A pair of black boots with dark brown, intricately carved and luxurious-looking patterns stepped on the rocky ground with a tap sound.
Several bustling footsteps were also heard behind him.
More than twenty people emerged from an ancient gate squeezed between two trees. They all looked like demon hunters.
The man wearing the luxurious black boots, who was also standing at the very front, turned to face the people behind him. He burst out laughing. "Hahahah! Finally, we have entered the territory of the Light Dragon!!"
The people cheered together, celebrating their success in entering this forest.
"Hahahaha! Are we the first to arrive here?" asked a burly, large man carrying a spear on his back.
One of the mages in the group answered. "Yes, according to my observation, we are the first to successfully arrive."
The people who heard that cheered again. They were proud because they would likely be the ones to kill the Dragon first.
However, the man wearing the luxurious boots, who was also the leader of the group, snorted and spat, which made the people in the monster hunting group fall silent.
The man proudly combed his black hair and looked displeased at the mage. "You shouldn't speak carelessly, Manda, your magic power is still so weak. Don't you train?"
That condescending remark certainly displeased the mage named Manda, but on the surface, he tried to restrain his emotions. He tried to keep smiling as he asked. "What do you mean, Young Master?"
"Tch, you should know that one group has already arrived here before us."
"Who is it, Young Master?" shouted one person.
"Yes! Who is it?"
The man snorted arrogantly. "Of course, it's the Singing Witch's group. Do you think they would also spend 3 full days in that forest to reach this gate like us? They have the Guardian of the Nightmare Forest in their group, who knows the ins and outs of that forest like the back of his hand. Surely he knows the fastest way to get here first."
The people in the group nodded their heads, indicating that they agreed and understood the Young Master's explanation.
Then the Young Master changed his expression to that of someone harboring a hidden intention in his heart. An ugly smirk appeared on his face. "That's why I really want to kill her."
He spread both his arms and exclaimed. "I, Hans Kamal, the great second son of the Kamal family, will kill that Singing Witch and become the next Guardian of the Nightmare Forest. Hahahaha!"
The people there looked at each other confusedly, not understanding their leader's sudden outburst.
Hans stopped laughing and looked sharply at the people.
Then the people there cheered reluctantly and forced out loud laughter.
Hans smirked hearing that, then he walked to the front and continued his laughter with his arms outstretched.
The group then continued their journey to hunt the Dragon and kill the Singing Witch.
They just didn't know that in this world, no one had ever and was capable of defeating the Dragon or the Singing Witch.
Because their power was far more terrifying than they could have imagined.
That is a story that will happen later. For now, the group continued to walk forward to pass through the first part of the forest.
•••
Meanwhile, far in the northernmost and farthest part of this forest, a man sat on a rock, with his back to a strangely shaped giant tree with roots protruding out of the ground.
The man's long gold hair was neatly braided and draped over his shoulder. He wore ancient clothing with luxurious and elegant embroidery, with the back exposed, and the upper part of the sleeves also exposed, showing off toned and beautifully sculpted arm muscles.
His mouth chewed on a peach that looked fresh. The bite of the peach filled his mouth with a delicious sweetness.
Then, when he finished swallowing the last piece, he wiped the corner of his slightly sharp lips and smirked.
"Ah, our other self made my wife angry. Should I go comfort her?" the man said.
A moment of silence, until suddenly a voice came from the giant tree behind him.
"Do not hurt her."
"Hmmm," the gold-haired man murmured in a displeased tone, then he stood up and turned around.
His gold eyes sparkled with a sly and mysterious look. A cold smirk appeared on his face, then he said again.
"Why would I hurt my wife?"
A pair of larger gold eyes blinked under the dark shadows of the tree, looking at the man full of warning.
The gold-haired man chuckled. "Don't worry, I will be gentle."
Then, the man floated into the air and disappeared into the depths of the forest. Leaving the place in silence.
The pair of gold eyes under the tree closed again, and everything became silent.
★★★
Rolan blinked his eyes, and his blurry vision slowly became clear as he saw a brown-furred dog face with its snout very close to his face.
Rolan's consciousness immediately fully returned, and he jumped up in shock.
His brown hair was messy as his face showed an expression of fear.
In his memory, this creature was the one who had tied him up and hung him high up in a tree. That was truly terrifying, and after that, he didn't remember anything else.
But why was the creature in front of him now? Staring at him as if he were the most pathetic creature in the world?
Rolan cried internally. 'Hoo hoo hoo, Mother, Father, big sister, a dog is looking at me as if it's looking at a flea. He is so scary; he will definitely hang me in a tall tree again. Help meee.'
He didn't even cry because he was afraid of dying, but rather because he was afraid of being hung higher and looked down upon by a dog.
Then Aldis's voice, like that of a small child, was heard. "Master asked me to train you and that girl. Hurry up, wake up and follow me."
Rolan stopped crying internally and looked at Aldis. "What?"
Aldis growled. "I don't like explaining twice."
Rolan immediately straightened his body, stood up, and followed Aldis's steps.
He wasn't sure, but he wondered why Tsana asked Aldis to train him. Did this mean that the Singing Witch accepted him as a student?
"Umm..." Rolan hesitated, looking fearfully at Aldis's small back.
But he was very curious and wanted to ask why the Singing Witch asked Aldis to train him.
Aldis stopped in front of two hill crevices that looked like they were split in two. Helena was already waiting there. The girl's black hair swayed slightly in the wind.
Rolan and Helena looked at each other and exchanged glances, wondering why the Singing Witch asked this creature who almost killed them to bring them here and train them.
However, neither of them knew the reason.
Until suddenly, Aldis said in a loud voice. "From today and for the next three days, I will be the one to train both of you. All of this is done under my Master's command. If you disappoint my Master with your meager intelligence, then don't expect to eat heartily, sleep soundly, and breathe easily! Because I definitely won't allow it!"
Rolan and Helena looked at each other.
Aldis snorted. "You are not worthy to be my Master's students. But you should be satisfied, because you have already received good training from my brother Kylos, and next, you will be trained directly by my other brothers, the third, second, and first Demon Generals. Tsk, you weak, lucky humans. My Master is too kind to you who are not even worthy."
Instantly, Rolan's and Helena's eyes widened, and both of them shouted. "Trained by all the Demon Generals?"