CHAPTER 174: CAPTURE [1]

The distorted air-shimmer closed the distance rapidly, silver fur flickering in and out of visibility as it committed to its attack.

"Elen, drench it now! Make it fully visible!"

SPLASH! SURGE!

Water from the creek responded to Elen’s manipulation, forming a massive wave that crashed over the charging Hidebehind. The creature became instantly visible as water clung to its fur and body - exactly as I’d predicted, like revealing an invisible person by throwing liquid on them.

Now fully revealed, the Hidebehind was disturbing to behold. Tall as a large bear but impossibly thin, with silver-gray fur matted against its contorted frame. Its body seemed wrong somehow, joints bending at unnatural angles as it maintained its charge toward me.

I met its lunge with my blade, not aiming to kill but to deflect and control. My blood-enhanced strength allowed me to redirect its momentum, sending the creature stumbling past me rather than connecting with its intended strike.

"Loko, maximum strength buffs on me! Elen, keep it drenched and use water bindings to restrict movement!"

The Hidebehind recovered with disturbing speed, its body contorting as it tried to circle around for another attack. But Elen was already responding.

BIND! WRAP! CONSTRICT!

Water from the creek formed tendrils that wrapped around the creature’s limbs, restricting its movement. The Hidebehind shrieked - a horrible sound that was part human scream, part animal howl - as it struggled against the bindings.

"It’s strong!" Elen strained to maintain the water restraints. "I can’t hold it long!"

"You don’t need to hold it long - just keep it restricted for a few seconds!"

I moved in quickly while it was partially immobilized. Rather than striking with lethal intent, I used precise techniques designed for subduing rather than killing. My blade struck nerve clusters and joint points, causing temporary paralysis without permanent damage.

The Hidebehind’s left foreleg went limp as I severed the nerve connection. Another strike disabled its right rear leg. The creature collapsed partially, still thrashing but losing coordination.

"Elen, more bindings! Wrap its entire body!"

She responded with impressive control, the water manipulation creating a cocoon-like restraint around the struggling beast. Combined with the nerve strikes I’d delivered, the Hidebehind’s movements became increasingly weak and uncoordinated.

"Loko, do you have any sleep or sedation abilities?" I asked while maintaining pressure on the partially subdued creature.

"Minor sleep enchantment, but it’s weak and might not work on something this strong!"

"Try it anyway. Even partial sedation will help."

Loko channeled magic carefully, his hands glowing with soft blue light as sleep enchantment flowed toward the restrained Hidebehind.

The creature’s struggles gradually weakened further, eyes becoming unfocused as the combination of physical restraint, nerve disruption, and magical sedation took cumulative effect.

After several tense minutes, the Hidebehind finally went still not dead, but thoroughly subdued and barely conscious.

"Is it... secure?" Elen asked nervously, maintaining her water bindings just in case.

I checked carefully, confirming the creature was breathing but completely incapacitated. "Secure. Well done, both of you."

"Why didn’t we kill it?" Loko asked the obvious question. "That would have been safer and counted toward our mission."

"Because killing it for an exam would be stupid," I explained. "This creature is evidence of illegal breeding operations. Someone is creating Hidebehinds near the capital - beasts that specifically hunt humans. The instructors and kingdom authorities need to investigate this immediately."

Understanding dawned on both their faces.

"A living specimen is worth far more than a corpse," Elen said slowly. "They can interrogate it magically, trace its origins, potentially identify the breeders..."

"Exactly. This is bigger than our examination. We need to signal the instructor assistants immediately."

I looked around and spotted one of the Transcendent-rank assistants positioned on a nearby ridge for perimeter security. I raised my hand and channeled a burst of mana - the universal distress signal for ’situation requires immediate instructor attention.’

The assistant noticed instantly and began moving toward our position with enhanced speed.

"We just turned a simple hunt into a major incident report," Loko noted with a mix of anxiety and excitement.

"Better that than ignoring evidence of illegal operations that could threaten students and civilians," I replied.

The subdued Hidebehind lay bound and sedated at our feet - living proof that something dangerous was happening in the forests near the kingdom’s heart.

Looking at the subdued Hidebehind, the assistant’s eyes widened noticeably. A hidden glint formed in his expression - something that made my instincts prickle with unease, though I couldn’t immediately identify why.

He pulled out a small device from his robes and examined it briefly before looking back at us with what appeared to be professional composure.

"I will take care of this," he said with calm authority. "You three can leave and continue your examination. Good work identifying the threat."

