The massive, jet-black castle stood tall in the heart of the city.
Despite the visible damage, it remained a magnificent and majestic sight; it was truly hard to believe such a wonder existed deep underground.
No one could have guessed that in just a few minutes, it would transform into a bloody battlefield.
Swish!!!—
The sound of wind being sliced echoed through the ruined streets as a figure sped toward the fortress.
It was a jet-black monster, 2.8 meters tall with only one arm.
Despite its handicap, its speed was incredible, its claws relentlessly slashing at its target.
It used no tricks or complex skills—only a barrage of lightning-fast strikes.
The other figure was a young man named Ash. His black hair was disheveled, and a long scar ran up across his right eye.
His body was covered in claw marks, and a small, finger-sized hole in his left shoulder bled continuously.
Ash was forced to maintain a high speed while dodging Velth's suffocating attacks. Miraculously, even with a body as battered as a rag, he could still move with such agility.
After a long chase, he reached the stone bridge leading to the castle.
"KEEEEEE!!!!!!!"
The Velth continued its relentless assault, making it difficult for Ash to evade.
The surrounding buildings, which had at least retained their shape before, were now nothing but piles of rubble.
Their tens-of-kilometers chase had left a path of total destruction.
Ash stepped onto the eight-meter-wide stone bridge and accelerated.
Sizzle— Sizzle—
Suddenly, the sound of melting reached his ears. Ash looked down to find the entire bridge liquefying and collapsing into the trench.
The hundred-meter span was melting like wax. Ash quickly gathered his strength, dropped into a crouch, and lunged forward with a powerful leap.
BOOM!!!!—
The bridge crashed into the water below, sending the currents into a frenzy.
The Velth was a step too slow; it failed to cross and plunged into the water, its silhouette disappearing into the violent flow.
Phut—
Suddenly, Ash heard something fired toward him. Mid-air, he quickly tilted his body to the side.
Slash!!—
Something grazed his ear. He landed on the stone floor of the castle's outer courtyard, and a familiar voice called out.
"Heh... I didn't expect you to survive that. I truly admire you."
Not far away, Cranel appeared, seated atop Crea.
Ash narrowed his remaining eye. If his hunch was correct, that chameleon had another ability besides invisibility: acid breath.
The situation was turning dire. He had just lost the Velth, only for Cranel to appear with clear murderous intent.
Cranel looked at Ash with a serious expression, his playful tone gone.
"I've realized that I must kill you at any cost, even if I have to sacrifice Crea."
He dismounted and patted Crea.
"Go, Crea. Be serious and make sure you kill him for me."
At the command, the spines on the creature's body began to leak a thick green liquid. Its teeth and claws were coated in the same substance.
"Meet Crea. Besides invisibility, it can spray and coat itself in venom. This is a potent toxin; a single drop will paralyze your nerves and cause necrosis."
"So, be care—"
Swish!!--
"Eh?"
Before Cranel could finish, Ash vanished. He had no time for talk. He had only stopped to catch his breath and gauge his enemy's intent.
Having gathered the necessary information, he saw no reason to stay.
Cranel shook his head and sighed.
"If you won't listen, so be it. Crea, go kill him."
The chameleon obeyed, turning invisible to hunt Ash down.
"Hah... Hah... Hah..."
Ash's breathing grew heavy. His legs were exhausted, screaming for him to stop, but his will forced them to operate at maximum capacity.
Clang—
The sound of a strike reached his ears. He jumped, flipping over the chameleon's claws.
Sizzle— Sizzle—
The acid flinging off the creature's claws melted the ground upon contact. Ash didn't look back; he kept running toward the heart of the castle.
He needed to find the Core.
'But where could it be?'
In this vast fortress and with so little time, finding it seemed impossible. His left eye scanned the surroundings desperately.
Then, instinctively, he looked toward the highest peak. There, reflecting the light of the giant fireball in the sky, was a small white-gold sphere.
'There it is. The thing I've sacrificed so much to find.'
'The Core!!!!!'
Unconcealable joy flashed across his face as he accelerated.
He was currently crossing the outer courtyard, a circular area over a kilometer wide that surrounded the castle, guarded by thirteen towers standing 200 meters tall.
He had covered two-thirds of the distance when he reached the massive gates.
Throughout the dash, he didn't just dodge; he used his spear to parry incoming strikes. Reaching the doors, Ash leaped and delivered a powerful kick, forcing the heavy gates to fly open.
BAM.
