In that moment, many of the youths had never felt prouder to be born Sanguine.
As they reached the youths, the crowd parted for them like a tide retreating before a storm. Heads lowered, and the silence was loud.
The Sanguine Clan were the coldest in the Dome, bloodthirsty men and women who wouldn't hesitate to rip anyone apart for the slightest offense.
Their public opinion was far from good. But they were feared. They were respected. They were worshipped.
Their rule in the west went unquestioned, and even the other overlords of the Dome tread carefully around them.
As the Sanguine youths walked through, countless eyes followed, especially those focused on the ones leading them, the veins.
And as the onlookers took in their regal gait and overwhelming presence, their hearts slowly sank.
"There's more than one vein," one youth whispered in dread.
"We can kiss any hope of ranking top goodbye." Another muttered,
The rumors were true. Not just one, but multiple veins were participating in this year's hunt.
It went without saying that the veins of the Sanguine Clan weren't just monsters within the clan, they were terrors to the public as well.
There hadn't been a single year where a vein's participation didn't completely skew the results. Not only did they always claim first place, but their presence in the Dark Forest made it feel like the darkness creatures weren't the only monsters to fear.
"Where's that vein, the ninth one? I heard he evolved. Is he not here?" one youth asked.
There was a brief silence, and then someone pointed. "There he is. At the far back."
All eyes shifted toward Malakai, who unlike the other veins, walked behind, matching his pace for Renlo's sake.
His cold expression and imposing gait stole the words right out of the mouths of those watching.
"I thought he was useless… What is that aura?" one youth asked, stunned.
"Do you live under a rock?" another responded, voice dropping. "News of his evolution already spread. And not just that…" his voice lowered further, "I heard he defeated the eighth vein."
Gasps followed. Eyes widened.
The chatter continued as the Sanguine youths reached the middle of the platform, where dozens of men and women stood, each radiating the aura of at least the Synergy Stage. All clad in light red armor.
'Blood Guardians,' Malakai noted.
While the veins soaked in the awe from the crowd and the hushed whispers spread, Malakai's eyes slowly swept through the platform. Planning.
'Aside from the veins, I need to identify more threats.'
There were thousands of youths gathered on the massive platform. Even for him, it was too many to assess one by one.
But Malakai had already narrowed it down.
His gaze fixed on the youths closest to the center. Only the truly strong could stand there. And aside from the Sanguine, it was the Aurelius and Glandis clan members who dominated this space.
These were the ones he focused on.
In less than a minute, his eyes locked onto two figures.
The first, a lean, athletic boy with snow white hair.
'An Aurelius,' Malakai recognized instantly.
He was surrounded by fellow clan members who stood with pride, as if guarding him. The glances they threw him were telling.
'He's their best,' Malakai concluded without hesitation.
He memorized the boy's face, then turned toward the other side where a similar scene played out, only this time, with the Glandis.
He repeated the process, then scanned the area for any remaining potential threats. But before he could continue, a member of the Blood Guardians stepped forward.
He was a Sanguine man, red haired and red eyed like the rest. His intense gaze swept across the crowd, and then, he released his aura.
It blanketed the entire platform, pressing down on the youths like a mountain. Chatter died. Whispers vanished. All eyes turned to him.
"Welcome, youths," he spoke, voice ringing loud and clear. "I believe I don't need to explain why you're here. But for the sake of the newcomers, I'll summarize briefly."
He paused. "Let's skip every useless formality and go straight to the point. You're here to hunt. It's as simple as that."
He pointed to the ground.
"Beneath us lies a land spanning hundreds of kilometers, the Dark Forest. Within it are countless darkness creatures, spawned specifically for this trial. You will all be randomly transported into different areas of the forest. Your goal is simple: kill as many darkness creatures as you can."
He paused again, his gaze sweeping the crowd.
"There are other rules. I'll leave you to figure those out yourselves."
He then raised a small, circular device, one with a single button in its center.
Malakai's eyes narrowed. 'A wide range activator.'
It wasn't just for show. Malakai's own lifeguard band, currently strapped to his arm, could only monitor vitals.
But he knew it had far more capabilities, capabilities locked behind restrictions. Only a few were granted access to those functions.
That device was the key. It could unlock those advanced functions, and transmit data instantly across long distances.
The man pressed the button.
A subtle pulse radiated out, enveloping every youth on the platform.
Then came the sharp beeping sound of countless lifeguards activating at once. And before some of the youths could even wonder what was happening, the Blood Guardian's voice rang out again.
"The rest of the rules are now in your lifeguards. Go through them, we're starting soon."
Many quickly tapped their lifeguards, searching for the information.
Malakai turned slightly and saw that Renlo was already reading.
'It's his second time,' he reminded himself. Then, he tapped on his own lifeguard, and the screen lit up.
He clicked on "Rules" without hesitation and scrolled through them in seconds.
'It's the same as usual.' Malakai's mind moved quickly, dissecting and processing the information with ease.
He broke it down into a few core points: