Ascendants

Kael Ironmane

My jaw still ached from where that bastard had elbowed me. Caelum walked beside me in sullen silence, nursing his bruised ribs. We made our way back through the darkening forest toward the alliance camp.

Beaten. By one guy. A human.

The humiliation burned worse than the physical pain. I was a fifth-generation Ascendant in my family, damn it. I'd earned my place at the academy trials through skill and determination. Yet some random human had taken me and Caelum down like we were novices.

And he made us bow. Made us grovel like defeated dogs.

I could still feel the phantom pressure of the forest floor against my forehead. The strain in my back from holding that degrading position while he casually interrogated us. The worst part wasn't even the physical dominance, it was how effortless he'd made it look.

"We have to tell Thorgrim," Caelum said quietly, breaking the silence.

"I know." The words tasted like ash in my mouth.

"All of it. The Wisps being gone, the interrogation, everything."

I nodded reluctantly. Thorgrim didn't tolerate lies or omissions. He'd find out anyway, he always did. But the thought of admitting our failure to him made my stomach clench.

By the realm's sake, he's going to be furious about the lost points.

The alliance camp spread out before us in the valley below. A dozen tents arranged in precise formation around a central fire pit, with patrol routes marked by subtle torches. Even from a distance, it looked more like a military encampment than a temporary exam shelter.

Guards at the perimeter nodded us through without question, though I caught a few curious glances at our disheveled appearance. Word would spread quickly. In a camp this size, there were no secrets.

"Kael. Caelum." The voice cut through the camp's evening bustle before we'd even reached the command area. Thorgrim emerged from the largest tent at the center of the formation, his imposing frame silhouetted against the firelight behind him. "You're late."

He didn't ask if we were hurt or if our bracelets should have pulled us out. Just an observation about our tardiness. I felt my stomach drop as his pale blue eyes took in our condition with clinical detachment.

"Report," he said simply.

Even after two days of working under him, Thorgrim's presence was overwhelming. He stood nearly seven feet tall, built like a warrior from the old legends, with platinum blonde hair and scars that spoke of actual combat experience.

"The Wisp gathering area has been... compromised," Caelum said carefully.

Thorgrim's expression didn't change, but I felt the air grow heavier around us. Several other alliance members had gathered, drawn by the tension in their leader's voice.

"Elaborate."

The single word carried enough weight to make me straighten instinctively. "Someone got there first," I said, forcing myself to meet his gaze. "Cleared out all the Wisps before we arrived."

"Someone." Thorgrim's tone suggested he found our choice of words inadequate.

I swallowed hard, acutely aware of the growing audience of alliance members. "A human. Working alone, as far as we could tell. He... ambushed us."

"I see." Thorgrim's gaze shifted between us, cataloging every bruise and torn piece of clothing. "This lone human defeated both of you."

The humiliation deepened. It wasn't a question, it was a statement of fact that made our failure echo across the silent camp.

"How many Wisps did he claim from our designated hunting ground?"

He went straight to the point loss.

"Four," Caelum answered, his voice barely above a whisper. "At least. Possibly more."

A murmur ran through the gathered alliance members. Four Wisps represented eight hundred points, more than most teams had managed in our time here.

I watched Thorgrim's expression shift subtly. The cold disappointment transformed into something sharper, more calculating. "Four Wisps. In one night. By himself."

He began pacing slowly, his mind clearly working through the implications. "And you two, experienced hunters both, were unable to prevent this."

The words hit like physical blows. Experienced hunters. The mockery in his tone was subtle but unmistakable.

"Sir, he was—" I started, but Thorgrim raised a hand.

"I'm not interested in excuses, Kael. I'm interested in results." His gaze swept over both of us dismissively. "You were tasked with securing our primary resource node. Instead, you've handed our most valuable hunting ground to a competitor."

"Did this intruder provide a name?" Thorgrim asked.

I hesitated. We hadn't gotten his name during the interrogation, another failure to add to the list. "He never told us his name. Dark hair, blue eyes, well built. Confident bastard." I touched my jaw. "Asked detailed questions about our operation. Wanted to know about you specifically."

For the first time since our return, Thorgrim looked genuinely interested. "Did he now."

"There's more," Caelum said reluctantly. "He could have killed us. Could have taken our bracelets for the point transfer. Instead, he just... interrogated us. Then let us go."