Inside was a vast Great Hall with a noble throne at the center.
The room was a mess from previous struggles, but Ash's focus was elsewhere.
Behind the throne stood a massive spiral staircase connecting the ground floor to the highest spire. Without hesitation, Ash bolted up the stairs.
Slash—
In a moment of lapsed concentration, Ash failed to dodge an incoming claw.
KENG!!!
He blocked the strike with his spear and brushed past, continuing his ascent.
However, while he blocked the physical blow, he couldn't stop the acid.
A splash hit his left arm, causing it to swell with purple and red veins. He realized he would lose the use of that arm; if left unchecked, the paralysis would take his whole body.
He made a bold decision. From his spatial bag, Ash pulled out another enhancement potion and drained it in one gulp.
The numbness in his arm eased slightly, and his exhausted body found new strength. However, he felt the duration of the effect had dropped to just one minute. He had to get the Core within that minute.
If he destroyed it, he might somehow survive. If not, he would die the moment the minute ended due to the side effects of consuming four potions consecutively.
With no time left, Ash put everything into his legs and ran.
BOOM!!!!—
Outside, a massive pillar of water erupted from the moat. The Velth had emerged.
"KEEEEE!!!!!"
It let out a scream that shook the area. It was about to use a special skill reserved for the most elite individuals—an ability that could only be used once in a lifetime, usually saved for dire emergencies or equally powerful foes.
The Velth decided to use it on Ash, driven by a singular determination to kill him.
"KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
It dived toward the ground, but instead of landing, it transformed into a black shadow.
The tiny shadow rapidly expanded to over 100 meters, turning the courtyard pitch black.
"No way... that Velth can use that move?"
Cranel was shocked. Even the two previous Aberrations couldn't do this, yet this one-armed Predator could.
"This is bad. I need to get out of here. That Velth is determined to kill that kid. Well, as long as he dies, I'll sacrifice Crea to be sure. If he survives this, it truly will be a miracle."
Cranel vanished from the spot.
From the 100-meter shadow of the Velth, massive ribbons of darkness—each five meters wide and of immeasurable length—began to shoot out toward the castle.
BOOM— BOOM— BOOM—
The ribbons slammed into the fortress, causing it to shake violently. On the roof, Ash was dodging Crea's attacks while jumping over broken stairs and incoming dark ribbons.
Boom!!—
Another hit from the Velth made the castle tilt. Ash struggled to maintain his balance, dodging a claw from the side.
Finally, he reached the highest balcony, stepped onto the railing, and leaped onto the roof.
There it was. The Core he had been searching for. He rushed toward it.
Suddenly—
Rumble— Rumble—
The dark ribbons began to wrap around the 300-meter spire, slowly pulling the massive structure down. It was a spectacular sight as the giant castle began to collapse.
'That crazy monster.'
"Ahh..."
Ash lost his footing as the building tilted. The Core began to roll away.
"NO!!!!"
Ash screamed and dived to catch it. Suddenly, Crea appeared and slashed at him. Ash used his spear to block, but the claws tore his spatial bag, spilling its contents—including a mysterious stone.
Ignoring everything else, Ash focused on the falling Core. Ash, Crea, and the Core were all plummeting from a height of 300 meters.
To make matters worse, a black shadow surged from below—it was the Velth, claws ready to impale him.
The potion had only 10 seconds left.
In that moment, the only thing Ash remembered was a warm, loving voice and a frail figure looking at him with tenderness:
"Please... live... Ashfei..."
Those words echoed in his ears.
Ash roared.
"I WILL LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
"KEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!"
SLASH!!!!!!!!!!! CRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Screams, the sound of claws, and the roar of the collapsing castle collided. Suddenly, the mysterious eye-shaped stone fell and struck the Core, turning its white-gold light into a dark purple-black.
Then—
BOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!
A massive explosion erupted. Anyone looking from the Gray Forest toward the center of the island would have seen a pillar of jet-black light piercing the sky.
The monsters of the forest cowered in fear, and even the Colossus on the outskirts turned its gaze toward the center.
"Unbelievable," Cranel muttered from the village, staring at the black pillar in shock.
As for Ash, as the explosion occurred, his vision went dark. As his consciousness faded, he felt a light enter his body and heard a sound.
[Congratulations, Ashfei. You have slain a Predator.]
[Congratulations, Ashfei. You have slain a Semi-Predator.]
['The First Door' – Completed.]
[Would you like to begin the 'Step Beyond' process ?]
He lost consciousness.