Raiden Alaric

We left the cave, moving slowly to accommodate Luna's injuries. She had insisted on walking under her own power, though she winced with every other step.

"Can we swing by the bear site?" Luna asked after we'd been walking for a few minutes. "I need to grab my bow and a dagger if they're still there."

"Sure," Sol said.

"Yeah we can't leave you completely defenseless," I teased.

The trip back took about fifteen minutes with Luna moving at a careful pace. She kept one hand pressed to her bandaged side, but her wolf ears were constantly swiveling, tracking sounds in the forest around us.

When we reached the site, Luna immediately started scanning the area. Her nose twitched as she picked up scent trails, and her ears flicked toward specific spots among the debris.

She began searching through the scattered weapons and gear, moving carefully around the churned-up ground. After a few minutes, she found her bow half-buried under some fallen branches about thirty feet from where the main fight had taken place.

Luna pulled it free and ran her hands along the wood, checking for damage. One end had some scratches and there was dirt caked in the grip, but the string was intact.

"Still good," she said with relief, brushing off the debris.

Luna spent the next few minutes gathering her scattered equipment. She found her quiver tangled in underbrush with about half her arrows recovered, fifteen total. Her dagger was nowhere to be found, likely embedded in the bear when it fled. Sol tossed her a serviceable replacement from the abandoned camp.

Then she looked between Sol and me with a confused expression.

"Where's your bow?" she asked.

"Don't have one," I said.

"Okay, you've got the spear, so that's fine for ranged work." She turned to Sol. "What about you?"

"I love hunting," Sol said quickly, "but I can't aim for shit with a bow, and spears just don't work for me. I was always the tracker and backup in my group."

"You're both imbeciles," Luna said, though her tone was slightly less harsh. "By the pack bonds, how do you not know the basics of hunting?"

I put a hand to my chest in mock offense. "How dare you say something so... accurate. It's my first time hunting, how dare you be so blunt about it."

Luna's eye twitched. "Your first time? Moon's mercy, and they let you into a hunting exam?"

"Hey, I've been doing fine so far," I protested.

"With a spear," Luna said, pointing at my weapon. "Which tells me you probably don't even know how to use properly."

I raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"

Luna grabbed my hand and turned it palm down, examining my knuckles. They were covered in old scars and calluses.

"These," she said, running a finger over the rough skin. "Your hands are all wrong for a spear fighter. These are a brawler's hands. Hand-to-hand combat." She dropped my hand and stepped back. "I can smell a fighter when I see one. My family's full of your type."

She's got a good nose for more than just tracking.

"Does that make you my little sister now?" I asked with a grin.

Luna's ears flattened and she let out a low growl. I growled right back at her, making my voice comically deep. She blinked in surprise, then snorted with what might have been amusement.

"Look," I continued, getting a bit more serious, "there was no way we could have known it was going to be a hunting exam. The academies randomize their tests every year, and there weren't any leaks this time. I guarantee most of the other candidates didn't know either."

Luna's head tilted as she considered this. "That's... hunt's truth… actually a fair point."

"Anyway," Luna continued, shouldering her bow, "let me explain hunting basics since you two clearly skipped that class."

She gestured to Sol's sword. "Swords are for close combat. In hunting, you want to kill your prey from as far away as possible. Less dangerous, less chance of the animal running away wounded, and you don't have to chase it through the forest bleeding everywhere."

"True," Sol said, "but I went with a sword because I'm aware of how hostile Aetheric beasts can be. When things go wrong, and they always do, you need something reliable for close quarters."

Luna considered this, nodding slowly. "That's... actually smart thinking."

She turned to me expectantly. "And your reasoning for the spear?"

I shrugged. "Spear go stab stab."

Luna stared at me for a long moment. Sol covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.

"Spear… go stab stab," she repeated flatly.

"It's a solid strategy," I said with complete seriousness.

Luna's eye twitched.

"Bows are ideal," Luna continued, patting her weapon. "Silent, accurate at distance, and you can carry multiple arrows for different situations. Spears work too, especially for throwing, but they're harder to retrieve if you miss."

She pointed at me. "Your spear is fine for someone who knows what they're doing, but I'm guessing you're using it more like a pike than an actual hunting weapon."

She's not wrong.

"And you," she turned to Sol, "are completely unprepared. A sword is basically useless for hunting unless the animal is already injured or trapped."

Sol held up his hands defensively. "Look, I've hunted plenty before, but I was always the tracker and backup fighter. I'd find the prey, someone else would make the ranged attacks, and I'd come in with the sword to finish things off if needed."

"So you developed your own method," Luna said, her tone slightly more understanding. "But what happens when you don't have ranged support? Like now?"

"That's actually not as much of a problem here," Sol said. "Aetheric beasts are way more aggressive than regular animals. They'll come to us instead of running away. Plus," he gestured toward me, "I've got Rai for backup."

Luna nodded slowly, looking more impressed. "Smart. Using their aggression against them." She paused. "But what about something like that bear we saw? You going to sword-fight an Aetheric Bear when it charges you?"

"Well, we haven't fought the bear yet," Sol pointed out with a slight grin.

"Because you're smart enough to run away from it," Luna said. "But what about wolves? They travel in packs. Even if they're aggressive, you're still outnumbered."

