The Black Forest.
The most dangerous land on the Southern Continent.
Its ancient trees stretched endlessly toward the sky, their twisted branches blocking every ray of sunlight. Thick black mist drifted between the trunks, carrying an eerie silence that pressed against the hearts of every knight.
Steel clashed.
Roars echoed through the forest.
Arun's reconnaissance squad fought fiercely against a group of giant Ogres and Goblins. Their coordination was flawless.
Swords flashed.
Magic exploded.
Within minutes, the monsters lay dead.
As the last Ogre collapsed, Arun calmly wiped the blood from his sword.
A knight approached him.
"Leader Arun."
"I believe we've entered the Second Layer of the Black Forest."
Arun, a tall knight with black hair and dark eyes, slowly raised his head.
He studied the surrounding forest before nodding.
"You're right."
"We've crossed into the Second Layer."
Another knight stepped forward.
"Sir..."
"Something feels strange."
"The monsters in the First Layer were far stronger and more aggressive than usual."
"I've never seen them fight like that."
Another veteran nodded.
"I noticed the same thing."
"And..."
"We've been in the Second Layer for almost thirty minutes."
"Not a single monster has attacked us."
"You've explored this forest more than anyone else."
"Do you know what's happening?"
Arun slowly stood.
"I know this forest better than most."
"But..."
"This is different."
"I've never reached the Second Layer without encountering a single monster."
He looked around cautiously.
"You all know how the Black Forest is structured."
"So far..."
"Humanity has only explored up to the Seventh Layer."
"The First through Fourth Layers are inhabited by Rank Seven to Rank Ten monsters."
"They're dangerous in groups, but ordinary knights can defeat them."
"The Fifth through Seventh Layers..."
"...are home to Rank Five and Rank Six monsters."
"Only Elite Knights can fight creatures of that level."
He glanced at his squad.
"There are fifteen of us."
"Five are Elite Knights."
"And I'm a Two-Star Elite Knight."
"So normally..."
"The first four layers shouldn't be a problem."
He tightened his grip on his sword.
"But today..."
"The First Layer felt as dangerous as the Second."
"My only guess..."
"...is that something forced the Second Layer monsters upward."
His expression became serious.
"Whatever the reason..."
"Stay alert."
"This is the Black Forest."
"We've only explored half of its known territory."
One of the younger knights hesitated.
"Captain..."
"What lies beyond the Seventh Layer?"
For a brief moment...
Arun fell silent.
A memory flashed before his eyes.
Years ago...
During another expedition...
He had witnessed something enormous moving deep within the darkness.
Even now, remembering it sent chills down his spine.
He unconsciously tightened his grip on his sword.
"Because..."
"The monsters beyond the Fourth Layer..."
"...are stronger than Elite Knights."
"Our mission ends at the Fourth Layer."
"We're here to investigate why the mana density has increased."
He looked toward the darkness ahead.
"Everyone."
"We're moving into the Third Layer."
"Maintain formation."
"Do not create any openings."
"If my suspicion is correct..."
"The monsters ahead will be far stronger than we expected."
The squad advanced.
---
Several minutes later...
They entered the Third Layer.
Silence.
Complete silence.
No monsters.
No growls.
Not even insects.
Arun frowned.
What's happening...?
He pulled a small mana detector from his belt.
The crystal inside glowed a deep blue.
His eyes widened.
"The mana density..."
"...is equal to the Fifth Layer."
A nearby knight suddenly noticed something.
"Captain!"
"Over here!"
He ran toward a patch of green blood on the ground.
"What are you doing? Stay in formation!"
Arun immediately followed.
He knelt and touched the strange blood.
Still warm.
Fresh.
His thoughts raced.
Monster blood...
But...
Lower-ranked monsters never kill each other.
They hunt together.
Only monsters from the deeper layers fight for territory.
Then how did this happen...?
A chill ran down his spine.
He instantly stood.
"Everyone!"
"Battle positions!"
"Something is terribly wrong!"
At that exact moment...
Far within the darkness...
A pair of crimson eyes slowly opened.
Watching them.
Arun's instincts screamed.
It felt...
Like someone had deliberately lured them here.
His face turned pale.
"Retreat!"
"Everyone!"
"Run back to the Second Layer!"
Without questioning the order, the entire squad sprinted through the forest.
Several minutes later...
They crossed back into the Second Layer.
The knights bent over, breathing heavily.
One of them looked at Arun.
"Captain..."
"What happened?"
"There weren't any monsters."
"Why did we retreat?"
Arun remained silent.
What was that feeling...?
I've never experienced fear like that...
One of the newer recruits muttered under his breath.
"Hmph."
"I don't think our famous captain is as great as everyone claims."
Another knight glared at him.
"Watch your mouth."
"You're new."
"Captain Arun knows this forest better than anyone."
The recruit scoffed and turned away.
"I still don't believe—"
A massive shadow suddenly appeared behind him.
Before anyone could react—
A gigantic sword fell.
Slash!
The young knight's body was split cleanly in half.
Blood sprayed across the forest floor.
Everyone froze.
Arun slowly turned around.
His pupils contracted.
Standing before them...
Was a gigantic yellow-skinned creature over four meters tall.
Two massive horns rose from its head.
Its crimson eyes burned with murderous intent.
Razor-sharp fangs protruded from its mouth.
Resting upon one shoulder was an enormous black greatsword.
Arun whispered in disbelief,
"Impossible..."
"A Troll..."
"A Seventh Layer monster..."
"What is it doing here?"
His voice exploded through the battlefield.
"Formation!"
"NOW!"
"Everyone fall back!"
"It's a Troll!"
"We attack together!"
The squad immediately surrounded the monster.
Magic erupted.
Steel clashed.
Dozens of attacks rained down.
The Troll casually blocked every strike.
Some it stopped with its sword.
Others bounced harmlessly off its thick skin.
Then...
It counterattacked.
One swing.
Three knights were sent flying.
Arun's eyes sharpened.
Blue mana erupted around his body before flowing into his blade.
He took one powerful step forward.
"Aura Flash!"
A brilliant blue arc tore through the battlefield.
The Troll staggered.
The other Elite Knights immediately unleashed their own magic.
Together...
They overwhelmed it.
Arun leaped high into the air.
His sword descended like lightning.
The Troll's head fell to the ground.
Silence returned.
The exhausted knights struggled to catch their breath.
Arun stared at the corpse.
Was this monster responsible for driving the others away?
But...
Even a Troll couldn't do this alone.
And why couldn't I sense its presence...?
Suddenly—
An overwhelming pressure descended upon the forest.
BOOM!
The very air became heavy.
Several knights fell to one knee, gasping for breath.
Only Arun managed to remain standing.
Then...
Strange war cries echoed through the trees.
Not in any human language.
Arun slowly looked ahead.
His face lost all color.
Emerging from the darkness...
Were dozens of Trolls.
No...
More than fifty.
Each one carried massive weapons.
Each one radiated terrifying mana.
At their front walked an enormous Troll wearing a crude iron crown.
Unlike the others...
It smiled.
It looked directly at Arun.
As if it already knew...
None of them would leave the forest alive.
Arun swallowed hard.
"This..."
"...is impossible."
"More than fifty Seventh-Layer Trolls..."
"Is this..."
"...where we die?"
To be continue...