An enclosed forest stretched beyond the threshold.
Waiting in front of the trees stood General Ryker.
He was imposing.
His armor, deep red and etched with saber-tooth tiger motifs, seemed alive under the shifting light. Twin sabers hung at his hips, their polished edges reflecting a predatory gleam. Even his presence felt sharp, like getting too close to a blade. As the cadets saw General Ryker, they then hastily fall in line and stood still.
Cain addressed them first.
“Cadets,” he said, “General Ryker will lead today’s activity. Observe and follow.”
Ryker stepped forward, gaze sweeping across each of them with military precision.
“This,” he said, motioning to the forest, “is the Hunting Ground. Inside, you will encounter two categories of Abberants: Critter-type and Beast-type. Your performance today will determine how well you adapt to tracking, engaging, and eliminating real threats.”
The cadets stiffened instinctively.
Ryker continued, “Your task is simple:
Hunt down fifteen Critter-types and three Beast-types. Collect and bring the critter cores back, the beast cores are yours to keep.
You are to operate in groups of three.”
As his words settled in, a familiar chime rang inside Kael’s head.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
?? NEW OBJECTIVE RECEIVED ??
HUNT TARGETS:
- 15 Critter-Type Abberants
- 3 Beast-Type Abberants
REWARDS:
- +10 Spirit Energy (Upon mission completion)
- +10 EXP per kill
?? “Eliminate threats. Strengthen the spirit. Grow through battle.”
[Track Objective?]
? YES | ? NO
Kael exhaled slowly.
This wasn’t like sparring in the ring.
This was the real first step toward becoming a Spirit Fighter.
And the Hunting Ground… was waiting.
Kael then choose yes on the notification.
[SYSTEM CONFIRMATION]
? Objective Accepted: Hunt Aberrants
Tracking mission targets…
- Critter-Type Abberants: 0 / 15
- Beast-Type Abberants: 0 / 3
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?? Reward: +5 Spirit Energy Stability | +10 EXP per kill
? Spirit Energy Flow Detected – Prepare for battle.
?? “Each victory sharpens your spirit. Move with purpose.”
Ryker then organized the groups:
Group 1: Takeshi, Natalia, Serafina
Group 2: Kael, Anya, Kyle
“Group 1 will move to the right side of the Hunting Ground. Group 2, you move to the left. Maintain your Spirit Drive at all times!” Ryker shouted, his voice carrying through the forest.
“Sir, yes, sir!” the cadets responded in unison.
Deep within the Hunting Ground, a pack of rat-like Critter Abberants scavenged hungrily. One rat killed and devoured the cores of its fallen packmates, gaining a surge of energy. Its bright eyes locked on a Boar Beast-type Aberrant approaching from the shadows. With unnatural speed, the rat attacked, and somehow defeated the larger creature, consuming it to absorb its power.
Meanwhile, Kael and his group entered the forest, armor glinting and weapons at the ready.
Anya’s sharp eyes caught movement near a cluster of trees.
“There, five Rabbit Abberants, by the treeline!” she exclaimed.
Kael and Kyle reacted instantly, rushing forward to strike. Kael unleashed a Spirit Pulse, sending waves of energy crashing through the pack, while Kyle executed a Deep Slash, slicing through the enemies with deadly precision.
Within moments, the five critters lay defeated.
Anya scowled, mockingly wagging a finger at them. “Really? Not even one left for me?”
A notification appeared in Kael’s mind.
[MISSION STATUS]
Tracking mission targets…
- Critter-Type Abberants: 5 / 15
- Beast-Type Abberants: 0 / 3
To ease the tension, Kael scratched the back of his head and muttered, “Sorry… got carried away.”
Kyle shrugged and adjusted his grip on his scythe.
“Just be better and be faster next time,” he said bluntly.
Anya puffed her cheeks in annoyance, but she let it slide.
The trio pressed deeper into the Hunting Ground, moving past thick ferns and moss?covered roots. They dispatched stray Critter-types along the way small, quick skirmishes that barely broke their pace. Their counter climbed steadily. The system then informed Kael about the mission status.
