The group finally regrouped at their designated camping spot.
Emily arrived sprawled across Nate's Shadow Panther, utterly spent. Owen leaned against Eden, chest rising and falling with exhaustion. And Athena…
Athena was in Nate's arms.
"Looks like we're all here," Nate said, his tone cool and commanding again. "This will be our campsite. Training resumes first thing in the morning."
Owen raised a hand, still panting. "We didn't bring camping gear… or food."
Nate rolled his eyes. "Handled. My Goblin Knight is collecting firewood. The Ogre is butchering the Kick Rabbit Boss and preparing the smaller ones. As for tents…" He snapped his fingers.
A ripple spread from his shadow, unnaturally stretching. Two fully-formed tents rose from the dark surface like summoned guardians.
"One for the boys. One for you and Emily," he said, gently setting Athena down. Then, with a half-smile: "Get some rest."
Just like that, the warmth in his voice vanished—replaced by his usual unreadable tone.
Nate
He turned to the others, eyes sharp.
"Alright, back to business."
His gaze landed on Owen first. "Your sword was seconds from shattering. If it had, you'd be dead."
Owen grimaced, silently nodding.
Nate turned to Emily. "And you? Begging foreign gods for power you don't understand? That was reckless. It could have cost you your life."
Emily looked away.
His attention settled on Athena. "And you… you let your anger hijack your magic. That's how people die. Emotion without discipline is just a loaded cannon."
For a moment, silence. Then Nate chuckled.
"Still…" He folded his arms. "For a bunch of rookies, you're impressively reckless."
They blinked, confused.
"And that recklessness…" he added, voice dropping to a serious tone, "...means you're closer than most to unlocking your true strength."
His Goblin Knight reappeared, kneeling beside him and dropping firewood with a grunt.
"Well done," Nate nodded. "Return to the shadows. I'll call when dinner's ready."
The goblin vanished like smoke, melting into the ground.
As Nate arranged the firewood, the Ignil Lion padded out of the trees, heat radiating from its flaming mane.
Nate grinned. "Already eager to light something up, huh?"
He dramatically pointed at the firewood like a flamboyant pirate. "Ignite it, my friend!"
The lion roared, releasing a torrent of flame that burst the fire to life in seconds. It then sat beside Nate, noble and vigilant.
Behind him, the group stared in disbelief.
"You know…" Owen said, shaking his head, "Sometimes I forget Nate is also a complete idiot."
Athena giggled. "I was just thinking that."
Eden smirked. "Wild card and leader rolled into one. We're in for a ride."
Nate didn't respond. He was too busy play-wrestling with his beasts—the Ignil Lion, Shadow Panther, and the newly-added Kick Rabbit hopping in excitedly.
For a moment, the camp was filled with nothing but laughter and the crackling of fire.
For a moment, there was peace.
Athena
A sudden boom shattered that peace.
The crash came from the forest—where the Ogre had been preparing the meat.
Emily shot upright. "What was that?"
Nate was already gone, sprinting into the shadows with his beasts at his heels.
Athena's chest tightened. "The Ogre…?"
Eden stood. "No time to wait. Let's move!"
Athena stopped him, gripping his wrist. "Wait—we're all out of mana."
Her expression softened. "Go. We'll catch up."
Eden nodded, then vanished with a flash—Emily and Athena in tow via teleportation.
When Athena's vision returned, her stomach turned from the speed of the spell.
Then she saw it—
Nate, standing frozen.
Not in fear.
In fury.
She followed his gaze.
The Ogre—or what remained of it—crawled across the blood-soaked ground. Its body was mangled. One leg gone. An arm severed. Its breaths came out in rattling gasps.
Then—schink.
The last arm was lopped off in a single, clean cut.
Athena stifled a scream.
Standing behind it were four men, all smirking.
One stepped forward, clearly their leader. "Hey there, kiddos. You here for the meat too?"
Athena's eyes narrowed. No guild emblem. No kingdom crest. Nothing.
"Who are you? What guild do you serve?" she asked sharply.
The man laughed. "Guilds? We don't belong to anyone anymore."
He looked to the dying Ogre.
"Aww… poor guy. You gonna bury it? Or eat it raw?" he mocked.
That's when it happened.
A blur of movement.
A sickening sound.
His head fell to the ground.
The other three men staggered back in horror.
Nate stood there, hand extended—fingers dripping blood. His expression…
Was inhuman.
His golden eyes blazed with crimson light, his grin sharp and murderous.
Owen's voice trembled. "I… I know those men. They're criminals. High bounty. Dead or alive."
Athena's heart raced.
She saw the rolling head. The twitching body.
And then—
Nate laughed.
A dark, guttural chuckle that didn't sound human.
"Dead or alive, huh?" he said mockingly. "Then you won't mind if I go with dead."
The shadows coiled at his feet.
His beasts emerged like specters—silent, hungry, circling.
Nate's expression twisted.
His voice dropped.
"I'll kill you all…"
Step.
"One by one."
Step.
"Piece by piece."
The very air grew heavy. Suffocating.
"Until nothing—"
His eyes glowed like wildfire.
"And I mean nothing—"
The beasts snarled.
"—is left of you."
The ground quaked.
The shadows rose.
And the Unleashed Beast stepped forward.