Location: Sacred Temple, Main Hall
At the moment, this hall was filled with noise pollution because many people had gathered around the mission desks, trying to take missions. Some were tall Guardians completely covered in armor, while others only wore armor to protect vital parts such as chest plates, helmets, and similar essential gear. Others wore no armor at all, instead choosing sportswear or other comfortable clothing.
All of these people were crammed together, struggling to get missions. The metallic sounds of armor scraping and colliding could be heard constantly. Slight shouting and angry conversations echoed throughout the hall.
Of course, some people didn't want to join this chaos, so they sat on chairs meant for waiting or resting, simply watching and chatting among themselves while waiting for the crowd to die down. Because so many people were fighting over missions, they had nothing better to do.
Anyway, to the right side of the mission desks and a bit further ahead, two people were standing in complete silence.
One of them was leaning against the wall, looking at a piece of paper a mission scroll. It was written and drawn entirely in black ink. The most heavily inked part of the scroll was the image of a creature a terrifying wolf-like being. It had four eyes, four legs like a normal wolf, but from its back extended exactly eight arms. It looked as if four humans were trying to escape from inside the wolf.
Below the image were details, written exactly like this:
"Warning! Rank two or higher. This demonic wolf has been confirmed in the Nether Road. It is known as the Hell Wolf. Based on observations, its regeneration level is two and a half. Be aware that the eight arms on its back are highly likely to be poisonous. Fight with extreme caution. The one who takes this mission must sign below."
That was what the mission scroll said.
The one holding the scroll was wearing a yellow classic T-shirt, with matching sports sweatpants. His running shoes were black. His appearance, his black hair seemed to shine under the light, because it was sunset and the light was hitting his hair through the window. His eyes were golden, as if they could look directly into someone's soul.
He was 1.91 meters tall.
This man was none other than Enzo.
However, there was a big difference between his current state and his state during the exam. Back then, his aura and energy were aggressive and sharp. Now, his energy flowed calmly and smoothly. If someone tried to recognize him only by his energy, they might even doubt that he was Enzo.
Next to him stood another person, reading a book about the rules of gravity, holding it with his left hand. He wore a white sweater and white sweatpants, along with long white gloves on both hands, reaching all the way up to his elbows.
His appearance, he had beautiful brown hair, long enough to cover his neck. His eyes were brown with faint purplish glows. His height was around 1.85 meters.
His energy was similar to Enzo's, but far greater. If Enzo's aura could currently fill a car, this person's aura could fill a truck.
Yes, this person was Michael.
So why were these two together? These were the same two who had fought each other in the second phase of the exam.
Enzo took a pen out of his pocket and signed the scroll. Then he rolled it up like a wrap and stuffed it into a pocket that clearly couldn't fit it but he was confident it wouldn't fall out.
He looked at Michael, leaned his right arm on Michael's shoulder, and said:
Enzo: Do we seriously have to do this mission, Michael?
Michael closed the book with one hand, sighed, and with his eyes closed, said:
Michael: You know… Mr. Rick told us to do this because inexperienced Guardians can't move up otherwise. That's why we have to take missions.
Enzo exhaled as if bored, raised his left hand toward the light at a ninety-degree angle, and his eyes sharpened as he spoke:
Enzo: Rick gave us a lot of solid training. He spent more than a week just teaching us the basics of energy control… and honestly, he might be the most experienced fighter I've ever seen.
Michael opened both eyes and looked in the direction Enzo was pointing.
Michael: We should get moving. Evening hours are the best time for hunting… if you're looking for a creature.
Enzo lowered his hand and smirked slightly.
Michael started walking ahead, and Enzo followed, since Michael was better at navigation.
They headed toward the entrance and stepped outside. The moment they did, everyone who had been trying to take missions suddenly stopped and also began heading toward the entrance.
As soon as Enzo and Michael stepped out, they started running.
They moved like racing cars. Everything around them blurred past due to their speed. At this velocity, they could easily collide with someone but thanks to their instincts, they either jumped over obstacles or slipped past them effortlessly.
If you watched from behind, you'd see them constantly leaping from sidewalks to buildings. With every movement jumping, changing direction, or anything else they left trails of energy behind them.
Enzo's trail was golden.
Michael's was purple.
After a long run, they arrived at their destination. They had left at around 6 PM and arrived at approximately 8:30 PM.
The continent they were on was massive the only known continent in the world, excluding the mysterious island. Compared to this continent, that island was nothing.
Now, Enzo and Michael were sitting on top of a massive ruined building, resting or rather, waiting for the demonic wolf.
This place was Nether Road.
It was filled with destroyed buildings. If we talk about size, the city where the Sacred Temple was located Great Sanctuary was 74.6 million square kilometers, while Nether Road was 27.1 square kilometers, making it the third largest region of the continent. The second largest was Cursed City.
They had asked around before coming here and confirmed the last sighting of the creature, so they were waiting at the right place.
Enzo searched for the creature while Michael meditated.
Enzo: Hey, Michael… can you find it through meditation?
Michael was in a full lotus position, sensing energy disturbances. Energy Meditation was mainly used to learn energy control, but it could also be used to locate creatures.
Without opening his eyes, he replied:
Michael: This place is extremely strange. It'll take some time to get used to it, but once I adapt, my chances of finding it will increase.
Enzo was checking everywhere. This place was mostly filled with vine-covered buildings ruined structures, vines, trees, rusted cars, and countless skeletons. It was clearly a place that hadn't been touched for a very, very long time. Enzo was searching for the demonic wolf in this chaotic area. Michael was also searching, but his energy meditation was not yet complete.
As Enzo kept looking around, he started to get quite bored and began thinking, because Michael needed to focus heavily, so Enzo could only think to himself.
Enzo (In his mind): Finding this demonic wolf is seriously torture… I wonder if Jack is okay? I haven't seen him for a while… I hope he's been released from that prison.
Enzo had several goals, and one of them was to get Jack out of that prison, because he was one of the people who believed Jack had committed no crime. Enzo kept both searching and thinking, and this process continued until about one hour before full night so it was around nine o'clock.
Michael finally opened his eyes. Enzo was searching while sitting. As Michael looked around, he sensed energy coming from behind and immediately informed Enzo.
Michael: Enzo, behind us.
The moment Enzo heard this, he gave a thumbs-up as confirmation. Michael stopped his Lotus position and immediately stood up. Enzo followed him.
After moving forward for a while, Michael saw it a wolf-like creature as long as a truck. That thing was exactly the demonic wolf they were looking for.
It looked far more terrifying than in the picture. Its fur was blood-red, and the eight arms extending from its back were completely covered in blood. All four of its eyes were entirely black not even a trace of a pupil, just pure darkness. Pieces of armor were stuck between its teeth, which showed that it had many victims, yet it didn't have even a single battle scar.
Michael immediately understood the regeneration level of two and a half was no joke. That meant its healing ability was between a demon and a greater demon. No one had healing as strong as Hana, but this creature's regeneration was still extremely powerful. If they dealt enough heavy damage quickly, its regeneration would take time.
Michael immediately began loading energy into his hand. His hand was completely covered in purple energy. Enzo's hands were covered in golden energy, and he had two blades formed from energy in both hands just like when he first fought Michael, but this time they were working together.
Michael pointed to the left with his right hand, clearly telling Enzo to go that way and launch a surprise attack.
Enzo immediately understood and disappeared at incredible speed.
As for Michael, he started acting as if he was holding something with both hands, like he was gripping something heavy. Had Michael gone crazy?
No…
Behind him, he was holding two two-story buildings using gravity. He was preparing to throw them at the wolf.
The wolf noticed immediately, because while the buildings were being lifted, the sound of falling debris could be heard.
Just as the wolf was about to attack with the arms on its back, Enzo moved through the trees, large rocks, rusted cars, and debris at such incredible speed that the trees couldn't withstand it and bent backward. The wind created by Enzo's speed heavily affected everything around him.
But instead of heading directly for the wolf, Enzo targeted the arms on its back.
He pulled his right-hand blade Ellie back, ready to swing, and said:
Enzo: Ultimate Assassination Technique...
