[CONTRACTED BEAST STATUS UPDATE][Beast Name: Shadowfang][Current Emotional State: Extreme Fury][Fury Level Increased.][Current Fury Increase: 50%][WARNING!][Shadowfang’s combat instincts, attack power, pain tolerance, and killing intent have been temporarily enhanced.][THE BEAST HAS ENTERED A HEIGHTENED FURY STATE]Kael’s eyes widened even further as he read the notification. His gaze shifted from the interface to Shadowfang, and for a brief second, he could not understand what he was seeing.The wolf was still wounded, still bleeding, but the presence rolling from its body had changed so completely that it no longer felt like the same beast that had been thrown across the clearing moments earlier.Its shoulders rose and fell with each heavy breath, and the muscles beneath its black fur tightened until they looked carved from dark stone. The ground beneath its paws cracked under the pressure. Even the air around it seemed to grow tense, as if the forest itself had sensed the da

Kael stood completely still, staring at Shadowfang as the enormous beast remained over the woman’s lifeless body. For several seconds, his mind seemed unable to process what he had just witnessed. The woman had been fast enough to overwhelm Shadowfang earlier, and after activating her skill, she had pushed the beast back again and again. Yet now she was dead, while Shadowfang was still standing.Kael swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the beast. He had honestly not expected Shadowfang to defeat her by itself, let alone kill her. He had watched the fight from beginning to end, and even though he knew Shadowfang was powerful, the sudden change in the battle had left him stunned. The beast had endured her attacks, grown stronger through its fury, and eventually overwhelmed her with frightening brutality.“Shadowfang...” Kael whispered, still struggling to believe what he had seen.Before the beast could respond, an agonizing scream tore through the forest.“ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!”Kael's head sn

The forest became a blur.Kael could barely keep his eyes open as Shadowfang tore through the darkness, its enormous paws striking the earth with such force that dirt and broken leaves sprayed behind them.He kept one arm locked around Shadowfang's neck, his other hand gripping a thick patch of fur as tightly as possible. The wind battered his face, making his eyes water, while branches snapped against his shoulders and tore at his clothes.“Faster!” Kael shouted, even though he knew Shadowfang was already giving everything it had.“I am running as fast as I can!” the beast responded through their mental connection, but its voice sounded strained.A sudden explosion behind them answered before Kael could say anything else.BOOM!The blast ripped through the forest.Kael twisted around just in time to see a massive sphere of black energy tearing between the trees.It looked like a ball of compressed darkness, almost two meters wide, with violent streams of energy twisting around its su

Kael stood with his back against the tree, staring at the three strangers who had appeared from the darkness while Shadowfang lay unconscious several feet behind him.His mind was struggling to catch up with everything that had happened, and despite the tension in the air, his eyes couldn’t leave the three newcomers.The tall man with silver hair stood at the front, his black coat hanging loosely around his body despite the wind moving through the ruined forest. The strange black circle and silver star embroidered across his chest looked familiar.Kael remembered seeing that symbol when he was younger.It had been years ago, back when his parents were still alive. He remembered overhearing adults whispering about an organization that operated outside the normal hunter structure, an organization so secretive that even powerful nobles avoided speaking its name openly.The organization was rumored to recruit only exceptional Awakeners.Pe

“You're going to regret that,” the enemy said quietly, his voice carrying a dark promise.The moment the words left his mouth, the darkness around him erupted.A surge of black energy burst from his body and spread across the clearing with terrifying speed. It rolled between the trees like a living storm, swallowing the light until the entire forest seemed to plunge into night.Kael instinctively threw an arm over his eyes as the darkness rushed toward him. The sudden change was so complete that for several seconds, he could barely see his own hands.Suddenly, one black sphere appeared above the battlefield. Then another one appeared, followed by another.Within seconds, dozens of dark spheres were suspended in the air, each one pulsing with dense energy.The silver-haired man finally moved.He calmly raised one hand, and a translucent barrier immediately formed around his teammates, including Kael and Shadowfang. It curve