Morning came quietly.

There was no sunrise to announce its arrival. No warm hues painted the sky. No golden rays pierced through the heavens to chase away the darkness.

The world remained the same dull shade it had been for as long as Amon could remember. An endless blanket of grey clouds stretching across the sky, heavy and oppressive.

It was impossible to tell whether it was truly morning or simply another stagnant moment trapped between night and dusk.

Inside a small, shallow cave carved into the slope of a hill, Amon lay sprawled on the hard, uneven ground. His body was motionless, chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm.

His expression was calm, almost peaceful, as if he were a man free of worries, lost in deep, restful sleep.

But that calm was a lie.

The truth was far less comforting.

Amon had barely slept at all.

Throughout the long, suffocating night, his consciousness never truly relaxed. Even while his eyes were closed, his senses remained sharp.

Every faint sound, the rustling of leaves outside, the soft groan of trees swaying in the wind, the distant echo of something unknown moving through the forest, made his muscles tense.

More than once, when the small fire he had built near the cave entrance began to weaken, Amon forced himself awake.

His eyelids felt heavy, his head throbbed with fatigue, yet he still dragged himself closer to the flames, feeding them with dried leaves and broken sticks gathered earlier.

He never allowed the fire to die completely.

Not even for a moment.

The memory of last night was burned too deeply into his mind.

The forest watching him.

The sensation of unseen eyes staring from the darkness.

Those shapes. Barely visible, hiding behind tree trunks, peeking out from shadows had left a mark on him far deeper than claws or teeth ever could.

Fear had been his companion throughout the night.

Only when his body finally reached its limit, when exhaustion became stronger than terror did sleep claim him.

Even then, it was not a peaceful rest. It was shallow and brief, stealing him away only during the final hours before morning arrived.

Now, the fire was gone.

The faint crackling warmth that had guarded him through the night had disappeared, leaving behind nothing but cold ashes scattered across the cave floor. No smoke rose anymore. No heat lingered in the air.

In its place was a damp chill that crept into his bones, clinging stubbornly to his skin.

Amon stirred.

"Mm…"

A low sound escaped his throat as he shifted slightly, one hand moving to rub his eyes. His movements were slow, uncoordinated, as though his body hadn't fully caught up with his mind yet.

His head felt heavy.

Foggy.

When his eyes finally opened, he was greeted by dim grey light filtering into the cave from outside. It wasn't bright enough to chase away the shadows entirely, but it was enough to tell him one thing.

"…Morning already?Shitt!"

His voice came out rough and hoarse, scraped raw by exhaustion and lingering fear. The events of last night had done no favors for his condition.

With a quiet grunt, Amon pushed himself up into a sitting position. Immediately, pain flared through his body.

His shoulders felt stiff, his neck protested as he rolled it slightly, and a dull ache throbbed along his spine from sleeping on unforgiving stone.

His legs were even worse.

Every muscle screamed in complaint, reminding him of the relentless running, fighting, and tension from the day before.

He exhaled slowly.

Then his gaze drifted toward the cave entrance.

Outside, the forest stood eerily still.

Too still.

There was no sunlight breaking through the canopy. No warmth carried by the wind. Only the same dull grey sky hanging low over a sea of black trees.

Their bark was dark, almost pitch-black, and their leaves absorbed what little light existed, making the forest appear lifeless.

"...I am getting sick of this scenery everyday."

As though time itself had abandoned this place.

Amon swallowed.

"Hah… last night was crazy," he muttered under his breath.

The memories surged back without mercy.

The sensation of being watched.

The dark, indistinct heads peering from behind trees.

The horrifying screams that echoed through the forest inhuman, distorted, and filled with malice.

A shiver ran down his spine.

"…Damn it."

Even now, just recalling it made his skin crawl. Those things hadn't attacked him directly. They hadn't charged forward like beasts driven by instinct.

They watched.

They waited.

That was what terrified him the most.

Monsters he could understand. Monsters had patterns. Strength. Weaknesses.

But those beings?

They felt wrong.

As if they were something that shouldn't exist.

It was almost like facing ghosts things that lurked between reality and nightmare. And what unsettled him even more was the realization that he had felt more fear toward them than he ever had toward ordinary monsters.

"I can't stay here," he muttered firmly.