"Let you go," Thorgrim repeated, his voice taking on a dangerous edge.

"He asked detailed questions about our operation," I added, touching my jaw. "Wanted to know about you specifically. About our numbers, our hunting patterns."

The camp fell completely silent. Even the crackling of the fire seemed muted as everyone absorbed the implications.

Thorgrim stopped pacing and turned to face us fully. When he smiled, it held no warmth whatsoever. "I see." His eyes glinted with cold understanding. "You failed to secure our most valuable hunting ground, and in the process, delivered a comprehensive intelligence briefing to our competition."

I wanted to sink into the ground. Around us, I could feel the judgment of the other alliance members. People who had trusted us to handle a simple patrol mission.

"What was your assessment of his combat capabilities?" Thorgrim continued, his clinical tone making it clear this was an intelligence debriefing.

I touched my swollen jaw, the pain a constant reminder of how easily I'd been outclassed. "Dangerous. Very dangerous. Fought like someone with solid training, but adaptive. Not rigid or formal."

"Physical description?"

"Human male, maybe early twenties. Dark messy hair, striking blue eyes. Built like a brawler, lean but strong. Moved with complete confidence, like he'd never lost a fight in his life."

"And his aura signature?"

"That's what's unsettling," Caelum said. "Initially, Kael caught his scent, but I couldn't feel his aura, even after I sent out a pulse."

Thorgrim turned toward his tent. "Nyxa."

The dryad emerged silently, her green-tinged skin seeming to glow in the firelight. She studied us with those unsettling golden eyes.

"Can you read what happened in that area?" Thorgrim asked.

Nyxa closed her eyes and placed her palm against the ground. Her aura shifted subtly, extending outward like invisible roots spreading through the earth. The golden glow in her eyes intensified even through her closed lids as she connected with the forest's network.

For several long seconds, she remained perfectly still, her breathing slow and deliberate. I could sense her aura reaching out, touching the woodland currents that flowed between the trees.

When she opened her eyes, they held a troubled light. "The natural aura flows show the aftermath, disrupted territories where Wisps once gathered. Yet whatever caused this disturbance moved without leaving any aura signature. A human shouldn't be capable of capturing Wisps without a dryad... wait... you said he claimed to capture them?"

"That's what he said," I replied, frowning. "He mentioned capturing four Wisps. Seemed pretty confident about it."

Nyxa's golden eyes sharpened with sudden interest, her previous troubled expression shifting to something more calculating. "Captured four Wisps. Without a dryad." Her voice carried genuine amazement. "That should be impossible. Wisps flee at the slightest hint of non-natural aura. Only dryads can approach them safely because our aura resonates with the natural world." She trailed off, clearly reevaluating everything she thought she knew about this competitor.

Thorgrim nodded slowly, his strategic mind clearly cataloging every detail. "A stealth specialist with hand-to-hand expertise and enough skill to single-handedly capture multiple Wisps without dryad assistance." He looked around at the assembled alliance members. "This changes our operational parameters."

"Sir?" I asked, though part of me dreaded the answer.

"This competitor has demonstrated that he's our primary threat. Four Wisps puts his individual point total above most entire teams." Thorgrim's predatory smile returned, though his eyes remained cold and calculating. "More importantly, he's made this personal."

The weight of his attention shifted away from us, and I felt a moment of relief before realizing what it meant. We were no longer relevant to his planning, just tools that had outlived their usefulness.

"Nyxa, can you track him through the forest network?"

The dryad closed her eyes, extending her senses through the forest's aura network. After a long moment of concentration, she opened them with a frustrated expression. "The path is... fragmented. I can sense disturbances where he passed, but his aura signature itself is completely absent. It's like trying to track a ghost."

Thorgrim's expression darkened. "So we can't track him directly."

"Not easily," Nyxa admitted. "I can follow the disruptions he left behind, but it will be slow work. And if he changes direction or doubles back..." She shook her head. "We might lose the trail entirely."

"Then we adapt our strategy." Thorgrim looked around at his alliance with renewed determination. "Tomorrow, we hunt differently."

As the crowd began to disperse and discussion turned to tactical planning, I realized that Caelum and I had become footnotes in our own report. Thorgrim was already three steps ahead, turning our humiliating defeat into his next strategic advantage.

