The forest stood still, Aragorn remained where he was, the body of the fallen beast lying at his feet. The massive creature, with the head of a buffalo and a body built like a war machine, had already lost its life in a single strike. Its blood slowly seeped into the soil, dark and heavy.
Yet Aragorn did not relax. His eyes narrowed slightly,
"…That wasn't it."
He could still remember the presence he had sensed the previous night. It was different deeper, heavier. This creature had been nothing more than a stray predator.
Behind him, hidden within the bushes, Kai and his two companions watched in silence.
Their faces were pale,
"What… what did we just see…" one of them whispered, his voice trembling.
Kai didn't respond.
His sharp eyes remained fixed on Aragorn, but even he could not hide the unease in his chest.
An A-rank monster… defeated like it was nothing.
"…We should leave," the second friend said quietly, "This place isn't safe. And that man… he's not someone we can deal with."
Kai slowly nodded,
"…Yeah. We go back. Talk to the elder."
But none of them realised they were no longer alone.
From deeper within the forest, five figures moved silently.
Heavy footsteps. Thick breaths.
Each one carried a massive axe.
Each one… an A-rank beast.
The wind shifted.
Aragorn's expression changed instantly.
His head turned sharply towards the direction of the bushes, where Kai and his friends were hiding.
"…Move," he muttered under his breath.
But they couldn't hear him. Kai and his companions were still whispering among themselves.
"We should leave now..."
The words stopped
A shadow loomed behind them. Slowly… one of them turned.
And froze, a towering figure stood right before him. Before he could even react Axe swung.
A dull, heavy sound cut through the air.
His body split in two.
Blood sprayed across the ground,
"…!"
Kai's eyes widened in horror,"RUN….!"
But before the second friend could even take a step a blade spun through the air.
Clean…..
Precise...
His head dropped to the ground.
Silence followed. Only Kai remained.
His legs gave out beneath him as he fell to the ground, trembling uncontrollably,
"N-No… no…"
Four beasts surrounded him.
Their heavy steps echoed as they closed in. One of them raised its axe.
Kai shut his eyes, this is it…..
CLANG!
A sharp sound of metal colliding rang out. Kai's eyes snapped open.
A black blade stood between him and death.
Aragorn...!
He had appeared out of nowhere, stopping the attack with a single motion. His expression was calm but his eyes were cold. Without turning, he spoke,
"If you want to live… get up."
Kai couldn't move
"NOW….!"
The sharp tone snapped him out of his fear. Kai scrambled to his feet and ran without looking back. Aragorn exhaled softly,
"…One slipped past me."
His gaze shifted to the remaining beasts.
"Then I'll finish this quickly "
The ground darkened
Shadows spread like liquid beneath his feet. The beasts roared and charged.
Aragorn stepped forward,"Shadow Bind…"
Dark tendrils shot out, wrapping around one of the beasts instantly, crushing its movement.
Another swung its axe Aragorn vanished. He reappeared behind it.
One clean strike.
Its body fell...
The third beast rushed forward, roaring loudly.
Aragorn raised his hand
"Shadow Step "
In a blink, he closed the distance.
The black blade flashed once more.
Another body dropped
The forest trembled with each movement.
But the battle did not last long
Within seconds all four lay dead.
Aragorn stood silently, his blade dissolving back into the ring.
"…Too many A-ranks in one place "
Something was wrong.
The small wooden house was quiet, filled only with the soft crackling of fire.
Jessy stood in the kitchen, focused.
Her hands moved smoothly as she cut vegetables carrots, potatoes, and cabbage laid neatly on the table. The scent of fresh food slowly filled the air as the pot began to simmer.
For a moment, everything felt… peaceful...
"…Maybe this isn't so bad," she murmured softly, a faint smile forming on her lips. She reached for the meat, preparing to cut it…
Then suddenly…..
She stopped....
Her hand froze mid air the wind shifted.
A faint, unnatural current brushed past her senses.
Jessy's expression changed instantly,
"…What was that?"
The air inside the room felt different,
Heavy...
Uneasy....
She slowly put the knife down.
Without making a sound, she walked towards the door and stepped outside.
The breeze touched her face.
She closed her eyes
Silence…..
Then…..
A faint scent…..
Iron...
Blood....
Her eyes snapped open,
"…No."
Her heart began to beat faster.
Something was wrong very wrong.
And it was coming from the forest,
"…Aragorn."
Without wasting another second, she turned and rushed back inside.
Her movements were quick, precise.
She grabbed her mithril sword, its silver blade catching the light for a brief moment.
No hesitation….
No doubt...
She moved to the door, her grip tightening on the hilt,
"…Don't do anything reckless."
With that quiet whisper she stepped out. And in the next moment she was gone. Rushing towards the forest.
Like the wind itself.
Meanwhile Kai ran, branches scratched his face. Roots nearly tripped him. His breath came out in short, broken gasps.
Run...
That was all his mind could think.
Behind him heavy footsteps followed.
One of the beasts had broken away.
It was chasing him. Kai didn't dare look back. Tears blurred his vision,
"I… I don't want to die…"
The sound of something cutting through the air, he turned. The beast had raised its axe.
It leapt…..
Too fast…..
Too close...
Kai froze....
A powerful gust of wind burst between them.
BOOM!
The axe was blocked mid air.
A transparent barrier shimmered in front of Kai.
"…What?"
A figure landed softly in front of him,
Silver hair…..
Calm eyes....
Sword in hand...
Jessy....!
"Stay behind me," she said quietly.
The beast roared and attacked again.
Jessy moved.
Her body flowed like the wind itself.
She dodged the heavy strike, her blade cutting across the creature's arm.
But it didn't fall. The beast roared louder, swinging again with brute force.
Jessy stepped back, her expression tightening.
"…Strong."
She raised her hand
"Wind Blade "
Sharp currents of air formed around her sword, extending its reach. The beast charged again.
This time,
She didn't retreat….
She stepped forward…..
Their attacks collided...
The force shook the ground beneath them. Jessy spun, using the wind to increase her speed, her blade slicing across the beast's chest.
It staggered….
But did not fall…..
The fight grew intense. Each strike carried weight. Each movement demanded precision. Jessy's breathing grew slightly heavier but her eyes remained focused. The beast raised its axe for a final strike Jessy closed her eyes for a split second,
"…End this….."
Her body moved like a gust,
Faster...
Sharper...
Cleaner...
One precise strike, Silence followed.
The beast stood still for a moment, Then collapsed Kai fell to his knees.
His entire body shook.
"…I… I…"
He couldn't even form words. Jessy turned towards him,
"Go….!"
Her voice was firm
"Warn the village. This isn't normal."
Kai nodded repeatedly
"O…Okay… okay…"
He got up and ran again this time towards the village. Jessy watched him for a moment. Then her gaze shifted towards the deeper forest.
"…Aragorn...."
Without hesitation she moved. The forest returned to silence. But it wasn't peaceful. It felt… heavy. Like something unseen was watching everything unfold...