Enzo swung his blade. Ellie, the blade's ability was to cut across long distances; whether near or far, it could slice both. While Enzo was on the wolf's right side, in the blink of an eye he had already passed to its left side and completed his sentence:
Enzo: Sharp Beauty.
All eight arms on the wolf's back were completely severed from its body, as if they had been cut off mid-air. Blood burst out from beneath the severed limbs, and its back began to be covered in blood. Instead of attacking, the wolf let out a scream of agony. Its scream sounded like the cries of countless humans suffering, mixed together, and its voice was distorted at the same time like something straight out of a horror movie.
While Enzo stood on the wolf's left side, the wolf, still screaming, suddenly lunged at him but Enzo instantly disappeared. The wolf slammed its claw into the ground, completely tearing it apart. The soil floated slightly in the air, trees shook
Then a shadow fell over the wolf.
Before it could even react, the owner of that shadow began to fall and those falling objects were the two two-story buildings that Michael had been holding with gravity. Just as the wolf was about to dodge, Enzo, from a safe distance, used Ellie to cut off all four of the wolf's legs. Since the legs were no longer connected to the body, they immediately fell to the ground.
The two buildings crashed down with immense force, strengthened both by their weight and gravity. The place where the wolf stood was filled with an extremely loud impact sound, as if a bomb had been dropped but it wasn't a bomb, it was buildings. The entire area was covered in a cloud of dust.Michael checked the wolf's aura there was not even the slightest trace of life left within it anymore. Michael had not even stepped down from the building; in fact, he had not moved at all. The moment the building attack occurred, Enzo immediately returned to where Michael was. Enzo brushed his hands as if shaking off dust like saying the job was done, like it was clean work and said:
Enzo: This might be the easiest job there is.
Michael began doing warm-up movements. After a few seconds, he finished and looked toward the direction where the Great Sanctuary was located toward the northeast ready to run, and said:
Michael: The last one to the Sacred Temple is a rotten egg.
Michael immediately took off, running at a speed comparable to a race car. Because of that speed, the wind struck Enzo's face. What Michael did was pretty childish seriously, who would race over something like that...
Enzo: You bastard! I will never be the rotten egg!
Apparently… he would.
Anyway, Enzo moved even faster than Michael and disappeared from the area. Since their mission was complete, Enzo and Michael left immediately.
However…
Under the fallen buildings the rubble there was still a sign of movement. At that moment, the sound of the debris shifting echoed loudly throughout the surroundings. The demonic wolf had actually survived by a hair's breadth.
The wolf was slowly regenerating as it crawled out from within the wreckage.
Just as it was about to release a scream
Suddenly, a line appeared right through the middle of its body, as if it had been split into two.
In an instant, the wolf was completely cut into two halves. It was an unbelievably clean cut like the work of an extremely high-level swordsman.
There was someone approaching directly in front of the wolf.
In his hand was something that looked like a butcher's knife, yet it was as long as a katana. Normally, a butcher's knife is large and relatively thin, but this blade looked almost exactly like a katana though in essence, it was still a butcher's knife.
The person holding it was dressed entirely in black, like a ninja, but with a more refined and decorative style. His hair started as blue and gradually turned white toward the top. His hair was tied back, and it was quite long. His eyes were different colors his right eye was white, and his left eye was blue. His right eye could actually see; it only looked that way, so he wasn't blind his eye color was simply like that.
He was exactly 1.90 meters tall, a muscular man. His energy and aura could not even be compared to Merlin it was obvious just from the aura he emitted that he was stronger than Merlin.
Since the wolf had already been split into two, the man extended his hand toward the right half and said:
- - - : I'm sorry, Tenjin… Because you couldn't protect your wife, you turned into a demonic form… I am Frost Hill. I swear that if there is anyone who is about to share your fate, I will go to help them immediately…
This incredible figure was actually Arthur Violend's first student Frost Hill! What exactly did he mean by that?
After saying those words, Frost Hill placed a flower in front of the wolf's corpse. It seemed to be a flower called a white lily.
After placing the flower, Frost walked away.
Above the wolf, a spirit appeared, and from its mouth, the words could be read:
"Thank you."
And then that spirit disappeared, drifting along with the wind, as if dissolving into the air and vanishing completely.