Yuder looked down at the unconscious men whose heads alone protruded from the ground. As per Kishiar's orders, he had dealt with these men harshly and buried them partially in the ground. The sight wasn't particularly pleasing; it made his eyes sore and filled him with fatigue.

"Still, there was something to gain from these men."

These were the same rogues who had fled the second phase of the tests as soon as they heard that Yuder had sent Seeker away. Quick on the uptake, they had a good deal of information about their client and the situation at hand.

According to them, not everyone who had gathered there had initially come to take the recruitment test with Yuder as their target. Most were mercenaries who had decided to quit their jobs and aim for admission to the Cavalry purely on merit. Up to that point, they had no intention of getting involved in anything like this.

However, once they applied, they realized there was intense competition, and their rough background as mercenaries did them no favors. Who wouldn't prefer applicants with a cleaner record and a better family background? News that even nobles with awakened abilities were applying to the Cavalry fueled their anxiety and disillusionment.

It was at this time of unease that a servant of the 'client' approached them in the taverns and lodgings frequented by mercenaries. The client was a noble in the capital who claimed he needed inside information from the Cavalry and wanted to help them pass the tests.

‘So these are the men who took that offer.’

The client assisted the mercenaries by erasing their pasts and even writing their applications for them. For a while, everything seemed to be going smoothly as they passed the first phase of the tests.

But that was short-lived. Yuder began his culling process, starting with Seeker, and the path to passing the second phase became increasingly narrow for them. Those who failed or fled were given a new mission by the client.

The mission was to track down or kill Yuder Aile, the rising star and emerging hero of the Cavalry, who was discovered to be in the West.

Up until that point, the mercenaries thought they were the only ones who had taken the job. But upon accepting the second mission, they were shocked to learn that there were others like them.

Someone introduced by the client, whom he called the "sage," taught them how to fight against Yuder, who was strong enough to take on a monster the size of a house on his own.

The sage knew quite a lot about Yuder's abilities, including his skill in swordsmanship and his power to harness the forces of nature. He told them, "Among you, there are those who may be weak in combat but excel in tracking. Since he successfully infiltrated the second phase test site and used his abilities, follow Yuder Aile when he leaves the West. You may each be weaker than him, but there's strength in numbers. Even a mouse can beat a lion if it has help. And so…"

Despite not knowing his face or name, they felt a deep sense of trust in his words. The 18 mercenaries decided to focus their efforts on harming Yuder rather than regretting the Cavalry tests they had already failed.

They revealed that the client who had directly approached them was Baron Renbow. Yuder had previously heard this name thanks to Eldore siblings and Gakane when they had searched the sage's dwelling.

‘A noble who frequents the sage's dwelling and doesn't hesitate to offer support. Given how closely he's involved with the sage, and his behavior… he must have been brainwashed by now.’

The sage was aware of Yuder's abilities because he had heard from the Awakeners belonging to the Star of Nagran, both in the East and the West, who had previously witnessed Yuder's prowess. Yuder had often wondered how different the sage was from Nahan, and today, he felt that he could draw a conclusion.

‘He doesn't share the same beliefs as Nahan. But he's certainly not a pacifist either.’

While Nahan may be crazy, he would not have used other Awakeners to attack him first in such a situation. Nahan's primary target had always been the detestable non-awakener nobles.

Would the Star of Nagran know that the sage, whom everyone hailed as virtuous, had lent his voice to the plans to first harm Yuder Aile for the sake of Duke Diarca? A cold smirk surfaced in Yuder's eyes.

‘If it were me, the real heavy hitters would be prepped in the South. This would merely be a test using Renbow as bait. He probably got curious when he unexpectedly heard about my presence and wanted to prod me a little. Otherwise, he wouldn't have used mercenaries, who are expendable.’

The audacity to proceed hinged on the belief that, even if this plan failed, Yuder and his troop would not have fully grasped the true identities of the sage and Renbow.

‘Unfortunately for you, we already know about you.’

One of the men captured by Yuder mentioned that, before losing consciousness completely, the sage had left behind a few Awakeners and whispered something further. They had been excluded from that information, so he would have to find someone else who knew. Such was the hastiness of their alliance; they barely even remembered each other's names and details.

‘Whatever he whispered to just a few, whether it's about me or other information, I'll have to find out.’

It was becoming increasingly difficult to sense the remaining men, as if they were wrapping things up. It was so quiet that not even the sound of an ant could be heard.

Kishiar and Nathan Zuckerman must be somewhere nearby, but their absence of presence was remarkable in its own way. Yuder momentarily set aside the fact that he himself was also one of those without a traceable presence and sank into thought.

‘If they're hard to find, the best method would be to use bait from our side to draw them out, but…’

Kishiar had explicitly told Yuder not to use himself as bait. So Yuder quickly relinquished the idea.

What could he do? If Kishiar preferred another route, then that was the only way to go.

‘... If only the heat period wasn't approaching.’

