Chapter 5 – The Guardian of Velmoria
The trees thinned.
For the first time in four years, I could see light—real light, not the pale glow filtering through Velmoria's canopy. My heart hammered in my chest as the forest floor sloped upward, the air shifting from damp and heavy to something cleaner, brighter.
The edge.
I stopped at the crest of the rise, breathing hard, staring through the last veil of trees. Beyond them, a horizon stretched wide, sky burning with sunset. My throat tightened, my legs trembling. Four years of hunger, battles, loneliness—it had all been leading to this.
And then the World Map pulsed.
A violent ripple tore through the vision in my mind, the glowing layout twisting as if something massive stirred. I froze, dread prickling down my spine.
[Haruto. It comes.]
The ground shuddered beneath my feet.
From the shadows of the trees ahead, the guardian appeared.
It was colossal—part beast, part nightmare. Its body was covered in obsidian armor-like scales, spines jutting from its back like jagged blades. Its head was lupine, but its eyes burned molten gold, and its claws gouged the earth with every step. The air itself seemed to bend around it, heavy with killing intent.
A roar split the forest, deep enough to rattle my bones. Birds scattered from the canopy in panicked flocks.
My knees threatened to buckle. "Of course," I whispered, forcing a bitter laugh. "Of course Velmoria wouldn't just let me walk out."
[This is the guardian. The forest's final judgment.]
I gritted my teeth, raising the fang blade I'd carried for years. My violet hair whipped in the wind, sweat stinging my eyes. I wasn't a child anymore. I wasn't weak.
"I've survived too long to die here."
The beast lunged.
I rolled aside, dirt exploding where its claws struck. My All Seeing Eye flared, lines of motion slowing, weaknesses flashing at the edge of perception. I darted in, blade slashing at the gaps in its scales. Sparks burst, but the cut was shallow. Too shallow.
It turned with terrifying speed, tail whipping. The impact caught my side, throwing me against a tree. Pain flared white-hot, but I forced myself up, spitting blood.
[Haruto. Focus. Weakness lies beneath its armor—its core. Do not waste strength on the shell.]
"I see it," I gasped, vision narrowing. Through All Seeing Eye, faint light pulsed within the beast's chest, hidden deep beneath layers of scale and muscle. The core.
But how the hell was I supposed to reach it?
The beast charged again, jaws wide. I dove forward, rolling beneath its throat, and slashed upward. Blood sprayed, hot and dark, but the wound barely slowed it. Its massive paw came down, and I barely escaped, the shockwave rattling my bones.
I couldn't win like this. My body was too small, too slow. The fang blade wasn't enough.
Which left me with only one option.
I pressed my hand to the ground, heart pounding. "Devour."
The skill stirred, a hunger rising inside me, black mist curling from my fingertips. The earth darkened, pulling in fragments of the beast's blood. Energy surged into me, burning like fire, filling every vein with a power that wasn't mine.
The guardian recoiled, as if sensing the danger.
I staggered, gasping, fighting against the hunger clawing at my mind. It whispered to take more, to consume everything until nothing remained. I clenched my teeth, sweat dripping down my face. "No. You obey me."
The mist coiled tighter, sharper, forming into jagged claws around my hand. I lunged, faster than before, strength flooding my limbs. My blade stabbed deep into the wound at its chest, then I shoved my Devour-clad hand inside.
The beast roared, thrashing wildly, but I held on, screaming as Devour surged. Black mist poured into the wound, tearing at the core itself.
The light flickered. Cracked. Shattered.
A final roar shook Velmoria as the guardian collapsed, its massive body convulsing once before going still. Dust and silence followed, the air heavy with the smell of blood and ozone.
I stumbled back, falling to my knees, chest heaving. My vision blurred, darkness tugging at the edges of my mind.
[Devour has evolved.]
The words echoed within me, cold and final.
[Unique Skill acquired: Abyss Devourer.]
I stared at my trembling hands, still wrapped in faint black mist. Unique. My first step beyond the ordinary. A shiver of both fear and pride crawled through me.
The forest was silent. No beast stirred, no cry echoed. Velmoria itself seemed to acknowledge the guardian's death.
I pushed myself up, weak but standing, and stepped past the fallen monster. The trees parted. Light spilled over me, golden and warm.
For the first time in four years, I stood beyond Velmoria.
The world stretched wide before me—rolling hills, distant mountains, rivers glinting under the sun. Civilization lay somewhere out there, far from the shadows I had lived in.
I closed my eyes, breathing deep.
"Noctis," I whispered. "We made it."
[Yes. But remember, Haruto… Velmoria was only your beginning. The world itself will be far harsher.]
I opened my eyes, violet hair shimmering in the sunlight, and smiled faintly.