The silence was wrong.Stephen had spent enough time in the rift to know that the forest was never truly still — not even at night. Yet now, the chirping of insects, the distant calls of beasts, the rustle of leaves — all of it had vanished, swallowed by an uneasy hush.
He stood slowly, tightening his grip on the light sword at his side.The faint blue glow of his sprout soul flickered under his skin, sharpening his senses. The hair at the back of his neck stood on end.
Something was watching him.
He scanned the treeline, eyes narrowing. The mist that coiled through the forest glowed faintly with moonlight, thick enough to obscure the ground. His heartbeat steadied as he crouched, letting his breathing fall into rhythm with the forest's faint hum.
Then—A faint crunch.A single leaf broke under pressure somewhere behind him.
Stephen twisted and slashed. The sword cut through empty air — but the motion saved his life. A blur of black shadow streaked past where he had been standing, the wind of its passing sharp enough to sting his cheek.
It was fast. Far faster than anything he'd faced so far.
He dove aside just as claws gouged into the ground, leaving deep marks that hissed faintly with residual energy.
"A predator-type beast…" he muttered under his breath, eyes flicking over the tracks. "But why can't I sense its core?"
A low growl rolled through the mist — deep, guttural, close.Then came another sound — the faint clink of metal.
Stephen's gaze locked onto it. Hanging from one of the shadows ahead, faintly glinting under the moonlight, was a ring — black, slick with blood.
His pulse quickened.
"The hundred-point beast…"
It had already killed someone.
The mist stirred again, and this time he caught a glimpse — a pair of glowing crimson eyes, low to the ground, circling him. The creature was large, its silhouette sleek and powerful, its movements unnervingly silent.
He exhaled slowly, centering himself.This wasn't a fight he could win by charging in.
Stephen drew on the Azure Sparrow's power. Energy flowed through him in a controlled pulse, enhancing his reflexes and clarity. The ground beneath his feet steadied; his breathing synchronized with his heartbeat.
When the beast lunged again, he was ready.
Steel met claw in a blur of motion. Sparks flew as the impact reverberated through his arms. The creature twisted midair, slashing again — but Stephen sidestepped, letting the blow graze his shoulder rather than pierce through.
Pain shot through him, sharp and hot. He gritted his teeth, pivoted, and countered — the sword's light slicing across the beast's flank.
A roar erupted, shaking the mist itself. The creature stumbled back, revealing itself fully under the pale glow.
A Blackfang Panther, Level 11 — muscles rippling with dark energy, its fur glistening with shadows that seemed to shift like smoke.
"Half a step into the next stage…" Stephen muttered, chest heaving. "No wonder it's so strong."
The panther crouched, blood dripping from its side. Its tail flicked once — a warning. Then it vanished again into the fog.
Stephen's eyes darted left and right, his body trembling slightly from strain. His breathing was ragged, but he forced himself to stay calm.
Inside his soul sea, the Azure Sparrow stirred. Its eyes opened slightly, a faint ripple of will brushing against his consciousness — not a word, not even a thought, but an instinctive urge.
It wanted him to move.
Without thinking, Stephen dropped low. A black blur sliced through where his neck had been a heartbeat ago. The ground cracked under the impact, scattering dirt and shards of rock.
He rolled away and slashed again, this time catching the beast across the shoulder. The blow was shallow, but it made the creature falter for just a moment — long enough for Stephen to regain his stance.
The sprout's glow pulsed, knitting minor wounds and replenishing a trickle of stamina. The sparrow's presence lingered — subtle, quiet — amplifying his awareness just enough for him to track the predator's movements through the mist.
The fight dragged on like a deadly dance.Step, pivot, strike — retreat.Every mistake could mean death.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the panther hesitated. Its breaths came heavier, its steps slower. Stephen saw his chance.
He drew in all the energy he could muster, feeling the Azure Sparrow blaze to life inside him. The world seemed to narrow — every sound sharper, every motion clearer.
"Now!"
He lunged.The blade cut through the fog, piercing straight into the beast's chest. The panther let out a strangled roar before collapsing, its dark body dissolving into motes of light that drifted away into the air.
When it was over, Stephen stood still for a long moment, gasping, drenched in sweat and blood.
At his feet lay a faintly glowing crystal — and beside it, the black ring.
He picked up the crystal first.The moment his fingers touched it, a surge of warmth spread through him. From within his soul sea, the Azure Sparrow let out a soft, inaudible cry — a note of yearning and resonance.
Stephen froze. The sensation was unlike anything he'd felt before. It wasn't dangerous… just deeply familiar, as though the crystal itself was calling to that hidden part of him.
He tightened his grip and slipped it into his bag.
"Not here," he whispered. "Not yet."
The rift was still no place to cultivate. He could feel other presences in the mist — weaker than the panther but still watching, waiting.
He tied the black ring to his belt, checked his bracelet —
[Stephen Stormcloud — 415 Points | Rank: 63]
Then exhaled slowly, shoulders sagging with fatigue.
The fight had drained nearly everything he had, but in that exhaustion lay a quiet satisfaction.
He had survived.And somewhere deep inside his soul, both his Aspect Souls pulsed in quiet harmony — growing stronger, together.