Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls-Chapter 33: Two young ladies and a brute.

Kael moved through the shadow creatures with lethal precision, his skills and movements reflecting an experience no one would expect from an eleven-year-old boy. Every step he took was accompanied by swift and precise attacks. He summoned shadow spears that pierced the beasts as if they were made of glass, while wind blades cut through the air, shredding others around him.

The creatures tried to fight back, but Kael was always one step ahead. His agility was impressive, dodging claws and bites with fluid, controlled movements. One beast attempted to attack him from behind, but Kael turned at the last second, conjuring a blast of wind that sent the creature flying, smashing it against a rock.

The adventurers, who had been prepared to fight to the bitter end, stopped to watch the scene, their eyes wide with disbelief. The archer slowly lowered her bow, her mouth slightly open as she watched Kael decimate the beasts one by one.

"This... this isn’t normal," the mage murmured, her voice trembling. She was sweaty and exhausted, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the boy.

"Who is this kid?" the warrior asked, his deep voice filled with disbelief. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, as if trying to convince himself that this was real.

Kael spun, cutting down another creature with a blade of wind before planting his foot firmly on the ground and summoning a wave of shadows that swept through the remaining enemies. The last of the beasts let out desperate roars as they were disintegrated by his power. When silence finally settled over the ravine, only Kael remained standing—breathing heavily, but still full of energy.

He turned to the adventurers, wiping his hands on his clothes and flashing a confident smile. "Looks like you guys needed some help."

The warrior stepped forward, his gaze locked onto Kael. "Who... or rather, what are you, kid? I’ve never seen anyone fight like that, especially someone so young."

Kael shrugged, keeping his posture relaxed, though his eyes gleamed with a subtle mischief. "Just a traveler. And, well... let’s just say my mother trained me well."

The archer let out a nervous laugh, still in disbelief. "Trained you well? That’s an understatement. You took them down like a veteran. How old are you, kid?"

"Eleven," Kael answered simply, as if it were obvious.

The three adventurers fell silent, exchanging glances. It was clear that none of them knew how to react to such absurdity.

Kael stretched his arms as if he were just waking up. "So... I think you guys owe me something for saving your lives, don’t you?"

The mage blinked, still stunned. "You want... a reward?"

Kael tilted his head, smirking. "Nothing too much. How about telling me what’s going on around here? And maybe... who you are?"

The adventurers hesitated, but the warrior finally nodded, crossing his arms. "Fair enough. My name is Darek. This is Lira," he gestured toward the archer, "and the mage is Elaris. We’re a group of local adventurers. We were investigating reports of shadow creatures appearing in the region. But we didn’t expect anything like this..."

"Anything like this?" Kael asked, raising an eyebrow.

Elaris stepped forward, looking down at the ground where the creatures had been slain. "These things... they aren’t natural. They’re made of pure darkness, something that should only exist in places extremely corrupted. We’re trying to understand the source, but... it looks like you already know how to deal with them."

Kael gave an enigmatic smile. "Let’s just say I have a few advantages. So, where are you headed now?"

Darek sighed. "To the nearest village. We need to report this and regroup. What about you, kid? Where are you headed?"

"Azalith," Kael replied with casual confidence. "I’m on my way to the academy."

The three adventurers stared at him, incredulous once again.

"The academy?" Lira asked, frowning. "With that kind of strength, you could easily be an instructor, not a student."

Kael chuckled softly, turning to continue on his way. "Good luck to you all, I need to keep moving toward Azalith," he said, waving at the adventurers. With a fluid motion, he began channeling magic into his feet, surrounding himself in a faint ethereal glow. With a controlled burst of wind, he lifted into the air, ready to take the fastest route back to the road.

However, he had barely ascended a few meters when a deep, deafening howl cut through the silence of the forest.

"AWOOOOOO!!!"

The sound reverberated through the environment, accompanied by a tremor that made the ground seem to pulse with life. Kael froze in midair, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the surroundings.

From all directions, shadow wolves began emerging from the darkness, their eyes glowing an intense red. There were dozens—maybe even hundreds—moving in unison, as if called by something greater. The atmosphere grew heavy, charged with an almost suffocating energy.

A notification flashed before his eyes, interrupting any thoughts of escape:

[Hidden Quest Unlocked: Guardian of the Umbra Forest]

[Details: Defeat the Shadow Wolf pack before leaving the forest to earn the respect of the magical fauna.]

Kael’s eyes widened as he quickly read through the information. "Ah, shit..." he muttered, feeling the weight of the situation settle upon him.

From the center of the pack, a massive wolf emerged from the shadows, far larger than the others. Its fur was black as the void, with glowing runes scattered across its body, pulsing like a heartbeat. Its eyes were like burning embers, and its presence radiated an aura of absolute dominance.

The massive wolf howled again, and the rest of the pack responded in unison. The sound echoed like a macabre chorus, causing the surrounding trees to sway under the pressure. Kael felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the approaching army of wolves, each creature’s glowing red eyes piercing through the darkness.

He took a step back, his mind rapidly assessing the situation. Taking a deep breath, Kael turned toward the adventurers, who were still frozen in shock at the sight.

"S-so..." Kael began, raising a hand in a nervous gesture, trying to appear casual despite the tension. "You guys wanna, uh... help me with this?" He pointed his thumb toward the wolf pack, his tone almost playful, but his expression made it clear he wasn’t feeling as confident as usual.

Darek, still gripping his bloodied axe, widened his eyes at Kael. "Help? Are you kidding, kid? There are more wolves here than leaves on the trees!"

"Which is exactly why it would be nice if you helped, you know?" Kael replied, a drop of sweat rolling down his forehead. He waved his hands dramatically. "Like, teamwork? Ever heard of it?"

A woman from the group, apparently the mage, stepped forward, still panting. "After what you did to those creatures, I thought you’d be fine handling this alone!"

"Yeah..." Kael started, scratching the back of his neck. "But there’s a difference between fighting cowardly bandits and facing a pack of supernatural wolves led by a god-killer wolf-king."

The leader of the pack stepped forward, its massive paws crushing the ground with each step. It let out a low growl—a sound that seemed to reverberate directly in Kael’s chest—and its burning eyes were locked solely onto him.

Darek huffed, adjusting his axe. "Well, kid... if we’re gonna die, might as well go down fighting, right?!"

Kael raised an eyebrow. "That... was inspiring. I think?"

The mage sighed, raising her staff, which began to glow with magical energy. "Great. We’ll do this together, but if we survive, you owe me an explanation about who the hell you really are!"

Kael grinned, turning his attention back to the wolves as they began charging toward him.

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