Chapter 37 — The Second Guardian

Kael woke to the sound of rain.

For several seconds, he didn't move.

His entire body hurt.

His left leg was wrapped in cloth.

His shoulder felt stiff.

His mana was nearly recovered, but his body was still exhausted from the battle with the Verdant Fang Ravager.

He slowly sat up.

The first thing he saw was his damaged arsenal.

The PR-01 had several cracks.

The AR-03V had lost part of its outer casing.

The MP-01 was badly worn.

The GL-02 had survived, but its mana-conducting core was unstable.

Kael stared at everything.

Then he smiled.

"That could have gone much worse."

Nightfang looked at him.

"You nearly died."

"I know."

"You were fighting something ten levels above you."

"I know."

"You still want to continue?"

Kael looked toward the eastern forest.

"More than before."

Nightfang sighed.

"You really are a Darven."

The Cost of Victory

Kael opened his status.

[Name: Kael Darven]

[Age: 11]

[Level: 28]

[Rank: D-Rank Adept — Early]

[Mana: 43]

[Strength: 24]

[Agility: 32]

[Vitality: 30]

[Intelligence: 30]

[Metal Control: Mastery Stage III]

[Bloodline Progress: 12%]

[Beast Path Compatibility: 4%]

Kael looked at the numbers.

Level 28.

He had a long way to go.

At least twenty-two levels before he could even enter the true domains of the Legendary Beasts.

And Chapter 80 was still far away.

Kael wasn't bothered.

He had realized something.

If he reached Level 50 too quickly without developing his techniques, he would still be weak.

The goal wasn't simply:

Reach Level 50.

It was:

Become someone capable of surviving Level 50.

Rebuilding the Arsenal

Kael spent the next two days repairing his weapons.

The PR-01 was the first.

He removed the damaged components and replaced them with mithril.

Then he reinforced the internal structure.

[Darven PR-01 repaired.]

[Grade: 5 — Rare]

[Quality: Fine → Excellent]

[Weakness Lock efficiency increased.]

Kael nodded.

Next came the AR-03V.

He didn't make it stronger.

He made it more reliable.

The weapon received a reinforced mithril frame and improved mana channels.

[Darven AR-03V]

[Grade: 5 — Rare]

[Quality: Excellent]

[Mana Disruption efficiency increased.]

Kael then repaired the GL-02.

But when he examined its damaged core—

he stopped.

Something was wrong.

The core wasn't damaged randomly.

There was a faint pattern inside it.

A circular mark.

Kael stared.

"I've seen this before."

He pulled out the black metal fragment.

The two objects reacted.

[Resonance detected.]

Kael immediately separated them.

The reaction disappeared.

He frowned.

"The unknown metal..."

The same sensation he had experienced before returned.

A forest.

A serpent.

Chains.

Then darkness.

Kael closed his eyes.

This wasn't a random material.

It was connected to the Verdant territory.

But how?

The Second Guardian

Three days later, Kael returned to the eastern forest.

He didn't enter the center.

Instead, he followed the outer boundary.

The System had recorded the location of the first guardian.

That left two.

Kael wasn't going to search randomly.

He studied the territory map.

The first guardian had controlled the western valley.

The remaining mana network pointed toward the north.

Kael marked the route.

"If I were the Basilisk..."

He studied the map.

"I'd put the second guardian somewhere that protects the weakest part of the network."

Nightfang looked at him.

"Where?"

Kael pointed toward a mountain.

"There."

The Silent Mountain

The mountain was unlike the rest of the forest.

No trees grew near its peak.

No birds flew overhead.

Even the wind seemed weaker.

Kael immediately became cautious.

"Something is suppressing the environment."

Nightfang sniffed the air.

"Stone."

Kael activated Metal Sense.

Nothing.

He frowned.

That was impossible.

There should have been traces of metal somewhere.

Then he realized.

The mountain wasn't hiding metal.

It was hiding mana.

Kael placed his palm against the ground.

Metal Control spread downward.

His expression changed.

"There."

Deep beneath the mountain was another ancient structure.

But this one was different.

It wasn't a normal territorial node.

It was a door.

Kael brushed away the soil.

Ancient writing appeared.

The System attempted to translate it.

