“Ready?” Drake asked, standing next to the cage.

 

“Yes,” Charlotte said firmly, lowering her stance.

 

“Then, good luck Charlotte.”

 

Drake opened the gate he had prepared a level 11 Iron Hide Bull storming out into the partition of earth, the other teens watching from a cut out in the wall on the opposite side.

 

“Get 'em Charlotte!” Landin cried.

 

“Don’t back down! You are the hunter here!” Atropos cheered.

 

Charlotte glared down at the monster as it galloped forward, skidding to a stop as it exited the cage, the rest of the monsters inside stopped by Drake closing the door behind it.

 

The Iron Hide whipped its head side to side grunting as it eyed its surroundings. First, it spotted Drake, but with a flex of his aura, the Bull noped out and trained its eyes on Charlotte.

 

Charlotte frowned at being seen as weaker than Drake but there was no room for debate as it rutted against the ground and bucked before charging forward at her.

 

She wasn’t sure of what the Iron Hide had for skills, only having fought against the non-rank cows and other monsters.

 

Charlotte dodged, opting to gauge the creature as it careened past her.

 

But not before using her shorter spear to try to tear into the side of the beast as it did.

 

Charlotte clicked her tongue looking at the state of her half spear’s tip.

 

“A weapon not infused with a skill can’t compete with an F-Rank?”

 

Drake and the others watched with bated breath as the Bull carved divots into the ground to stop itself, turning and ramping up to charge her once more.

 

Charlotte pivoted nimbly on her back foot. Ready to square off with the monster.

 

Throughout her last two days of rigorous life-and-death fights, she had begun to learn her own type of fighting style. Dumping a majority of her points into Dexterity and this was the fight where the culmination of that experience and stat increases came to fruition.

 

The bull rushed forward again in the same movement, but this time Charlotte was ready for the attack despite the Bull’s horns beginning to shine in a red light.

 

Charlotte closed her eyes taking a calming breath in, a white trail of smoke escaping her lips, “Power through force!” she shouted, rushing forward to meet the beast.

 

Just inches away from meeting the monster she dug her full-length spear into the ground flipping her above the monster.

 

“Heavy Blow!”

 

Charlotte’s short spear in her remaining hand bloomed in a flash of red and her arm blurred, as the spear embedded itself into the monster's skull right between its eyes.

 

The bull slumped forward in a messy crash, kicking up a plume of snow covering the surroundings in a brief snowscreen.

 

When the snow settled there was only one standing.

 

[Charlotte McClarin Level 10]

 

—---------------

 

Drake clapped his hands as the rest of the group cheered for Charlotte’s decisive victory against the F-Rank Monster.

 

“Well done, Charlotte. Aiming for a vital point to abuse your higher maneuverability and dexterity was good stuff,” Drake smiled, “And you leveled it. A perfect finish.”

 

Charlotte was breathing heavily but smiled and nodded, her face flushing more red than it already was.

 

“Thanks…”

 

Drake gave her a ruffle of her hair, “Proud of you, your hard work is paying off! I can’t wait to see how strong you get after your class change. Now go get your first F-Rank Monster Core. Landin, you’re up next.”

 

Landin stepped up from behind the window with a smile, twirling his mace in his hands.

 

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” he shrugged, “Good job Charlotte, way to pull off a page-turner.”

 

Charlotte smiled back, hitting him lightly in the arm, “You got this Landin. You might be a cleric but you’re always in front. Actually, that’s why we get in so much trouble now that I think about it…”

 

Drake ushered her out of the area, then came back and put the Bull’s corpse into his inventory clearing the area for Landin.

 

He took one last look over the boy. Landin hadn’t changed much from when he first met him. He had always kept his heart on his sleeve but joked in the same manner Drake did. But Landin didn’t know that Drake had watched his fight against the boars.

 

Drake knew something was lurking in Landin’s heart, something that he only needed to flip a switch to let out and grow.

 

“All set?” Drake asked, walking to the cage.

 

“Oh, you know I’m not, but discomfort is the crux of progress!” Landin said taking a stance.

 

“When did you learn such flowery words?” Drake laughed.