Sol's expression grew more thoughtful. "That's where strategy comes in. Use terrain, separate them, let Rai handle some while I focus on others."

"This is why most hunters work in teams with complementary skills," Luna continued. "Ranged fighters to soften targets, melee fighters to finish them, and trackers to find them in the first place."

"Wind direction is crucial too," Sol added. "Animals will bolt if they catch your scent, no matter how quiet you are."

Luna nodded with interest. "Exactly. And terrain matters, you want high ground for bow shots, but cover for approach routes."

"Plus escape routes," Sol said. "Never corner something unless you're absolutely sure you can kill it."

Luna nodded approvingly. "Good. You do know what you're doing."

She gestured between the three of us. "We've got one tracker," she pointed to herself, "one experienced tracker with close combat skills," she pointed to Sol, "and one brawler pretending to use a spear," she finished, pointing at me.

"Hey, I've gotten pretty good with the spear," I protested.

"Have you thrown it yet?"

"Nope."

"Have you used it for anything other than close combat?"

"Also nope."

Luna sighed, but there was less frustration now. "At least you're honest about it."

I feel like I should be offended, but she's not wrong in her frustrations.

"So what do you suggest?" Sol asked.

Luna winced slightly as she shifted her weight. "You take point for tracking. My injuries aren't letting me get as low to the ground as I'd like, and moving quietly is... challenging right now."

She looked at Sol with something approaching respect. "You know what you're doing, and you can move faster than me in this condition. I'll stay back with Rai and provide ranged support when we find something."

Sol nodded. "That works."

As we started moving through the forest, Sol took the lead. Luna followed behind him, her bow ready but her movements more cautious due to her bandaged side.

I brought up the rear, and I'll admit it, my attention wasn't entirely focused on our surroundings. Luna's tail swished back and forth as she walked, and it was... distracting. The way it moved with her walk, occasionally flicking when she heard something interesting.

Focus, Rai. You're supposed to be watching for threats, not staring at her tail.

But damn, it looks so fluffy. I wonder what would happen if I just...

I shook my head firmly, pushing the intrusive thoughts away. Now was definitely not the time.

But damn, it was mesmerizing.

We moved through the forest in relative silence for about half an hour, with Sol occasionally stopping to examine tracks or broken vegetation. Luna's head was constantly turning, tracking sounds I couldn't even hear.

Suddenly, Luna held up her hand, bringing us all to an immediate stop.

"Boar nearby," she whispered, her nose twitching as she tested the air. "Fresh scent. Maybe a hundred yards toward the river."

She winced slightly as she reached for her bow, the movement pulling at her bandaged side, but her grip was steady as she nocked an arrow.

"Rai, flank upstream," she said quietly, pointing in the direction she wanted me to go. "Sol, you go behind it. I'll position downstream. Wait for my signal before you move."

Sol and I nodded, and we began moving carefully through the underbrush. I headed upstream along the riverbank, placing my steps as quietly as possible while keeping my spear ready.

After a few minutes of careful movement, I could see the boar through the trees. It was drinking at the river's edge, completely unaware of our presence. The creature was bigger than I'd expected, with those glowing lines of aura running through its dark fur just like the first one we'd fought.

I crouched behind a large tree trunk and waited, scanning the area until I spotted Sol's position behind the boar. He gave me a subtle thumbs up, indicating he was ready.

Now we wait for Luna's signal.

A few seconds passed in tense silence. Then I heard it, a sharp, clear whistle that cut through the forest air.

The boar's head immediately snapped up from the water, looking directly toward the source of the sound. For a moment I was confused about why Luna would give away her position like tha—

An arrow streaked through the air with perfect accuracy, punching into the boar's side with a solid thunk. The creature squealed in pain and fury, but instead of running, it spun toward Luna's position with those glowing eyes blazing.

That was our cue.

Sol burst forward from his hiding spot, his sword raised for a powerful downward slash. At the same time, I launched myself from behind my tree, aura flooding through my legs as I enhanced my speed.

Time to see if that footwork training paid off.

I used the movement techniques I'd learned in the node, my feet finding perfect purchase on the uneven ground as I accelerated. The enhanced footwork gave me incredible speed, and I reached the wounded boar a split second before Sol.

My spear point drove deep into the boar's opposite side, and the creature let out another pained squeal. Blood began streaming from both wounds, but the boar wasn't done fighting.

It whirled around with surprising agility, its tusks slashing at me in a vicious arc. I barely managed to pull my spear back and leap away as the razor-sharp ivory whistled past my ribs.

The boar immediately pivoted toward Sol, who was closing in for his attack. It charged at him with a furious grunt, forcing Sol to dodge to the side. His sword slash caught the creature's neck, opening another gash. It was deep but not a killing blow he'd been aiming for.

"It's still got fight left!" Sol called out, circling around as the boar turned to track his movement.

Luna nocked another arrow. "Keep it distracted!"

The boar's head swiveled between the three of us, trying to decide which threat to focus on. Blood was pouring steadily from its wounds, staining its dark fur crimson, but its aura-enhanced stamina was keeping it upright and dangerous.