[Translation incomplete.]

[Ancient Darven script detected.]

Kael's eyes widened.

"Darven?"

The writing slowly became readable.

THE SECOND GUARDIAN DOES NOT PROTECT THE TERRITORY.

IT PROTECTS WHAT LIES BENEATH IT.

Kael stepped backward.

Nightfang growled.

"Don't open it."

Kael stared at the door.

"I wasn't planning to."

A deep sound came from beneath the mountain.

BOOM.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Then—

another.

BOOM.

Something was waking up.

Kael drew his katana.

The System appeared.

[Warning.]

[Ancient guardian detected.]

[Level: 44]

[Grade: Lord]

[Potential: Overlord]

[Classification: Territory Guardian]

[Analysis incomplete.]

Kael's expression became serious.

"Level forty-four..."

Nightfang stepped backward.

"Kael."

"I know."

The mountain cracked.

A massive creature emerged.

Its body resembled a heavily armored serpent, but four stone-covered limbs supported its enormous frame.

Two horns curved from its skull.

Its eyes glowed green.

[Name: Verdant Mountain Wyrm]

[Level: 44]

[Grade: Lord]

[Potential: Overlord]

[Traits: Mountain Armor, Verdant Regeneration, Earth Manipulation, Mana Absorption, Guardian Authority]

Kael stared.

"That's not a monster I can fight."

The Wyrm opened its mouth.

The entire mountain shook.

Kael immediately ran.

The Escape

A massive stone fist slammed down.

Kael jumped.

The ground exploded.

He landed and fired the GL-02 behind himself.

The explosion accelerated his movement.

The Wyrm pursued.

Kael activated Metal Sense.

Nothing.

No metal.

No anchors.

No prepared battlefield.

This was exactly the kind of situation he hated.

He had no preparation.

No information.

And an enemy sixteen levels above him.

Kael didn't attack.

He ran.

The Wyrm smashed through trees behind him.

Kael changed direction.

It followed.

He changed again.

It predicted him.

Kael's eyes narrowed.

"You're learning my movement too."

The Wyrm opened its mouth.

A wave of green energy swept across the forest.

Kael dropped flat.

The attack passed above him.

He immediately rolled behind a rock.

His mind raced.

Level 44.

Lord.

Potential Overlord.

Earth Manipulation.

Mana Absorption.

His normal attacks wouldn't work.

The first guardian had taught him to control the battlefield.

The second was teaching him something else.

Don't fight a battlefield you don't control.

Kael looked toward the mountain.

Then toward the forest.

He smiled.

"I don't have to beat you."

He pulled out the PR-01.

He fired at the mountain.

Not the Wyrm.

The bullet struck a thin crack in the rock.

The Wyrm stopped.

Kael fired again.

The crack widened.

He wasn't attacking the beast.

He was studying its reaction.

The Wyrm immediately moved toward the damaged mountain.

Kael's eyes sharpened.

"So that's what you're protecting."

He turned and ran.

The Discovery

Kael didn't return to the cave.

He went farther north.

He needed distance.

Once he was certain the Wyrm wasn't following, he opened his notebook.

He wrote:

Second Guardian: Verdant Mountain Wyrm

Level 44

Grade Lord

Potential Overlord

Protects something beneath mountain.

Earth Manipulation.

Mana Absorption.

Extremely strong defensive ability.

Direct combat impossible at current level.

Kael stopped writing.

Then added one final line.

Do not fight until strategy exists.

Nightfang looked at the notebook.

"You ran."

Kael nodded.

"I did."

"You didn't try to win."

"No."

Nightfang smiled.

"Good."

Kael looked at him.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Because you're finally learning the difference between courage and stupidity."

Kael laughed quietly.

Then his expression became serious.

The first Territory Guardian had been defeated.

The second was far stronger.

And beneath it—

something connected to the ancient Darven inheritance was hidden.

Kael looked toward the distant mountain.

"Before I reach Level 50..."

He clenched his fist.

"I'll understand this entire territory."

Far beneath the mountain, something answered with a faint pulse of crimson light.

And somewhere inside the Verdant Territory—

the ancient seal shifted.

For the first time in thousands of years,

one of its Darven markings had begun to awaken.