Chapter 43 — The First Lord Hunt

The forest had become quiet again.

Kael stood at the edge of the mountain, staring at the place where Darian had disappeared.

Another Darven.

His brother.

At least, that was what Darian claimed.

Kael still didn't trust him.

He had learned one thing since arriving in this world.

Anyone who knew more than him could become dangerous.

Kael turned away from the mountain.

The ancient entity was beyond his current strength.

The guardian network was incomplete.

The hunters were still somewhere in the forest.

And the Verdant Horned Basilisk was watching him.

There were too many problems.

So Kael chose the only thing he could control.

His own strength.

“I need to level up.”

The Western Territory

Kael didn't simply walk into the western territory.

He spent the next several days gathering information.

He studied monster tracks.

Measured mana density.

Mapped underground metal deposits.

Recorded regeneration patterns.

And most importantly—

He searched for Territory Lords.

His System displayed the information he had gathered.

[Known High-Level Targets]

Ironback Devourer — Level 34 — Commander — Potential Lord

Blackthorn Colossus — Level 36 — Lord — Potential Overlord

Unknown Territory Lord — Level ???

Kael stopped at the second entry.

The Blackthorn Colossus.

He had encountered it once before.

He had been nowhere near strong enough to fight it.

Now he still wasn't certain he could win.

That was exactly why he chose it.

“If I can't defeat this one…”

Kael looked toward the western forest.

“…then I'm not ready for what's coming.”

Preparation

Kael spent three full days preparing.

Not training.

Preparing.

He knew that difference mattered.

His previous battles had taught him something.

Preparation could turn a weaker fighter into a dangerous one.

But only if the preparation was based on accurate information.

So Kael began with the enemy.

He studied every piece of information he had about the Colossus.

Blackthorn Colossus.

Large body.

Extremely durable armor.

Root manipulation.

High regeneration.

Mana absorption.

Territory Authority.

Its greatest strength wasn't its body.

It was the environment.

The forest itself supplied it with mana.

Kael drew a rough map on the ground.

“Armor protects the torso.”

He marked the center.

“Regeneration repairs damage.”

Another mark.

“Roots control movement.”

Another.

“Mana absorption means prolonged fighting favors it.”

Kael stared at the map.

“So I can't fight it normally.”

He crossed out the idea of trading attacks.

“I need to control the battlefield.”

That became the foundation of his plan.

The First Preparation — Penetration

Kael's PR-01 had already been useful against armored creatures.

But against a Level 36 Lord?

Not enough.

Ordinary ammunition would lose too much force against the Colossus's armor.

Kael studied the material structure of the creature's bark-like armor from his previous observation.

Then he studied his father's notes on armor penetration.

He spent an entire day experimenting.

Most of his prototypes failed.

Some shattered before leaving the barrel.

Others lost their mana reinforcement halfway through flight.

One even bent upon impact with a reinforced metal plate.

Kael stared at the failed ammunition.

“Again.”

He changed the internal mana channel.

Reduced the outer metal layer.

Concentrated the reinforcement toward the tip.

Another attempt.

The projectile penetrated the test plate.

Kael's eyes sharpened.

“That's it.”

The System responded.

[Blueprint Created.]

[Darven Penetrator Round — Prototype.]

Function: High armor penetration

Limitation: High mana consumption

Compatibility: Darven Precision Weapons

Kael didn't celebrate.

He immediately tested it again.

And again.

Only after repeated successful tests did he accept it.

Then he modified the rifle.

The barrel was reinforced.

The mana channel was narrowed.

The internal structure was strengthened to withstand the higher pressure.

[Darven PR-02]

Type: Precision Rifle

Grade: 5 — Rare

Quality: Excellent

Properties:

• Mana Conduction
• Bloodline Synchronization
• High Precision
• Mana Disruption
• Weakness Lock
• Armor Penetration

Kael lifted the rifle.

“This isn't stronger because it's a higher grade.”

He looked at the ammunition.

“It's stronger because it solves a specific problem.”

That lesson mattered.

The Second Preparation — The Heavy Weapon

Penetration alone wouldn't be enough.

Even if Kael damaged the Colossus—

It could regenerate.

He needed a weapon capable of delivering enormous force during a small opening.

Kael studied the GL-02.

Then the principles behind his previous heavy weapon.

He didn't want another weapon that simply produced a larger explosion.

He needed concentrated impact.

For two days, he worked.

The weapon became heavier.

Its mana chamber became larger.

Its firing mechanism became slower.

But the output became dramatically more concentrated.

Darven HW-02

Type: Magical Heavy Weapon

Grade: 5 — Rare

Quality: Fine

Properties:

• Mana Compression
• High Impact
• Armor Break
• Metal Control Synchronization

Kael tested it against a reinforced stone formation.

The impact shattered the stone.

But the weapon nearly tore itself apart.

Kael frowned.

“Too much.”

He reinforced the barrel.

Tested again.

The weapon survived.

He nodded.

“Now it can fire once without destroying itself.”

One shot.

That was all he needed.