 

“Got to act cool when you're shivering in your boots,” Landin said back, gripping his mace tighter, his hand already glowing with an inky black light.

 

“Don’t hold back Landin,” Drake said seriously, opening the cage.

 

“What do you-”

 

[Iron Hide Bull Level 16]

 

This time the monster slammed against the gate forcing the door to snap open and rap against the side of the cage.

 

Landin flinched and jerked at the sound but forced a wary smile on his face.

 

“I-isn’t there a bit of difference in treatment here…?” he said, “That monster seems a lot stronger than Charlotte’s-”

 

Landin was cut off, tumbling to the left his arm clipped by the Bull’s red horn.

 

He grimaced against the pain but smirked back the Bull grunting and snorting as it shook its head.

 

The bull rutted not a moment later snorting in anger at him, a blister festering on its right shoulder from a small inky black smoke.

 

Landin didn’t wait for the Bull to charge back at him, rushing toward it himself, his hand glowing white as he touched it to his wounded arm.

 

“May your flesh be cured, Mend!” Landin shouted his flesh knitting together as he ran.

 

The bull grunted and stampeded forward, white smoke billowing from its nostrils with ever breath and hoofbeat.

 

Landin didn’t back down, his nervous demeanor from before replaced by a solely focused goal to defeat the opponent in front of him. To take care of the problem placed before him. To kill this monster and grow stronger.

 

“I am what ails you!” 

 

Landin shouted waiting until the very last second to drop to the ground, sliding beneath the monster, one hand using his mace to knock out one of the bull’s legs, the other sliding down its chest with his spell leaving a long line of festering sores.

 

“Wrath!”

 

The Bull tripped from the pain, an agonizing groan escaping its snout as it fell on its side.

 

Landin didn’t let the opportunity slip from him, flipping to his feet at the end of his drift on the snow-covered ground and ran forward, both his hands on his mace’s handle.

 

The Bull struggled to get up, faltering on its affected leg from his Wrath spell as it watched Landin close in on it.

 

But Landin had no room for mercy or hesitation. It was kill or be killed just like it was with the boars.

 

He shot up in a leap his hands gripping his mace tight as he brought the hammer down.

 

After several squelching blows, Landin heaved dropping to his back, placing a white-lit hand to his chest, his breathing steadying.

 

“Son… of… a… bitch… I swear…” Landin gasped.

 

The cheering from the peanut gallery forced a smile from him as he raised a victorious fist into the air.

 

[Landin Raymond Level 10]

 

—----------------------------------------

 

“Amazing work. I can’t say I like your fighting style right now though. Allowing yourself to get hit and putting yourself in high-risk high-reward situations just to land a blow because you can heal yourself…” Drake sighed but extended a hand for Landin.

 

Landin took it, scratching the back of his head.

 

“Yeah, It’s not like I like pain or anything… It’s just it's the only thing I can come up with right now. I don’t have the greatest close-combat capability, so I just have to hope my Intelligence lets me trade for more damage with Wrath,” Landin agreed.

 

Drake shook his head placing a hand on Landin’s shoulder, “No, you are using the tools available to you to survive. Good job. And just so you know,” Drake smiled bringing his voice down to a whisper, “That Bull was level 16.”

 

Landin recoiled in disbelief, “Are you trying to kill me?! I swear you and that Orc Lady are going to be the death of me, not the monsters!”

 

Drake shrugged, “I knew you could handle it. I did watch you fight those boars after all.”

 

Landin deflated.

 

“It’s not a bad thing Landin, you did good. Now go claim your prize. Quetz, you’re up!”

 

A surprised chirp came from the viewing window and a moment later a colorful avian girl with a bow strapped around her shoulder nuzzled up next to Drake.

 

“Foul bird, do not take advantage of the situation!” Atropos growled from the window, biting down on her sleeve.

 

Quetz stuck her tongue out, rubbing her head into Drake’s side.

 

“Quetz,” Drake sighed, pulling her away from him, “This is serious. Ready yourself.”

 

Quetz gave a low coo, her feathers smoothing and taking a blue hue.

 

“Quetz knows… She just wants to be close to Drake again, it’s no fun if everyone else gets to spend time with you and I don’t!” she complained.

