Under the pale morning sky, the Hunter's Tower training ground was silent, save for the occasional rustle of wind brushing through the dust-laden field. The stands were mostly empty, only a few spectators and officials seated with arms crossed and expressions unreadable. Among them stood the receptionist, clipboard in hand, eyes glued to the center of the field. Today was the day of Rei's Level 8 trial.
Tenko stood beside him, tail raised, ears perked. The little fox-like beast was no longer a curious companion—he was a fighter, battle-tested and unwavering in his loyalty.
"I told you to stay out of this," Rei muttered, his voice barely more than a breath.
Tenko gave a bark in response—sharp and clear, full of defiance and resolve.
Rei sighed. "Fine. But if you get in my way, I won't treat you any different from an enemy."
Another bark, short and confident, answered him. Tenko understood. He wasn't here to be protected—he was here to fight.
The receptionist walked over, her brows furrowed as she eyed Rei's belt. Lined with throwing daggers, a quiver of arrows far heavier than any standard hunter's, and a whispering cloak that billowed even in still air. She noticed how the cloak subtly bulged—not with bulk, but with hidden weapons: the Chaos Scepter, a sheathed blade, and concealed daggers likely secured in a manner only Rei knew.
She arched a brow. Overcompensation, she thought. He's not strong—just paranoid.
"Mr. Rei," she called, "please enter the field. The trial begins now. You will face five goblins, released simultaneously. Your task is to eliminate them before they overpower you."
Rei nodded, his face unreadable, and stepped into the circular arena. Tenko followed silently, padding across the dust as though the weight of battle meant nothing to him.
"Go to the center," the receptionist instructed.
He obeyed, standing tall as the goblin gates creaked open with a groan of rusted hinges. Five creatures emerged, snarling and baring jagged teeth, each tethered to their gates by thick iron chains bound to their waists. The chains gave them enough slack to lunge, but not enough to flee.
"Ready… Set… Begin!"
The goblins charged.
Rei didn't wait.
In a blink, he fired his first bolt from the crossbow, aimed at the nearest goblin's heart. The arrow missed as the goblin dodged with surprising agility, the projectile thudding into the ground behind it. Rei didn't flinch. He reloaded swiftly, each movement practiced and refined, then sprinted toward the goblin.
They collided in close range.
The second bolt struck the goblin's chest, knocking it back, but it wasn't enough. The creature staggered forward, snarling.
Rei dropped the crossbow and in the same motion, unsheathed two daggers from his belt. With precise, deadly speed, he slit the goblin's throat with one hand and drove the second dagger into its eye. The goblin twitched once, then crumpled.
The next goblin was already closing in. Rei kicked off the ground, retrieving his crossbow mid-motion, and reloaded. He sprinted in a curved arc, positioning himself so the other three goblins would take longer to catch up, isolating his next target.
As it lunged, Rei loosed an arrow. It struck the goblin's leg, slowing it. Another bolt followed—this one buried itself deep in its neck. The goblin collapsed, shrieking.
Now three remained, all approaching from the same direction.
Rei reached down and drew two more daggers, this time flinging them mid-run. The first dagger grazed one goblin's shoulder, the second embedded into another's chest as they inadvertently crossed paths, throwing each other off balance.
The third goblin ducked and evaded. It lunged forward—only for Tenko to strike.
The Navarion leapt from the side, claws glowing faintly with qi. In a flash, he sliced the goblin's throat open and kicked off its body before the other two could retaliate.
The last two goblins turned on Tenko, screeching and swinging rusted clubs—but Rei was already in motion.
From his cloak, he unleashed a flurry of throwing knives. They hissed through the air and buried themselves in the goblins' backs.
Tenko darted between them with impossible speed, landing clean, graceful slashes across their necks. Both goblins collapsed.
Rei exhaled, heart thudding.
He looked down at the goblin corpses around him. "Without sorcery," he muttered between breaths, "it's a bit harder than usual. Still manageable."
Tenko barked softly beside him, tail wagging.
The receptionist, still watching from the edge, was frozen in place.
What? He passed?
The days that followed were quiet, but Rei's reputation grew louder. He continued to take beast-hunting missions, completing each one with precision and ruthless efficiency. Though others avoided him, whispered about his methods, he never seemed to mind. His goals weren't about friendship—they were about progress.
He trained Tenko each morning, teaching him new sorcery-based techniques they could use in tandem. Tenko learned wind slices, wind blasts, flame throwers, dust explosions, and many more techniques. While isolation followed him like a shadow, he wore it like armor. In time, he rose to Level 6, his advancement far quicker than most, and with that, 6 months passed.
One night, in a distant manor gilded with silver and brass, a noble swirled wine in a crystal goblet and stared at a parchment bearing Rei's name.
"Rei…" he muttered, lips twisting into a smirk. "Climbing far too high, far too fast. One of these days, the stairs he's running up might collapse."
The noble chuckled and downed his wine, completely unaware of the shadow that had scaled the outer wall of his estate. Silent and sure, the figure moved across rooftops like wind-blown mist. A dagger glinted under the moonlight, but vanished just as quickly.
The shadow reached the window and peered inside.
The noble had already retreated to his bed, sighing in comfort.
With deft movements, the shadow cut the window's lock, slipping inside like a whisper.
As the moonlight poured over his form, his face was revealed.
Rei.
Without a word, he shoved a cloth into the noble's mouth. The man awoke, choking and flailing—but Rei had already drawn a blade and nicked his shoulder.
The noble screamed beneath the gag, eyes wide in terror as his limbs trembled.
"This poison was made just for you," Rei whispered. "You have five minutes to live. Panic, and you'll be dead in three."
The noble thrashed wildly. Rei, calm as a winter lake, placed a scroll on his chest.
"Sign this," he said coldly. "Relinquish your title, abandon your land, and give control of the manor to me. Do it… and I'll give you the antidote."
The noble signed, hand shaking.
Rei snatched the scroll and tossed a small vial onto the bed. "Drink it."
He turned and walked to the window.
Behind him, the noble downed the liquid greedily, gasping for breath. He stared at Rei's retreating back, hate burning behind his eyes.
"You'll regret this," he growled. "I'll burn you from existence!"
He began to summon his magic—
But never finished.
A sudden thud, a blur of fur. Tenko emerged from the shadows, eyes glowing with silent fury. Before the noble could scream, the fox's paw slashed clean through his throat.
The noble collapsed, gurgling, blood soaking the silken sheets.
Tenko vanished as quickly as he came.
He understood better than anyone—Rei's only weakness… was finishing the kill.
And Tenko would never let that weakness become his downfall.
Luc, who was watching all of this, was surprised by how easily Rei gained power and went to the mansion to take care of the rest of the processes.