The forest was too quiet.
No birds.
No wind.
Only the sound of hurried footsteps breaking the silence.
A boy ran.
His breathing was uneven, his steps unstable, yet he didn't dare slow down.
Branches scratched his arms. Stones cut into his feet through worn-out shoes. His clothes, thin and torn, caught on thorns as he forced his way forward.
But he didn't stop.
He couldn't.
"I just need a little more…"
His voice trembled as he clutched a small cloth bag tied at his waist. Inside were a few wild roots and half-ripe fruits—barely enough for one person.
But to him, it was everything.
"My sister… she hasn't eaten since yesterday…"
That thought alone pushed his legs to move faster.
The sun had already begun to lower, shadows stretching long across the forest floor.
If he didn't return soon...
A low growl echoed behind him.
The boy froze.
Slowly… he turned his head.
Two glowing eyes stared back at him from the darkness between the trees.
Then four.
Then six.
Wolves.
Forest wolves.
Their bodies were lean, their fur dark and matted, their eyes sharp with hunger.
The boy's face turned pale.
"…No…"
Another growl.
Closer this time.
One of them stepped forward, muscles tense, fangs slightly exposed.
The boy stumbled back instinctively.
"I-I didn't come here for you… I'll leave… I'll just—"
A branch snapped beneath his foot.
The wolves moved.
Not one.
All of them.
The forest erupted into motion as the pack lunged forward.
The boy turned and ran.
His legs burned. His lungs screamed. His vision blurred with tears.
"Please… please…!"
He didn't know who he was begging.
The heavens?
The forest?
Anyone?
The ground beneath him was uneven, roots twisting like traps waiting to claim him.
And then...
His foot caught.
Time seemed to slow.
His body tilted forward.
"No—!"
He fell.
Hard.
The air was knocked out of his chest as he hit the ground, the bag at his waist tearing open, roots and fruits scattering across the dirt.
Pain shot through his arms as he tried to push himself up...
But it was too late.
The wolves were already there.
A shadow loomed over him.
Hot breath.
The stench of blood.
Jaws opening wide..
The boy's eyes trembled.
This was it.
He couldn't run.
He couldn't fight.
His sister's face flashed in his mind.
"I'm sorry…"
The world went silent.
…
Then,
A hand moved.
No.
Not even that.
Just a slight motion.
Like someone lazily brushing something aside.
Far ahead..
A figure stood.
No one saw when he arrived.
No one heard his footsteps.
One moment, there was nothing.
The next-
He was there.
Black robes. Loose. Unremarkable.
Long silver hair swayed slightly as if touched by a wind that didn't exist.
His expression?
Calm.
Almost bored.
Kael Virex raised his hand slightly.
No aura flared.
No energy gathered.
Just a small, almost lazy motion ---
He waved.
For a fraction of a second…
Nothing happened.
Then ---
The air screamed.
It didn't move like wind.
It collapsed.
The space in front of him compressed violently, as if an invisible force had grabbed the very atmosphere and crushed it into itself. The pressure built instantly—unnatural, suffocating, absolute.
A deep, thunderous boom followed.
The ground ahead caved inward.
Trees didn't simply break --
They bent.
Their massive trunks warped like soft clay before snapping apart, splintering into thousands of jagged fragments that were immediately driven forward by the crushing force.
The wolves didn't even have time to react.
Their bodies were slammed into the earth, bones shattering, flesh tearing apart under a pressure they couldn't comprehend. Some were thrown violently through the air, others crushed flat into the soil beneath them.
The shockwave expanded outward in a straight line.
Soil tore open.
Rocks split.
Roots were ripped from deep underground and hurled into the air before being shredded apart mid-flight.
A violent current of compressed air surged forward, dragging everything in its path with it—branches, dirt, fragments of wood—all grinding against each other in a deafening roar.
The forest didn't disappear.
It was destroyed.
A long stretch of land, nearly half a kilometer, was reduced to ruin.
Broken earth.
Splintered remains.
A scar carved violently into the forest.
And then,
Just as suddenly,
Everything stopped.
The pressure vanished.
The air settled.
Silence fell.
Leaves drifted slowly to the ground, as if the world itself was trying to forget what had just happened.
Not a single wolf remained standing.
Not a single tree in that path was intact.
Only destruction.
Raw.
Unquestionable.
Kael lowered his hand.
"…Hmm."
His voice was soft.
Indifferent.
As if he had just brushed away a minor inconvenience.
Then,
His gaze shifted.
It landed on the boy.
For a brief moment, their eyes met.
The boy's entire body stiffened.
He couldn't move.
Couldn't speak.
Couldn't even breathe properly.
His mind screamed at him to run.
But his body refused.
Because deep down—
He knew.
Running would mean nothing.
Kael tilted his head slightly, studying him.
Then, with the same casual tone—
He spoke.
"Come here, boy."
The words were simple.
Not loud.
Not commanding.
Yet—
They carried an absolute weight.
The boy's body reacted before his mind could catch up.
His hands trembled as he slowly pushed himself up.
Step.
Another step.
Each movement felt unreal.
Like he was walking toward something he shouldn't even be near.
His thoughts spiraled.
This… this has to be a legendary cultivator…
A hidden expert…
Someone from the stories…
His eyes flickered toward the destroyed forest.
Half a kilometer…
Gone.
Just like that.
His throat went dry.
Is this… what true power looks like…?
By the time he realized it—
He was already standing a few steps away from the man.
Up close…
It was even worse.
There was no pressure.
No aura.
Nothing.
And that,
Terrified him more than anything.
Kael looked down at him, eyes calm, almost amused.
"Nearest village?"
The boy flinched slightly.
"Y-yes…! I mean there is one… about two kilometers from here…"
His voice shook.
He hated it.
But he couldn't control it.
Kael nodded faintly.
"Direction?"
The boy raised a trembling hand and pointed.
"T-that way…"
Kael glanced in that direction briefly.
Then back at the boy.
Silence lingered for a moment.
The boy swallowed hard.
His heart still hadn't calmed down.
Questions filled his mind.
Who is he?
Why is he here?
Why did he save me?
But he didn't dare ask.
Kael watched him for a second longer.
Then
A faint smile appeared.
"…You're interesting."
The boy froze.
Before he could react,
Kael turned and began walking.
"Lead the way."
The words were casual.
Like it was the most natural thing in the world.
The boy stood there, stunned.
"L-lead…?"
Kael didn't stop.
Didn't look back.
"Or stay here."
The boy's body jolted.
"N-no—I'll lead!"
He hurried forward, falling into step ahead of Kael.
His legs still trembled.
His mind still raced.
But one thought echoed louder than the rest
I… just met something… beyond everything I know.
Behind him, Kael walked calmly, hands behind his back, gaze drifting lazily across the ruined forest.
"…This might not be so boring after all."
And just like that
Without realizing it
The boy's life had changed.
Forever.