The reason Arin was currently focused on a tree not too far from him was because the last Wolf was lurking there, its eyes glaring at them from behind the trunk.
Tessa, gripping her sword, followed Arin's line of sight and instantly locked onto the Wolf.
The Wolf, realizing it had been spotted, stepped out from its hiding place. Its eyes scanned Arin and Tessa with a calculating gaze, as if weighing its chances.
Despite the odds, the Wolf didn't seem inclined to flee. Instead, the intensity in its eyes made it clear that it was ready for a fight.
Arin smirked, his gaze fixed on the beast. "So, you're the leader of the pack…"
This Wolf was different. Its grey fur was thicker, its frame more muscular than the others they had faced. It radiated a strength that the previous wolves lacked, though Arin didn't see it as a threat.
A low growl rumbled from the Wolf as it began to pace forward, its eyes never leaving Arin's.
Tessa's grip tightened on her sword, her body tensing, ready to spring into action. She was about to leap towards the Wolf when—
"Hold." Arin's voice was calm, yet commanding, stopping Tessa in her tracks. "I'll handle this one."
Arin was particularly pleased that this Wolf didn't try to run. After all, it was the only one among the ten that could properly wield magic.
Yes, many Beasts could use magic, but lower-ranked ones often struggled to harness it effectively. However, the rank of this Wolf was clearly higher, meaning it would likely use magic with skill and precision.
The Wolf's gaze remained locked on Arin, as if recognizing the challenge before it. It continued its advance, undeterred.
Tessa, acknowledging Arin's order, nodded and stepped back to the cover of a nearby tree.
Arin cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing through the forest. "Alright, let's see what you've got."
The Wolf paused for a moment as Tessa retreated, its eyes narrowing as it reassessed the situation. Then, with renewed determination, it resumed its steady approach.
Finally, it stopped just a few steps from Arin, growling low, its claws digging into the earth.
Arin remained still, waiting for the Wolf's move, but he didn't have to wait long.
The Wolf suddenly lunged, its claws slicing through the air with deadly intent.
In that instant, Arin activated his Spell.
Mana surged to his right hand, and with it, a new, unfamiliar Energy—a chaotic force that felt different from the Water Element he was accustomed to.
He recognized it immediately: the Chaos Element.
Without hesitation, Arin thrust his right hand forward, and at the same moment...
A wave of purple Energy erupted from Arin's body, radiating outward in an expanding sphere. The Energy was wild, untamed, and powerful, rippling through the air like a shockwave.
The Wolf and Tessa both felt the force of the Energy as it spread, a palpable tension filling the air.
The Wolf's claws cleaved the air, and a crescent-shaped slash of wind materialized, hurtling towards Arin with lethal precision.
The tree behind the Wolf was suddenly sliced clean through, its trunk splitting apart as it toppled to the ground with a thunderous crash.
The Wolf's eyes widened in shock, its gaze darting back to Arin, as if trying to comprehend what had just occurred.
Arin's lips curled into a smirk. "So that's how it works..."
"Wait…" Tessa muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "What just happened...?"
Just like the Wolf, Tessa was utterly confused, but this wasn't the moment for explanations.
Arin, however, grasped what had happened. As soon as he activated the Arcane Chaos Spell, a wave of intense purple energy radiated from his body, disrupting the Mana in the air and interfering with the Wolf's spell.
This interference caused the Wolf's Wind Slash Spell to veer off course, slicing behind it instead of toward Arin.
Arin chuckled, his grin widening. "So, this is the power of Chaos... Not bad."
The Wolf's eyes blazed with fury as it growled, locking its gaze on Arin with renewed intensity.
Undeterred, the Wolf gathered its Mana, preparing to cast its spell again. But it hadn't anticipated the lingering effects of the Arcane Chaos Spell.
"Grrr?!" The Wolf growled in confusion as it struggled to release its Mana.
The harder it tried, the more violently its body reacted, until blood spewed from its mouth.
The Arcane Chaos Spell was still active, disrupting the Wolf's Mana before it could fully channel its spell. Forcing the magic only caused internal damage, leading to the bleeding.
Tessa could only stand by, eyes wide and speechless, as she watched the events unfold. One thought echoed in her mind: "Who is Chaos, really?"
She had seen him use a Water Spike earlier, and had assumed he was a Water Mage. But now, he was displaying something entirely different... something beyond her understanding.
She wasn't naive. It was clear that Arin was responsible for the Wolf's inability to cast its spell.
"I think that's enough testing," Arin mused. He glanced at the sky. "There's still a bit of time before the others arrive, so…"
With a sudden, almost predatory grin, Arin deactivated the Arcane Chaos Spell.
The Wolf, sensing its Mana had been freed, didn't hesitate. It attacked with a ferocious roar that seemed to shake the very air around them.
The Wolf opened its jaws wide, releasing a roar so powerful that the air itself seemed to vibrate. An almost invisible ball of compressed wind, the size of an Earth basketball, hurtled toward Arin with lethal speed.
Arin's cloak billowed around him as he crouched low, then launched himself forward, straight toward the oncoming Wind Ball and the Wolf.
The sound of rushing water filled the air as a Water Shield materialized on Arin's right hand.
The Wind Ball collided with the Water Shield, both attacks annihilating each other in an explosion of force. But Arin was already in motion, closing the distance to the Wolf.
Sensing the imminent danger, the Wolf lashed out with its claws.
Sparks flew as the Wolf's claws clashed with Arin's Water Spike. The force of the impact threw the Wolf off balance, sealing its fate.
Before it could recover, Arin slammed his right hand onto the Wolf's head, a cold, merciless gleam in his eyes.
"Die..…" he whispered, his voice chilling.
A Water Ball burst forth from his hand at point-blank range, blasting the Wolf's head with a torrent of destructive force.
The Wolf crumpled to the ground with a dull thud, its body lifeless.
Before Tessa could rush to Arin, eager to question him about what she had just witnessed, he suddenly snapped his head to the right, his eyes sharp and cold. "They're finally here....."
At the same moment, Tessa heard hurried footsteps approaching.
Her eyes narrowed as she turned toward the sound. "Those footsteps... They aren't Beasts."
A realization struck her, and her eyes widened in shock. "No way... It can't be!"