off-balance.


    Jordan grinned. His turn. He planted his feet, swung his rhino-armored fist upward¡ª


    BOOM.


    A devastating uppercut connected with the bull-man¡¯s jaw.


    The bull staggered.


    Jordan cracked his neck. ¡°Oh yeah. That¡¯s more like it.¡±


    Then, Elion locked eyes with the lizard-man. His heart was pounding, his breath ragged, and his body screamed at him to slow down.


    But... no chance.


    He wasn¡¯t about to get smacked around again.


    The lizard-man hissed, his serpentine tail flicking behind him like a whip, ready to strike. The first few times, Elion had been caught off guard¡ªpressure, panic, and the simple fact that he had never been in a real fight before had thrown him completely off balance.


    But now?


    Now, he wasn¡¯t just reacting¡ªhe was reading.


    The training with Ronan, the aura sensing¡ªit was finally kicking in.


    Elion¡¯s instincts flared. He felt the shift, the smallest change in air pressure, the way the lizard¡¯s muscles tensed before the attack.


    Too predictable.


    The tail lashed out¡ªfast, brutal, deadly.


    Elion didn¡¯t think. He moved.


    He dodged left, just barely avoiding the scaly whip cracking past his face. He could feel the heat of the attack skimming his skin. Way too close.


    But now?


    Now, it was his turn.


    The lizard-man had overextended. Left side¡ªwide open.


    Elion planted his foot, pivoted, and drove his knee straight into the beast¡¯s gut.


    THWACK.


    The lizard-man let out a strangled hiss, his claws spasming wildly as he staggered back.


    Elion pressed the advantage. Momentum. That was the key. And if there was one thing he understood?


    It was momentum.


    He had played soccer all his life¡ªnot martial arts, not combat, but footwork, balance, and control? That was something he knew.


    And now, his stats were higher. His body moved faster, stronger, sharper.


    Elion twisted mid-air, coiling his core the way he had done a thousand times before when going for a shot¡ª


    Then, he unleashed his leg, bringing his heel down like a meteor crashing into Earth.


    CRACK.


    His foot smashed into the lizard¡¯s skull.


    The beast-man collapsed in a heap, hissing weakly, his forked tongue flicking out one last time before his body went limp.


    Elion exhaled sharply, shaking out his leg. ¡°Holy crap.¡±


    His heart was still pounding, adrenaline burning through his veins. Did he actually just¡ª


    Jordan¡¯s voice snapped him out of it.


    ¡°Yo, bro, did you just bicycle kick a lizard-man dead?!¡±


    Elion blinked, only now realizing that yeah¡­ he kinda did.


    His lips curled into a grin. ¡°I mean¡­ yeah. Guess I did.¡±


    Jordan whistled. ¡°Damn, dude. If that¡¯s how you fight, maybe you should¡¯ve been kicking people instead of a ball this whole time.¡±


    Elion smirked, rolling his shoulders. ¡°Yeah? Well, you should shut up and punch something before I take your fight, too.¡±


    Jordan cracked his knuckles. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. I got this.¡±


    And with that, he turned back to the bull-man.


    One down. Two to go.


    Jordan saw his chance. He didn¡¯t rush in recklessly this time. No. He had done that before, and it had almost cost him.


    This time, he controlled the charge.


    A deep breath. A shift in stance. His feet were light, ready to move.


    The bull swung wildly, throwing out a massive fist, aiming to take Jordan¡¯s head clean off.


    Jordan weaved under the attack, shifting his weight like he was back in a Muay Thai gym in Thailand, sparring against an opponent twice his size.


    Wait, no. Scratch that. Nothing in those gyms had ever looked like a damn minotaur.


    The bull kept swinging, desperate, reckless.


    Jordan sidestepped, feeling the beast¡¯s energy shift, predicting where the next attack would come.


    Another wild punch. Jordan ducked.


    The bull grunted in frustration. He was too slow compared to Jordan.


    "Eat this!" Jordan said as he planted his foot, twisted his torso, and drove his elbow forward. His right elbow, which instantly morphed into its rhino-enhanced form, was thick and armored.


    CRACK.


    The impact smashed into the bull¡¯s jaw, making the beast stumble back, dazed.


    Jordan grinned. "Yeah, that felt good."


    The bull-man snorted angrily, shaking off the hit, then lowered his horns.


    "Oh, hell no." Jordan barely had time to react before the bull charged straight at him.


