Chapter 11 — The Forest Watches

Kael moved carefully through the trees.

His newly created Darven SG-01 rested in his right hand while the Darven katana remained at his waist.

The forest had changed.

Or perhaps Kael was simply beginning to notice things he had previously been too weak to perceive.

Every few minutes, he felt something watching him.

Whenever he turned—

Nothing.

Only trees.

Only shadows.

Only the occasional movement of leaves.

Kael stopped.

He slowly looked around.

"Something is following me."

The System gave no response.

That bothered him more than an alarm would have.

His System had been able to detect ordinary monsters from considerable distances.

But whatever was watching him was deliberately avoiding detection.

Kael continued walking.

After another twenty minutes, he reached a clearing.

At the center stood a huge stone.

Its surface was covered with strange markings.

Kael approached cautiously.

The markings looked ancient.

Almost like writing.

He placed his hand against the stone.

Nothing happened.

Then—

[Unknown structure detected.]

[Origin: Unknown.]

[Age: Unknown.]

[Magical properties: Suppressed.]

Kael frowned.

"Why does everything in this forest say unknown?"

He stepped back.

Then he noticed something carved into the bottom of the stone.

A symbol.

The Darven crest.

Kael froze.

His family's symbol had been carved into the stone thousands of years ago.

At least, judging by the erosion.

"This can't be..."

He touched the crest.

The stone suddenly vibrated.

BOOM.

Kael jumped backward.

A faint blue light spread across the clearing.

Then a single sentence appeared on the stone.

A DARVEN WHO CANNOT CONTROL METAL HAS NO RIGHT TO ENTER.

Kael stared at it.

"That's convenient."

He activated Metal Control.

The stone remained silent.

Kael concentrated harder.

Nothing.

He tried directing mana through his hand.

Still nothing.

He frowned.

"Maybe it's not talking about ordinary metal."

His eyes moved toward the strange black fragment in his storage space.

Kael took it out.

The moment the fragment appeared—

The stone reacted.

WHOOM!

The Darven crest glowed.

A hidden compartment opened beneath the stone.

Kael immediately stepped back.

Inside was a small metallic object.

A key.

Not a normal key.

It was completely black, with a tiny crimson crystal embedded in its center.

Kael picked it up.

[Unknown Artifact detected.]

[Artifact Grade: ???]

[Function: Sealed.]

[Compatibility with host: Extremely High.]

Kael stared at the artifact.

"Of course."

Another unknown object.

He placed it carefully into his storage ring.

Then the clearing became silent again.

Too silent.

Kael slowly raised the SG-01.

Something was wrong.

A faint rustling came from the trees.

Then another.

Then another.

He was surrounded.

Kael's eyes narrowed.

"Come out."

Nothing.

He waited.

Suddenly—

A creature dropped from above.

Kael fired.

BOOM!

The creature was blasted backward.

It crashed into a tree.

Kael immediately moved.

Another creature rushed from his left.

BOOM!

The SG-01 fired again.

The creature staggered but didn't fall.

Kael drew his katana.

CLANG!

He blocked a claw.

The force pushed him backward.

"Strong!"

He kicked the creature away.

The System finally activated.

[Threat Analysis.]

Species: Ironhide Stalker

Level: 9

Grade: Elite

Species Potential: Commander

Traits: Camouflage, Enhanced Hearing, Ironhide

Kael's expression became serious.

"Nine?"

Three more creatures emerged from the trees.

Level 7.

Level 8.

Level 9.

Kael looked around.

Four Elite monsters.

Not impossible.

But dangerous.

He tightened his grip.

"Fine."

The first Ironhide Stalker charged.

Kael moved sideways.

BOOM!

The SG-01 fired at close range.

The creature's iron-like hide absorbed most of the impact.

Kael's eyes widened.

"So that's what Ironhide means."

The creature swung its claws.

Kael ducked.

The claws passed over his head.

He immediately countered with the katana.

SLASH!

A cut appeared across the creature's side.

It roared.

The other three attacked.

Kael jumped backward.

One claw caught his sleeve.

RIP.

He barely avoided getting hit directly.

He fired again.

BOOM!

One creature was knocked sideways.

Kael didn't waste the opening.

Metal Control activated.

The Darven SG-01 separated into several metallic components in midair.

The pieces flew around the battlefield.

Kael had an idea.

Instead of using the weapon normally, he manipulated the metal itself.

The pieces attacked from multiple directions.

The Ironhide Stalkers became confused.

Kael smiled.

"Metal Arsenal."

The weapon pieces struck simultaneously.

One creature collapsed.

[Ironhide Stalker defeated.]

