Awakening with two legendary Summons-Chapter 46: Summoner’s Hunt For Cores 1

Day one of the hunt.

After the initial tour, students had been granted full freedom—to either venture into the world and begin the hunt for beast cores or first settle into their assigned rooms and prepare themselves mentally and physically.

The choice was theirs.

As expected, many groups scattered instantly, breaking off without hesitation and charging straight into the forest, driven by the adrenaline of youth and the allure of a brand-new world. The thrill of encountering exotic beasts, of discovering this planet’s mysteries, burned fiercely in their hearts.

Kairos too felt that burning itch—the desire to dash into the wild and strike down the first beast that crossed his path. But instinct and experience told him to hold back.

’This isn’t Earth,’ he reminded himself. ’It’s a completely foreign planet. Just because we’re excited to kill beasts doesn’t mean they won’t kill us first.’

Luckily, Lina seemed to be of the same mind.

She tapped quickly through the interface on her phone, accessing the uploaded digital map. A moment of silence passed between them as the data loaded. Among the colored zones, one stood out glaringly—a dark red region marked clearly as the caves.

It was labeled extremely dangerous.

"I don’t think we should do anything reckless on the first day," Kairos finally said, eyes still scanning the map. "We should aim for a place that won’t be too crowded... but still rich with beasts to kill."

Lina nodded thoughtfully. "Then why don’t we head toward the western forest terrain? It’s said to have a wide variety of basic beasts—nothing too extreme."

The idea clicked with Kairos. It was exactly what they needed: manageable targets, less competition, and a good start to gathering cores.

The others were quick to agree—especially Darnell, who could hardly contain his enthusiasm. His eyes lit up like a child given a new toy.

Kairos, too, felt a flicker of excitement.

’Finally... my summon can start getting stronger.’

---

The trek toward the western forest was grueling. The uneven terrain, covered in mossy ridges and damp earth, slowed their steps. The forest thickened with each mile, and the air grew heavy with the scent of unfamiliar flora.

This was where Kairos finally put his Environmental Survival class knowledge to the test. He took the lead, navigating the group through paths that avoided sudden drops and treacherous bogs. Though he made a few minor mistakes along the way, his choices helped keep the group intact and moving steadily forward.

Eventually, they reached a part of the forest that was noticeably different.

The trees here towered like skyscrapers, stretching impossibly high into the sky. Their leaves had shifted from a soft pink hue into something far darker—almost black—giving off an eerie aura. Just being near them caused a chill to crawl up their spines.

"This is it," Kairos announced, stopping as the group came to the forest’s edge. "The western forest."

The others stood beside him, gazing out into the towering thick forest with tense anticipation.

Lina stepped forward and turned to address the group, her tone brisk and decisive. "To gather enough cores efficiently, we’ll need to split up. Clearly, the strongest among us are Carlos and me, so we’ll each lead a team."

She turned to Carlos for confirmation, but his reaction was far from what she expected.

Carlos’ expression darkened, and his eyes locked with hers in a silent warning. "I’m not leading any team. Give that role to Kairos, not me."

He was stubborn as always. Kairos couldn’t help but notice how quick Carlos was to shut down anything that could potentially expose him. Even small slips were met with stone-cold resistance.

Lina raised a brow at him, but didn’t argue. Instead, she turned to Kairos.

"In that case, take Carlos with you. I’ll go with Kaela and—"

She paused, her gaze shifting to Darnell, whose eager face was practically glowing.

His excitement was almost irritating.

"On second thought," she said sharply, "I’ll be fine with just Kaela."

The words crushed Darnell’s spirit immediately. His shoulders sagged in silent defeat.

"We’ll hunt as much as possible and regroup here in two hours," Lina added before grabbing Kaela by the sleeve and marching off toward the right side of the forest.

That left Kairos, Carlos, and Darnell to head left.

Kairos checked the time on his phone, estimating two hours from now. "Let’s head out," he ordered calmly.

Splitting up was a smart move. Smaller teams meant more ground covered and more beast cores collected. And for Kairos, it meant something even more valuable: privacy.

He could strengthen his summon—his Shadow Wolf—without anyone noticing... well, except for Darnell. But he’d find a way around that.

The three of them moved deeper into the forest. As they went, their nerves heightened. Every snapped branch and rustled leaf made their muscles tense. Their senses sharpened, instincts flaring.

Then it came—[Grrrr!]—a low, guttural growl from Kairos’ Shadow Wolf.

Something was approaching.

He reacted instantly, lowering his body into a fighting stance.

"Something’s coming! Be ready!" he yelled, voice urgent.

Carlos didn’t need to be told twice. In one swift movement, he drew his dual daggers, eyes already scanning every shadow for movement.

Darnell was slower, fumbling slightly as he pulled out his short sword and fell into a sloppy stance. "How the hell do you know something’s even here? I don’t get it, man!"

Kairos didn’t answer. He didn’t have to.

The answer came on its own.

A deep, thunderous thump-thump-thump reverberated through the forest. The ground itself seemed to tremble beneath their feet. From all sides, large figures emerged, closing in with terrifying synchronization.

Boar-like creatures—massive in size and terrifying in design. Each had enormous tusks curling out like deadly scythes, and a single, bloodshot eye dead center in their heads. Their bodies were scarred and muscular, exuding a brutal aura.

There were at least twelve of them.

Ding!

Their phones chimed in eerie unison. Kairos quickly glanced at the notification:

Species: TUSK

Class: Basic-Tier Beasts

Behavior: Move in groups; attack as a unit.

Weakness: Neck region.

Kairos read aloud so the others could hear.

Carlos let out a quiet chuckle, stepping forward. "Let me handle this."

His words were so calm they bordered on arrogance.

Kairos blinked in confusion.

’Is he serious? Is Carlos really about to fight in front of me?’

He had always wondered about Carlos’ strength. The way he carried himself, the coldness in his eyes—it hinted at something deeper. But this? This was unexpected.

"I want to fight too!" Darnell blurted out, clearly unwilling to be sidelined.

Carlos didn’t respond. He looked at both of them, his eyes sharp with intent.

"You always asked me about my strength," he said softly. "Let me show you."

Even Darnell knew to stay quiet after that as he had also wanted to see what Carlos could really do.

Carlos exhaled slowly and shifted his stance, one foot forward, back hunched, daggers glinting in his hands. The Tusks didn’t slow—they kept charging.

And then—

Boom!

A sonic boom cracked through the air as Carlos exploded forward like a missile. His figure vanished for a brief second, reappearing right in front of the lead Tusk. Before it could even blink, his dagger was already buried in its throat.

The beast gurgled, eyes wide, and dropped dead.

The other Tusks froze in their tracks. Even they couldn’t believe it.

’That speed... it’s insane,’ Kairos thought, jaw tight. ’Is this really Carlos’ full power? Or... is he far stronger?’

Carlos wasn’t done.

He dashed toward the next Tusk, slicing clean through its neck in one graceful motion. Blood sprayed as the creature collapsed without a sound.

Another Tusk leapt at him, maw open wide, teeth ready to crush his skull.

Carlos pivoted mid-air with surreal agility, driving a brutal kick into the beast’s jaw. A loud crack echoed as it flew backward, crashing into a tree and slumping lifelessly to the ground.

Kairos watched, stunned, as Carlos slaughtered another, and another. No hesitation. No wasted motion. Just a pure, elegant display of violence.

’My summon is strong... but this... this is something else.’

It was like watching a predator tear through prey—fast, efficient, unstoppable.

"I see..." Kairos whispered, eyes narrowed. "So this is the power... of a direct descendant from the missing family. He’s... brutal."