I darted in from the side, jabbing with my spear to keep the creature's attention split. The point scraped along its ribs, drawing another line of blood but not penetrating deeply enough to do serious damage.

The boar spun toward me with a snarl, but I could see the movement was slightly slower than before. The blood loss was starting to affect it.

Sol took advantage of the opening, stepping in to deliver a solid cut across the boar's hindquarters. The creature stumbled slightly but whipped around to face him, its tusks still deadly despite its weakening condition.

Luna's second arrow whistled through the air, catching the boar in its chest. The impact staggered it, and I could see its legs beginning to tremble from the blood loss.

"Now!" Luna shouted.

I rushed forward as the boar's movements became sluggish, driving my spear deep into its side while Sol came in from the opposite angle. His blade found its mark, slicing across the creature's throat deeper in a clean, decisive cut.

The boar took a few unsteady steps, blood streaming from multiple wounds, before its legs finally gave out. It collapsed onto its side and went still, the aura lines in its fur slowly fading as it bled out.

"Nice work," Luna said, walking over to us with genuine approval in her voice.

She looked at me with what might have been respect but she was clearly trying to hide it. "That was some impressive speed. Where did you learn footwork like that?"

I grinned at her, breathing slightly harder from the fight. "Does it physically hurt you to compliment me? You look like you're in pain."

Luna's ears flattened and she huffed at me. "Don't get used to it."

"Too late," I said, still grinning. "Come on praise me more~"

Luna walked over to the dead boar and knelt beside it, examining her arrows. She clicked her tongue in irritation as she worked one of them free from the creature's chest.

"What's wrong?" I asked, walking over to see what had caught her attention.

Luna held up the arrow, pointing to how much of the shaft was bloodied. "It didn't go deep enough. Look at this."

She positioned the arrow against the boar's side, showing exactly where it had penetrated. "See how only about four inches of the shaft has blood on it? These Aetheric boars are massive, easily twice the size of regular ones. For a heart shot on something this big, I'd need at least twelve to fifteen inches of penetration."

I studied the arrow and the wound, trying to understand what she was seeing. "So... it was nowhere near a perfect shot?"

"The angle was right, the placement was right," Luna said with frustration, "but my draw strength is compromised from these injuries. I couldn't pull with full force." She touched her bandaged side gingerly. "Plus I underestimated how thick their hide would be in my state. With proper penetration, it would have dropped on its own instead of giving us that whole fight."

She pulled her second arrow free as well, examining it with the same critical eye. "I'll need to compensate for both the size difference and my reduced draw strength until I heal properly."

"Why did you whistle though?" I asked, still curious about that part of her strategy.

Sol spoke up before Luna could answer. "She needed the boar to lift its head. When animals are drinking, their vitals are protected by their lowered position. The whistle made it look up, exposing the heart and lungs for a clean shot."

Luna nodded approvingly at Sol's explanation. "Exactly. A shot to the back or spine while it's drinking might wound it, but it won't drop it quickly. You want the side profile for the best angle to vital organs."

She held up her bow, demonstrating the shot angle. "Plus, the whistle gives me a brief window where the boar is completely still. It's focused on identifying the sound, so it's not moving. Perfect for a precise shot."

"I might try that sometime," I said thoughtfully.

Luna scoffed and shook her head. "You don't even have a bow."

I smirked at her reaction and knelt down beside the boar, pulling out my dagger. "Let me get the core."

I started cutting through the tough hide, following the sensation of concentrated aura until my blade hit something solid and crystalline. After carefully extracting the glowing core, I tossed it to Luna.

She caught it automatically, then stared at me with confusion. "What are you doing?"

"You're running this solo, aren't you?" I said, wiping blood off my dagger. "Only makes sense you take some cores for yourself."

I walked over to the river to wash the blood off my hands, leaving Luna standing there holding the core with a bewildered expression.

Luna held her bracelet up to the core, and it vanished as the device absorbed it. Before we could move on, Sol scooted closer to her with a curious expression.

"Are you of noble blood by any chance?" he asked casually.

Luna raised an eyebrow. "No, why?"

Sol visibly sighed in relief. "Oh good, you're safe then."

I turned around with a raised eyebrow of my own. "Why did you ask her that?"

Sol just shrugged. "It means she's not on your radar."

Luna gave me a flat stare.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"You seem to have a thing for rich and powerful women," Sol said matter-of-factly.

Luna's stare intensified, now looking at me like I was some kind of specimen.

"Hey, that is not true!" I protested.

"It is absolutely true," Sol said with a grin. "You only know noble women."

"That's... Y-you... N-no no!" I sputtered. "You can't just use Ella as an example. Or her sister Illya."

Sol's grin widened. "Oh, you got her sister too? You playboy."

"Do not misinterpret that!" I said frantically. "I know other women... Like..."

I paused, trying to think of examples.

Sol leaned in with a smug expression. "See what I mean?"

I snapped my fingers suddenly. "Ah! Irena! She's not a... W-wait, she's part... of a clan..." My voice trailed off as I realized where this was going. "L-look, that doesn't mean I have a thing for rich and powerful women."

Do the maids count? Surely they count… but that makes ME sound rich and powerful.

Both Luna and Sol just looked at me with knowing expressions.

"Mhmmm," they said in unison.