[Combat experience gained.]

The remaining creatures became more aggressive.

Kael's smile disappeared.

They weren't stupid.

They had realized what he was doing.

The Level 9 Stalker suddenly stopped attacking.

It looked at the other creatures.

Then at Kael.

Kael noticed something strange.

"You're coordinating."

The creature suddenly screamed.

The other two attacked from opposite sides.

Kael blocked one.

The second struck him in the side.

THUD!

Kael flew several meters.

He hit the ground and rolled.

Pain spread through his ribs.

"Ugh..."

He quickly stood.

Nothing seemed broken.

But breathing hurt.

The Level 9 Stalker charged.

Kael raised his katana.

The creature suddenly changed direction.

It wasn't attacking him.

It was going for the black fragment lying on the ground.

Kael's eyes widened.

"They want the fragment!"

He immediately rushed toward it.

The Stalker reached it first.

Its claws closed around the strange metal.

The moment it touched it—

SCREECH!

The creature screamed.

Black veins spread across its body.

Its eyes turned crimson.

Kael stepped backward.

The System went wild.

[WARNING.]

[Unknown material interaction detected.]

[Mutation occurring.]

[Threat level increasing.]

[Analysis unstable.]

The creature's body began changing.

Kael stared.

"You've got to be kidding me."

The Ironhide Stalker grew larger.

Its armor became darker.

Crimson energy appeared beneath its skin.

Its level began rising.

Level 9...

Level 10...

Level 11...

Kael's expression changed.

"It can evolve?"

The System flashed again.

[Variant detected.]

[Crimson Ironhide Stalker.]

Level: 11

Grade: Rare

Potential: Commander

Trait: Unknown

Kael immediately understood.

He couldn't allow this fight to continue.

Not with the creature evolving.

Not with the other two still nearby.

He grabbed the SG-01.

"Time to leave."

He fired toward the ground.

BOOM!

The blast threw dirt and dust into the air.

Kael used the confusion to grab the black fragment.

Then he ran.

He didn't look back.

The creature roared behind him.

Kael sprinted through the trees.

Branches struck his face.

His ribs hurt.

His mana was dropping.

But he kept moving.

After several minutes, the sounds disappeared.

Kael finally stopped.

He leaned against a tree and breathed heavily.

"That was close."

He checked his equipment.

The SG-01 was damaged.

Not destroyed.

His katana was fine.

The strange black fragment was still in his possession.

He looked at it.

"You're becoming a problem."

Then the System displayed something unexpected.

[Hidden condition discovered.]

[Host has encountered a bloodline-reactive material.]

[Darven Bloodline progression requirement partially fulfilled.]

Kael stared.

"Bloodline progression?"

A second message appeared.

[Metal Control — Intermediate.]

[Next stage requirement: ???]

[Required item: Unknown.]

[Required condition: Unknown.]

Kael frowned.

The System was hiding information.

Again.

But this time, something felt different.

It wasn't simply unable to analyze the information.

It almost seemed like the information itself had been locked away.

Kael looked toward the direction he had escaped from.

The forest was silent.

Then—

A golden-eyed figure stepped out from behind a tree.

The Golden-Eyed Nightfang.

Kael immediately raised his weapon.

The Nightfang smiled.

"You ran."

"Obviously."

"You could have stayed."

"I could also have died."

The Nightfang laughed.

"Good answer."

Kael lowered the weapon slightly.

"You knew that creature would react to the black fragment."

The Nightfang's smile disappeared.

"I suspected."

"You let me find it."

"No."

Kael narrowed his eyes.

"Then why didn't you stop me?"

The Nightfang looked at him for several seconds.

"Because you needed to learn something."

"What?"

The monster looked toward the dark forest.

"Not every treasure is a gift."

Kael said nothing.

The Nightfang continued.

"Sometimes a treasure is bait."

Kael's expression changed.

He looked down at the black fragment.

For the first time, he wondered whether the strange metal had truly been waiting for him...

Or whether something had wanted him to take it.

A cold feeling spread through his chest.

The Nightfang turned away.

"Come."

"Where?"

"Somewhere safer."

Kael followed cautiously.

But neither of them noticed the small crimson mark that had appeared on Kael's hand.

A mark shaped exactly like the Darven crest.

Deep beneath the Dark Forest, something felt it.

Three ancient chains trembled.

And a voice whispered:

"He took the key."

A second voice answered.

"Then the inheritance has begun."

The first voice went silent.

Then—

"Wake the first gatekeeper."

Far above them, Kael continued walking.

Completely unaware that the moment he had picked up the black fragment...

Something had begun watching him from beneath the forest.