CHAPTER 16: THE DOUBLE TRAINING

The marsh was silent.

The cold wind made the reeds sway in gentle waves, breaking the muddy surface with occasional snaps.

But in the center, there was only tension.

Eren didn’t move.

The dirty cloak swayed slightly.

The machete in one hand.

The short, black dagger in the other.

Kaela was two steps behind.

Arms crossed, a feline smile.

Nyssa trembled, trying to bury her face in her own cloak to hide.

Eren kept his eyes on the five.

Ergan stepped forward half a step.

The Mud Howler beside him growled, teeth dripping white saliva.

"Last chance, stranger. Hand those two over. Or we’ll take them anyway."

Eren didn’t respond.

The system lit up in his field of vision:

[Monster: Mud Howler (level 5)]

[Primary Attack: Bite (Medium Damage, Bleeding)]

"Basic Reaction, Frontal Focus, Little Lateral Movement."

Lorre raised his arm, pointing the Skyrazor.

"Go!"

[Analyzing...]

[Skyrazor (level 4)]

[Primary Attack: Dive (Light Cut, Chance of Bleeding)]

"Linear attack. Weak against lateral evasion."

Bren shouted at the Saltscale, which slithered, spewing slime.

"Spit! Go!"

[Analyzing...]

[Saltscale (level 3)]

[Attack: Saline Spit (Slow Debuff)]

"Slow aim. Long recharge interval."

Tavo pressed the Marsh Leaper.

"Go, get him!"

[Analyzing...]

[Marsh Leaper (level 4)]

[Attack: Leap and Tear (Medium Critical Attack)]

"Vulnerable in the air."

Varlo controlled the Snare Vine, which creaked as it slithered.

"Bind him, NOW!"

[Analyzing...]

[Snare Vine (level 5)]

[Attack: Entangle (Light Restriction, Short Duration)]

"Telegraphed attack."

Eren took a deep breath.

"Kaela. Nyssa."

The two turned.

"Stay."

Ergan shouted.

"ALL AT ONCE!"

The Mud Howler advanced with a howl, paws splashing mud.

Skyrazor dived with closed wings, slicing the air.

Saltscale puffed its chest to spit.

Marsh Leaper crouched and leapt.

Snare Vine raised creaking tendrils.

Eren didn’t move for a heartbeat. He just watched.

"They don’t understand range. Nor stagger."

When the Howler bit, Eren spun his body. The machete came down in a short, dry arc. The sound was wet. Warm blood splattered on his face.

The Howler squealed, jaw torn.

[Log: Critical Damage. Heavy Bleeding.]

The Skyrazor dove. Eren ducked. The air whistled where his head had been. The machete rose, cutting feathers.

The creature twisted in the air, screeching.

[Log: Light Damage. Status: Wing Cut.]

The Saltscale spat. Eren sidestepped. The salty spit whizzed past. A tree behind sizzled, corroding.

"Useless."

The Marsh Leaper was in the air, claws forward. Eren waited. In the last fraction, he spun, using the dagger. The blade entered through the monster’s armpit. It tore from the inside out as the body fell.

[Log: Critical Damage. Fatal.]

The Snare Vine whipped. Eren blocked with his forearm, the cloak absorbing part. The machete cut the vine. The monster writhed, creaking loudly.

He stepped forward, cutting the base. Dark sap oozed out.

[Log: Snare Vine incapacitated.]

The tamers’ screams echoed.

"HOW?!"

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

"HE’S KILLING EVERYTHING!"

Kaela watched, arms crossed, a wide smile. Nyssa hid her face, trembling.

Eren rolled his shoulders, adjusting the weapons.

The Mud Howler tried to bite again, limping. Eren raised the machete. The blade gleamed as it descended on the jugular. Silence. Blood dripped into the dirty water.

The Skyrazor tried to take off again, wings failing. Eren grabbed it by the throat. Spun the body. Snapped the neck with a crack.

[Log: All mobs defeated.]

He took a deep breath.

The cloak swayed. Cold eyes swept over the five terrified tamers.

The cold breeze made the reeds sway, spreading the rusty stench as the twisted body of the Mud Howler slowly sank into the shallow water.

Eren wiped the machete on the soaked fabric of the coat without haste, eyes narrowed, fixed on the five men now spreading in a disordered semicircle.

Faces contorted with fear, disbelief, barely contained hatred. One trembled so much he could barely hold the short knife, another gritted his teeth, trying to appear threatening even with his knees shaking.

Kaela stepped forward half a step. The lupine smile revealed teeth too sharp for a human, and the tail swayed from side to side in slow, lazy arcs. Her breathing was heavy, almost audible — not from exhaustion, but from pure predatory pleasure.

Nyssa, on the other hand, was trembling. The heavy cloak was stained with mud and blood, and she let out small sharp plops whenever she tried to compose herself. The amorphous hands twisted in front of her body, and the expression — if that translucent mass had one — seemed vacillating, between horror and panic.