"Fuck both of you," I said, and walked off.

—

Two more hunts later, I checked my bracelet as we took a break by another stream. The display showed our progress: 475 Points.

One more boar and another hare since we'd found Luna. We were moving slower with her injuries, but her tracking skills and knowledge were more than making up for the reduced pace.

Is this good? Bad? Average?

I had no idea if 475 points in... I checked the time display... ten hours was putting us ahead of the pack or behind it. For all I knew, other teams were sitting on 800 points already.

"How much time do we have left?" Sol asked, looking at his own bracelet.

I checked the countdown timer. "Fourteen hours remaining."

"We're not even at the halfway point yet," Luna observed, settling down on a fallen log. "Plenty of time to improve our score."

Luna stretched her arms above her head, wincing slightly but moving more freely than she had earlier. She rolled her shoulders and twisted her torso carefully, testing her range of motion.

"Feeling better?" Sol asked, noticing her movements.

"A bit," Luna replied, touching her bandaged side gingerly. "Still hurts, but the bleeding's stopped and it's not as sharp. I can move without feeling like I'm going to tear something open."

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She did a few more gentle stretches, her tail swishing as she worked out the stiffness from hours of careful movement. There was definitely more color in her cheeks than when we'd first found her in the cave.

The light was starting to fade as Sol worked on butchering the boar we'd just killed. The forest was growing darker by the minute, and the temperature was beginning to drop.

"I'm going to gather some firewood," I said, standing up and stretching. "We'll need a fire for cooking this and staying warm tonight."

I gestured toward the treeline. "There should be plenty of dry wood around here."

I headed into the forest, initially wondering how I was going to cut down branches without an axe. Then I laughed at myself.

I reinforced my arms and hands with aura, feeling the familiar surge of strength flow through my muscles. Breaking branches became as easy as snapping twigs. I gathered an armload of dry wood, making multiple trips back and forth to build up a decent pile near our makeshift camp.

On my third trip back, I found Luna already starting the fire with some rock I assumed was flint and her dagger.

"Can you grab some herbs while you're out there?" Luna asked, not looking up from the growing flames. "There should be some wild garlic and maybe mint near the water. Look for small white flowers on thin green stalks for the garlic, and mint has those serrated leaves with a strong smell."

I nodded, thinking I had a decent idea of what to look for. "Got it."

I headed back into the trees, scanning the ground near the stream for anything that matched her description. The light was getting dimmer, making it harder to distinguish plants, but I kept searching.

That's when I saw it.

At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me in the growing darkness. There was something glowing in the distance, floating between the trees like a translucent jellyfish made of pure light. Ethereal tendrils of energy drifted behind it as it moved, pulsing with soft blue and white radiance.

I blinked hard, but it was still there.

By the Celestial, that's not a plant.

I crouched down behind a tree, my heart rate picking up as realization hit me. That had to be an Aetheric Wisp. Two hundred points if I could figure out how to catch the damn thing.

Then I remembered what Ironbeard had said during the briefing. Wisps were worth the most points because they were the most challenging. Not because they were physically dangerous like the bears, but because they were nearly impossible to catch.

What did he say about them? They're elusive, they can phase through solid objects, and they're highly sensitive to aura...

I watched the ethereal creature drift between the trees, its glowing form pulsing gently as those translucent tendrils flowed behind it like liquid light. It moved with no apparent pattern, sometimes floating in one direction for several seconds, then suddenly shifting to another path entirely.

Two hundred points though. That's worth four boars.

My excitement got the better of me. I boosted my legs with aura and burst forward from behind the tree, trying to close the distance before it could react.

The Wisp immediately zipped away, moving faster than any of the Hares we'd encountered. It darted between trees like a streak of light, weaving through branches and undergrowth with impossible agility.

Celestial's wings!

I crashed through the forest after it, my aura-enhanced speed carrying me over fallen logs and around massive tree trunks. Branches whipped past my face as I tried to keep the glowing creature in sight, but it was like chasing a shooting star.

The Wisp suddenly changed direction, streaking upward into the canopy and weaving between the branches with impossible agility.

This isn't working.

I stopped my chase abruptly, skidding to a halt on the forest floor. The Wisp continued zipping around for another few seconds, then gradually began to slow down. After a moment, it settled into its previous lazy drift pattern, floating gently between the trees as if nothing had happened.

It stopped running when I stopped chasing. I stood there watching it. The ethereal creature had returned to its calm, meandering movement, those translucent tendrils flowing peacefully behind it.

If it's sensitive to aura, then enhancing myself to catch it would probably just scare it away.

I took a deep breath and began suppressing my aura, using the techniques I'd developed during my time in the training node. I pulled my energy inward, compressing and concealing it until my aura signature was barely a whisper. It was the same method I'd used when hiding from the construct, making myself as undetectable as possible.

The process took several seconds of careful concentration, but eventually I managed to reduce my aura presence to almost nothing. I could feel the difference immediately, it was like wrapping myself in a blanket of silence, energetically speaking.

Thank you Seraphina for letting me nearly train myself to death in the node.

I waited another moment to ensure my suppression was stable, then slowly began moving toward the Wisp. Each step was deliberate and careful, placing my feet quietly on the forest floor while maintaining the aura concealment.

