Huh? What's this?
The trail of illusion energy left by the wolf had split. One led deeper into the mist, while the other looped back toward the direction he had just come from.
"That sneaky bastard," Ethan muttered. The wolf must have used its clone ability again. Seeing the trails fading fast, he immediately chose the one leading back. Knowing the wolf's greedy nature, he was sure it wouldn't leave its hard-won kill behind.
Following the trail back, he noticed it weaved between trees but kept the same general direction. Slowing his steps, he finally caught sight of the wolf. It was stalking the edge of the clearing where its kill lay, cautiously checking if the Poison Fang was still around.
Ethan quickly applied more scent-erasing powder. Moving with silent, careful steps and using the trees for cover, he closed the distance. All he needed was a clean shot with the trap ball.
Fifteen meters... thirteen meters... and when he was within throwing range. He threw the ball.
Clink!
The moment it hit the crouching wolf, thick metal threads shot out, binding the Phantom Wolf tightly before it could even understand what was happening. It let out a furious howl, growling and struggling, but the threads held its legs fast, nearly drawing blood.
The moment he heard the howl, Ethan moved. He dashed in, sword in hand, and struck the wolf's blind spot with the sword's hilt. The blow carried enough force to knock it unconscious.
He had to be quick. That howl was a dinner bell for every other predator in the area.
He shoved the unconscious wolf into a gray sack, heaved it over his shoulder, and immediately
sprinted for the teleportation platform.
Ethan stepped through the forming portal the second it stabilized. Only when it closed behind him did he finally let out a breath of relief.
He turned, and a hand was moving toward his shoulder. Pure instinct took over.
He slipped into his hyper-perception state, taking two quick steps back. His second step bumped gently against the solid platform behind him. Seeing the "attacker," he released the soul energy, dropping out of the enhanced state.
"Alan! You scared me. I almost drew my sword on you."
Alan was shocked, his hand still hanging in the air. He knew all too well that if Ethan's first instinct was to strike and he hadn't pulled back, his arm might have been severed halfway through, even with his own enhanced Elemental Body reflexes.
"Come on! I was just going to tap your shoulder. Do you have to be on edge every time?" Alan complained.
Ethan couldn't be bothered by the complaint. His rule was to attack first if he felt threatened and ask questions later. "What are you still doing here?" he asked with a smirk.
That smirk made Alan fume. "You bastard! You sent me 10 points! What am I supposed to do with that?!"
Ethan just chuckled. "What happened to 'Elder Brother'? You played that same trick on me last time you needed points. Did you really think it would work on me again?"
Without another word, Ethan started walking away, leaving a fuming Alan behind.
Come on! How else am I supposed to get the points to pay for my access to the Battle Realm?" Alan grumbled, grabbing Ethan's unoccupied shoulder to stop him from leaving.
"How else can you get points? Really?" Ethan replied, an evil smirk spreading across his face. "You know, you could always use that favor you're holding over me. Ask me for points... I don't mind."
Life in the Order had sharpened Ethan's shrewdness. He'd tried every trick to get Alan to cash in that single, lingering favor, but Alan always refused. Ethan never stopped trying.
Seeing the smirk, Alan immediately waved him off. "Forget it. Don't worry about it. I've got some debts to collect from the market in District 10. I'll manage."
Seeing his ploy fail again, Ethan just shook his head and walked away, this time without resistance. This was how it always went when he mentioned the favor. Still, as he left, he transferred 500 points to Alan.
Ethan had to admit, Alan was resourceful. While Ethan buried himself in research, Alan actively built a small business through his battles, always betting his resources. When Ethan realized Alan had won two weapon shops in District 10, Even If both shops only had Rank 1 weapons he officially recognized his friend wasn't just a battle-crazy brute.
Ethan moved quickly, following the road to the 7th District. After a simple verification for first-timers, he found his new accommodation. Unlocking the door, he stepped inside.
While the buildings looked small and cramped from the outside, the interior was a wide, open space. Finally, he felt a sense of comfort. There were so many things he'd put off in his old place, primarily because of his paranoia about his double affinity being discovered. He had never dared to use his Creation affinity there.
Trying to keep a low profile was impossible when you were associated with Alan. His friend's meteoric rise in the low Rank 2 battle arena was the talk of the Order for months. His Elemental Body was a unique advantage. The Rank 1 lightning runes he'd inscribed were not normal for a new Soul Born; they required a specific physical mass to handle the elemental energy. But Alan's body reinforced itself with his lightning energy at an astonishing rate—which was almost five times faster than normal. Taking full advantage of this, he drew two runes in just five months.
It was expensive, but his winnings covered it. And with that feat, everyone wanted to know who he was, which complicated life for the cautious Ethan, who started receiving challenges which he always refused, since he never signed up for the Battle Realm.
Ethan walked to the most interesting part of the room that had a magic circle. Drawing blood from his finger, he let a drop fall onto the magic circle that served as the key to his concealed lab. The wall folded in on itself, bricks shifting to reveal a room fully equipped with Rank 1 research equipment.
He moved quickly to a small, 3-meter cube equipped with sealing chains. He placed the heavy sack on the floor, pulled out the still-bound Phantom Wolf, and secured the chains around its neck before tapping the binds. They fell off in pieces onto the floor—a one-time use item. Since he couldn't afford a proper beast cage, this was his best option for transporting a live specimen. He needed the wolf alive to study its signature spell.
After securing the wolf, he left the lab to find the room's control rune. Dropping blood on it, he took control, gaining access to all the listed magic circles.
"Turn on the privacy circle," he commanded the air.
A set of magic circles lit up around the room. Activating his Elemental Eyes, Ethan saw the space element—a mysterious gray color—locking tightly around his room. He smiled. The only one who could possibly see through this now was Brutus, and the contract he'd signed with the Order forbade such a breach except in specific situations.
"I'll be back, my love," he said to the concealed lab, activating the concealment circle and deactivating the privacy field so he could leave.
His destination was his old room. He'd left some belongings there to rush out for the wolf hunt. He still had the access card, so the points were still being deducted. He quickly gathered his clothes and several journals filled with his research notes.
At the Order Hall to return his old key, the secretary was none other than Sansa—the other person who held a favor over him and knew his affinity rank. She, too, had been disappointed he hadn't broken through for so long. She'd even used one of her favors when she thought he was stuck forever. But after he finally fulfilled her request, she saw no trace of the depression that usually plagued stalled Initiates. In fact, every time she saw him after that, he seemed perfectly fine.
Ethan was a complete mystery to her. She was starting to feel like she'd wasted her favor asking for a few points.