At least he's taking the threat seriously. Because that human is going to be a problem for whoever faces him next.

Raiden Alaric

I yawned and stretched, sitting comfortably on top of the dead boar's flank like it was the world's most unusual chair. The creature's aura lines had faded completely, leaving behind just another successful hunt in what was becoming a very profitable morning.

No sleep at all wasn't exactly ideal preparation for hunting, but someone had to keep watch.

While they were asleep for the few hours they were, I was practicing throwing my spear and my dagger. I may or may not have accidentally woken up Luna when the spear may or may not have landed right near her. I most certainly wasn't aiming anywhere near her. I was a smart cookie and moved far away. Obviously.

Luna stood a few feet away, staring at me with an expression I couldn't quite read. Her bow hung loose in her hand, unused, while her wolf ears twitched with what looked like barely contained disbelief.

"You..." she started, then stopped, looking from me to the boar and back again. "You hunted this yourself."

"Mmhmm," I mumbled around another yawn. "Found it a bit ago. Took maybe… two minutes to bring it down."

I wasn't trying to brag, but it was the truth. The boar had been drinking at a small stream about half a mile from our temporary camp when I'd spotted it during my morning patrol. This time I'd gone alone.

And it had been embarrassingly easy.

The boar was completely predictable. Drink, look around, shuffle sideways, repeat. After watching for maybe thirty seconds, I had the thing figured out. Better yet, I could see exactly where to hit it. The spot Luna had mentioned for vital strikes, the angle needed to slip between the ribs, the precise depth required.

My spear found its mark perfectly. Right where Luna said to aim, slipped between the ribs clean as you please. The boar dropped after maybe thirty seconds of thrashing around.

"Let me get this straight," Luna said, her voice taking on that dangerous tone I was learning to recognize. "Earlier today, you'd never properly used a spear for hunting. You didn't know basic tracking."

I nodded. She still doesn't know I can use a spear pretty well thanks to Ella and Illya. To be honest, I just didn't know how to implement it on a boar or wolf. So, of course I look out of place.

"And now you're telling me you tracked this boar, approached it undetected, and killed it cleanly with a single spear thrust. By yourself."

"Well, when you put it like that, it sounds pretty impressive," I said with a grin.

Luna's eye twitched. "Where exactly did you learn to read animal behavior patterns between earlier today and this morning?"

Right…

I scratched the back of my head, trying to figure out how to explain this without sounding completely insane. "I'm a pretty fast learner?"

"A fast learner." Luna's voice was completely flat.

"Very fast," I clarified helpfully.

She walked over to examine the boar more closely, her nose twitching as she picked up scent trails around the area. After a few minutes of investigation, she looked up at me with an expression somewhere between impressed and deeply disturbed.

"The spear placement is perfect," she said slowly. "Right through the heart, one clean strike. You came at it from downwind so it couldn't smell you, and that angle..." She shook her head in disbelief. "That's not beginner's work."

Luna straightened up and fixed me with a stare that could have melted steel. "This kill makes you look like someone who's been doing this for years."

I shrugged. "Maybe I'm just a genius?"

"Genius," she repeated, in the same tone someone might use to discuss a particularly unbelievable fairy tale.

"Or maybe," Sol's voice called from behind us, "he's finally starting to listen to good advice."

We both turned to see Sol approaching, looking remarkably well-rested for someone who'd spent the night in a forest clearing. He was already geared up and ready to move.

"Morning, Sol," I called out. "How'd you sleep?"

"Not bad, I've slept on the ground pretty often during my personal hunts. So I'm use to it." He gestured toward the boar with an appreciative nod. "Nice work on the points. When did you have time to hunt?"

"Recently," I said. "Figured I'd scout the area and see what I could find while you two were sleeping."

Sol nodded approvingly. "Smart. Always good to know what's in the immediate area and what kind of point opportunities might be around." He looked at Luna, who was still staring at me like I'd grown a second head. "Something wrong?"

"He killed this boar himself," Luna said faintly. "With a single spear thrust. After tracking it solo."

Sol walked over to examine the carcass with casual interest. After a moment, he nodded approvingly. "Nice work. Right through the heart, quick death."

"Right?" I said, pleased that someone appreciated my effort.

"Actually," Sol continued, his tone becoming more thoughtful, "this is really solid work. Nice clean kill."

