Chapter 29 — The Beast Path

Kael stood in the center of the ancient chamber.

Three enormous doors surrounded him.

The black door of the Shadow Lion.

The green door of the Verdant Serpent.

And the bone-white door of the Bone Sovereign.

None of them opened.

Yet Kael could feel something behind each one.

Something ancient.

Something watching.

His System remained visible.

[Legendary Beast Challenge Requirement]

[Level: 35]

[Bloodline Progress: 20%]

[Beast Compatibility: Required]

Kael stared at the final requirement.

"Compatibility."

Nightfang stepped beside him.

"You already have the Shadow Lion's."

Kael nodded.

"One out of three."

He looked toward the green door.

"Then I'll earn the other two."

The moment he said those words—

the bone door trembled.

BOOM.

A wave of cold energy swept through the chamber.

Kael immediately summoned his katana.

Nightfang's fur stood on end.

Blue flames appeared between the cracks of the door.

Then a voice echoed through the chamber.

"Do not seek the dead."

Kael froze.

The voice continued.

"The dead will seek you."

The flames vanished.

The door became silent again.

Kael slowly lowered his sword.

"Bone Sovereign."

Nightfang nodded.

"Yes."

Kael looked at the three doors.

"They're not sleeping anymore."

"No."

Nightfang's eyes narrowed.

"They're waiting."

The Beast Path

A new System window appeared.

[Hidden Inheritance discovered.]

[Darven Beast Path.]

[Current Progress: 0%]

[Purpose: Establish compatibility with Legendary Beast bloodlines.]

[Requirement: Defeat or survive trials created by recognized Legendary Beasts.]

Kael frowned.

"So I can't simply train my way to compatibility."

Nightfang shook its head.

"Not with them."

Kael looked at his hand.

His Metal Control had become powerful.

His weapons had evolved.

His body was stronger.

But none of that meant a Legendary Beast would accept him.

He understood now.

The three beasts weren't simply powerful monsters waiting to be killed.

They were ancient beings with their own wills.

If Kael wanted to defeat them—

he first needed to understand them.

"Then let's start with the serpent."

The Serpent's Territory

Two days later, Kael entered the eastern region of the Dark Forest.

The environment changed almost immediately.

The trees became enormous.

Their trunks twisted around one another.

Green mist covered the ground.

Every surface was wet.

Kael stopped.

His instincts warned him not to continue.

He activated Threat Analysis.

[Environmental Analysis.]

[Unknown magical toxin detected.]

[Source: Botanical.]

[Danger: Moderate.]

Kael immediately formed a thin metallic mask over his mouth and nose.

Nightfang sniffed the air.

"Poison."

Kael nodded.

"Not ordinary poison."

He touched a nearby tree.

The bark was covered in green veins.

Mana was flowing through it.

"The entire forest is connected."

Nightfang's expression became serious.

"Then the serpent isn't merely living here."

Kael looked deeper into the forest.

"It's controlling the territory."

A sound came from ahead.

Hissssss.

Kael immediately raised his katana.

Nothing.

Then—

a tree behind him exploded.

A massive serpent lunged from the branches.

Kael jumped backward.

The creature's fangs snapped shut where his head had been.

[Venomscale Serpent]

[Level: 27]

[Grade: Commander]

[Potential: Lord]

Kael smiled.

"Perfect."

The serpent attacked again.

Kael summoned the AR-02.

A burst of fire forced the creature sideways.

It didn't retreat.

Instead, its scales hardened.

The bullets bounced away.

Kael's eyes narrowed.

"Adaptive defense."

He switched weapons.

GL-02.

The grenade launcher fired.

The impact threw the serpent backward.

Before it could recover, Kael used Metal Control.

Metal chains erupted from the ground.

They wrapped around the creature.

The serpent twisted violently.

The chains began breaking.

Kael pulled harder.

"You're not the Legendary Beast."

His katana appeared in his hand.

"So you're not getting away."

The serpent suddenly released a cloud of green mist.

Kael's vision blurred.

[Warning.]

[Toxin exposure detected.]

He immediately moved backward.

The serpent vanished into the mist.

Kael closed his eyes.

He didn't need to see.

He could feel the metal around him.

His Metal Control spread through the ground.

The serpent moved.

Kael sensed it.

"There."

He fired without looking.

BOOM!

The shot struck the ground beneath the serpent.

The creature was thrown upward.

Kael appeared beneath it.

His katana flashed.

The battle ended moments later.

[Venomscale Serpent defeated.]

[Experience acquired.]

Kael breathed heavily.

Then the System appeared again.

[Level Up.]

[Level 22.]

Kael smiled.

"Thirteen more."

The First Evolution

Kael sat beside the defeated serpent's body.

A green crystal floated from its chest.

[Venom Core acquired.]

Kael picked it up.

His Darven Forge reacted immediately.

[Compatible material detected.]

[Weapon Evolution available.]

Kael's eyes widened.

"Already?"

The AR-02 appeared before him.

Its metal began absorbing traces of the Venom Core.

The weapon changed.

The dark metal became covered with thin green lines.

A faint mist surrounded the barrel.

[Darven AR-02 evolution successful.]

[New Weapon: Darven AR-02V]

[Grade: 5 — Rare]

[Properties:]

[Mana Conduction]

[Bloodline Synchronization]

[Venom Infusion]

[Adaptive Penetration]

Kael stared at the weapon.

"That's new."

Nightfang examined it.

"You've started combining monster materials with your weapons."

Kael nodded.

"That's what Darven Forge was meant to do."

He looked toward the deeper forest.

"Then I'll need stronger materials."

A distant hiss echoed through the trees.

Kael's expression changed.

That sound hadn't come from the serpent he had killed.

It was much deeper.

Much larger.

Nightfang slowly turned toward the sound.

"The Legendary Beast knows you're here."

Kael stood.

The green mist around them suddenly began moving toward one location.

The trees bent.

The ground trembled.

Then—

two enormous green eyes appeared in the darkness.

They remained there for only three seconds.

Then disappeared.

No attack.

No roar.

Nothing.

Only a message from the System.

[Legendary Beast has observed you.]

[Verdant Serpent compatibility: 2%]

Kael smiled.

"So that's your answer."

He turned away.

"I'll become worthy before I come for you."

Deep within the forest, something ancient watched him leave.

And for the first time in thousands of years—

the Verdant Serpent moved closer to the edge of its territory.

Level 22

Kael opened his status.

[Name: Kael Darven]

[Level: 22]

[Rank: E-Rank Apprentice — Early]

[Mana: 34]

[Strength: 18]

[Agility: 23]

[Vitality: 22]

[Intelligence: 23]

[Metal Control: Mastery Stage II]

[Bloodline Progress: 11%]

[Beast Path: 2%]

Five points waited for allocation.

Kael considered them carefully.

He was approaching opponents who could kill him with a single attack.

He needed more than raw strength.

He needed survivability.

He allocated:

Strength +1

Agility +1

Vitality +2

Intelligence +1

[Strength: 19]

[Agility: 24]

[Vitality: 24]

[Intelligence: 24]

Kael closed the status window.

Level thirty-five was still far away.

But for the first time—

he had a path toward it.

Not simply levels.

Not simply weapons.

Not simply the Darven bloodline.

Three inheritances.

Three Legendary Beasts.

And eventually—

three battles that would decide whether Kael Darven was worthy of carrying the Darven name.

Far beneath the forest—

blue flames opened again.

The Bone Sovereign raised its ancient staff.

And somewhere inside the darkness, thousands of dormant skeletons began to awaken.

"The second has noticed him."

A pause.

"Then it is time for the third to test him."