The next morning, the village was already awake before sunrise.
Farmers prepared their tools. Merchants arranged their goods. Children ran through the streets once again.
Yet despite the return of normal life, an uneasy feeling remained.
The disappearances had not been solved.
Gohim sat outside the house, finishing breakfast while Kael spoke with the village chief.
The old man looked troubled.
"You should not go there," he said.
Kael folded his arms.
"And why is that?"
"The people who disappeared all went toward the northern mountains."
The chief lowered his voice.
"Some went searching for missing relatives. Others were hunters. None returned."
Gohim looked up immediately.
"How many people disappeared?"
The old man sighed.
"Twenty-three."
Gohim nearly choked.
"Twenty-three?!"
The chief nodded.
"Over the last two years."
The village fell silent for a moment.
Kael exchanged a glance with Gohim.
Twenty-three people was not a coincidence.
Something was happening.
Something dangerous.
"We'll investigate," Kael said.
The chief's expression became worried.
"Then be careful."
By midmorning, Gohim and Kael were already making their way toward the northern mountains.
The terrain became steeper as they traveled.
Dense forests covered most of the area.
Few people came here anymore.
The further they climbed, the quieter everything became.
No birds.
No insects.
No signs of wildlife.
Gohim noticed it immediately.
"Isn't that strange?"
Kael nodded.
"Animals avoid places with abnormal spiritual pressure."
Gohim swallowed.
"So whatever is here is strong?"
"Possibly."
The deeper they went, the colder the air became.
Hours passed.
Then Gohim suddenly stopped.
"What is that?"
Ahead of them stood a broken cart.
Its wooden wheels were shattered.
Dust covered everything.
Kael examined it carefully.
"Several months old."
Gohim spotted something nearby.
A torn piece of cloth.
Then another.
And another.
The trail continued deeper into the forest.
Kael's expression hardened.
"They were dragged."
Gohim felt a chill run through his spine.
As they followed the trail, they eventually discovered something hidden between massive rocks.
A cave.
The entrance was large enough for several people to enter side by side.
Darkness stretched beyond the opening.
Gohim immediately felt uneasy.
"This place..."
Kael nodded.
"The pressure is coming from inside."
The two stepped forward carefully.
The deeper they went, the colder the cave became.
Drops of water echoed through the darkness.
Then—
Gohim froze.
"Wait."
Kael stopped.
"What is it?"
Gohim pointed ahead.
Bones.
Human bones.
Several of them.
Scattered across the ground.
Gohim's stomach tightened.
"Those people..."
Kael crouched beside them.
After a brief examination, he shook his head.
"No."
Gohim blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"These bones are much older."
A sudden growl echoed through the cave.
Both immediately looked up.
The sound came from deeper within.
Low.
Heavy.
Hungry.
Gohim slowly gripped his sword.
"Please tell me that's not what I think it is."
Kael drew his sword.
"Unfortunately, it probably is."
The growl came again.
Closer this time.
Then a pair of glowing blue eyes appeared in the darkness.
Gohim's heart nearly stopped.
The creature slowly stepped forward.
It resembled a giant wolf.
But no ordinary wolf could be this large.
Its shoulders nearly reached the cave ceiling.
Blue spiritual energy flowed through its fur.
Long scars covered its body.
One glance was enough.
This creature was powerful.
Very powerful.
The wolf stared at them.
Then spoke.
"You are not villagers."
Gohim nearly dropped his sword.
"It talks?!"
The wolf looked annoyed.
"Obviously."
Kael remained calm.
"We are investigating the disappearances."
The wolf's eyes narrowed.
"Then you are wasting your time."
Gohim frowned.
"What does that mean?"
The creature sat down.
"The missing people are alive."
Silence.
Gohim blinked.
"What?"
The wolf sighed.
"Humans are always so slow."
Kael stepped forward.
"Explain."
The wolf pointed deeper into the cave.
"They entered territory they shouldn't have entered."
"Whose territory?" Gohim asked.
The wolf's expression darkened.
"The Watcher."
Both Kael and Gohim immediately became alert.