    Instinct kicked in. Muay Thai clinch.


    Jordan caught the beast¡¯s head mid-charge, gripping him by the thick, coarse fur near the base of his skull.


    With a quick shift of weight, he brought up his knee. His leg transforming mid-motion, his knee hardening into rhino-plated armor.


    BAM.


    The knee slammed into the bull¡¯s snout with enough force to send spit and blood flying.


    The beast reeled, stunned.


    Jordan went all in. One moment, his left leg was normal. The next? Rhino-plated shin. He pivoted, spinning into a devastating roundhouse kick¡ª


    WHAM.


    The bull crashed into the alley wall, shaking bricks loose from the impact.


    Jordan huffed, rolling his shoulders. "Damn, that felt good."


    But then, just as he was about to finish it, his transformation fizzled. His rhino-armored legs vanished, leaving just his regular, human ones.


    Jordan blinked. ¡°Oh, come on¡ª¡±


    "You really should''ve taken my advice," Ronan said, glancing at the crow-man that was perched up on the rooftop, keeping an eye on things.


    While he was healing up, Elion stayed super alert. He couldn¡¯t catch the crow-man, but he definitely couldn¡¯t let the crow-man catch him either.


    Back to Jordan''s fight, the bull-man recovered faster than expected.


    Before Jordan could dodge, a massive hoofed foot swung up¡ª


    SMACK.


    Jordan¡¯s world blurred as he was sent skidding across the pavement.


    Pain flared through his ribs.


    Jordan groaned, forcing himself back to his feet. ¡°Okay¡­ still figuring that part out.¡±


    His transformations weren¡¯t consistent.


    Sometimes, his body would fully coat itself in beast armor, making him look like a futuristic warrior. Other times? His body just partially transformed, switching forms based on the attack.


    The worst part?


    He had zero control over which one happened.


    Jordan gritted his teeth. No time to overthink it.


    The bull-man was charging again.


    Jordan shifted his stance and prepared himself. If he couldn¡¯t rely on a full transformation, he¡¯d fight like he always had¡ªjust with a little extra.


    The bull swung again.


    Jordan blocked with his forearm, which, thankfully, transformed into a rhino-plated shield just in time.


    CLANG.


    The force rattled through him, but he held firm. Then, Jordan countered. He threw a straight punch, his knuckles shifting into hardened beast form mid-swing.


    CRACK.


    The bull-man staggered back, his nose bloody.


    Jordan took one steady breath.


    The bull was on his last legs. One final hit.


    Jordan rushed in. His muscles coiled, his fist tightening. At the last second, his beast ring flared.


    His entire right arm morphed, fully coated in golden-black rhino plating.


    Jordan didn¡¯t hesitate. He twisted his hips, poured every ounce of force into the strike and unleashed a brutal uppercut.


    BOOM.


    The bull-man¡¯s head snapped back. His massive form lifted off the ground for half a second then he crashed down, motionless.


    Jordan exhaled, shaking out his fist. ¡°Damn. Finally.¡±


    He flexed his arm¡ªhis beast form already flickering away.


    Elion walked over, panting. ¡°You good?¡±


    Jordan winced, rolling his shoulders. ¡°Took some hits, but yeah. You?¡±


    Elion grinned. ¡°I think I might be a soccer player and a fighter now.¡±


    Jordan laughed, then groaned when his ribs protested. ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s wrap this up before I pass out.¡±


    Two down.


    One to go.

 Chapter 24: Oh Great, Now We Have a Zodiac Problem

    Above them, the crow-man perched on the rooftop, his beady red eyes gleaming under the city lights.


    He wasn¡¯t smirking anymore. No, this time, his gaze was sharp¡ªcalculating.


    Elion tensed. He was about to kick off the ground and take this bird down before he could escape¡ª


    But Ronan stepped in front of him.


    ¡°Let him go,¡± Ronan said casually.


    Elion whirled on him. ¡°WHAT?! Why?! We have him right¡ª¡±


    Ronan smirked. ¡°Best way to lure out more of them.¡±


    The crow-man cawed softly, amused. ¡°Clever,¡± he admitted. ¡°But you three won¡¯t be standing for long. I¡¯ll make sure of that.¡±


    His wings flared, and with a powerful flap, he vanished into the sky.


    Elion clenched his fists. His gut told him that letting this guy fly away was a terrible idea.


