The Silvaran bear stood there, so tightly entwined in vines that his original form was barely recognizable. The massive limbs, once clearly shaped and powerful, disappeared beneath a weave of living green that had settled over his body like a strange, overgrown garment.
Even his face was almost completely covered. The vines stretched across his features, covering his brow and cheeks, making the enormous creature appear as though it wore a roughly grown helmet of plants and thorns.
But there was one thing they could not conceal.
His gaze.
Between the vines it still burned, filled with a raw, untamed fury that could not be hidden. Even the rampant greenery could not smother that fire.
Then the strike came.
The enormous paw shot toward Darek and the group, faster than a body of that size should have been able to move. The sheer pressure of its passing shattered the nearby cave wall. Stone burst apart as if it had been molded from brittle clay, while the full brutal force of an adult Silvaran bear in complete symbiosis was unleashed.
In the next instant, the blow landed.
The entire cave trembled beneath the impact.
A dull, earth-shaking boom rolled through the rock. The shockwave spread through the ground like an invisible tide, racing through the tunnels of the city until even the farthest corridors were filled with the tremendous crash.
Dust shot into the air.
Within a heartbeat, sight was swallowed by a dense cloud. Fine particles whirled through the cavern, settling on skin and clothing, making it impossible to see even a few steps ahead.
The group stood in blind gray.
Darek slowly looked down at himself.
His chest rose and fell heavily, as if his body first had to understand that he was still breathing.
"I… I'm still alive?"
His voice sounded quieter than he had expected, almost disbelieving, as though even he himself was not fully convinced by what had just happened.
Slowly, the dust began to settle.
Shapes reappeared through the gray veil. At first indistinct, then the figures of the others became visible. Darek looked into their faces and recognized the same thought that had risen within him.
We're still alive.
As the view cleared further, it also became visible why.
Exactly where the bear's paw had struck, someone was standing.
The figure could only be seen from the back. Yet that sight alone was enough to freeze the blood in one's veins.
In that moment he even towered over the Silvaran bear, who in his position could not even stand upright. His figure must have measured nearly three and a half meters.
His armor was not forged.
It had grown.
Chalk-white like bleached bark, threaded with smooth, bone-like structures and overlapping layers that resembled thick petals or the bark of a centuries-old tree. Nothing about him looked artificial.
Everything followed the logic of the forest.
From his shoulders, elbows, knees, and wrists protruded long, curved thorns, like oversized rose thorns made of hardened ivory wood. They looked organic, slightly twisted, as if they were still growing.
Fine cracks ran through the white armor. Within them glowed a cold, faint light, as though living sap flowed beneath the surface. Root-like veins stretched across the plates while twisted vines coiled around his neck and torso. Moss and pale lichen clung to the edges.
The helmet had no face.
Only a narrow vertical slit from which a cold forest-light shone.
He stood there like a rock in a storm, unmoving and unshaken, as though the force of the Silvaran bear had not even touched him.
The enormous paw of the monster rested in his right hand, firmly enclosed by his fingers, as if he had simply caught it mid-flight.
Despite the immense power contained in that strike, his posture remained calm.
Almost relaxed.
And the way he held the giant paw made it seem almost effortless, as though the raw violence of a fully symbiotic Silvaran bear had been nothing more than a brief grab at empty air.
The first reflex Darek felt was neither to fight nor to flee.
It was the overwhelming urge to bow.
No—more than that.
He felt as if he should kneel before this figure.
That was exactly what the third leader did.
He still stood at the edge of the arena, but in the next moment he sank to one knee. The arena, which had previously been filled with voices, tension, and expectation, now lay almost deserted. The spectators had long since fled.
Only Darek's group, the Silvaran bear, and the third leader remained.
And the man who had stopped the bear's strike.
With lowered head, the third leader spoke solemnly, though beneath his voice lay an undertone of disbelief and fear that he could hardly hide.
"The third leader greets the Deputy Commander of the Vanquisher Unit. How may I assist you?"
Darek blinked.
Vanquisher Unit. So he is one of them.
The man took a brief moment before answering. His posture remained completely calm, as if the enormous paw of the Silvaran bear that he still held had never been a threat.
"Assist?" His voice was calm, but edged with cutting sharpness.
"The only one who seems to need assistance here is you."
Slowly, he released the bear's paw.
"One more strike and nothing of this cave would have remained."
His gaze wandered across the arena.
"Perhaps this place means nothing to you. But every one of us adult Silvarans once stood right here and took our trial."
His voice grew colder.
"You have conducted neither a proper trial, nor does anything here seem to be under control."
The Deputy Commander of the Vanquisher Unit fully released the bear's paw and turned toward him.
The Silvaran bear slowly withdrew. Reluctantly, the vines slid from his body, as though the creature obeyed the command only with great reluctance.
Seraphis had meanwhile regenerated with the help of the pillow. The snake slithered silently back toward the group, who now stood facing the slowly calming bear.
The arena was barely recognizable.
Parts of the walls had been torn open. Stones lay shattered across the ground, and everywhere the churned sand testified to the violence of the battle.
The man let his gaze pass across the battlefield, examining the group, the bear, and the chaos around them.
Then he spoke.
