The Golden-Maned Lion rose in the moonlight, shaking the dirt off its body after being punched out of the cave. Its golden eyes locked onto Bruce with burning hatred as it let out a deep, rumbling roar that echoed across the savannah.

[The Lion has used Golden Mane Authority: Fear-Inducing Roar!]

[You feel no fear.]

[You are immune to its Golden Mane Authority.]

[The Lion has activated Sin of Pride…]

The lion's mane ignited in golden flames, its fur blazing with power. Its eyes glowed brighter and the air around it thickened with heat and pressure. Its presence changed, no longer just a beast, but a monarch enraged.

Bruce studied it calmly, a smile forming on his face. "Interesting. That's more like it."

He could already feel it. This lion was stronger than the S-Ranked Laughing Hyena boss, stronger than the wind wolves, but still nowhere Ozai's level, still not .near his level. But what intrigued him was not the raw strength, but the nature of its power. Golden flame, pride-based authority, a 'Sin' activation.

It reminded him of Escanor, which meant this lion's strength might increase with time rather than remain constant. If so, then this wasn't just a beast. It was a scaling threat.

The lion glared at Bruce, and in its eyes he could see everything it remembered: the corpses of its lionesses, the gutted bodies, the dead cub, the empty den.

Everything Bruce had killed now stared back at the murderer who stood in front of it without a shred of guilt.

The lion roared again and charged.

Both of them moved at once, breaking the sound barrier as they clashed.

The lion's body was a comet of golden fire, claws glowing as it swiped at Bruce with shocking speed.

SWOOSH!!

CLANG!!!

Bruce raised his arm and blocked the strike cleanly, dagger blocking claw. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the grass and soil. The lion didn't slow down. It attacked again, faster and stronger than the first time. Bruce deflected it without effort.

With every second, the lion's power rose. Its muscles tightened, its flames burned brighter, its killing intent sharpened.

Bruce only looked more entertained. "You're getting stronger by the second. Good."

The lion's claws blurred with golden energy as it continued its relentless assault, growing stronger mid-battle instead of adapting defensively. But no matter how explosive the lion became, Bruce remained calm.

He blocked, sidestepped, and parried with perfect precision. Not a cut. Not a bruise. Not a drop of blood spilled.

To the lion, this was revenge. To Bruce, this was a field test.

The lion leapt backward, its flames surging even higher as if drawing strength from the moonlight. Its mane burned like molten gold, its breathing deepened, and its aura intensified again.

Bruce didn't move back. He simply watched with focused interest.

"So this is just the start, huh?"

The lion lunged again, and Bruce went to meet it head-on.

...

Meanwhile, back in the pod room, the silence that once filled the chamber was long gone.

Every pod that had opened since the first recruit was killed now had its former occupant sitting beside it, staring up at the floating screens suspended in the air. One by one, the "dead" had returned to reality, only to sit and watch the living continue the trial.

Average Joe and his two teammates were huddled in a corner, their faces pale, their expressions stiff. The memory of their deaths still replayed in their minds, but their eyes refused to look away from the screen displaying the battle between Bruce and the Golden-Maned Lion.

Ozai was there too, standing apart from the others, arms crossed, jaw clenched so tight a vein bulged at his temple. His eyes never left the screen, but the fury in them was impossible to miss.

Lucen stood near the front, hands behind his back, face unreadable. The glow of the projection reflected in his eyes as he watched, not as a spectator, but as someone assessing a variable he hadn't predicted.

A vibration suddenly buzzed against Lucen's wrist.

He looked down. His smart bracelet was flashing. Only one person had authorization to call him mid-trial.

Bale.

Lucen exhaled quietly, then turned and walked toward the main lobby doors. They slid open automatically, sealing behind him the moment he stepped through. Silence wrapped around him.

He tapped a button on the bracelet.

A blue hologram flickered into the air. Bale, stern as always, arms behind his back.

"I trust this conversation is private," Bale said immediately.

"I'm alone, sir," Lucen confirmed.

Bale didn't waste time. "What do you think of Bruce?"

Lucen's response was instant. "He's not on the same level as the others. His growth rate and combat processing are far beyond what we predicted. I suggest we begin treating him as an anomaly instead of a recruit."

Bale nodded once. "Agreed. Which is why I'm considering raising the upper limit strength of the beast he's currently facing."

Lucen blinked. "You want to raise it to actual S-Rank?"

"Yes." Bale's tone didn't waver. "The data is too valuable. If Bruce's class allows him to stand toe-to-toe with S-Ranks while still being an A-Rank, then the gap between S and SS is already meaningless for him as an S-Ranked he is in real life. If that's true, then we're looking at someone who may surpass the traditional ranking system entirely."

One might assume Bale was doing this to kill Bruce, but that isn't the case. He never cared about the feud between Bruce and Ozai. The Thorne family and the Guild had a deal: the Guild provided Ozai the opportunity to eliminate Bruce, and Ozai failed.

So Bale's decision now has nothing to do with revenge or loyalty. It's purely curiosity, he wants to see the true extent of Bruce's abilities.

Meanwhile, Lucen nodded slowly. He understood. Even he was curious now.

But another thought surfaced. "What about the points? If you unleash a real S-Rank beast, no A-Rank should be able to survive that. Even though Bruce matched Ozai after he touched the S-Rank threshold he's still A, an Actual S might be too much for him. A true S-Rank beast has a mana beast core, and when that core cycles, its base strength can double instantly."

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