Early at dawn, Suho pulled on his jacket and grabbed the iron rod.
The roommates stayed asleep.
He slipped out with the wolf glued to his hip and headed straight for the academy edge where the field boss signal pulsed.
The grass opened into a cracked clearing under the last of the moonlight.
The Stoneshell Beetle waited in the center. It stood taller than him with spikes jutting from its shell.
Its legs scraped deep grooves in the dirt every time it shifted. Suho gripped the rod until his knuckles went white.
The wolf stayed tight to his side and her fangs caught the faint light when she tested the air.
The beetle charged first.
Its shell scraped loud across the ground and aimed straight at them.
Suho dodged left at the last second and swung the rod into a leg joint.
The hit connected but the shell barely cracked. The wolf lunged from the right and sank her fangs into the softer underbelly.
She tore a chunk free and black blood sprayed across the grass.
The beetle swung around and slammed its spiked side toward her.
Suho threw himself between them and jammed the rod into a gap in the shell.
He twisted with everything he had. The beetle staggered but its leg caught his shoulder and knocked him back hard.
He hit the ground and rolled.
Pain shot through his arm.
The wolf circled fast and bit the same weak spot again. Her fangs went deeper.
Suho pushed up and attacked the legs while she kept the pressure on the underbelly, they moved together without words.
He felt the bond pull every time she struck. He knew exactly where her next bite would land.
The beetle slowed after the fifth exchange but it still swung its shell and caught the wolf across the flank.
She yelped once and blood matted her fur.
Suho yelled and drove the rod into the cracked center of the shell.
The wolf bit through the last tendon at the same moment.
The beetle crashed onto its back and stopped moving. The System chimed loud in his vision.
[DING!] — Field Boss Defeated! Bond Level: 2 | Obsession Index: Geurim +4 (25/50)
Suho dropped to one knee and breathed hard.
The wolf pressed her head under his arm and nuzzled into his side.
He ran his hand along her neck and felt the new strength there.
A small Beast Core dropped from the broken shell, he picked it up and tucked it into his jacket pocket.
The core felt warm against his ribs, they walked back toward the academy buildings. The sky stayed dark but sunrise edged the horizon.
◆ ◆ ◆
A classmate called Jang Eunbi waited near the remedial entrance. She stepped forward when she saw him and smiled.
"Kang Suho. I heard you took down something bigger than Tier-1 out there. That is impressive for your rank."
She reached out and touched his arm right above the elbow, her fingers stayed there.
The wolf went completely still beside him.
Her shadow stretched across the ground toward Eunbi without a sound.
The air around Eunbi dropped cold enough that her breath showed white. She shivered hard and pulled her hand back fast.
"I should go," Eunbi said, she rubbed her arms and stepped away quick. "Good work though."
She turned and walked off faster than she needed to. Suho watched her disappear around the corner.
'Eunbi left really fast'
'She was probably just cold, the weather has been unpredictable since the last Fracture and Geurim wasn't growling at her or anything, she is just standing very close to me. She always does that, she is affectionate.'
His palms started sweating.
He wiped them on his pants and felt the damp stick to the fabric.
The wolf nuzzled her head into his open hand.
The touch settled him right away. He relaxed and scratched behind her ears.
'See? Just affectionate.'
They reached the dorm room and Suho shut the door. The roommates had already left for morning drills.
He stripped off his jacket and the shirt underneath because both carried beetle blood and dirt.
The wolf followed him into the small bathroom and sat in the doorway. She watched while he turned on the shower and stepped under the cold spray.
Water ran down his back and washed the grime away.
The wolf stayed right there, her eyes tracked every move he made.
She did not look away once.
Suho finished and dried off with the thin towel. He walked back to the bed with the wolf right behind him.
He lay down on his back.
The wolf jumped up and curled around him, she took up most of the bed now. Her body wrapped along his side and her head rested near his shoulder.
Her tail lay across his legs. Suho closed his eyes but sleep did not come right away.
His hand moved on its own.
It brushed through her fur along her belly in slow strokes.
The fur felt thicker there after the evolution.
The wolf let out a low breathy sound that filled the quiet room. It was not a growl or a warning, the sound came from deep in her chest and stayed there.
Suho opened his eyes and looked at her but she had her head turned away and pretended to sleep. Her tail wagged slow against his leg.
[DING!] — Obsession: Geurim +3 (28/50) | Spiritual Friction: 1.2%. Minimal.