Chapter 7 The first confrontation

The conference room at the base fell silent as the screen projected on the center table flickered to life. Kaito's image appeared alongside several others, their faces serious and expectant.

Mister Trey Trevor, the owner of Monster Tech and branch leader of the fifth base, leaned forward, his eyes scanning the images on the screen. "It seems we do have some promising candidates," he said, his voice smooth and confident.

A murmur of interest rippled through the room as a male voice spoke up. "What kind of ability is that?"

Mister Edward Stack, the combat-oriented university's dean, allowed a sly smile to spread across his face. "A unique ability, indeed. And one that's certainly... intriguing."

Trey Trevor's eyes narrowed as he studied the files on his console. "According to the reports, this young man has only just awakened to his ability. No prior signs of power, and yet... he's chosen to participate in the exams."

The fifth base commander's voice cut in, his tone thoughtful. "He must be confident in his abilities, to take on the exams so soon after his awakening. I, for one, am eager to see what he's capable of."

"He's either confident or foolish," the fifth base support-oriented university dean stated, her tone matter-of-fact.

The room fell silent, all eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before them.

....

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the landscape, Kaito and Miguel navigated the dense forest with caution. Kaito's keen perceptions proved invaluable, allowing them to evade the roaming monsters that lurked in the shadows.

Their trek led them to a cave, its entrance guarded by a hulking, savage boar. The servant-class monster's beady eyes locked onto the pair, its tusked mouth twisting into a snarl. With a predictable ferocity, the boar lowered its head, scattering dust and debris as it prepared to charge.

Miguel stepped aside, his eyes flicking to Kaito. "I'll leave this one to you. Be careful; that's our dinner."

Kaito's gaze never wavered from the charging boar. With a swift, economical motion, a single bandage extremity extended from his shoulder, slicing through the air with deadly precision. The bandage bit deep into the boar's skull, ending its charge instantly.

Kaito withdrew the bandage, a hint of a smile on his face. "That's one point for me, and we've got dinner taken care of."

Miguel chuckled, producing a folded leaf from his clothes. The leaf was piled high with an assortment of spices, carefully picked up along their journey. "Yeah, this ancient forest really has everything. We're set for a good meal."

....

Back in the conference room, the combat university dean leaned forward, his eyes fixed intently on the screen. "Interesting. It looks like a bandage, for sure, and yet it can easily pierce flesh and bone while remaining flexible. That's quite the ability."

The fifth base commander general nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, and it seems he can control more than one bandage extremity. His attack patterns will become very unpredictable, depending on how many extremities he can control at a time."

A spark of intrigue flashed across the commander's eyes, his interest in Kaito's abilities clearly piqued.

"You brutes, you have nothing but fighting on your mind," the support-oriented university dean said, her voice tinged with a hint of exasperation. "If you took the time to notice, you'd see that there's more to that kid than just his combat ability."

She paused, her eyes locked on the screen. "Ever since he wrapped himself in bandages, they haven't encountered a single monster. It's as if they're actively avoiding them. But they can't possibly know where every monster is, so it's some kind of perception... which also seems to be linked to Kaito's abilities, judging from the way he's leading the way."

The branch manager of Monster Tech turned his attention to another candidate. "What's interesting is that the guy from the Wassa family seems to be paying attention to him, but I guess he's already taken."

The Wassa family patriarch nodded, his expression stoic. "He is indeed a promising child."

The commandant's voice cut in, his tone solemn. "We have several talents this time around. This is a period of rapid development for humanity, and we need to nurture these talents very well."

As the screens in the center of the room projected images of various students, the audience watched with interest. A girl with plant-type combat abilities caught their attention, her powers allowing her to manipulate the ancient forest's foliage to her advantage.

Next, a young man appeared on screen, his body transforming into deadly blades as he fought with a savage technique. Monsters fell before him with ease, his abilities leaving the observers impressed.

There were several other notable students, each showcasing unique abilities that left the audience in awe. The big shots watched with keen interest, their eyes scanning the screens for potential talents.

....

Meanwhile, back in the ancient forest, night had fallen. Kaito and Miguel huddled around a roaring fire, the fragrance of roasted meat wafting through the cave and into the surrounding areas. They sat in comfortable silence, each taking turns tearing into the succulent meat.

The boar they had hunted was massive, standing over three feet tall and weighing at least 250 kilograms. Its meat would be enough to sustain them for the remainder of the exams, a welcome relief in the midst of their challenging ordeal. The only problem possibly being preservation

As Kaito and Miguel savored their roasted meat, the atmosphere outside grew increasingly treacherous. Other students were being eliminated one by one, falling prey to the monsters that roamed the ancient forest.

