Ember Reborn: The Flame That Defied Fate-Chapter 60: The Unmarked Beast -

A low growl rolled through the forest like distant thunder.

The three-eyed wolf crouched low, muscles tensed, its red eyes locked on me with sharp caution—as if it remembered something.

It didn’t.

But I did.

I stifled a chuckle and lifted my sword slightly.

"What’s this? We meet again after so long, and you won’t even greet me?"

The wolf answered with a savage roar.

Then it lunged.

Fast. Direct. No hesitation.

In my previous life, that charge had been the end of my world.

Back then, I’d panicked, swung poorly, and prayed—only to learn that prayer wasn’t always enough.

This time?

I didn’t move back.

I moved through it.

"Man," I muttered, sidestepping smoothly, "that’s a little disappointing."

Berald’s Martial Arts—Sky Flip.

Thud!

The beast’s momentum betrayed it.

With a clean, practiced motion, I used its forward rush against it—hooking, redirecting, and sending it tumbling.

The wolf spun midair and crashed into the dirt with an ugly roll.

"Wh—?!" It let out a strained yelp, half pain, half confusion.

It blinked, scrambling upright like it couldn’t understand what had happened.

To be fair, I couldn’t blame it.

Most cadets didn’t toss demonic beasts around like training dolls.

I took a step forward.

The wolf took a step back.

Fear flickered in its eyes now—real fear.

"Ah," I said quietly. "This really does bring back memories."

A dry laugh slipped out of me.

People said time softened old pain.

That scars faded into something nostalgic.

Maybe that was true for normal people.

For me?

Some memories stayed exactly as ugly as the day they were made.

I clicked my tongue.

"Guess it’s not always true."

The wolf’s lips curled, but it didn’t advance again.

It hesitated.

It was reading the difference between us.

Good.

I raised my sword, not rushing, not playing.

"Don’t worry," I told it calmly. "I understand."

Because I’d been in its position once too.

Weak.

Cornered.

Completely outmatched.

The wolf’s muscles tightened—then it bolted sideways, trying to break line-of-sight and flee into the brush.

Too late.

I stepped in.

One clean slash—controlled, not wasteful—cut across its shoulder.

The beast stumbled, yelping, stumbling again as it tried to regain balance.

I didn’t give it time to recover.

A second strike followed—faster, cleaner.

The wolf collapsed, its breathing ragged, its eyes still burning with stubborn hatred even as its body failed.

I exhaled once, steadying my grip. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Then I ended it swiftly.

No theatrics.

No cruelty.

Just a clean finish.

"...One point," I murmured automatically.

Out of habit, I tapped my Hero Watch.

And—

"...Huh?"

The score displayed was still 0.

No notification.

No confirmation.

Nothing.

For a moment, I just stared at the screen.

"That’s... weird."

In the exam, hunting a marked beast was supposed to trigger an automatic update.

I crouched beside the body and scanned it quickly.

Then my eyes narrowed.

"...It’s missing."

The marker.

The faint insignia or embedded tag that identified a beast as part of the academy’s controlled evaluation system.

It wasn’t there.

Not broken.

Not torn away.

Just... not present.

A slow chill crawled up the back of my neck.

"That means you weren’t one of the exam beasts."

I straightened, eyes sweeping the surrounding forest.

And once my mind accepted that conclusion, the oddities stacked up fast.

First—

This wolf had ambushed me from the bushes with intent.

Academy evaluation beasts were dangerous, yes, but they were managed.

They were meant to test skill and judgment, not hunt cadets like prey.

Second—

It had tracked me.

I felt it now, in the way the forest seemed slightly disturbed behind me.

Like it had followed my scent.

That wasn’t "random encounter" behavior.

That was predatory.

I exhaled slowly.

"So you probably came from outside the test area."

The thought made me let out a strange, humorless chuckle.

In my previous life, this beast had been my first "death."

And now I was realizing it might never have belonged here at all.

It had been an intrusion.

A mistake.

Or—

Something worse.

’Report it.’

No hesitation.

I raised my Hero Watch, took a photo of the corpse, and flagged it through the academy emergency channel.

Even if it caused trouble, even if it annoyed Lucas—

An unmarked demonic beast inside a controlled exam zone wasn’t something to ignore.

"...Hope this doesn’t get the exam suspended," I muttered.

Because I had a different target today.

And I didn’t plan on letting bureaucracy steal it from me.

The unicorn.

The bell.

The sword forged from its horn.

’I should find it fast.’

If the exam paused, the hidden-boss target might still count—but there was no guarantee.

And I didn’t like gambling with things I wanted.

I looked around.

Dense forest.

Limited visibility.

