Chapter 7: Trial of the Mountain
The train's sudden screech brought all the candidates to their feet. A cold mist greeted them as the doors slid open, revealing a rocky terrain veiled in fog. Mountains loomed above like sleeping giants.
Muscle stepped off first, casually stretching his arms. Dagda followed, rubbing his eyes. "What is this place…? Looks like a mountain."
Muscle glanced at him. "That's 'cause it is a mountain."
Dagda frowned. "But why a mountain?"
"Why do you keep asking me everything? Do I look like a tourist guide?" Muscle muttered, rolling his eyes.
Suddenly, a booming voice echoed from hidden speakers embedded in the surrounding cliffs.
"Welcome, candidates, to the first phase of the Predator's Exam. You are now in Mount Velgrun. Your objective is simple: reach the summit and escape this mountain. You have 24 hours. Good luck."
Candidates looked around, murmuring and chuckling.
"Hah, just climbing a mountain? That's it?"
"Too easy."
"Guess they're testing stamina?"
Dagda grinned. "Let's go, Muscle!"
Behind them, a girl with thick black hair and piercing blue eyes silently followed—Luna. The three found themselves walking along a solitary path, shaded by trees and echoing birdcalls.
"Doesn't seem that hard," Dagda said casually.
Muscle snorted. "The Predator Exam is meant to weed out the weak. There's no such thing as 'easy' here."
Luna walked a few steps behind, her expression unreadable.
Dagda kept glancing back nervously. "Why is she staring at us like that…?"
Luna raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Ah! N-Nothing!" Dagda stammered, turning away. This girl's kind of scary… he thought.
As the trees grew denser, a blood-curdling scream pierced the calm.
Dagda froze. "W-What was that?! A scream?"
Before anyone could react, a low growl vibrated through the ground. A hulking beast emerged from the underbrush—four arms, yellow eyes filled with malice, and teeth like broken daggers.
"Behind you!" Dagda shouted, launching himself forward. With a punch powered by panic and instinct, he slammed into the creature's jaw.
The monster snarled but wasn't fazed. More followed—dozens—emerging from the shadows of the mountain.
Muscle gritted his teeth. "Monsters already?!"
Dagda stepped back. "This wasn't part of the intro!"
Without a word, Luna moved. She raised her hand, her eyes glowing faintly with silvery light. With a graceful slash of her palm, shimmering crescent waves burst forth—Selene's Glow.
The monsters were sliced cleanly in half, their bodies dissolving into dust. The forest fell silent again.
Dagda blinked. "Just as I suspected…"
Muscle clapped. "Yo, thanks for the save, Luna!"
Dagda pouted. "Hey! I jumped in first!"
Luna looked at him and asked, "Your name?"
"I'm Muscle," Muscle said confidently.
Dagda stepped forward, placing his fists on his hips. "And I'm Dagda—the future strongest!"
SLAP. Muscle whacked the back of his head. "Stop embarrassing yourself."
Luna smiled. A rare, gentle expression.
Far away, on another path, blood stained the ground.
A man with long white hair, glasses shading his eyes, stood over a lifeless body. His dagger, slick with crimson, gleamed under the faint sunlight. The murdered candidate's scream still echoed faintly, now silenced forever.
The killer, Aidan, adjusted his gloves with a cold precision. His gaze lingered on the corpse. Then, without a word, he walked deeper into the forest, vanishing like a ghost.