Chapter 71 — The Hunting Arc Begins

The lost branch disappeared behind Kael.

He did not look back.

The ruined settlement, the underground network, Erynd's warning, the fifth path, the Ancient Core—

all of it remained inside his mind.

But Kael forced himself to push those thoughts aside.

He had learned something important from the encounter.

He was still too weak.

Level 32.

That number had begun to bother him.

Not because Level 32 was weak.

Compared with ordinary Awakened, it was already impressive.

But Kael was no longer fighting ordinary enemies.

He had encountered Territory Lords.

He had fought network-born creatures.

He had stood near the Ancient Core.

And beyond all of that were the three beings imprisoned inside the pocket world.

The Legendary Beasts.

Kael stopped on top of a rocky hill.

He opened his status.

[Kael Darven]

Level: 32

Rank: E-Rank Apprentice — Peak

Strength: 28

Agility: 38

Vitality: 35

Intelligence: 35

Mana: 36

Bloodline Progress: 15%

Metal Control Mastery: III

Darven Forge: Active

Darven Armament: 3/3

Network Sense: Active

Administrator Authority: Fourth Path

Beast Path Compatibility: 4%

Kael closed the window.

“I need eighteen levels.”

He looked toward the massive wilderness ahead.

“The easy ones are over.”

His father had once warned him about this region.

Not because it contained the strongest monsters.

Because it contained monsters that hunted intelligently.

Monsters that learned.

Monsters that cooperated.

Monsters that could kill careless hunters.

That was exactly why Kael had chosen it.

He didn't need another safe training ground.

He needed a battlefield.

He needed enemies capable of forcing him to become stronger.

Kael pulled a worn map from his Space Ring.

A large section was marked in black.

The Ashen Wilds.

Below it, his father's handwriting remained.

Rich in monster cores.

High material density.

Commander-class monsters common.

Territory Lords occasionally observed.

Do not enter alone below Level 30.

Kael smiled faintly.

“Too late.”

He folded the map.

Then walked into the forest.

The First Hunt

The Ashen Wilds were different from ordinary forests.

The trees were enormous.

Their bark was dark gray, almost black.

Thin streams of red mana flowed beneath the ground.

Strange crystal formations emerged from the soil.

Every few minutes, Kael could feel a faint tremor beneath his feet.

There was life everywhere.

But he couldn't see most of it.

That made him cautious.

Kael slowed his breathing.

Network Sense.

Mana Detection.

Danger Sense.

All three activated together.

The forest appeared differently.

Mana currents moved between the roots.

Small creatures hid inside trees.

Large creatures remained deeper.

And then—

Kael stopped.

A fresh footprint.

Four claws.

Extremely deep.

Something heavy had passed through recently.

Kael crouched.

He touched the ground.

Still warm.

“Less than an hour.”

His eyes moved through the trees.

The creature had been heading east.

Kael followed.

He didn't rush.

Every few meters, he stopped and checked the surroundings.

A hunter who wanted to survive didn't simply chase prey.

A hunter studied the entire battlefield.

After almost an hour—

Kael found it.

A large clearing.

At the center stood a massive creature.

Its body was covered in gray-black armor.

Two curved horns extended from its skull.

Its shoulders were enormous.

Its front limbs ended in thick claws.

And along its back were several glowing orange cracks.

Kael's System identified it.

[Ashen Horn Ravager]

Level: 35

Grade: Commander

Potential: Lord

Traits:

Ashen Armor

Impact Resistance

Heat Absorption

Predator Instinct

Burst Charge

Regenerative Core

Kael's eyes narrowed.

“Level 35.”

He smiled.

“Good.”

The Ravager suddenly raised its head.

Its nostrils expanded.

It had sensed him.

Kael didn't move.

Neither did the monster.

For several seconds, hunter and prey stared at one another.

Then the Ravager charged.

BOOM!

Kael jumped sideways.

A tree exploded behind him.

The monster turned immediately.

Too fast.

Kael fired PR-02.

BANG!

The shot struck its shoulder.

The bullet barely penetrated.