 

“Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to tag along with me once you get stronger,” Drake said giving a small grin, “Now, ready?”

 

Quetz moved to the end of the partition, pulling her bow from her shoulder and grabbing three arrows from the quiver on her back.

 

Taking a single calming breath, she released a pleasant chirp her feathers flowing to a bright yellow, “Ready, ready!”

 

Drake nodded, opening the gate to the cage.

 

[Iron Hide Bull Level 11]

 

The moment the cage opened an arrow bathed in green light cut through the air slamming into the bull’s side.

 

The bull bucked and then its eyes found Quetz with primal fury burning in them.

 

Quetz flipped another arrow between her fingers casually, whistling a tune as she smiled at it.

 

The bull reared its head back snorting with vitriol as it barreled forward toward the avian.

 

But Quetz was surprisingly calm, still playing with the two of three arrows she had taken from her quiver.

 

The bull picked up speed just a few feet away from Quetz as its horns were covered in a red light.

 

Quetz giggled and pushed off the ground throwing both arrows into the air.

 

The Bull slammed into the earthen partition as Quetz flapped her wings once, then twice, gaining altitude with each beat. She then grabbed one arrow with practiced ease, knocking it and firing.

 

“Steady aim, stout heart! Power Shot!” she chanted, singing the words with a hum.

 

Once the arrow released she spun in the air, grabbing the second arrow, knocking it, and releasing it.

 

The first arrow slammed into the back of the bull's head, right where the spine met the skull. The second a fraction of a second later splitting the first and burrowing deeper.

 

Slumping to the ground after fruitlessly struggling just a moment ago, the bull expired.

 

Drake raised his brows at the scene, the viewing window erupting with cheers, and the single jeering from Atropos -more at her behavior beforehand and not the fight- and Drake sighed.

 

“I guess I should have expected that one. It is a ranger against a monster that can’t fly and has no range attacks…” he scoffed.

 

“Drakeeeeeeeeeeeee~~~!” Quetz chirped slamming into him, “Did I do good? Quetz did good, right? Right?!”

 

Drake gave a sigh and stroked Quetz’s head, “Yeah, you did great sweety.”

 

[Quetzel Mano Level 10]

 

—-----------------------------

 

Drake finally peeled a reluctant Quetz off him with great effort and the help of Sah Ul’, Charlotte, and Atropos as he waved for Kalik Tu’ to enter the area.

 

“Alright troublemaker, let’s see what you’re made of, yeah?” Drake smirked.

 

“I want the strongest one you have in that cage,” Kalik said firmly without preamble.

 

“What makes you think I should listen?” Drake asked.

 

Kalik growled, then hesitated, seemingly struggling with something in his own head. Then a few silent seconds later, he bowed his head.

 

“I am asking, please. Allow me to test myself. I can not become the warrior I have always been told I would if I do not push past those within this group…”

 

Drake was taken aback and thought on it for a moment seeing how hard it was for the teen to swallow his pride and hate for him to ask. And the fact that Kalik Tu’ had done it while his hands gripped his axes and his jaw was so obviously clenched.

 

“Fine. Are you ready?” Drake said finally moving to the cage.

 

“A warrior is always ready for the next fight,” Kalik Tu’ said matter-of-factly.

 

“If you say so,” Drake shrugged, pulling open the cage.

 

[Iron Hide Bull Level 17]

 

The bull almost sauntered from the cage, despite its situation and being the strongest monster that Drake had placed inside the cage, it moved as if uncaring.

 

Kalik scowled and let loose a low growl as he unsheathed his axes from his sides.

 

The Bull eyed Kalik, snorting as it did.

 

“A pitiful monster thinks they can look down on a Rahk Warrior,” Kalik growled derisively, “Is more laughable than a human leading them!”

 

The bull snorted once more, stomping against the ground.

 

Kalik Tu’ stayed calm, sidestepping to circle the monster, trusting in his years of training and what he witnessed during the earlier fights. The bulls may be fast and strong, but they were clumsy.

 

The bull reared its head back and rutted, charging forward, but Kalik wasn’t prepared for when the bull’s legs hummed with green light and it took on a sudden burst of speed, its horns glowing red.