"The ones we encountered this morning were just the weaker sorts," Kaito said, wiping his hands clean. "And there were fewer of them compared to nighttime."

Miguel nodded in agreement, standing up and stretching his lean frame. "Those who didn't find shelter for the night will have a tough time surviving."

Kaito grinned mischievously, his eyes glinting in the firelight. "And one of the things about nighttime in this world..."

"There are more monsters," Miguel finished, his voice low and even.

As if on cue, the bandage extremities attached to Kaito's body began to quiver and wave excitedly in the air. Miguel's eyes flicked to the cave entrance, a sly smile spreading across his face.

"With the perfect bait, we can lure most of them in," Miguel said, his voice dripping with anticipation.

The lighting in the cave dimmed, as if the shadows themselves were responding to Miguel's words. Dark, swirling orbs began to coalesce around him, casting an ominous glow over the cave.

At the cave entrance, a cluster of glowing dots coalesced, drifting slowly towards Kaito and Miguel. As the dots drew closer, a limb with razor-sharp claws came into view, followed by the imposing figure of a black wolf. The beast stood an astonishing six feet tall, its eyes blazing with feral intensity. Its claws seemed capable of tearing through metal blocks with ease, like a hot knife slicing through butter.

Behind the lead wolf, a pack of smaller wolves emerged, their eyes fixed hungrily on the duo. "Mutated wolves, huh?" Kaito said, his voice tinged with excitement. "We can't fight them here; the cave is too small and congested. It'll limit our fighting space, and it might collapse. After all, this is going to be our home."

With a sudden burst of speed, Kaito dashed towards the wolves, his bandages slashing through the air. Miguel followed close behind along with the orbs of darkness around him, a grin spreading across his face. "Let's have a competition, shall we?" he called out. "Who can kill more wolves?"

"You're on!" Kaito shouted back, his bandages cutting through the air with deadly precision.

The black wolf leader and its pack, sensing the attack, turned tail and dashed out of the cave, spilling into the forest where even more wolves awaited. The night was about to become a lot more interesting.

Miguel chuckled nervously as he stepped out of the cave, his eyes scanning the sea of wolves before them. "Wow, so many of them, eh?"

With a swift motion, the orbs of darkness surrounding Miguel shot towards the wolves, unleashing a devastating explosion of dark energy. The impact sent the wolves flying, their bodies battered and bruised, but the damage was surprisingly limited. The wolves quickly regained their footing, their eyes blazing with fury.

The massive wolf, seemingly the pack's leader, let out a thunderous call,

Howl!!!

and the wolves spread out, surrounding Kaito and Miguel. "Shit, that big wolf knows how to use tactics," Miguel muttered.

Kaito's expression remained calm, his eyes gleaming with confidence. "It only makes things a little more difficult, not impossible."

As he spoke, several bandage extremities erupted from his body, waving wildly in the air. A dark hue fell over Miguel, and he slowly sank into the ground, dissolving into the shadows.

Miguel reappeared outside the settlement, rising from the ground with seven balls of darkness hovering around him. The orbs were a shade darker than before, and they seemed to be targeting the wolves at the back.

With unerring accuracy, the herbs struck the wolves on the head, exploding into balls of dark energy. The impact was gruesome, causing the wolves' heads to burst as their flesh turned black. The wolves crumpled to the ground, dead.

Howl!!!

The leader wolf's eyes blazed with anger, and some of the pack attacked Miguel, who dissolved into the ground once more. The remaining wolves turned on Kaito, who responded by sending several bandages slicing through the air. The bandages easily pierced the wolves' bodies, but unlike the boar earlier, the wolves' corpses shriveled up like empty husks.

As Kaito felt the energy flow through the bandages into his body, he was overcome with a warm, comfortable sensation. It was a feeling he had never experienced before, not even when he had first discovered his abilities. His body felt lighter, as if he were floating on air.

Lost in the euphoria of the moment, Kaito failed to notice a wolf sneaking up on him. It was only when Miguel's voice echoed through the forest that Kaito snapped back to reality. He turned to see the wolf mere inches from his face, its jaws wide open. Two bandage extremities shot out, piercing the wolf's skull and ending its attack.

The big wolf, sensing Kaito's distraction, finally made its move. With a burst of speed that left a trail of wind in its wake, the wolf lunged at Kaito. Its claws sliced through the air, sending blades of wind hurtling towards him. The wind blades struck Kaito with incredible force, sending him flying into the nearby trees. The impact was tremendous, causing the tree to splinter and break at its center. The tree crashed to the ground, raising a massive cloud of dust.