The forest wind shifted.
A low howl carried through the branches, but it wasn't a wolf this time.
It felt… ancient. A warning. A shiver running down the spine of the world.
I flicked the blood from my blade and slid it over my shoulder.
"Looks like the warm-up is over."
My shadow thickened behind me—like the silhouette of a titan watching over my back. My abyssal world pulsed in response, the black sea inside me whispering like a storm-tide tugging at its leash.
I could feel it.
They had noticed me.
The forest of Velgrid itself seemed to breathe around the presence of those five cloaked figures deeper inside.
But that was fine.
I didn't come here to hide.
I stepped forward, boots sinking slightly into the damp leaf-ridden soil. Each step made the ground blacken, as though the forest soil feared touching me.
And why wouldn't it?
The Abyss fed on everything equally.
Birds scattered.
Branches bent away.
The shadows thickened unnaturally.
The wolves around me lay in heaps of lifeless bodies, their essences completely drained. The whole area felt stripped—emptied of mana like something massive had inhaled the life from it.
I rolled my shoulders, energy crackling off my bones like sparks of darkness.
"That's better."
I looked deeper into Velgrid.
A massive tree shook somewhere far ahead, letting out a groan like an injured beast.
Something stirred. Something old. Something territorial.
Even Velgrid, the black dragon lord of the forest, must have sensed me.
A grin formed on my lips.
"Come at me, then. All of you."
In the stone chamber, the five masked figures reacted simultaneously as a wave of abyssal pressure surged through the forest.
One slammed his fist on the table.
"Impossible! That's not human—"
"It's not even a normal inner world signature…" another muttered. "It feels like a domain. A full, active domain inside our territory."
The leader rose.
His voice was soft, but the air trembled.
"Prepare for confrontation. Whoever he is… the forest is reacting."
Another asked:
"And Velgrid?"
The leader's mask tilted slightly, as though smiling underneath.
"Velgrid is moving."
A heavy silence washed over the chamber.
The black dragon of Velgrid was a calamity in the shape of a creature—something no S-rank hunter dared face alone.
And yet the forest was trembling, not in fear of Velgrid…
But because something else had arrived.
BACK TO DRAX —
I took another step.
BOOM—
The ground ruptured.
My inner world throbbed, and a stream of abyssal mist swirled around my feet. The black sea inside me pushed—craving more, demanding more.
The essence of the slain orc and wolves fused into my veins like molten fire. My pulse hammered with new power.
But more than that—
My instincts sharpened.
Something was coming.
Something strong.
I stayed relaxed, but a small spark of excitement danced in my chest.
A rumble shook the forest.
Leaves scattered.
Birds fled.
Trees split apart as a wave of killing intent rolled over me like a tidal wave.
A voice echoed from beyond the misty treeline.
"Who dares enter Velgrid's forbidden path?"
I tilted my head, exhaling.
"Finally."
My smile widened as I tightened my grip on the abyssal blade.
The black sea whispered behind my ears like waves crashing against the shore.
Devour… devour… devour…
"Let's see how deep this forest's courage goes."
Another presence flickered—high-level, human, and malicious.
One of the five from earlier.
A hint of mental pressure pressed into my skull, trying to read my emotions, my fears, my memories.
A mental intruder.
Mind control.
A shiver of anger slid down my spine.
"You dare—"
I lifted my hand and crushed the invading thought like a bug.
A scream echoed miles away deep in the forest—one of the five slammed backward in his chair, clutching his head.
The leader whispered:
"He sensed you… from that distance?"
The others stared in disbelief.
"What is this boy?"
DRAX —
I looked into the depths of Velgrid Forest.
My eyes glowed faintly violet.
"Send whoever you want."
The forest wind twisted around me like fearful whispers.
"I'll kill my way to your doorstep."
I lifted my blade, letting it rest against my shoulder.
My aura flared—black, violent, devouring.
"Come find me."
And at that same moment, miles away in the heart of the forest…
The five masked figures all stood at once.
"He's coming."
The leader's voice trembled—not with fear but anticipation.
"Let the hunt begin."