The ethereal creature continued its lazy drift between the trees, seemingly unaware of my approach. Its glowing form pulsed rhythmically, those beautiful tendrils of light flowing behind it like liquid starlight.

I got closer... closer... until I was within arm's reach. The Wisp floated peacefully, completely oblivious to my presence. Its translucent form was even more beautiful up close, the energy patterns shifting and swirling like captured aurora.

Moving very slowly, I reached out and gently wrapped my hands around the ethereal creature. It felt warm and tingly, like holding concentrated electricity, but it didn't resist or try to escape.

I carefully brought the Wisp to my bracelet, and the device absorbed it with a soft chime. The display updated immediately: 675 Points.

I grinned, feeling a surge of satisfaction at the successful stealth approach.

Then I turned around to head back to camp and froze.

"Well shit..." I muttered, looking around at the identical-looking trees surrounding me. "I'm lost."

Sol

I finished cutting the last strips of meat from the boar, my hands working with practiced efficiency as I cleaned each piece in the stream. The water ran pink for a moment before clearing, carrying away the blood downstream.

At least I know what I'm doing with this part.

I gathered the meat and walked back to where Luna had gotten a decent fire going. The flames were steady and hot. She's used to this kind of environment.

"Appreciate you starting the fire," I said, setting the meat down on a clean section of bark I'd prepared earlier.

Now came the tricky part. I needed to build a spit to roast the meat properly. I looked around the immediate area for suitable branches, mentally designing the setup I'd need.

Two sturdy upright posts driven into the ground on either side of the fire, with a crossbeam between them. I'd need green wood for the spit itself so it wouldn't burn through, and the whole thing had to be stable enough to hold several pounds of meat without collapsing.

I found a couple of thick branches that would work for the uprights and started stripping the bark with my sword, sharpening one end of each to drive into the ground.

"Is Rai still out?" I asked.

"Yeah, he left a few minutes ago," she replied, feeding more wood into the fire.

I was using the pommel of my sword to hammer the first upright into the soft earth beside the fire. "Though knowing him, he probably got distracted by something."

Luna's ears twitched with amusement. "Something that fights back?"

"Most likely." I positioned the second upright and drove it in, testing both posts to make sure they were solid. "He has a talent for finding trouble."

I searched around for a suitable crossbeam, eventually finding a long, straight branch that would span between the uprights. After trimming it to size, I notched both ends so it would sit securely in the Y-shaped tops of the posts.

"Hand me that green branch over there?" I asked Luna, pointing to a flexible young sapling I'd spotted earlier.

She passed it over, watching with interest as I stripped it down to make the actual spit. The green wood would be less likely to burn through while rotating over the coals.

"You've done this before," Luna observed.

"Had to learn," I said, threading the spit through the larger pieces of meat. "Living alone means you either figure out how to cook properly or you eat a lot of charcoal."

I balanced the loaded spit across the crossbeam, giving it a test rotation. The whole setup held steady, and the meat was positioned at the perfect height above the glowing coals.

"There," I said with satisfaction. "Now we just need to keep turning it every few minutes so it cooks evenly."

I looked at the meat starting to sizzle over the fire and sighed. "Shame I don't have my seasoning kit with me. I would have loved to put some garlic powder on this, maybe some rosemary, definitely some black pepper..."

"I told Rai to pick up some herbs while he was out there," Luna said. "Wild garlic and mint if he could find them. He should be back soon with something."

Luna looked thoughtful. "There's also wild thyme that grows near riverbanks, and if we're lucky, maybe some sage. Back home we used to use pine needles for a citrusy flavor, sounds weird, but it actually works really well with meat."

"Pine needles?" I raised an eyebrow. "That does sound weird, but I'm willing to try it." I paused, curious. "Are you from one of the realms, or were you born on Earth?"

Luna's ears flicked slightly. "Born on Earth, but my family's originally from the Wilder Reaches, it's a beastkin realm. We moved here when I was young, but my grandmother made sure I learned all the traditional foraging and hunting techniques."

She gestured toward the forest around us. "Most of what grows here is similar to what we had back in the Reaches. Wild herbs, medicinal plants, things like that. It's all about knowing what to look for and where to find it."

"Is your family part of a pack, or are you independent?" Sol asked, rotating the spit to ensure even cooking. "I know beastkin don't have the same noble structure as other races, but my knowledge is pretty limited on how your communities work."

Luna's tail swished thoughtfully. "We're independent. My family never really fit into the traditional pack structures, too stubborn, according to my grandmother." She smiled slightly. "Packs are more common in the Reaches, but they're not mandatory or anything. It's more about shared territory and mutual protection than formal hierarchy."

She poked at the fire with a stick, sending sparks up into the darkening sky. "Some families choose to join larger communities, others prefer to keep to themselves. My parents liked their freedom, so we lived on the outskirts. Still had neighbors and allies when needed, but no pack alpha telling us what to do."

Luna nodded approvingly at the spit setup. "Not bad for someone who hunts with a sword."

I grinned. "I may not be the best archer, but I can at least make sure we don't starve."

Luna studied my face for a moment, then asked, "What about your family? Are you from Earth originally?"