Eren took a deep breath, inhaling forcefully. The smell was unbearable for a normal human, but he was not one.

"Smell of fear. Of blood. Of death."

The System blinked:

[Kaela Affinity: 98%]

[Feral Synchronization Status: Active]

[Effect: Partial Predatory Empathy]

[Alert: Temporary increase in aggressiveness / bloodlust.]

His perception changed for a moment. The heart raced. Pupils dilated. He not only saw the blood — he craved it. The smell, the warmth. An ancient, primal, wild instinct that didn’t belong to Lee Min-Jae, but to Kaela — and now, partially, to him.

He closed his eyes for a second. Controlled his breathing. The machete weighed in his hand like an extension of his arm. Just one movement to rip out the throat of any of those idiots.

But that wasn’t the plan.

He opened his eyes, returning to the usual coldness.

"Kaela."

She turned her face to him, lupine ears twitching.

"Hm?"

"Finish it."

Her smile widened. Teeth shone in the muddy twilight.

He turned his head slightly to Nyssa.

"Nyssa. Restrain anyone who attacks. Don’t hesitate."

Nyssa let out a wet, hesitant sound. She shrugged. A low, resigned plop escaped.

Kaela moved first.

Ergan shouted something unintelligible. Tried to raise the knife, but Kaela vanished in front of him in a single feline motion. The sound of impact was like wood cracking. His arm holding the knife bent at an impossible angle.

Kaela let out a satisfied growl and slammed her head into the guy’s nose, sinking the cartilage. He squealed, spitting blood and teeth.

Lorre tried to run backward, dragging the wingless flailing Skyrazor. Kaela spun, whipping her tail at his knees. He fell, sinking into the mud.

"Mine! — She roared, leaping onto him. Her claws slammed against his chest, tearing through fabric and skin."

Nyssa hesitated further back, trembling. One of the others — Bren — charged at her, shouting something about a "disgusting parasite."

She squealed, emitting a sharp plop and expanding her mass. He tried to cut with the knife, but the blade went in and stopped — the slippery slime offered no real resistance. Nyssa shivered, twisting around his arm.

He screamed as he felt the acidic heat begin.

"AAAAAH! GET OFF!"

But the chemical reaction had already started. The blade fell. The man’s skin bubbled. He screamed as the slime enveloped him like a living blanket, melting flesh, burning eyes.

Eren watched.

"Corrosion leveled. Time until death: ~7 seconds."

He said nothing.

Kaela laughed. Covered in mud and blood, she slapped another of the tamers, who fell sideways trying to block. Her claws scratched his chest, leaving open, bloody streaks.

Varlo tried to use a dazed Snare Vine to hold her. The vines wrapped around the wolf’s ankle. She smiled at him, her eyes gleaming.

With a dry snap, she twisted her leg, tearing the vine like it was rotten string. The Snare Vine squealed, writhing. Kaela jumped, landing on it, crushing the core with her hands.

The sound was disgusting.

Nyssa finally let go of Bren’s melted body, crawling backward.

Kaela wiped the blood on her arm, licking the tip of her claws.

"Weaklings."

Eren exhaled slowly.

"Minimal control. Single order. Result: massacre."

The sounds diminished.

Slime dripped from the trees.

Insects sang in the distance.

Ergan lay motionless on the ground, his nose sunken into his face. Lorre moaned low, scratched and with a broken arm. Tavo trembled so much he barely breathed, his body covered in superficial cuts.

One of them still breathed. But no one noticed. Not even Eren.

He turned his body slowly, observing the scene.

Kaela approached, her eyes still burning, her teeth bared in an animalistic smile.

"Order fulfilled."

Nyssa seemed to feel guilty.

Eren didn’t respond. He just collected the loot — fallen coins, knives of dubious quality, cheap amulets.

The System notified.

[Improvised mission completed: Eliminate Rivals.]

[Reward: 350 coins / 1 rare item / +25 XP]

He didn’t smile.

"Conclusion: use specific orders. Turn alternation. Forced synergy, but viable."

Kaela licked herself, cleaning blood stains.

Nyssa curled up even more, sniffling.

Eren looked at both.

"Let’s go."

They obeyed.

Without a word, the trio moved away from the swamp.

They left behind broken bodies and the wet sound of the slime, burying what remained.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

The air began to lose the rotten smell of brine and old blood, replaced by something drier — the harsh odor of dead leaves, twisted branches, and cold earth beginning to lose heat as night fell.

Eren went ahead, eyes fixed on the invisible path, his senses sharp — both physical and magical — picking up everything around. The heavy cloak moved with the cold wind, occasionally revealing the dry blood stains of enemies he hadn’t bothered to clean.

Kaela followed closely, silent for now, her head held high, nose sniffing each breeze like a wary wolf. Occasionally, she growled low, a sound more of boredom than alert. Her lupine ears twitched in almost independent reactions, catching snapping twigs, flying insects, even Nyssa, who walked further back.

