Moon moved like a shadow from boulder to boulder like a hunter watching its prey. The hunters ahead walked with puffed-up chests and relaxed shoulders, talking amongst themselves, completely unaware of what trailed them silently.

Moon closed the distance to roughly a hundred meters and stopped without engaging.

Five minutes later, the team found their first beast.

A large creature they stumbled upon as it fed on its prey. Once it spotted them, it began to snarl in agression, and a hint of fear.

Two of the Evolvers immediately broke from the group and charged forward while the remaining four hung back, conserving their energy.

Moon watched from behind a jutting slab of stone.

’One is a brute warrior. Heavy swings, wide stance, relies on power over technique. The other is a more sophisticated tank. Tight guard, slow movements, absorbs hits and waits for openings.’

He continued to observe as the fight played out. The beast fell within a few minutes, and the group moved on.

They encountered another beast, fighting once more as different members began rotating in while others rested.

Within fifteen minutes, Moon had identified every member’s fighting style.

The six Evolvers had two close-combat fighters — the brute and the tank. They handled the frontline, alternating between aggression and defense depending on the opponent.

Two mages — one favored fire, the other wind. Both cast from the back, their spells landing with good accuracy but nothing exceptional, mid-range power at best.

An archer — positioned furthest back, picking shots between the mages’ volleys. He had good aim, but slow draw speed, he was vulnerable if pressured at close range.

And finally, a healer. The quietest member of the group. He stayed behind everyone, staff in hand, patching wounds as they appeared. The glue that held the team together.

’The healer goes first. He’s the easiest to reach and the most important to remove.’

Moon’s eyes traced the formation one more time.

’Then the archer and the mages. Without healing and ranged support, the two melee fighters will be isolated. By the time they realize what’s happening, it will already be over.’

He settled behind the boulder and waited. The group would engage another beast soon. The moment their attention was split, he would move.

♢♢♢♢

The team engaged their next beast — a large, tusked creature that burst from a crevice in the cliff face, charging directly at the front-line.

The brute and the tank stepped forward to meet it as the two mages began to channel their mana to cast spells.

The archer drew his bowstring and the healer raised his staff, ready to heal.

When the fighting began, Moon moved, crossing the distance between them like a shadow, low to the ground, weaving between boulders with a speed that couldn’t possibly belong to a mage. The Fire and Nature spirit emerged beside him, its body flickering between flame and green light.

"Injure them. Don’t kill." Moon whispered.

The spirit veered left toward the archer. Moon went right toward the healer.

The healer didn’t see him coming until it was too late.

"Hel- UGH!"

Moon closed the gap in three strides and drove the end of his staff into the man’s stomach. The healer doubled over, the air leaving his lungs in a choked gasp. Before he could fishing his cry out, Moon struck him across the temple with the shaft.

The healer crumpled to the ground.

Fifteen meters away, the spirit reached the archer.

Before he could help the healer beside him, a vine-wrapped fist caught the man in the ribs and sent him tumbling sideways. The archer tried to raise his bow from the ground, but a burning root coiled around his wrist and yanked it away before a second strike to the chest put him down.

"Behind us! BEHIND US!" One of the mages screamed, spinning around, as he heard the commotion.

The two front line fighters heard the shout. The brute tried to disengage, but the tusked beast sensed his loss of concentration and surged forward, slamming its massive body into the tank’s shield. The tank stumbled, groaning in pain.

The brute had to turn back to keep his partner from being overrun.

"We can’t pull back! The beast is—"

"Forget the beast! There’s someone attacking from the rear!"

Both mages turned and cast simultaneously. A fireball and a wind blast streaked toward Moon from opposite angles.

Moon raised his staff, a fireball of his own left from the crystal tip and met the incoming one head-on. The collision detonated mid-air, the shockwave nullifying both spells. His free hand released a concentrated gust that collided with the wind blast before it reached him, the remnants scattering harmlessly around his body.

The two mages stared in shock.

"What the... his spells are stronger than ours?!"

"Isn’t that the new kid that...?!"

Moon didn’t give them time to regroup.

Lightning crackled from both hands and arced across the gap between them. The bolts struck both mages simultaneously. Their bodies immediately lost control, their half-formed spells fizzled and died in their palms.

While they convulsed, Moon drove his staff into the ground. The earth beneath their feet surged upward, encasing both mages’ legs in solid stone up to the knees. They were pinned in place, unable to move or dodge.

Moon stepped forward and delivered two precise strikes with his staff. One to each temple, both mages dropped, their upper bodies slumping forward against their stone restraints.

"Four down. Two left..."

Moon turned his attention towards the front line.

The brute and the tank were still fighting for their lives. The tusked beast had them pinned against a rock, its massive head swinging left and right, tusks gouging chunks from the stone each time they dodged.

"You bastard! What did you do to them?!" The brute screamed over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of his fallen teammates.

"I’ll kill you! I swear I’ll kill you!" The tank roared, barely deflecting a tusk strike with his shield.

Moon raised his hand. The Thunderclap Raiju formed in a few seconds, the wolf crackling with violent energy, and he sent it streaking toward the beast.

The wolf struck the tusked creature first, lightning detonating on impact. The beast’s legs buckled and it collapsed sideways, dead before it hit the ground.

The lightning did not dissipate, jumping to the nearest two target. The two warriors’ eyes widened in disbelief, but before they could do anything, they were seized by the blue violent lightning.