Luna stared between us with growing bewilderment. "That's it? That's your entire reaction?"

Sol looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"He just killed an Aetheric Boar by himself," Luna said, gesturing wildly at the carcass. "Perfect technique. After claiming he'd never properly hunted before today. And you're just standing there nodding like this is normal!"

I shrugged. "We've been hunting together. Sol knows I pick things up quickly."

"Quickly?" Luna's voice cracked slightly. "This goes way beyond 'quickly'—this is impossible!"

Sol looked at her with genuine confusion. "Luna, we've taken down multiple boars, hares, and even a wolf over the past day. Rai's been improving with each hunt. This is just... normal progression."

"Normal progression," Luna repeated faintly, looking between us like we were speaking a foreign language.

"Look," Sol continued pragmatically, "we've got limited time left in this exam. Rai can hunt, I can track, and now we have you for enhanced senses. We should focus on maximizing our point gains rather than questioning how we got here."

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Luna stared at Sol's matter-of-fact expression, then looked at me lounging casually on the dead boar. "You're both insane. This is not normal."

Sol was studying me with mild interest. "Though I'll admit, your improvement curve is pretty steep. Most people don't go from 'never hunted before' to 'solo killing Aetheric Boars' in a day."

"Most people don't have a good teacher," I said, deflecting with a grin.

"Fair point," Sol said with a slight smile. "But still, you learn crazy fast. I've never seen anyone pick things up like that."

Luna looked between us with growing frustration. "That's what I'm trying to tell you! This goes way beyond normal!"

"Maybe it's unusual," Sol said pragmatically, "but it's useful. And we're in an exam where useful trumps normal every time."

Luna stared at Sol's matter-of-fact expression, then looked at me lounging casually on the dead boar. "You're both treating this like it's no big deal."

"Because it isn't," I said with a shrug. "I learn fast, Sol tracks well, you've got enhanced senses. We all have our strengths."

"Learning fast," Luna repeated, her voice taking on that dangerous flatness again. "You call going from zero to expert hunter overnight 'learning fast.'"

"Look," I said, standing up and brushing boar hair off my pants, "I watched how it moved, remembered what you said about where to hit, and stuck it with my spear. Therefore, I got a lot of gold stars when I was a kid. I'm a good listener."

"When?" Luna demanded. "When did you suddenly become a hunter? We were together until we went to sleep, and you came back with fresh kills when we woke up."

I hesitated. The truth was that my Origin allowed me to adapt to the hunting situation with obscene speed. Reading the boar's patterns, identifying its vulnerabilities, timing the perfect strike—it all felt as natural as breathing once I understood the basics of where to aim.

But explaining that is going to raise questions I'm not ready to answer.

"I'm a quick study," I said finally. "Always have been. Show me something once, and I can usually pick it up pretty fast."

Sol clapped me on the shoulder. "Whatever the explanation, we've got fresh points and good momentum. Ready to keep moving?"

Luna walked over to examine the boar's wound more closely, her nose twitching as she studied the strike. "Perfect angle. Right depth for a quick kill." She looked up at me with growing wariness. "You don't just luck into something like this."

"I pay attention when people give me advice," I said carefully.

"This goes way beyond paying attention," Luna said, straightening up. "It's like you've been hunting for years."

Because I did, in a way. But explaining that is going to raise questions I'm not ready to answer.

"Everyone has their secrets," I said carefully. "Some things are harder to explain than others."

She studied my face for a long moment, clearly debating whether to push the issue. Finally, she sighed and shouldered her bow.

"Fine. Keep your secrets for now. But if we're going to work together, I need to know what you're actually capable of."

I grinned at her, unable to resist. "Oh, so now we are working together? That's interesting, considering when we first met you made it very clear you work alone."

Luna's ears flattened slightly. "That's... that's not what I meant."

"Really?" I said, my grin widening. "Because it sounds like you're warming up to us. Should we just make this official? Form a proper team?"

Luna's cheeks flushed pink beneath her fur. "I— No! That's not— I just meant for the exam!" She stammered, clearly flustered. "Temporary cooperation! Nothing more!"

"Uh-huh," I said, still smiling. "Sure it is."

"Shut up!" Luna snapped, her blush deepening. She spun around and started stomping away from us, her tail bristling with embarrassment. "We're just hunting together until this stupid test is over!"

