The wind shifted.
Ryan felt it before anyone else.
A faint current slipped through the broken highway, brushing against his skin—cool, damp.
Carrying with it the scent of moss.
Wet soil.
And something heavier.
Something alive.
His gaze moved.
Slowly.
Toward the edge of Blackwood Forest.
The trees stood dense and towering, their branches tangled together into a thick canopy that swallowed the last of the evening light. Shadows pooled between the trunks, stretching outward like something reaching.
Watching.
Waiting.
Ryan's grip tightened slightly around the tusk spear.
Alice noticed immediately.
She stepped closer, lowering her voice.
"Ryan?"
He didn't answer.
Not yet.
His eyes remained fixed on the darkness between the trees.
Marcus followed his line of sight.
Squinted.
"What is it?"
Ryan spoke without looking away.
"We're not alone."
The words landed.
Heavy.
The group reacted instantly.
Marcus's father lifted his crowbar.
Tight grip.
Elena shifted her stance slightly, her posture sharpening.
"More Fallen?" she asked.
Ryan shook his head.
Slow.
Controlled.
"No."
That single word pressed down on the group.
Marcus frowned.
"What do you mean 'no'?"
Ryan didn't respond immediately.
He was watching.
Tracking.
There—
Between two trees.
A flicker.
Stillness.
The creature hadn't moved.
Not once.
It was observing.
Patient.
Deliberate.
His mind moved quickly.
Not Fallen.
Too quiet.
Too controlled.
Not a normal beast.
Too aware.
Which meant—
Something had already begun evolving.
Ryan's expression hardened slightly.
Too early.
In the previous timeline, creatures like this stayed deeper in the wild.
Avoided human movement zones.
For weeks.
The mana density is rising faster.
Behind him, Alice's voice came softer.
"Can you see it?"
Ryan nodded faintly.
"Yellow eyes."
Marcus leaned forward slightly.
"I don't see—"
A sound rolled out from the forest.
Low.
Heavy.
Not quite a growl.
Not quite a breath.
Something in between.
Something that didn't need to be loud to be threatening.
Marcus straightened immediately.
"Okay."
He flexed his hands.
"Now I see the problem."
Elena stepped closer to Ryan.
"How strong?"
Ryan considered.
Measured.
Then answered plainly.
"Stronger than the Fallen."
Marcus grinned.
"Good."
Several heads turned toward him.
He shrugged.
"Those things were getting repetitive."
Elena exhaled through her nose.
"You're exhausting."
Ryan stepped forward.
One step.
Then another.
The creature's eyes shifted.
Tracking him.
Locked.
Smart.
Very smart.
Most beasts lunged.
Reacted.
This one—
Waited.
Studied.
Tested.
Ryan's thoughts sharpened.
The group couldn't handle this.
Not as they were.
Even Marcus would struggle.
Alice—
Still unstable with mana control.
If it broke through—
People would die.
Ryan tilted his head slightly.
"Alice."
She straightened instantly.
"Yeah?"
"Stay with the group."
Her brows pulled together.
"You're not fighting that alone."
Ryan shook his head once.
"Marcus is coming."
Marcus grinned immediately.
"Finally. Recognition."
Elena crossed her arms.
"You're already drained."
Marcus waved her off.
"I've got enough left."
Ryan glanced at him.
Brief.
Focused.
"Stop flooding your fists."
Marcus blinked.
"…What?"
"You're wasting mana."
Ryan lifted the spear slightly.
"Condense it."
Marcus frowned.
"At the point of impact."
Marcus stared at him.
Processing.
"…That's a thing?"
Ryan didn't answer.
He stepped forward again.
The forest responded.
Branches shifted.
Something large moved.
Closer now.
The yellow eyes rose slightly—
Higher than before.
Marcus rolled his shoulders.
"You sure this isn't just some oversized wolf?"
Ryan's voice was flat.
"No."
The creature stepped into the clearing.
And the world seemed to pause.
Several survivors inhaled sharply.
It was massive.
Nearly Marcus's height at the shoulder.
A wolf—
But wrong.
Its body was thick with muscle, layered beneath dark gray fur that shimmered faintly with mana. Bone-like ridges protruded along its spine, uneven and jagged.
Its claws dug into the ground with each step.
Leaving grooves.
Deep ones.
But its eyes—
Those eyes—
Bright yellow.
Sharp.
Focused.
Aware.
Marcus let out a low whistle.
"…Yeah. Not normal."
Ryan nodded.
"Awakened Beast."
Behind them, Alice's voice came quietly.
"It's… huge."
The wolf lowered its head.
Lips curling.
Teeth bared.
Long.
Sharp.
Wet.
Ryan felt it.
The mana radiating off the creature.
Dense.
Heavier than the Ironhide Boar.
This wasn't just strong.
It was a hunter.
A predator that chose its targets.
Which meant—
It had already been watching them.
Marcus stepped forward beside Ryan.
That grin returned.
"Oh yeah."
He cracked his neck.
"This is better."
Ryan didn't look at him.
"If you rush it, you die."
Marcus paused.
Then—
He laughed.
"Alright."
He planted his feet.
"So what's the move?"
Ryan lowered his stance slightly.
The wolf's body tightened.
Muscles coiling.
"Wait."
Marcus frowned.
"For what?"
Ryan's eyes narrowed.
"For it to commit."
The wolf moved.
No warning.
No hesitation.
It exploded forward.
The ground shattered beneath its paws.
Distance vanished.
Twenty meters—
Gone.
Marcus's eyes widened.
"—FAST!"
Ryan moved.
The spear snapped upward.
CLANG.
The tusk blade collided with the wolf's claws.
Force surged through Ryan's arms.
Heavy.
Sharp.
The wolf twisted midair.
Landed—
Silent.
Then lunged again.
Marcus roared.
His fist drove forward—
But hit nothing.
The wolf blurred.
Its jaws snapped—
Inches from his throat.
Ryan's spear cut across.
Forced it back.
Marcus jumped away.
Breathing hard.
Then—
He grinned.
"Okay."
"Now this is fun."
Ryan adjusted his grip.
Mind racing.
Breaking it down.
Speed.
Strength.
Reaction time.
Intelligence.
All higher than expected.
Behind them—
"Ryan!"
Alice's voice.
Tight.
The wolf circled.
Slow.
Controlled.
Its tail flicked once.
Not nervous.
Calculating.
Ryan spoke quietly.
"Marcus."
"Yeah?"
"Don't chase it."
Marcus wiped blood from his lip.
"…You've got something, don't you?"
Ryan didn't look away from the wolf.
"Yes."
The creature lowered itself again.
Muscles tightening.
Coiling.
Ryan inhaled slowly.
Mana flowed through his arms.
Into the spear.
The tusk blade shimmered faintly blue.
The wolf launched.
Again.
Faster.
Closer.
Deadlier.
And this time—
Ryan stepped forward.