The Mantis King's colossal body hit the ground, and Renji's primal roar followed—a sound that shook the forest. It was the cry of a honey badger, but amplified with terrifying, otherworldly power.
From a distance, Dudu, Zim, and Sam watched in stunned silence. Dust and debris filled the air, forcing them into coughing fits.
Zim was the first to speak, his voice shaky. "Are you sure we're in the same rank as this guy? For an E-rank, he sure seems… stronger."
"I know, right," Dudu coughed, brushing dirt off his clothes.
Sam shivered, his feathers ruffling. "Seriously… just watching that fight sent chills down my spine."
As the dust began to settle, two glowing blue eyes pierced through the haze.
Step by step, Renji emerged. His hair, now much longer, nearly brushed against his waist. His claws glowed faintly with blue energy, and even the patch of white hair on his forehead seemed to have grown. He radiated menace with each stride.
Dudu swallowed hard. "Wait… I heard that when someone awakens their Beast Resonance for the first time, they… lose control of themselves."
Sam's face went pale. "Oh, boy. Looks like we're in trouble."
Renji kept walking toward them, each step sending waves of fear into their chests.
"What do we do?" Sam whispered. "I could just fly away, but what about you two?"
"I could dig our way out," Zim muttered nervously.
Before panic could consume them, a calm voice cut through the air.
"Hello."
Renji had stopped, his hair shrinking back to its normal length, his eyes returning to their dark pupils. The claws retracted into normal fingernails.
The three let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Sorry," Renji said softly. "I hope you guys weren't harmed."
Zim stepped forward, though his legs still trembled. "You scared us there, you know."
Renji scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Ah, I'm really sorry about that."
Sam flapped his wings and grinned. "Wow. You really are the Alpha Killer, huh? That was crazy." He flew over and extended a hand. Renji accepted the handshake.
Dudu followed, offering his hand as well. "My name's Dudu. The guy with wings is Sam, and our leader here is Zim."
Renji smiled faintly. "Cool. I'm Renji."
Sam smirked. "Yeah, like there's anyone in the academy who doesn't know the Alpha Killer."
Renji blinked, surprised. "Oh? I didn't think I was that popular."
Zim stepped forward, offering his own handshake. "If you ever think about forming a team, you're welcome to join us."
Renji nodded, genuinely appreciative. "Really? Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."
The three turned to leave, but Renji's actived his Heavenly Eyes. Names and details appeared before him: Zim—Mole type. Dudu—Earthworm type. Sam—Bird type.
Renji smirked to himself. "Guess they weren't lying." His gaze lingered on Sam's enormous wings. "Damn… I wish I had wings too."
Then he turned back to the system interface that appeared before his vision. His breath caught as new information flooded in—stats, rewards, and the fresh skill obtained from slaying the Mantis King.