[Way

  of the Wolf: Territorial Instinct — ALERT]

  [Threat Detected:

  Uncertain]

  [Psyche: 73% → 71%]

  — Yeah.

  That’s me. But I’m not a...

  Emet

  approached, hand outstretched.

  — Nice

  to meet you, man. We’re going to have some fun together.

  Vincent

  looked at the outstretched hand, then at Emet’s face, then back at

  the hand.

  I

  don’t want to touch him. I don’t know why. But I don’t want to.

  He

  shook the hand anyway, briefly, and pulled away immediately. Emet’s

  skin was cold. Not "cool." Like a corpse.

  

[Psyche:

  71% → 69%]

  [Way of the Wolf: Olfaction — ERROR]

  [No scent

  detected]

  [Target: Invisible to predatory senses]

  What?

  Nothing? I smell... nothing? No aura. No trail. No heartbeat. He’s

  empty.

  Emet

  didn't seem to notice Vincent’s unease. He turned toward the

  Scoloptera carcasses, rubbing his hands together.

  — So.

  You guys done with these, or...?

  Vincent

  frowned.

  — Done?

  I was just about to harvest their hearts.

  Emet

  looked at him, smile still in place, but something changed in his

  eyes. Something calculating.

  — Ah.

  The hearts. Right, you need those for your transformations. — He

  paused. — But you know, the hearts are just one part. The rest of

  the body is a waste if no one claims it.

  Vincent

  felt something hot rise in his chest.

  — The

  rest of the body?

  — Yeah.

  I’m a Scavenger. I eat what others kill. That’s how I get my

  Non-Life points. So if you don’t mind, I’m going to help myself.

  He

  approached the nearest corpse, knelt, and plunged his hands into the

  split carapace. Vincent watched him, mouth agape, unable to speak.

  He’s

  going to... he’s going to eat them. MY Scolopteras. MY kills. MY

  hearts.

  

[Way

  of the Wolf: Territorial Instinct — VIOLATION DETECTED]

  [Threat:

  CONFIRMED] [Psyche: 69% → 66%]

  Emet

  tore away a piece of slimy black flesh, brought it to his mouth, and

  bit down. The sound was sickening. Wet. Organic. Vincent felt

  something explode in his head.

  — STOP.

  His

  voice echoed through the clearing, louder than he had intended. Emet

  looked up, a piece of flesh still between his teeth, one eyebrow

  raised.

  — Hmm?

  — Those

  are MY kills. MY Scolopteras. MY hearts. You don’t touch them.

  Emet

  chewed slowly, swallowed, then smiled.

  — Technically,

  the group killed them. Not just you.

  — I

  killed one by myself.

  — And

  the others?

  Vincent

  clenched his fists, claws erupting in spite of himself.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  [Psyche:

  66% → 63%]

  — You

  don’t understand. I NEED those hearts. For my transformations. To

  evolve. That’s why I came here. That’s why I joined this fucking

  group.

  Emet

  stood up, wiping his hands on his hakama. The smile was still there,

  but his gaze was colder.

  — And

  I need to eat. That’s my class. If I don’t eat, I lose my

  Non-Life points. If I lose my Non-Life points, I die. So technically,

  I need these bodies as much as you need those hearts.

  Vincent

  took a step forward, muscles tensed.

  

[Wolf

  Form: Pre-activation detected]

  [ALERT: Critical threshold

  approaching]

  [Psyche: 63% → 60%]

  — Find

  other bodies.

  — Why?

  These are fresh. And right in front of me.

  — Because

  they’re MINE.

  Emet tilted his

  head, his smile widening in a way that was no longer human.

  — You’re

  possessive, aren’t you? That’s cute.

  [Psyche:

  60% → 55%]

  [Wolf

  Form: ACTIVATION IMMINENT]

  [DANGER:

  Loss of control in 5... 4...]

  Vincent

  lunged. The muscles in his legs coiled for a devastating charge, his

  claws already beginning extend. But he never reached his target.

  Emet

  had sensed it coming long before Vincent even left the ground.

  In

  a fraction of a second, Emet’s body contorted. His skin turned a

  cadaverous grey, his eyes washed out into a milky white, and an aura

  of glacial death exploded around him. He didn’t dodge. He

  intercepted.

