Legacy

"Perception is one of the most important qualities in battle."

"Have you truly mastered your perception?" Kin's voice seemed to come from above, but in the next moment, he was right behind Adam.

Before Adam could react, he was sent flying, his body rolling across the ground and crashing into a tree. The scent of blood filled the air, making Adam's primal instincts even more volatile.

Three claw marks appeared on his back, blood seeping through his white fur. The wounds wriggled as they began to heal, and Adam knew from experience that they would scab over by morning.

But now was not the time to think about that. He had extended his perception fully, yet only sensed Kin's approach at the last moment, too late to dodge.

"You need to learn to prioritize..." Kin's voice trailed off as he appeared behind Adam again, claws gleaming.

This time, however, Adam spun around, launching a kick with his sharp, elongated claws aiming to tear Kin apart.

Kin bent his body like a bow, narrowly avoiding Adam's kick, then rebounded like a spring, delivering a devastating uppercut to Adam's abdomen, his claws plunging in without hesitation.

He grabbed Adam by the waist, using him like a punching bag, and hurled him against another tree. "Your twisting motion is too obvious," Kin critiqued. "And you're using too much force."

Kin leaned forward, watching Adam struggle to rise. "I have high hopes for you, but if you disappoint me, I will kill you."

"From now on, I won't hold back," Kin declared, his claws flicking off Adam's blood as he advanced.

Just then, Adam stood up, clasping his hands together and driving his elbow into the tree behind him. The already weakened tree trunk snapped, falling towards Adam and enveloping Kin in its branches.

Adam rolled away, his white fur now stained with dirt and leaves. Normally fastidious, he had no time to care about cleanliness.

Kin emerged from the fallen branches, his wolf ears twitching as he looked up.

Adam, perched high in the tree, launched himself with a flying elbow aimed at Kin. The tree bark crumbled under his feet as he leaped.

Kin ducked low, his agile body moving like a leaping antelope, evading Adam's elbow and brushing past him.

Kin's muscles rippled as he raised his arms and brought them down in a powerful blow, striking Adam's back. The impact drove Adam's abdomen into Kin's knee, blood spurting from Adam's mouth as his eyes bulged and he crumpled to the ground.

Kin, however, paused, noticing a branch embedded in his abdomen. He stood up, pulled out the branch, and tossed it aside, his wound quickly healing.

"Using the tree as cover to snap off a branch and hide it for a surprise attack—good tactics, but not enough strength."

Adam wobbled to his feet, momentarily thinking his spine might be broken. But werewolves were sturdier than he had imagined. Seeing Kin move, Adam pushed through the pain and prepared to fight.

With the thrill of battle and injury, the agitation of his bloodline seemed less impactful, and more images flooded Adam's mind—scenes of werewolves fighting.

Instinctively, Adam dodged to the side as a stone whizzed past, embedding itself in a tree behind him.

Kin's toe twitched, and he grinned at Adam, disappearing behind a tree.

Adam looked up, spotting shadows flitting between the branches before vanishing. Kin had disappeared from his perception again.

Standing still, Adam poised himself, ready to unleash explosive power at any moment. In his mind, battle scenes continued, and he instinctively absorbed them, his body moving in response.

He leaped back as a pine cone shattered the ground where he'd stood, his claws digging into a tree trunk. He used the momentum to leap higher, avoiding another pine cone, then swung himself towards the source of the attack.

In mid-air, Adam focused, swiping at the pine cone with a precise strike, breaking it into pieces. He ignored the pain in his fingers and continued his assault, aiming for Kin's heart.

They collided, rolling to the ground, with Adam's claws finding their mark beneath Kin's ribs.

But Kin twisted, trapping Adam's hand, and grabbed Adam's head, his claws poised to strike.

Adam kicked Kin's abdomen, breaking free and rolling away, while Kin's claws left deep gashes on Adam's face.

Kin stood, unfazed by the stone Adam had embedded in his wound, and pulled it out, tossing it aside as his wound healed.

"You've got some tricks," Kin admitted, his wound healing faster than Adam's.

Adam crouched, eyes locked on Kin. Kin threw another stone, and Adam vanished, dodging it and closing the distance in an instant.

Adam's punch aimed for Kin's heart, but Kin caught it, delivering a hand chop to Adam's neck.

Adam's hand blocked, but the impact drove Kin's hand into his jaw. Adam stumbled back, while Kin's hand went numb from the poison-tipped thorn Adam had embedded in it.

Laughing through the pain, Adam launched another attack, his determination pressing down on Kin like a heavy stone.

"Finally, some progress!" Kin's black smoke billowed as he met Adam's charge head-on.