"The Unleashed Battle: Eldric vs Grendar"

As Grendar's voice reached his ears, Kuber found himself rooted to the spot.

"What's he want now? Did he figure out I'm not Eldric?" Kuber's mind raced, his face betraying his worry.

"What's up?" Kuber faced Grendar, his expression tense.

"You didn't clue me in on the password. You seriously planning to just bail on me?" Grendar's narrowed gaze smoldered with frustration.

"Password? What the heck?" Surprise widened Kuber's eyes.

"I thought this world was supposed to be all fantasy-themed. Why all this complexity?" Kuber's features twisted in a mix of annoyance and disbelief.

"It's just my name spelled backwards," Kuber retorted confidently, his posture stiff.

"By the way, I wonder how long your endurance will last as a famished man," Kuber added with a calm, collected look on his face.

Grendar's confusion was evident as he scratched his temple. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Kuber's response was swift as he made his way out of the base. "Forget it," he waved off hurriedly.

With the password and credit coin now in his possession, Grendar saw no reason to halt him for any purpose.

"You, grab the credit tablet from the counter," Grendar instructed the female minotaur seated next to him, a gleeful grin on his face.

Without wasting a moment, the female minotaur fetched the credit tablet and presented it to Grendar.

"Ha! Perfect! Finally, these credits are gonna be mine. Eldric really takes the cake for cluelessness," Grendar burst into hearty laughter, a bemused expression dancing on his features.

Without any further delay, he centered the coin on the tablet, causing a screen to materialize right in front of him. With a triumphant grin, he keyed in the password Kuber had passed on.

—————

[The password is incorrect! Please try again.]

—————

"Huh? What's this supposed to mean?" Grendar repeated the password time and again. Yet, every attempt yielded the same unyielding response.

"Why, you!" Fury consumed Grendar as he relentlessly pounded the table, shattering it to pieces.

"Someday, Eldric, I swear I'll end you!" Grendar's roar reverberated with rage, though fortune favored him as Kuber had already escaped his grasp.

Meanwhile, in an alley not far from the Shadowfang Syndicate's stronghold...

"That was a real close shave..." Kuber mumbled to himself, his breath labored from the sprint. Alone in the secluded alley, he deactivated the mirrorshift brooch, his true form re-emerging.

Step, step!

As Kuber tried to catch his breath, the sound of an approaching crowd reached his ears, their hurried footsteps echoing through the alley.

"What's going on now? Have they arrived?" Curiosity piqued, Kuber cautiously peered out of the alley.

A group of around 16 to 17 soldiers galloped towards the base on horseback, led by none other than Eldric himself. Following them was a sizable crowd of young onlookers who, while lacking any military bearing, seemed eager to witness some kind of spectacle.

"Huh, sooner than I thought. That little girl really did her part," Kuber remarked with a smile, observing the approaching throng.

As soon as the soldiers had passed the alley and the group of youngsters had reached the alley's exit, Kuber discreetly merged into the crowd, seamlessly blending in without anyone noticing.

"Mind filling me in on what's happening?" Kuber inquired of a young person running beside him, trailing the soldiers.

"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. The squad leader rallied the garrison today, so we figured there might be some kind of entertaining show in store," the youngster answered between breaths, his panting revealing the exertion of their sprint.

'So, these folks are basically just a bunch of jobless thrill-seekers chasing after the soldiers for some entertainment. How ridiculous. Well, I can't say much since I'm doing the same thing,' Kuber thought, an annoyed expression playing on his face.

After a brisk run, they finally arrived at the base's entrance.

"Three of you stay here, blocking any escape routes. Everyone else, follow me," Eldric commanded his comrades, his expression resolute.

He led the remaining soldiers into the base without delay. As they entered, the faint clamor of metal meeting metal echoed from within, but Kuber's focus was diverted elsewhere.

His attention fixed on the horse Eldric had ridden in on—a creature akin to the one he had seen near the Merchant Association building.

This horse was covered in ebony scales, with a subtle yellow luminescence in its eyes.

"Hey, buddy! Any idea what that horse-like thing is?" Kuber inquired of another bystander who had come for the spectacle.

"Oh, that creature... it's an evolved breed. Can't really say which breed though," the stranger replied, giving a casual shrug.

"An evolved breed for a horse, huh! Who would've thought?" Kuber mused aloud, rubbing his chin as he got lost in thought.

As per what he had gathered from the introductory book, evolution in this world required the consumption of a rare item called the "Evolution Stone." These stones, mostly controlled by the Merchant Association, were incredibly scarce. Every race possessed its own unique "Evolution Stone." Therefore, the rarer the race, the more elusive the corresponding stone. This reality explained the prolonged absence of any successful ascension to higher races, particularly among the rare Aasimar, Fallen Angels, or Vampires.

While Kuber ruminated, the fierce battle between Grendar and Eldric intensified. Grendar's massive axe cleaved through the air, aimed squarely at Eldric, who countered with his auraspear. Despite Eldric's higher level, Grendar's immense strength pushed him back relentlessly. With a powerful sweep of his axe, Grendar sent Eldric hurtling outside the base, crashing into a derelict building across the street.

Emerging from the base, Grendar strode forth with his axe slung casually over his shoulder, his chest inflated with pride. His weapon's edge bore the mark of the battle, stained with the blood of Eldric's subordinates. A slight gash adorned his forehead, oozing a trickle of blood.

"You deceitful liar! You promised to fork over all your credits if you lost. Instead, you not only broke your word but also dared to invade my territory," Grendar retorted, his face contorted with furious rage. The sense of betrayal burned within him, fueling his unrestrained anger.

"What nonsense are you spewing, especially after you swiped my credits and sent me a warning?" Eldric's voice boomed, his tone a mixture of anger and disbelief.

Without hesitation, Eldric's body underwent a dramatic transformation, shifting into a fearsome werewolf in the throes of a furious frenzy. His attire rent asunder as his form grew in size, a slate-gray fur spreading across his skin and his eyes turning an eerie, milky white. Amidst the howls of agony, he continued to expand in stature.

Yet, Grendar, no matter how thick-headed, wasn't about to stand by and allow Eldric to complete his transformation. Impatience gnawing at him, Grendar lunged forward with unwavering determination. His mighty axe arced upward as he aimed to cleave Eldric in twain.

However, as Grendar lunged forward, he found himself confronting a completed transformation in Eldric. The werewolf form stood tall on its hind legs, its claws and fangs elongated into more fearsome instruments, its entire being expanded to an imposing 9-foot stature. Yet, even in this altered state, Eldric remained dwarfed in comparison to the towering presence of Grendar.