"Winter!" Karina's scream tore through the din.
The Night fang lunged, fangs snapping for Winter's throat.
Steel flashed.
Renji's blade moved so fast it seemed to cut the darkness itself. The beast dropped in two clean halves before its teeth could find her. Winter staggered back, wide-eyed, the cold confidence she carried all day shattering in an instant.
Dozens of glowing red eyes lit up the underbrush. Then the pack surged forward Night fangs pouring from the shadows, their howls splitting the air as the ground trembled beneath their charge.
"Formation!" Yeonjun barked, forcing authority into his voice. Jake gripped his greatsword with force, Karina pulled Winter behind her, fire blazing to life in her palms.
Yuna's bowstring thrummed, arrows whistling through the night. The first rank of beasts dropped with pierced skulls, but more came, slipping past the line like smoke.
"Renji hold still a second!" RM's voice rang sharp over the chaos. He raised his hand, runes of light spiraling into the night air. A shimmer rippled over Renji, and suddenly the weight on his body lifted. His steps felt lighter, faster, his swings sharper.
A speed buff. Renji just smiled feeling his body light and his movements swift
The next Night-fang never saw the strike that cut it down. Renji blurred, weaving through the pack like a phantom of steel. Every beast that lunged for RM fell in a spray of blood, his sword intercepting their snarls with unerring precision.
The recruits fought desperately Karina's fire roared, scorching fur and claw; Winter's ice lances shattered spines; Yuna's arrows skewered any monster trying to circle behind. Yeonjun and Jake swung with raw force, barely holding the line.
But even they couldn't ignore what was happening.
Renji didn't just fight. He dictated the battlefield.
Every step was placed with perfect intent, every cut timed to open a path for the others. The E-rank they mocked was carving through the pack like a seasoned veteran, his blade a blur in the firelight.
And when the largest Night-fang yet broke through, its massive frame lunging straight for RM's unguarded side, Renji was already there. His sword pierced its throat in one clean thrust.
The beast collapsed at RM's feet.
For a heartbeat, the only sound was ragged breathing.
Then, deeper in the jungle, more howls rose. Louder. Closer.
The second wave was coming.
Renji landed lightly after deflecting the night-fang's snapping jaws, his steel blade flashing with precise arcs. Each swing was measured, deliberate no wasted motion, no unnecessary flourish. The beast collapsed in a heap at Winter's feet, its black blood soaking into the mossy earth.
"Winter stay sharp!" Karina hissed, pulling her guildmate back by the arm.
Winter's face was pale, her usual confidence rattled. She opened her mouth to retort, but another guttural snarl split the air. More pairs of crimson eyes glowed in the shadows.
"Two more on the left!" Yeonjun shouted, brandishing his dual blades as Jake fell into step beside him.
RM's staff pulsed faintly with light, runes crawling across the polished wood. He raised it skyward and a silver sheen spread over Renji's body like a thin aura. "Speed boost make it count!"
Renji didn't acknowledge it with words. He simply moved.
The steel sword became an extension of him, his body slipping through the underbrush faster than the eye could comfortably follow. Each strike landed with surgical precision hamstringing, decapitating, cutting through sinew before the night-fangs could react. Where the younger hunters flailed and shouted, Renji was silent, efficient.
"Holy he's fast," Yuna breathed, her bowstring singing as arrows streaked past him into the darkness. She had meant it under her breath, but the awe in her tone carried.
One of the fangs lunged toward RM, jaws gaping. Renji blurred between them, steel catching moonlight as he severed the beast's head in a single stroke. It collapsed inches from the support mage's boots.
RM let out a low whistle. "Guess this rookie isn't much of a rookie."
But for every corpse that fell, more red eyes appeared in the gloom. The jungle felt alive with their snarls, the humid night echoing with the crack of branches and the pound of claws against soil.
Karina exhaled sharply, summoning a wall of fire that roared to life in front of their formation, momentarily stalling the wave. The heat lit up her sweat-soaked hair, but her eyes flicked to Renji with something new not mockery, but wariness.
"Renji," RM called out, voice edged with command now. "We can't hold here all night. We need higher ground, somewhere defensible."
Renji dispatched another fang, then scanned the tree line. His eyes caught the faint silhouette of crumbling stone just beyond the ridge a ruin half-swallowed by vines.
