The laughter rang out like a pack of jackals—mocking, cruel, relentless. But Adrian Peer didn't flinch.
He turned his back on them with a calm exhale, the mocking noise behind him already losing meaning.
He'd heard worse.
He'd survived worse.
And they… weren't worth his time.
With quiet resolve, Adrian began to walk away, his mind returning to the hunt. He still needed more points. Still needed to grow stronger. Still needed to—
FWOOOSH!
A sharp hiss cut through the air.
Adrian's senses spiked as a flicker of killing intent grazed his spine. His body reacted before his mind did—his neck tilting just enough as an ice spear shot past his head, missing him by inches and impaling a tree behind him. The bark instantly froze over, a thin crust of frost spreading in a web.
Adrian didn't turn around yet.
He had expected this.
Thomas clicked his tongue behind him.
"Tch. How dare a Grounder-born ignore me?"