The HW-02 wasn't his primary weapon.

It was the weapon he would use when the enemy's defense was already compromised.

The Third Preparation — The Territory

Kael's weapons solved the armor problem.

But not the regeneration.

He returned to the western territory and spent an entire day observing the mana network.

He didn't approach the Colossus.

He watched from a distance.

He noticed something.

Whenever the Colossus was injured, the surrounding roots glowed.

Mana traveled through them.

Then the wounds closed.

Kael followed the flow.

The forest wasn't giving the Colossus unlimited energy.

It was transferring energy through specific underground channels.

Kael smiled.

“There.”

He marked twelve locations.

The territory's mana channels.

He buried metal markers at each one.

The markers weren't weapons.

They were sensors.

Whenever mana passed through the soil—

They reacted.

After several hours, Kael had mapped the network.

He found something important.

The western territory had a weak point.

A section where several mana channels converged.

If he could draw the Colossus away from the center—

Its regeneration would weaken.

But there was another problem.

The Colossus would never willingly leave its strongest territory.

So Kael needed a reason.

He smiled.

“I'll make it chase me.”

The Fourth Preparation — The Escape Route

Kael wasn't arrogant enough to assume his plan would work perfectly.

So he prepared an escape route.

Three reinforced metal plates were buried beneath the ground.

A fourth was positioned near a large rock formation.

A series of metal markers created a path.

If the Colossus overwhelmed him—

Kael could use Metal Control to pull the plates upward and create temporary barriers.

Not enough to stop the monster.

Enough to buy seconds.

Seconds were valuable.

Kael also marked several trees with thin metal strips.

If he saw the markers bend—

It meant something was approaching.

His battlefield now had warning systems.

Weapons.

Traps.

Sensors.

An escape route.

Only then did Kael decide he was ready.

The Blackthorn Colossus

On the fourth day, Kael entered the western territory.

He didn't go directly toward the monster.

He stopped at the boundary.

Activated Metal Sense.

The territory appeared inside his mind.

Mana.

Roots.

Metal deposits.

And—

Something enormous.

Kael opened his eyes.

“It came.”

A shadow moved between the trees.

The Blackthorn Colossus emerged.

Nearly eight meters tall.

Its body was covered in dark bark-like armor.

Large black thorns grew from its shoulders and back.

Its glowing green eyes locked onto Kael.

The System activated.

[Threat Analysis.]

Name: Blackthorn Colossus

Level: 36

Grade: Lord

Potential: Overlord

Classification: Territory Lord

Traits:

• Blackthorn Armor
• Root Manipulation
• Regeneration
• Mana Absorption
• Territory Authority

Kael didn't attack.

He waited.

The Colossus roared.

The ground shook.

Then—

A thorn launched toward him.

Kael moved exactly as planned.

He stepped left.

The thorn struck the tree behind him.

BOOM!

Kael fired.

BANG!

The penetrator round struck the Colossus's chest.

The projectile pierced the outer armor.

Kael's eyes sharpened.

Success.

But the wound immediately began closing.

Kael didn't fire again.

Instead, he turned and ran.

The Colossus roared and charged after him.

Exactly as planned.

The First Phase

Kael ran through the forest.

Roots erupted behind him.

He jumped over the first.

The second.

Then—

A third root came from his blind spot.

Kael activated Metal Control.

A buried metal plate rose from the ground.

BOOM!

The root struck it.

The plate shattered.

Kael didn't stop.

First defensive plate used.

He continued running.

The Colossus followed.

Another root emerged.

Kael jumped.

The PR-02 remained in his hands.

He didn't fire.

He was waiting.

The Colossus was slowly moving away from its strongest territory.

Kael checked the metal markers.

One.

Two.

Three.

The mana density was dropping.

Almost.

The Colossus suddenly accelerated.

Kael's eyes widened.

“Too fast!”

A massive claw swept toward him.

Kael raised another metal plate.

CRACK!

The plate shattered.

Kael was thrown backward.

He rolled across the ground.

Pain spread through his shoulder.

The Colossus charged.

Kael looked at the nearest marker.

The marker was glowing weakly.

Exactly where he wanted it.

He smiled.

“Now.”

The Territory Trap

Kael slammed his hand into the ground.

Metal Control.

Twelve buried markers activated.

The entire battlefield changed.

A metallic field spread across the ground.

The Colossus's movement slowed.

The roots emerging beneath it became weaker.

Its connection to the surrounding mana network was being disrupted.

The System responded.

[Territory suppression detected.]

[Target's mana absorption efficiency reduced.]

Kael's eyes sharpened.

This was the moment he had prepared for.

He raised the PR-02.

Weakness Lock.

The System analyzed the Colossus.

The damaged chest.

The knees.

The joints beneath the armor.

The areas where the regeneration was weakest.

[Weaknesses confirmed.]

Kael fired.

BANG!

The first round struck the knee.

The armor cracked.

The Colossus stumbled.

Kael fired again.

BANG!

The second round struck the opposite joint.

The Colossus dropped to one knee.

