The Alpha's jaws descended like a collapsing mountain.
Ethan's pulse thundered in his ears. There was no time to think, only to move. His dagger burned with golden flame as he threw himself forward, directly into the maw. Shadowfang leapt with him, their bond surging like a tidal wave.
The beast's fangs snapped shut—only to clash against a shield of light. Golden sparks burst outward as Ethan's body glowed faintly, their synchronization shielding him from death by a hair's breadth.
> [Bond Synchronization: 34% → 38%]
The Alpha reeled, shaking its massive head, stunned by the resistance. Ethan landed hard on the ground, lungs screaming for air, arms trembling from the backlash. His dagger's edge smoked, half-melted from the strain.
Shadowfang landed beside him, snarling, golden fire dripping from its claws like liquid light. The wolf's fur bristled, its aura sharper, heavier, hungry.
Ethan staggered upright, chest heaving.
"We can't… hold back anymore."
The wolf's growl was his answer.
---
The brute's laughter cut through the chaos.
"Impressive, boy! But even miracles won't save you!"
He charged, axe raised high. His gorilla bellowed, slamming its fists into the ground as it barreled toward Shadowfang. The arena trembled under their combined assault.
Shadowfang met the gorilla head-on, claws sparking against hardened flesh. The ground shattered beneath their clash, each strike echoing like thunder. Sparks of golden flame clashed with the gorilla's raw brute force.
Ethan faced the brute. His dagger was chipped, his body bruised, but the fire in his chest refused to die. He dodged the axe swing by inches, rolling across blood-slick stone before lunging back with a desperate slash. His blade bit into the man's side, drawing a snarl of pain.
"You little—!" the brute roared, swinging wildly.
Each clash rattled Ethan's bones, each strike threatening to tear him apart. But the bond steadied him, Shadowfang's strength pouring into his limbs, guiding his reflexes. For every axe strike, Ethan's body moved faster than it should, reacting like a predator instead of prey.
Still, the Alpha was far from idle.
The beast's massive claw crashed down, scattering debris, sending candidates screaming as they scrambled to escape. Lyra's voice rang out in the distance, commanding her serpent to coil around lesser beasts, holding the line.
But Ethan knew—if he didn't end this soon, none of them would survive.
---
The brute lunged again, axe flashing. Ethan sidestepped, barely, his body screaming in protest. He twisted, driving his dagger deep into the man's shoulder. Blood sprayed, but the brute only laughed through clenched teeth.
"You fight like a cornered rat!"
"Then don't underestimate rats," Ethan spat, wrenching his blade free.
The brute staggered but didn't fall. His gorilla roared, slamming Shadowfang back against the wall with bone-shaking force. The wolf yelped, golden flames flickering as blood stained the ground.
Something in Ethan snapped.
The bond surged hot, desperate. His vision sharpened, colors blurring into streaks of gold. He could feel Shadowfang's pain like his own, every strike echoing in his ribs, every roar shaking his heart.
We're not prey.
The Alpha lunged, jaws wide.
Shadowfang twisted, golden fire erupting across its body, ramming into the gorilla with renewed fury. Ethan met the brute head-on, dagger blazing like a shard of the sun.
For one instant, everything aligned—Ethan's heartbeat, Shadowfang's howl, the rhythm of their souls.
> [Bond Synchronization: 38% → 50%]
[New Skill Unlocked: Lunar Howl]
The wolf threw back its head and howled.
The sound wasn't mere noise—it was a wave of golden force that shook the arena to its core. The corrupted beasts shrieked, stumbling as their bodies seared under the resonance. The Alpha staggered, green eyes dimming for the first time, its massive body trembling.
Ethan felt the power surge into him, his dagger blazing brighter, heavier, as if forged from the moon itself. He roared with Shadowfang, their voices overlapping into one.
---
The brute froze, shock flickering in his eyes.
"What—what is that power?"
Ethan didn't answer. He lunged, dagger flashing, Shadowfang striking in tandem. The gorilla's fist met the wolf's claw, but this time golden fire tore straight through flesh, ripping the beast's arm apart. It howled, collapsing.
Ethan's blade met the brute's axe, sparks exploding—but the strength wasn't equal anymore. The bond's surge drove Ethan's arm like steel, pushing the brute back step by step until the axe slipped from his bleeding hands.
The man's grin faltered into disbelief.
"No… impossible…!"
Ethan's dagger stopped an inch from his throat.
"You wanted my bond?" Ethan's voice was low, cold. "Earn it in the grave."
He pivoted away, leaving the brute trembling, weaponless, humiliated. Ethan didn't kill him—not yet. The Alpha was still alive. That beast was the true trial.
---
The stitched monstrosity roared, fury boiling the air. Its massive claw swung, smashing the brute aside like a ragdoll, bones crunching under the impact.
The Alpha's focus turned to Ethan.
Good.
Ethan lifted his dagger, Shadowfang crouching low at his side.
"Together."
The wolf growled, golden light blazing like a second sun.
They moved.
The Alpha's maw snapped shut, but Ethan slid beneath, dagger flashing across its throat. Black blood sprayed, sizzling like acid, but the wolf was faster—leaping onto its back, claws tearing deep, golden fire searing corrupted flesh.
The beast shrieked, thrashing, but Ethan climbed with it, dagger carving rune-like lines across its hide. With every cut, Shadowfang's howl resonated, amplifying the wounds.
At last, they struck as one.
Ethan drove the dagger into the beast's chest as Shadowfang's claws ripped through its spine. Golden fire exploded, engulfing the Alpha in a storm of light.
The arena shook, runes flaring, until the monstrosity collapsed with a thunderous crash.
The Alpha shuddered, then dissolved into mist, leaving behind a core that pulsed with dark green light.
> [Essence Acquired: 50]
[Trial Progression: Stage One Cleared]
Silence.
Bloodied, broken, and half-dead, Ethan stood amid the wreckage, Shadowfang at his side. The survivors stared in disbelief, some in awe, others in fear.
For the first time since arriving, Ethan realized something.
This wasn't just survival anymore.
This was the beginning of domination.
---
Chapter End.
---