[MISSION STATUS]
Tracking mission targets…
- Critter-Type Abberants: 10 / 15
- Beast-Type Abberants: 0 / 3
Kael smiled knowing that they killed 10 Abberants already and the mission was going smoothly.
But then—
A heavy rustling echoed through the brush.
A low growl vibrated through the trees.
A Wolf Beast-type Abberant stepped out, muscles rippling beneath obsidian fur, its crimson eyes locked onto the three cadets.
A chime rang in Kael’s mind.
[SYSTEM SCAN DETECTED]
Analyzing target…
WOLF – BEAST-TYPE ABERRANT
- Speed: High
- Durability: High
- Description
- Claws: Can slice through trees
- Fangs: Can dent reinforced metal
- Danger Level: Red–High Threat
?? “Proceed with caution. This Abberant is not a simple foe.”
Kyle didn’t waste a second.
He lunged forward, scythe cutting a swift arc, but the wolf blurred sideways, dodging with inhuman speed.
Anya fired an arrow immediately after. It sliced through the air like a streak of light, but the wolf twisted mid-step, avoiding it with unnatural reflexes.
Kael thrust out his hand and unleashed Spirit Pulse, rippling energy across the clearing, but the wolf leapt cleanly over the blast, landing silently.
Its claws extended.
Its body lowered.
It was about to strike.
Kyle and Anya didn’t have time to move.
“Kael, now!” Kylon’s voice echoed sharply in Kael’s mind.
“Use Flash Strike! Match its speed, become faster!”
Kael didn’t hesitate.
“Flash Strike!”
His body vanished in a burst of blue-white light.
The wolf, mid?pounce, faltered, its predatory eyes widening in confusion.
In the next heartbeat
SHING!
Kael reappeared behind it, his clawed gauntlet dripping with dark Abberant blood. A deep slash carved across the wolf’s back.
The beast staggered forward with a pained snarl.
Anya shouted, “Kael! Even if you matched its speed, it’s still durable! One hit won’t be enough!”
Kyle spun his scythe, eyes sharp behind his hood.
“Kael, corner it with your speed. I’ll slice the moment it’s trapped.”
He pointed his blade at Anya.
“Anya, support me. If it breaks through, shoot without hesitation.”
Anya nodded, drawing her bowstring tight.
“You got it.”
Kael tightened his stance, Spirit Drive flaring around him.
The wolf growled, crouching low, ready to lunge again.
The wolf lunged at Kael, fangs bared, claws extended.
Kael’s heart pounded.
“Now, Flash Fist!”
In a flash of blue-white light, he vanished, narrowly evading the beast’s lethal attack. In the same heartbeat, he reappeared beside the wolf, delivering a powerful punch with his clawed gauntlet. The impact sent the beast crashing into a nearby tree, branches snapping under its weight.
Kyle didn’t hesitate. He darted forward, scythe gleaming, and struck with Deep Slash, driving the wolf to the ground and pinning it firmly.
“Anya! Now!” Kyle shouted, voice cutting through the tension.
Anya’s hands tightened on her bow as she drew back a glowing arrow, her aura flaring around it.
“Aura Arrow!”
She released. The arrow streaked like a comet, piercing the wolf squarely in the head.
A chime rang in Kael’s mind.
[MISSION STATUS]
Tracking mission targets…
- Critter-Type Abberants: 10 / 15
- Beast-Type Abberants: 1 / 3
Anya stepped forward cautiously. “Is it… really dead?”
Kyle nudged the wolf’s body with his boot. The beast didn’t move. “Yeah… it’s dead,” he confirmed.
Without hesitation, Kyle sliced into the wolf and retrieved its core. It pulsed faintly, a Level 1 Beast Core.
Anya frowned. “We should divide it. It took all three of us to kill it.”
Kyle shook his head. “This one’s mine. After we take the other Beast-types, the cores will be shared. Fair?”
Kael nodded in agreement. “Yeah… that makes sense. Your plan took it down anyway.”
The trio pressed on, deeper into the forest.
Unbeknownst to them, in the shadowed depths of a cave, the Rat Abberant, now swollen to the size of a boar, gnawed hungrily on more Critter-types. Its teeth gleamed as it devoured the fallen, even taking down a smaller Beast-type that had wandered too close.