In the middle of the dense forest stood Arthur, a sword coated in dark red blood hanging at his side. Around him lay four goblin corpses, lifeless, and twisted on the forest floor.
[You have leveled up]
[Skill Point Earned +1]
[Name: Arthur Vargris Age: 13 (33) | Race: Human | Basic Stats: STR: 14 | AGI: 15 | VIT: 10 | INT: 23 | WIS: 16 | CHA: 15 | LUC: 20]
[Status | Level: 4 | Skills Point: 4 | Essence: [???] | Classes: -Hero (U) -Regressor (U)]
[Skills: - Nous (C) -Aegis (C) -Theiris (D) -Veritas (S) -Archery (D+) -Swordsmanship (D+) -Speech (F)]
"Hmm." Arthur murmured, wiping his blade. "I killed four goblins, but I only gained one level. Makes sense… it's getting harder if I stick to just goblins."
His eyes drifted toward the deeper part of the forest. Shadows stretched endlessly between the trees, where no sunlight dared to reach. People called it a nest of monsters. Adventurers below rank D weren't even allowed near it.
'Should I go deeper?' he thought. 'I just need one more for the [Dimensional Pouch].'
'I don't think that would be wise, Arthur,' Nirael chimed in. 'Maybe we should look for another goblin group instead.'
"I know... but I want the [Jack of All Trades] skill too."
He began stacking up the goblins' bodies and pried out the mana crystals, stuffing them into a pouch. The goblins' mana crystals were much smaller than the boar's. The boar's larger size, comparable to an adult cow, was due to its diet of mana plants and roots. While a boar's mana crystal wasn't as potent as a goblin's, they were still useful.
"I forgot to take the crystals from the last ones… Hope nobody snatched them. Or ate them."
He looked again toward the shadows. Rationality warned him, but desire pressed louder. His newfound strength, the thrill of progress. It was starting to cloud his judgment.
Arthur was composed by nature. But even the calmest mind is trapped inside a child's body, and children have urges. wild, impulsive, insatiable.
He cleaned his sword, stood tall, and faced the forest again.
'Are you sure, Arthur?' Nirael asked softly.
"…Yeah. I'm sure."
He stepped into the dark.
It wasn't pitch-black like he imagined. Shafts of sunlight barely pierced through the thick green canopy, but shadows still ruled the ground below.
After a few minutes, his eyes adjusted. He pressed on for another half hour. Still, nothing.
'This is weird,' Nirael muttered.
'I know. We've been walking for a while, but I haven't seen a single monster. Not even an animal.'
He then closed his eyes. Focused. Let his other senses bloom. Hearing, smell, touch, while his sight fell into silence.
He felt the breeze brushing his skin, heard ants crawling across moss nearby. The scent of wet leaves and decomposing wood filled his lungs.
Then something else.
Blood.
His eyes snapped open.
He moved fast, following the metallic tang through the trees.
Soon, he found it.
A goblin's corpse, alone. Its stomach ripped open. Its insides… missing. As if something had devoured it from within.
"This is weird" He murmured "It doesn't look like the work of a normal beast"
'Why is it?' Nirael asked
"The way the stomach ripped open." Arthur crouch down, inspecting the body closer. "It looks like something… huge. Clawed it right at the stomach and took the mana crystals, then ripped it out of the goblin's stomach."
"No other part of the body is damaged. Just the stomach" He stopped and looked around, and back at the goblin. "This goblin doesn't know whats coming"
'What about an orc? It could be them?'
"No, this is not the typical orc behaviour." He put his hand under his chin. "I have a bad feeling about this"
Arthur turned around.
His Numen stirred, something was closing in.
From behind the thick bushes, two goblins emerged, each wielding a rusty sword. They froze upon seeing a lone human child standing in the middle of the dark forest. But then, their eyes dropped to the lifeless goblin corpses nearby.
Rage twisted their faces.
"Umm… I know how it looks," Arthur took a step back, hands half-raised. "But I promise, this wasn't me. A bit too barbaric for someone as elegant as myself."
One screeched, then lunged straight at him.
Arthur drew his sword. With one hand, he parried the incoming strike; with the other, he threw a clean punch into the goblin's jaw sending it flying sideways.
The second goblin didn't wait. It leapt, sword raised to strike. Arthur angled his blade upward and deflected the blow mid-air, then immediately countered with a sharp arc that cleaved off its head.
The first goblin, dazed, struggled to rise—head wobbling from the earlier punch. As it stood up, it felt a shadow looming behind.
Arthur stood above it, sword raised.
"What did I say… Elegant."
With that, the goblin's head fell, clean and swift.
Arthur cleaned his blade with practiced ease and switched to his dagger, kneeling beside the corpses to extract mana crystals.
'Elegant…' Nirael mocked.
"Quiet," Arthur replied, his cheeks slightly red.
'Pfft... Should I start calling you "The Elegant Swordsman" now?'
"Shut up! Or I'll show you Eele- I mean, I'll chop your head off myself!"