    Jordan groaned, rubbing his temples. ¡°That bird¡¯s gonna be a problem later, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    Ronan shrugged. ¡°Almost definitely.¡±


    Jordan sighed. ¡°Cool. Love that for us.¡±


    Behind them, the bull-man and lizard-man¡¯s bodies began to shudder.


    Then, dark smoke¡ªthick, oily, corrupt¡ªrose from their corpses like some horror movie nightmare.


    Elion took a step back. ¡°Uh. What¡ª¡±


    Ronan didn¡¯t seem fazed. If anything, his grin widened.


    ¡°Your rings. Now.¡±


    Elion and Jordan exchanged a look, then raised their beast rings.


    The black smoke twisted unnaturally before shooting straight into their rings.


    Elion shivered. The moment it entered, he felt¡­ off. Not in an ¡°I-just-ate-spoiled-food¡± kind of way, but in a ¡°something alive just crawled into my soul¡± kind of way.


    Jordan grimaced. ¡°That was new.¡±


    Elion flexed his fingers, trying to shake off the eerie sensation. ¡°Yeah. Real fun. Can¡¯t wait to do it again.¡±


    Then, as trained, they took the corrupted rings from the fallen beast-men and dropped them into their sacks.


    Ronan clapped them both on the back, his smirk annoyingly smug.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± he said. ¡°You killed your first beast-men.¡±


    Elion wiped blood from his lip. ¡°Yeah. Feels great.¡±


    Jordan groaned. ¡°I need a nap. A coma, actually.¡±


    Ronan chuckled. ¡°Oh, trust me. This was nothing.¡± He cracked his knuckles. ¡°It only gets harder from here.¡±


    Elion exhaled sharply, running a hand through his messy hair. But something still nagged at him.


    Elion¡¯s mind raced as he watched the crow-man vanish into the night. There was something off about him¡ªsomething that didn¡¯t sit right.


    How did he know about Slayers?


    Not just in the way that a beast-man might recognize an enemy in battle.


    No, the crow-man spoke with certainty, like someone who understood what a Slayer was and what they were capable of.


    Elion frowned. Up until now, the beast-men they had fought felt like cannon fodder¡ªbrutal and vicious. They followed orders, but they didn¡¯t seem to truly understand the bigger picture.


    Elion turned to Ronan. ¡°So¡­ does the corrupted ring actually force people to follow orders from this ¡®Lord¡¯ guy?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s gaze flickered toward him, and after a beat, he nodded. ¡°Sharp mind, Elion. Yes.¡±


    Elion tensed.


    Jordan frowned. ¡°Wait¡ªhold on. Are you saying that all these beast-men we¡¯re fighting¡­ they¡¯re basically puppets?¡±


    Ronan rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Not entirely. The corrupted rings don¡¯t control them like mindless zombies. But¡­¡± he exhaled, ¡°they do twist their thoughts, warp their judgment, and bind their loyalty to the Lord.¡±


    Jordan¡¯s face scrunched up. ¡°That¡¯s some next-level cult crap.¡±


    Elion¡¯s thoughts spun. That meant the Lord could send beast-men after them at any time.


    He gritted his teeth. ¡°That crow-man mentioned someone. Lady Leo.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d catch that.¡±


    Jordan blinked. ¡°Uh¡­ I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Elion turned to him, exasperated. ¡°Jordan, he literally said it.¡±


    Jordan threw up his hands. ¡°Sorry for not being mister hyper-observant while fighting for my life!¡±


    Ronan ignored them. His eyes narrowed as he muttered, ¡°So the Lord is trying to mimic the Zodiacs.¡±


    Elion crossed his arms. ¡°Okay. What are the Zodiacs?¡±


    Jordan groaned. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me we have to fight the entire horoscope.¡±


    Ronan actually laughed at that. ¡°No, idiot. The Zodiacs are an organization in the Beast World. A big deal.¡±


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    Jordan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Like¡­ a bad big deal?¡±


    Ronan rolled his shoulders. ¡°If they were here? They¡¯d be your biggest nightmare.¡±


    Elion frowned. ¡°Wait¡ªyou don¡¯t think these Zodiacs are the same ones from your world?¡±


    Ronan sighed. ¡°No. But it''s still a problem.¡±


    Jordan scratched his head. ¡°Uh¡­ how is that a problem? Wouldn¡¯t that make them weaker?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s gray eyes darkened. ¡°Not for you.¡±


    He leaned against the alley wall, his voice quieter. ¡°If the Zodiacs on Earth are Earthlings, then I¡¯m at a disadvantage.¡±


    Elion¡¯s stomach dropped.


