“Looks like it’s on the final floor.”

I stood at the edge of a narrow stone path overlooking the cavern below.

Closing my eyes, I focused.

The world faded.

Darkness spread through my senses.

Then countless souls appeared.

Small violet silhouettes scattered throughout the dungeon.

Most belonged to monsters.

But several stood out.

Four human souls.

Weak.

Injured.

Barely holding on.

“Adventurers…”

My expression darkened.

Nearby, a large silver wolf sat patiently beside me.

Thunder.

My companion let out a low growl as he stared toward the cavern below.

I looked at him.

“That black thing down there isn’t the Silver Fang.”

Thunder’s ears twitched.

“It means something is wrong.”

The wolf immediately stood.

His golden eyes sharpened.

“We need to get down there. Fast.”

“Woof!”

A faint smile appeared on my face.

Then I stepped toward the edge.

The drop stretched dozens of meters below.

Far enough to kill an ordinary person.

I didn’t hesitate.

I jumped.

The wind roared past my ears.

Stone walls blurred around me as I plummeted toward the cavern floor.

As I fell, I remembered something Ren had taught me.

“Kid.”

Her voice echoed in my mind.

“Every combat style has some form of detection.”

“Aura users release a faint pulse to sense their surroundings.”

“Mages use mana perception.”

She had then poked my forehead.

Hard.

“But you?”

I remembered her grin.

“You can sense souls.”

“The moment you focus, every living thing around you becomes visible.”

“Your range is ridiculous.”

“Far greater than most detection magic.”

The violet silhouettes below became clearer.

Four injured adventurers.

A pack of monsters.

And one overwhelmingly powerful soul.

A Dark Wolf.

My hand moved toward my waist.

Fingers wrapping around the hilt of my katana.

The cavern floor rushed up to meet me.

I drew the blade.

Shing.

Silver steel flashed beneath the dim light.

“Ryuken Fourth Arc.”

The sword hummed softly.

“Serpent Slither.”

I swung.

A crescent slash shot forward.

Then curved.

Twisting through the air like a living serpent.

Its trajectory shifted repeatedly as it descended toward the battlefield below.

A technique designed for one purpose.

To strike a target no matter where it moved.

The crescent slash descended toward the battlefield.

Twisting.

Turning.

Hunting.

Like a living serpent.

The Dark Wolf’s ears twitched.

Its instincts screamed.

The beast immediately leaped backward.

Too late.

Shing.

A deep crimson line appeared across its shoulder.

The massive wolf crashed across the cavern floor.

Skidding several meters before regaining its footing.

The entire cavern fell silent.

Even the Dark Wolves froze.

Lark stared upward.

A figure was falling from above.

Black jacket.

Half-white, half-black hair.

Katana in hand.

The same young man from the guild.

The rookie.

No—

Not a rookie.

The young man landed lightly between the adventurers and the wolves.

Dust rose around him.

“R-Rookie…?”

Lark’s voice trembled.

The young man didn’t look back.

His golden eyes remained fixed on the monsters.

“W-Where did you even come from?”

Mari could barely speak.

“And run!”

Rose shouted weakly from the ground.

“It’s a Dark Wolf!”

Before anyone could say another word—

A blur shot across the cavern ceiling.

Thunder landed beside the young man.

The massive wolf stood proudly at his side.

White fur covered most of its body.

Black markings ran along its belly and limbs.

Lightning crackled faintly around its claws.

The adventurers froze.

Lark’s face lost all color.

“N-No way…”

His sword slipped from his fingers.

“A Thunder Fenrir…”

A pseudo S-Rank monster.

A creature even stronger than the Dark Wolf.

The adventurers’ remaining hope vanished instantly.

“W-We are dead…”

Thunder tilted his head.

Then looked toward Azrael.

Completely obedient.

The sight somehow felt even more terrifying.

The Dark Wolves growled.

Then the entire pack attacked at once.

Dozens of black blurs surged across the cavern.

Their killing intent flooded the battlefield.

“Thunder.”

I didn’t even look away from the injured adventurers.

“Pin them down.”

“Woof!”

Thunder vanished.

Crack!

Lightning exploded across the cavern.

The Thunder Fenrir became a white blur tearing through the battlefield.

Dark Wolves were hurled aside one after another.

The entire pack was thrown into chaos.

Only then did I turn toward the injured adventurers.

“R-Rookie…?”

Lark stared at me.

His voice trembled.

I shook my head.

“Please relax.”

I gestured toward Thunder.

“He is my companion.”

A Dark Wolf flew past us before crashing into a distant wall.

“And my best friend.”

The adventurers somehow looked even more terrified.

I decided not to elaborate.

Reaching into my coat, I pulled out four small glass vials.

Each contained a shimmering silver liquid.

“Thunder.”

The Fenrir immediately appeared beside me.

Tiny arcs of lightning danced between his claws.

I handed him the vials.

The moment he touched them, faint lightning flowed through the glass.

The silver liquid began glowing softly.

Thunder was careful.

Not a single spark touched me.

“Take these.”

I handed one vial to Lark and another to Mari.

“They’ll heal your injuries.”

Then I moved toward the more seriously wounded adventurers.

Rose was barely conscious.

I handed her a vial.

“Drink this.”

Then I gave her another.

“Use this one on the unconscious warrior.”

“O-Okay…”

Her hands trembled as she accepted them.

Meanwhile, Mari stared at her potion in disbelief.

“W-Wait…”

She looked between the vial and me.

“This is a highest-grade healing potion.”

I nodded.

“Yes.”

Her jaw nearly dropped.

“How are you giving these away as if they’re nothing?”

“Don’t worry.”

I shrugged.

“They’re for emergencies.”

The adventurers fell silent.

To them, a single highest-grade healing potion was worth a small fortune.

To me, Ren had forced me to carry dozens.

Something about being prepared.

Then—

“LOOK OUT!”

Lark’s voice exploded through the cavern.

A Dark Wolf had broken through Thunder’s interception.

The beast lunged directly toward my back.

Its jaws opened.

Claws extended.

The adventurers watched in horror.

I didn’t move.

The wolf was already dead.

A faint violet circle appeared around the monster.

For a brief moment, the beast seemed confused.

Then—

Slash.

The Dark Wolf split cleanly in half.

Blood sprayed across the stone floor.

Its severed body crashed beside me.

My katana remained sheathed.

The adventurers froze.

Rose’s healing potion nearly slipped from her fingers.

Mari forgot how to breathe.

Lark simply stared.

The wolf had died.

Yet nobody had seen a strike.

Nobody had seen a movement.

Nothing.

I calmly adjusted my coat.

Then turned toward the battlefield.

The Dark Wolf Alpha stood in the distance.

Its golden eyes remained locked on me.

Fear.

For the first time, I could clearly see fear within them.

I rested my hand on the hilt of my katana.

A faint violet glow flickered around the sheath.

“Don’t worry.”

My voice echoed calmly through the cavern.

The Alpha instinctively took a step backward.

“I’ll end this.”

The cavern fell silent.

Even the Dark Wolves stopped moving.

For a brief moment, it felt as though the entire battlefield had frozen.

Waiting for the inevitable.