My expression grew more solemn. "I don't know about my family. I talked to Rai about this actually; I don't remember my early life. Don't know what my parents look like, where I came from, or if I'm even native to Earth." I poked at the fire with a stick. "I just remember being taken care of by a group of nomads who found me when I was very young."

"I'm sorry," Luna said quietly. "I didn't mean to bring up a sensitive topic."

"It's fine," I said with a slight smile. "I accepted it long ago. Can't miss what you never really had, right?"

Luna's gaze drifted to the scar running down my left eye. "What about that scar? Do you remember how you got it?"

I touched the mark reflexively, my smile becoming more genuine. "This? No idea. I just know I've had it for as long as I can remember." I shrugged. "It'll probably fade away once I advance to Blue Rank anyway."

Luna nodded, hugging her knees to her chest. "It's a nice look on you."

"Thanks," I said, then glanced around the darkening forest. "When is Rai supposed to be getting back anyway?"

Luna's ears suddenly perked up in realization. She looked around the camp, then toward the treeline where Raiden had disappeared.

"I just asked him to grab some herbs..." she said, a note of concern creeping into her voice.

We both got to our feet and called out into the forest.

"Rai!" I shouted.

"Raiden!" Luna added, her voice carrying further with her enhanced vocal cords.

Luna walked over to the river, scanning the area where she'd sent him to look for the wild garlic and mint. I quickly moved the spit away from the fire so the meat wouldn't burn while we searched.

We called out a few more times, but there was no response. The forest had grown darker, making it harder to see beyond the immediate area around our fire.

"He's not anywhere close," Luna said, her ears swiveling as she listened intently for any sound. "Something's wrong."

She pulled out one of the cores from her bracelet and pushed her aura into it, making it glow with steady light. The crystal illuminated the ground around us, casting everything in a pale blue radiance.

"Help me look for tracks," Luna said, crouching down near where Raiden had disappeared into the forest.

I joined her, scanning the forest floor. It took a few minutes, but Luna's nose twitched as she picked up his scent trail.

"There," she pointed to some disturbed leaves and a faint footprint in the soft earth. "He went this way."

We followed the trail slowly, Luna holding the glowing core ahead of us to light the way. For the first several yards, the footprints were evenly spaced, a normal walking pace.

Then they changed.

"Look at this," Luna said, pointing to where the stride length suddenly increased dramatically. "He started running here."

I studied the tracks. "Running away from something, or chasing it?"

Luna examined the prints more carefully, her enhanced senses reading details I couldn't see. "Chasing. His weight distribution is forward, and the prints are driving into the ground. If he was running away, he'd be lighter on his feet, more frantic."

She looked up at me with concern. "What the hell did he find out here?"

Raiden Alaric

I'd been wandering through the forest for what felt like an hour, trying to retrace my steps back to camp. Every tree looked the same in the darkness, and I was starting to think I'd gotten completely turned around during that chase.

Maybe I should have paid more attention to where I was going instead of focusing on the Wisp.

Then I felt another aura signature drifting through the trees. It was faint but distinct, with that same ethereal quality I'd sensed from the first Wisp.

No way. Another one?

I followed the signature carefully, suppressing my own aura as I moved. Sure enough, through the trees ahead, I could see another glowing form floating peacefully between the branches.

This Wisp looked almost identical to the first one. The same translucent, jellyfish-like body with those beautiful tendrils of light flowing behind it. It drifted lazily through the air, completely unaware of my presence.

Two hundred more points. And maybe this time I won't get lost chasing it.

I began the careful process of suppressing my aura even further, using the same techniques that had worked before. I pulled my energy inward, compressing and concealing it until I was barely more than a whisper in the aetheric spectrum.

Moving slowly and deliberately, I started approaching the second Wisp, placing each step carefully to avoid making any noise that might startle it.

I managed to get close enough to capture it without incident, bringing my total up to 875 Points.

This is almost too easy. How are these things supposed to be rare?

But before I could even start trying to figure out which direction camp might be, I felt it again. Another aura signature, drifting through the forest not far from where I stood.

I followed the third signature and found yet another Wisp floating peacefully through the trees. This was getting ridiculous, but I wasn't about to complain about free points.

After capturing the third one (1075 Points), I put my hands on my hips and stared into the forest.

This has to be bait. There's no way I just stumbled into some kind of Wisp migration route.

"Alright," I muttered quietly to myself. "I'll catch this last one if there is one, then I'm seriously going to start trying to backtrack to camp."

Sure enough, I could sense a fourth signature deeper in the trees. I captured that one too (1275 Points), but as I was adding it to my bracelet, I suddenly felt something that made my skin crawl.

Eyes on me. No, that wasn't quite right. More like someone who had been looking in this direction or area.

I immediately sent out a subtle aura pulse while keeping my own signature suppressed. The technique felt like whispering into the darkness. Barely detectable but enough to get a read on my surroundings.

Two aura signatures. Approaching.

At first I thought it might be Luna and Sol coming to find me, but I didn't recognize these energy patterns at all. These were strangers.

I strengthened my legs and leaped up into the thick canopy above, finding a sturdy branch that could support my weight while keeping me hidden among the leaves. I boosted my sight and settled in to wait.

