Chapter 42 — The Bloodline Hunter

The words echoed through the mountains.

“Hello, little brother.”

Kael stood completely still.

For several seconds, he couldn't even process what he had heard.

The man standing before him looked almost exactly like him.

The same dark hair.

The same crimson eyes.

The same sharp facial structure.

Only older.

Much older.

Kael's hand slowly tightened around the hilt of his Darven katana.

“Who are you?”

The man smiled.

“That's the first thing you ask?”

“You called me your little brother.”

“Yes.”

“Then tell me your name.”

The man's smile disappeared.

“Not yet.”

Kael's eyes narrowed.

“Then you're lying.”

A few of the hunters behind the man shifted their weapons.

The older man raised one hand.

They immediately stopped.

That alone told Kael something.

He wasn't merely another member of this group.

He was their leader.

And they obeyed him without question.

The man looked toward Kael.

“You really inherited his personality.”

“Whose?”

“Your father's.”

Kael's expression hardened.

“You knew my father?”

The man didn't answer.

Instead, he looked toward the mountain.

The three guardians were still positioned around the ancient chamber.

The Verdant Mountain Wyrm.

The Verdant Crystal Behemoth.

And the Verdant Horned Basilisk.

All three were watching the mountain.

Not Kael.

Not the hunters.

The mountain.

Something was wrong.

Kael activated Metal Sense.

The ground beneath his feet immediately became clearer.

Hundreds of metallic fragments.

Ancient structures.

Buried channels.

Mana conduits.

And beneath all of them—

Something enormous.

Kael's expression changed.

The ancient sealed entity.

It was still there.

Waiting.

The older man spoke.

“You restored the Fourth Path.”

Kael looked at him.

“What do you know about it?”

“More than you.”

“Then explain.”

The man shook his head.

“Not here.”

Kael's eyes narrowed.

“Why?”

“Because you're being watched.”

Kael glanced toward the mountain.

The man shook his head.

“Not by the guardians.”

Kael's expression became serious.

“Then who?”

The older man looked directly into his eyes.

“Something that has been watching the Darven bloodline for thousands of years.”

The Fourth Path

Kael didn't lower his weapon.

“What exactly is the Fourth Path?”

The man remained silent for several seconds.

Then he finally answered.

“The three guardians are not the entire system.”

Kael frowned.

“I know.”

“No.”

The man's expression became serious.

“You don't.”

He pointed toward the Verdant Mountain Wyrm.

“The Wyrm maintains the foundation.”

Then toward the Crystal Behemoth.

“The Behemoth stabilizes the mana flow.”

Finally, he pointed toward the territory.

“The Basilisk controls the outer territory.”

Kael nodded.

“Three components.”

“Correct.”

The man's eyes moved toward Kael.

“And the fourth?”

Kael's expression changed.

“The Darven bloodline.”

The man smiled faintly.

“Exactly.”

Kael looked at the System.

[Darven Fourth Path: Active]

[Bloodline Progress: 13%]

[Ancient Guardian Network: Incomplete]

He finally understood.

The Darven bloodline wasn't simply an inheritance.

It had once been part of the ancient seal itself.

His family had been involved with this place long before the modern Darven family existed.

But then another question appeared.

“Why was the Fourth Path removed?”

The older man became silent.

“That…”

He looked toward the mountain.

“Is the question you should be asking.”

A deep vibration suddenly passed through the ground.

BOOOOOOM.

The entire mountain shook.

Kael immediately drew his katana.

The hunters raised their weapons.

The three guardians reacted simultaneously.

The Verdant Mountain Wyrm slammed its claws into the ground.

The Crystal Behemoth released a wave of crystalline mana.

The Basilisk roared.

The entire forest trembled.

Then the System appeared.

[WARNING.]

[Ancient Sealed Entity activity detected.]

[Seal Integrity: 89% → 87%.]

Kael's eyes widened.

“It dropped again.”

The older man nodded.

“This is what happens when the network is disturbed.”

“But I restored it.”

“Partially.”

Kael looked at the System.

[Guardian Network: 2/4.]

He frowned.

“Why does it say two?”

The older man looked surprised.

“You can see that?”

“Yes.”

He stared at Kael for a moment.

Then smiled.

“Interesting.”

“What?”

“Your System is showing you more than mine ever showed me.”

Kael ignored the comment.

“Why two out of four?”

The man pointed toward the mountain.

“Because there are four actual network connections.”

He pointed toward the Wyrm.

“One.”

Then the Behemoth.

“Two.”

Then the Basilisk.

“Three.”

Kael waited.

“And the fourth?”

The man looked directly at him.

“You.”

Kael's expression changed.

“But I'm already activated.”

“Activated isn't the same as synchronized.”

Kael understood.

The Fourth Path existed.

But it wasn't completely connected.

The three guardians could recognize him.

The network could react to him.

But the ancient system itself still considered the connection incomplete.

Something was missing.

