It was important to secure high ground before nightfall.
The Forgotten Lands were far more dangerous in the dark. Creatures that remained hidden during the day would emerge all at once, as if answering some unspoken call. Worse still, once night fell, the surroundings would grow so pitch-black that seeing even one's own feet became nearly impossible.
A veil of all-consuming darkness.
They called this eerie phenomenon the Shrouding.
With that in mind, the group approached the skeletonal remains of the Fallen God, intending to spend the night on its towering spine. Of course, they had to survey the surroundings and make sure that no other creature had decided to take shelter within its remains.
The closer they drew, the more they came to a sudden realization.
It was more colossal than they imagined.
The spine arched toward the sky, with each vertebra the size of a small mountain. Fractured ribs jutted outward unevenly, forming a cage that seemed to cradle nothing but emptiness. And despite being long deceased, the atmosphere around the skeleton was thick and heavy with a dark foreboding.
Kevin slowed his steps unconsciously and stared at it.
"So this is... a God?"
No one answered immediately.
Even Noah, the experienced Pathfinder, wore a grim expression as his eyes traced the length of the remains.
"...Or what's left of one."
Staring at it too, Jasmine remained silent with many unknown thoughts crossing her mind. Not frightened or in awe, there seemed to be a fierce determination in her eyes.
Perhaps not thinking about anything else, Mikoto was already moving ahead with light, careful steps. Despite the brittle appearance of the bones, her footing was precise, testing each step before committing her weight.
Kevin followed shortly after, though not without hesitation.
The moment his foot touched the bone, a strange sensation crept up his leg.
Cold.
Not the kind of cold that came from temperature, but something inherently foreign.
He frowned but said nothing, continuing upward alongside the others.
The climb itself was steep, the curvature of the spine forcing them to use both hands at times. Up close, the scale became even more apparent. Cracks ran through the bone like canyons, some wide enough to swallow a person whole.
Halfway up, Noah suddenly raised a hand.
"Stop."
Everyone froze as the Pathfinder narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening noticeably.
Just as Kevin was about to speak and ask what was going on, a faint sound echoed from somewhere within the hollow spaces of the ribcage below.
That sound…
By now, the situation was painfully clear.
Damnit.
Peering down more carefully, Kevin caught sight of the creature lurking within the remains.
The damn aberration was as large as a building, with its lower body resembling that of a massive warhorse, but any resemblance to a living beast ended there. The four legs were long and reinforced, each one plated in overlapping layers of polished, dark metal and instead of hooves, its feet ended in heavy, blade-like edges that bit into the ground, anchoring its colossal frame with great stability.
From the waist up, it bore the appearance of a humanoid knight. Broad-shouldered and imposing, its torso was encased in thick, intricately layered armor with the same quality or more than its bottom.
Its arms were far from uniform. The right arm ended in a massive blade that extended seamlessly from the forearm. The left arm, in contrast, was encased in a heavy gauntlet, its fingers thick and segmented, capable of crushing stone with ease. Resting against its back was a second weapon — a towering spear-like construct with the tip split into multiple prongs.
Where a head should have been, there was an elongated herm, crowned with a pair of backward-curving horns. The metal face of the creature was almost human-like, but simultaneously repulsively monstrous and feral.
Just looking at it made Kevin's skin crawl and caused him great unease.
'What kind of thing is this...?'
Judging based on the aura it was excluding and the air density around the vicinity, the Creature was probably ranked higher than the Winged Terrors or the lowly Little Shadow Fiends. A general or a commander, perhaps.
No... A Tyrant.
This was the first time they had encountered something of this level.
Despite being mere manifestations born within the warped landscapes of the Dark Dimension, Creatures of Darkness were typically stronger than humans of the same rank. The only exception were low-ranking Fiends, which could be killed even by a Trainee.
For instance, a squad of Lancers — or a single Saint — would be required to bring down a Tyrant, while Leviathans demanded the combined effort of two or more Saints to be put down.
That said, not every Hunter of the same rank was equal in strength. It was entirely possible for a peak Lancer to rival a newly advanced Saint, just as it was possible for a weaker Saint to fall short of expectations.
Rank was merely a general measure.
Experience, control over Mana, the nature of one's Soul Ability, and most importantly, the strength of one's Core; all of these factors could create overwhelming differences even within the same tier.
But that wasn't the main issue in this scenario.
Kevin's gaze lingered on the towering Centurion Knight below, a question forming in his mind. Could Jasmine defeat that monstrosity?
Considering that all of them were running low on mana, the answer was likely no.
More importantly, they needed to conserve their strength for what lay ahead. There was no telling what else they might encounter, and exhausting themselves here would only make things worse later on.
But Kevin wasn't the only one to reach that conclusion. Jasmine glared at the creature bitterly for a moment before shaking her head.
"Leave it."
"What? Are you sure?" Noah asked.
"We'll be fine as long as we don't make any noise or draw its attention. Keep moving. It's almost nightfall."
That was the logical approach.
Sharing that single thought, the group continued upward in tense silence.
Not because of the climb itself, but because of the presence they had just left behind. Even without looking, everyone could still feel it clearly as though a blade was resting just behind their necks, waiting for the slightest mistake.
Mikoto led the ascent. Noah followed close behind, constantly scanning the bone structure for any signs of further anomalies. Jasmine remained at the rear, her default expression unchanged, though her hand never strayed far from her weapon as if preparing to strike.
No one spoke.
The only sound was the faint grinding of bone beneath their boots and the distant, hollow wind passing through the ribs of the Fallen God.
Fortunately, their precautions proved unnecessary. The Centurion Knight showed no sign of having detected them, allowing the group to avoid an unwanted confrontation and preserve what little strength they had left.
By the time they reached safety, the sun had already begun to set, and the world was soon swallowed by absolute darkness.