"There," he said simply, jerking his chin toward it.
Yeonjun gritted his teeth. "Running already?"
Renji didn't answer. He was already cutting a path.
The others exchanged glances some reluctant, some shaken but none of them argued when another chorus of snarls rose behind them, closer than before.
And so, with Renji at the front and RM guarded in the center, the group began their retreat through the jungle, shadows pressing in with every step.
They burst through a thicket, branches snapping against their armor, until the jungle parted and the ruin revealed itself. Half a stone tower jutted above the trees, its surface cracked and wrapped in thick vines, the faint glow of moss giving it an eerie life.
Renji kicked aside a corpse of a night-fang that had followed too closely, then gestured sharply. "Inside. Move." No one argued this time.
The hunters rushed into the crumbling structure, its arched doorway gaping like the maw of some ancient beast. Inside, the air was cooler, heavy with the scent of damp stone. Shattered masonry provided choke points, and the high ground of the broken stairs gave them a natural defensive position.
Karina lit a torch with a flick of her fingers, the firelight dancing along the jagged walls. Winter leaned against the stone, still rattled, though she tried to hide it behind crossed arms. Yuna set her bow down, fingers flexing as if still straining the string.
Yeonjun dropped onto a chunk of rubble, blades across his lap, and muttered, "We could've handled them without running."
Jake frowned but didn't back him up this time. His eyes kept flicking toward Renji, still catching his breath, sword resting on his shoulder.
RM planted his staff into the ground, its faint glow illuminating the chamber. "Handled them?" He let out a short laugh. "Half of you would be night-fang chow if Renji hadn't stepped in."
The silence that followed was thick, broken only by the crackle of Karina's torch.
Winter's lips pressed thin, shame flickering across her features. Yuna's eyes darted toward Renji again, this time with curiosity instead of arrogance.
Renji, however, didn't so much as glance at them. He crouched near the entrance, sword tip pressed into the dirt, eyes scanning the shadows beyond. His shoulders were loose, calm, as though the swarm outside hadn't rattled him at all.
RM finally broke the silence. "We'll camp here until dawn. The night-fangs won't stop, but at least here, they'll funnel in. Get some rest while you can."
Karina exhaled sharply, sinking onto the ground beside Winter. "If dawn comes at all in this cursed place."
Renji didn't respond. His gaze stayed fixed on the doorway, as steady and silent as the blade in his hand.
And though none of them said it aloud, each of the five recruits felt it the same way this wasn't the "rookie" they'd mocked hours ago. This was someone who had just kept them alive.
The jungle howled beyond the walls, a restless symphony that promised no peace but inside the ruin, for now, the firelight flickered and the uneasy truce between arrogance and survival began to take shape.
The hunters slowed their breathing, waiting for the next surge. But it never came. Outside, the snarls and heavy padding of night-fangs faded into the distance, swallowed by the jungle's restless chorus.
Renji straightened from his crouch, gaze still fixed on the entrance. "They've pulled back."
Winter blinked. "What do you mean pulled back? Monsters don't just stop."
"They're pack hunters," Renji said evenly. "They won't rush into stone walls and narrow halls. Too much risk. To them, this place isn't worth the kill."
RM tapped the base of his staff against the floor, testing the ground. "Then this will be our safe zone until morning." His tone carried the steady weight of command, silencing any further protest. "We'll rotate shifts. Two awake at all times. Rest while you can. We'll move deeper once the sun rises here."
Karina raised the torch higher, its light revealing a crumbling wall etched with faint carvings. Half-buried beneath moss and cracks, a symbol stretched across the stone jagged lines forming what looked like a broken throne.
Renji's eyes lingered on it. He stepped closer, brushing dirt away with the back of his hand until half the emblem revealed itself. "Old ruins," he murmured. "Didn't think this place had history."
RM glanced over but shrugged. "This dungeon is new to us, which means it's unpredictable. Doesn't matter what's carved on the wall. What matters is we live through the night."
Yeonjun snorted from where he sat sharpening his blades. "We'd have been fine even without running in here."
RM gave him a flat look. "Would you, though? I saw you bleeding from your side until Renji covered you."
The young swordsman scowled but said nothing.
