The ground beneath Arin's hand cracked.
A sharp sound—like something breaking—echoed faintly around him.
He couldn't breathe.
His chest tightened as that strange energy surged through his body, rushing through his arms, his legs, his veins—like something alive had awakened inside him.
"…What is this…?"
His voice trembled.
The creature in front of him didn't move.
For the first time since it appeared—
It hesitated.
Its glowing eyes narrowed, its massive body lowering slightly, as if it was… wary.
Of him.
Arin's fingers dug into the dirt.
"I didn't do anything…" he whispered. "So why…"
The energy pulsed again.
Stronger.
His vision flickered.
For a brief moment, everything sharpened—the trees, the air, even the faint movement of dust around him.
He could see it all.
Too clearly.
The creature growled.
Low.
Dangerous.
This time, it didn't hesitate.
It attacked.
Arin's body moved before his mind could react.
He rolled to the side—faster than ever before.
The ground where he had been standing exploded as the creature's claws slammed into it.
Dirt and debris flew everywhere.
Arin scrambled to his feet, breathing hard.
"…That was close…"
No—
That wasn't just close.
That was impossible.
He shouldn't have been fast enough.
He knew it.
And yet—
He had moved.
Another attack came.
This time from the side.
Arin turned—
Too slow—
No.
His body twisted at the last second, barely avoiding the strike.
The creature's claws grazed his arm.
A sharp pain shot through him.
"Ah—!"
He stumbled back, clutching his arm. Blood seeped through his sleeve.
"…This is bad…"
The creature didn't stop.
It moved again.
Relentless.
Arin tightened his grip on the wooden sword.
"This won't work…" he muttered.
He knew it.
A training weapon… against something like this…
It was useless.
His breathing became uneven.
His legs felt heavy.
But that energy—
That strange, hidden power—
It was still there.
Stronger now.
Pushing him.
Pulling him.
As if it wanted to be used.
"…No."
Arin shook his head.
"I don't even understand it…"
The creature roared again, charging straight at him.
This time—
There was no space to dodge.
No time to think.
No escape.
Everything slowed.
The sound of the forest faded.
The movement of the creature became… clear.
Too clear.
Arin's eyes widened.
"…I can see it…"
Every step.
Every shift in its muscles.
Every movement before it happened.
His grip tightened.
His body moved.
He stepped forward.
Not back.
Forward.
The creature's claws came down—
And Arin slipped past them.
Barely.
But perfectly.
His wooden sword struck.
A single, precise hit—
Right where the creature's movement broke for a split second.
Crack.
The sound wasn't loud.
But it was real.
The creature staggered.
Just slightly.
Arin froze.
"…I hit it…?"
His hands trembled.
That shouldn't have worked.
Nothing about that should have worked.
And yet—
It did.
The creature stepped back.
Its eyes fixed on him again.
This time… differently.
Not just hunger.
Not just aggression.
Something else.
Something closer to… recognition.
Then—
It roared.
Louder than before.
Angrier.
The ground shook violently.
Cracks spread through the earth beneath them.
Arin stumbled, barely keeping his balance.
"…What now—?!"
The energy inside him surged again—wild, unstable.
His vision flickered.
His body felt like it was being torn apart from the inside.
"…I can't… control it…"
His knees buckled slightly.
The power was too much.
Too sudden.
Too raw.
And the creature—
Was still coming.
"…No…"
Arin's breathing broke.
His body wouldn't respond properly anymore.
The energy that had helped him… was now overwhelming him.
Blurring his vision.
Slowing his movements.
Destroying his balance.
The creature raised its claws.
High.
For a finishing blow.
Arin couldn't move.
"…Not like this…"
His fingers tightened weakly around the sword.
His vision dimmed.
Then—
A sharp sound cut through the air.
Clang!
The creature's attack stopped.
Mid-air.
Blocked.
A blade stood between them.
Real steel.
Not wood.
Arin's eyes widened as he looked up.
A figure stood in front of him.
Tall.
Steady.
Unshaken.
"…You shouldn't be here, kid."
The voice was calm.
Cold.
Controlled.
It was one of the knights.
Behind him, more figures appeared between the trees.
Silent.
Fast.
Surrounding the creature.
The knight in front of Arin didn't look back.
"Stay down," he said.
Arin's grip loosened slightly.
"…What… is that thing…?" he whispered.
The knight's eyes narrowed as he stared at the creature.
"…That's not a normal mana beast."
A pause.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
"It's evolving."
The creature roared again.
Louder.
Stronger.
More unstable.
And Arin—
Even in his half-conscious state—
Felt it clearly.
The energy inside him…
Reacted.
As if answering something.