Sol and I shared an amused look as we watched her march ahead, muttering under her breath about "arrogant humans" and "temporary alliances."

"Think she's warming up to us?" Sol asked quietly, fighting back a smile.

"Oh, definitely," I replied, shouldering my spear. "Give it another day and she won't be able to see us as anything less than friends."

Luna's ears twitched from ahead of us, indicating she'd heard every word. Her tail flicked in irritation, but she didn't turn around to argue.

—

The last wolf dropped with a pained whine as Sol's sword found its heart. I yanked my spear free from the one I'd just taken down, wiping the blood off on the grass as I looked around the clearing.

Seven wolves.

Sol was already moving to collect the cores from his kills, quick and practiced. We'd gotten good at this since finding Luna. The teamwork, the timing, the clean kills. What would have been a mess of a fight hours ago had become pretty routine.

Luna stood near the edge of the clearing, breathing slightly harder than us but looking fine otherwise. She'd dropped three of the wolves herself with her bow, but I could see something in her expression that wasn't satisfaction.

It was confusion. Maybe even concern.

"Nice work," Sol called out, pulling a glowing core from his second wolf. "That pack almost had us surrounded there for a second."

"Yeah, but we handled it," I said, kneeling beside my own kills. The cores came out easier now, I'd figured out the trick after our earlier hunts. "Good thing Luna spotted where they were hiding. Would've walked right into that ambush without her."

Luna nodded absently, but her golden eyes kept flicking between Sol and me, then down to the wolf carcasses, then to her bracelet. She was doing math in her head, and from her expression, she didn't like the results.

I absorbed my cores into the bracelet and checked the updated score: 1,800 Points. Sol's bracelet would show the same, we'd been sharing points as a team since the exam started.

Luna was still staring at her own separate bracelet when I walked over.

"You alright?" I asked.

She looked up, startled. "What? Oh. Yes, I'm fine."

But she wasn't fine. I could see it in the way her ears drooped slightly, the way her tail had stopped its usual confident swishing. She looked... deflated.

"You sure? You've been quiet since we took down those boars."

Luna's gaze flicked to Sol, who was finishing up with his cores, then back to me. "It's just... you two are improving so fast. Really fast."

"Thanks?" I said, not sure if it was meant as a compliment.

"No, I mean..." Luna paused, searching for words. "When we first started working together, I thought I was bringing something essential. My tracking, my knowledge of animal behavior, my bow skills."

"You are bringing those things," Sol said, walking over to join us. "We never would have found half these hunting grounds without you."

"But that's all I'm bringing," Luna said, her voice taking on a frustrated edge. "Tracking. You two are handling everything else now. The strategy, the coordination, the actual fighting. I'm starting to wonder if you even need me for anything other than pointing you in the right direction."

I frowned. I didn't see it that way at all. "Luna, your bow work just saved our asses with that alpha wolf. If you hadn't taken out its—"

"You would have figured something out," Luna interrupted. "You always do. Both of you. You adapt so fast it's like..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

Sol and I exchanged a look. This was about more than just the hunt.

"Is this about points?" I asked gently.

Luna's ears flattened, which was answer enough. I glanced at her bracelet, then back at her face.

"Can I see?" I asked, extending my hand.

"No," Luna said quickly, pulling her wrist back. "It's fine. I'm doing fine."

"Luna," I said, making my voice more serious. "Can I see your bracelet?"

She hesitated, clearly torn between pride and practicality. After a long moment, she reluctantly extended her wrist.

I gently took hold of it and read the display: 975 Points.

I blinked, then checked my own bracelet again. 1,800 Points. Nearly double what she had.

"Oh," I said quietly.

Sol leaned over to look at the numbers, and his expression grew concerned. "Luna, how is your score so much lower? You've been with us for most of our hunts."

Luna pulled her wrist back, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "Because I haven't been killing as much as you two are. And those Wisps you caught, Rai... that was eight hundred points I had nothing to do with. Plus, you two have been sharing points as a team this whole time."

I winced. Right. The Wisp hunting had been a solo venture while they were sleeping, and Sol and I had been pooling our points as an official team from the start.

"Look," I said, sighing. "Are you still insistent on not officially joining our team?"

Luna didn't answer right away. She stared down at her bracelet, then at the wolf carcasses around us, clearly wrestling with something.

