The purple canopy finally broke apart entirely, giving way to a massive gap in the forest. The ground dropped away into a wide, sunken bowl that looked out of place among the twisted trees.
Its edges were perfectly circular, surrounded by a sheer wall of pale roots that boxed the area in. It didn't look like a natural clearing at all, but rather something deliberately carved out to be a fighting pit.
Hajin stopped a few steps past the treeline, his eyes scanning the empty bowl. The sickly purple veins of corruption were woven much thicker here, pulsing steadily through the roots that made up the walls.
Behind him, Cassie and the other two rookies finally caught up, completely exhausted from their hike. They barely had time to take in the strange sight before Hajin held one hand out to stop them.
He didn't bother turning around to look at them, his gaze already locked on the far edge of the pit.