  BAM.

  The

  first strike—a backhand of phenomenal power—slammed into

  Vincent’s mask full-force, stopping his momentum dead. His head

  snapped back violently.

  BAM.

  The

  second—a descending left-handed blow—crashed onto his shoulder,

  shattering his posture and forcing his knees to buckle.

  BAM.

  The

  third was the most violent: an open-palm strike directly into the

  plexus. The impact sent a necrotic shockwave rippling through his

  entire chest.

  Vincent

  collapsed heavily, breath hitching, his neurons short-circuiting.

  [Damage

  Taken: -450 HP]

  [Status:

  MAJOR STUN — 5 sec]

  [Transformation:

  INTERRUPTED]

  He

  lay there, sprawled on the rocky ground, unable to move a single

  muscle of his virtual body. His eyes tried to focus, but all he saw

  was the blood-red sky of the marsh spinning above him.

  Suddenly,

  the sky vanished.

  Emet

  dropped onto him, straddling him with the weight of a granite block.

  Before Vincent could even attempt a defensive gesture, Emet’s grey

  hand clamped around his throat.

  He

  wasn't squeezing to kill, but the pressure was constant, implacable,

  pinning Vincent to the ground like an insect on a corkboard.

  — I

  said, Emet whispered, his voice vibrating with a resonance from

  beyond the grave, calm. down.

  Vincent

  thrashed weakly, but his limbs weighed a ton. The necrotic energy

  emanating from Emet’s fingers seemed to paralyze his nervous

  system.

  

[Psyche:

  55% → 48%]

  [!!! ALERT: Permanent Transformation Threshold

  Approached !!!]

  He

  was there. Humiliated. Dominated. Completely outclassed in three

  seconds flat.

  — Vincent!

  Melo’s

  voice, panicked, broke the tension. He ran over, hands raised.

  — Emet,

  let him go! Vincent, listen to me!

  Emet

  turned his head toward Melo, his corpse-like face remaining impassive

  for a moment, then he slowly released his grip. His transformation

  receded, his skin returning to its normal white hue. He stood up with

  a supple leap, dusting off his hakama as if he had just taken a

  simple nap.

  Vincent

  remained on the ground, gasping, still feeling the icy imprint of

  Emet’s fingers on his throat.

  [Psyche: 48% → 45%]

  Melo

  rushed toward him, kneeling in the mud.

  — Are you okay? Don’t move. Just breathe.

  He quickly pulled a sandwich from his inventory and pressed it

  against Vincent’s lips.

  — Eat. Please. It’s over.

  Vincent bit into the bread. Not tears of pain. Tears of pure rage

  and powerlessness.

  

[Item Consumed: Melo’s

  Sandwich]

  [+20% Immediate Psyche Regeneration]

  [Psyche: 45% → 52%]

  He sat up with difficulty, supported by Melo.

  Emet was already further away, turned back toward the Scoloptera

  carcasses, a relaxed little chuckle escaping his lips.

  — You’ve got some punch, I can see that, pup. But you’ve gotta learn

  not to bite the hand that’s going to help you level up.

  Vincent stared at Emet’s back.

  He broke me. In three hits. And he didn’t even look like he

  was trying.

  [Psyche: 52% → 50%]

  Melo

  whispered incantations, and Vincent felt waves of heat spread through

  his body.

  

[Active Buff: Emotional Anchor — Psyche stabilized - 60 sec]

  [Active Buff: Mental Resilience — Rage Resistance +30% - 60 sec]

  The warmth of the buffs combined with the food was enough. Vincent

  took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus on Melo’s

  voice rather than on Emet.

  Melo

  is here. He’s bringing me back. Always.

  [Psyche: 50% → 54%] (Buffs + Food active)

  Emet was watching him, his smile intact. He reached a hand out

  toward Vincent.

  Vincent stared at it, then looked away.

  He stood up on his own, staggering, and Melo

  caught him before he could fall.

  — I’ve got you.

  Nova approached, arms crossed, her expression severe.

  — Vincent.

