SS rank Xalvathar: The Soulweaver

Zanele felt the weight of the ring on her finger as she slipped it on. The ring marked her rank—S-Class. Takumi, on the other hand, wore the A-Class ring, his jaw clenched in frustration.

X, the instructor, looked over them with a stern expression. "Training time," he announced. "Prepare yourselves."

Takumi still couldn't shake the resentment in his voice. "Why is Zanele ranked higher than me?"

X glanced at Takumi, unbothered. "You'll understand soon enough."

Zanele watched as the others prepared. There was tension in the air, but she kept her focus. "What do you mean by 'training time'?" Takumi asked.

X's eyes glinted. "Survival. You'll be dropped into the forest for two days. Survival training begins now."

Takumi's face hardened. "What do you mean, 'dropped in'? What kind of training is that?"

Zanele raised an eyebrow. "The forest within the gates is safe. You're not suggesting we leave the gates, are you?"

X smirked. "Exactly. You'll be dropped outside. You'll have to survive with no protection. Just you, the forest, and whatever's out there."

Zanele's eyes widened. "You can't be serious. This is suicide!"

X's voice dropped to a cold whisper. "You'll have to survive. And if you refuse..." He looked at Zanele with an unsettling calmness. "We'll burn your mother's house down with her in it."

Takumi's anger flared, but Zanele nodded, her face hardening. "Fine. We'll do it."

X turned to introduce two more participants. "This is Liyana, and that's Haruto," he said. "Zanele, Takumi, you're going to work with them."

Liyana smiled brightly at Zanele. "I'm going to be your best friend!" she said enthusiastically.

Zanele gave her a look. "I wouldn't count on it."

Haruto, who had been silent until now, stepped forward. "Takumi, today you're my underwing," he said with a grin.

Takumi scoffed, "Ha, sure."

With a swift motion, X kicked them out of the gate, sending the group tumbling onto the forest floor.

Takumi scrambled to his feet, glaring at X. "You could have told us you were going to drop us like that, you jerk!"

Haruto, ever the calm one, said, "Shut up. We've got a bigger problem now."

From the trees, a massive bear appeared, its eyes glowing with hunger. "We're about to be its next meal," Liyana said, eyes wide with panic.

Zanele, however, didn't flinch. "We're not prey here. The bear is." She bared her teeth, a glint of excitement in her eyes.

She drew her sword, stepping forward with an air of confidence. The bear roared, swiping its massive claws at her, but Zanele was faster. She dodged the strike and plunged her sword into the bear's eye. The creature howled in pain, blood oozing from the wound.

Haruto didn't hesitate. He grabbed his two swords and leaped into action, thrusting them into the bear's heart, bringing the beast to its knees.

Takumi stared, wide-eyed. "Zanele, what was that?"

Zanele wiped her sword on the grass and glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

Takumi shook his head, muttering to himself. "Never mind."

Liyana, her fear fading, turned to Zanele with admiration. "That was amazing."

Haruto smirked. "Yeah, it was. Now, who's cooking?"

Liyana immediately shook her head. "Don't look at me. I can't cook."

"I'll cook," Haruto said, rolling his eyes. "But someone needs to find wood for the fire."

Zanele nodded. "I'll get the wood." She turned to Takumi. "You can find fresh water."

"I guess I'll do that," Takumi muttered, though his tone was still filled with frustration.

While the others set to work, Liyana began to examine the bear's body. A few minutes passed before Liyana spoke up, her voice tense. "This is bad. Really bad."

Takumi walked over. "What's wrong?"

Liyana frowned, inspecting the bear's body more closely. "This bear... it's only two years old."

Takumi blinked, clearly shocked. "What? That bear looked like it was at least a hundred years old! Are you sure?"

Liyana nodded. "Yes. We just killed a cub."

Zanele stood still for a moment, guilt washing over her. "It's my fault. I should have realized."

Haruto shook his head, his expression unbothered. "No. We did a good job. I've heard that the meat of a baby bear is actually better than the meat of an adult one."

He grabbed a piece of the bear meat and tossed it onto the fire. "Now, Takumi, give me that water."

Takumi raised an eyebrow. "Water? Why?"

Haruto glanced at him impatiently. "Water with salt in it will help bring out the flavor."

Liyana, still looking disturbed, asked, "Did you hear that?"

Takumi turned to her. "What? Hear what?"

Liyana's voice dropped. "There's something bigger coming. Something huge."

Takumi glanced nervously into the distance. "What are you talking about?"

Liyana's eyes grew wide with fear. "A bear... bigger than the one we just killed. Triple the size."

The group fell silent, the weight of her words sinking in.

Takumi gripped his sword tighter. "That sounds bad."

Liyana glanced nervously over her shoulder. "That's not all. The mother bear... she'll be coming."

The mention of the mother bear sent a chill down Takumi's spine. The forest, once calm and serene, suddenly felt far more menacing. He couldn't shake the image of the massive creature that Liyana described. A mother bear, driven by rage and the need to avenge her cub, would be a force to be reckoned with.

Zanele, sensing the rising tension, spoke up. "We need to be ready. If we survive the next few hours, we'll have to fight again."

Haruto nodded, his face serious. "We stick together. We can't afford to lose anyone."

The flickering fire cast shadows on their faces, but the looming threat of what was to come hung heavy in the air. Zanele felt the weight of the responsibility on her shoulders. She hadn't asked for this, but now there was no turning back.

Takumi glanced at Zanele. His thoughts were a mix of doubt and determination. He had never experienced anything like this before—real danger, not just training.

As the night wore on, the sounds of the forest grew louder. The rustling of leaves, the distant howls, and the unsettling growls made it clear that the forest was far from being a safe haven.

Zanele's grip tightened around her sword. She couldn't let her guard down. Not now. Not ever.