The Ravager continued charging.

Kael fired again.

BANG!

This time he aimed at the eye.

The creature turned its head.

The round scraped across its armor.

Kael frowned.

“It protects its weak points automatically.”

The Ravager slammed its claws downward.

Kael jumped.

The ground cracked.

A wave of heat rushed outward.

Kael's eyes widened.

“Heat absorption.”

The orange cracks across the creature's body had brightened.

It was absorbing the mana from its surroundings.

Kael fired AR-04.

A burst of bullets struck the chest.

The Ravager didn't slow.

Instead—

it became faster.

Kael immediately stopped.

“So that's the trick.”

The monster absorbed mana from attacks.

The more magical energy he fed it—

the stronger it became.

Kael threw AR-04 back into his Darven Armament storage.

He drew the katana.

The Ravager charged.

Kael waited.

Five meters.

Four.

Three.

Two—

He stepped sideways.

The monster passed him.

Kael slashed its rear leg.

SLASH!

A shallow wound appeared.

The Ravager turned.

Kael moved away.

He didn't attack again.

Instead, he watched.

The wound began closing.

“Regeneration.”

The monster attacked again.

Kael dodged.

Another slash.

Same leg.

The regeneration activated.

But slower.

Kael's eyes sharpened.

The injured area was colder.

The orange glow beneath its armor had weakened.

Interesting.

He tested another attack.

This time he cut its shoulder.

The regeneration there was much faster.

Kael understood.

“The rear leg stores less heat.”

That meant its regeneration depended on heat concentration.

Kael smiled.

“Then I'll drain it.”

Metal Control activated.

The metal fragments attached to his belt and armor flew outward.

They formed thin blades.

Kael launched them.

Not at the monster.

Around it.

One.

Two.

Three.

Eight.

Twelve.

The Ravager charged.

Kael moved in the opposite direction.

The metal fragments followed him.

The creature entered their formation.

Kael clenched his fist.

The fragments connected.

A web of metal appeared.

The Ravager smashed through it.

Kael expected that.

The web wasn't meant to hold it.

It was meant to alter its movement.

Every time the creature broke through one line, Kael redirected the next.

Left.

Right.

Left again.

The Ravager became increasingly frustrated.

It couldn't reach him.

Kael kept moving.

The monster's breathing became heavier.

Its orange cracks grew brighter.

Kael smiled.

“More heat.”

The Ravager suddenly released a massive burst of energy.

BOOM!

The entire clearing shook.

Kael was thrown backward.

He hit the ground hard.

Pain spread through his shoulder.

He rolled immediately.

A claw passed through the space where his head had been.

Kael pushed himself upright.

The monster was faster now.

Much faster.

Its heat absorption had reached another stage.

Kael's eyes narrowed.

The Ravager charged.

Kael didn't retreat.

He waited until the last possible moment.

Then—

Metal Control.

CLANG!

A thick metal plate formed beneath his foot.

Kael stepped on it.

The plate launched him sideways.

The Ravager missed.

Kael landed behind it.

Katana.

One strike.

SLASH!

The rear leg was cut again.

The creature stumbled.

Kael immediately pulled PR-02 from his Space Ring.

The rifle had not been bonded to Darven Armament, but his Metal Control allowed him to retrieve it quickly.

He aimed at the damaged joint.

But he didn't fire.

He waited.

The Ravager turned.

Kael waited.

The orange glow moved toward the shoulder.

Kael watched carefully.

Then—

he saw it.

The heat wasn't spreading randomly.

It was moving through several channels beneath the armor.

Three major channels.

One in the chest.

One in the neck.

One in the rear leg.

Kael smiled.

“There.”

He fired.

BANG!

The round struck the rear leg.

Mana Disruption spread through the injured channel.

The orange glow flickered.

The Ravager froze.

Its regeneration stopped.

Kael moved.

He fired again.

BANG!

The neck.

Another interruption.

The creature's movement slowed.

Kael threw PR-02 aside.

Darven Armament activated.

The katana appeared in his hand.

