Time painfully drifted by.
The battle between the demonic beasts and the trainees was nearing its end as the number of beasts had been reduced from thousands to only a few dozen.
Drever, Selena, and the unnamed masked prodigy had become the main offensive force against the remaining horde, while the other trainees focused on helping their injured comrades back to the camp.
One side of the battlefield crackled with flashes of electricity as low-level demonic beasts fell beneath the trainee captain's lightning-coated sword.
Elsewhere, cries of demonic beasts being strangled by Selena's vines echoed across the sandy plain.
At another corner of the battlefield, Marlon, who had concealed his face solely to preserve his anonymity, ruthlessly slaughtered a swarm of mutated rats.
His movement speed had risen drastically.
The power behind his punches had also become frighteningly strong, to the point where even stronger demonic beasts could no longer survive a single hit from him.
Gradually, the attention of the trainees shifted toward him.
Even the previous stars of the battlefield found themselves glancing in his direction.
As Drever fought, his eyes occasionally drifted toward the masked fighter dominating the battlefield.
Even Selena could not hide her curiosity. The more she watched him fight, the stronger her desire became to uncover his identity.
A single question lingered in both their minds.
Who exactly was he?
Ignoring the gazes fixed on him, Marlon grinned faintly as he crushed the last mutated rat before him.
[ You've slayed X1 mutated rat, EXP +31 ]
[ Drain activated, you've obtained a new skill: Night Instinct ]
[ Do you want to learn Night Instinct immediately? ]
Seeing the unfamiliar prompts, the smile on his face deepened slightly.
Fortunately, no demonic beasts remained around him for the moment since the others were already handling the remaining stragglers, giving him enough time to interact with the system.
"Show me the skill description," he said quietly.
[ Night Instinct (F-rank, Passive) — Heightens the user's senses in darkness. Detects movement and hidden dangers in a small radius. Improves reflexes, allowing instinctive dodges. ]
[ Do you want to learn the skill immediately? If no, the skill will remain stored for 24 hours before disappearing. ]
"Yes."
[ DING! You've learnt skill: Night Instinct ]
A wave of information flooded Marlon's mind, followed by a sharp pain in his eyes that forced him to shut them briefly.
A few moments later, the pain subsided.
When he opened his eyes again, the battlefield appeared noticeably clearer to him, as though the moonlight itself had brightened.
But he knew that was not the case.
It was the effect of his new skill.
"This will come in handy later," he muttered to himself, clearly satisfied.
By the time he finished adjusting to the skill, the final demonic beast had already been slain by Drever.
Silence slowly settled over the battlefield.
But the aftermath of the fight remained grim.
Corpses of demonic beasts and fallen trainees littered the sandy plain, many sinking into pools of blood beneath them.
The metallic scent of blood gradually spread through the air.
As Drever looked across the battlefield, his expression darkened.
Deep down, the blonde blamed himself for not leading them better. The deaths of the trainees weighed heavily on him.
'If Father were here, things would've ended differently,' he thought quietly.
He exhaled and pushed the thoughts aside before turning toward the scattered trainees.
"Help the injured back to camp," he ordered calmly. "The rest of you, gather the bodies of the fallen. We'll bury them properly."
The trainees nodded solemnly.
Some hurried toward the injured while others began carrying away the dead.
Selena also joined in, using her vines, which had become sturdier after the battle, to transport wounded trainees back toward the encampment.
Marlon remained on the battlefield for a few more seconds, silently observing the scene before deciding to leave before anyone started searching for him.
'That probably drew more attention than I wanted,' he thought with a faint grin as he headed toward the encampment.
But before he could leave completely, someone stepped into his path.
A white-haired girl.
Marlon's eyes narrowed slightly.
'Lyra... why is she blocking me?'
He recognized her immediately. He had seen her several times around the encampment before, and there was no denying she stood out.
While he was still thinking, Lyra stepped closer, her red eyes fixed on him with clear suspicion.
"Why are you hiding your face?" she asked bluntly.
Marlon stayed silent for a moment, which only made her expression grow colder.
Without warning, Lyra lunged forward and reached for the scarf covering his face.
The instant she moved, Night Instinct activated.
Marlon shifted aside smoothly, causing her hand to miss completely.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Before she could react again, Marlon caught her wrist midair.
Then he lowered his voice slightly and spoke near her ear.
"Curiosity can be dangerous."
Lyra immediately twisted her body, using her assassin reflexes to break free while attempting to throw him off balance.
But Marlon reacted faster than she expected.
He caught her hand again before calmly saying,
"Obsidian Fist. Remember the name."
Lyra froze briefly.
Not because of his grip.
But because of the confidence in his voice.
By the time she tried to move again, Marlon had already released her and stepped back.
Then, without another word, he disappeared into the crowd of trainees returning toward the encampment.
Lyra remained standing there for a few seconds, staring in the direction he vanished.
"Who was that...?" she murmured quietly.