The forest erupted into motion.
Steel flashed.
The moment the knight stepped forward, everything changed.
The creature roared and lunged again—but this time, it wasn't facing a boy with a wooden sword.
It was facing warriors.
Clang!
The knight's blade met the creature's claws head-on.
The impact sent a shockwave through the ground, leaves and dust bursting outward. Arin, still on the ground, felt the force hit his chest like a punch.
"…That's… insane…" he whispered.
He had fought the creature. Barely survived.
But this—
This was on a completely different level.
The knight didn't move back an inch.
"Hold formation!" he shouted.
From the trees, the other knights responded instantly.
"Yes, sir!"
They moved like a single unit—two circling from the sides, one taking position behind, another raising a hand as faint light gathered around it.
Magic.
Arin's eyes widened.
"…They're using magic…"
The air shifted.
A sharp wind cut through the clearing as one of the knights released a spell. It struck the creature's side—
Boom!
The beast staggered, but didn't fall.
Instead—
It roared louder.
"…It's getting stronger," one knight said.
"I can see that," the leader replied calmly. "Don't let it adapt. End it quickly."
Arin tried to push himself up.
His arms trembled.
"…Move…"
His body barely responded.
The earlier surge of power had vanished, leaving behind exhaustion… and pain.
So this is the cost…
His fingers dug into the dirt.
"…I can't even stand…"
In front of him, the battle intensified.
The creature moved wildly now—faster, more aggressive. Its attacks weren't just brute force anymore. They were… changing.
Adjusting.
It dodged one strike.
Blocked another.
Its movements were becoming sharper.
Smarter.
"…It really is evolving…" Arin whispered.
A chill ran down his spine.
If the knights hadn't come—
He would already be dead.
The leader clicked his tongue.
"Troublesome."
He stepped forward.
And this time—
He moved seriously.
Arin didn't even see it properly.
One moment the knight was standing still—
The next—
He was gone.
A flash of steel.
A sharp sound.
Then—
The creature froze.
For a split second, everything went silent.
Then—
Slash.
A deep cut appeared across the creature's body.
Dark energy leaked from the wound as it staggered backward, letting out a distorted roar.
Arin's eyes widened.
"…One strike…"
That single movement—
It was something he couldn't even comprehend.
The knight lowered his blade slowly.
"…It's unstable," he said. "Finish it before it mutates further."
The others moved immediately.
Another spell—
Another strike—
Another coordinated attack—
The creature tried to retaliate—
But it was too late.
With a final roar—
It collapsed.
Silence returned to the forest.
Heavy.
Unnatural.
Arin stared at the fallen creature.
"…It's over…"
His body finally relaxed, dropping back onto the ground completely.
He didn't even have the strength to sit anymore.
Footsteps approached.
Slow.
Controlled.
The leader stood over him, looking down.
"…You're alive. That's surprising."
Arin let out a weak laugh. "Yeah… me too…"
The knight studied him for a moment.
"You faced that thing alone?"
"…Not by choice."
A faint smirk appeared on the knight's face.
"Still. Most adults wouldn't last a second."
Arin hesitated.
"…What was it?"
The knight's expression shifted slightly.
Serious now.
"…Something that shouldn't be here."
A pause.
Then—
"Listen carefully, kid."
Arin forced himself to focus.
"That wasn't a normal mana beast. It was in the middle of a mutation. If it had completed it…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't need to.
Arin swallowed.
"…Then why is it here?"
The knight didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked toward the deeper forest.
"…That's exactly what we're here to find out."
A cold wind passed through the trees.
The forest felt different now.
Heavier.
Darker.
Another knight approached.
"Sir, the core is unstable."
"…As expected."
"And there's more."
The leader turned slightly. "Report."
"…We found similar traces deeper inside."
Silence.
Then—
"…How many?"
"…At least three."
Arin's heart stopped for a moment.
"…Three…?"
The leader exhaled slowly.
"…This just became a lot worse."
He looked back at Arin.
"You shouldn't come back to this forest."
A pause.
Then, more quietly—
"Next time… we might not be around."
Arin clenched his fists weakly.
"…Next time…"
His gaze shifted toward the deeper forest.
Dark.
Silent.
Unknown.
That feeling…
That same strange pull…
It was still there.
Faint.
But real.
"…There's more out there…" he whispered.
The knight didn't hear him.
But if he had—
He might have realized something important.
Because Arin wasn't just sensing danger.
Something…
Was calling him.