Soon I could hear footsteps approaching through the underbrush, accompanied by quiet voices. The ambient glow from the forest's bioluminescent plants provided just enough light for me to make out some details while remaining well-covered in the shadows.

Two figures came into view, a beastkin with what looked like fox features and a wood elf with the characteristic pointed ears and lean build. They were talking in low voices as they moved through the area where I'd been collecting Wisps.

"...still not sure about this alliance," the beastkin was saying. "Teaming up with three other groups feels like it could go bad fast."

"I know what you mean," the wood elf replied. "But the guy leading them is clearly strong. Did you see how he handled that boar earlier? Took it down in one hit."

My interest was immediately piqued, but I kept perfectly still and continued listening.

The beastkin sighed. "I still don't like having to patrol this area. We could be hunting instead of walking around in circles."

"We need to," the wood elf said firmly. "Wisps gather in this area, that's what the leader said. And he should know, considering he has a dryad on his team and she's also really strong."

A small grin appeared on my face.

So that's why there were so many Wisps here. And I just cleared out their hunting ground.

The beastkin sighed again. "We're not getting much ourselves, but it doesn't matter. We just need to pass the exam."

"The leader's strategy will work," the wood elf assured him. "We stick to the plan."

They continued walking through the area, and I was about to start planning my exit when the beastkin suddenly stopped. His nose twitched as he began sniffing the air.

My eyebrows raised as realization hit me.

Shit... I can suppress my aura, but I can't hide my scent.

"What's wrong?" the wood elf asked.

"I smell someone," the beastkin replied, his nose twitching. "They were here recently."

Well, it's too late to hide it now.

"I mean, I'm still here, but yeah, that still adds up," I called down from my perch.

Both of them immediately looked up toward my voice, but the thick leaves made it hard for them to pinpoint my exact location. I could sense them trying to locate me through the canopy.

"I'm kind of curious about this little alliance you've got going on," I continued conversationally.

The wood elf's aura flared. "I'm going to send out a pulse."

He released a searching wave of energy, but I used the evasion techniques I'd developed in the node, letting his pulse slide past me without registering my presence.

"Oh, how rude," I replied with mock offense. "I'm trying to have a conversation here."

I dropped down from the tree, landing gracefully on the forest floor with a small grin on my face. I gave them a casual wave.

"Hey there. So this allian—"

A spear thrust shot toward my face, forcing me to jerk my head to the side. The steel point whistled past my ear as the wood elf followed through with his attack.

I immediately had to duck as the beastkin's dagger slashed horizontally where my neck had been a split second before.

So much for conversation.

I rolled backward as the wood elf's spear stabbed down toward my chest, the point embedding in the ground where I'd been crouched.

"Look, I'm not here to steal your cores or anything," I explained, sidestepping another dagger swipe from the beastkin. "I was just curious about—"

The spear came at me again in a wide horizontal arc. I leaned back, feeling the wind from the blade as it passed inches from my face.

"—your alliance!" I finished, jumping back to avoid a coordinated strike from both of them.

The beastkin snarled, "Shut up and fight!"

"I'm trying to be civil here," I protested, weaving between another series of attacks. The wood elf was surprisingly fast with that spear, keeping me on the defensive with precise thrusts and sweeps.

I had to twist my body to avoid the beastkin's dagger as it came up in an uppercut motion, then immediately pivot away from another spear thrust.

"Seriously, we could probably work something out," I continued, my voice slightly strained from the constant movement. "I mean, cooperation is—"

A dagger throw forced me to drop into a crouch, the blade spinning over my head.

"Hey, that's a perfectly good dagger you just threw into the night," I said, watching it disappear into the darkness. "If you can find it later, I'll be impressed."

The beastkin snarled and rushed at me, throwing a series of punches. I blocked them casually with one hand, barely having to move my arm to deflect his strikes.

When he wound up for a big haymaker, I deflected it with my forearm and drove my elbow into his jaw. The impact sent him stumbling backward before he collapsed, completely unconscious.

The wood elf immediately thrust his spear toward my chest. I caught the shaft with both hands and yanked hard, pulling him off balance toward me. Before he could react, I drove my fist into his solar plexus.

The elf immediately doubled over, gasping for air as he dropped the spear and fell to his knees.

I looked down at both of them, not particularly impressed. If anything, I was disappointed.

That's it? This is academy-level competition?

I squatted down next to the wood elf and waited patiently for him to catch his breath. When he finally looked up at me, still wheezing, I gave him a friendly smile.

"Ready to talk now?"

—

Both the beastkin and wood elf were in dogeza position. Hands behind their backs, foreheads pressed to the ground, supporting themselves in what was essentially a plank.

I've always wanted to have people do this after they've wronged me.

Mental checklist: fantasies I wanted to live out at least once, check.

"So," I said, settling into a comfortable cross-legged position in front of them. "Let's try this conversation again. Tell me about this alliance of yours."

The wood elf, still breathing heavily, spoke first. "There are... four groups working together. Twelve people total."

"Led by who?" I asked.

"A guy named Thorgrim Stormcaller," the beastkin replied, his voice muffled by speaking into the ground. "He's got a dryad and another girl on his team. Really strong, all of them."

Shit… he has a cool name.