He rushed forward.

The Ravager roared.

Kael didn't attack its body.

He struck the three points where the internal heat channels connected.

SLASH!

First.

SLASH!

Second.

SLASH!

Third.

The orange glow disappeared.

The monster staggered.

Its armor dimmed.

Kael stepped back.

The Ravager tried to charge.

Its legs failed.

It collapsed.

The System appeared.

[Ashen Horn Ravager defeated.]

[Combat Analysis complete.]

[Enemy weakness identified.]

[Experience acquired.]

Kael stood still.

Then—

[Level Up.]

[Level 33 reached.]

Kael exhaled.

“First.”

He opened his attribute screen.

Five points.

He allocated:

+2 Strength

+1 Agility

+1 Vitality

+1 Intelligence

The numbers changed.

Strength: 30

Agility: 39

Vitality: 36

Intelligence: 36

Kael nodded.

His Mana increased to 37.

He looked at the dead Ravager.

The battle had taught him more than simply how to kill it.

He had learned something about himself.

His weapons were powerful.

His bloodline was powerful.

But neither could solve every problem.

He had to understand the enemy first.

That realization was becoming one of the most important parts of his fighting style.

The Second Hunt

Kael extracted the Ravager's core.

Then he heard a sound.

A low howl.

He froze.

Another howl answered.

Then another.

Kael slowly turned.

Eyes appeared between the trees.

One pair.

Then five.

Then ten.

Then more.

Kael activated the System.

[Ashen Fang Wolves]

Level: 30–33

Grade: Elite

Trait: Pack Synchronization

Trait: Hunter's Instinct

Trait: Mana Tracking

Kael sighed.

“I just finished one.”

The wolves spread out.

Not randomly.

Three in front.

Four to the sides.

The rest behind.

Kael immediately understood.

They weren't ordinary monsters.

They had watched the entire fight.

And they had waited until he was weakened.

Kael's eyes narrowed.

“Smart.”

The wolves attacked.

Kael fired.

BANG!

One dodged.

Another jumped over it.

Kael turned.

The second wolf was already behind him.

He blocked with his katana.

The impact pushed him back.

A third attacked from the side.

Kael ducked.

A fourth came from above.

He raised a metal barrier.

CRASH!

The barrier cracked.

Kael rolled backward.

The wolves didn't give him time.

Attack.

Retreat.

Attack.

Change positions.

They were learning his movement patterns.

Kael smiled despite the pressure.

“Good.”

He began studying them.

One always attacked from the left after another attacked from the front.

A second always stayed behind the group.

The largest wolf coordinated the others.

Kael identified the leader.

He stopped attacking.

Instead, he ran.

The wolves followed.

Kael led them toward a narrow passage between two huge rock formations.

The wolves followed without hesitation.

Exactly as he expected.

Kael suddenly stopped.

The pack entered the passage.

Metal Control activated.

CLANG!

Metal spikes rose from the ground behind them.

The exit closed.

The wolves turned.

Kael was already waiting.

He fired GL-02.

BOOM!

The explosion struck the ground.

The pack scattered.

Kael charged.

His katana flashed.

One wolf fell back.

He didn't pursue.

Instead, he moved toward the leader.

The largest wolf understood.

It turned and attacked.

Kael blocked.

The impact pushed him against the wall.

The wolf opened its mouth.

Mana gathered.

Kael's eyes narrowed.

A ranged attack.

He immediately moved sideways.

The blast struck the rock.

Kael used the opening.

SLASH!

The leader staggered.

But the rest of the pack immediately attacked.

Kael couldn't defeat them one by one.

Too many.

So he changed the battlefield again.

He grabbed the damaged HW-02.

The heavy weapon fired.

BOOM!

The rock wall cracked.

Kael fired again.

BOOM!

The ceiling began collapsing.

The wolves panicked.

Kael jumped backward.

The passage filled with dust and falling stone.

He wasn't trying to crush them.

He was breaking their formation.

Once the pack was separated—

their coordination weakened.

Kael emerged from the dust.

Three wolves attacked.

