The night wind howled across the scorched wastes of Sector 14 — a territory long abandoned, crawling with feral beasts and unstable rift energy. Few dared to enter it.
But Kiel walked forward without hesitation.
Drexx followed behind, scanning with his eye implant. "You're sure this last recruit is even alive?"
"She's not just alive," Merren muttered. "She thrives out here."
They came upon a battlefield — dozens of beast corpses scattered in a wide ring, all torn apart with animal precision. Clawed. Bitten. Disemboweled.
At the center stood a lone figure, blood-matted hair whipping in the wind.
She wore no armor. No tech.
Just teeth, muscle, and rage.
[TARGET IDENTIFIED: LYRA – Tier 1 Mutation: Wolfborne]
[Status: Feral-Bonded System User]
[Caution: Instability 43% – Borderline Berserk State]
Lyra turned slowly, golden eyes locking onto Kiel. Her lips curled into a snarl.
"You smell like prey… and predator," she growled. "Make up your damn mind."
Kiel didn't flinch.
"I'm both," he replied.
She charged.
She was fast.
Almost faster than Kiel.
She moved like a blur, claws extended, fangs bared — a hybrid of beast and woman. Kiel blocked with his arm, but her blow knocked him back ten feet.
"Testy," Sylah muttered, stepping forward.
"Wait," Kiel said, raising a hand. "Let me earn her."
Drexx snorted. "You and your obsession with dominance."
But Kiel wasn't listening.
He roared — not just from his throat, but from deep within his core.
[ALPHA ROAR: MAXIMUM OUTPUT]
[Dominance Challenge Issued]
Lyra froze mid-lunge.
Her body trembled.
Not in fear.
But in recognition.
Then, she dropped to all fours.
Not submission — acceptance.
"You're not just another beast," she whispered, voice shaking. "You're an apex."
"I'm building a pack," he said. "Join us. Or fight us again when Delta-13 comes to wipe out what's left of this world."
At the name, her feral demeanor shifted.
"Delta," she hissed. "The one who ripped through my den. Killed my kin. That monster—"
She bared her teeth.
"I'm in. But I don't follow alphas blindly."
"Good," Kiel said, offering his hand. "I don't want blind loyalty. I want ruthless survivors."
[NEW MEMBER: Lyra – Rank: Wolfborne Huntress]
[Bonded Trait Shared: "Pack Awareness" – Share senses and alerts across all members within radius]
[Pack Members: 3/3 Minimum Achieved]
[ALPHA BOND – LEVEL 1 FULLY UNLOCKED]
[NEW ABILITY: "Alpha Pulse" – Temporarily boosts strength, speed, and reflexes of all bonded allies]
Kiel felt it as soon as the bond formed — a low, steady hum of connection between them. Not emotion. Not friendship.
Instinct.
They were tied together now, by system and survival.
Lyra stood, blood-slick and wild, and grinned.
"So what's next, boss?"
Kiel turned to the others. "We stop running. No more scouting. No more hiding."
He looked up at the broken sky, toward the glowing tear in the clouds — where monsters slipped through, where rift storms brewed, and where Delta-13 was watching.
"We go hunting."
[MAIN QUEST UPDATED: "Predator Ascendant"]
Objective: Initiate Pack Trial – Defeat Rift-Tier Beast together as bonded pack
Location: Sector 17 Rift Zone
Time Limit: 48 hours
Reward: Tier 1 Apex Evolution – Alpha Form
[WARNING: Failure may result in pack collapse and mutation overload]
Kiel grinned.
"I hope Delta's watching."
Because the hunt had officially begun.