Only a few seconds passed before the pillar of blue energy vanished.
What remained were drifting traces of Helis that pulsed faintly in the air, visible even from a distance. Thick clouds of black smoke rose slowly toward the sky as the burnt and bitter stench made the air heavy.
The mage was the first one to move.
"We need to move. Now," she said sharply. "Head there immediately."
It took the others a moment to shake off the shock and return to themselves.
Then, as if pulled back by training alone, they snapped once more in a tight 2-3-2 wedge formation.
"Yes, Lady Sierra!" they answered together, some voices were louder than the others.
And with that, the first group of true monsters set out, marching toward the heart of the forest where the real nightmare was waiting.
The sun dipped below the horizon as they advanced.
Deeper Forest — Evening
I glanced back one last time at the charred trees before turning away.
"I need shelter for the night," I muttered.
The forest after sunset was not something I wanted to test blindly. My understanding of this jungle was still shallow, and that made every shadow feel heavier.
As I moved deeper, the forest began to change.
The shapes of the trees grew stranger. The leaves twisted into unfamiliar forms. The spacing between trunks felt deliberate, as if the forest itself was watching, waiting for me to step wrong.
But when the moon finally climbed high into the sky, the tight knot in my chest loosened.
"…Wow."
The leaves around me glowed faintly, as if energy flowed through their veins.
I walked through the glowing forest with my eyes wide open. I could feel the same energy as the blue particles flowing through the forest.
I stepped further ahead and a tingling sensation grazed my fur. My body instantly recognized it. This was the same energy but denser and even stronger than the normal blue particles.
"Why is the energy so dense in this area?" my mind doubted but instinct was relaxed as it hummed in domestic warmth.
I took another step forward trusting my instinct and my whole body shivered. Instantly I looked back but everything was same. No changes at all.
But the sensation… My fur spiked as I felt like I just walked through a wall of thick liquid.
I raised my hand forward.
"Yes… there is something."
My hand touched an invisible wall that felt like rippling liquid for a moment then it slipped through the wall.
I could clearly feel it. The energy inside the wall where I stood was far denser than the outside, where my paw was.
"Predator's Eyes!"
I instinctively called for the skill as it helps me to see the particles clearly. And that's when I noticed as the world turned red.
The particles outside moved normally, drifting through the forest like they usually did.
Inside the boundary, their density spiked. The particles crowded together, their motion faster and irregular as they collided instead of spreading out.
I raised my head.
"What is this?"
The compressed particles outlined a curved boundary in the air. Wherever the normal flow of outside reached that boundary, it was pushed aside instead of passing through.
I stepped back to get a wider view.
At the forest's center stood an unseen dome. Inside it, particle concentration was several times higher.
Outside, the natural flow continued unchanged, splitting cleanly around the dome before merging again.
It reminded me of water hitting a jagged rock in a creek.
That's when the system message popped up.
[Natural Habitat Located.]
"Natural habitat…?"
The words surfaced as I turned away from the boundary and stepped fully inside the dome.
GRRRL!
My stomach twisted violently.
The hunger came without warning, sharp and deep. A cold spike ran up my spine, forcing my muscles to tense despite the calm my instinct had shown earlier.
So this hadn't changed.
Connection or not, hunger was still there.
I moved fast.
My head snapped from side to side as I searched the space inside the dome, breath quickening.
"Not again… damn it."
Then I saw them.
Fruits.
Clusters of them hung openly from low branches, round and firm, their skins tinted yellow and orange. They weren't hidden or guarded. They simply… existed.
I froze.
This was the first time since waking in this world that I'd seen anything like this.
Edible. Clearly edible.
No claws needed anymore, no merciless killing. A safe way to survive without losing my sanity.
My body didn't wait for further thought.
I leaped onto a nearby branch, bark scraping under my paws, and tore one of the fruits free. The skin split easily under my claws.
Juice spilled out as I bit down. Sweetness flooded my mouth.
I swallowed greedily, then again, juice dripping from my chin onto the forest floor as my stomach finally eased.
And then-
[Level Up.]
I froze mid-bite.
"…What?"
The word burst out louder than I meant it to.
My beast voice echoed back at me from the dome's interior, distorted and sharp.
KRRRHAAAAAA?!?!?!
I forced my body upright and opened my status window. The numbers had changed.
My level had increased by one. Several values in stats beneath it had shifted upward as well.
I stared at it longer than necessary.
"…That fruit counted."
The thought felt uneasy rather than excited as my chest tightened with anxiety.
I reached for another fruit.
The second one tasted the same, sweet and filling. Warmth spread through my stomach as I swallowed.
[Level Up.]
My breath hitched in my throat. I didn't move for a moment as my eyes remained firm on the status window.
"Is this some sort of glitch?"
I was too afraid regarding the thought of this being a glitch and I will lose the upgrade but nothing happened.
Then I took another.
And another.
Each time, the result was the same. The numbers climbed steadily, no lag or catch, just the numbers going up.
"Did I just find a Cheat to level up…" A weird grin carved across my face but…
By the fifth fruit, my hands slowed.
My stomach tightened, swelling with uncomfortable pressure. The hunger was gone, replaced by weight.