His tone was perfectly reasonable, his demeanor appropriate for a Transcendent-rank assistant handling a situation beyond student capability.

Elen, Loko and I nodded in acknowledgment, turning to leave the area and return to their hunt for the remaining examination targets.

As I turned my back and began walking away with my teammates, every combat instinct I’d honed through countless battles suddenly screamed danger.

I activated Stone Echo instantaneously - the defensive trait that I’d kept as backup insurance - and whirled around with my sword raised.

CLASH!

A blade strike that would have heavily damaged my spine connected instead with my weapon, the impact force so powerful it drove me back several steps. The assistant had attacked with full Transcendent-rank power, no holding back, pure killing intent behind the blow.

Behind him, I saw the water bindings around the Hidebehind dissolve as he released some kind of counter-enchantment. The creature, suddenly freed and still partially conscious, fled into the forest with disturbing speed.

"What are you doing?!" I snarled, my expression ugly with shock and fury.

Elen and Loko had frozen in complete disbelief, their minds struggling to process that an academy instructor - someone meant to protect students - had just attempted murder.

The assistant’s face showed momentary shock that I’d blocked his supposedly surprise attack, but he didn’t stop or explain. Instead, he pressed the assault with ruthless intent.

Slash!

His blade work was professional and lethal, each attack targeting vital points with Transcendent-rank speed and power. He was genuinely trying to kill me, without holding an ounch of strength back.

"Elen, Loko, move away and find help NOW!" I commanded while desperately defending against the onslaught. "Signal the other assistants! GO!"

They hesitated for only a split second before Elen grabbed Loko’s arm and both began running toward where other instructor assistants were positioned, Elen already channeling mana for an emergency signal flare.

The corrupted assistant noticed their escape but couldn’t pursue. I was keeping him fully engaged despite being lower in rank.

CLASH!

I used every advantage available. Blood manipulation enhanced my physical capabilities beyond normal high-Elite limits. The Royal-rank footwork technique from my father’s secret art allowed me to dodge attacks that should have connected. Stone Echo absorbed impacts that would have otherwise injured me seriously.

"You should have died quietly," the assistant hissed, his attacks becoming more desperate and aggressive. "Why do noble brats always have to complicate things?!"

He was panicking now, realizing his ambush had failed and that help was coming. His strikes became more reckless, sacrificing technique for raw power.

That desperation created openings.

When he overcommitted on a particularly vicious slash, I saw it - a gap in his defense that my enhanced perception could exploit even if normal students couldn’t.

He tried to flee.

The moment he recognized his assassination attempt had failed completely and reinforcements were approaching, survival instinct overrode whatever orders he was following. He disengaged and turned to run with Transcendent-rank speed enhancement.

But I didn’t allow it I chased after him.

I activated blood enhancement to maximum output, combined with the unfinished first stance Royal-rank footwork, and chased after him with speed that touched the threshold of Transcendent capability. The gap closed in seconds.

When I was within striking distance, I swung my blade and the attack landed squarely on his back, blood manipulation adding power to the strike.

The attack wasn’t enough to kill a Transcendent outright, but it was enough to wound seriously.

"ARGH!" He cried out in pain, stumbling forward before whirling around to retaliate.

His desperate counterattack was wild and uncontrolled. I dodged cleanly, then pressed my advantage with relentless strikes that prevented him from regaining composure or escaping.

Blood flowed from his back wound - substantial damage that was slowing him down and degrading his combat effectiveness with each passing second.

"Why?!" I demanded while continuing the assault. "Why attack students? Who are you working for?!"

His expression twisted with rage and fear. He knew he was caught, knew he couldn’t escape, knew that capture meant interrogation that would reveal everything.

I heard them - multiple Transcendent-rank presences converging on our location at high speed. Elen and Loko had successfully signaled for help, and the legitimate instructor assistants were responding to what appeared to be a genuine emergency.

The corrupted assistant’s eyes widened with recognition that time had run out.

"You’ve ruined everything," he spat with venom, then suddenly his jaw moved strangely.

"No!" I lunged forward, recognizing the motion too late.

He bit down hard on something concealed in his mouth - a hidden pill that assassins and spies carried for exactly this situation. Poison capsule, suicide measure, last resort to prevent interrogation.

His body convulsed immediately, foam appearing at his lips as the fast-acting toxin flooded his system.

"Damn it!" I caught him as he collapsed, but it was already too late. Whatever poison he’d consumed was catastrophically effective.