A few moments earlier, within Kael's group—
The instructor was sweating as more hounds emerged from the darkness. Even Kael's arrogant expression had gone pale. Jim looked worse than both of them, his jaw clenched tight.
Lara's legs gave out; she could barely stand. Zuko almost dropped his gun when he realized how many orange eyes were watching them.
Kael tightened his claws as he stood ready to face them. The instructor spoke, "Kael, we have to retreat now. Come to formation."
Kael wasn't dumb; he knew the situation. He had already spent more than thirty percent of his nightmare essence. Not to mention, he could see more than twenty Paw Hounds now. He backed off slowly, with his claws ready to tear them open the moment they attacked.
A hound came forward, growling, ready to lunge as it saw Kael retreating. The instructor held both Zuko and Lara.
"Now, run," he said in a low voice.
The moment they turned around, the hounds roared as they began chasing them.
The hounds' paws could be heard—heavy paws hitting the ground like hammers. Their hungry growls echoed behind them. Fortunately, the Paw Hounds couldn't climb trees. But neither could the group, aside from the instructor.
Kael took out a smoke bomb and threw it behind them. This obscured the vision of the hounds.
The instructor jumped onto a tree that was wide, its branches spreading out. "Stay here."
He put both Zuko and Lara down. Lara and Zuko held the branch tightly in fear. They were at least twelve feet above the ground.
The instructor quickly returned with Kael and Jim. He was breathing roughly as he lowered them onto the branch. "Now," he said quietly, controlling his own breathing, "don't make a sound. Okay?"
But was it really just bad luck—or had something else been there all along? A rank Two Dark Shadow Beast was right behind them, unnoticed, fully camouflaged.
It leapt onto the instructor before he could sense it, tearing open his back. He cried out loudly, "Haaaa," as he shook the hound off him. The beast's body crashed into Lara as she fell.
Zuko's weak voice came out. He wanted to jump, but he was afraid. "Laraaa—" He wanted to jump, but his legs gave out.
Kael tried to grab her, but it was too late. He gritted his teeth as he jumped off the tree. He landed on the hound, driving his claws into its eyes.
The beast grunted, becoming even more enraged—but it was already blind. Kael threw another smoke bomb for cover, then lifted Lara, who was trembling and crying as some glass had scraped her face a little, injured from the fall, and ran.
She was crying in his arms, which felt warm in this tense environment. "Idiot, stop your crying. Don't make noise."
He forcefully grabbed her mouth shut as he ran. Although he had dealt with the Dark Shadow Hound, luckily, he knew that once he came face to face with so many Paw Hounds, his luck would run out.
He ran, his breathing becoming ragged. Most of the hounds stayed at the tree, drawn by the scent of the instructor's blood dripping below. Fortunately, Lara's bleeding was minor. He tore open her hound leather and gave it to her hand. "Wipe any blood. Don't let it fall on the ground."
But three to four hounds still sensed them as they followed. He used his active wolf speed burst, running faster. His heart was beating hard. His essence was draining constantly.
Oh shit, I don't have much essence.
Sweat began dripping down his face. He started using the active skill sparingly, switching it on and off to conserve essence.
Lara felt his desperation. She said in a weak tone, "I'll walk."
He breathed raggedly. "Huff… huff… I want you to run. Can you?"
She shut her little mouth.
Suddenly, he got an idea. He let her down. "Go. Run."
He bent over, catching his breath. She stood there, not understanding. "Run and ask for help!" he yelled.
He picked up some stones from the ground as he smirked. I should have listened to Jim and carried a weapon, he thought.
Her legs started moving. She didn't know whether it was fear, survival instinct, or his command—but she limped forward and ran. Her legs hurt; they were injured from the fall. The forest was completely dark, unlike during the day.
She ran, trying to remember the way—but her memory didn't support her.
Then she saw a torchlight in the distance. A sliver of hope appeared in her eyes as she yelled, "Help… help!"
Slowly her eyes captured Drayen, her eyes held a hint of joy—but the lingering fear caught up to her as her legs gave out. She staggered and fell.