He swatted the air, swinging his dagger at the nonexistent figure of Nirael.
'Buahahaha… I'm sorry, Mister Elegant!'
Nirael burst into laughter.
Arthur scowled, sighing in defeat. He turned to the next corpse, reaching for the crystal-
But then-
A monstrous force slammed into him from behind.
He flew through the air, crashed into a tree, bark shattering on impact.
He hadn't sensed it. He couldn't
His active Numen, Theiris, was on. But it was too fast… too strong.
But Aegis, his defensive Numen, automatically activated thanks to the system. It didn't block all the damage, but it saved his life. Without it, he'd be knocking on death's door.
Coughing, Arthur pushed himself up, using the cracked tree as support. He blinked the blur away-
And he saw it.
A werewolf.
Three meters tall, fur like shadows, claws dripping red. Blood caked its mouth and glinted on its jagged teeth. Its eyes glowed crimson, feral, and hungry.
Arthur froze.
His instincts screamed: Run.
Werewolves didn't live in this part of the forest. This place was supposed to be safe. A minimum D-rank zone.
Even normal werewolves were C to B-rank.
And this one?
It was anything but normal.
It moved like a predator that had grown too good at killing. Faster than a diving hawk. Strong enough to match an orc.
The werewolf crouched, then grabbed one of the goblin corpses Arthur hadn't touched.
It ripped open the stomach with one swipe, then reached inside- devouring the flesh. Organs. Bones. And even the mana crystal.
Arthur now understood what had mutilated the earlier goblins.
It wasn't a rival group.
It was this thing.
'Arthur! Arthur!' Nirael called out, panicked and worried.
'I'm alive… at least.'
Arthur slowly gathered himself. He scanned his surroundings, looking for a way to escape.
He didn't see one.
'That guy doesn't look normal,' Nirael said.
Arthur knew it. In his current state, he would've had a hard time defeating a normal werewolf. Let alone an abnormal one.
He was in bad shape. Coughing blood. A couple of his bones were broken, including his leg and right arm. He couldn't hold his sword. He couldn't draw his bow. He couldn't fight.
Without immediate treatment
He would die.
'Arthur…'
But Arthur had more urgent things to think about than his own injuries.
The werewolf had stopped eating.
Its eyes were locked on him. The hunger in them wasn't satisfied. It was the opposite.
It was starving.
'Am I actually going to die today? This early?' Arthur thought.
The werewolf crept closer. It knew.
Arthur
Its prey
Was as good as dead.
It lunged at him, claws bared.
Aegis was Arthur's only hope of survival.
Suddenly, a flash of light appeared in front of him. A woman with white hair and a veil blocked the werewolf's attack with her bare hand.
It was Nirael.
"It's okay, Arthur." Nirael paused. "You are our hope. Our retribution. Our pillar. I won't let you die today. Not on my watch."
From the point where her hand met the beast's, a stream of mana erupted. It spiraled for a few seconds before striking the ground.
From that very spot rose a shadowy figure of a monster
A clone of the same werewolf.
It roared and charged, knocking the original creature away.
Nirael rushed back to Arthur.
"Nira-" Arthur tried to speak, but she hushed him.
"Sstt… don't talk. Lay down."
She gently lowered him to the ground.
A warm light surrounded Arthur's body. He looked toward the werewolves.
The two monsters clashed. Fierce. Relentless. Ignoring both the boy and the woman.
"I'm sorry, Arthur. I should've stayed with you until the end." She paused, tears sliding down her pale cheek. "But I hope… you'll reach it, at least."
She leaned in close. Their lips met… soft, fleeting.
Light bloomed around them. The same radiant glow from when he parted with the Council.
But this time,
it carried sorrow.
Quiet, and Heavy.
Birds chirped.
A warm breeze brushed against Arthur's face.
A wave of heat passed through his body.
The ground beneath him softened.
He slowly opened his eyes.
It wasn't leaves. Or trees.
It was a ceiling.
He had woken in an unfamiliar room.
To his right, an open window. The curtain swayed gently in the wind.
It was peaceful.
His body felt light.
But not his heart.
He turned his head.
There, sitting beside him, was a familiar figure.
It was Ivar.
"Good morning," Ivar said gently.
Arthur just stared. No words left his mouth.
"The doctor said you only suffered minor injuries. You'll be fine after some rest."
Then the memories hit.
A rush of noise and fear.
The headmistress's voice.
Running. To the Adventurer's Guild.
Bursting into the Guildmaster's office.
Ivar's stunned expression.
Running again. To the gate this time.
The guards shouting as he pushed past.
The forest.
A hanging boar. Goblin corpses.
Pushing through the bushes.
And there…
Himself.
Lying unconscious.
Surrounded by the bodies of monsters.
And among them.
The same werewolf.
Dead.
His memories stop there.
"Some young man almost broke my door down, yelling about you being in danger," Ivar said as he stood.
"I almost cast fireball at him. Glad I listened instead."
