Talon watched, breath held, as the boar sent another recruit flying through the air. The unfortunate man’s scream was cut short by a sickening crunch as he landed. Blood painted the grass in a dark, spreading stain, sending a ripple of hesitation through the group. Some recruits staggered back, their resolve crumbling at the sight of the monster’s brutal power.In their eyes, Talon saw the seeds of panic taking root. A few glanced toward the edges of the field, clearly contemplating escape. Talon’s hands tightened on his weapon, his feet itching to turn and run. Jefor’s commands had done little to reassure anyone, the man’s gruff orders seeming more like a death march than a strategy.Then it clicked.Reaching out with his Mind Hunter

They reached a clearing where the dirt road split into two paths. Magnus raised a hand, signaling for the team to halt.“We’ll split here,” he said, his voice cutting through the rustling leaves. He pointed to Merisa and Orthur. “Take the left trail and scout the area. Look for signs of monster activity—tracks, nests, anything unusual. Talon, you’re with me on the right trail.”Talon nodded, stepping into place beside Magnus as the others dispersed. The forest grew denser as they moved, the light fading into a muted green. The quiet was unnerving, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves or the distant call of a bird.Magnus tilted his head slightly, his sharp eyes scanning the undergrowth. “Nervous?” he asked, his tone light but probing.Talon hesitated before answering. “A little,” he admitted. “This is my first real mission with a guild.”Magnus chuckled softly. “You’ll get used to it. Everyone feels that way their first time. Just keep your wits about you.”Talon nodded with

They soon stepped out of the building, with a crowd of adventurers trailing after them. The first person to act was Eren.Fiery crimson orbs materialized around Eren, their heat distorting the air as they rapidly expanded from the size of melons to massive, swirling boulders of flame. Without warning, they detonated in a series of deafening blasts.The ground shook violently, and thick clouds of dust and smoke consumed the street. The shockwaves hurled debris into the air, shattering nearby windows. Screams filled the chaos as panicked citizens fled in all directions.The explosion rippled toward the Adventurer Guild, but the building’s enchanted walls shimmered with protective runes. The runes flared to life, absorbing the blast and shielding the structure from harm.Eren’s face was set in a grim mask as he barked, “Adrian, now!”Adrian didn’t hesitate. His hands hovered near each other, the air between them shimmering like water disturbed by a stone. The ripple expanded outward, a vo

Talon wasn’t sure what came first: the pack of mutated monsters lunging at them or Jefor stomping the ground, sending a shockwave rippling out in all directions. The ground trembled, and everyone fought to stay on their feet.Rocks and chunks of earth flew into the charging creatures, pelting them, but the effect was minimal. The monsters barely slowed, their glowing eyes locked on the adventurers as they surged forward.Before Talon could even process what was happening, Merisa and Brythan shot toward the monsters like streaks of silver light. As they ran, gleaming armor materialized around them. Merisa’s daggers flashed into her hands, and massive wings unfurled from her back. With a powerful leap, she soared into the air and dove straight into the swarm.Her daggers sliced through the first wave of creatures like a scythe cutting through grass. Each strike she landed caused a ripple of destruction, sending blood spraying from nearby monsters as they staggered and fell. In seconds,

“Space-Time Freeze.”Magnus’s voice rang out across the battlefield, and everything stopped. The charging monsters froze mid-lunge, the swaying grass halted, and even the crackling of distant flames seemed to vanish. Only Magnus moved, his blade pointed directly at the Wild Pastor.The cultist, locked in mid-motion with his staff raised defensively, couldn’t react as a beam of ice energy shot from Magnus’s blade, piercing his chest. Frost spread rapidly over his body, encasing him entirely in a thick shell of shimmering ice.For a moment, there was complete silence. Then a faint sound like breaking glass echoed across the field, and time resumed. The monsters that had been frozen in motion collapsed lifelessly to the ground.Magnus swayed on