He dodged.

Counterattack.

Another.

Counterattack.

The leader came last.

Kael waited for it.

The wolf lunged.

Kael stepped aside.

The wolf passed him.

Kael placed his palm against its body.

Metal Control activated.

A metal spike formed from the ground.

The leader was pinned.

Kael fired PR-02.

BANG!

The leader collapsed.

The remaining wolves immediately lost coordination.

The battle became far simpler.

One after another—

they fell.

The System appeared.

[Ashen Fang Wolf pack defeated.]

[Experience acquired.]

Kael waited.

No level-up.

He looked at the dark forest.

“Two hunts.”

He already understood.

Leveling would now require much more.

That was fine.

He had eighteen levels to earn.

And he had no intention of gaining them easily.

The Deeper Wilds

Kael continued walking.

The monsters became stronger.

Level 33.

Level 34.

Level 35.

Level 36.

He fought armored apes.

He fought venomous predators.

He fought burrowing monsters that attacked from beneath the ground.

He fought creatures that could disguise their mana signatures.

He fought flying predators that forced him to abandon his usual ground-based tactics.

None of them were enough to level him again.

But every battle taught him something.

He began keeping a record.

Enemy: Venom Stalker.

Weakness: poor defense while preparing poison.

Counter: interrupt preparation.

Enemy: Stoneback Ravager.

Weakness: slow turning speed.

Counter: attack from rear quadrant.

Enemy: Ashwing Predator.

Weakness: high-altitude blind spot.

Counter: force descent.

By sunset, Kael had filled several pages.

He sat beneath a tree.

His weapons were spread out before him.

HW-02 had several damaged components.

AR-03V required repairs.

PR-02 remained reliable.

The katana was still in excellent condition.

Kael looked at the heavy weapon.

“You're becoming outdated.”

He turned to his Space Ring.

There were still rare metals inside.

Mithril.

Adamantite.

Several unidentified alloys.

His father's notes contained dozens of weapon formulas.

But creating a stronger weapon required better materials.

And Kael didn't want to waste them on an incomplete design.

He needed something that solved his current problems.

A weapon capable of changing with the enemy.

He opened one of his father's old engineering books.

A single sentence caught his attention.

A Darven weapon should not merely grow stronger. It should become more appropriate.

Kael stared at the sentence.

Then smiled.

“That gives me an idea.”

He closed the book.

But he did not forge anything yet.

Not until he gathered enough materials.

Not until he understood exactly what he needed.

Because from this point onward—

every weapon had to have a purpose.

The First Lord

Two days later, Kael reached the deepest section of the Ashen Wilds.

The atmosphere changed immediately.

The mana density doubled.

The trees became larger.

Even the weaker monsters disappeared.

Kael stopped.

His danger sense screamed.

A shadow moved between the trees.

Kael immediately drew his katana.

A huge creature stepped into view.

It was larger than the Ashen Horn Ravager.

Its body was covered in dark scales.

A crown of bone-like horns surrounded its head.

Its eyes burned crimson.

The System activated.

[Ashen Crown Mauler]

Level: 39

Grade: Lord

Potential: Overlord

Classification: Territory Lord Candidate

Traits:

Ashen Dominion

Crown Armor

Predator's Authority

Mana Devouring

Regeneration

Territory Suppression

Kael's expression became serious.

A Lord.

This was the type of enemy he had been looking for.

The creature stared at him.

Kael stared back.

Neither moved.

Then—

the monster released its aura.

The entire forest seemed to bend.

Kael's knees nearly buckled.

He immediately activated Administrator Authority.

The pressure lessened.

His eyes sharpened.

“So that's the difference.”

This wasn't merely a stronger monster.

Its presence affected the territory itself.

The Ashen Crown Mauler took one step forward.

The ground cracked.

Kael raised PR-02.

He knew one thing.

This fight would not be easy.

And for the first time since beginning the hunt—

Kael genuinely smiled.

“Come.”

The Territory Lord roared.

And the entire Ashen Wilds erupted.

The hunt had truly begun.