Chapter 33: A Stranger Under The Violet Moon

<Shadow One’s Pov>

The violent sensation of spatial tearing ended without warning.

Shadow One crashed through the thick, oversized leaves., his two-and-a-half-meter armored frame shearing through thick branches before slamming hard into the forest floor. The soil beneath his iron boots buckled, cratering slightly under the impact, but he did not fall. He dropped instantly into a low combat crouch, sweeping the two-handed greatsword forward in a clean, silent arc.

No immediate threats stirred.

Shadow One stood up straight, his armored head tilting upward as he looked at the sky.

There was no sun in the sky.

Instead, two pale-violet moons hung against the dark indigo void. Their crescent-shaped light bathed the wild landscape in a faint purple glow.

Massive, ancient trees towered hundreds of feet above the ground, their trunks as wide as small houses. Their branches were covered in translucent, pale-blue leaves that pulsed softly with an eerie inner light.

The air here was completely different.

It wasn’t like the polluted, machine-filled atmosphere of Silverwood City, nor did it carry the rotten, sulfurous stench of the Thousand Mountain Forest.

The spiritual energy in the air was astonishingly pure and dense. Every breath felt refreshing, as if he were drinking from a crystal-clear mountain spring.

Shadow One turned his attention inward and checked the connection to his creator.

The link was still there, but it was incredibly weak.

It felt like a thin strand of spider silk stretched across an endless cosmic void, trembling with the slightest disturbance.

He was still alive.

But the distance between them was far beyond anything ordinary planetary space could explain.

Shadow One checked the armor around his chest. The yellowed beast-skin manual and the dark jade locket were still safely secured inside his shadow armor.

His priorities were clear.

First, secure his position. Then, explore the area and find a way to restore a stable connection with his Master.

He turned toward an opening where the massive trees became less dense and started walking.

Hiss—!

He hadn’t even taken twenty steps when the soft layer of dead blue leaves beneath his feet suddenly exploded.

A blur of shimmering green shot out of the ground with blinding speed.

It was a serpent nearly two meters long and as thick as a grown man’s thigh. Its body was covered in gleaming jade scales, while two jagged ivory horns jutted from its triangular head. Rows of sharp fangs filled its open jaws.

Then its aura erupted.

His strength should be around Ninth Stage of the Martial Warrior Realm!

A mere serpent living in this forest possessed the combat strength of an elite human warrior from Earth.

The serpent lunged forward, its jaws opening wide. Pale-green venom sprayed from its mouth, sizzling as it tore through the falling leaves.

Its target was the opening in Shadow One’s helmet.

But Shadow One’s violet eye-flames remained completely still.

He didn’t dodge.

He didn’t even raise his greatsword in panic.

The serpent’s fangs were only inches away from Shadow One’s visor when his left arm suddenly moved.

It shot forward with explosive speed.

Crack!

His armored fingers clamped tightly around the serpent’s neck, just beneath its venom glands.

The serpent’s attack stopped instantly.

Its body twisted violently in Shadow One’s grip. Its powerful coils wrapped around his waist, tightening with enough force to crush stone. Metal groaned under the pressure as the beast tried to squeeze the armored figure apart.

But Shadow One didn’t move.

Not even a step.

His body remained completely steady, as if the serpent’s immense strength meant nothing.

The serpent hissed furiously and tightened its coils even further.

Shadow One’s violet eye-flames flickered.

Then his right hand moved.

Whoosh!

His dark greatsword swept upward in a single, ruthless motion.

Squelch!

The heavy blade tore through the serpent’s skull and its two ivory horns, splitting its head cleanly in half.

The serpent’s body jerked once.

Then its coils went limp.

The massive body slid from Shadow One’s armor and collapsed onto the damp soil with a heavy thud.

Shadow One didn’t even pause.

He placed his right gauntlet against the dead serpent’s body.

Shadow Devour.

Dark smoke suddenly poured from the gaps in his armor.

Thick strands of black energy wrapped around the serpent and sank deep into its scales and flesh. The creature’s body began to shrivel at an unnatural speed.

Its blood, flesh, and vital essence were stripped away.

The powerful energy belonging to a Ninth Stage Martial Warrior was rapidly extracted, refined, and drawn into Shadow One’s core.

A faint vibration passed through his body.

The small cracks covering his dark armor, left behind by the violent spatial collapse, slowly sealed themselves.

One after another, the fractures disappeared.

The dullness in his spiritual core also faded, replaced by the cold, steady energy he had possessed before.

Within moments, the enormous serpent had been reduced to little more than a dry husk of skin and bone.

Shadow One released his grip.

He wiped the edge of his greatsword against a broad blue leaf before returning it to the sheath across his back.

His violet eyes scanned the surrounding wilderness.

There was no familiar landmark.

No sign of his Master.

Only the endless forest stretched before him.

So Shadow One chose the opposite direction.

Downward.

Away from the mountains.

Toward whatever lay beyond the forest.

And then he began walking.

The sound of his footsteps echoed between the enormous trees.

One hour passed.

Then another.

The landscape changed slowly as he continued forward.

The towering trees became denser in some areas and thinner in others.

Streams of faintly glowing water occasionally appeared between the roots.

Strange insects moved through the blue foliage, their bodies carrying tiny points of light.

Shadow One stopped several times to observe his surroundings.

He memorized the terrain.

The direction of the mountains.

The flow of the streams.

The arrangement of the massive trees.

Every detail could become useful later.

But nothing gave him a clue about where he had landed.

And the soul link remained weak.

Still there.

Still trembling.

Yet nowhere near strong enough for proper communication.

Shadow One continued.

Two hours.

Then three.

Under the silent watch of the twin violet moons, the dark armored giant pushed deeper into the unknown wilderness.

His heavy footsteps never stopped.

The forest stretched endlessly ahead.

Unknown creatures watched him from the darkness.

Some fled.

Others remained hidden.

Nobody dared to attack after sensing the cold pressure radiating from the armored figure.

Shadow One continued forward without slowing.

Shadow One had no idea what waited for him beyond the forest, or how far away Lucian was.

But one thing was certain—he would find his Master.

No matter how vast this strange world was, or how powerful the creatures lurking within it became, Shadow One would keep moving.

One step at a time.

Until he found Lucian.