    Jordan frowned. ¡°What? How?¡±


    Ronan glanced at them. ¡°You two recover mana faster than me, right?¡±


    Elion froze.


    Jordan blinked. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah?¡±


    Ronan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s because you were born here. The energy of Earth is aligned with you.¡±


    Elion¡¯s mouth felt dry. ¡°But not with you.¡±


    Ronan clicked his tongue. ¡°Took you long enough.¡±


    Jordan stared. ¡°Wait. So that means¡ª¡±


    Ronan sighed. ¡°It means if I fight them, I may need to use my full power. And that, boys?¡± He stretched his arms lazily, but his tone was anything but relaxed. ¡°That¡¯s gonna be a problem.¡±


    Elion¡¯s mind was still racing when something else clicked.


    ¡°Wait.¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°If you¡¯re weaker here¡­ I mean, with the golden black ring, then why not use your main beast ring?¡±


    Jordan¡¯s head snapped up. ¡°Oh, yeah! What is your main beast ring?¡±


    Ronan smirked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know?¡±


    Elion and Jordan glared at him.


    ¡°Dude,¡± Jordan said. ¡°You literally just said you¡¯re at a disadvantage. And now you¡¯re keeping secrets?¡±


    Ronan shrugged. ¡°Some things you learn when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Jordan groaned, dragging a hand down his face. ¡°I hate you.¡±


    Ronan grinned. ¡°I know.¡±


    Jordan threw his hands up. ¡°Great. Love the mystery. Love the existential threats. Love that we¡¯re apparently fighting a fake Zodiac army.¡±


    Ronan patted his shoulder. ¡°Get used to it.¡±


    Then, his smirk faded. Elion, too.


    Ronan was impressed with what Elion was capable of.


    Elion¡¯s gut twisted. "Someone was coming."


    He wasn¡¯t sure how he knew, but the air felt heavier, charged. His instincts, honed by battle and whatever weird Slayer sixth sense he was developing, screamed at him to move.


    He turned to Ronan, who had already tensed, his sharp gaze flickering toward the alley¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Move,¡± Ronan muttered. ¡°Now.¡±


    Jordan, still catching his breath, blinked. ¡°Wait, what¡ª¡±


    ¡°Move,¡± Ronan repeated, sharper this time.


    Luckily, superhuman stats were a hell of a thing. Without hesitation, Elion and Jordan pushed their tired bodies into motion, sprinting after Ronan as he led them toward the opposite end of the alley.


    Even with their lingering wounds, even with their exhaustion, they moved fast. The world blurred as their enhanced strength and speed kicked in, letting them pull off impossible feats with ease.


    Elion vaulted over a toppled dumpster without slowing. Jordan barely even needed to jump, his foot simply planting against the wall before pushing off effortlessly.


    Ronan, of course, moved like a ghost, navigating the terrain like he had memorized every inch of the city.


    The ground still trembled from the aftershocks of battle, the air thick with the lingering scent of blood, dust, and something else¡ªsomething dark.


    And then they arrived.


    From the alley entrance, a squad of fully armed operatives flooded in, moving with lethal precision. Their movements were sharp, too disciplined, too efficient, nothing like standard law enforcement.


    This wasn¡¯t SWAT.


    This was something beyond it.


    Their armor was sleek and reinforced, a tactical black with dark blue plating along the arms and shoulders. Their helmets were fully enclosed, and the visors were ghostly reflective silver that masked their faces entirely. No visible insignia, no clear markings¡ªjust an eerie, faceless presence.


    Their rifles were unlike anything a regular task force would carry¡ªsleek, modified, compact with reinforced barrels and pulse emitters along the sides. They weren¡¯t just prepared for armed criminals.


    They were prepared for something else.


    At the front of it all, one figure stood out.


    A woman.


    She was fully geared up like the rest, but now, her helmet was tucked under her arm, allowing her sharp, piercing gaze to survey the scene. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a tight, no-nonsense ponytail, her face framed by a few loose strands.


    She had a smooth, unreadable expression, but the way her gloved fingers tapped against her thigh showed her mind was already working.


    This was Agent Paige Carter.


    And she didn¡¯t like what she saw.


