The air shifted in the market.

  The familiar stench of rotting, deg, and burning flesh filled the surrounding area.

  The vilgers panicked, leaving all their belongings behind, and stalls toppled. Their footsteps pounded against the ground as they scattered to safety.

  Amidst the chaos, Abell stood still.

  “Finally, another shot.” He thought to himself.

  His heartbeat sent waves throughout his body, but he smirked as he tightened his grip on his golden bde, awaiting the approag csh.

  Standing behind him, Hugo was intrigued by Abell’s attitude, making a scoff and smirking.

  “That boy, always so reckless. When will he uand he’s not ready yet.” Keeko said.

  She tried to approach Abell, but Hugo raised his arm, stopping her cold.

  Keeko narrowed her eyes at him. “Move.”

  Hugo didn’t budge. “Let him hahis.” His voice was calm and assertive. “He might surprise you.”

  Keeko raised an eyebrow, frowning. “I know that boy. He is a reckless fool.”

  Hugo chuckled. “Sometimes a man just wants to prove themselves; you know about that feeling, right?”

  She exhaled, crossing her arms. “Hm, I guess so.”

  A loud, deep, guttural growl souhroughout the market. It resohroughout Abell’s body, causing him to stagger.

  From the shadows beyond the marketpce, the first malignant appeared.

  It had the body of a e; however, its body looked torted.

  The fur looked like it was crag off, and its bones were visible. Its muscles tensed unnaturally beh its battered fur, barely taining its core. Magenta fractures ran along its body, glowing brighter with each sed.

  It began charging at Abell, the closest thing nearby. Its cws scraped the ground, sending sparks flying, and its hollowed ember eyes locked onto Abell.

  Abell readied his golden bde, waiting for the malignant to get close; however, he did not anticipate its speed. With a violent swipe, its cws carved through a nearby stall where Abell stood.

  “That one was too close.” He thought.

  The sheer force of the strike sent a gust of wind past his face. The impact destroyed the fruits aables behind him, sending debris and food flying.

  Abell barely twisted his body to avoid the blow, nding on his feet. He gathered his breath quickly a on the offensive. However, it was quicker than him.

  It lunged again, cws raking through the air. He ducked, barely avoiding the attack. The impact destroyed the cobblestone road.

  “Damn, where’s the opening.” He thought to himself.

  The malignant gave him no time to react; it kept charging ilessly with seemingly no pn.

  “, Abell. Just wait until it gives you an opening; don’t panic," Keeko called out.

  Abell’s heart pounded against his ribs. With every step and every move he made, the Malignant was there to match him, faster and strohan he expected.

  Sweat dripped down his brow as he struggled to keep up, dodging, evading, trying to find an opening.

  The creature became frustrated due to missing its attacks.

  It let out a roar, its fractured body pulsing with energy as it reared bato its hind legs. Its cws spread wide, indig it reparing for a full-force strike.

  "What the? I've never seen this this before.” His eyes narrowed. “I think it’s charging me; I o act.”

  Abell gritted his teeth. He had no choibsp;

  He moved first.

  Rolling to the side, he narrowly avoided the devastating blow. The force of the impact shattered the ground, sending debris flying in every dire. Dust clouded the air, but Abell used it as cover and was already in motion.

  With a sharp pivot, he sshed at the Malignant’s back leg, his goldeting deep into muscle. The beast let out a pained screech, its bance wavering as it stumbled.

  "Finally!” Abell said.

  With a decisive step forward, he gripped his sword tightly and drove it into the creature’s back, causing his bde to glhtly.

  The bde sank deep, pierg through its fractured skin and striking its pulsing core.

  The Maligna out o agonized roar before its body vulsed violently. The light in its core flickered, then faded entirely. The creature’s limbs twitched before its body disied.

  “Hmm, would you look at that?” Hugo said. “I khat lux ecial.”

  Abell took a shaky breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead. His arms ached from the effort, his ribs still burning from the close call. It was over.

  Or so he thought.

  Two more malignants emerged, both staring at Abell.

  They were identical to the first wolf-like beast, which had an uling and unnatural presence. However, one was bigger thaher.

  Abell ed his fingers around his bde, brag himself.

  They weren’t charging in recklessly like the first. They waited, and then, suddenly, they moved.

  The rger oacked first, trying to bite one of Abell's limbs off. Due to its slow speed, Abell dodged easily. However, before he could ter, the smaller malignant charged his blind spot.

  Suddenly, blood stained his attire. The creature's cws tht through his shirt, making a bit of tabsp;

  “Are they w together?” He chuckled.

  The rger malignant stomped forward slowly at Abell while the smaller one crept behind. Putting him in a tricky situation.