"Who is the Watcher?" Kael asked.
The wolf lowered its voice.
"Something ancient."
A brief silence followed.
Then—
A distant scream echoed from deep within the mountain.
Gohim's eyes widened.
A human scream.
Someone was alive down there.
The wolf stood immediately.
"Too late."
Kael tightened his grip on his sword.
"What do you mean?"
The wolf looked deeper into the darkness.
"The Watcher knows you're here."
A powerful tremor suddenly shook the cave.
Dust fell from above.
The entire mountain rumbled.
Gohim instinctively stepped back.
Then he felt it.
A spiritual pressure far greater than anything he had experienced before.
Even stronger than the attackers.
Even stronger than his uncontrolled awakening.
Something enormous had awakened beneath the mountain.
The wolf's ears flattened.
Kael's expression became serious.
And deep within the darkness—
Two gigantic blue eyes slowly opened
The enormous blue eyes slowly disappeared into the darkness, and the cave fell silent once more.
Neither Gohim nor Kael moved.
The spiritual pressure lingering in the cave was enough to make breathing difficult.
Kael slowly sheathed his sword.
"We're leaving."
Gohim turned in disbelief.
"What?"
"We've seen enough."
"But those people—"
Kael raised a hand, stopping him.
"I know."
His voice remained calm, but his expression was grave.
"I've fought enemies like this before. Rushing in without understanding your opponent is the fastest way to get yourself killed."
Gohim clenched his fists.
"But they're still alive!"
"For now," Kael replied. "And I intend to keep it that way."
The giant wolf watched them quietly before speaking.
"The old man is right."
Gohim looked at the beast.
"You know about the Watcher?"
The wolf nodded.
"I have lived near these mountains for many years."
"It is not a creature that attacks without reason."
"It only becomes hostile when strangers force their way into the deepest part of its cave."
Kael listened carefully.
"So the disappearances began because people unknowingly entered its territory."
"Yes," the wolf answered.
"But reaching the Watcher is a trial by itself."
Gohim frowned.
"What do you mean?"
The wolf's tail brushed against the cave floor.
"The tunnels leading to the Watcher are filled with creatures made of stone and sand."
"They are not ordinary monsters."
"They can merge with the walls, the ground, and even each other, becoming larger and stronger."
"The deeper you travel, the more of them you will face."
"Most intruders exhaust themselves fighting them long before they ever reach the Watcher."
"The Watcher simply waits."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"So by the time anyone reaches him, they're already too weak to win."
The wolf nodded.
"Exactly."
It paused before adding,
"And there is something else you should know."
"What is it?" Gohim asked.
"The Watcher keeps those he captures alive for only eight days."
Silence filled the cave.
"Tomorrow," the wolf continued quietly, "will be the eighth day for the people he captured."
"If no one rescues them before then..."
"...they will all be executed."
Gohim's eyes widened.
"No..."
The wolf looked directly at him.
"If you truly intend to challenge the Watcher, become stronger first."
"I can guide you through these mountains."
"And if you prove yourselves worthy..."
"I will become your disciple."
Kael smiled faintly.
"I believe you mean you will allow us to become your disciples, not the other way around."
The wolf let out a deep rumbling sound that almost resembled a laugh.
"Perhaps."
Gohim suddenly stepped forward.
"We don't have time!"
He pulled the worn book his father had left him from inside his cloak.
"People are going to die tomorrow."
He held the book tightly.
"My father entrusted this to me."
"There has to be something inside..."
"Some technique..."
"Something powerful enough to save them."
Kael looked at the book for a long moment.
Then he spoke firmly.
"A powerful technique alone won't save anyone."
Gohim looked up.
"If your body cannot withstand it, the technique will destroy you before it reaches your enemy."
He placed a hand on Gohim's shoulder.
"But..."
"If that book truly contains the teachings of a Guardian..."
"Then tonight..."
"We begin learning its first technique."
Gohim's determination returned.
"I'll master it."
Kael shook his head.
"No."
"You'll begin it."
"Mastering it..."
"...is a journey."
The wolf turned toward the darkness of the cave.
"Then your training begins now."