 

Kalik slammed down with both his axes in a cross guard, doing his best to win out in a battle of strength with the bull but he simply wasn’t strong enough to compete with a level 17 monster.

 

After a brief contest of strength, Kalik was thrown into the air across the partition, skidding against the snow-covered ground and slamming against the earthen wall with a grunt.

 

He braced himself against the wall and stood shakily as the bull maneuvered to get a running start to charge him once more.

 

Kalik grounded his teeth together, flashes of everything that had happened leading up to this point. The image of his mother telling him stories of his father, the great hunter and warrior. Sah Ul’ coming back after the gods had taken their tribe for the great trial a different more powerful warrior than he had ever seen. Sah Ul’ telling him that his mother was missing and the events leading up to it in the trial.

 

His memories of being bested time and time again by the human who now stood at the top of the Rahk Tribe.

 

He couldn’t take it. Wouldn’t allow the dishonor anymore. He placed his accumulated free points into his Strength stat, ballooning it to nearly 200.

 

Kalik didn’t need the other stats, all that mattered was the strength to overcome.

 

“I am Kalik Tu’ Rahk! And I will become the man I was destined to be! I will not let the praisings and expectations of my elders fall on deaf and weak ears, I will grow stronger and I will one day lead the Rahk, protecting them! Some mere beast won’t stand in my way!”

 

Steadying himself on his feet, the bull charged forward its horns trained for his chest once more.

 

But Kalik was stronger than he was just moments ago, nearly 50 points had been placed into his strength stat, power welling up inside him.

 

He raised his axes above his head, a red glow encompassing them and humming with power.

 

“Power through force!” he growled glowering down at the oncoming Bull, “Heavy Blow!”

 

The Bull and Kalik’s axes collided only for a moment. Kalik’s axes struggling against the F-Rank Bull’s horns. But Kalik’s strength won out.

 

In a display of red sparks of mana, he finally won despite one of his axes flying out of his hands embedding itself into the wall behind him, the other pushing with such downward force it slammed the bull’s head into the ground splitting it in two at his feet.

 

“I am Kalik Tu’ Rahk, and I will beat that stupid human one day-”

 

Kalik fell to the ground, his chest pierced leaving a gaping hole where his lung would be the last sound he heard as the darkness overtook his senses was that of a man.

 

“Good job you little troublemaker…”

 

[Kalik Tu’ Rahk Level 10]

 

—---------------

 

Drake poured the last of the health potion on Kalik’s chest, scratching the back of his head as he watched the wound stitch together but leave a white scar in his open leather armor.

 

“Damn it, are all boys this reckless? First Landin, now Kalik.”

 

“As if the Patriarch is one to talk,” Sah Ul’ frowned scooping up the boy.

 

“Hey, I’m not that- Okay maybe I am…” Drake sighed, “I really hope that they don’t follow that pattern. I was one second away from stopping that fight… Alright Atropos your turn, let’s see what a day of training with me can do, yeah?”

 

Atropos walked out of the viewing room, watching as Kalik was brought in by Sah Ul’ past her.

 

“Could I have such determination as well, Lord Drake?” she asked in passing.

 

“You already do, Atropos. You’re here aren’t you?” Drake answered.

 

“Yes, but we are of higher level than they are and have our main class advantages… It just does not seem, fair,” she mumbled.

 

Drake scoffed, “Fair? Who said anything in this world was fair?” he laughed surprising her, “Listen to me Atropos, it’s not what you were given, it’s how you use it. Don’t demean yourself just because you have an advantage right now. What matters is that you work hard to keep it and utilize the cards you were dealt. Do you think they have worked harder than you have in the last few days?”

 

She shook her head, her hands going to her closed eyes and touching the wounds that had healed but were still fresh on her body.

 

Drake ruffled her hair, “If you truly believe you aren’t working hard enough to be deserving of those advantages you say you have, there’s only one solution yeah?” he smirked, “Work harder so that you and no one else can say you don’t deserve them.”

 

Atropos nodded somewhat hesitant but got into position as Drake did the same next to the cage.

 

“Ready?” Drake asked.

 

Atropos pulled her staff from her inventory, took a deep breath, and then nodded back.

