I somehow reached my room, fell onto the bed, and slept.
When I woke up — 26 hours had passed.
The Claw members were worried, and for good reason. I coughed up blood right in front of them.
After that, I ate as much as I could, then went back to my room to rest again.
There's a reason all this is happening — it's because of the Nature Force.
Let me explain.
The name of this Nature Force is Apocalypse.
You might think it was named by a narcissist, but no.
Sixth Sense and Omniscient are passive abilities that I can use actively if desired. They absorb small amounts of Nature Mana constantly.
Then there's Teleportation. It's an active ability that stores a small amount of mana, and whenever I use it, I gradually absorb more. But it doesn't require much for each teleport.
Now comes Apocalypse.
This ability basically produces force. How much depends on me.
But to generate that force, I must provide Nature Mana proportional to the amount of force I want.
It has a little mana stored within, but for stronger strikes, I need to absorb more.
Now, you might wonder — what's the upper limit of the force that Apocalypse can produce?
Answer: None.
Theoretically, it can even end the world.
Now, you might think, "This world doesn't have enough mana for that, right?"
No — I wouldn't even need that much mana.
Before I explain why I said theoretically, another question might come to mind:
Can it absorb all the world's Nature Mana?
Yes, but since the world produces mana rapidly, it would replenish to a decent level soon after.
So, why did I say theoretically?
Because each use of Apocalypse absorbs Nature Mana — and the greater the force, the more mana it draws. No one can handle such an immense amount of Nature Mana, not even with the help of a Nature Force.
Now, why did I cough up blood?
Because I couldn't handle the backlash from using Apocalypse.
I'm too weak. Before using it, I had stored as much Nature Mana as I could handle — thanks to the Nature Force's support.
But when all the mana left my body, a massive potential difference remained, damaging me from within.
So, now I have immense offensive power, but I can't use it freely.
After resting for another day, I went to the market and bought as many high-grade healing potions as I could.
Total cost: 150 platinum coins.
I needed them — especially for my next journey.
But first, I contacted my uncle.
I sent a message:
> "Everything sold?"
He replied:
> "Almost."
I sent another message:
> "I won't be able to reach the academy on time. Please ask someone to collect my things. Also, hire an SS-rank adventurer for two months."
My uncle paused before replying:
> "...Okay."
---
If I had to explain my location on the continent, imagine the continent as a clock:
I'm currently near the 5-minute mark, with 0 as north, 15 as east, 30 as south, and 45 as west.
My next destination is around 40 minutes — and I can't travel directly there.
It'll take me about a month.
Attending the academy isn't possible... for now.
---
We flew as fast as we could. We might encounter someone strong, but as long as it wasn't a true powerhouse, we'd be fine.
We were flying over the Vermillion Peaks, mountains famous for many things — though not particularly high.
---
The sky was never silent.
The winds screamed in the ears of six riders cutting through the clouds on the backs of Sky Dogs. Each movement rippled through the air, leaving whirling shockwaves behind.
At the center rode Adrian Lewin, his hood drawn low against the biting wind. His dark coat fluttered, hiding his red eyes. Five others flanked him — Claw, escorting him across the Vermillion Peaks.
Ahead, the horizon was nothing but silver mist.
---
Raven raised his hand, voice barely cutting through the storm.
"Wind's thickening. We'll hit turbulence soon!"
I didn't reply — I didn't need to.
My Sixth Sense was already reacting.
Something was watching them.
I couldn't tell from where — above, below, maybe even within the clouds —the intent was unclear.
Lucas, his blonde hair whipping in the wind, drew his staff close.
"Sir, something's wrong. The mana in the air is too dense."
Raven cursed. "Mana storms?"
"No," I muttered quietly, eyes narrowing. "This is different."
Through Omniscient, I felt, saw, and heard what others couldn't.
Every vibration of the wind, every flicker of light — I could sense them all.
And beneath it all, I felt movement — dozens of forms flying within the mist.
"Below us!" I shouted.
The clouds tore apart as shapes lunged upward — Wyverns, their hides tough and their power immense. Dozens of them, their jaws glowing faintly with unstable lightning.
Are these ones using lightning elements?
Scouts, maybe?
---
"Formation!" Raven barked, pulling his katana from its sheath.
Lucas readied his magic.
Sixth Sense pulsed — each wyvern's intent mapped itself in my mind.
They weren't thinking. Just pure instinct: strike, devour, feed.
But there was something else — madness.
Why?
The first wyvern lunged for Raven's mount.
I vanished.
Teleportation triggered instantly — no flash, no delay — just absence and reappearance.
I appeared in front of the wyvern. But in between, I had stopped briefly near Lucas.
Lucas fired a lightning spell.
Maybe I had been too hasty — Lucas hadn't had enough time to switch elements. Anyone could tell wyverns had some resistance to lightning.
The wyvern changed course — but more followed.
Brock shouted, "There's too many!"
One wyvern targeted Brock's Sky Dog, but an arrow made it screech and veer away.
"Brock!" Emma yelled, diving after him — only relaxing once she saw Raven covering them.
