The wind drifted gently through the towering trees of Vasukih Forest, carrying a cool breeze that stirred the dense canopy overhead. To most people, the quiet scenery would have been almost comforting.
The moment Zeyn crossed the gate, the atmosphere changed.
The air turned colder, every breeze brushing across his skin like frozen fingers. Shadows shifted behind ancient trunks, and the deeper he ventured into Vasukih, the more the forest seemed to awaken around him.
Pairs of glowing eyes emerged from the darkness.
Massive Minotaurs stood among the trees. Ogres lumbered between tangled roots. Werewolves stalked silently through the undergrowth while towering giants watched from afar. Yet the ones that drew his attention most were the creatures that looked almost human- scaled limbs, slit pupils, and forked tongues flickering through the air as though tasting his scent.
None of them moved.
They simply watched.
A crimson aura slowly spread from Zeyn's body, burning through the darkness like a silent wildfire. It wasn't merely overwhelming power.
It was hatred made tangible.
'Welcome to our domain, Your Highness.'
Dozens of voices echoed directly inside his mind, blending into one.
'But why does your anger reek so strongly? Have you come to start a war?'
"You already know why I'm here." Zeyn's gaze swept across the monsters without a hint of hesitation. "Don't waste my time."
Low growls rolled through the forest.
A hulking creature finally stepped forward- a gorilla-like beast with the wrinkled face of an old man, its mouth lined with dagger-like fangs. It pounded its chest, each strike sending tremors across the ground before unleashing a deafening roar.
Zeyn didn't react. He simply looked at it.
The monster's roar weakened. Its confidence crumbled beneath those crimson eyes.
With a frightened grunt, it spun around and disappeared into the darkness.
"Tch."
A look of quiet disdain crossed Zeyn's face.
"Pathetic."
Silence swallowed the forest once again.
Then...
'How intriguing, Your Highness.'
A violent gust tore through the clearing, ripping branches from the trees as monsters scattered in every direction.
Something far stronger had arrived.
*Crash!
The ground exploded beneath a massive figure as a towering Lizardman landed before him. Blackened scales covered its enormous body. A colossal shield guarded one arm, while the other gripped a sword large enough to split a wagon in half.
With a thunderous roar, it brought the blade crashing downward.
Zeyn caught it with one hand. Effortlessly.
"Oh?"
'After becoming a traitor, you still dare stand before us, Prince Zeyn?' The Lizardman's voice slithered through his mind like poison. 'Shall we strip you of your title before tearing you apart?'
The Lizardman's colossal blade screeched against the crimson barrier surrounding Zeyn, scattering sparks that drifted through the air like dying fireflies. Its amber eyes narrowed in disbelief.
'Impossible... Even my wind magic can't scratch you.'
A cold smile tugged at Zeyn's lips. "Perhaps you overestimated yourself."
Before another word could be exchanged—
*BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted somewhere deep within the forest. Ancient trees splintered apart as the shockwave surged through the clearing like a raging storm.
Zeyn reacted instantly.
His foot slammed into the Lizardman's chest, launching the towering warrior backward. Branches snapped as its massive body disappeared into the undergrowth.
Almost immediately, ten figures emerged from the shadows.
Obsidian armor concealed their bodies from head to toe, while an overwhelming pressure settled over the clearing as they silently formed a circle around him.
Royal Guardians.
'You despicable creature.'
Its voice resonated directly inside Zeyn's mind.
'Have you forgotten your place? You were born to guard the realms, yet you've chosen to bare your fangs against your own kin.'
Zeyn slowly lowered his stance. Crimson Qi rippled around his body, growing denser with every passing second.
"If you want me to kneel..." His eyes swept across every guardian surrounding him. "...then make me."
'You won't leave this forest alive!'
He drew a slow breath. The crimson Qi surrounding him erupted outward.
A violent shockwave burst across the battlefield, forcing every guardian to stagger as the ground quaked beneath their feet.
Then the trees exploded apart.
A gigantic silhouette charged from the darkness, its black fur bristling as crimson eyes burned beneath a twisted brow. Jagged fangs protruded from its snarling mouth while an unnaturally long tongue slithered between them.
A massive black ape-like creature.
'I'll tear you apart myself!'
The monster's roar rolled through the forest like thunder. Its enormous fist came crashing down.
*BAM!
The earth collapsed into a massive crater.
But Zeyn was no longer there.
"Too loud..." His voice drifted calmly from above. "...and far too slow."
Hovering behind its head, Zeyn raised a palm engulfed in crimson Qi before driving it downward.
The impact slammed the monster into the ground with overwhelming force.
The forest trembled. The reptilian warriors roared in fury.
'Wretch!'
'How dare you strike down your own kin!'
'You'll pay for this betrayal!'
Zeyn landed lightly on the fractured earth. At once, glowing lines spread beneath the guardians' feet.
An enormous red hue unfolded across the battlefield, intricate patterns pulsing like the heartbeat of a living creature.
"You're forcing me..." His voice was barely above a whisper. "...to awaken the darkness I buried long ago."
His crimson eyes met theirs.
"You'll regret it."
'Enough excuses!' one guardian roared.
'A traitor is all you'll ever be!'
The guardian lunged.