"So. What exactly is going on here?"
His gaze remained on the devastated arena.
"This clearly exceeds the scope of a simple trial of courage."
The third leader swallowed. He was still kneeling.
His voice trembled slightly as he answered.
"I had everything under control, sir. I am not a hunter without reason."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The air seemed to grow heavier.
The Deputy Commander of the Vanquisher Unit slowly stepped forward. Step by step he moved toward the kneeling third leader of the Hunter Order. With each movement, the tension in the air seemed to increase, as though the surroundings themselves reacted to his presence.
A flickering veil passed through the air around him.
His voice became quiet.
Dangerously calm.
"Are you denying my statement?"
His gaze lowered to the kneeling man.
Then he added coldly,
"And do not speak of being a hunter while you are prey."
A short moment of silence followed.
"Instead, tell me how this came to happen."
The third leader was now visibly trembling.
"So… in short…" His voice faltered.
"I requested a qualification and carried it out myself before the guest Darek was allowed to take the trial. He passed."
He swallowed.
"Then the actual test began."
His gaze briefly moved toward the Silvaran bear.
"And he… was disrespectful toward the Silvaran bear."
The Deputy Commander of the Vanquisher Order slowly stretched out his arms.
At that same moment something stirred beneath the stone walls of the arena.
A tremor ran through the rock, faint at first, then clearer. Beneath their feet the sand-covered ground itself began to move, as if something alive were awakening beneath the surface.
They slid beneath the stone, probing through rock and soil as if searching for something. Their movements seemed almost curious, almost listening, as if the man were questioning the cave itself, letting the place tell him what had happened here.
One breath later everything became still.
The movement ceased as suddenly as it had begun.
The Vanquisher slowly let his gaze travel across the arena.
Finally, it settled on Pow-Pow.
At his height, one inevitably had the feeling that he was looking down on everyone, even when he barely moved.
His eyes could not be seen behind the helmet.
Yet it was unmistakable.
In the silence of the arena and the calm, unmoving posture of his body lay an unmistakable expectation.
He demanded an explanation.
And it was directed at Pow-Pow.
After several seconds of silent eye contact, Pow-Pow merely shrugged.
"Caught. I guess I just had a little fun."
Darek slowly turned toward him. Even Iris looked at him, and in their faces lay the same expression of disbelief.
For a moment no one said anything.
Silence spread across the arena.
Even the third leader and the Silvaran bear stared at Pow-Pow with wide eyes. That he had somehow been behind it had always been clear to the group. But speaking so casually to someone who had effortlessly stopped the strike of a Silvaran bear felt almost like signing one's own death sentence.
They had all seen how this man reacted when the third leader had contradicted him.
The silence continued.
Then suddenly a deep, thunderous laugh burst from the Vanquisher's helmet.
"Wha, wha, wha, whaa!"
His laughter echoed through the ruined arena.
"I admire your sense of humor, little one. And apparently you have courage as well."
Slowly his laughter faded.
All at once the atmosphere in the arena changed. The oppressive tension that had filled the air only moments ago noticeably dissolved, and the group instinctively breathed easier.
"As long as you're honest and direct with me, you usually avoid death."
His voice now sounded almost relaxed.
"You and your friend should simply take the trial together next time, as brave as you are."
"I believe you misunderstand something," the third leader of the Hunter Order continued. "Darek has already passed the trial."
The Vanquisher froze.
The change came just as suddenly as before, but this time something else lay in his posture. His face remained hidden behind the helmet, yet the mood around him had clearly shifted.
His voice now sounded slower, more probing.
"One of us? An adult Silvaran? A brother?"
The Vanquisher turned his head toward the Silvaran bear.
The bear nodded.
For a moment the Vanquisher said nothing.
Then an incredulous laugh escaped him.
"A new brother. As long as I can remember, we have not gained a single new member."
His laughter grew louder.
"Wha, wha, wha! First I meet such a brave little bear, and now also a new brother. What a fantastic day."
The laughter slowly faded.
The mood suddenly turned serious again.
"Nevertheless, I cannot allow one of my brothers to be insulted. And even less that someone causes such chaos and wastes my time."
Darek swallowed.
What kind of mood swings does this man have? What is wrong with him?
The Vanquisher turned his gaze toward Pow-Pow.
"Since this little bear was honest and is also a companion of our new brother, I will be merciful."
He paused briefly.
"Prove your courage, little bear."
His voice remained calm.
"Take the trial of courage and become our brother, and your punishment will be forgiven."
For a moment no one spoke.
The words hung heavily in the air of the shattered arena.
Everyone present was visibly shocked. No one could comprehend the ease with which he had made that decision. It almost sounded as though the idea had come to him only that very moment.
Yet in his voice it had sounded like a command.
"I will personally oversee the trial," he said calmly. "As Deputy Commander of the Vanquisher Order, I have more than enough authority for that."
He paused briefly.
"Honestly, it would almost be excessive to appoint myself as the examiner."
His voice became slightly thoughtful.
"But I already have an idea."
His gaze suddenly shifted toward Darek.
For a moment their eyes met, and Darek could have sworn he saw a grin flash beneath the helmet.
"With an adult Silvaran at his side, however, it should be fair enough."