Chapter 86 — The Legendary Hunt Begins

The portal disappeared behind Kael.

Silence followed.

Not ordinary silence.

There were no birds.

No insects.

No distant monster calls.

Nothing.

Kael stood alone on a vast plain beneath a black sky.

The pocket world stretched endlessly around him.

At first glance, it looked peaceful.

That was what made it dangerous.

Kael slowly turned.

The portal behind him was gone.

He could still feel the spatial key inside his Space Ring.

He could still return.

But only from certain regions.

His father had warned him about that.

The System confirmed it.

[Pocket World Entry Successful.]

[Host location: Outer Prison Region.]

[Spatial Return: Available.]

[Warning: Return function may be restricted in high-level territories.]

[Legendary Beast combat protocol active.]

Kael closed the screen.

His hand rested on the Darven Origin Blade.

The sword seemed to respond to the environment.

The crimson lines inside the blade brightened slightly.

Kael looked toward the horizon.

Three colossal territories dominated the world.

To the west—

darkness.

To the south—

green.

To the east—

blue.

The three Legendary Beasts.

The Shadow Lion.

The Verdant Serpent.

The Bone Sovereign.

Kael didn't move toward any of them.

Not yet.

He had prepared for this moment.

The first rule of his plan was simple.

Scout before fighting.

The second—

never assume the Legendary Beast would behave according to historical records.

The third—

don't activate Legendary Immortality until entering a battle where he could actually exploit it.

Kael took a slow breath.

Then activated Network Sense.

Nothing.

He tried Mana Detection.

Immediately—

his vision changed.

The pocket world was overflowing with mana.

It was everywhere.

In the ground.

In the air.

Inside the trees.

Inside the stones.

Even the darkness seemed to contain energy.

Kael's expression became serious.

“This place is saturated.”

That explained why the monsters here could become so powerful.

But there was another problem.

The mana wasn't uniform.

Each Legendary Beast's territory had its own signature.

The western region contained almost pure shadow mana.

The southern region contained dense life mana mixed with toxins.

The eastern region contained death-aligned mana.

And in the center—

nothing.

The white plain surrounding the black tower remained almost completely empty.

Kael didn't go there.

He had already learned enough about the structure.

Instead, he looked toward the west.

The Shadow Domain.

His first target.

Not to fight.

To scout.

Kael began walking.

The farther he moved west—

the darker the environment became.

At first, there was still light.

Then the shadows grew longer.

Then the sky itself became gray.

Then—

there was no visible source of light at all.

Yet Kael could still see.

The Vanguard Armor adapted.

[Environmental adaptation active.]

[Light sensitivity reduced.]

[Spatial stabilization active.]

Kael continued.

The ground changed.

Grass disappeared.

Black roots spread across the soil.

Some moved slightly when Kael passed.

He stopped.

One root shifted again.

Kael crouched.

He didn't touch it.

Instead, he scanned it.

[Shadow Root]

[Level: 41]

[Grade: Elite]

[Trait: Sensory Network]

Kael's eyes narrowed.

“Sensory network.”

The entire forest might be watching him.

He stood.

Immediately—

the root stopped moving.

Kael smiled faintly.

“You noticed me.”

He continued walking.

Five minutes later—

another root moved.

Then another.

Then another.

Kael activated Spatial Detection.

A network appeared.

Thousands of roots were connected underground.

Not like the mountain network.

This system was biological.

The forest itself acted as the Beast's sensory organ.

Kael took out a notebook.

He wrote:

Shadow Domain observation:

Environment itself functions as sensory network.

Avoid damaging vegetation unnecessarily.

Potential consequence: entire territory may react to disturbances.

He continued.

After another thirty minutes, Kael encountered his first creatures.

Three black wolves.

Unlike the creatures from the outside wilderness, these wolves had no visible eyes.

Their bodies were composed of fur and shadow.

They appeared almost transparent.

The System identified them.

[Shadowfang Hound]

Level: 43

Grade: Elite

Traits: Shadow Step, Pack Coordination, Blind Perception

Kael stopped.

Blind perception.

Interesting.

He hadn't been detected yet.

The hounds suddenly raised their heads.

All three turned toward him.

Kael froze.

They could sense him despite suppressing his presence.

He studied them.

Then noticed something.