The Hunters Attack

A metallic click echoed through the forest.

Kael turned.

One of the hunters had raised his firearm.

The older man immediately said:

“Don't.”

The hunter hesitated.

“Sir, he's beginning to understand the network.”

“I know.”

“He could restore it.”

“I know.”

“Then we should kill him now.”

The older man looked at him.

“No.”

The hunter lowered his weapon.

Kael's eyes narrowed.

“Why don't you want me dead?”

The older man answered calmly.

“Because we don't know what happens if the Fourth Path is destroyed again.”

Kael understood.

They weren't protecting him.

They were afraid of what would happen if they killed him.

That was different.

Very different.

Then—

A loud crack echoed through the forest.

The ground split.

A crimson glow appeared beneath the mountain.

Kael immediately stepped backward.

The System flashed.

[Emergency Warning.]

[Ancient Seal Integrity: 85%.]

The older man's expression changed.

“Everyone retreat.”

The hunters immediately obeyed.

Kael didn't move.

His eyes were fixed on the mountain.

The older man shouted.

“Kael!”

Kael looked at him.

“Run!”

Kael hesitated.

Then—

The mountain opened.

Not completely.

Only a small section.

But something appeared inside.

A single crimson eye.

Massive.

Ancient.

Watching.

Kael felt his entire body become cold.

The System began flashing repeatedly.

[Threat Analysis failed.]

[Level: ???]

[Grade: ???]

[Species: Unknown.]

[Threat: UNMEASURABLE.]

Kael's breathing became shallow.

He couldn't even estimate its strength.

The eye moved.

It looked directly at him.

The moment their gazes met—

Kael's bloodline erupted.

[DARVEN BLOODLINE REACTION.]

[Ancient connection detected.]

[Warning.]

[Target recognizes Darven bloodline.]

Kael's pupils contracted.

“It knows me…”

The older man's voice became urgent.

“Don't look at it!”

Kael immediately broke eye contact.

The crimson eye disappeared.

The mountain slammed shut.

Silence returned.

Then—

[Seal Integrity stabilized.]

[Current Integrity: 85%.]

Kael slowly exhaled.

His hands were trembling.

He had never felt anything like that.

Not from the Ironhide Ravager.

Not from the Territory Lords.

Not even from the guardians.

That thing was completely different.

The older man walked toward him.

“You understand now?”

Kael looked at him.

“I can't fight it.”

“No.”

“Not yet.”

The man smiled.

“Exactly.”

Kael's eyes sharpened.

“You knew.”

“I did.”

“Then why did you let me restore the network?”

The man's expression became complicated.

“Because someone has to.”

Kael frowned.

“What?”

“The network is failing.”

He pointed toward the mountain.

“And when it fails completely…”

He paused.

“The entity will escape.”

Kael's expression hardened.

“Then we'll stop it.”

The man shook his head.

“You can't.”

“Not now.”

“Not in the future?”

The man stared at him.

“Maybe.”

Kael clenched his fist.

“Then I'll become strong enough.”

The man smiled.

“That is exactly what your father wanted.”

Kael froze.

“You really knew him.”

The man turned away.

“Yes.”

“Who are you?”

The man stopped.

For several seconds, he remained silent.

Then he answered.

“Darian.”

Kael waited.

“Darian what?”

The man looked back.

“Darian Darven.”

Kael's heart skipped.

Another Darven.

Another branch.

Another secret.

Darian smiled.

“We'll talk again.”

He turned toward the hunters.

“Leave.”

The group began disappearing into the forest.

Kael shouted.

“Wait!”

Darian stopped.

“Why do you look like me?”

Darian glanced over his shoulder.

“Because…”

His crimson eyes narrowed.

“…we share the same blood.”

Then he disappeared.

Kael stood alone.

The three guardians remained around the mountain.

The forest slowly became silent again.

Kael looked at his hands.

Then at the ancient chamber.

Then at the place where Darian had disappeared.

There were now more questions than answers.

But one thing had become clear.

The Darven family wasn't simply a powerful family.

It had been part of something ancient.

Something that existed thousands of years before his birth.

And somewhere inside that ancient history—

His bloodline had been given a purpose.

The System appeared.

[Main Objective Updated.]

[Restore the Ancient Guardian Network.]

[Progress: 1/4.]

[Secondary Objective: Discover the Origin of the Darven Bloodline.]

[Current Bloodline Progress: 13%.]

Kael closed the System window.

He looked toward the forest.

“I'll find out everything.”

Then he looked toward the mountain.

“And when I do…”

His hand rested on the Darven katana.

“I'll be ready.”

Far beneath the mountain—

The ancient entity opened its eye again.

But this time—

It wasn't looking toward Kael.

It was looking toward the darkness beyond the mountain.

Something else had entered its territory.

Something even the sealed entity recognized.

A whisper echoed through the underground chamber.

“Another Darven…”

A pause.

Then—

“How many of you are still alive?”