Eron gritted his teeth as more electric current surged around his fists.
"Round two! Let's see how much your claws can take!"
Without hesitation, Eron dashed forward.
But just as he closed the distance—
Orlin smirked.
"I'll admit, you've got a good ability. Annoying, even."
He leaned slightly forward, eyes gleaming.
"But don't forget something, brat—"
He vanished from his spot.
"I'm a higher rank than you."
Before Eron could react, Orlin suddenly appeared in front of him.
Not with a claw strike, but a full-body charge.
WHAM!
Orlin slammed his entire body into Eron's chest like a charging beast.
The sound of cracking ribs echoed across the arena as Eron was launched backward.
He was flipped midair before he crashed into the ground with a thud, skidding across the floor.
Coughing, Eron struggled to rise, sparks flickering weakly around his arms.
"D-Damn…" he wheezed.
"What the hell was that…? You didn't even use your claws…"
Orlin chuckled darkly, slowly approaching.
"You focused too much on one part of my strength. My claws are just a tool—"
He smacked his own chest.
"But this? My entire body is trained for battle. Speed, durability, strength—you don't get to C-Rank without earning it."
Eron's arms shook. "Tch… I'm not done yet…!"
He forced himself to stand, even as his legs were shaking.
But Orlin raised his hand, signaling him to stop.
"That's enough, young man."
Eron froze.
"You're already injured, and if we keep going, you'll just end up with broken bones or worse."
He lowered his claws and crossed his arms.
"I can respect your willpower." A faint grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"And your power... It's not bad. You still need refinement, but you've got potential."
Eron's eyes widened slightly. "So… I pass?"
Orlin nodded. "You pass the combat test. Barely. Now head to the next room. The hunting test awaits."
Eron immediately smiled wide. "Heh… not bad for a D-Rank brat, huh?"
He turned and limped off the stage.
---
Orlin slowly retracted his claws back into normal hands.
He glanced at the remaining participants, most of them visibly tense after witnessing the last exchange.
"Alright. Who's next?"
He then warned them.
"And let me make something clear. This will be the last test for today."
He stretched his neck with a crack.
"I'm tired. Which means... this time, I'm going all out. No holding back like before."
The moment he said that, the room fell into silence.
Every participant still waiting suddenly frowned, stiffened, or stepped back slightly.
Someone near Zain whispered nervously.
"What the hell? He was already brutal even when holding back…"
Another muttered, "There's no way I'm stepping in now. That last guy barely passed and almost got crushed."
One participant clenched his fists, then slowly lowered them, "I'm not suicidal..."
No one moved.
Until—
Zain raised his hand.
"I want to be tested now."
Every head in the room turned to him in surprise.
Orlin looked over, raising his eyebrow as he spotted the young black-haired figure walking calmly to the front.
"Oh? You're quite young, aren't you?"
Orlin gave a half-smile, intrigued. "What's your name?"
Zain stepped into the ring without hesitation. "My name is Zain."
Orlin let out a short laugh.
"Zain, huh? You've got guts, kid. I respect that."
Zain gave a small nod. "Thank you."
Orlin's eyes sharpened. "But let's see if you've got power to back that courage up."
Zain raised his arms, sliding into a relaxed stance.
His eyes were locked on Orlin, confident and unshaken.
"Of course I have. Come at me."
Orlin's eyes narrowed, and a crooked grin spread across his face.
"Hah… You're really arrogant, kid."
Without delay, his hands morphed once more into a pair of claws.
"Let's see if you can handle me."
Orlin charged without hesitation, his speed a blur as he lunged straight for Zain with wild momentum.
Zain didn't flinch.
Instead, he just raised his flaming hand, smirking.
Orlin snorted mid-charge.
"Not a bad ability… but flames won't be enough to beat me. I already crushed a guy using Thunder Hand."
Zain didn't respond. He just stood there silently.
That made Orlin frown.
"Tch. If you're not gonna move, don't blame me—"
With a roar, Orlin threw his entire body forward.
He used his big body and strength to slam into Zain like a runaway beast.
But—
Zain moved.
Just a slight step to the side.
It was calculated and precise.
Orlin charged straight past him, slicing at empty air.
"What?!"
Zain wasn't done. As Orlin passed, he extended his left foot.
It was not to kick, but to trip.
Orlin's momentum was too strong. Even with his reflexes, he couldn't completely control his balance in mid-charge.
He stumbled.
And in that exact moment—
Zain was already there.
His right fist, engulfed in fire, crashed into Orlin's face with a sharp WHAM!
The flame-enhanced blow rocked Orlin's head sideways.
He grunted, claws slashing wildly out of instinct, but they hit nothing but air.
Zain was already sliding back into position, calm and focused.
From the sidelines, the crowd erupted in shock.
"He hit Orlin?!"
"He tripped him—did you see that? That wasn't luck!"
Orlin growled low, wiping a line of blood from his cheek.
He glared at Zain.
"You… you've got some moves."
Zain just smirked.
"You thought I was just some arrogant kid?"
He lowered his stance again.
"I was fighting wars before people like you even got a license."
Orlin blinked, confused by the statement.
He tilted his head. "What? What're you talking about? I'm clearly way older than you."
Zain paused for a split second.
He had spoken too naturally.
He had forgotten for a moment that he now a young boy.
He sighed, "It's nothing. Just my way of mocking people."
Orlin gave him a long, amused stare.
Then smirked. "You've got quite the arrogant personality, you know that?"
Zain grinned back.
"Confidence and arrogance are only separated by results. And I delivered."
Orlin chuckled, nodding slowly.
"Yeah, you did. You're strong—no doubt about it."
He waved his hand toward the far exit of the arena.
"Alright then, you pass."
Zain's grin widened slightly.
"Thank you for that."
Orlin pointed casually toward the hallway.
"Head to the next room. The hunting test is waiting. Let's see how well you do outside the ring."
Zain turned toward the door without hesitation.
"Looking forward to it."