I tried to take another bite but my body refused.
[Maximum consumption of Evolution Fruit within 24 hours reached.]
"…So there is a limit."
The realization came with a strange sense of relief.
I let out a long breath and lowered myself to the base of the tree. The ground felt firm beneath me, my limbs heavy and unresponsive.
A deep, involuntary burp escaped my chest.
"Bwaaarrrp…"
My eyelids drooped.
The forest inside the dome remained quiet as sleep dragged me down as the world faded out.
Somewhere between the deeper forest and the clearing–
The group from the capital moved through the jungle under the silver moon.
One of the vanguard soldiers murmured to the other at the front,
"We should stop for the night…" His eyes scanned the forest with caution.
"But she's not ready to stop," the other vanguard replied, his tone edged with sharp disappointment.
Lady Sierra showed no sign of slowing.
In her mind, a single thought was stuck like a needle on a broken record.
If we stop now, the trail goes cold… This is a chance to rediscover the lost history. And I can't lose it, no matter the cost.
Hurried footsteps cut through the rustling leaves as the warm night breeze stirred the canopy.
Shhk.
Shhk.
Two sudden, muted sounds burst from the undergrowth.
The group halted instantly.
The 2-3-2 formation collapsed inward, reforming into a tight circle with the mage at its center. Steel shifted softly as shields were raised and blades angled outward.
The air felt suffocating. Everyone gripped their weapons tightly till their knuckles went white.
And around them…
From behind tree trunks and tangled roots, multiple pairs of ruby-red eyes watched in silence.
Patient.
Waiting for an opening.
The group advanced slowly, weapons ready, eyes scanning the darkness.
Sierra whispered,
"Prepare to defend at any moment… We are surrounded by a horde of Baby Fire Wolves."
One of the soldiers turned his head in shock.
"How does she know…?"
One of the marksmen whispered back,
"Well, Lady Sierra is not the strongest mage of the capital for nothing!!"
The other female marksman added quietly,
"Don't question her! If she says they are there, then they're there. Just keep your shield up."
Yet Sierra's eyes remained unsettled, as if something here was outside her expectations.
Then it happened.
With loud, echoing roars, multiple Baby Fire Wolves burst from the undergrowth, their burning fur lighting up the forest in flashes of red and orange.
AUUUUUUUUU!
Four wolves lunged at once, slamming into the soldiers' shields as the formation snapped shut, four shields locking together around the group.
"HOLD IT!" the soldiers roared.
"Tighten your defense!"
Shhk!
Shhk!
From the narrow gaps between the shields, small knives shot outward.
Auuuu!
Auuu!
Two Baby Fire Wolves collapsed onto the forest floor, their flames sputtering out.
A red magic circle flared to life beneath the group's feet as Sierra raised her staff high into the air.
"Formation: Ceiling Defense! Now!" she commanded.
Shields rose instantly, locking overhead as the formation tightened further around Sierra. Blades angled forward, ready to strike at anything that broke through.
The magic circle lifted from the ground, rising above them like a glowing canopy.
"Flame Arrow."
The enchantment was spoken softly.
From the floating circle, a barrage of fire-bolts shrieked out , turning the humidity in the air into a blinding mist of steam.
"We end this in one strike!" Sierra roared, swinging her staff downward.
The arrows rained down.
The wolves didn't stand a chance. They tried to escape as fast as they could. But Sierra Lauren's spells were feared by even legendary ranked adventurers.
Comparing to them, the wolves were really babies. They did not get even the time to yelp. They were just targets in a shooting gallery to show off her control and accuracy.
The forest shook with the sound of impact as fire tore through fur and flesh alike.
Death cries echoed through the trees and cut off one by one abruptly, leaving nothing but the smell of burned flesh and the quiet hiss of the steam uprising from the ground.
The soldiers shouted in celebration. The two female marksmen let out relieved breaths.
Only Sierra Lauren did not relax.
Her brows remained furrowed.
"We camp here tonight," she ordered sharply.
The group moved quickly, setting up camp with practiced efficiency and without exchanging a single word. No one noticed where Sierra's gaze lingered. Her gaze was fixed on the distant, charred stretch of forest where the blue pillar had erupted earlier.
It was still far beyond their current position.
But Sierra could see it.
Her detection magic spread outward, her eyes glowing faintly purple as the forest transformed into a layered, radar-like field visible to her alone. The burnt ground and distorted flow with a boundary that shouldn't exist were clearly visible only to Sierra's eyes.
A smirk slowly curved across her lips.
"…We're here."
The whisper was too soft for anyone else to hear.
As the night deepened and most of the group drifted into sleep, Sierra remained awake, quietly rotating guard duty as required.
She leaned down and nudged one of the female marksmen.
"Hey. Wake up."
The woman blinked, stifling a yawn.
"Is it my turn already?"
"No," Sierra whispered. "But stay alert. I'm going ahead."
Sleep vanished instantly from the marksman's eyes as she sat up.
"What? Alone…?"
Sierra glanced back, already stepping away.
"Don't worry," she said softly. "I'll be back in a flash."
Before the marksman could respond, Sierra's curving silhouette slipped between the trees and darkness of the deeper forest claimed her.