  He tightened his grip on his sword.

  “This is new. I’m going to need a pn.” He said.

  Keeko’s fists ched as she watched her son struggle. She could already see it—he wasn’t in trol.

  “He’s being too passive now,” she muttered.

  Hugo, standing beside her, crossed his arms with an amused smirk. “That’s just how he fights. All instino hesitation.”

  Keeko didn’t look at him. “Instinct won’t save him when he’s outnumbered.”

  She knew exactly what was happening—Abell was too focused oing, letting the Malignants dictate the fight.

  The rger one forced him to dodge. The smaller one punished him for moving.

  A dangerous cycle.

  If he didn’t break it soon, he was going to get torn apart.

  Hugo exhaled through his nose. “You worried?”

  Keeko’s sharp gaze flicked toward him. “Of course, that’s my son.”

  Abell’s miuro his mother’s words: trol your emotions, keep a sound mind.

  “What to do now?” He thought

  “Screw it, if I get hit, I get hit.”

  He made up his mind and wasn’t going to ge it.

  The two Malignants charged in unison, their glowing fractures pulsing wildly as they closed in.

  But this time, Abell didn’t move.

  He stood his ground.

  The rger Malignant struck first, its massive bsp;whipping through the air. Instead of dodging, Abell braced himself, raising his bde in a defeanbsp;

  G!

  The impabsp;rattled his arms, his feet skidding back against the stone, but something ued happened.

  The Malignant staggered.

  Its muscles tensed unnaturally; its movements were deyed for a split sed.

  “What the…?” Abell narrowed his eyes. “Something slowed it down.”

  Pivoting on his heel, he whipped his sword around in a arc—catg the smaller Malignant right in its side.

  However, it was still moving. It quickly recovered and tried to get a fast attack.

  Abell tered it swiftly, striking it one more time.

  A deep gash tore through its flesh, golden energy searing against corrupted muscle. The creature let out a pierg screech, its body twisting as it recoiled and disied.

  “Got one.” He smirked.

  But before he could catch his breath, the rger one was enraged. Whatever stu seemed to bother it. Its core ulsing quickly, causing it to move erratically. It began charging with insane speed.

  Abell’s heart skipped a beat; His sword was flickering.

  “I guess it’s already been 15 minutes.” He muttered. “Well, bring it on!” He took a defeance, waiting for it to approach him.

  Abell squeezed his eyes shut; every muscle in his body tensed.

  The Malignant’s charge shook the ground, its snarls vibrating in his chest. The weight of its footsteps grew heavier, closer—unstoppable.

  He gritted his teeth, brag for the impabsp;

  But it never came.

  Instead, a siing thud, followed by splintering wood, cracked through the air.

  Abell’s eyes snapped open.

  The Malignant was motionless, its twisted body pinned against a tree hard. Deep fractures ran through its glowing core, its limbs twitg in fadianbsp;

  And in front of it, standing with effortless trol, was Keeko. Her hand was still extended from the blow, but her expression was unimpressed.

  She gnced over her shoulder, eyes sharp. “What was that, Abell?”

  “Are y to get yourself killed?!”

  Her voice echoed through the market square.

  Abell attempted to open his mouth but was swiftly cut off.

  “That pn was utterly reckless! You left yourself wide open. She threw her hands up. I’ve told you tless times to use your brain and think of every possible sario.”

  She tio ramble, not notig the crowd f around her.

  “Also, remember that your Lux has a time limit. Ign that will seriously hurt you, " she said.

  Abell didn’t register what she was saying; His mind was on the fight he had just had. Remembering how he killed two malignants by himself. He let out a small chuckle.

  Keeko’s scowl deepened. “Are you even listening to me, young man?”

  From the sidelines, a slow, calcuted cp souhe spectacle before him caused Hugo to smirk while he remarked with an amused voice, “Amazing. No wonder you were hiding him from us.”

  Keeko gave him an angry look. “No, I came out here to care for my children.”

  "Trust me, I wasn't hiding from you." She said.

  Hugo tried to respond, but the vilge elder moved quickly toward them to express his warm thanks before she could answer.

  “Thank you, both of you! Your efforts protected us, and we will celebrate tonight in your honor. “

  Keeko smiled, gng at her son with pride. "Always happy to help," she replied, her voice softening as she turo the elder.

  Abell saw his bsp;

  He took a cautious step backward as his mother's attention was diverted. Then another.

  His mother attempted to whip around and pull him back for another lecture, but he slipped away first.

  “Thank you, old man.” Abell thought.

  Hugo saw the boy leave and ughed hysterically. “He reminds me of me.”

  “This is going to be iing.”