Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Going All out It was common knowledge that if a human D-Rank and a beast D-Rank faced each other, the beast would win seventy percent of the time.
Monsters were stronger than humans in almost every way.
This was why most hunting groups sent two or three E-Rank hunters together—or a low D-Rank among them—to bring down an E-Rank monster.
Numbers mattered. So did tactics. Even with a D-Rank on the team, the fight could easily go wrong.
The gap wasn’t just biology, though monsters did have an edge there.
Their muscles were denser, their bodies more durable. But it was also the way they fought.
Monsters always attacked with pure killing intent. Relentless. Without hesitation.
Humans fought to survive. Monsters fought to kill.
That difference alone made survival a brutal challenge.
It was one of the reasons why technique mattered so much. Monsters lacked it. Their movements were instinctual, wild, sometimes predictable if you knew what to look for.
At the moment, Nia was facing a D-Rank wolf that wasn’t just angry—it was stronger than her.
And it didn’t take long for that gap to show.
Nia ducked another swipe, feeling the wind of its claws pass just inches from her face.
She struck back, slamming her elbow into the wolf’s ribs. It growled and stumbled but didn’t fall.
She gritted her teeth.
It could take her hits without slowing down.
But when the wolf landed even a glancing blow, she felt it rattle her bones.
𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦 The fight was shifting.
Every move she made was sharper now, every dodge closer. She couldn’t afford mistakes.
Her body was getting heavier with every missed chance, and the wolf was starting to press harder, sensing her slipping.
The air crackled with tension.
Nia shifted her stance, breathing out slowly through her nose.
She wasn’t going to let it end like this.
Her fists tightened. She moved faster, weaving in close, striking where the fur was thinnest.
She slammed an open palm under its jaw, making its head snap back. She dove underneath its counterattack, slamming a knee into its gut.
And this time, Rhian noticed it.
Gold sparks scattered off the point of impact—lightning.
The wolf twitched mid-snarl, its body shuddering for just a split second. It was stunned. Not long, but long enough.
Rhian blinked, caught off guard. That wasn’t just a strong hit. That was something else.
’That was her ability...? She’s a lightning-type?’
It hit him harder than expected. She’d never used it before, even when they fought the E-Rank burrower queen.
But here, under pressure, it was showing.
Even so, the gap in power didn’t disappear.
The wolf shook off the stun, snarling louder than before. It moved again, faster this time.
Its next strike forced Nia to throw herself into a full roll just to avoid getting shredded.
She slipped to the side, letting the claws miss by inches.
Her hits hurt it. They stunned it. But they didn’t break it.
It was her technique and grit against raw D-Rank muscle.
And brute force was slowly winning.
Rhian stepped forward, heart tightening at the sight. She was losing ground. Her movements were slowing, her dodges getting narrower.
He had always known she was strong, and that she was holding back when ever they fought, but at this moment she was going all out and she was losing.
So right now, even her real strength might not be enough.
"Nia, I’m comi—" he started.
But her voice cut through the air, fierce and sharp.
"No! This is my fight! Don’t join!"
Rhian froze. His fists clenched, but he didn’t move. Nia wasn’t reckless. If she hadn’t asked for help, it meant she still had something planned.
The wolf growled low, circling her with deliberate steps. Its yellow eyes locked on her, and its claws left deep tracks in the dirt. It moved like it already knew it had won.
Then her skin lit up.
Gold light flashed beneath the surface, spreading fast along her arms and across her collarbones.
Her veins glowed faintly. Sparks snapped off her skin in soft pulses. Rhian’s eyes widened.
He had never seen her like this before—not when they fought the burrower queen, not even during their sparring matches. That lightning wasn’t just show. It was part of her.
The wolf lunged.
Nia met it head-on. Her fist collided with its muzzle, and the gold sparks burst into a crackling flash.
The wolf yelped in pain, dazed, and stumbled back. She pressed forward, a second blow catching it under the jaw. Another hit followed—clean to its ribs, the shock flaring again.
It matched her strength. Blow for blow.
For a moment, it looked like she could win.
The wolf shook itself violently and leapt again, snapping its jaws toward her arm. Nia twisted her body and struck its side.
The crackling contact sent another jolt through it, making its muscles lock.
But her movements were slowing.
Rhian noticed it immediately. Her steps lost some sharpness. Her stance faltered.
When she dodged the next swipe, her foot slipped in the dirt, and she had to recover with a wide swing to keep her balance.
The golden glow vanished. Just like that, it was gone.
The wolf didn’t hesitate. It charged again, sensing the drop in her defense.
Rhian’s heart kicked. He moved.
Shadows snaked along the ground under the wolf. Its legs twitched as its footing suddenly fought against it. The beast slowed—but only slightly.
It didn’t stop.
Rhian’s wings tore out from his back. He bolted forward.
He grabbed Nia in one smooth motion and dove aside. The wolf’s claws passed through where she had stood a second before.
They hit the dirt. Rhian rolled and shielded her with his body. The wolf slid to a stop, eyeing his wings warily.
Then it turned and ran.
Rhian sat up, breathing hard. His arms were still around her. She looked at him, silent.
Then she shoved him. Hard.
"You idiot!" she snapped. "I told you not to interfere!"
Rhian blinked, stunned. "You were about to die!"
"I had it!" she snapped. "You don’t get to decide when I lose!"
He opened his mouth, closed it, then rubbed his forehead. "You’re welcome, by the way."
"I didn’t ask!" Nia shot back, arms crossed, face burning red with frustration.
She paced away from him, muttering under her tired breath, furious but also clearly rattled.
Rhian watched her for a moment, then sighed and looked toward the forest where the wolf had disappeared.
He hadn’t regretted saving her.
Not for a second.
But it seemed like surviving wasn’t going to be the hardest part of today.
Rhian took a step toward her, lifting a hand slightly. "Nia, listen—"
"I don’t need help," she snapped, not even looking at him. "I had it."
He lowered his hand, watching her shoulders tense.
"I’m not useless," she added, quieter this time, but the bite in her voice was still there. "I don’t need anyone saving me."
Rhian stayed still for a few seconds, then nodded slowly. He didn’t argue. There was no point. She wasn’t in a place to hear him right now.
He stepped back, giving her the space she clearly wanted.
For a moment, he just stood there, unsure if he should say anything else. But the distance between them already felt heavier than before.
He sighed and glanced around. They needed to find the others. That was more important right now.
He shook his head, trying to push the confusion away. He didn’t understand why she reacted like that.
Nia wasn’t a short-tempered person. Every time he had seen her fight before, she stayed calm, almost annoyingly so.
But what did he know? They hadn’t even known each other that long.
A month at most. It wasn’t enough time to understand everything about someone.
He shrugged, brushing the thought off. His wings shifted behind him, feathers flexing instinctively. Without thinking, he willed them to retract.
They responded immediately, folding into his back and disappearing cleanly under his skin.
He blinked, then smiled a little.
At least there was something going right.
He rolled his shoulders once, feeling lighter, and began walking, keeping his eyes sharp for any sign of the rest of their group.
If nothing else, he figured, some distance might help them both cool off.