Three days had passed since Amon found this temple.

Three days of rest, caution, and preparation. He rested peacefully there, training all day and exploring the surroundings from time to time. When night came, he would hide inside the temple, never leaving it at all.

Now, after three days, he decided to leave this place.

The ancient temple slowly disappeared behind him as he walked forward, deeper into the dark forest, heading in the direction of the distant mountains.

The air felt heavier here, thicker, as if the land itself resisted his presence. The trees stood tall and twisted, their black leaves blocking most of the grey daylight above.

Amon moved steadily, his senses alert.

His body had recovered enough during those days. Not fully, but enough to fight again.

And fight he did.

The moment he stepped into a clearing between dense trees, the air shifted.

A low growl echoed.

Then another.

Amon stopped walking.

"…Of course," he muttered.

From between the shadows, monsters emerged.

Three of them.

They looked like corrupted beasts. Half-wolf, half-something else. Their bodies were bulky, muscles swollen unnaturally, dark veins crawling over grey-black skin.

Their eyes glowed a dull red, filled with hunger and madness. Long claws scraped against the ground as they moved.

Amon slowly exhaled.

His right hand tightened around his sword.

In his left hand, he held a hatchet. Its blade chipped and worn, but still deadly.

"So it's you guys first."

The monsters didn't wait. With a snarl, the first beast lunged. They wanted to eat the human bastard in front of them.

But Amon won't let them succeed. He moved instantly.

He stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding snapping jaws, and slashed upward with his sword. Mana surged through the blade, cutting deep into the monster's chest. Black blood sprayed, but the creature didn't fall.

"Tch—tough."

The second monster attacked from the side.

Amon raised his left arm and swung the hatchet hard. The blade embedded itself into the beast's shoulder, cracking bone. It howled in pain.

Before it could react.

[Mana Bullet]

A small, compressed sphere of mana formed at Amon's fingertip and shot forward at close range.

Bang.

The mana bullet slammed straight into the monster's head, exploding on impact. The skull shattered, and the creature collapsed instantly.

One down.

The first monster recovered and swung its claw.

Amon blocked with his sword, the impact rattling his arm. The force pushed him back several steps, boots scraping against dirt.

"…Strong," he admitted.

The third beast took advantage of the moment and rushed him from behind.

Amon spun.

[Eclipse Bolt]

Dark energy gathered around his arm, forming a crackling black sphere. Black lightning sparked and emitted from it. He hurled it backward without even looking.

The bolt pierced straight through the monster's chest.

The creature froze mid-step.

Then its body was consumed by darkness from the inside, collapsing into ash that scattered across the ground.

Two down.

Only one remained.

The wounded monster roared in fury, blood pouring from its chest wound. It lowered its head and charged straight at Amon, using its full weight.

Amon didn't dodge. He stood his ground. When the beast was close enough. He stepped forward. The sword flashed.

A clean horizontal slash tore through the monster's neck. For a moment, it stood still.

Then its head slid off and hit the ground with a dull thud. The body collapsed.

Silence returned to the forest.

Amon stood there, breathing heavily. His chest rose and fell as he wiped sweat from his brow. Dark blood dripped from his sword and hatchet.

"…Not bad."

He shook his arms slightly, loosening tense muscles.

But he didn't relax completely. Because he knew better. And sure enough. More movement.

From deeper within the forest, new shapes emerged. This time, different monsters.

Two large insect-like creatures crawled out from between tree roots. Their bodies were armored with hard black shells, multiple legs clicking against stone and dirt. Their mandibles opened and closed, producing sharp metallic sounds.

Behind them.

Something bigger.

A hulking monster with a distorted humanoid shape stepped forward. Its arms were long and thick, dragging against the ground. Its face was twisted, barely recognizable as human anymore.

Amon clicked his tongue.

"…This place really doesn't want me to leave. Fuck you guys."

The insect monsters attacked first. One leaped high into the air. Amon raised his left hand and swung it with blinding speed.

The hatchet, covered with shadow, tore through the air.

A dark trajectory formed.

Bang.

The shot struck the insect mid-air, piercing its shell. It screeched and crashed to the ground, legs twitching.

The second insect sprayed a stream of dark liquid from its mouth.

Amon rolled to the side as the corrosive substance melted the ground where he had stood moments ago.

He recovered quickly, summoned his hatchet back instantly, and thrust it again.

The weapon spun through the air and lodged itself deep into the insect's head.

It stopped moving.

Now only the big one remained.

The hulking monster let out a distorted roar and charged.

Each step shook the ground.

Amon narrowed his eyes.

He pulled mana into his sword, coating the blade in thick shadows. Dark mist leaked from the edges.

The monster swung its massive arm.

Amon ducked under it, feeling the wind pressure pass over his head. He slashed upward, cutting deep into its side.

The monster roared in pain and backhanded him.

Amon was sent flying, crashing into a tree trunk. The impact knocked the breath from his lungs.

"Gah—!"

He dropped to one knee. The monster approached slowly, dragging its feet, confident. Amon coughed and pushed himself up.

"…That one hurt."

He raised his hand.

[Eclipse Bolt.]

But this time, he didn't release it immediately. Instead, he poured more mana into the spell.

The bolt grew thicker, darker, crackling violently.

The monster sensed danger and charged again.

Amon released the spell.

The Eclipse Bolt exploded forward like a stretched spear of night, smashing into the monster's chest. The impact blasted a hole straight through its torso.

Dark lightning spread across its body, tearing it apart from the inside.

The monster stumbled.

Then collapsed.

Amon dropped his arm, breathing hard. The forest fell silent once more.

He stood there for a long moment, listening. Nothing else moved.

"…Good… My attacks… they are getting stronger."

Amon noticed it.

The more he fought, the more he felt it. How his attacks and spells were becoming more powerful.

He retrieved his hatchet and cleaned his weapons as best he could using a nearby stream. His arms were sore, mana circulation still unstable, but he could continue.

He looked ahead.

The mountains were still far away.

Amon felt a strange mix of relief and tension.

"That's the direction…"

He tightened his grip on his sword.

Every step forward would take him deeper into unknown danger. Stronger monsters. More strange phenomena. And perhaps.

Things worse than monsters.

Still, he walked forward.

The dark forest swallowed his figure as he moved toward the mountains, bloodstained, exhausted, but alive.

And still moving forward.

But he didn't know. The two unknown figures were coming in his direction.

Which will be a very dangerous thing for him.

---

[A/N: Hah...it seems I have written lot of fights with monsters. Sorry for that. Well guess it's time for some real fight with someone else. Something that can talk. Heheh~ so get ready for it.]

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