Zeyn slipped past the attack with a single step, catching the creature's arm in mid-swing. His knee drove into its thigh, disrupting its balance before another sharp strike shattered its elbow.
*CRACK!
A scream echoed through the clearing. It ended the instant Zeyn's hand struck the guardian's neck.
Another guardian rushed in, spinning into a powerful kick.
Zeyn caught the leg effortlessly. He twisted the guardian's body. One by one. Strike after strike.
Silence followed.
'Something's wrong...'
'Our magic...!'
'He's way stronger than we could anticipate!'
Panic spread through their ranks as they realized they were trapped within the formation.
A faint smile appeared on Zeyn's face.
"Come..." He slowly beckoned them forward with one finger.
The astral beings that had been watching from the shadows finally made their move. Scales scraped against bark. Claws tore through the earth. Fangs gleamed beneath the canopy.
Dozens rushed forward.
Then hundreds.
Within moments, thousands of creatures surged toward him like a living tide.
'Charge!'
'Tear him apart!'
The first wave consisted of sixty elite warriors.
They attacked simultaneously.
Magic spells streaked across the battlefield while spectral auras twisted through the air, reducing the once-peaceful clearing to a storm of explosions and deafening roars.
Yet the instant they stepped inside the glowing crimson aura surrounding Zeyn...
Everything changed.
Their magic unraveled.
Their bodies trembled violently as an overwhelming spiritual pressure crashed down upon them.
Some collapsed before they could even fight back.
Those who endured met something far worse.
*BAM! THUD! CRACK!
Zeyn moved through the battlefield like a phantom. Every punch shattered bone. Every kick sent another warrior crashing into the swarm behind them. Not a single movement was wasted.
Every strike was meant to end the fight.
A grin spread across his face as another enemy fell. He swept another guardian aside with a backhand.
"Is that all you've got?!" He screamed in anger.
Panic rippled through the horde.
'What... is he?'
'No human fights like this!'
'He's no human... His power rivals the ruler of this forest itself.'
The crimson circle around him pulsed like the heartbeat of a living creature. Each fallen enemy seemed to nourish it.
Instead of weakening, the Qi surrounding Zeyn only grew denser.
Heavier.
Darker.
After sending another warrior flying, he slowly exhaled.
"...Enough."
The magic contracted. Its light surged upward before collapsing into his body. For a single heartbeat...
The air itself trembled.
His red eyes blazed like burning stars.
Behind him, the swirling Qi condensed into a colossal serpent with eight writhing heads sharing one enormous body nearly thirty meters long. Each head faced a different direction, hissing as though claiming dominion over the entire forest.
Fear instantly spread through the battlefield.
'No...'
'Not that technique!'
'Retreat! Retreat NOW!'
Zeyn looked at them without a trace of mercy.
"Too late."
*Ssshhhk… DRAKKHHH!
Eight beams of crimson light erupted at once. They swept across the battlefield in every direction. Trees vanished. Boulders disintegrated.
The astral beings caught within the attack disappeared without even leaving behind ashes.
Everything within sixty meters ceased to exist. Only scorched earth remained.
As the last echoes of the serpent's roar faded into the clouds, Zeyn stood alone amid a wasteland of smoke and drifting ash.
His breathing grew heavier. At last, he dropped onto one knee.
"Damn..."
Sweat rolled down his forehead.
"That drained me faster than I expected..."
He let out a slow breath before sitting cross-legged.
Closing his eyes, he began circulating his Qi to recover.
Far beyond the devastated clearing, countless astral beings watched from a safe distance.
Not one dared approach.
'He... wiped everything out... in seconds.'
'We can't fight the prince...'
Dark clouds gathered overhead. Thunder rolled across the heavens. A bolt of lightning split the sky, bathing the ruined battlefield in white.
An unbearable pressure descended. It felt as though the entire forest had lowered its head in reverence.
Every astral creature instinctively dropped to its knees.
Then...
A figure emerged from the heavens.
She descended gracefully upon a black chariot, her long black cheongsam flowing behind her like liquid darkness.
Her beauty was almost ethereal. Yet below her waist, elegant curves gave way to a black serpent's tail that shimmered beneath the storm-lit sky.
The suffocating aura surrounding her eclipsed every creature present.
'How troublesome.'
Her cold voice echoed throughout the forest.
The Second Sister- Ayu, one of the ruler of Vasukih Forest.
With a casual wave of her hand, invisible chains materialized around Zeyn's body, binding his arms and legs in an instant. He couldn't move.
The entire battlefield held its breath.
Or… not.
He stomped once. The ground split apart. The invisible chains shattered like fragile glass.
Ayu's expression changed. Her snake eyes widened ever so slightly.
Disbelief swept through the surrounding warriors.
'He... broke free?'
'Even Lady Ayu couldn't restrain him...'
'He's even more dangerous than we imagined.'
Weapons were drawn. The atmosphere tightened like a bowstring moments before release.
Zeyn slowly rose to his feet. Crimson Qi continued to pulse around his body as his eyes met the woman descending before him.
A small smile crossed his lips. He held her gaze without the slightest hint of fear.
"So... my dear sister."
A brief silence lingered between them.
"You've finally decided to come."
* * * *