Renji didn't join the exchange. His gaze stayed on the half-throne symbol, a faint furrow in his brow. Something about it nagged at him, though he couldn't say why. With a quiet exhale, he turned back to his post, steel sword balanced across his knees.
The firelight cast long shadows across the ruined chamber, dancing over faces tired, ashamed, or guarded. For now, the group was safe. But outside, the jungle never slept. And somewhere in the heart of this dungeon, secrets older than the Hunters' Association stirred unseen.
The fire crackled weakly in the center of the ruined chamber, casting uneven light across broken pillars and moss covered walls. For the first time since entering the portal, the group wasn't moving or fighting just breathing.
Winter sat a little apart, her knees pulled to her chest. She glanced at Renji, who sat quietly sharpening his steel sword. After a long silence, she cleared her throat.
"Thank you back there." Her voice was softer than before, stripped of the earlier arrogance. "If you hadn't stepped in, I" She trailed off, biting her lip.
Renji didn't look up from his blade. "Just did what needed to be done. Nothing more."
Karina nudged Winter with a faint smile. "Still, it's not every day someone cuts down a night-fang in front of your face. Admit it, you'd have been a smear on the floor without him."
Winter shot her a glare, cheeks flushing, but didn't deny it. Yeonjun leaned back against the wall with a scoff. "Don't let it get to your head, E-rank. One lucky swing doesn't make you our savior."
Jake chuckled, though less biting. "Still, lucky or not, you were quick. Faster than I expected."
Renji finally sheathed the blade and glanced up, expression calm. "It wasn't anything special. Anyone would've stepped in."
For a moment, silence hung heavy, the fire snapping in the gap between words. Then RM's warm chuckle broke it.
"You all talk too much." He leaned back, arms folded. "Whether it was luck or skill, Renji kept us alive. That's what counts. We'll need that again before this dungeon's done."
Yuna, sitting cross-legged with her staff across her lap, smiled faintly. "Then maybe tonight we sleep easier, knowing someone like him is watching."
The tension eased. A few soft laughs followed, though Yeonjun remained stubbornly quiet. One by one, the hunters began to stretch out on their cloaks or lean against the broken walls.
Renji stayed where he was, sword across his knees, eyes fixed on the dark mouth of the ruins. Outside, the jungle whispered with unseen movements, but none dared cross the threshold.
RM caught his gaze across the fire and gave a small nod. "Wake me in two hours. I'll take second watch."
Renji inclined his head, the faintest shadow of a smile tugging at his lips. "Understood."
For now, the night held stillness. But in the back of Renji's mind, the half-faded throne carved into the wall seemed to linger, like a silent witness watching over their uneasy truce.
Dawn bled softly through the canopy, pale gold light seeping across the ruined stronghold. Mist hung low over the crumbled walls, and the air was damp with dew and the faint copper tang of blood.
The fire had burned down to embers, a thin ribbon of smoke curling into the air. RM stretched his shoulders as he stood from his watch post, relief flickering across his face as the first sunlight touched the tree line.
They had rotated shifts through the night, each member taking turns to guard the ruin. Some had dozed lightly, others not at all. Renji had taken the final watch, his steel sword still resting against his knee as he scanned the quiet jungle beyond the archway.
Winter stirred with a soft groan, rubbing her eyes as Karina nudged her awake. "Your turn's over," Karina muttered, though her own voice was heavy with exhaustion.
"Finally." Winter yawned, then glanced toward Renji at the doorway. "He looks like he didn't even blink once during his shift."
Karina smirked faintly, though less sharp than yesterday. "Are you concerned for him?" She teased Winter had a small blush on her face hitting Karina on the shoulders as she just silently laughed at Winter
RM's voice carried over as he stirred the pot of rations. "Eat fast. We push deeper today. The Association's maps mark a central zone ahead a structure tied to the dungeon's core. That's where we're heading."
Jake frowned, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "And if more of those night-fangs show up?"
"Then we stick together." RM's tone was steady, commanding. He cast a meaningful glance at Renji, who rose and slid his sword back into its sheath with a quiet nod.
The recruits shifted, their earlier arrogance muted by the memory of flashing fangs in the dark. Even Yuna, usually the quickest to jab with a remark, kept silent as she tied back her hair and shouldered her weapon.
The mist curled tighter around the treeline, restless and alive and together, they stepped from the broken walls of the ruin back into the waiting jungle.