"Look," I said, crossing my arms, "there's no shame in admitting you're at a disadvantage. You acknowledging it is the first step of personal growth." I gestured toward her bandaged side. "Besides, who knows how long you were out for the count, and because your injury isn't fully healed yet, it still limits your movements."

Luna's ears flopped down completely as she took in a deep breath. Then, to my surprise, she punched herself in the face.

I raised my eyebrows. "Uh... Luna?"

She rubbed her cheek where she'd hit herself, looking slightly embarrassed but more determined. "You're right. I've been letting my pride get in the way of practical thinking." She looked up at both of us. "I agree to join your team. Officially."

She straightened up and extended her hand toward Sol first. "Luna Nightwhisper, of the Verdant Reaches."

Sol clasped her hand firmly. "Sol, originally from nowhere in particular on Earth… I think."

Luna then turned to me, offering the same formal handshake. "And you?"

I took her hand with a grin. "Raiden Alaric, also from Earth. Though my friends call me Rai."

"Rai," she repeated, testing the name. "Alright then." She looked between us both. "Now that we're properly introduced, let's make this official."

She held up her bracelet. "Both of you touch your bracelets to mine at the same time."

Sol and I each pressed our bracelets against Luna's. The devices glowed briefly, then chimed in unison.

I looked down at my display as the numbers shifted: 2,775 Points - Team Total. Below that: 925 Points - Individual Share.

"Well," I said with a grin, "welcome to the team, officially."

Luna looked at her own updated display and smiled. "This... this is much better."

"But," Luna continued, raising a finger and looking directly at me, "if we're going to be a real team, no more solo adventures without telling the others."

I gasped dramatically, placing a hand over my heart. "Me? Acting on my own? How dare you suggest such a thing!" I looked at Sol with exaggerated betrayal. "Sol, tell her I would never go off on my own to hunt Wisps in the middle of the night while my teammates are sleeping!"

Sol snorted with laughter. "Oh yeah, you're totally innocent in this."

"I am wounded by these baseless accusations," I declared, still maintaining my theatrical tone. "Here I am, bringing valuable points to our team effort, and this is the thanks I get? Good It breaks my heart to be taken advantage of..."

Luna rolled her eyes, but I caught the hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "Just... try to let us know next time, okay?"

"Fine, fine," I said, dropping the act with a grin. "No more midnight Wisp hunting without permission from the team mother."

"Team mother?" Luna's ears flattened in irritation.

Sol clapped his hands together before Luna could throttle me. "Great! Now that we're official, we can start planning. There's a certain bear I've been wanting to hunt."

Thorgrim Stormcaller

I held up my fist, bringing the hunting party to an immediate halt. The forest fell silent around us as my team dropped into practiced positions without a word. Leading groups had taught me the value of discipline, and these three had learned to follow my signals without question.

There. About fifty meters northeast.

The Wisp drifted lazily between the trees, its ethereal form pulsing with soft blue and white radiance. Translucent tendrils of energy flowed behind it like liquid starlight, beautiful and worth two hundred points if we could capture it properly.

"Nyxa," I whispered, barely audible.

The dryad stepped forward silently, her green-tinged skin seeming to shimmer as she extended her aura senses through the forest around us. Her natural dryad heritage allowed her to feel the flow of life energy through the trees and plants, giving her an intuitive understanding of the Wisp's movement patterns.

"I can sense its path through the grove," she murmured, her voice taking on that otherworldly quality. "It's drifting between the old trees, following the aura flows. Completely unaware of us."

I nodded, studying the terrain while keeping my own Green Rank aura carefully suppressed. The Wisp was moving in a roughly circular pattern, drifting between four ancient oaks that formed a natural clearing. Perfect for what we needed.

I gestured to Marcus and Lyara, pointing to positions on opposite sides of the clearing. They moved with practiced aura suppression, their energy signatures compressed to barely detectable whispers as they took their assigned spots. Marcus crouched behind the massive trunk of an oak to the south, while Lyara positioned herself among the thick undergrowth to the north.

Nyxa and I took the remaining positions, east and west, creating a perfect diamond formation with the Wisp's patrol route trapped in the center.

Now comes the delicate part.

"Nyxa," I subvocalized, knowing her enhanced senses would pick up my words. "Begin the lure."