Drayen and Fedric rushed toward her. The triplets were shaken; she was the girl who was friends with Fedric and Drayen. Kira, in the blink of an eye, was already beside the girl. She helped her stand without giving her a second to rest.
"What happened?" Kira asked, her eyes flickering with seriousness.
"Ka… Kael… huff… Kael… Zu… Zuko…" she gasped as she struggled to catch her breath.
Leo, who heard the name Kael, turned furious, memories of their conflict flashing through his mind. "Did Kael do something to Zuko?" he yelled with hatred.
The others shared the same expression. Except Drayen and Kira.
Kira patted her back. "Take a deep breath."
After a few breaths, she remembered the monsters, and her body shook with fear. "The hounds… they are surrounding… surrounding Kael and the others."
Kira turned. "Return to the school with her—now."
Before they could answer, she sprinted away, hopping across trees like a shadow. Drayen turned. "You guys go. I'll go for help."
He ran after her. She was extremely fast. She noticed Drayen behind her. "Return now."
He knew what she was thinking. "I'm not going to fight," he said. "I'll stay at the back and help if they're injured. One person can't fight and carry people at the same time."
She yelled, "You will stay at the back, then."
He nodded. He absorbed the Rank One cores as he ran. It was very difficult because he had to concentrate on both things.
They saw a gray-haired boy battling against the hounds. He was very tactical. He used his speed to lure them. He angered them by hitting them with stones. From the outside, it looked like he was playing with them.
But inwardly, the boy was exhausted. He didn't have much essence left.
Will I die? he thought.
He looked around and suddenly got an idea. If it failed, he would die. He gritted his teeth.
He jumped onto a hound at the right timing, using it as a springboard to leap toward a tree. There were no branches. He used his sharp claws to pierce the trunk as he climbed upward.
His breathing was ragged.
He smiled. I survived, huh.
But a Shadow Hound leapt at him. His eyes widened. There was no nightmare essence left. He could have taken the thing out if he had any—but his core was empty.
Horror flashed in his eyes.
Then a crimson spike struck the hound's head, and it fell onto him, motionless. There were only a few cuts from its claws, its blood splattering as it hit the ground.
Kira appeared before him like a shadow unwrapping into a beautiful girl. "Where are they?" she asked.
He pointed in a direction. "Drayen, help his wounds." She nodded. She looked at the paw hounds as she swung her hand. The crimson needles took the hounds life silently.
Drayen helped him with his minor injuries as they cautiously moved away. Fortunately, Drayen had Moon Butterfly Eyes—it could detect even a Rank Two dark shadow hound if it came too near because Drayen's ability was a perfect counter to dark Shadow Hounds. He scouted ahead safely as they traveled.
Kira, who was ahead, saw a group of Shadow Hounds attacking from the trees, while Paw Hounds growled below. She felt an ominous sensation. How could the hounds act together like this? But the situation was too serious to think further.
The crooked-faced instructor stood on a branch, cutting down Shadow Hounds as they leapt from the darkness, shielding Jim and Zuko behind him. He was Rank Two—handling weak Shadow Hounds wasn't difficult.
But it didn't end.
Jim had run out of bullets. He drew his dagger, its blade laced with poison, and stayed alert for anything that came too close.
Shadow Hounds continued to fall—pierced by silent crimson needles.
---
From afar, a young man watched from atop a tree.
"She's killing my hounds nonstop," he muttered, clicking his tongue.
Below him stood an old man with white eyebrows, his beard and hair jet black. A man in brown leather stepped close and whispered into his ear. On his left chest was a badge—Houndswell.
"Sir, some of them are retreating. Should we take care of them?"
The old man replied calmly, "Let them go. Weak blood doesn't speak loudly enough."
Watching his hounds being slaughtered by Kira's claws, the young man's brows furrowed. "Should we attack head-on, Grandpa?"
The old man said, "Not yet. Youngsters nowadays have no patience," with an ominous smile.