No obvious lightning.

No trail.

"So where are you...?"

I hopped onto a nearby tree, climbed quickly, and balanced on a thick branch.

From this height, the forest stretched like an ocean of green.

My eyes alone weren’t enough.

So I did what warriors did.

I poured mana into my senses.

Mana enhancement didn’t just strengthen muscles.

It sharpened hearing.

Expanded perception.

Pulled details out of the air that normal eyes missed.

Still...

Even like this, the trees were too thick.

"I can’t see you," I admitted. "So... I’ll make you respond."

I spread mana through my arms and clapped my hands together with full force.

Berald’s Martial Arts—Thunder Clap.

KABOOM!

The shockwave ripped through the forest.

Birds exploded into the sky.

Branches shook.

Somewhere in the distance, startled shouts echoed—other cadets reacting to the sudden blast.

And then—

There.

A faint flicker.

Blue lightning arced above the canopy for just a heartbeat.

My eyes sharpened.

’Found you.’

I grinned.

"Wind Step."

Mana flooded into my legs.

I kicked off the branch.

My body became light, fast—almost unreal.

I landed on another trunk, then another, sprinting across the forest’s upper skeleton like a shadow leaping between pillars.

The ground rushed by beneath me.

The lightning flicker guided me like a beacon.

A few minutes later—

"Hiiiiiing!"

A sharp, high cry cut through the trees.

I slowed.

Dropped from a branch in silence.

And there it was.

A white horse-like demonic beast stood near a small stream, hooves planted firmly, mane bristling.

Its fur was snow-bright.

A blue horn jutted from its forehead.

Crackling lightning crawled along its body as if the air itself was nervous around it.

And on its neck—

A bell.

Small.

Deceptively simple.

The prize.

It snorted and scanned its surroundings, ears twitching.

’It’s on edge because of the sound.’

Fair.

That Thunder Clap wasn’t subtle.

I didn’t rush.

There was no reason to charge into a tense, alert beast and donate myself to its hooves.

I stayed behind cover and watched.

Slowly, the unicorn lowered its head.

Its breathing steadied.

It stepped toward the stream with graceful, careful movements.

’It’s different from most demonic beasts.’

Most beasts were aggressive because demonic energy warped their instincts into violence.

The more eyes they had, the more extreme that became.

But this one felt... controlled.

Its energy was strong, but not raging.

Now it made sense why Professor Bianca used it as a trained mount.

I narrowed my eyes.

Still.

Docile didn’t mean harmless.

And I wasn’t here to pet it.

I was here to break a bell.

I inhaled, spread mana, and moved.

Silent steps.

Low posture.

No wasted sound.

When I got close enough—

’Now.’

I kicked off the ground and drew my sword in one smooth motion.

The unicorn’s head snapped up.

"Snort?!"

Too late.

"Sorry," I whispered. "But I need that bell."

Sun Sword—Fourth Form: Flash.

My blade turned into a streak of light, thrusting straight for the bell—

And then—

"Haap!"

A golden slash tore through the air.

CLANG!

My strike was knocked aside at the last instant.

The bell rang faintly—not broken, just jolted.

My sword grazed the unicorn’s cheek instead.

A thin line of red appeared.

The unicorn reared back, furious.

"Snort! Snort!"

Lightning crackled louder.

I clicked my tongue and leapt backward, creating distance before it decided to stomp me into paste.

Then I turned.

And saw him.

Yuren Helios.

Breathing hard.

Golden aura flickering faintly around his blade like sunlight trapped in steel.

He must’ve sprinted here the moment he saw the lightning arc through the canopy.

"Hah," I said, wiping sweat from my brow with the back of my wrist. "You caught up fast."

Yuren didn’t smile.

He didn’t joke.

His eyes were locked on the bell like it was a sacred objective.

"I told you," he said, voice tight. "I won’t lose."

I smirked.

"Yeah? Then you should’ve arrived one second earlier."

I glanced at the unicorn.

Then back to Yuren.

"I’m already in front," I said. "I attacked first. Its attention should be on me—"

"Snort!"

The unicorn suddenly turned.

Not toward me.

Toward Yuren.

It charged him with a furious scream, hooves striking sparks off stone, lightning snapping along its horn.

"...What?"

My expression froze.

Yuren’s eyes widened too, just slightly.

Then I snapped out of it.

"No, no, no," I hissed, stepping forward. "That’s not how this works."

I was the one who provoked you.

I was the one who hurt you.

So why—

The unicorn lowered its horn and accelerated.

Yuren raised his sword, stance tightening—

And I shouted, genuinely offended:

"Why are you heading that way, you ridiculous horse?!"