This cave had protected him for the night. It had kept him alive when fear threatened to paralyze him.

But it was no longer safe.

Not anymore.

He had no idea when those things might return or if they were already nearby, hiding just beyond the treeline, waiting for darkness to fall again.

Amon stood up.

His movements were careful, deliberate.

The first thing he did was check his sword.

He reached for it, fingers wrapping around the familiar hilt, and pulled it free. The blade caught the dim light faintly as he inspected it. It was still sharp, its edge unmarred, though faint streaks of black blood remained from yesterday's battles.

With a cloth, he wiped the blade clean until it gleamed once more.

Then he secured it firmly at his waist.

Next came his belongings.

He gathered what little he had—remaining dried meat, a half-filled container of water, and several potions. They weren't much, but they were all he had.

Carefully, he placed them into his storage ring.

Before leaving, Amon approached the cave entrance.

Slowly.

Cautiously.

He peered outside, eyes scanning every corner of the surroundings. The ground was undisturbed. No footprints. No signs of struggle. No dark shapes lurking between trees.

It was morning so it was natural. But still he felt like checking.

Everything looked normal.

Yet Amon didn't relax.

Not even a little.

He knew better now.

He glanced back at the cave one last time.

"…Thanks," he whispered softly.

No matter what, this small, unremarkable place had saved his ass last night. So he can't help but thank it.

Then he turned away.

Amon stepped forward, heading deeper into the forest.

His pace was steady, controlled, but his vigilance never faltered. His eyes constantly moved, scanning left and right, up and down. Every sound the creak of branches, the rustle of leaves, distant echoes carried by the wind made his grip tighten on his sword.

But nothing happened.

No wolves.

No strange watchers.

Just the endless black forest stretching ahead.

As he walked, his thoughts wandered.

Last night had changed something inside him.

Before, fear had made him cautious.

Now, fear was pushing him forward.

He couldn't stay in one place anymore. Not when the forest itself felt alive, as if it were observing him. Not when unknown horrors lurked within the darkness.

"I need answers," Amon murmured. "And I won't get them by hiding."

His steps didn't slow.

The ruins were now far behind him.

The cave was gone.

Only the path ahead remained.

And whatever awaited him next.

As he walked, another thought surfaced.

"Now that I think about it deeply… those beings only appeared at night…"

His brow furrowed.

"And for some reason, they didn't come closer to the light spread by the fire."

That realization struck him clearly now.

Last night's events had proven it.

Those things moved in darkness.

They avoided light.

"Maybe… I should change my plans to travel during the day."

He considered it seriously.

Honestly, Amon didn't mind fighting monsters. He had faced them before. He understood them.

But those dark beings?

They gave him a sense of dread that he couldn't explain.

For some reason, he didn't even want to fight them.

Since they appeared every night, sleeping during nighttime was extremely dangerous. That made rest nearly impossible.

Which led him to a decision.

"I will travel at night," he said quietly, "and take small naps during the day."

It wasn't a perfect plan, but it wasn't wrong either.

Staying idle at night was dangerous. Moving under cover of light, armed with fire, might be safer.

He imagined himself holding a wooden stick with flames burning at the top.

A torch.

Maybe those things wouldn't approach him then.

He could walk through the entire night, making faster progress.

Lost in thought, he continued walking.

"But how can I make a torch?" he muttered. "I don't have any burning chemicals or fuel—"

His eyes widened.

Suddenly, he reached into his storage ring.

A glass bottle appeared in his hand.

Transparent.

Filled with an unknown liquid.

Fuel.

His lips curled into a grin.

He had completely forgotten about this.

During dungeon practice, he had bought several bottles of fuel to enhance his grenade usage. He had used one against Hector, but some still remained.

"Hehehe," Amon chuckled softly.

"Guess it's decided then. Night travel it is. So it will be my night shift."

His shoulders relaxed slightly.

"Should I take a nap now…?"

A yawn escaped him before he could stop it.

His eyelids felt heavy.

He really hadn't slept well last night.

But now?

Now, he finally could.

---

[A/N: Sorry guys. First for only one chapter today. Second this one chapter, well I kind of add lot of unnecessary description hehe~. Anyways, Tomorrow I will mass released. Not too much by at least 5 CHAPTERS. So be ready for tomorrow!]

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