Behind him—
The boy stared.
Speechless.
—
The fox girl's tail stilled completely.
Eyes locked.
—
Because now—
It was obvious.
—
Even holding back—
This wasn't a fight.
—
It was a demonstration.
—
Draven didn't say a word.
He just glanced.
Once.
—
The man froze for half a second—
Then immediately snapped into motion.
"…Y-yes—yes!"
He rushed forward—
Dropping to his knees beside the nearest corpse—
Hands already digging through blood, bone, and torn flesh.
Searching.
Because now—
He understood.
That look wasn't a suggestion.
—
Behind him—
Draven stood still.
Unbothered.
As if the three massive corpses around him meant nothing.
—
Above—
The orb pulsed.
And the voice returned.
Smooth.
Satisfied.
"Well now…"
A soft chuckle echoed through the forest.
"It looks like you've accepted our gift quite well."
A faint pause.
Almost amused.
"Three C-rank beasts…"
"…and yet—"
Another pause.
"…you handled them rather… efficiently."
—
The boy clenched his jaw slightly.
"…'Gift' my foot…"
Low.
Annoyed.
Still shaken.
—
The fox girl didn't speak.
But her eyes flicked upward briefly—
Then back to Draven.
Careful.
Always watching.
—
The voice continued.
Lighter now.
"Very good."
A hum of approval followed.
"Then it's settled."
—
The air shifted again.
Subtle.
But familiar.
"Your team…"
A pause.
"…has passed this round."
—
The man quickly pulled another glowing crystal free—
Blood dripping from his hands as he turned—
Holding them out again.
"…I—I got them all—!"
—
But before anything else—
The ground beneath them began to hum.
Low.
Vibrating.
—
The voice spoke one last time.
"Prepare yourselves."
A beat.
"…You will now be moved to the next stage."
—
Light began to gather beneath their feet.
Faint at first—
Then brighter.
Spreading outward.
—
The boy stiffened.
"…Again—?!"
—
The fox girl lowered her stance slightly.
Ready—
Even now.
—
Draven didn't move.
Didn't react.
He just stood there—
As the light swallowed them once more.
—
And in the last moment before everything vanished—
The voice echoed again.
Quieter.
Interested.
"…Let's see how far you can go."
—
Then—
Nothing.
—
Gone.
The light didn't fade gently.
It snapped.
—
One moment—
Forest.
Blood.
Mist.
—
The next—
Stone.
Stillness.
Cold air.
—
**Clink.**
Chains settled.
—
Draven stood exactly where he had been before.
Unmoved.
Unchanged.
—
Around them—
Figures began to appear.
One after another.
Flashes of light collapsing inward—
Spitting bodies back into the chamber.
Some landed on their feet.
Others dropped to their knees.
A few—
Collapsed completely.
—
The boy staggered slightly as the ground returned beneath him.
His breathing uneven.
Eyes snapping up immediately—
Scanning.
"…We're back…"
—
The fox girl straightened slowly.
Her ears twitching once—
Twice—
Taking in the room again.
"…Same place."
Quiet.
Certain.
—
The massive chamber filled quickly.
Not with one hundred.
Not even close.
—
The empty spaces were obvious.
Painfully obvious.
—
Blood-stained survivors stood scattered across the floor.
Some clutching wounds.
Some shaking.
Some staring blankly—
Like their minds hadn't caught up yet.
—
Others—
Were already looking around.
Counting.
Measuring.
Realizing.
—
"…That's it…?"
Someone whispered.
"…There were more…"
—
Silence answered them.
—
Because everyone could see it.
—
More than half were gone.
—
Above—
The orbs hovered once more.
Silent.
Watching.
Recording.
—
Then—
The voice returned.
Smooth.
Satisfied.
"Welcome back… participants."
—
A pause.
Long enough to let it sink in.
—
"To those who survived…"
A faint hum.
"…congratulations."
—
No one responded.
No one moved.
—
Because the congratulations meant nothing.
Not here.
Not like this.
—
The voice continued.
Light.
Almost amused.
"Out of one hundred and thirteen…"
A brief pause.
"…only forty-six remain."
—
A ripple spread instantly.
Sharp.
Uneasy.
—
The boy's eyes widened slightly.
"…Less than half…"
Low.
—
The fox girl didn't speak.
But her gaze shifted.
Counting quickly.
Confirming.
—
Draven didn't react at all.
—
Because numbers—
Didn't matter.
—
The voice went on.
"And of those forty-six…"
A faint chuckle followed.
"…some performed better than others."
—
A few figures stiffened.
Others straightened slightly—
As if waiting.
—
"Some struggled…"
"…some survived by luck…"
"…and some…"
A pause.
Lingering.
"…dominated."
—
The orbs shifted.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
—
Several of them drifted—
Toward one point.
—
Draven.
—
The attention wasn't subtle this time.
It was deliberate.
Focused.
—
Murmurs spread instantly.
"…It's him…"
"…Of course it is…"
"…Did you see—?"
—
The boy clicked his tongue softly.
"…Great…"
—
The fox girl's tail stilled.
"…They're pushing attention onto us."
—
Draven didn't look up.
Didn't acknowledge it.
—
The voice continued.
Interest clear now.
"So let us take a closer look… shall we?"
—
One orb pulsed brighter than the others.
Then—
The air above the chamber shifted.
Distorted—
Before forming a projection.
—
A scene.
—
The forest.
—
Their field.
—
The wolves.
The slaughter.
The bears.
—
Everything.
—
Played back.
—
Silence fell instantly.
—
No whispers.
No movement.
—
Just—
Watching.
The moment the first wolf died—
A few people stiffened.
—
By the time the fourth fell—
Someone took a step back.
—
By the time the first bear dropped—
The room felt heavier.
—
And when Draven stood over all three corpses—
Unmoving.
Unbothered.
—
No one spoke.
—
Because now—
They understood.
—
Not rumors.
Not guesses.
—
Reality.
—
The projection faded slowly.
—
The chamber remained silent.
—
Then—
The voice returned.
Soft.
Amused.
"…Exceptional."
—
A pause.
Then—
"Far beyond the expected standard."
—
No applause.
No praise from the others.
—
Only distance.
—
Subtle—
But real.
—
People shifted away.
Not obviously.
Not dramatically.
—
Just enough.
—
Creating space.
—
Because now—
No one wanted to stand too close.
—
The boy exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah…"
"…this is definitely bad."
—
The fox girl nodded faintly.
"…We just became the biggest target."
—
Draven finally moved.
Just slightly.
—
His gaze lifted.
Not to the people—
—
To the orb.
—
"…Finished?"
Flat.
—
A pause.
—
Then—
Laughter.
—
Low.
Genuine.
—
"Not quite."
—
The air shifted again.
Heavier.
Sharper.
—
"Because now…"
A faint hum echoed beneath their feet.
"…we move on to the next phase."
—
The floor beneath them began to change.
Lines forming.
Circles carving themselves into the stone once more.
—
But different this time.
—
Larger.
More complex.
—
"Teams will remain the same."
—
A pause.
—
"But this time…"
The tone dipped.
Darkening slightly.
—
"…you won't just be fighting beasts."
—
Silence.
—
The meaning spread slowly.
—
Then—
Hit.
—
The boy's eyes narrowed.
"…Don't tell me…"
—
The fox girl's gaze sharpened.
"…Other teams."
—
The voice confirmed it.
Clear.
Cold.
"Correct."
—
A faint chuckle followed.
—
"Participants…"
"…will now be allowed…"
A pause.
Lingering.
—
"…to hunt each other."