Kael didn't waste another shot.

He had been saving the heavy weapon.

Now was the time.

The Colossus Adapts

The Colossus roared.

Its body suddenly changed.

The thorns on its back grew longer.

Roots erupted around the metal markers.

Kael's eyes widened.

It's adapting.

The monster wasn't simply powerful.

It was intelligent enough to understand the battlefield.

The roots attacked the markers.

One shattered.

Then another.

The metallic field weakened.

Kael's expression changed.

“No.”

He immediately moved toward the damaged markers.

The Colossus struck.

Kael rolled.

A root smashed into the ground.

He reached the nearest marker.

Metal Control.

He pulled it out.

Then threw it deeper into the earth.

The marker reconnected.

The metallic field stabilized.

The Colossus attacked again.

Kael barely escaped.

His breathing became ragged.

It knows what I'm doing.

That was the problem.

His original plan wasn't enough.

He needed to adapt too.

Kael looked at the roots.

Then at the markers.

Then at the damaged joints.

An idea appeared.

He smiled.

“You're protecting the network.”

The Colossus roared.

Kael deliberately moved toward the weakest marker.

The creature followed.

Exactly as he expected.

Kael suddenly turned.

He wasn't protecting the marker.

He was using it as bait.

The Colossus slammed its arm down.

Kael jumped away.

The impact destroyed the marker.

But beneath it—

Kael had buried something else.

A thick metal spike.

The moment the marker broke—

Kael activated it.

Metal Control.

The spike shot upward.

It struck the already-damaged joint.

CRACK!

The Colossus stumbled.

Kael's eyes sharpened.

“Got you.”

The Final Shot

The Colossus tried to regenerate.

Nothing happened.

The territory connection had been disrupted.

Its damaged joints remained exposed.

Kael raised the PR-02.

One shot.

BANG!

The first joint broke.

Another.

BANG!

The second.

The Colossus fell.

But it wasn't dead.

It slammed both fists into the ground.

The entire forest shook.

Roots erupted everywhere.

Kael's escape route disappeared beneath the roots.

His final defensive plate shattered.

His mana was almost empty.

The HW-02 remained in his hands.

Kael looked at it.

One shot.

Only one.

He remembered every step of his preparation.

The penetrator rounds had opened the armor.

The sensors had revealed the territory network.

The markers had weakened the regeneration.

The escape route had kept him alive.

The Metal Domain had slowed the Colossus.

The hidden spike had exposed the chest.

And now—

The heavy weapon had one job.

Kael aimed.

The Colossus raised its head.

Their eyes met.

Kael pulled the trigger.

BOOOOOOM!

The projectile struck the damaged chest.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the armor shattered.

The Colossus collapsed.

The roots stopped moving.

The forest became silent.

Kael stood there, breathing heavily.

He didn't smile immediately.

He simply stared.

Every preparation had worked.

Not perfectly.

The Colossus had adapted.

He had been injured.

Several parts of his plan had failed.

But every preparation had bought him something.

A second.

An opening.

Information.

Distance.

Or survival.

And together—

Those small advantages had been enough.

The System appeared.

[Territory Lord defeated.]

[Experience acquired.]

[Level increased.]

[Level 29.]

Kael blinked.

Then smiled faintly.

He opened his status.

[Five Attribute Points Available.]

He considered his next allocation carefully.

His Intelligence had become increasingly important.

But the battle had also exposed his physical limitations.

He allocated:

+1 Strength

+1 Agility

+1 Vitality

+2 Intelligence

[Attributes updated.]

Kael Darven

Level: 29

Strength: 25

Agility: 33

Vitality: 31

Intelligence: 32

Mana: 33

Metal Control: Mastery III

Bloodline Progress: 13%

Beast Path Compatibility: 4%

Kael looked at the fallen Territory Lord.

Something was glowing beneath its damaged armor.

He approached carefully.

A black-green crystal emerged from its chest.

[Territory Lord Core detected.]

[Compatible with Darven Bloodline.]

[Potential Functions:]

[Territory Manipulation]

[Mana Storage]

[Weapon Enhancement]

Kael picked up the core.

The moment he touched it—

A new notification appeared.

[Territory Lord defeated: 1.]

[Territory Lord Hunt initiated.]

Kael's eyes narrowed.

The Basilisk.

The Ironhide Lord.

The remaining powerful creatures.

There were still many.

And now Kael understood something.

He didn't need to become overwhelmingly powerful before fighting them.

He needed to become prepared enough to survive them.

He looked toward the distant eastern forest.

Somewhere beyond it stood the Verdant Horned Basilisk.

Level 41.

Grade Lord.

Potential Overlord.

Kael smiled.

“I'll be coming for you eventually.”

Far beneath the mountain—

The ancient sealed entity opened its crimson eye.

It had felt the death of another Territory Lord.

And this time, its whisper carried something different.

Not anger.

Not fear.

Interest.

“The Darven has learned how to kill Lords.”

A long silence followed.

Then—

“Good.”

“Let him grow.”