The decision was made.
Three quests. Three environments. Three chances to grow… or to break.
Raidan folded the quest papers slowly, his expression serious.
"Cocodas. Ice-Wrols. Gogaco. Fifty of each."
Iris let out a low whistle.
"Three different biomes. Swamps, frozen lands, and river basins. This isn't a hunt, it's a survival tour."
"And all C-rank," Raidan added.
"The system wants blood."
Iris smirked.
"Good. I was getting bored."
Dividing the Paths
The teams gathered at the departure hall.
Arcit addressed Raidan first.
"Crimson Fangs will accompany you."
Arcitia turned to Iris.
"Silver Claws are yours."
Their bonds stepped forward, weapons ready, eyes sharp.
Raidan glanced at Iris.
"We split, then regroup after the first hunt."
Iris nodded.
"Don't die. I don't feel like dragging your body back."
He smiled faintly.
"Same to you."
The teams separated, footsteps echoing in opposite directions.
Raidan & the Crimson Fangs – Cocoda Territory
The wetlands breathed.
Thick mud clung to boots, and the air was heavy with moisture. The water barely moved, but Raidan felt it.
"Something's watching us," he said quietly.
Too late.
A Cocoda burst from the swamp, massive jaws snapping shut where Raidan had been standing. Its scales were thick, dark, and layered like armor.
"Spread out!" Raidan shouted.
The Crimson Fangs moved instantly. Fire scorched the surface of the water while earth rose beneath Raidan's feet.
He leapt, flames spiraling around his blade.
The Cocoda roared.
The fight was brutal. Mud slowed movement, water dampened fire, and the beasts attacked in groups.
Raidan adapted.
He stopped forcing power and started shaping it. Fire condensed. Earth hardened. His strikes became efficient, controlled.
One Cocoda fell. Then another.
Hours passed.
By the time the sun dipped low, ten bodies lay still.
Raidan stood breathing heavily, hands shaking.
"…So this is the gap."
The system remained silent.
But something inside him stirred.
Iris & the Silver Claws – Ice-Wrol Hunting Grounds
The cold was merciless.
Every breath burned. Snow crunched beneath boots as glowing eyes appeared in the distance.
"I count seven," one of the Silver Claws said.
Iris stepped forward.
"Make it six."
The Ice-Wrols attacked in perfect coordination, massive bodies moving faster than expected.
Ice clashed with ice.
Iris bent water into razor-thin threads, freezing them mid-motion. Wolves shattered as they lunged.
One broke through, claws tearing across her arm.
She didn't flinch.
Iris slammed her palm into the snow, freezing the ground instantly. The Ice-Wrols lost footing.
That was enough.
By nightfall, the snow was stained red.
Eris looked at her trembling hand.
"…I'm close."
Something was forming.
Not yet an ultimate.
But a foundation.
Mart – training in the base
Mart collapsed onto the ground.
"Again," Sorla said calmly.
His lungs burned. Muscles screamed.
But this time… he stood back up.
"I won't stay behind forever," he muttered.
The wind answered.
Three paths.
Three struggles.
The system watched.
~the Forest Fights Back~
They reunited at the edge of Vark Forest.
No greetings. No jokes.
Just quiet stares that said enough.
Iris noticed it first.
"You look worse than before."
Raidan exhaled slowly.
"Cocodas don't fight fair."
She smirked.
"Neither do Ice-Wrols."
Behind them, Rath and Eylo stood alert. Their presence felt… heavier. Not larger yet, but denser, like something had settled into their cores.
Mart arrived last, limping slightly.
"I hate training," he muttered.
"And I hate Sorla."
"That means it worked," Iris replied.
-Vark Forest-
The forest smelled wrong.
Not rot. Not death.
Something in between.
Moist air clung to skin, thick enough to taste. Massive trees twisted upward, their roots crawling across the ground like veins. Mud sucked at boots, and unseen creatures moved beneath the surface.
"This place doesn't want us here," Mart said.
Raidan nodded.
"And it won't wait."
A Gogaco burst through the undergrowth.
Its body was enormous, muscle packed beneath mud-caked fur. Yellow eyes locked onto them, and it slammed its fists into the ground, sending a shockwave through the forest floor.
"Spread!" Raidan shouted.
The battle exploded.
-Gogaco Hunt-
Earth shattered. Trees fell.
Mart was thrown aside, barely blocking with compressed wind. Iris slid beneath a swinging arm, ice forming along her blade as she slashed upward.
Raidan stepped in front.
Fire didn't roar this time.
It compressed.
A single strike. Clean. Focused.
The Gogaco staggered.
Rath and Eylo lunged together, tearing into its legs with raw strength, no techniques, no skills. Just instinct.
The creature fell.
Silence followed.
Then another roar.
Then another.
"They're calling reinforcements," Iris said, eyes narrowing.
Raidan clenched his fist.
"Then we don't stop."
They didn't.
-When Time Blurs-
Days passed.
No proper rest. No full sleep.
Cocodas attacked from rivers.
Eglions dove from above, wind tearing through the canopy.
Gogacos charged without fear.
They fought soaked in mud, drenched in blood, exhausted past reason.
Mart fell more than once.
Each time, he stood back up.
Rath and Eylo began to change.
Their mana output increased violently. Their bodies swelled mid-battle, muscles thickening, eyes glowing brighter.
"Uh… Raidan?" Iris said during one fight.
"Are they supposed to grow like that?"
"I don't think so," he answered honestly.
A Cocoda lunged.
Raidan and Iris moved together.
Water and fire twisted into something else. Not steam. Not mist.
Something sharper.
The air cracked.
-Bond Mark Awakening-
Pain hit first.
Then clarity.
A Electrocutional symbol spread across Raidan's arm. At the same time, burning light traced itself along Iris's shoulder.
Both froze.
Arcit and Arcitia's voices echoed directly into their minds.
"Bond Mark confirmed."
"Unique Ultimate Skill unlocked."
"Spirit Will: Arc Will."
The forest went silent.
Raidan breathed heavily.
"So… this is it."
Eris clenched her fist, power humming beneath her skin.
"…We really crossed the line."
Rath and Eylo roared.
Then stopped.
Their bodies shrank rapidly, settling into a more manageable size.
A new voice echoed in their minds.
"Communication link established."
"Skill unlocked: Telepathy."
Raidan blinked.
"…Did they just talk?"
Eris stared at the two spirits.
"…That's unfair."
-Aftermath-
They finished the hunts.
All four species.
All required numbers.
The forest bore the scars.
Raidan stored the cores and materials into his ring, exhaustion finally catching up.
"Two months, and we're twelve now" he muttered.
Iris laughed softly.
"They probably think we're dead."
"Let them," he said.
"We're stronger now."
They mounted their bonds.
Vark Forest faded behind them.
But it would remember them.