Chapter 33: Shadows in The Jungle

Mri exhaled, shaking off the exhaustion from his battle. The monstrous panther lay motionless, its red aura finally fading.

The jungle was eerily silent now. Too silent.

Something was watching him.

Mri's instincts screamed at him to move—but from where?

A rustle in the trees. A flicker of movement. Then—a presence.

> "Impressive."

A calm, chilling voice echoed through the dense jungle.

Mri turned sharply. A figure stood atop a thick branch, shrouded in the shadows of the leaves.

They were tall, draped in a black cloak, their face hidden beneath a hood. A faint, golden aura surrounded them, flickering like dying embers.

> "You handled that beast well," the figure continued, their voice smooth, almost mocking. "But this… was only the beginning."

Mri's eyes narrowed.

> "Who are you?"

The figure tilted their head.

> "Someone who's been waiting for you."

Before Mri could react— the figure vanished.

A gust of wind blew past him, rustling the jungle leaves.

Mri remained still, his fists clenched.

> That wasn't teleportation. It was something else.

Something far faster than what normal students—or even the S-Rank elites—should be capable of.

Regrouping at the Camp

By the time Mri returned to the camp, the others were already gathered.

Ayang looked up, eyes wide.

> "Mri! You're alive!"

Tanuja folded her arms.

> "Took you long enough."

Jasmine's eyes flickered toward his torn-up uniform and bruised arms.

> "You fought something, didn't you?"

Mri didn't answer immediately. He glanced at the makeshift campfire, the exhausted faces of his teammates, and the five S-Rank students from Meghalaya Academy who had joined them.

They all looked at him, waiting.

> "The monstrous panther is dead," Mri finally said.

A collective sigh of relief swept through the group.

But before anyone could celebrate—Mri's next words shattered the moment.

> "But… we have a bigger problem."

> "We're not alone in this jungle."

The fire crackled. The night felt colder.

And somewhere, in the darkness beyond their camp, unseen eyes continued watching.