The silence lingered like a held breath.
Takemi slowly scanned the forest around them.
Tall trees stretched upward, their branches forming a green canopy that filtered the sunlight into shifting patches of gold and shadow.
But the stillness felt wrong.
Forests were supposed to be alive with sound.
Birds.
Insects.
Rustling animals.
Now there was nothing.
One of the students whispered nervously.
"Why did everything go quiet?"
Takemi crouched slightly, touching the ground with his fingertips.
The soil was disturbed.
Fresh.
Something large had passed through recently.
Rauk spoke quietly.
"Not a mid-tier monster."
Takemi glanced at him.
"You're sure?"
Rauk pointed toward a broken tree branch several meters ahead.
"That."
The branch had been snapped cleanly in half.
Takemi studied it.
"…Something heavy."
The group slowly continued forward.
Careful now.
Watching every movement in the trees.
It happened suddenly.
A deep growl echoed through the forest.
Low.
Heavy.
The ground seemed to vibrate faintly beneath their feet.
Takemi's eyes snapped toward the sound.
The bushes exploded outward.
A massive creature burst into the clearing.
The monster resembled a wolf…
but far larger than any normal animal.
Its fur was dark green like moss-covered stone, and jagged bone-like spikes protruded along its spine.
Its eyes glowed faintly yellow.
One of the students gasped.
"M-Mid-tier monster!"
Takemi recognized it from the academy illustrations.
"…Ironfang Wolf."
The creature lowered its head.
Muscles tensed beneath its thick fur.
It was preparing to attack.
The others froze.
Takemi didn't.
His body moved automatically.
He grabbed a small stone from the ground.
Rauk noticed instantly.
"You're serious?"
Takemi grinned.
"Always."
The wolf lunged.
Takemi twisted his body.
His arm moved in a sharp, practiced motion.
CRACK.
The stone flew like a bullet.
It struck the monster's snout with a loud impact.
The wolf staggered sideways, momentarily stunned.
The other students stared.
"What—"
Takemi didn't wait.
"Rauk!"
The red-haired swordsman was already moving.
His massive blade swung downward in a powerful arc.
CLANG.
The strike bounced off the creature's hardened fur like metal hitting armor.
Rauk stepped back.
"…Tough."
Takemi grabbed another stone.
"Good."
His eyes gleamed slightly.
"Let's test it."
Far deeper in the forest…
something observed the battle.
Hidden within thick shadows.
Silent.
Ancient.
It watched the young warriors fight the Ironfang Wolf.
And for the first time in many years…
it felt something stir.
Interest.