The hounds weren't looking at him.

They were tracking his shadow.

Kael moved one foot.

The hounds turned.

He moved again.

They followed.

Kael smiled.

“So they track shadows.”

That meant his shadow could be used against him.

He activated Vanguard Armor's Shadow Configuration.

The spatial field around his body altered his shadow slightly.

The wolves hesitated.

Kael moved.

The hounds followed.

He moved again.

Their tracking became less accurate.

Kael nodded.

“Good.”

This armor wasn't merely defensive.

It could interfere with certain sensory abilities.

One hound suddenly attacked.

Kael didn't draw the Origin Blade.

He used V-01X.

Configuration V.

The weapon's frame strengthened.

The hound jumped.

Kael blocked.

CLANG!

The creature was thrown backward.

The other two attacked together.

Kael pivoted.

One strike.

The first staggered.

He used Metal Control.

A thin metal chain caught its leg.

The second hound attacked.

Kael ducked.

The third came from behind.

He turned.

The Origin Blade flashed.

SHING!

The hound retreated.

Kael didn't pursue.

Instead, he observed.

The creatures were significantly weaker than the Legendary Beast.

But their tactics resembled it.

Shadow movement.

Sensory manipulation.

Pack coordination.

Perhaps they were lesser manifestations of the territory.

Kael began testing them.

He activated Spatial Anchor.

One round.

BANG!

A small spatial field appeared.

The hounds couldn't use Shadow Step inside it.

Kael watched.

Confirmed.

He didn't kill them.

He deactivated the field and stepped away.

The hounds remained.

They didn't attack again.

Kael wrote:

Shadowfang Hounds confirmed as low-tier territorial predators.

Spatial Anchor disrupts Shadow Step.

Potential usefulness: training and calibration only.

He continued.

Several kilometers deeper—

Kael found a ruin.

Black stone walls.

Broken towers.

Collapsed arches.

No visible entrance.

The structure looked ancient.

Kael immediately felt something familiar.

Darven resonance.

He activated the Legacy Key.

The ruins reacted.

WHUM.

A hidden doorway opened.

Kael stared.

“Another Darven structure.”

He entered.

Inside was a small chamber.

No treasure.

No weapon.

Only a carved wall.

Five paths.

One empty.

Kael touched the carving.

A message appeared.

[Ancient Darven record detected.]

[Translation:]

“The Beast does not fear the sword.”

“It fears the thing the sword can reveal.”

Kael frowned.

What did that mean?

He read the inscription again.

Nothing else.

Then another line appeared.

“Do not attack the darkness.”

“Make the darkness attack itself.”

Kael's eyes sharpened.

A strategy hint.

Possibly left by an ancient Darven who had once fought the Shadow Lion.

That was valuable.

He copied the inscription into his notebook.

Then—

the chamber trembled.

A deep roar echoed through the forest.

Not close.

But powerful.

Kael immediately knew.

The Shadow Lion.

The roar wasn't loud in the normal sense.

It seemed to vibrate inside the darkness itself.

Kael's skin prickled.

The System appeared.

[Legendary Beast detected.]

[Shadow Lion.]

[Distance: Unknown.]

[Attention: Directed toward host.]

Kael stood still.

It knew he was here.

He hadn't entered its main territory yet.

And it already knew.

Kael slowly closed the notebook.

“Fine.”

He didn't approach.

Instead, he left the ruins.

Kael climbed a ridge overlooking the deeper Shadow Domain.

From there—

he could finally see it.

A massive black forest stretched across the horizon.

At its center stood an enormous tree.

The trunk was black.

Its branches extended into the sky.

The darkness around it was far denser than the rest of the territory.

Kael activated long-range perception.

Then—

he saw the Legendary Beast.

The Shadow Lion stood beneath the tree.

It was enormous.

Much larger than he had expected.

Its body was covered in black fur.

Crimson energy flowed through its mane like slow-moving fire.

Dark shadows crawled over its body.

Its eyes were crimson.

And around its chest—

Kael saw something strange.

A faint black glow.

The Shadow Core.

It wasn't stable.

Every few seconds, it flickered.

Kael's expression became serious.

His research had been correct.

The Core was damaged.

But that didn't mean the Lion was weak.

If anything—

the unstable Core made its behavior more unpredictable.

