Failure Condition:
> Destruction of Azarin Empire
Death of all Myrran Academy personnel
---
My hands trembled.
Not from fear… but from something else.
> "A dragon… in Azarin?"
That was where Hyun Woo and the others were.
Where Minji, Sora, and even Julius's daughter were studying.
My chest tightened. I clenched my jaw, my teeth grinding against each other.
> "A follower of the Demon King… so they've already started."
The last thing I remembered from that Forest— the black figure, Limbo, the Tenth Seat of Paradox — flashed through my mind.
That smile.
That word.
"Interesting."
Maybe… this was all connected.
Without another thought, I turned to North-
The forest howled behind me as I began running.
My sword of bone tightened in my grip, and the aura within it flared to life.
The wind roared against my face as I ran north — faster than ever, my body cutting through the air like a blade.
Every muscle burned. Every breath came out like fire.
But I didn't stop.
A month had passed since I accepted the quest.
A month of running, hunting, surviving — and still, I was trapped.
The forest stretched endlessly before me, an ocean of trees that refused to end.
Every time I thought I had reached the edge, I only found more darkness and more branches clawing at the sky.
> "This… can't be right."
I stopped on a cliff, the sun setting behind me, my lungs heaving.
Below, the forest continued without end — no sign of plains, no mountains, no human settlement. Just green and shadow.
I opened my system interface, hoping, praying for something to change.
[Main Quest: Awakening of the Crimson Calamity]
Status: Active
Days Passed: 32
Target: Rhazakar, the Crimson Death — Alive
The quest hadn't failed yet.
That meant the dragon was still alive.
And so was the Empire of Azarin.
> "So no one's defeated it… not even after a month."
I clenched my fists, my heart hammering in my chest.
If the quest was still active, then maybe Hyun Woo and the others were still safe.
But what if…
What if they weren't?
The thought sent a chill down my spine. I looked at my hands — at the faint tremor that wouldn't stop.
> "Damn it…"
I punched the nearest tree, and it exploded under my strength, splinters flying like arrows.
I'd grown stronger — my level, my body, everything — but none of it mattered if I couldn't even find a way out.
> "There has to be a way out of this forest…"
I started running again, faster this time.
Days blurred together — sunrise, sunset, moonlight, and rain.
I hunted when I needed to eat, slept when I could no longer stand, and fought every beast that dared cross my path.
Abyss Hounds.
Scaled Lizards.
Dire Bats.
Each battle felt the same — blood, speed, and silence.
My level barely moved now. The monsters here were no longer enough.
Still, the quest stayed on my interface — glowing faintly, reminding me that time was running out.
> "What if Azarin's already gone…?"
The thought hit me harder than any monster's claw.
For the first time in a long while, fear crept into my heart.
Not fear of death — but fear of being too late.