"And what's the plan exactly?" I asked, genuinely curious about their strategy.

The wood elf shifted uncomfortably in his position. "The plan is to gather as many points as possible. They give us any of the other game they find, hares, wolves, whatever. They only want Wisps and the occasional boar."

"That's it?" I questioned. "Seems like you're getting the short end of that deal."

"It works out," the beastkin said defensively. "We get steady points without having to hunt the dangerous stuff."

"Speaking of dangerous stuff, what about bears?" I asked, remembering the wounded beast Sol and I had encountered.

"We avoid them," the wood elf said immediately. "The leader, Thorgrim, said they're too annoying to deal with. Not worth the risk for the points."

I nodded thoughtfully. Smart strategy, actually. Focusing on high-value, low-risk targets while using alliance members to handle the grunt work.

"How many Wisps have you caught so far?" I inquired.

The fox hesitated before answering. "To my knowledge... maybe six total. They're really difficult to catch. We really need the dryad to pull it off."

Six, huh? I just caught four in one night by myself.

"What about other game?" I continued. "Boars, hares, wolves?"

"We've had decent luck with those," Caelum said. "Maybe twenty boar cores, forty hare cores, and three wolf pack's worth between all the teams."

I did some quick mental math on what those cores would be worth. Six Wisp cores at 200 points each made 1,200 points. Twenty boar cores at 100 points was 2,000. Forty hare cores at 25 points was 1,000. Three wolf packs were probably another 900 points in cores.

So roughly 5,100 points worth of cores for the alliance.

"And how does the core sharing work?" I asked casually. "I assume teams split cores from their kills?"

The beastkin and wood elf exchanged uncomfortable glances.

"That's... where it gets complicated," Kael admitted reluctantly. "Thorgrim's team participates in all the major hunts, especially the Wisp captures and the bigger game. The rest of our teams handle the smaller stuff and provide support."

Ah, there it is.

So Thorgrim wasn't magically getting cores from kills he wasn't involved in. He was smart enough to insert his team into every high-value hunt while delegating the lower-point busywork to the other teams. His team probably participated in all six Wisp hunts, most of the boar kills, and the wolf packs, while the other teams were left hunting hares and providing backup.

Look at me doing math.

Still a decent haul for the followers, I suppose. Much safer than going solo and risking everything on dangerous hunts. But Thorgrim's definitely getting the lion's share.

Not terrible for the followers, but Thorgrim's definitely getting the better end of that deal. Smart bastard.

"Tell me about Thorgrim," I continued, keeping my voice casual. "What's he like?"

The wood elf's voice carried a note of genuine respect. "He's... intimidating. Tall, built like a warrior. His aura feels heavy, like standing too close to a thunderstorm. And he's smart, really smart. Came up with this whole alliance strategy on day one."

"Plus he's got that dryad," the fox added. "She can sense where the Wisps gather, track their movements. Without her, we'd never find them."

"And your names?" I asked casually. "Just for my own records."

The wood elf hesitated, then answered reluctantly. "Caelum Thornwick."

"Kael Ironmane," the fox beastkin mumbled into the ground.

I nodded thoughtfully, absorbing all this information. A twelve-person alliance with a strategic leader, a dryad who could track Wisps, and they'd only managed to catch six of the creatures that I'd just collected four of in a single night.

This is going to be interesting.

"Well," I said, standing up and brushing off my hands. "This has been enlightening. Thanks for the chat."

I started walking away, then paused and looked back at them. "Oh, and you might want to find a new hunting ground. This one's been... depleted."

I left them there in their humiliating positions, still trying to process what had just happened, and began the long trek back to find Sol and Luna.

Now I just need to figure out which direction camp is.

—

I'd been walking for about ten minutes, trying to retrace my steps through the increasingly dark forest, when I finally sensed familiar aura signatures approaching through the trees.

About time.

I waved as Sol and Luna came into view, both of them carrying a glowing core for light. They looked relieved to see me, but also slightly exasperated.

"There you are!" Sol called out as they reached me. "What are you doing all the way out here? How did you get so lost?"

"I got a bit distracted," I said with a sheepish grin, then pointed to his bracelet. "Check your score."

Sol looked down at his bracelet, and his eyebrows shot up. "What in the seven realms? How did you—" He looked at the display again, then back at me. "Rai, this says we have over twelve hundred points."

Luna leaned over to look at Sol's bracelet, her eyes widening. "That's... that's a massive jump. How did you get so many points?"

"I found a few Wisps," I said casually, as if stumbling across four of the rarest creatures in the rift was no big deal.

Luna opened her mouth, clearly about to grill me for more details, then stopped herself. "We can talk at camp," she decided, though I could see the curiosity burning in her eyes. She paused, then added with obvious disappointment, "But I'm guessing you didn't get a single herb, did you?"

"Yeah..." I said, then brightened. "But I got something else instead. See, points are good. Rai got points, so Rai getting points means Rai is good. Rai forgetting herbs is nothing in the face of good Rai."

Luna stared at me for a moment, then shook her head, possibly with exasperated fondness.

As we started walking back toward camp, I couldn't help but grin to myself.

Now let's see if they take the bait~

"What's that look for?" Sol asked, noticing my expression.

I smiled, "Oh, nothing~"

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