The next morning, Hunnt and Alder made their way through the central plaza of Korvan Village. The air was thick with heat; distant smoke rose from the volcanic ridges beyond. When they reached the longhouse, Maerin was already there, speaking with her aides. Her expression darkened when she saw Hunnt's face.
"You've seen it, haven't you?" she said before he even spoke.
Hunnt nodded slowly. "Vulcarion Basal. It's still underground, but I could feel its breath through the rock."
Maerin exhaled sharply, leaning on the table. "Then the stories are true. The last time it stirred, the hills bled fire for a month. My father's generation lost half the valley before it went back to sleep."
Alder frowned. "Then we hunt it before it wakes."
Maerin's eyes snapped to him. "No," she said flatly. "Not yet. Vulcarion Basal is not a beast you simply hunt. Even Guild A-ranks avoid it unless they bring an entire battalion. You'd be marching into your graves."
Hunnt crossed his arms. "Then what's the Guild doing?"
"They know," Maerin said bitterly. "But until it breaks the surface, they'll file it under 'low priority observation.' That's how the Guild works—no bounty, no move."
Hunnt's eyes narrowed. "Then we'll make sure it stays that way."
Maerin blinked. "You mean to keep it asleep?"
"Exactly," Hunnt said. "If something disturbs its den, we stop it before it reaches the tunnels. Anything that wakes it, we hunt."
Maerin hesitated, then nodded. "There are creatures near the magma flats — scavenger packs feeding off the heat fissures. They dig near the old vents, where Vulcarion sleeps. They're not large, but persistent."
"Then they'll do," Hunnt said.
She handed him a marked map. "Their territory. Take care of it. But I'm warning you, Hunnt—if Vulcarion stirs, even the mountain will turn against you."
Hunnt gave a single nod. "We'll be careful."
As he and Alder stepped outside, Alder muttered, "You sure we shouldn't just hunt the big one instead?"
Hunnt smirked. "Not yet. That wyvern's not my fight—it's fate's. For now, you'll take the pack."
Alder groaned. "Why me?"
"It's training," Hunnt said, stretching his shoulders. "You'll need to learn how to deal with chaos before you ever face a god of flame."
Alder grumbled under his breath, but followed anyway.
---
Meanwhile, Kael and Seren had returned to the village gates. The dust of the previous hunt still clung to their armor. Seren cleaned her lance quietly while Kael leaned against a post, watching her.
"You did good out there," Kael said finally.
Seren looked up. "So that means I pass?"
Kael shrugged. "Let's just say the path's still open. The first trial isn't everything. The real question is—can you keep choosing others over yourself when it costs you everything?"
Seren frowned. "That sounds less like a question and more like a warning."
"Maybe it's both," Kael said, standing. "Rest tonight. Tomorrow, we patrol."
---
The Second Trial – The Forest Defense
Morning broke under an uneasy sky. Kael and Seren trekked into the northern forest, where the tree line met the volcanic slopes. Smoke hung low, and the air carried a faint tremor from deep beneath the surface.
They had barely begun their patrol when shouting broke through the trees—villagers running from the west, chased by snarling shapes in the brush.
"Monsters!" one man cried. "They came down from the ridges!"
Seren didn't hesitate. She bolted forward, spear in hand.
Kael called out, "Wait—!" but she was already gone, shield up, closing the distance.
Three fanged beasts leapt from the undergrowth, eyes glowing red. Seren's lance intercepted the first, driving it to the dirt. The second she met with her shield, shoving it aside before thrusting clean through its neck.
Kael moved to cover her flank, firing bursts from his light bowgun to scatter the rest. He switched briefly into Observation Haki, feeling the rush of life-signs approaching. Too many… they're coming from the valley.
"Seren!" he shouted. "More incoming—dozens!"
"I'll hold the line!" she called back, planting her shield into the ground.
Kael grimaced but joined in, firing methodically to cover her sides as local hunters arrived—tired, disorganized, but desperate. Seren stepped into their formation like she had trained them for years, barking quick orders. "Left flank, brace! Don't spread too far! Protect the villagers first!"
The local hunters obeyed. Even Kael caught himself listening.
The battle stretched from morning until the orange edge of dusk. Monsters kept pouring from the forest, smaller ones climbing over their fallen kin. The local hunters were bleeding, exhausted, and slipping.
Kael felt the strain of his Haki drain his focus, sweat dripping down his neck. "Damn… there's no end to them."
Then, through the noise, a lone scream—one of the hunters had tripped, separated from the group, a beast closing fast.
Before Kael could move, a blur fell from the sky.
Steel slammed into earth, cracking stone.
Alder straightened, dragging his Great Sword from the creature's skull. "Phew. Almost died back there," he muttered, glancing at the terrified hunter. "You okay?"
The man nodded shakily.
"Then run," Alder said. "I'll handle the rest."
He turned, flames from his Heartflare Great Sword reflecting in his eyes.
Behind him, Hunnt arrived in silence, his gauntlets glowing faintly red from Armament Haki. Without a word, he joined the fray.
The forest shook under their combined assault. Hunnt's strikes cracked the earth, his fists igniting bursts of flame; Alder's blade cleaved through packs in wide arcs, forcing the monsters back toward the trees.
Kael fired from the rear line, using only short bursts, conserving what stamina remained. His Haki flickered briefly, tracking movements through the smoke.
He caught sight of Hunnt mid-swing—the black gauntlets radiating heat, their surface dark and seamless. Kael smirked quietly to himself. A clever disguise. No one would ever know it's Armament.
When the last monster fell, silence rolled through the clearing.
Hunnt straightened, scanning the forest edge. Seren stood ahead of everyone, shield raised, eyes sharp—still on guard, even though the battle was over.
Kael lowered his bowgun, watching her with a faint smile. "Still holding the line… even when it's safe. She's got the heart for it."
Hunnt nodded. "Yeah. That's the kind of strength you can't teach."
The local hunters began to cheer weakly, collapsing in the grass. Some cried quietly in relief. Alder sat beside them, laughing through his exhaustion. "We're alive. That's what matters."
Hunnt turned toward Kael and Seren. "We need to report this. Maerin needs to know what's happening around Vulcarion's borders."
Kael agreed. "Yeah. Whatever's stirring down there—it's growing restless."
Seren looked between them, confused but curious. "Vulcarion?"
Hunnt's tone softened. "Later. For now, just rest."
They started back toward Korvan as the sun sank behind the volcanic horizon, the heat of the land pulsing beneath their feet like the breath of something ancient waiting to awaken.