The dryad's natural aura shifted subtly, harmonizing with the forest's energy patterns rather than suppressing like the rest of us. Nyxa's presence felt like part of the ecosystem itself.

She stepped into the clearing with fluid grace, allowing small amounts of her aura to flow outward in patterns that mimicked the life energy of blooming flowers.

The Wisp's attention was drawn to the subtle aura fluctuations, its movements slowing as it drifted closer to investigate.

Perfect.

The ethereal creature moved within arm's reach of Nyxa, its translucent form pulsing with curiosity rather than alarm.

I caught Marcus's eye across the clearing and saw his slight nod. Lyara was in position, her aura coiled and ready to burst outward. Time to spring the trap.

I released my aura suppression completely.

The effect was immediate and overwhelming. My Green Rank aura erupted outward like a pressure wave, the storm-aspected energy filling the air with crackling potential. Even at Green Rank, the sudden release created a wall of hostile energy that rippled through the ambient aura.

Marcus and Lyara followed suit, their own Green Rank auras blazing to life and creating an inescapable cage around the clearing. The combined aura pressure from three Ascendants created a zone of overwhelming energy that the Wisp couldn't phase through.

The creature's peaceful demeanor shattered instantly. It spun in place, seeking an escape route, but everywhere it turned, our coordinated aura projection pressed against it like an invisible barrier. The Wisp's form began to flicker more rapidly, panic evident in its erratic movements as it found itself trapped, its natural phasing ability disrupted by our aura fence.

"Now!" I barked.

Nyxa stepped forward calmly, her natural dryad aura still harmonized with the forest. While our hostile energy kept the Wisp contained and disoriented, her peaceful presence didn't trigger its flight response. She walked directly up to the frantic creature and gently wrapped her hands around its ethereal form, her aura flowing around the Wisp like soothing chains.

The Wisp's struggles gradually ceased as Nyxa's calming aura overwhelmed its panic. Within moments, the creature had settled into a docile state, its beautiful radiance dimming as it entered a form of stasis.

Nyxa caught the core as it solidified, her fingers closing around the prize while the Wisp remained calm in her other hand.

"Clean capture," I said, allowing myself a moment of satisfaction while pulling my aura back to suppressed levels.

Marcus and Lyara returned their auras to baseline suppression as they approached the center of the clearing, their practiced control preventing any residual energy discharge.

"That's our seventh," Marcus reported, checking his bracelet. "1,400 points for Wisps alone."

"Plus the various game we've been distributing to the alliance teams," Lyara added. "Our strategy is working perfectly."

I nodded, taking the core from Nyxa and slipping it into my pouch. "The alliance handles the small game while we go after the big prizes. Works out perfectly."

"Should we continue hunting, or return to coordinate with the alliance teams?" Nyxa asked, though her golden eyes were already extending her natural senses to scan for more Wisp signatures through the forest.

I considered our options while feeling the satisfied warmth in my Aether Core. We had a comfortable point lead, and the alliance teams were handling basic hunting admirably. But there was something nagging at me, Kael and Caelum's report about a competitor who had somehow cleared out one of our designated hunting grounds.

"One more Wisp," I decided. "Then we return to coordinate with the alliance. I think it's time we begin to move to find our intruder."

Before we could move into formation, a familiar aura signature approached through the trees. Raven emerged from the undergrowth, one of our alliance scouts, moving with the practiced stealth that made her valuable for reconnaissance.

"Thorgrim," she said quietly, glancing around to ensure we weren't being observed. "I have a report on that competitor you've been asking about."

I gestured for the team to hold position while I listened. "What did you find?"

"Three-person team," Raven reported, her voice barely above a whisper. "Two humans and a wolf beastkin. They've been hunting systematically through the eastern sectors, multiple boars, a pack of wolves just hours ago."

Marcus stepped closer, interested. "How do you know who we're looking for?"

"One of the human's match the description Kael gave before. Dark hair, blue eyes, only difference is he is using a spear."

If he's using a spear, it would make sense how he disarmed Caelum easily. This has to be him considering Nyxa coordinated the search party.

Raven spoke again. "But something interesting is happening. They've been tracking something specific over the last hour."

I nodded, processing this information. "What are they after?"

"Based on their movements, they're circling the northern ridge, sticking to the dense forest paths where the bear's tracks were last spotted..." Raven paused. "I am prone to believe they're actually going after that bear."

