Not long after Sombravida's escape attempt, the Lord of the Northern Forest returned with his subordinates to their core lair — the Forest Nest.
This underground stronghold served as both the ruler's residence and the control center of the entire forest.
The nest was a vast subterranean network of tunnels and chambers, extending beneath nearly the whole Great Hollow Forest. Countless hidden entrances connected each territory. Every sector entrance was guarded by an Adjuchas-level sentinel.
The number of guardians directly reflected the sandworm lord's authority.
This was how he ruled:
By dividing the forest into territories and placing Adjuchas wardens at each gateway, he maintained centralized dominance over the entire domain.
The Search Begins
Upon returning, the lord immediately ordered a full search for Riat.
Within the nest, Yadrus's detection ability could resonate through the tunnel network, transmitting vibrational feedback across the entire forest.
Through spiritual wave resonance and scent signatures, all Adjuchas-level beings could be located.
Below that level, detection became unreliable:
Mindless Gillians produced nearly identical spiritual wave patterns.
Conscious Gillians could alter their spiritual wavelength.
Adjuchas exhibited unique and complex signatures.
Hollows with special abilities were exceptions.
Without the underground network, detection efficiency dropped drastically.
That was why the lord had returned here.
But—
"My… my lord…" Yadrus's voice trembled as it echoed through the central chamber.
"I have scanned the entire Hollow Forest… and detected no trace of Riat's spiritual pressure."
Silence.
Then—
"What?" the lord's voice darkened. "Where is that reptile?"
"…Also missing."
A chill swept the chamber.
Even the Adjuchas felt it.
Riat — the lord's most trusted subordinate — had vanished while pursuing a mere Gillian.
Impossible.
Theories and Impossibilities
The lord's mind raced.
There were only a few explanations:
1. A sudden sand passage to the Inner Circle
Impossible.
Riat would have returned rather than enter.
2. Both perished
Unacceptable.
A Gillian could not kill a mid-tier Adjuchas.
3. A hidden high-tier Adjuchas intervened
Unlikely.
Such a presence would have been detected.
4. A Gillian evolved mid-battle and defeated Riat
Absurd.
A newborn Adjuchas defeating a seasoned one?
The lord refused to dwell on it.
Instead:
"Find them!!!"
His roar shook the nest.
"Dig the forest apart if you must!"
Adjuchas scattered to all entrances, flooding the forest in search of answers.
But the Great Hollow Forest was vast.
Escaping it in half a day was impossible.
Which left only one conclusion:
Sombravida had vanished.
Rewind: The Escape
After trapping the sandworm lord, Sombravida fled using concealment.
True invisibility was impossible at his level, but:
suppressing spiritual pressure
obscuring his presence
altering movement patterns
allowed him to remain difficult to track.
Riat pursued relentlessly.
Yet deep within the dense forest:
sight was limited
detection relied on spiritual sensing
Sombravida's faint pressure blurred direction
Riat could only close distance when Sombravida momentarily released pressure to recover energy.
The chase lasted over an hour.
For Hollows, that meant immense distance.
The Hunter Tires of the Game
Riat grew impatient.
He unleashed his spiritual pressure and accelerated.
The oppressive force crushed Sombravida's concealment.
His energy reserves collapsed.
His speed faltered.
He was exposed.
CRASH!!
A towering tree exploded as Riat smashed through it.
Sombravida rolled aside, narrowly avoiding a fatal strike.
"You filthy reptile," Riat sneered.
"Low level… yet annoyingly skilled."
"Why stop running?"
Sombravida said nothing.
He drew in spiritual particles, desperate for even a fragment of strength.
Riat gave him no time.
Sonído.
The Adjuchas movement technique blurred his form.
He reappeared behind Sombravida.
Cero condensed instantly.
Death descended.
Catastrophic Impact
Sombravida leapt sideways.
Too slow.
A crimson beam grazed him.
His entire right arm vanished.
His shoulder was charred black.
Pain exploded through his body.
He was hurled dozens of meters before crashing into a massive needle tree.
He protected his mask with his remaining hand.
His arm bone shattered from the impact.
Still — the mask remained intact.
Without it, he would have died instantly.
Words Before Death
"You overestimated yourself," Riat said coldly.
"Who gave you the courage to defy my lord?"
Sombravida forced himself upright.
"Heh… weak though I may be… I refuse to kneel to a true insect."
Even now, he gathered his remaining power.
If he died—
he would take the enemy with him.
Riat's wings unfolded.
He launched forward.
Sombravida opened his mouth.
A fully charged Cero erupted.
Riat did not dodge.
He countered with his own.
The beams collided.
The forest was obliterated.
When the smoke cleared:
Riat stood unscathed.
Sombravida lay burned and broken.
Final Judgment
"The weak," Riat declared,
"know only submission… or death."
His final Cero formed.
Sombravida could not move.
His strength was gone.
He closed his eyes.
Memories Before Oblivion
A decade in darkness.
Yet not meaningless.
He had known strength.
He had known comrades.
He had known purity in a cruel world.
He had lived.
"I wonder… how Nel is…"
"She should become Adjuchas soon…"
The light faded from his eyes.
Boom.
The Cero struck.
But—
no heat.
No annihilation.
Sombravida opened his eyes.
The Light in the Darkness
Before him stood a small figure bathed in soft pink radiance.
Half-antelope.
Half-humanoid.
A masked face.
The crimson Cero flowed into its mouth.
Absorbed.
Consumed.
Within seconds, the energy vanished.
Its body glowed brighter—
compressing the power.
Then—
a radiant pink beam erupted forward.
The forest glowed rose-colored in its light.
Cero Sincrética.
(Cero Doble / Cero absorption and return — Nel's unique ability.)
Sombravida's eyes widened.
Nel.
She had arrived.
She had evolved.
And she had come back for him.