The morning mist clung to their boots as they broke camp, the ruined stronghold fading behind them. RM led the way, his map in hand, eyes sharp with purpose.
The deeper they went, the denser the jungle grew. Vines hung heavy from trees as tall as towers, and the ground sloped steadily downward. The air carried a low hum like a pulse threading through the earth itself. Renji felt it too. The faint thrum of mana, stronger with every step.
By midday, the sunlight was smothered entirely, the canopy above so thick it turned the world below into a perpetual twilight. The sounds of birds and insects had thinned out, replaced by silence broken only by the group's footfalls.
Karina's voice was hushed. "Feels like something's watching."
"Not watching," RM corrected, eyes forward. "Waiting."
An hour later, they reached it the jungle opened into a wide clearing, its ground carved by jagged stone ridges and claw marks burned into the earth. At the center loomed a nest of twisted roots and bone, pulsing faintly with crimson light.
The air grew heavy. The mana thrummed like a drumbeat, thick enough to taste.
Jake swore under his breath. "That's not a normal B-rank boss nest."
Winter's fingers twitched near her spell focus, her earlier cockiness gone. "What... what kind of monster leaves a lair like that?"
Renji's hand went to his steel sword, eyes narrowing. He didn't answer. He didn't need to. The stench of blood and power rolling from the nest told him enough whatever lurked inside was far deadlier than what they had faced so far.
RM turned, gaze sweeping over the group. His voice was calm, firm, carrying no room for argument.
"This is it. No more games. Stay sharp, follow formation, and don't let fear eat you alive."
The crimson light from the nest pulsed again, as though answering his words. The clearing was suffocatingly still, the nest at its center glowing with that steady, sinister pulse and there it was the boss.
A beast the size of a house, its body a hulking mass of midnight fur, spiked along the spine with jagged bone growths. Its snout twitched with every breath, exhaling clouds of mist that reeked of iron and rot. A Nightfang Alpha far beyond the strength of its lesser kin.
For a moment, no one breathed.
Then
CRACK.
Jake's boot pressed down on a dry branch.
The sound echoed like thunder.
The Alpha's crimson eyes snapped open. A guttural growl rolled from its throat, low and resonant, before it rose to its full height and let out a deafening howl. The jungle shook.
From the shadows beyond the clearing, dozens of glowing red eyes flickered to life. The undergrowth exploded with motion as a swarm of Nightfangs poured forth, answering their master's call.
"Shit!" Yeonjun hissed, drawing his twin blades in a flash of steel.
Karina's hands flared with fire, Winter's eyes narrowing as frost crept over her arms. Yuna's bow was already drawn, glowing faintly with an enchantment that hummed with power.
RM barked orders, voice steady even as the ground trembled beneath the monsters' charge. "Formation! Yeonjun and Jake front line! Karina, Winter, focus on wide control! Yuna, keep the numbers down. Renji!"
Renji had already unsheathed his steel sword, the edge catching what little light filtered through the canopy. His expression was calm, almost detached.
"Hold the line!" RM's voice boomed as he cast shimmering sigils into the air. A ripple of mana spread through the hunters speed to Yeonjun, strength to Jake, accuracy to Yuna, and resistance to the two mages.
Yeonjun darted forward first, twin blades carving arcs of silver light as he weaved between snarling maws. His movements were sharp, stylish even, but every dodge came a heartbeat too late, leaving shallow scratches along his arms.
Jake followed with raw force, swinging his greatsword in wide, brutal arcs that cleaved through two beasts at once. Each strike shook the ground, but his stamina drained faster than he realized, and sweat beaded across his temple.
"Burn!" Karina shouted, her hands flaring with fire. A wave of crimson flames swallowed a cluster of hounds, their screeches filling the night. At her side, Winter unleashed jagged shards of ice, spears ripping into the monsters that broke through the fire. The contrast of heat and frost lit the jungle in violent bursts of red and white.
From the backline, Yuna loosed arrow after arrow, each glowing faintly with her enchantments. The projectiles punched through the skulls of night-fangs, pinning them to the earth before they could lunge at the frontline.