Lyara raised an eyebrow. "The bear? That thing's been tearing through teams since the exam started."

"Exactly," Raven said. "But if they're crazy enough to try it, and if they succeed..." She didn't need to finish. A bear was worth 150 points, enough to significantly impact the exam standings.

I felt my jaw tighten. The unknown competitor was already ahead of most teams thanks to those four Wisps. If they managed to take down the bear as well, they'd be nearly untouchable in terms of point totals.

But there was an opportunity here.

"Where were they last seen?" I asked.

"Eastern edge of the wounded bear's territory, maybe two kilometers from here. They were moving north when I lost sight of them."

I'm glad I had them find the bears' territory so we could avoid it. Now we have a location.

I looked at my team, then back at Raven. "How confident are you in this assessment?"

"Very. Their hunting pattern, their coordination, it's like they've been gauging each other so they can prepare for this..." Raven said.

Perfect. Let them exhaust themselves fighting that monster.

A predatory smile crossed my face as the plan formed. "Keep an eye on them. Track their movements but maintain distance. If they engage the bear, observe but do not interfere." I paused, letting the implications sink in. "We'll meet up with you in thirty minutes. Report any new developments immediately."

Raven nodded, understanding the tactical advantage. "And if they succeed in taking it down?"

"Then we congratulate the victors," I said, my smile widening. "While they're wounded, exhausted, and vulnerable from their hard-fought battle."

Raven's eyes glinted with appreciation for the strategy before she melted back into the forest.

I turned to my team, mind already working through the tactical possibilities. "Change of plans. We hunt one more Wisp, then we position ourselves to—"

Another aura signature approached rapidly through the trees. Gareth, one of our other alliance scouts, emerged from the undergrowth with obvious urgency.

"Thorgrim," he called out, slightly out of breath. "I have an update on that competitor team."

I gestured for him to continue, noting his agitated state.

"They just captured several Wisps," Gareth reported, his voice carrying a note of disbelief.

Nyxa's golden eyes sharpened with interest. "Captured? How did they capture it?"

Gareth's expression grew confused, as if he wasn't sure he believed what he'd witnessed. "One of them, the dark-haired human, just walked up to a Wisp, and... grabbed it. No coordination, no aura pressure, no tactical positioning. He just reached out and took it."

Nyxa's eyes widened, genuine surprise flickering across her features. "That should be impossible. Wisps are too sensitive to aura signatures. They flee at the slightest—"

I felt a spike of irritation at her obvious fascination. Nyxa had only agreed to work with me because of my potential sect connections, seeing an opportunity to advance her own position. Her interest in these competitors' techniques was purely mercenary, another potential advantage to exploit.

"Is there anything else?" I asked curtly, cutting off her speculation.

Gareth gulped visibly, his uneasiness becoming more apparent. The scout shifted his weight, clearly reluctant to continue.

"Gareth," I said, my voice taking on a dangerous edge. "Report. Everything."

The scout's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. "After he captured the Wisp... he turned in my direction." Gareth's voice dropped to almost a whisper. "And he smiled."

The clearing fell silent except for the ambient forest sounds.

"He knew you were watching," I said slowly, pieces clicking into place.

"Yes, sir. He looked directly at my position and smiled. Like..." Gareth struggled for words. "Like he wanted me to see."

You arrogant little bastard.

The implications hit me like a physical blow. This wasn't just superior skill, it was a deliberate taunt. This unknown wasn't just outperforming us; he was mocking our efforts, showing off his abilities while making it clear that our surveillance meant nothing to him.

"How many Wisps?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Four more, sir. He took them one after another, each time looking back at my position." Gareth's voice was strained. "It was like he was... playing with us."

Nyxa looked between us, her golden eyes bright with a mixture of curiosity and calculation. "Someone who can capture Wisps that easily, who can detect surveillance from trained scouts..." She trailed off, but I could see the wheels turning in her head.

Evaluating her options. Wondering if she's backing the right horse.

"Return to your patrol," I commanded Gareth. "Maintain surveillance but increase your distance. This competitor clearly has abilities we underestimated. We're going to meet up with you at the northern area near bear's territory by the river immediately"

As Gareth disappeared back into the forest, I found myself staring in the direction of our mysterious rival's last known position.

You want to play games? Fine. I'll play along.