The reason for Kishiar's opposition flashed across his mind, and a deep sigh involuntarily escaped him. When he inhaled again, Yuder suddenly sensed a slightly unfamiliar yet faint scent. It was similar to the sour smell wafting from an old barrel of wine.

Could this foul scent possibly be his? Doubting, he brought his wrist up to his nose. Just then, rustling sounds came from behind him.

"Uh... Haah... Haah... Found you..."

A mercenary, injured all over, mumbled as he glared at Yuder.

"You're the monster of the Cavalry, an Omega... You're the one with the female scent... Yes... You're the only one... I found you first!"

The moment the man opened his mouth, Yuder smelled an unmistakably pungent and sour odor. It was the same scent he had just smelled. A rough, intense aroma was emanating from the man in waves.

‘Alpha Awakener.’

The moment he recognized its identity, he furrowed his brows.

"I know. You're in heat, aren't you? No matter how much you try to hide it, this scent... it's impossible to conceal. I have a keen nose... I'm indeed lucky!"

Thud.

A pulsating sensation, as if his entire body was being struck, resonated. Suddenly, a scent burst forth from Yuder's body.

‘What the…’

The scent, which seemed to want to push away an unwelcome intruder immediately, ignored its owner's will and aggressively clashed with the opposing scent. Yuder quickly tried to suppress it, but it refused to obey.

He felt a sudden dizziness, as if all his strength was being drained. The scent, which he hadn't even been aware of until now, seemed to be emanating from every pore in his body.

The rising heat, cold sweat, and an invisible chill enveloped him. Yuder's sword fell from his hand. He leaned against a nearby tree, gasping for breath.

"Ugh..."

Simultaneously, the wounded mercenary who had been staggering towards Yuder collapsed to the ground, his face a picture of surprise.

His scent had become much stronger than before, but it was too weak and limited in range to counter Yuder's. The man's eyes rolled back, and blood vessels burst, turning them bright red. His pants began to dampen, and a pungent odor, different from urine, wafted from the liquid.

Yuder knew what it was.

It was the thick and abundant seminal fluid that an Alpha, upon encountering an Omega in heat, would release much more than usual.

The repulsive sour scent mixed with the acrid smell of the fluid assaulted Yuder. He reflexively tried to summon the power of the wind to dispel it.

"..."

But only a faint breeze stirred. Neither fire, water, nor earth responded to his call. The more he tried, the more he felt a suffocating sensation, as if a spring had been blocked, causing pain that seemed to constrict his heart.

‘Why now of all times?’

Most Awakeners couldn't use their powers properly when they had just entered their heat. Everything except their instincts seemed to be dormant, and for some, even their memories became hazy, making it hard to control their strength. They were naturally vulnerable to external attacks.

But Yuder had never seen a case where even a tiny bit of power couldn't be exerted.

‘It's my first real heat period since I don't remember the first manifestation clearly, so how could I know.’

While he could fend off visible attacks, the repugnant scent that he felt through his nose and skin had no solution other than to distance himself. Yuder, struggling to suppress his uncontrollable scent, staggered backward.

As he moved away, the mercenary on the ground writhed and reached out.

"Khh... Khh..."

His eyes no longer saw reason; only a burning lust remained. That desire, which Yuder might not have noticed under normal circumstances, was now perceived as sharp as a blade. The instinct to pin down the retreating Omega gave the wounded man a mysterious surge of energy.

With surprising speed, he crawled on the ground, reaching out to grab Yuder's ankle. As the opponent's scent drew closer, the explosive scent from Yuder's body went wild.

Struggling to maintain his balance as if he could collapse at any moment, Yuder grasped a nearby tree and located the sword he had dropped. Fortunately, it had not rolled all the way down the sloping hill; it lay caught at the edge. With a wobbly gait, he turned back toward it.

Just as the frenzied hand of the Alpha Awakener lunged to seize his heel, Yuder also managed to grasp the hilt of his sword as he fell to the ground.

"Gh... ah!"

Before the man could hurl himself at Yuder, he let out a scream, impaled by the sword that Yuder had thrust down upon him. Gripping the hilt that had penetrated through the man's back and abdomen, Yuder plunged the sword deeper into the ground without hesitation, resisting the heat that surged through his entire body. His hands and body were soaked in blood, mingled with the acrid scent of iron.

'Even if I can't exert my strength due to the heat period, thinking I can't handle a scum like you would be a grave mistake.'

Invisible scents wafted in the space between the man trying to hold on despite his pain and the one stabbing him with a sword. A lethal intent radiated between his narrowed eyes. Yuder didn't let go of the sword until the mercenary finally released his foot. Only then did he manage to rise shakily to his feet.

He took a few steps but was suddenly engulfed by an immense heat, far greater than anything he had felt before.

"…"

Yuder swayed and collapsed. He tumbled unceremoniously down the sloping hill where his sword had earlier lain.