The blade pierced through. The monster's body jerked once. Then went limp.

Silence fell over the forest.

Amon stayed still for a few seconds, breathing heavily, chest rising and falling rapidly. Then he pulled his sword free and stepped back.

He looked at the three massive corpses lying around him.

"…That was exhausting...still I used one spell...I wanted to kill them without using any. he muttered.

Though Amon don't use much spells during battles. Because its output is not that strong. And well...cutting someone feels better compare to exploding them with magic.

Amon frowned. "wait! That doesn't mean I am weird..just because I prefer cutting my enemies over shooting them with magic."

He tried to make excuses for himself. But it was all useless.

His arms trembled slightly.

Blood. Both his own and the monsters, stained his clothes.

He wiped his blade clean against the fur of one corpse and sheathed it.

The hatchet followed.

Amon leaned against a nearby tree and slid down slowly, sitting on the ground.

"Hah… hah…"

He tilted his head back, staring up at the dark canopy above.

"This place really doesn't want me alive," he said quietly.

After resting for a moment, he pushed himself back to his feet.

He glanced once more at the fallen monsters. Then toward the temple in the distance.

"…Still," he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips, "I'm not dying here....heheh I always wanted to say this lines.." He chuckled.

And with that, Amon turned and began walking back toward the

ancient temple, leaving the bodies behind as silent proof of his survival.

"I am really getting weird. Talking to myself so much."

---

Amon was unaware about one thing. On the other side of him. Deep inside the forest.

Two figures were running through it.

Amon was unaware of one thing.

On the other side of him. Far deeper inside the forest, where even the grey light struggled to reach, something else was moving.

Two figures ran swiftly between the trees.

Their movements were smooth, effortless, almost unnatural.

They leaped over roots, glided past thick trunks, and crossed uneven ground without slowing down, as if the forest itself posed no obstacle to them.

If someone saw them from afar, they might mistake them for humans. But they were not.

Both figures were tall and lean, their bodies built for speed rather than brute strength. Their skin was pale, carrying a faint ashen tint that stood out against the darkness of the forest.

Each had a pair of curved horns protruding from their heads. One had short, backward-curving horns like polished obsidian, while the other's horns were longer, spiraling slightly, etched with faint natural ridges.

Their eyes were what truly gave them away.

Vertical slit pupils glowed faintly. One pair a deep crimson, the other a sharp amber, constantly scanning their surroundings.

Demons.

They slowed down simultaneously, then came to a stop near a cluster of twisted trees whose roots rose above the ground like tangled serpents.

One of them raised a hand.

They both halted.

The demon with crimson eyes exhaled slowly. "We've gone far enough for now."

The other clicked his tongue softly and leaned against a tree, folding his arms. "Tch. This forest is annoying. Even the air feels heavy."

They straightened and relaxed slightly, allowing their disguises to thin. The faint pressure they had been suppressing leaked out for a moment, warping the air around them.

The crimson-eyed demon brushed a hand through his dark hair. "Still… this side of the mountains is quieter than expected."

The amber-eyed one narrowed his eyes. "Too quiet. That usually means humans haven't reached this deep yet."

"Or," the first replied calmly, "they're being cautious."

They paused.

The forest was silent again, broken only by the distant rustle of leaves and the occasional creak of old branches.

The second demon glanced around before speaking again. "This is supposed to be within the territory of those dark beings, isn't it?"

"Yes," the first answered. "According to the old records."

"And yet," the second muttered, "I don't sense many of them nearby."

The crimson-eyed demon frowned slightly. "Neither do I. That's troubling."

They exchanged a brief look.

These two were scouts. Sent ahead to observe, not to fight unless absolutely necessary.

Enemies of the human kingdoms.

Enemies of Valmoria.

"The humans are definitely moving," the amber-eyed demon said after a moment. "I smelled steel and smoke earlier. A large group."

The crimson-eyed demon nodded. "An expedition force. Organized. Disciplined. This isn't a small patrol."

"So Valmoria finally made a move. They stay on that side for a long." the second said with a sneer. "Took them long enough come at this side."

"They must be after us...knowing that we are slowly trying seize some area...," the first replied. "But they still don't know the real reason why we are here...still they want to stop us."

The amber-eyed demon's lips curled slightly. "Idiots. They have no idea what kind of place this truly is. What this place have actually kept hidden~"

"Exactly," the first said. "Which is why we're here first."

He crouched down, placing two fingers against the ground.

For a brief moment, faint crimson lines flickered beneath the soil, responding to his presence.

"…There are traces of recent combat nearby," he said quietly.

The second demon's eyes sharpened. "Human?"

"Possibly," the first replied. "Or something else."

He stood back up.

"But whoever it was," he continued, "they're strong enough to survive alone in this forest."

The amber-eyed demon snorted. "If it's a lone human, they won't last long."

"Don't be careless," the first warned. "This place doesn't follow normal rules."

A short silence followed.

Then the second demon stretched his arms and cracked his neck. "So what's the plan? Report back?"

"Yes," the first replied. "We've confirmed Valmoria's presence. That's enough for now."

He glanced deeper into the forest, in the direction Amon had come from, though he didn't know it.

"…But keep your senses sharp," he added. "Something about this area feels…off."

The amber-eyed demon smirked. "You're getting paranoid."

"Paranoia keeps us alive," the first said coldly.

They stepped away from the resting spot, their figures already beginning to blur as they resumed their unnatural speed.

As they disappeared into the forest, the trees slowly stilled once more.

Unaware of one another.

A lone human walked back toward an ancient temple.

And two demons carried knowledge of human presence deeper into the shadows.

The forest watched silently.

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