Arthur blinked. These weren't his memories.
They were Alex's.
"Do you know him?" Ivar asked.
Arthur just stared at the ceiling,.
"He's quick, for someone so frail," Ivar added, walking to the door.
"You should've thanked him. He's the reason you're not monster food right now."
"How long did I fell unconscious?" Arthur asked Ivar
"About 3 days"
He reached for the handle.
"Oh, and I won't say anything to my brother. That's for you to decide."
He paused.
"As for that… 'thing' I saw lying next to you…
We'll talk about it later."
The door closed.
The room was silent.
The birds had gone quiet.
The wind had stopped.
The sunlight faded.
Arthur just lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling.
He closed his eyes.
His mind drifted back to the moment right after he'd fallen unconscious.
As the world faded, he found himself once more in that familiar space- where the Council dwelled.
All twelve seats stood in a circle, cloaked in divine presence.
But one of them was empty.
"Where is Nirael?" Arthur asked.
Silence. No one spoke.
Then, Kael'Thar stepped forward, the weight of his greatsword reflected in his voice.
"She's dead."
The words shattered whatever illusion of calm remained. His mind jumped back to that final moment, when she reached for him. When everything turned to light.
"I see…" Arthur murmured, voice weak and distant.
"W-We don't know that yet," Seraphiel quickly added, a nervous smile faltering on her lips. "For all we know, she just vanished… maybe she's resting somewhere, after using that much power…"
Arthur looked around the circle.
No one else said a word.
Even Maivira and Caelum- normally the most outspoken, were silent.
"Can any of you feel her presence?" he asked.
Seraphiel's smile faded. She lowered her gaze.
And slowly, shook her head.
The silence grew heavier.
"It's my fault," Arthur said at last, barely above a whisper. "If I had listened- if I hadn't gone so deep into that forest- maybe she…"
"It's not your fault," Saphirael said gently.
"She's right," Maivira began, trying to reach him- but before she could finish, Kael'Thar stepped forward again.
"Yes, it was."
He grabbed Arthur by the collar and pulled him up. His eyes burned.
"She died because of you. Because she chose to protect someone too weak to stand on his own."
Arthur couldn't say anything. It was harsh, but He was right.
Maivira stepped in, grabbing Kael'Thar by the shoulder and pulling him away with ease. Her strength caused Arthur to stumble back and fall to the ground.
"Stop," she said.
Her eyes burned with emotion… Like fire flickering between sorrow and fury. The air turned heavy. Tension gripped the room.
The smallest figure in the chamber now stood face to face with the largest. Toe to toe. Equal in weight, despite size.
Then-
A clap.
"Enough, both of you."
A voice echoed. Strong, commanding, absolute. Vahariel's voice.
"Kael," he continued, stepping between them, a calm 'smile' behind his ivory mask, "Arthur understands. Ease your tone."
He turned slightly. "Mai, you too. You know Kael'Thar means no harm. Stop throwing your Nous at each other like children."
"Hmph!" they both scoffed, turning their faces away from each other.
Then Seraphiel stepped forward. She knelt down in front of Arthur.
"Don't blame yourself for what happened to Nirael," she said softly. "It's not entirely your fault."
She reached for Arthur's hand. The one glowing faintly with the sigil. The same mark Nirael had left on hers.
"We don't yet understand the full extent of our power," she said, gently caressing his hand. "But the fact her sigil appeared on you… it may mean she's still with us. In some way."
"Or it's just leftovers," Kael'Thar muttered.
"Would you shut your ugly mouth, you damned baldy?" Maivira snapped.
"Now, I don't usually agree with the runt," Caelum added, arms crossed, "but I'm with her on this one."
"Hmph."
Kael'Thar turned and walked away.
Arthur slowly stood. His eyes lifted to meet the rest of the Council.
"You're right."
He brushed imaginary dust from his pants and looked at the mark on his hand once more. The faint glow pulsing from the sigil.
"This power… it's new. We don't fully understand it yet. Sera might be right. Nirael might still be here."
Her soul.
A part of her remained.
"That's right," Vahariel said, stepping closer in support.
The heavy atmosphere in the room began to lighten. Bit by bit.
Then, a soft glow spread from each of them. The same glow as the last time, when Arthur parted ways with them.
"It seems," Seraphiel said gently, "the time Nirael gave us is ending."
Arthur looked to her. "Nirael gave?"
"Yes," she nodded. "You're not yet strong enough to summon all of us. This meeting wasn't supposed to happen. But it was Nirael's last wish… that we see you once more."
Arthur smiled faintly at the mention of her name.
"Good luck, Arthur," Maivira grinned. "I'm jealous that Sera gets to talk to you next. Get stronger fast, so I can be the next one beside you!"
Arthur nodded as they faded, one by one.
Then-
His eyes opened.
He was back in the room.
The glow from his hand faded. The birds outside chirped again. The wind returned, brushing gently through the curtains.
And the sunlight… it felt warmer now.
His determination burned brighter than ever before.