Artemis had been walking for almost three hours along the outer rim of the Mistwoods Forest.
The towering trees loomed above him like ancient sentinels, their branches weaving together to shroud the forest floor in a patchwork of dim light.
All along the way, he had encountered numerous Rank one Cosmic Beasts. Yet he made every effort to avoid them.
It wasn't that he feared them. These Rank one Cosmic Beasts were no real threat to him anymore. With his monstrous physical strength alone, strength tempered through blood, sweat, and countless hours of training and cultivation, even without invoking Cosmo, he could fight them head-on and crush them.
But he had no time to spare on meaningless skirmishes right now. Every heartbeat was precious. He had only one goal: break through the stubborn barrier blocking his core.
Clutched in his hand was the worn map he had taken from his uncle's study. It was this map that guided his steps, helping him navigate toward the inner forest of Mistwoods, where the flow of cosmic energy was said to be far denser.
If he could reach that place, he might finally find the opportunity to break through the invisible barrier sealing his core.
Hours passed in silence until at last, the trees grew thicker, their shadows heavier, the unmistakable sign that he had crossed into the inner forest of Mistwoods.
The air itself felt different here, sharp and oppressive, like invisible claws pressing against his skin.
Here, caution was no longer optional... it was survival.
Within the inner region of Mistwoods Forest lurked Rank Two and Rank Three Cosmic Beasts.
A single Rank Two Cosmic Beast possessed strength equal to that of a Peak Superior Grade Cosmo Initiate.
For someone like him, engaging such a creature would be madness. At best, he might last two minutes before being torn apart.
And beyond this inner Mistwoods Forest lay the core forest, a forbidden domain where Rank Four, Five, and even the occasional Rank Six Cosmic Beasts prowled.
A single misstep there would be nothing short of suicide. Not even in his wildest dreams would Artemis dare to set foot into that abyss of predators. Not with his current strength.
As he pressed deeper into the forest, something finally caught his attention. His stride faltered.
Ahead, the forest felt more alive. The air carried a weight to it, a rich density that pulsed faintly against his skin.
His head rose sharply. The vegetation there looked so much different. The trees were towering and sturdier, their trunks as thick as ancient pillars.
Their leaves shimmered with a darker, more vibrant green, nourished by something unseen. Even the soil itself seemed richer.
A smile tugged at Artemis' lips. Finally. He had found it, the rare patch of the Mistwoods Forest where cosmic energy converged. The perfect place for his breakthrough.
He pushed aside the branches eagerly and strode closer, but then instinct made him halt. He did not rush in like some arrogant fool laying claim to the land.
Places blessed with such energy were never unoccupied. In a place like Mistwoods, a cultivation ground this rich would almost certainly be guarded by something far deadlier than Rank one Cosmic Beasts.
No beast would fail to notice the energy here. And no beast would leave it unclaimed.
Artemis lowered his stance, his eyes sharp, every sense extended.
Then, suddenly, a cool breeze whispered through the clearing. Leaves swayed and danced in its wake, and with it came a faint scent, metallic, bitter, sharp. It was the scent of blood.
His nose twitched. The smell was faint and then faded entirely, the trace of blood long dried into the air. If not for his heightened senses, he would have missed it entirely.
Suspicion stirred in his chest. "Could it be… the Cosmic Beasts that claimed this place were already slain?"
He stepped forward carefully, one foot placed silently before the other, until at last his eyes fell upon a massive corpse beneath the shadow of a tree.
A Frosthide Bear. Rank Two at that.
His eyes widened. The beast's massive frame lay sprawled across the ground, its icy-blue fur matted with blood.
Before his shock had fully settled, his gaze was pulled forward again, another Frosthide Bear lay dead there. And then, further still, a third corpse of a Frosthide Bear Cosmic Beast.
Artemis froze. His heart pounded. Three Rank Two Frosthide Bears, all slaughtered in the same place.
These towering Frosthide Bears were very fierce and territorial. They would attack any intruder within their domain, and they were intelligent enough to recognize a cultivator's strength, perhaps even retreat if sensing overwhelming power.
They were fast runners, but now they lay here dead, unable even to flee for their lives.
Shock layered over shock. To kill even one of these creatures required immense strength. To kill three? It was inconceivable.
But what unsettled him more was what came next, their bodies were untouched.
Their thick fur, prized in the markets. Their fangs, their blood, even their Cosmic Cores, each one brimming with value and power. All of it was still there. Untouched.
The killer… hadn't cared.
A frown pulled at his lips, confusion and awe mixing within him. Whoever had done this was no ordinary cultivator.
They were someone so strong, so wealthy, or so reckless that the valuable remains of these three Rank Two Frosthide Bears meant nothing.
For Artemis, however, it meant everything. He didn't care about their market value, his family's fortune was already vast. What mattered was the Cosmic Cores.
With those, his cultivation would leap forward.
And if the mysterious killer had left them behind, then taking them was not theft. It was simply claiming what had been abandoned.
Without hesitation, he drew his knife. One by one, he cut into the beasts' chests and pried out their Cosmic Cores.
Each one pulsed faintly with radiant energy, shimmering like crystallized stars in the dim light of the forest.
Artemis held them for a moment, marveling at the raw energy contained within, before carefully storing them in his dimensional bracelet.
He exhaled, satisfaction burning in his chest. These cores would prove their value in the days ahead.
Not long after, he stumbled upon a cave not far from the clearing. From its dark mouth flowed waves of cosmic energy, stronger even than what he had felt outside.
His decision was instant. This would be his place of seclusion. This was where he would cultivate.
Artemis approached and stepped into the cave. Shadows swallowed him whole, the light of day fading quickly behind.
The air inside was damp and heavy, thick with the lingering hum of energy. He took a few cautious steps deeper—
And then his foot slipped.
"—!"
The ground gave way beneath him. His body pitched forward, tumbling violently down a hidden slope.
Rocks battered his ribs, tore at his arms, smashed against his legs. His shoulder struck a jagged wall, his skull slammed against unyielding stone, and a burst of pain exploded across his vision.
The fall seemed endless, the darkness stretching into forever. A hundred meters, perhaps more, before his battered body finally slammed into cold rock with a bone-shaking thud.
His vision swam. Pain lanced through every limb. And then, like a candle snuffed out, consciousness slipped from his grasp.
Artemis lay motionless in the abyss, swallowed by the depths of the Mistwoods Forest.