 

Drake opened the door, one of the two final bulls stomping out of the cage in anger.

 

[Iron Hide Bull Level 13]

 

Atropos froze for a moment at the sight of the monster, seeing one standing off against you was leagues different from viewing it from the distance she was at.

 

She had fought monsters before but not to the degree this beast was in size. The Bull was of no make she had ever seen. The monster stood twice her size easily, its hide was a dark brown and its head a patch of white, two porcelain white horns jutting from its skull. 

 

The monster didn’t give her any more time to think, rushing forward as it kicked up smoke in a trail behind it.

 

Atropos’s instincts kicked in as her brow furrowed.

 

“The night is all-consuming, Shadow Flame!”

 

She quickly jutted out her hand at the stampeding bull galloping towards her, a black magic circle forming at the base of her open palm a spark of violet dark flame sputtering out.

 

With an arc of her hand, she threw the fire forward as it blustered against the face of the bull.

 

But it sadly wasn’t enough, as the bull shook off the spell with only a small bit of soot left on its face, seemingly making it more enraged as it dug deeper ruts into the ground.

 

Atropos wouldn’t be disheartened though and fired two more dark shadow flames at the bull and quickly transitioned into her other spell as sweat began to line her brow.

 

“The shadows come for all, Scythe of Shadows!”

 

In the timespan it took for the monster to traverse the distance of the cage to her, she had slowed it with three shadow flames, and its charge turned from a stampede to a desperate gallop.

 

The inky black mana twirled and twisted against her staff, quickly forming into the sickle it had during her training as she rolled out of the way, extending the tip of the blade to catch the monster's side.

 

Atropos was yanked forward with the passing bull as she hurled herself onto its back, wrenching her sickle from its side as it snorted in agony from the spell's effect.

 

“I will no longer be the helpless girl! I will become the huntress!” she screamed, using both hands to bring down her sickle right between the bull’s eyes as it stumbled to the ground, throwing Atropos off its back.

 

In a cloud of kicked-up snow, Atropos fell sliding against the ground until she impacted with the partition coughing from the collision.

 

She stood wavering as she leaned against the partition but held a cheeky smile on her lips.

 

“I believe I am getting the hang of this,” she laughed before tumbling backward in a cloud of fresh snow, her legs giving out from under her.

 

—-----------------

 

“That was surprising and quick, but I knew you had it in you, Atropos,” Drake grinned, giving her a helping hand up, her brother not far behind him a worried look on his face.

 

“Thank you, Lord Drake,” she replied, taking his hand.

 

Drake turned to her brother, “Looks like you're the last one Clotho.”

 

But the boy didn’t respond watching his sister walk back to the viewing window, almost stumbling a few times.

 

Drake waved in front of the boy’s face, “Earth to Clotho. I get you’re worried about her, but you got a fight to win as well remember?” he said, “You want to check up on her? Win this quickly so you can go see her.”

 

Clotho tore his eyes from his sister and walked to the other end of the partition a cold expression on his face as he waited for Drake to release the last and final bull from the cage.

 

“Stone cold, huh?” Drake smiled wryly.

 

Drake opened the cage door, the final bull taking no time to slam into it and out as it whipped its head around looking for something to pour its unbridled anger into.

 

The bull’s eyes locked with Clotho on the other end and began its charge storming through the snow.

 

Clotho maintained his steely expression, his fingers beginning to flick with purpose, his metal wires going to work.

 

Drake gasped as he saw the boy take him up on his advice of winning quickly.

 

Clotho’s wires shot forward in an arc finding purchase with the Bull’s legs and extremities, stringing the beast up as it froze, unwilling to fight against the razor-sharp strings of metal, small beads of red dribbling from where they contacted its hide.

 

The teen said nothing, his hand extended pointing at the monster that was suspended in the air, its face somehow paling while its eyes stared back at him.

 

Clotho simply clenched his hand, the sound of metal shearing flesh reverberating through the area as the bull fell to pieces in front of him in a sloshing mess.

 

Drake could only blink in amazement at the display. A small smirk creased his lips as he fought down the burning urge in his chest to fight every one of them right here and now.

 

“Little fucking monsters, the lot of you.”