Chapter 49: Examination Night 1
And so Kage, ignoring the young lad’s advice and the persistent nagging of the sovereigns, pulled out The Scrolls of Rejected Disciples, reading until drowsiness overtook him around late afternoon. Eventually, he surrendered to sleep.
The clear blue sky darkened, and the light of a colossal half-circle—like a distant reflection of the world itself—poured gentle silver across the coastal forest, illuminating the vicious night with the beauty of its glow.
After opening his eyes, Kage stared at the moonlight for a few minutes before finally standing. He lowered himself, grabbed the branch, and slipped down. He didn’t fall—instead, he caught himself mid-descent. Then he released, landing softly, almost soundlessly.
He exhaled as he surveyed the forest. The air was warm, thick with the scent of salt. Distant waves crashed against the shore, blending with the background chorus of insects and birds chirping—almost like they were locked in serious conversation.
Kage trudged forward silently, scanning his surroundings as he walked. Of course, he knew that walking at night was foolish—a universal truth. But that was precisely why he chose this time to begin his test: because everyone else thought the same.
After walking a few miles into the forest, Kage bent down and grabbed the broken hard shell of a fruit, shaped like a fractured bowl.
This was the first proof of human activity he’d noticed since he started walking. It made him suspect that after eating the fruit, they’d taken the better half of the shell to collect water.
’I see... they’re not just sheltered clan brats.’
It was easy to assume that every child who came to the academy was just some brat begrudgingly fulfilling the mandatory attendance law imposed upon the Purist Clans and Weaver Houses.
That conclusion wasn’t wrong. But there was usually more to them than met the eye.
Kage picked up the shell and traced his path forward until he reached a clean, running stream dividing his way.
He bent down and cupped water with the shell. He drank the first cup, then the second. On the third, Kage paused.
A slight tingling crept along the back of his neck. He glanced at the sharp edge of the shell.
’I wonder if it’s sharp enough to pierce.’
Low growls began creeping in from behind. Kage observed from the corner of his eye and internally celebrated.
’I’ve been craving meat without vegetables. Perhaps I’ll get a full meat meal today. Hehe.’
Kage had unknowingly let his thoughts slip—he was grinning. He caught himself midway and wiped away that feral expression. Then he stood and turned toward the beasts.
They were low, reaching around his upper legs. Five of them, all attempting to corner him from different angles.
Kage had to be realistic. Even if they were just slabs of meat, they had sharp teeth that could cause injuries. Getting wounded on his first night was something he honestly couldn’t afford. He needed an efficient method.
’I’m going to drown them!’
He raised the hard shell, pointing its sharp edges toward them in a reverse grip as he lowered his stance.
The beasts had black fur that rippled with the wind and drank in the moon’s luminance. Their eyes glowed amber, and on their foreheads sat crescent markings. Their fangs were intimidating as they assessed their prey and snarled.
The first one from the middle lunged, but Kage sidestepped with precision and swung the sharp edge of the shell, slashing its hind limb. As the beast landed, its step faltered. Kage plunged toward it, grabbed hold, and hurled both of them into the stream.
He and the wolf thrashed and struggled for a minute in the water, but Kage soon gained the upper hand. He pressed the wolf’s head beneath the surface, grinning with glee as the beast’s futile struggles weakened within his grip.
The other Crescent Beasts had lunged to attack but stopped. Watching their supposed prey suffocate their leader in the stream, they realized this prey was actually a predator in disguise.
And this predator was a wicked one who savored his prey’s suffering.
Finally, the beast’s thrashing legs stilled, and Kage looked at it with a smile of satisfaction.
"Now for the next..."
He froze. As he raised his head, none of the other beasts remained.
Kage clicked his teeth in disappointment and wondered if this one carcass would be enough.
’It’s not like I can carry it all.’
Kage took the sharp edge of the shell and tore open the beast’s stomach. If it were Impure, this would be impossible—the shell would shatter immediately, even against the lowest-rank Impure. However, these were beasts, and these particular ones seemed to have soft skin covered by a lot of fur.
After pulling out different organs, not caring for the blood coating his hands, Kage tore some tendons of meat, washed them in the stream and stuffed them into his pouch, tucking his sealed scroll and token into his collar.
Then he found a stone and crushed the beast’s skull, ignoring the blood splashing across his face. Crushing the head made it easier to extract the sharp fangs and use them as weapons.
Whatever instructor was watching a fifteen-year-old boy crush a wolf’s skull with an expressionless face would certainly struggle to believe their eyes.
Kage secured two sharp fangs at his sides, then continued his journey, crossing the stream and pushing deeper into the forest.
His pace increased efficiently. His steps fell as silent as he could manage, and the loud chorus of insects and birds did their best to cover what little sound escaped.
But sound was one thing. Kage still had to be wary of beasts with extraordinary senses of smell. For the most part, he’d smeared the beast’s blood on himself to mask his original scent. While it wouldn’t deceive the noses of all the forest’s beasts, it would work on some.
After running for about four hundred meters, Kage finally came across his peers. They’d built makeshift tents from wood and arranged them around a bonfire that had somehow gone out while they slept.
Kage shook his head, ready to pass them by. But then he paused.
’Why should I pass them when I can just rob them?’
Suddenly, a plan formed in his mind.