Nyssa had been trying to keep her distance, wrapped in the thick cloak, each step resulting in a muffled plop and a wet creak that betrayed her discomfort. Her eyes — when visible — stayed fixed on Eren with a mix of fear and dependence. But they quickly turned away whenever Kaela looked at her, even without saying anything.

The sky darkened quickly, tinging a deep blue soon swallowed by black. The stars appeared, dots of cold light, and the moon — not full, but nearly — illuminated the path with a silvery glow that made the shadows of the trees stretch like gnarled fingers trying to grasp unwary travelers.

Eren assessed everything in silence. The System blinked occasionally with measurements of distance, ambient temperature, risk estimates.

"Night temperature dropping. Constant wind. Limited visibility. Minor hostiles: 8% chance. Shelter needed."

He didn’t need to sleep. Didn’t need to eat frequently. But the two behind him were different. Nyssa was almost melting from fatigue, the slime of her body oozing more slowly. Kaela yawned, showing sharp fangs, but her movements lost their aggressive momentum.

It was then that he saw it.

Between twisted trunks and tall grass, an ancient structure emerged — a forgotten temple of gray stone covered in moss. Broken columns lay on the ground like giant bones, walls marked by faded carvings, part of the roof collapsed.

He stopped, raising his arm.

Kaela sniffed.

"Smells like dead things here."

Nyssa plopped quietly.

"T-temple... there w-will be... g-ghosts..."

Kaela laughed, hoarse.

"Weakling. You’re more of a ghost than anything."

Nyssa hid her face, whining softly.

Eren didn’t react. He just indicated with his chin.

"Here."

They followed.

The entrance was narrow, an ancient arch cracked in three places. The moon entered in pale beams, illuminating patches of the floor covered in dry leaves. Inside it was colder, the air still, the silence denser.

Kaela sniffed again.

"Nothing alive."

Eren nodded.

"Good enough."

They threw themselves into different corners. Kaela dropped onto a pile of leaves, lay on her side with her tail curled around her hip, eyes half-closed in alert, but her breathing already slowing.

Nyssa curled up behind a fallen column, the cloak covering almost her entire amorphous body. Occasionally, she sobbed, the plops echoing softly, but it diminished until it almost disappeared.

The sound of them sleeping was strange — Kaela snored low, like a deep, rhythmic feline purr. Nyssa emitted a wet sound of bubbles dissolving, almost relaxing.

Eren stood up, his silhouette rigid, observing everything with steely eyes.

"No synergy in combat. Kaela advances alone. Nyssa hesitates too much. Result: chaos. Need to create action turns. Specific orders. Training."

He didn’t sigh. But he processed. Always processed.

When he was sure both were asleep—Nyssa releasing sleepy bubbles and Kaela purring softly—Eren turned to the darker interior of the temple.

The walls, even covered in lichen, had inscriptions. Carvings that time had not completely erased. He approached, dragging his gloved fingers over the crooked lines.

The System reacted.

[Ancient Language Recognition Active...]

[Translating...]

The runes began to glow in a pale orange on his interface.

The ancient runes seemed to have been carved with extreme care, but time and moss obscured important parts. The System projected incomplete, fragmented translations, but sufficient to suggest a deeper meaning.

["Contracts. Pacts. Seals. Two wills, one destiny. Blood that mixes."]

Eren narrowed his eyes.

"Too poetic. Hard to extract a manual."

He moved to the side, reading other carvings covered in lichen.

["Union... Fusion."]

The cold wind howled through the cracks in the broken roof, lifting dry leaves across the floor.

Eren wiped a piece of the wall with his gloved hand, revealing more inscriptions.

["One body. One soul. An indivisible power."]

"Complete fusion... not obedience. Literally a single entity."

He frowned, reading carefully, the System flickering to fill gaps.

["To break, the price is the self. To maintain, relinquish the self."]

His hands slowly closed.

"Kaela. Nyssa. Synergy problem. They’re like oil and water. If this... is really what it seems... it would solve it."

He took a deep breath.

The inscriptions were treacherous in their beauty: lines as fluid as poetry, metaphors almost floral. Nothing stated clearly how to do it.

"Archaic. Ritualized. Not designed for just anyone. But if I understand..."

He ran his eyes over another phrase:

["Entwined souls. Wills that surrender. Birth of something that is no longer two."]

Kaela stirred behind him, murmuring something sleepy, her low, deep voice echoing like a satisfied growl. Nyssa sighed, a muffled plop mixed with a shaky moan.

Eren didn’t turn around.

He kept his eyes fixed on the wall, illuminated by the cold glow of the System, processing every word, every symbol.

"I need to understand more. Maybe this is the solution."

And so, in silence, in the cold and forgotten temple, Eren Vale continued reading—sharp eyes, mind working like a blade—seeking, in ancient runes and old verses, a way to resolve the chaos that slept a few meters from him.

Little did he know, but he was learning more about the Absolute Contract.