Kael zoomed in.

Several ancient chains surrounded its territory.

Some were embedded in the ground.

Others vanished into the darkness.

The Lion wasn't directly chained.

The territory itself was chained.

Kael understood.

“The prison isn't restraining its body.”

He studied the chains.

“It's restraining the domain.”

That meant destroying the chains might make the Beast stronger.

He wrote that down immediately.

Then—

the Lion raised its head.

Its crimson eyes turned directly toward Kael.

Kael froze.

Even from kilometers away—

he felt the gaze.

The Shadow Lion spoke.

The voice didn't travel through the air.

It appeared directly inside his mind.

“You came prepared.”

Kael didn't answer immediately.

Then—

“Yes.”

The Lion's ears moved.

“Your father did not.”

Kael's expression changed.

“You knew my father?”

Silence.

Then:

“I knew his blood.”

Kael stepped forward.

“What happened when he came here?”

The Lion's eyes narrowed.

“He never reached me.”

Kael's expression became serious.

“My father never entered this world?”

“No.”

That was unexpected.

Kael had assumed his father had prepared everything through research.

Perhaps he had never actually entered the pocket world himself.

The Lion continued.

“He was afraid of what waited beyond the prison.”

Kael's eyes narrowed.

“The central tower?”

The Lion didn't answer.

Instead—

its crimson gaze shifted toward the distant center.

Then back.

“You should be afraid too.”

Kael didn't like that answer.

“What is inside?”

The Lion's mane darkened.

“Something that should never wake.”

Kael had heard almost the same thing from the Bone Sovereign.

He asked:

“Is it stronger than you?”

The Lion smiled.

“Strength is not the correct word.”

Kael became silent.

The Lion continued.

“You will understand eventually.”

Then the connection disappeared.

Kael stood still.

He looked toward the central tower.

Then back toward the Lion's territory.

Something about the conversation bothered him.

The Beast hadn't threatened him.

It hadn't challenged him.

It had warned him.

That wasn't what he expected from a Legendary Beast.

Kael spent the next day exploring the outer edge of the Shadow Domain.

He did not fight the Lion.

Instead, he mapped the territory.

The darkness contained distinct regions.

Outer Forest

Moderate shadow density.

Level 40–44 monsters.

Middle Forest

High shadow density.

Level 44–48 monsters.

Inner Domain

Extreme shadow density.

No ordinary monster signatures.

Only the Shadow Lion.

Core Territory

Area surrounding the black tree.

No normal spatial readings.

Kael marked everything.

Then he noticed something.

The inner territory wasn't circular.

There were three narrow corridors where the darkness became unstable.

Three locations where the prison chains crossed.

Kael studied them.

They might be safe paths.

Or traps.

Or weaknesses.

He needed to know.

Kael traveled toward the nearest corridor.

He found another ruined structure.

Smaller than the first.

Inside was a statue.

A warrior holding a sword.

The statue's face had been damaged.

At its feet was another message.

“The Shadow Lion is not blind within darkness.”

“It sees everything.”

“Do not hide from it.”

Kael frowned.

Then the final line appeared.

“Make it see what you want it to see.”

Kael stared at the inscription.

A tactical lesson.

Not a weakness.

A way to manipulate perception.

Kael smiled slowly.

“Deception.”

He understood.

The Shadow Lion's greatest strength was its perception.

So the counter wasn't hiding.

It was controlling information.

Kael began thinking.

His V-01X could create spatial anchors.

His Metal Control could create decoys.

His armor could manipulate shadows.

The environment itself could create false signatures.

He could build an entire false battlefield.

Kael began writing.

Potential Shadow Lion strategy:

1. Create controlled shadow signatures.

2. Use spatial anchors to restrict Shadow Step.

3. Force the Lion to investigate false targets.

4. Keep real position uncertain.

5. Attack Shadow Core only after domain instability.

He stared at the plan.

It wasn't enough.

A Legendary Beast would adapt.

He needed multiple layers.

He added:

Layer 2: decoy attacks.

Layer 3: rotating spatial anchors.

Layer 4: adaptive weapon configuration.

Layer 5: deliberate retreat path.

Then one final line.

Layer 6: Legendary Immortality only after the battle reaches irreversible stage.

Kael closed the notebook.