    She took a slow step forward, scanning the destruction¡ªthe cracked pavement, the scorch marks, the remains of a fight that shouldn¡¯t have happened in a city like this.


    Then, her gaze landed on the bodies.


    Two beast-men.


    Their now half-monstrous forms frozen in death, twisted and wrong. The very sight of them made something coil in her gut¡ªdisgust? Intrigue?


    Maybe both.


    Paige Carter stepped forward, her boots crunching against the shattered pavement. The air was thick with the stench of blood, smoke, and something else¡ªsomething unnatural.


    Her voice was calm but edged with steel. "Alright. Someone tell me why we got here just in time to be too late."


    A tall, broad-shouldered officer moved beside her. His reinforced armor didn¡¯t slow him down, and the glowing blue interface of his datapad cast eerie shadows on his visor.


    ¡°Agent Carter,¡± he started, his tone clipped and professional. ¡°We got the call just minutes ago. We moved as fast as we could.¡±


    She didn¡¯t look at him. She was still scanning. Processing.


    She knew the team was fast¡ªgetting here in minutes was already impressive.


    Still, not fast enough.


    ¡°Who reported this?¡± she asked.


    The officer pointed toward a nearby high-rise. ¡°A few people from the upper floors. Means we¡¯ve got witnesses.¡±


    Paige exhaled sharply. Fantastic. Witnesses meant reports, reports meant red tape, and red tape meant she¡¯d be filing paperwork for the next week.


    She folded her arms. ¡°How many people were involved?¡±


    The officer scrolled through his pad, his visor pulsing slightly as he processed intel. ¡°At least five. Three were described as¡­ monsters. The other two were fighting them.¡±


    Paige¡¯s brow lifted. ¡°Fighting?¡±


    The squad was no stranger to monsters. They had been dealing with these things for a long time¡ªlonger than most people would believe.


    But fighters? That was new.


    Her team used weapons. Coordinated tactics. Years of specialized training.


    Not this.


    Not whatever raw, destructive brawl had just gone down in this alley.


    Paige crouched, brushing her fingers against the cracked ground, taking in the sheer force of the damage. No blades. No bullets. Just power.


    She straightened. ¡°Any IDs on the two fighters?¡±


    The officer shook his head. ¡°Nothing yet.¡±


    Paige''s mind flickered back to another mess¡ªthe Xylo Club Incident. The surveillance, the witnesses, the reports.


    Two names stood out back then. Two people at the center of it all. Elion Hayes and Jordan Walker.


    The same two who were now missing after yet another monster fight.


    Coincidence? Not a damn chance.


    She kept her expression neutral. ¡°CCTV?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re pulling the footage now.¡±


    Paige exhaled through her nose. ¡°Do it fast.¡±


    She turned, letting her gaze sweep over the wreckage again. Something wasn¡¯t adding up.


    Elion Hayes and Jordan Walker. Were they really involved in this?


    And if they were¡­


    How?


    When she first got the report back at HQ, some of her operatives had whispered behind her.


    ¡°They could be dead, too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. If they were in a fight like this, maybe they didn¡¯t make it out.¡±


    Paige frowned. No. She didn¡¯t believe that.


    Because if they were dead?


    Where the hell were their bodies?


    Among all the chaos, the damage, and the destruction since last night¡ªthere were only two corpses other than the officers.


    None of them were Elion or Jordan.


    And that, more than anything, made Paige certain of one thing.


    Elion Hayes and Jordan Walker were still alive.


    Which meant... they knew something.


    Something big.


    Right now, those two were the key to everything.


    Paige Carter straightened, rolling her shoulders back as she took one last sweeping look at the alley. The wreckage, the bodies, the sheer chaos left behind¡ªit all screamed one thing.


    They were already too far behind.


    She turned to her squad, her voice sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade. "We''re done here. Pack it up. I want full reports on my desk the moment we get back to HQ."


    The officers moved immediately, their reinforced boots echoing against the cracked pavement as they secured the area, marking evidence and tagging the corpses.


    The efficiency of the team was undeniable, but Paige still felt the weight of time slipping through her fingers.


    She exhaled. "Pull every CCTV feed in a five-block radius. I want eyes on what happened here before, during, and after the fight. And get me a full list of witnesses¡ªwe need to know exactly what they saw and what they think they saw."


    One of her officers nodded. ¡°And what about the missing two?¡±


    Paige¡¯s eyes darkened. "We find them."