CHAPTER 187: EX 187. FIRST USE

Steam curled from the wolves’ fangs as their heavy paws crushed the earth beneath them. They were the size of trucks, hulking silhouettes bristling with muscle and feral hunger. Yet, despite the menace, Adrian and Eden advanced without hesitation.

Adrian’s voice cut through the growls. "I’ll draw their attention. You burn them down."

Eden smirked faintly, fire already flickering at his fingertips. "Got you. Don’t slow me down." He wasn’t as loud about it as Adrian, but the same fire burned in his chest, something to prove.

The largest wolf, its fur streaked silver and its eyes glowing like molten gold, threw back its head and let out a bone-rattling howl. The forest trembled as fourteen pairs of eyes turned toward the intruders, hunger sharpening into murderous intent.

Adrian braced his shield, slamming it against the ground with a metallic crack. "Come at me!" Aura surged, and the taunt skill burst outward in a pulse. Every wolf’s gaze locked on him, instincts overridden, their snarls deepening as they charged.

The alpha struck first, a blur of gray and muscle. Its massive paw slammed down, but the instant it connected, a force erupted from Adrian’s shield. Full Counter. The wolf was hurled back like a boulder, smashing through a tree with a thunderous crack.

The pack froze, startled. But the skill still dragged at their instincts, pulling them toward Adrian like moths to flame.

Three wolves lunged at once, their claws tearing grooves into the dirt, when fire burst into their faces. Three blazing spheres detonated with a deafening roar, burning fur and flesh, hurling them off-balance.

Adrian didn’t waste the opening. He drove his newly equipped blade forward, piercing through the eye of the closest wolf. The beast shrieked, its body convulsing as he twisted the sword, finishing it in a single stroke. Blood sprayed across his shield, but Adrian only stepped back, pulling free his weapon.

The other two staggered upright, furious now, their eyes bloodshot with rage at the loss of a packmate. Their growls shook the clearing.

From the treeline, the alpha rose again, fury burning hotter than its wounds. Its glare fixed on Adrian, a promise of violence.

"Thirteen more," Adrian muttered, voice low, steady. He shifted his stance, shield high, sword drawn back, left foot angled, every muscle coiled like steel.

Behind him, Eden’s mana erupted in a storm of heat. Flames coalesced into the shape of a dragon, its body of fire writhing and hissing as it towered behind him. The wolves’ growls faltered, instinct warning them of the predator born from mana.

The standoff lasted only a heartbeat. Then the alpha roared, and the wolves surged as one.

Adrian lowered his stance, shield locking into place. "Come!"

The ground shook as fangs and fire collided, thirteen wolves against two men.

****

The battle had drawn to its final moments. From the side, Leon, Elizabeth, and Nikko watched as Adrian and Eden pressed forward against the massive black wolf. Dust and blood clung to the air, the battlefield littered with the shredded carcasses of its pack.

Nikko’s sharp eyes followed the two young men, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "They’re really talented," she said, her voice calm but edged with respect.

Leon nodded, arms crossed. "They are. And their coordination’s nothing to scoff at."

Elizabeth, standing at his side, leaned in slightly. "You must have trained them well during your time at the base."

Leon didn’t answer right away. His gaze lingered on Adrian and Eden, blades glinting under the fading light. ’Train them? These two figured out everything themselves. I don’t think I’m cut out to teach anyone anything.’

The ground suddenly quaked with a deafening boom. A cloud of dirt shot into the air as the alpha wolf was blasted backward, its enormous frame crashing into the earth. When the dust cleared, its condition was clear, blood soaking its mangled body, its front paw torn clean off. Still, even in its ruined state, its glowing eyes burned with murderous intent.

Adrian and Eden stepped forward, both limping, their armor cracked and bodies bloodied. Yet compared to the wolf, they looked unbreakable.

The beast lowered its head, lips curled in a final snarl. Adrian gripped his sword tighter, his voice steady despite the exhaustion in his tone. "Don’t worry. I’ll send you to the rest."

He drove the blade deep into the wolf’s skull. Its growl died in its throat, body slumping into silence.

Leon approached then, dragging Bal’ark behind him, Nikko and Elizabeth flanking his sides. His expression carried a rare flicker of pride. "You guys did good."

Nikko tilted her head, studying the two. "Yes. The coordination between you was impressive, like you’ve trained together for years."

Eden gave a small, tired smile, bowing his head slightly. "Thank you for the praise, Supreme Heir."

Adrian straightened, wiping his blade clean before inclining his head as well. "I appreciate it."

Nikko’s voice softened, almost encouraging. "If you keep up at this rate, you’ll become fine warriors in the future."

Both nodded firmly, as if sealing a silent vow.

Then Elizabeth stepped forward, eyes flicking to the wolf corpses scattered across the field. "You don’t mind if I handle the remains, do you?"

Adrian shook his head. "It’s no problem. As long as they’re useful to you."

A smile tugged at Elizabeth’s lips, but it was touched with something darker. "They’ll be very helpful."

A subtle aura of death seeped from her form, cold and suffocating, swirling around her like a phantom mist. Her steps carried her toward the corpses with deliberate grace.

Leon’s jaw tightened as he watched.

"She’s about to use it."

****

Elizabeth’s awakening had been unlike anyone else’s. On the day of her summoning, she had resonated with a power few could even name. The talent revealed to her was called Death Parade, an extraordinary talent that allowed her to raise the dead, but only under strict conditions. The corpse could not have been lifeless for more than a day, and her own energy, be it aura or mana, had to exceed the remnants clinging to the body she sought to claim. With it, she had once pulled fallen beasts back to their feet, turning enemies into reluctant allies bound by her will.

But that was before Leon.

Before her soul accepted what it truly was.

The moment her dragon heritage truly awoke, her very essence shifted. Death Parade was torn apart and reforged in the crucible of her rebirth, emerging as something far greater: a Saint-rank talent. Its new name carried with it a darker weight, and a broken potential, the power to fuse the dead.

Where once she could only reanimate, now she could merge corpses together, weaving bones and flesh into abominations that answered only to her. The stronger her energy, the stronger the monstrosity she could forge. And the wolves’ mangled bodies scattered across the battlefield were about to become her canvas.

A faint chill spread as she stepped forward, her boots pressing against bloodied soil. Her pale fingers brushed across the air, pulling threads of power unseen to all but those who could sense the ebb of death itself. An aura of decay bled from her, low and steady, like the breath of the grave.