As evening approached—

the forest changed.

Kael sensed something approaching.

Not the Lion.

Something else.

A giant shadow moved through the trees.

Then another.

Then another.

The System displayed:

[Shadow Domain predators approaching.]

[Estimated count: 12]

[Average Level: 46]

[Highest Level: 48]

[Classification: Elite / Commander variants]

Kael's expression became serious.

The pocket world wasn't allowing him to simply scout peacefully.

Fine.

He needed combat data.

Kael drew the Origin Blade.

The twelve creatures emerged.

They were larger than the Shadowfang Hounds.

Their bodies were covered in black armor-like fur.

Each possessed four glowing crimson eyes.

Their shadows moved independently.

[Shadow Ravager Pack]

Level: 45–48

Grade: Commander

Traits: Shadow Step, Pack Coordination, False Body, Domain Adaptation

Kael smiled.

“Good.”

This wasn't the Legendary Beast battle.

But it was the closest thing to training he could get.

The creatures spread out.

Kael didn't attack.

He waited.

The first disappeared.

Shadow Step.

Kael activated Spatial Detection.

Nothing.

He activated the armor's Shadow Configuration.

A faint spatial field appeared.

The creature emerged to his left.

Kael swung.

SHING!

The Origin Blade struck.

The creature blocked.

A second attacked.

Kael turned.

CLANG!

A third came from behind.

He ducked.

A fourth—

he jumped.

Twelve monsters attacked in sequence.

Kael couldn't fight all of them normally.

He activated V-01X.

Configuration IV.

Suppression.

WHUM!

A wide mana pulse spread.

Several creatures staggered.

Kael moved.

Spatial Anchor.

One shot.

BANG!

Two creatures became trapped within the field.

Kael charged.

Origin Blade.

SLASH!

One fell.

Another attacked.

Kael turned.

CLANG!

He blocked.

The creature's shadow split into two.

False body.

Kael almost attacked the wrong one.

He stopped.

Watched.

The real body cast a slightly distorted shadow.

Kael smiled.

“Got you.”

The blade flashed.

The creature retreated.

The remaining pack adapted.

They stopped using Shadow Step individually.

Now—

they moved in pairs.

Kael's eyes sharpened.

“Better.”

The battle continued.

He intentionally changed configurations.

Penetration.

Suppression.

Spatial.

Close Combat.

The pack adapted to each.

Kael adapted to them.

He wasn't trying to win quickly.

He was collecting data.

After nearly twenty minutes—

the final creature fell.

The System appeared.

[Shadow Ravager Pack defeated.]

[Combat data recorded.]

[V-01X Adaptive Combat efficiency increased.]

[Origin Blade Synchronization increased.]

Kael breathed heavily.

He looked at the battlefield.

“That was useful.”

But then—

he noticed something.

The corpses weren't dissolving.

Instead—

their shadows remained.

Twelve independent shadows.

Kael's expression changed.

He stepped backward.

The shadows moved.

One.

Two.

Then all twelve.

They merged together.

A single larger shadow formed.

The System immediately warned him.

[Unknown shadow phenomenon detected.]

[Classification: ???]

[Energy source: Legendary Territory.]

Kael's hand tightened around the Origin Blade.

The merged shadow rose.

It didn't attack.

Instead, a pair of crimson eyes appeared.

Kael stared.

The Shadow Lion was watching through them.

Its voice entered his mind.

“You learn quickly.”

Kael's expression became serious.

“Were you testing me?”

“Yes.”

He looked at the merged shadow.

“What happens if I fail?”

The Lion was silent.

Then:

“You die.”

The shadow disappeared.

The forest became silent again.

Kael stood alone.

He slowly exhaled.

This was no ordinary hunting ground.

The Legendary Beast was already testing him without directly fighting him.

And Kael understood what that meant.

The actual battle would not begin when he entered the Lion's territory.

It had already begun.

The Lion was studying him.

Kael looked at his weapon.

Then his armor.

Then the dark forest.

He smiled.

“Then study me.”

He turned toward the deeper domain.

“I'll study you too.”

Far away—

beneath the black tree—

the Shadow Lion opened its eyes.

For the first time in thousands of years—

it was interested in its opponent.

The Legendary Hunt had begun.

And neither hunter—

nor Beast—

intended to become prey.