---
I felt everything.
Every heartbeat. Every vibration of air.
A wyvern's jaw snapped behind me — I didn't look. I felt it, the intent, and teleported backward just before the fangs closed where his throat had been.
I reappeared a few meters away, arm raised.
"Lucas, now!"
The mage thrust his staff forward, casting a net of fire that burst through the mist. The wyvern screamed as several explosion happened— though these weren't ordinary beasts.
Still, more emerged.
"Damn it, they're endless!" Brock snarled, a shallow cut bleeding along his arm.
"Then we thin them out," Raven replied coldly, loosing another arrow.
But he could only injure, not kill.
I sensed something wrong — the numbers didn't add up.
They weren't attacking naturally; they were being drawn by something.
The dense mana wasn't random — it was pulsing. Rhythmic. Deliberate.
---
Then I saw it.
Below, through the swirling mist, a faint crimson light pulsed deep within the ground.
I decided to end this quickly — these creatures just kept coming.
So I used Apocalypse.
Not too much — just enough not to injure myself.
All the wyverns died instantly.
But from that crimson light, a counterforce surged upward.
I had no choice but to use Apocalypse again, cancelling it — though one Sky Dog got injured in the process.
I gave a signal. The Sky Dogs folded their wings and plummeted, slicing through the air.
They had to descend.
I led in front.
Behind me, the others followed — Emma gritting her teeth as her Sky Dog's wings strained.
My head throbbed — too much, too fast use of Apocalypse.
"Everyone, land!" Raven ordered, voice raw from the wind.
They angled downward, aiming for a rocky plateau visible through gaps in the mist.
---
The landing was rough.
The Sky Dogs stumbled, claws scraping stone as they skidded to a stop. Brock's mount bled from a deep gash on its flank.
I dismounted, boots crunching on gravel. The plateau overlooked a deep ravine — and far below, the same crimson light pulsed faintly.
I drank a healing potion first.
Raven knelt beside his Sky Dog, pressing a cloth to its wound.
"We won't be able to fly again until tomorrow."
Emilia asked, "What was that thing?"
Lucas shook his head. "No natural phenomenon behaves like that. It was targeted."
I stood silent, staring into the mist below. His Sixth Sense was still prickling — that hunger hadn't disappeared.
---
Night fell quickly in the mountains.
Brock leaned against a boulder, spear beside him. "So, we camping here?"
Raven nodded. "I don't like it either, but the beasts won't survive another ascent tonight."
I moved to the cliff's edge, his vision blurring slightly. I could still hear the faint heartbeat of the land itself.
I looked down at the red glow below.
It pulsed rhythmically — thump... thump... thump...
Emma walked up beside me, blades at her waist. "You saw something?"
I didn't answer immediately. "Maybe the source of that force."
---
Later that night, as the others rested, I stayed awake. My Sixth Sense wouldn't let me sleep anyway.
The intent was clearer now — no longer hunger. Something natural... yet alien.
I sighed, rubbing my temples, then stood and moved silently between the sleeping Sky Dogs, the campfire's glow flickering faintly across my face.
As I neared the cliff, the wind shifted — unnaturally. I felt it through Omniscient.
The mist parted slightly, revealing a faint light deep within the ravine.
"Risky, maybe," I muttered, "but let's see."
I placed my hand on the rock and closed my eyes.
Omniscient expanded again — every vibration of stone, every whisper of mana, every drifting grain of dust — I felt them all.
And beneath, I sensed something massive. Not alive... not dead.
---
I didn't get the chance to warn the others.
The ground shook.
Raven woke instantly, hand on his katana. "What now—"
The plateau cracked open with a roar.
From below, dozens of crimson tendrils shot upward — pure mana, whipping through the air like spears.
"MOVE!" I shouted, teleporting instantly to pull Emilia out of harm's way. One tendril impaled the boulder she'd been leaning against, shattering it.
The Sky Dogs howled, scattering in panic.
Lucas shouted, "It's pulling mana from the storm itself! We can't win like this!"
My hand trembled on my sword. I could feel the pulse again — faster now, desperate. Was the natural mana of the storm causing this reaction?
I saw another surge of force rising from the light.
"Apocalypse... is the only way to defend," I whispered.
I slammed my hand into the ground.
---
A shockwave erupted — not of fire or wind, but pure force.
The crimson tendrils vaporized instantly.
The ground around me shattered, fissures spiderwebbing outward.
The air screamed — even sound itself seemed to break apart.
The others fell to their knees, clutching their heads.
For one terrible second, it felt as though the entire plateau might collapse.
Then — silence.
The tendrils were gone. The red glow faded. Only the smell of burnt ozone remained.
I staggered, blood dripping from my nose, my breathing shallow. Blood spilled from my mouth from the backlash.
Lucas ran toward him, panic in his eyes. "You idiot!"
I smiled faintly, eyes unfocused. "...Worked, didn't it?"
And then, I collapsed.
---
Far below, deep within the ravine, something stirred — a faint flicker of light reigniting.
Not crimson this time.
But black.