The deeper they go, the thicker the silence becomes. Even the rustle of leaves sounds cautious. Mist curls around their legs, faintly glowing where moonlight slips through the canopy. Every shadow looks like it could move at any second.

Kyra kneels suddenly, her tail flicking once as she presses her ear to the mossy ground. "Two… no, three. About fifty meters ahead," she murmurs. "Wind-types. Small, fast."

Bragg gestures subtly with two fingers, and the group halts in unison. Mave shifts his stance, his claymore humming softly with restrained energy, but Kyra raises a hand—wait.

A few heartbeats later, faint ripples of air stir the mist. Three sleek shapes dart through the shadows—wolf-like beasts with translucent fur and glowing blue eyes. They move soundlessly, the wind bending around their bodies like obedient servants.

Kyra's eyes narrow. "They're not attacking… scouting behavior. That's unusual."

Bragg grunts, scanning the treeline. "Maybe the packs are reorganizing. Beasts don't normally show discipline like that."

Verrin hums under his breath, runes flickering along his staff. "Could be the Beast King's influence spreading again."

Alix listens quietly, his eyes faintly reflecting the ghostly light. He can sense all of them—not just the three ahead, but the dozens farther in. Tier fives, tier sixes, even something deeper, coiled and slumbering beneath the Grove.

He could erase them all with a thought.

But that isn't why he's here.

I'll limit my strength, he thinks calmly. Only what an ordinary low-tier six would use. I need to see what they're capable of.

The wolves melt back into the fog, and Kyra exhales slowly, standing. "They're gone. Moving east, away from us."

"Good," Bragg says, motioning forward. "Let's keep moving. Kyra, keep the lead."

She nods, slipping ahead once more. Her steps are silent, precise—barely disturbing the ground. Alix watches her work for a moment; she's efficient, instinctive. She doesn't just see with her eyes—she feels the movement of mana around her, like a tracker born of the forest itself.

Toren breaks the quiet with a low mutter. "Still weird to walk through a forest this quiet. I'd almost prefer something screaming at us."

Mave smirks. "Don't say that too loud, or you'll get your wish."

Kyra whispers back from the front, "He would."

Bragg chuckles softly. "Focus. The Silent Grove doesn't forgive noise."

Alix's gaze drifts briefly to the mist-covered distance. A flicker of movement catches his eye—something darting between the trees at impossible speed. To the others, it's invisible. To him, it's clear as day, a predator gliding through the air, blending with the wind currents.

It slithers past them harmlessly, never sensing their presence.

Still, Alix notes its tier and elemental resonance—Tier 6, Wind Affinity.

A sharp whistle of air cuts through the mist—then silence again.

Bragg's head snaps up, eyes narrowing. "Incoming!"

The ground shudders as a massive blur bursts from the right flank, tearing through branches and fog like a blade. The beast hits the clearing in a cyclone of wind and force—sleek silver fur, claws like blades of stormlight, and four glowing eyes that track everything at once. Its body hums with compressed air, the faint whistle of wind magic twisting around it like a living armor.

"A Razorclaw," Verrin mutters, stepping back and raising his staff. "High-level Tier Six."

Bragg's stance lowers instantly, boots grinding into the soil as cracks form beneath his feet. "Positions!" he roars, voice cutting through the silence like thunder.

Kyra vanishes into the mist in a blur of movement, twin daggers glinting green as they slice through the air. Mave and Toren move side by side, their weapons drawn, while Verrin raises his staff—mana already swirling in complex patterns around him.

Alix stands at the edge of the formation, calm and watchful. His eyes follow every movement—not to intervene, but to measure.

The Razorclaw doesn't wait. It lunges, its body a streak of silver wind. Bragg meets it head-on, his gauntlet slamming into the ground.

"Tier 6 Skill—Tremor Guard!"

The forest floor erupts, jagged earthen pillars bursting upward to block the beast's path. The Razorclaw's claws screech against stone, sparks and air blades tearing through the mist.

"Move!" Bragg barks, shifting forward. He thrusts his hand out, and stone ripples like liquid, swallowing his arm up to the elbow. "Tier 6 Skill—Stonefang Burst!"

A line of spikes launches from the ground in a wave, slamming into the Razorclaw's flank. The beast screeches—a sharp, cutting sound that vibrates through the air.

