The sun had already passed its zenith when I ventured deeper into the Forest.
Light struggled to filter through the dense canopy above, faint rays that failed to dispel the shadows layered across the ground. The air was damp, carrying the scent of moss and old blood—a mixture unmistakable after one true battle.
I had stopped counting the number of monsters I'd slain.
Not because the number didn't matter…
but because counting was no longer necessary.
Another E-rank monster lunged at me from the bushes, its lean body tense, claws raised. I didn't wait for its attack. A sidestep, a low draw of the blade, followed by a short knee strike.
It fell without a sound.
The strike wasn't clean—but it was enough.
I withdrew the sword slowly, exhaled once, then wiped the blood along the edge of my coat.
Fifty?
Seventy?
I didn't know.
All I knew was that my arms were growing heavy, and the Mana within me no longer gathered the way it should.
I pressed forward.
Valsmeer was not a natural forest.
The monsters here didn't attack out of hunger alone… but out of territorial instinct. The deeper I went, the denser their presence became, as if something at the core was drawing them in.
I passed through a low-lying area where the ground was muddy and movement was difficult. Two E-rank monsters emerged at once. I didn't use Mana. There was no need.
The first strike shattered their balance.
The second ended it.
But as I straightened up, a sharp sting shot through my side.
I stopped.
I placed a hand over the pain. The old wound… hadn't fully closed.
"…Attrition."
It wasn't sudden.
It wasn't violent.
It was cumulative. Silent. Working in the background.
I continued anyway.
Not far ahead, something different appeared.
A larger monster. Slower, but with thicker hide. D-rank minus.
I tightened my grip on the sword.
This time, I used a small amount of Mana to reinforce my movement—just enough to keep from slipping in the mud.
The first attack didn't pierce.
The second opened a gash.
The third required my full weight behind the strike.
When the monster finally fell, my breathing was heavy. The Mana in my core had dropped noticeably.
I sat on a nearby rock.
"I can't keep this pace."
But retreat was not an option.
I was close. I could feel it.
Something in the forest had changed. The sounds faded. Even the insects disappeared.
I stood and moved forward with greater caution.
Minutes passed without a fight.
Then… I felt it.
Not sight.
Not sound.
Pressure.
I didn't need to see it to know.
The air in Valsmeer suddenly shifted, as if the forest itself had contracted. The Mana around me wasn't just incompatible anymore—it became heavy, suffocating, rejecting usage altogether.
I stopped.
My heart thudded once.
Then again.
This wasn't D-rank.
Not even D+.
"…C-rank."
It emerged slowly from between the trees. No rush. No aggression.
A massive creature, its body uneven, hide layered like stone and flesh fused together. Its eyes locked onto me—no rage, only assessment.
As if I were a calculated prey.
One instinct screamed within me:
Run.
But my body didn't move immediately.
I knew one thing clearly—
If it closed the distance… I wouldn't survive a single exchange.
I tightened my grip on the sword.
The Mana in my core barely stirred.
Still… I tried.
I raised my hand, forcing Mana toward lightning.
No response.
Again.
Deeper.
Harder.
A sharp pain tore through my chest, as if something inside me had ripped apart.
"…Useless."
Even if I managed to launch an attack, it wouldn't be enough.
The monster moved.
Just one step.
The ground trembled beneath it.
I retreated instantly, changing direction, dashing between the trees.
Not randomly.
I chose a narrow path, cluttered with roots and rocks.
The monster followed.
Fast… faster than I expected.
I heard it behind me—trees crashing, branches shattering.
Every step brought it closer.
The pain in my side surged.
My breathing turned erratic.
"Think."
Fighting was impossible.
Lightning was useless.
Void… impossible in my current state.
Only one option remained.
Deception.
I changed direction abruptly, slid behind a large boulder, left my trail obvious—then forced myself upward, leaping onto a secondary path, far less visible.
I held my breath.
The monster charged where I had been moments before.
Slammed into the boulder.
Roared.
It didn't stop.
It began searching.
Its steps slowed.
More cautious.
I knew—
If it saw through the trick, I was finished.
I moved slowly, every motion slicing through my body like knives.
The bleeding hadn't stopped.
My vision wavered.
Then I saw it.
A narrow crack in the rock.
A dark opening.
Nearly hidden among the roots.
A cave.
I didn't hesitate.
I dove inside, hit the hard ground, rolled several times before slamming into the inner wall.
Pain exploded through my body.
I heard the monster roar at the entrance.
Heavy blows.
The rock trembled.
I held my breath.
Didn't move.
The entrance was narrow.
Too narrow.
Long seconds passed.
Then… silence.
No footsteps.
No roar.
But the pressure didn't fade immediately.
I lay there, back against the cold stone, staring into the darkness.
My body was in bad shape.
Multiple injuries.
Mana nearly depleted.
One wrong move… could kill me.
I let out a short, soundless laugh.
"…This isn't training anymore."
I extended my hand weakly, touching the rocky wall.
The cave stretched deeper.
Dark.
Endless.
And it might be…
The only refuge left.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
"I'll survive."
Not because I'm the strongest.
But because I refuse to die here.
I opened my eyes and dragged myself deeper into the cave, leaving the forest's light behind.
The journey wasn't over yet.
But for now…
I was still alive.
_____
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