But the swarm didn't thin fast enough. For every beast they struck down, two more crawled out from the dark. Claws raked across Jake's side, forcing him to stumble. Karina's fire faltered, her mana almost spent, and Winter's breathing grew ragged, her frost arrows cracking mid-flight.
Renji, however, stayed eerily calm. His steel sword moved with measured precision, every slash cutting down a night-fang that lunged too close to RM. He didn't charge forward, didn't waste energy he simply intercepted the threats that the others missed.
"Why's he just defending RM?!" Yeonjun spat between swings, irritation flashing across his face.
Renji didn't answer. His blade spoke for him, carving clean through another night-fang's throat before it could reach their leader.
The hunters pushed and pushed, until their breathing turned ragged, their movements sluggish then the swarm suddenly parted. The night-fangs drew back, their growls deepening into a low rumble that vibrated through the ground.
And from the darkness, it emerged.
The Alpha.
Towering above its kin, its black fur shimmered with an oily sheen, and its crimson eyes burned with hunger. Unlike the others, it didn't rush blindly it watched, waiting, as if savoring their exhaustion.
The Alpha was walking towards them, its bulk dwarfing the others. Each step it took pressed into the soil with a weight that made the ground tremble. Its crimson eyes swept over the hunters, and the air itself seemed to grow heavier.
Winter's breath hitched. "I can't breathe."
Yuna gripped her bow tighter, knuckles pale. Even from the rear, her chest felt tight, as though the beast's killing intent alone was suffocating her.
RM clenched his jaw, forcing composure. "Listen to me," he barked, rallying them. "We don't stand a chance trading blows head-on. We'll use hit-and-run tactics probe it, test its movements, see where it's weakest. Stay alive first, then fight smart."
Jake nodded grimly, sweat dripping down his face. Karina and Winter exchanged nervous glances, their mana reserves still low.
But Yeonjun only scoffed, rolling his shoulders as he spun his twin blades with a cocky grin. "You're all trembling like it's the end. It's just a beast. I'll carve it up before it can even blink."
"Yeonjun,wait!" RM snapped, but it was too late.
The twin-blade wielder blurred forward, speed buff still humming in his veins. He weaved past the smaller night-fangs, twin blades flashing as he aimed for the Alpha's exposed flank.
The Alpha didn't even flinch. Its massive head turned lazily, crimson eyes locking onto Yeonjun. Then, with a low rumble that shook the trees, it swiped its paw.
The force of the blow cracked the air. Yeonjun barely crossed his blades to block, but the impact sent him flying, smashing through a tree trunk with a thunderous crack.
"YEONJUN!" Jake roared, rushing a step forward before RM caught his arm.
"Stay in formation!" RM barked, though his own face was pale. His buff magic flared desperately, reinforcing their defense. "If you break lines now, we're finished!"
The Alpha's lips curled back, revealing fangs longer than a man's arm. It didn't pursue Yeonjun it only lowered its stance, muscles rippling beneath dark fur, watching, waiting.
As if daring them to try again.
The Alpha's patience broke.
With a bone-shaking snarl, it lunged, its massive frame blurring forward, claws tearing through the earth as it brought its paw down to crush the hunters in one sweeping strike.
"Move!" RM shouted.
But before anyone could scatter, Renji stepped forward.
The impact of his blade meeting the Alpha's paw cracked through the jungle like thunder. Sparks erupted, and the shockwave rattled the ruined trees around them. The hunters staggered from the sheer force but the Alpha was pushed back a step, its claws gouging furrows into the soil as it steadied itself.
Renji stood firm, his sword braced, his body absorbing the monster's monstrous strength without faltering. His calm gaze never left the beast.
Then he glanced over his shoulder only at RM.
That was all it took. RM's eyes widened, but he immediately understood.
"Everyone! Support Renji!" RM barked, his voice commanding.
Karina and Winter raised their staves in unison, flames and frost crackling as they layered destructive magic across Renji's opening. RM surged mana into buffs, speed and strength glowing faintly over Renji's frame.
"Jake, Yuna—get Yeonjun up, NOW! Keep him alive and regroup!"
The two nodded sharply, rushing to where Yeonjun's body lay crumpled, dragging him back while Yuna covered them with piercing arrows that cut down lesser night-fangs trying to close in.
The Alpha roared again, shaking its head as if irritated by the pushback. Its crimson eyes burned hotter, its breath coming in ragged, furious growls.