Kyra reappears behind it, her body wrapped in emerald light. "Tier 6 Skill—Wind Step Crescent Dance!"

She slashes twice, wind blades tracing arcs through the beast's fur, cutting shallow lines across its back. But the creature twists faster than sight, backhanding her with a burst of compressed wind. Kyra tumbles through the air, twisting mid-fall and landing on one knee.

"Tch—its reaction speed's insane," she mutters, spitting blood.

"Keep pressure!" Bragg yells. "Don't let it charge!"

Toren steps forward, his greatsword raised high. "On it!"

His blade hums with rippling blue mana as he swings downward. "Tier 6 Skill—Aqua Edge Divide!"

A crescent of compressed water arcs forward, colliding with the Razorclaw's shoulder. It tears through fur and muscle, spraying droplets of blood that instantly evaporate in the swirling air.

Mave follows up from the opposite flank, slamming his claymore into the ground. "Tier 6 Skill—Tidal Cage!"

The soil liquefies, transforming into spiraling columns of water that crash together, trying to trap the beast in a sphere of crushing pressure. For a moment, it works—the Razorclaw thrashes, water churning violently around it.

"Now, Verrin!" Bragg roars.

The mage plants his staff into the earth. Runes light up in a chain reaction, weaving through the ground and the air like glowing veins. "Mana Weave—Focus Field!"

A shimmering dome expands from the center of the team, bolstering their mana control. Bragg's muscles tighten, Kyra's wind flares brighter, Toren's sword hums louder.

"Boost active!" Verrin shouts. "Go!"

Kyra dashes in again, faster this time. Her form blurs—wind trailing behind like ribbons. She crosses the Razorclaw's path in a flash.

"Tier 5: Wind Rend!"

Her daggers carve twin glowing lines across its face. The beast howls, wind magic erupting from its body in violent bursts.

"Brace!" Bragg growls, raising his hands. "Tier 5: Earthen Wall!"

Massive slabs of rock rise just in time to intercept the backlash. Wind blades slam against the barrier, exploding in sharp bursts of pressure and dust. Bragg grits his teeth, bracing his stance as cracks spider through the wall.

"Push through!" he bellows, and with a surge of mana, the barrier shatters outward—turning the broken earth into hundreds of flying shards. The improvised barrage slams into the Razorclaw's side, staggering it.

"Now!"

Toren and Mave charge together. Toren's sword glows a deep, oceanic blue while Mave's claymore gathers swirling water around its edge. Their weapons strike in unison, crossing arcs of water that shear through the beast's chest.

The Razorclaw lets out a distorted snarl, its body rippling with wind energy as it tries to counterattack—but Verrin's voice cuts through the chaos.

"Tier 5: Mana Seal—Gravity Well!"

The runes beneath the Razorclaw ignite, forming a black circle that compresses the surrounding mana. The air thickens, dragging the creature down. Its wings falter, the wind armor flickering as the magic around it destabilizes.

Bragg doesn't waste the opening. His gauntlets turn brown with pulsing earth energy as he roars, "Tier 6: Stone Breaker Fist!"

He drives his fist into the beast, and in the next instant, an earthen spike erupts from Razorclaw's body. The creature lets out a piercing shriek that cuts through the fog before collapsing to the ground with a thunderous crash.

For a long moment, the grove is still again. Only the faint hiss of dispersing mana remains.

Kyra straightens, brushing leaves off her armor and letting out a low whistle. "Damn. That was faster than I expected."

Bragg turns to them, satisfied, a wide grin under his beard. "Not bad at all. Textbook execution—clean, fast, minimal mana waste." He glances at Alix, who's been standing silently the entire time, arms crossed, watching. "So, what do you think, friend? Did we do good?"

Alix meets his gaze calmly. "You all did good. Your coordination is seamless."

Bragg chuckles. "Heh. That's high praise, coming from you."

Verrin tilts his head slightly, studying Alix. There's something in his eyes—curiosity mixed with quiet recognition. "Sir Alix," he says softly, "you must be a king in the lower continent."

Bragg blinks, half-turning toward him. "What makes you say that?"

Verrin adjusts his grip on his staff, his tone thoughtful. "The way he carries himself. His composure. The way he speaks, commands, even when silent. He hides it well—but that kind of presence doesn't come from a soldier or a noble. It's the air of someone used to being obeyed. Someone who leads."