In the empty hall, Ravenna emerged from the magic mirror, adorned in a magnificent golden feather gown, a gleaming golden crown, and exquisite makeup. A smug expression played on her lips.
As she watched Vlad vanish, a cold sneer tugged at the corner of her mouth.
She turned toward the re-suspended magic mirror and chanted:
"Magic mirror, magic mirror, who is the most beautiful woman in the world?"
A flash of golden light surged, and the shimmering liquid reformed into the golden Mirror Spirit, standing before her.
"Ravenna, what do you want?" asked the magic mirror.
"You were right. Vlad really is a threat."
"Fortunately, you warned me. Otherwise, he might have succeeded."
After a moment of silence, the mirror replied, "Ravenna, he is extremely powerful. You must be cautious. The Dark Forest won't hold him for long."
Ravenna's expression turned grim. "I've never truly understood him... but based on what you've said, you seem to know his exact strength."
"Yes. His life level far surpasses yours. In this era where magic is scarce, he is one of the strongest beings alive."
"The strongest~?" Ravenna's eyes lit with desire, then darkened with suspicion.
"Am I not one of the strongest?"
The mirror paused before answering,
"You and your sister Freya both have the potential to break through two levels of life, but as things stand now, you are not among the strongest in the world."
Ravenna fell silent, her eyes flickering with deep contemplation.
After a long pause, she asked,
"How long can the Dark Forest contain him?"
"I can't say for certain. It could be a few days, a few weeks… or perhaps, he might perish there."
A blinding light flared.
When Vlad opened his eyes, he found himself no longer in the secret chamber.
Above him loomed a dark, oppressive sky.
A thin veil of gray mist clouded the heavens.
All around stretched a vast, twisted forest unlike any he had seen. The atmosphere was eerie and foreboding.
Crows cawed from the bare, blackened branches above.
The damp ground was soft underfoot and littered with the dry bones of animals—and humans.
As Vlad moved deeper into the forest, his boots crunched against the brittle remains. The sharp, splintering sound echoed with each step.
"I didn't expect to be outwitted by Ravenna," he muttered, frowning.
"But I suppose it's no surprise. That mirror has power."
He now understood—he had severely underestimated both Ravenna and the mirror's capabilities.
"But where am I? Where exactly did she send me?"
As he moved forward, a strange green gas seeped steadily from the ground.
When it entered his nostrils, he felt an unexpected wave of dizziness and discomfort.
In response, a crimson energy shield flared up around him, warding off the influence.
Vlad turned toward the source of the gas.
Amidst the damp, pitch-black soil, colorful fungal plants were sprouting everywhere throughout the forest.
These fungi emitted faint magical energy.
"No wonder... these weird gases must be magic spores," Vlad quickly deduced.
As he surveyed the gloomy terrain, he knew that if Ravenna had chosen to send him here, this forest must conceal unknown dangers.
His top priority now was simple—get out, fast.
With that in mind, Vlad soared into the sky, hoping to break free from above.
But as soon as he entered the thick gray mist overhead, countless dead branches on the ground suddenly sprang to life.
Wriggling like giant serpents, they shot up into the air, twisting toward him in sweeping arcs.
From all directions, shrill screams pierced the air—dark spirits came rushing through the fog, flanking him.
Vlad found himself completely surrounded.
Staring at the wave of ghosts closing in, Vlad's eyes narrowed.
"Hmph. These ghosts and tree demons—you think they can stop me? They're not even at the first life level!"
With a cold snort, he summoned blazing blood-flames. Focused by his will, they burst forth like dragons made of fire, engulfing the spirits and dead branches.
Screams echoed throughout the forest.
The spirits shrieked as they burned, and even the tree demons writhed and wailed as the flames consumed them.
But despite the intense blaze, more ghosts continued to arrive.
Their numbers swelled by the second, making it harder and harder for Vlad to escape. Soon, he was completely pinned down.
However, there was a silver lining.
With so many nearby tree demons burnt to ash and the inferno raging in the forest, the ones in the distance—sluggish and cautious—refused to approach.
No reinforcements came for some time.
Vlad exhaled slowly.
But he frowned. "Why are there so many ghosts and tree demons here?"
How many had he already killed? He hadn't counted, but it had to be in the hundreds.
Still, he knew—even if they were weak, their sheer numbers posed a real threat.
If this dragged on, even he could be overwhelmed.
Taking a deep breath, Vlad's eyes gleamed with crimson light.
He raised one arm, and countless bats materialized from the air.
Like a river of black wings, they swirled around him in dense formation, spinning rapidly.
Forming a vortex of darkness, they tore through the oncoming ghosts with ferocious force.
Each time a ghost was destroyed, it dissolved into a pale gray mist.
"No flying allowed~!!"
A furious roar erupted from deep within the forest.
The ground shook violently.
It was as if something colossal was approaching—its steps shaking the very earth.
In the distance, a giant over twenty meters tall began to emerge, looming within the fog. His full appearance remained obscured by the mist.
"Hmph, finally making a move," Vlad muttered coldly. He glanced at the sky above—more ghosts continued to descend from every direction.
Without hesitation, Vlad transformed into a swarm of bats and dove straight toward the approaching figure.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As he closed in, the giant's shape came into focus.
Their eyes met—and a deafening roar burst forth, accompanied by a gale of hot wind.
It was a Forest Giant, its massive body draped in moss and crawling vines.
Its huge eyes glowed green, and atop its head curled two thick, sturdy horns.
Its skin resembled hardened tree bark, rough and layered like wood.
With each step, the ground cratered beneath him, forming massive pits.
Within those craters, tree monsters screeched and writhed as they were crushed beneath the giant's weight.