Renji adjusted his stance, the steel sword steady in his hands. His expression remained calm, but the weight of his presence had changed. No longer the quiet "E-rank nobody" they mocked earlier he stood like a fortress.
The Alpha lunged again, its claws tearing through the air like scythes.
Renji shifted his footing by a hair's breadth Winter's freezing blast rushed past his shoulder, coating the beast's forearm in frost before his blade struck cleanly into the hardened ice, shattering both at once. The Alpha reeled, roaring in fury.
Without missing a beat, Renji pivoted, allowing Karina's searing fireball to explode just behind his retreat, the heat washing over him as he cut upward in a perfect arc. His blade redirected the monster's swing into the heart of the flames, forcing it to stagger backward.
Every movement was sharp, controlled no wasted energy. Where others hacked wildly, Renji's swordsmanship was a language of precision. His blade slipped into the narrow gaps the mages created, his timing so exact it seemed rehearsed, as if he had been fighting alongside them for years.
RM's buffs shimmered faintly over him, amplifying his speed and power. Yet it was clear the true strength wasn't just raw force, but the way Renji adapted seamlessly to every opening.
Karina's eyes widened between incantations. He's fighting in rhythm with us... like he can read our spells.
Winter bit her lip, stunned. No... he's guiding us. Every strike... he's making our magic hit harder.
The Alpha, enraged by their cohesion, slammed its tail against the ground, the shockwave scattering dirt and breaking their formation. It lunged once more, its jaws snapping straight for Renji's torso.
Renji slid beneath the swipe, his sword carving upward in a flawless parry that deflected the beast's snout just wide enough for Yuna's enchanted arrow to pierce its exposed eye.
The monster shrieked, stumbling back, its blood staining the soil.
But Renji didn't celebrate his focus never wavered.
"Hyung," he called calmly over his shoulder, blade raised in guard, "keep the buffs steady. The rest of you strike when I give you the opening."
The Alpha growled low, its killing intent suffocating. But now, the group's arrogance had drained away, replaced with stunned silence. They had just realized: the man they mocked as E-rank was the only reason they were still alive.
The Alpha staggered, its blinded eye oozing black ichor. For the first time, it looked wounded. Karina, breathing heavily, raised her staff again. "We can finish it"
Renji didn't lower his guard. His instincts screamed otherwise.
The beast's chest began to swell, its breath deep and ragged, until veins of eerie crimson light pulsed beneath its fur. The forest itself seemed to shudder, roots curling back into the earth as if recoiling from what was about to happen.
Winter's voice cracked. "What... what is it doing?"
The answer came in a guttural roar. From the Alpha's mangled body erupted a wave of oppressive aura, heavier than before thick with raw killing intent. Its fur darkened, obsidian shadows writhing across its frame like living smoke. The broken eye didn't bleed it regenerated, snapping open with a baleful crimson glow.
Yuna froze mid-draw. "It... it's evolving!?"
Renji's grip on his sword tightened, his expression sharpening into razor focus. He didn't flinch, but the others staggered back under the pressure, their knees threatening to buckle.
RM cursed under his breath, beads of sweat trickling down his temple. "This isn't just an Alpha anymore it's awakened. Everyone, switch to hit-and-run don't take it head-on!"
But Yeonjun, pale and bloodied from being retrieved by Jake, still clenched his twin blades. "No monster, no matter how strong, can stop me!" He lurched forward, stubborn pride burning in his eyes.
"Yeonjun!" RM barked, but it was too late. Yeonjun charged towards the alpha but was meaningless as he was hit again this time with great force towards RM who casted a barrier catching Yeonjun while also lessening his impact.
The Alpha moved with terrifying speed. Its jaws snapped wide, its aura exploding outward in a pulse that knocked back even Karina's fire. A black, rippling energy coated its claws unnatural, almost magical.
Renji's eyes narrowed. For the first time, he felt something akin to respect. So you've been hiding your true fangs all along.
He stepped forward, steel blade raised in defiance.
"Hyung let me take care of this" His voice cut through the chaos, calm and absolute. A shadow sword appeared on his left hand making the others look surprised while RM
The Alpha crouched low, its crimson gaze locked on Renji and in that heartbeat, the battlefield shifted from a fight for victory to a fight for survival.