Panic detonated in her mind. Her thoughts raced, frantic and unfiltered. "Shit… when did this fu— oh no… he can read thoughts!"

Young Master Eight's grin widened with predatory satisfaction, like a cat that had cornered a mouse. "Did you just try to call me a fucker in your mind?" His amusement carried a lethal edge, sharp enough to draw blood. "One of these days, I'll kill you. And Six won't be able to stop me." He leaned closer, his breath cold against her ear. "Remember that."

Hex ignored him, refusing to be baited into another confrontation. The tension in his jaw betrayed his irritation, but he maintained his composure. He turned back to Nora, concern replacing the flash of anger in his eyes. "How's that kid? My friend Omega. Did he get proper treatment?"

At the doorway, Young Master One froze. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees, as if winter itself had entered.

"There was a dungeon break that day," he said without turning, his voice carefully neutral—too neutral, like glass stretched thin. "The boss was slain. All of you were found outside, barely alive." He paused, letting the silence stretch until it became uncomfortable. "But the boy? He was found at the school. Safe. Unharmed. Completely untouched." Finally, he turned, his gaze boring into Hex with the intensity of a blade seeking flesh. "Don't fool yourself, Six. Don't make me act against you. That would be… unfortunate for everyone."

He left, and the others followed like shadows peeling away from walls. Their departure felt more like a threat than a retreat, leaving behind an oppressive silence.

Hex stared after them, unease settling in his gut like cold stone. His mind churned with questions that had no satisfying answers. "Strange… Omega has no power. I'm sure he didn't absorb that crystal. So how was the boss defeated?" His fingers curled into the sheets, knuckles whitening. "Just… what are you hiding, Omega? What happened in that dungeon?"

---

Outside the city gates, far away from the mansion's cold walls and colder politics, Omega sat on a fallen log clutching his stomach. Sweat trickled down his brow in steady rivulets, and his face had taken on an unhealthy pallor that spoke of genuine discomfort.

"Man, my stomach is killing me," he muttered, grimacing as another cramp twisted through his abdomen. "Dad always said… if you let out some gas, it tricks the stomach into thinking it's lighter." He shifted his weight, preparing to follow that dubious advice.

"If you dare, I'll bite your backside off," a voice growled from directly below him.

Omega blinked. Slowly, mechanically, he looked down at what he'd assumed was an ordinary log. His brain struggled to process what his ears had just heard.

"Who said that?!" he yelped, nearly falling off in surprise.

"Sitting on me isn't enough, now you wanna fart in my face?" the log demanded, indignation radiating from every syllable. "Get that stinking thing away from me!"

Omega leapt off the log like a startled cat, stumbling backward and nearly losing his balance. "WHAT?! A talking log?!"

The log stood upright with surprising dignity, tiny wooden arms and legs popping out from its bark. Its face—somehow carved into the grain—twisted in annoyance, the expression remarkably human despite its wooden features. "Could you be any louder, you idiot?"

Omega opened his mouth to respond, but the log cut him off with an urgent hiss.

"Keep it down," it whispered sharply, its tiny eyes darting nervously toward the treeline. "There's a D-rank beast nearby. If you want to die, fine. But don't drag me with you. I'm injured and in no condition to fight."

Omega's eyes widened with wonder and opportunistic calculation. His survival instincts warred with his greed, and greed was winning. "You're… a beast? A talking D-rank? That's insane. I've never seen anything like you."

"You think I'm dumb like you?" the log said coldly, crossing its tiny wooden arms in a gesture of defiance. "I can sense your intentions from a mile away."

In Omega's mind, the log was already sprinting away on those ridiculous little legs, bark bouncing comically. And he was already chasing it with a deranged grin, hands outstretched like a child pursuing a butterfly.

"Free EXP…" he thought, barely suppressing a laugh that bubbled up from his chest. "Ahahaha… this is perfect…"

The log shivered, its bark rippling with genuine fear. "What's with that creepy smile? What are you planning, human?" Its voice had risen an octave, betraying its anxiety.

"Me? Nothing," Omega said innocently, forcing his expression into something resembling normalcy—though his eyes still gleamed with predatory interest. "Just wondering… how weak you actually are. Purely academic curiosity."

"Tch. I can still fight E-rank beasts," the log said defensively, though its voice wavered with uncertainty. "Barely. Close call, though. Not my finest hour." It seemed almost embarrassed by the admission.

Omega's mind raced with calculations, weighing risks against potential rewards. "Hm… after my last fight, I should be around E-rank myself. Maybe I could actually—"

"Why are you asking—wait," the log interrupted, its tone shifting to alarm. Its wooden features contorted with fear. "Did you notice there's a smiling beast right behind you?"

"Heh. That cheap trick won't work on me." Omega waved dismissively, confidence radiating from his posture. "If there was a beast, my wolf detect would have—huh?"

The air behind him grew heavy, oppressive, pressing down on his shoulders like an invisible hand. A shadow fell across him, blocking out the fading sunlight.

Omega turned slowly, dread creeping up his spine like frost.

A massive crab-spider towered over him, its presence heavy enough to squeeze the breath from his lungs. Multiple eyes gleamed with predatory intelligence, each one tracking his smallest movement. Its aura pulsed—beyond ordinary E-rank, carrying the weight of something far more dangerous. The creature's mandibles clicked together with a sound like breaking bones.

"That's the one I was fighting!" the log shouted, scrambling backward with surprising speed. "Too strong, and its webs are deadly. They paralyze on contact. Be careful!"

Panic seized Omega's chest, constricting his breathing. His heart hammered against his ribs. "System!" he gasped, desperation coloring his voice. "Activate skill—Wolf Detect!"

"Skill activated," the mechanical voice announced in his mind with infuriating calm. "Target: Crab-Spider Beast. Original Rank: D. Currently weakened due to previous combat. Temporary E-rank status. New Quest: Defeat the beast. Reward: Evolution into next stage."

"D-rank?!" Omega's voice cracked with horror, rising to an undignified squeak. "No way I survive this… I need to run! Why… why can't I move?!"

His legs refused to obey. Fear had locked his muscles in place, turning his body into a prison. He could feel his pulse in his throat, rapid and erratic.

The beast's massive claw scissored forward with terrifying speed, cutting through the air with a whistle.

The world spun violently.

Everything broke—air, sound, the fragile illusion of safety. Pain exploded across Omega's chest.

His body skidded across the ground, smashing through a tree with a sickening crack before collapsing in a pit of dust and agony. Blood filled his mouth, copper-tasting and warm. His ribs screamed in protest, each breath a fresh torment.

The log stared, stunned into silence. Its wooden jaw had dropped open. "And here I thought I could put my faith in him. Hah. What a loser. Can't even dodge a basic attack."

Omega coughed violently, blood spattering the ground in dark droplets. His vision blurred at the edges, darkness creeping in. But he tried desperately to rise, driven by pure stubborn will. His arms trembled, barely supporting his weight, muscles screaming their protest.

"He's… still alive?" the log whispered, genuine shock coloring its voice. Its eyes widened impossibly. "After that hit? Impossible. That should have killed him instantly. It's like he has a—wait…" Understanding dawned across its wooden features. "Does he have some kind of defensive ability?"

Omega's strength vanished like water through a sieve. His vision tilted sickeningly, the world rotating around him in nauseating circles.

He fell back into the dirt with a heavy thud, dust rising around him like a funeral shroud.

His body went still, limbs sprawled at unnatural angles.

Omega… looked dead. Completely, utterly dead. No breath stirred his chest. No movement betrayed life.