The number of enemies surrounding him could not be described with words. The system had stated clearly that the trial required the death of fifteen monsters and one boss. On paper it sounded manageable. Standing on the docks with the sea churning around him and shapes crawling out of the water, it felt like a lie carefully wrapped in numbers.
By the looks of it, he might be done for long before the boss even considered showing itself.
The monsters were hideous in a way that made the mind recoil before logic could catch up. Reever was not someone who judged based on appearance. He had seen enough twisted beings to know that ugliness and danger were not always related. These creatures challenged that belief. They looked like a forced union of a boar, an eel, and a piranha, stitched together by malice rather than nature. Thick scales covered their elongated bodies, wet and reflective under the pale light. Their heads were blunt and wide, mouths filled with layered teeth that never stopped snapping. They bit at the air again and again, not missing anything in particular, but promising everything.
It felt like a ritual. A message. You are next.
Seconds later, the first beast hauled itself fully onto the docks. Its body slammed against the metal surface with a dull clang, claws scraping as it found purchase. Luckily, it was not that tall. Just about twice Reever's height. That small mercy did nothing to calm his nerves. Moments later, another followed. Then another. Then dozens more. Within seconds, a whole army had gathered, more than a hundred of them crowding the dock, bodies pressing together, tails thrashing, mouths snapping as one.
They were ready to feed.
Reever named them Boeerahna without much thought. The name stuck instantly. As far as he could tell, they were not weakened by emerging from the water. No sluggish movements. No hesitation. Their muscles were coiled tight, ready to lunge.
"If this is training," Reever thought, slowly backing away, "I wonder how real hunts look like. I am lucky that containers are surrounding me. At least I can turn this into a battle of attrition. Otherwise I would already be fish food. Can they eat metal?" He thought as he bit his fingers to test if he was tasty enough for the monsters.
He moved as far from the Boeerahnas as the docks allowed, boots echoing softly against steel. The containers around him formed narrow lanes and blind corners. Tight spaces. Dangerous if cornered, useful if controlled. He exhaled, steadying his breathing.
Then he cocked his gun.
The first shot rang out sharp and loud. Bullets started flying, echoing across the docks like angry thunder. Reever fired in controlled bursts, aiming for heads, eyes, joints. The bullets struck scales and bounced away, sparks flashing as metal met hardened flesh.
"I will use normal bullets first so that I can save on the water type bullets," he said aloud, more to anchor himself than to announce a plan. "I cannot afford to waste even a single one of them on a mere training."
The bullets did nothing. They scratched the scales, left faint marks, chipped fragments away. The monsters barely reacted. Some flinched. Others did not even acknowledge being hit. They kept moving forward, teeth snapping, claws scraping against metal.
"What the f**k," he exclaimed, firing again. More shots. Same result. The bullets fell uselessly to the ground or ricocheted away. "Are these monsters bulletproof."
The Boeerahnas surged forward, encouraged rather than discouraged. Distance closed rapidly. Reever wasted no more time. His hand moved swiftly, switching magazines. The familiar weight of the water type bullets settled into place.
"This might hurt my pockets for a while," he muttered, raising the gun, "but my life is more important than the cost."
His thoughts were cut short.
One of the monsters lunged faster than the rest, throwing its entire body forward with reckless force. Its jaws snapped shut around the barrel of his gun, teeth scraping against reinforced metal. The impact nearly tore the weapon from his grip. Reever reacted instantly, bracing his stance and pulling the trigger.
The shot detonated inside the creature's mouth. Its head burst apart in a spray of blood and shattered bone. The body went limp and collapsed at his feet.
"At least the bullets do enough damage," he said, breathing hard.
The rest did not hesitate. They rushed him without order or strategy. No coordination. No formations. Just hunger.
One came from the left, claws slashing. He twisted aside. Another snapped from the right, teeth grazing his sleeve. A tail swept low, forcing him to jump. Swipe. Bite. Tail swipe. Over and over. Those were their signature moves, repeated endlessly.
They were too slow individually. Reever could read their movements, predict their attacks, dance between them. The problem was numbers. Every dodge put him closer to another threat. Every kill took time and ammunition.
Minutes blurred together. He fired, moved, climbed, dropped. Bodies piled up around the docks, blood mixing with seawater. His breathing grew heavier. Sweat ran down his back. His focus sharpened into a narrow tunnel where only movement mattered.
Then the sea changed.
A low rumble rolled across the horizon. Reever glanced up and froze. Far out, the ocean swelled unnaturally. Water rose into a towering wall, blotting out the sky behind it.
"Guess the system did not joke," he said under his breath, already moving. "It said a wave would reshape the battlefield every now and then. I better get prepared and find higher ground."
He sprinted toward the containers, leaping and climbing with practiced ease. Moments later, the monstrous wave crashed into the docks. Metal screamed. Structures tore free. Containers were ripped from their positions and hurled into the sea like toys.
Reever managed to cling to the top of one container as the water surged around him. When it finally receded, the dock was almost unrecognizable. Debris floated everywhere. Most of the containers were gone.
Only one remained.
His.
"Guess I am damned," he muttered, looking around. "I am not sure how I will survive this ordeal. At least the ocean did not add more monsters into the game. Otherwise I would be crying my first tears."
The ocean answered him immediately.
The water churned and spat out more Boeerahnas. These ones looked different. Their movements were sharper. Their snapping more violent. Their eyes burned with fury.
Looking at the timer, Reever felt a chill. Thirty minutes had passed. That was the limit he had been given to kill at least fifteen monsters. Which meant the boss would arrive in five minutes.
Surrounded. Elevated on a single container. Limited ammunition.
"Time to get serious."
"Mirage mode activate."
"Phantom mode activate."
The suit responded instantly. His body shimmered and vanished from sight. At the same time, five identical clones appeared around the container, each mimicking his stance, his breathing, his presence.
The Boeerahnas hesitated for the first time. Their attention split. Confusion rippled through the mass.
Reever smiled, unseen.
"Let us have some fun now," he whispered, already moving. "Hope you keep me entertained before your boss arrives. I need to kill all of you so that I can have my rest. If I even get to rest. Whatever."
He dropped silently from the container and began stalking the Boeerahnas like a predator, the hunt finally shifting in his favor.