  Your Psyche is dropping too fast. 52%. That’s dangerous. Below

  fifty, you risk permanent loss of control.

  VoodUwU,

  who had watched the whole scene in silence, tilted her head, her

  kawaii smile back on her face.

  — Uwu~

  Vincent-kun is going to blow a fuse soon, nyaa~ ?

  But

  her red eyes were cold. Calculating. She had seen everything. And she

  was analyzing. Vincent looked at her, then looked away.

  She

  knows. She knows I’m unstable. She knows I’m a danger. And she

  says nothing. Why says she nothing?

  [Psyche:

  52% → 50%]

  Melo

  held Vincent close, whispering softly.

  — Breathe.

  Eat some more. Here.

  He

  pulled out another sandwich, and Vincent devoured it mechanically.

  [Psyche:

  50% → 54%] (Food buff renewed)

  Vincent

  inhaled deeply and looked at Emet. Who was looking back, the smile

  returned to his face. And that’s when Vincent noticed it. Or

  rather, notice it.

  He

  has no aura.

  Vincent

  scrutinized Emet, searching for the aura—that golden glow all

  players emitted, or the red, pulsing aura of hostile creatures.

  Nothing. Emet was just there, smiling, relaxed, and he emitted

  nothing. Like a hole in reality. Like a corpse.

  Dammit.

  I can’t track him. I can’t smell him. He could be two meters away

  from me and I wouldn't know.

  

[Way

  of the Wolf: Olfaction — INCOMPATIBLE WITH TARGET]

  [Class:

  Primordial Scavenger]

  [Passive: Dead Body — No vital signature]

  [Psyche: 54% → 52%]

  — There’s

  something weird about you.

  Everyone

  turned toward him. Emet raised an eyebrow.

  — Oh

  yeah?

  — You

  have no aura. None. Not a player, not a creature. You’re... empty.

  Emet’s

  smile didn't waver.

  — That’s

  my class. Primordial Scavenger. Passive: Dead Body. I’m technically

  a reanimated corpse. No vital aura.

  Nova

  narrowed her eyes.

  — Wait.

  Does that mean we can’t detect you?

  Emet

  shrugged.

  — Exactly.

  Handy for a scavenger, isn't it? I show up after the fights, pick up

  the remains, no one sees me coming.

  He

  looked at Vincent, his smile widening imperceptibly.

  — No.

  One.

  Hey, by the way... cool mask! Is it a cosmetic or have you

  already unlocked a class?

  Vincent

  felt something icy crawl down his spine.

  He

  was there. When I killed MIRV. He was there and I didn't smell him.

  He watched me kill him. And I never knew.

  [Psyche:

  52% → 49%]

  But

  there was something else. Something Vincent felt, even if the others

  didn't notice. A scent. Subtle, almost imperceptible, but present.

  The smell of blood. Of flesh. Of death.

  And

  something else. Something familiar.

  

[Way

  of the Wolf: Partial Olfactory Recognition]

  [Trace Detected: Recent

  consumption of human flesh]

  [Source: Player]

  Cannibal.

  He smells like a cannibal. Like me.

  Vincent

  swallowed hard.

  — You

  ate... someone.

  Silence

  fell over the clearing. Emet tilted his head, smile still in place.

  — I’m

  a scavenger. I eat what others leave behind.

  Vincent

  took a step forward, his voice low and icy.

  —

  they leave behind?

  Emet

  held his gaze.

  —

  Vincent felt something

  glacial crawl down his spine.

  The

  silence stretched out—heavy, oppressive. No one else understood.

  But Vincent knew. And Emet knew that Vincent knew. And Vincent knew

  that Emet knew he knew.

  He

  ate MIRV. He ate the player I killed. He knows. He knows everything.

  And he says nothing. Because he’s keeping it. As leverage. As

  insurance. Holy shit.

  [Psyche:

  49% → 47%]

  VoodUwU,

  who was watching the exchange intently, tilted her head. Discreetly,

  she raised her staff, and a leech shot out, flying toward Emet. The

  leech approached his skin, tried to latch on, and slipped. It fell to

  the ground. Dead.

  VoodUwU

  blinked, then smiled. A cold, calculating smile. She put her staff

  away and said nothing.