Hank immediately steered the Overload Juggernaut toward the direction of the roar. Within moments, they crested a hillside overlooking the scene below.
Three young people stood back-to-back in a defensive circle, surrounded by six Wild Beasts. Two young men and a woman—all wearing the distinctive Loneflame Hunt & Fight Academy uniforms Ryan had seen at the city gates—brandished their weapons desperately against the encircling predators.
The Wild Beasts resembled oversized pit bulls, with muscular limbs and short, dense fur, but their heads were grotesquely oversized, with bulging, oversized eyes. They looked like someone had stuck a chihuahua's head onto the body of a kitten, creating an eerie sight.
"Those are Megacephs," Hank muttered, his voice low.
That name seems pretty spot on,Ryan thought.
Watching the beasts' intimidating presence and fierce attacks, Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say there weren't any powerful Wild Beasts around here?"
Hank responded nonchalantly, "Megacephs aren't that powerful. Catching one's about medium difficulty, at best."
Ryan kept his eyes fixed on the battle. The Megacephs' attacks were fierce, but the trio barely managed to block each strike.
Compared to veteran Wildhunter Corps, these academy cadets were clearly greener—their strength, speed, and swordplay noticeably rougher around the edges. The female student struggled most of all; she barely parried the beasts' strikes, her movements growing increasingly frantic with each close call.
As both men focused on the skirmish, a cold voice cut through the air:
"Idiots.That's no way to fight Megacephs."
Ryan and Hank whirled around. A boy stood barely five paces away—God knew how long he'd been there.
The boy couldn't have been older than sixteen, with a lean frame and sun-darkened skin. Sharp features. Eyes like slits of polished obsidian, oozing disdain for everything in their line of sight. His overlong hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, the kind that screamed couldn't-be-bothered rather than actually unkempt.
The boy wore a Loneflame Hunt & Fight Academy uniform, but his was sun-bleached and threadbare at the cuffs. The kind of wear that spoke of years, not neglect.Despite its age, the uniform still gave off a sense of effortless charm when worn by him.Upon closer inspection, his boots were worn too, but they were polished and clean, showing his attention to detail.
Ryan gave the boy a once-over, surprised by how much younger he looked compared to the other cadets. He frowned. "What did you just say?"
The boy barely glanced at him, his tone flat. "I said they're fighting like idiots." He turned his gaze back to the battle and shook his head slightly. "That's no way to fight Megacephs."
Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose, watching him."Then tell me—how to fight them?"
"It's Simple." The boy kept his gaze forward, voice flat. "Keep. Moving."
Ryan's lips twitched. Oh great,a cryptic badass.
The boy continued, his tone as steady as ever. "You don't stand there like a target. Stay mobile. Circle them. Use their oversized heads and slow turning speed against them. Standing your ground like these idiots? That's just begging to get mauled."
Hank raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with genuine curiosity. "Impressive. Academy top cadet?"
The boy looked up at Hank, a cocky grin splitting his face. "I'm the best of the best at the Loneflame Academy. This class—hell, no—ever, I'm the greatest cadet!"
"I'm going to be the captain of the Wildhunter Corps," the boy said, suddenly drawing his sword with a swift motion, his gaze unwavering. "Remember my name,Leon Wilder!"
Before anyone could react, he charged toward the fray with startling speed.
Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose again, clearly at a loss for words.
"You idiots. Did you forget what the instructor taught you?" Leon's voice echoed through the valley, thick with reproach.
Feeling the threat, the three Megacephs immediately turned, roaring in fury as they charged at Leon.
The moment of impact seemed inevitable, but Leon was fast, dodging the three Megacephs' attacks with fluid movements. He didn't stop moving, slipping through the gaps between the beasts with ease, and quickly positioning himself behind them.
The Megacephs struggled to turn around, their massive heads making their movements slow and clumsy. Before they could fully reposition, Leon's sword was already swinging through the air.
The blade flashed, cutting through the Megacephs' bodies with precision, each strike leaving a spray of blood.
"Stop gawking and move!" Leon barked at the frozen cadets.
The cadets snapped to attention, rushing to engage the remaining three Megacephs. They quickly adjusted their formation, each taking control of one Megaceph, breaking the battle into three separate skirmishes.
The trio moved nimbly around the Megacephs, striking with occasional precision as they exploited the creatures' sluggish turns due to their oversized heads. The tide of the battle began to shift in their favor.
Meanwhile, Leon was still facing three Megacephs, his movements graceful and fluid, weaving between them like he was performing a deadly dance.
Ryan watched Leon's performance in awe, marveling at his speed and agility. His footwork was as impressive as any he'd seen, even rivaling Dren, the dual-daggered Wildhunter he'd watched before.
Holy hell, this guy's terrifyingly good. No damn wonder he calls himself Loneflame Academy's greatest cadet in history.
Leon's blade carved through the air with lethal precision, each stroke parting Megaceph flesh like a hot knife through butter. He moved with terrifying fluidity - less like a man fighting and more like wind given human form, dancing between the three beasts without missing a beat. Every swing of his sword followed an almost musical rhythm, each note written in spurts of arterial crimson.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Three massive bodies hit the dirt in quick succession, the last shuddering breaths of the Megacephs hanging thick in the air.
By the time Leon straightened up, the other cadets were just finishing off their single opponents - drenched in sweat and panting like dogs.By contrast,Leon stood there, calm and composed, as if he'd just finished a casual training session.
"Pathetic," Leon said, eyeing their heaving forms. "No wonder you're just passing time at the academy." The words carried no particular heat, which somehow made them cut deeper.
The three cadets couldn't help but lower their heads, their faces flushed with shame. They were no match for Leon's skill, and the gap between them felt like a chasm.
Then Leon turned his gaze uphill to Ryan and Hank. With deliberate slowness, he raised his still-dripping sword toward the fallen Megacephs before executing a perfect blood-flourish - the steel singing as it cleared residual gore. His eyes gleamed with confidence, almost as if silently saying, "See that? Yeah, I'm that good."
Ryan watched Leon's show-off, a hint of annoyance bubbling up inside, but he raised a hand anyway, giving him a half-hearted thumbs-up. Hank, on the other hand,remarked thoughtfully,"Maybe he really will end up as the Wildhunter Corps' captain one day."