This is the mysterious Nokon Forest, situated on the fringes of the Holy Kingdom. Among the locals, it is known as the "Blue Forest"; here, nearly everything shimmers in a profound shade of azure. From the leaves of the trees to the animals, insects, and even the monsters, everything is draped in this mesmerizing blue.
But today, the forest's ordinary beauty had surrendered to a disturbing silence, followed by a series of eerie sounds.
Deep within the woods, harsh and ominous noises echoed through the thick trees, shattering the prevailing stillness. These sounds resembled the chaotic outcries of a battlefield: the sickening chime of metal meeting flesh, the sharp snap of breaking bones, and agonized screams… together, they smothered the forest.
These horrific echoes had stirred not only the forest's denizens but also the predatory monsters. Yet, it wasn't just simple creatures listening to these echoes of terror.
Rustle, rustle.
There was movement among the bushes. Amidst the shifting leaves, two humanoid silhouettes slowly emerged from the dark blue depths.
They were of the Void race, known as the people of this forest—the "Children of the Blue Forest." The defining traits of this race were their blue skin, long pointed ears, and an intelligence rivaling that of humans.
As they drew closer, it became clear that both Voids were female. The first to emerge from the brush appeared to be in her middle years (as Voids can live up to three hundred years, their middle age falls between 160 and 180).
Her sea-green hair, meticulously braided on both sides and reaching down to her waist, and her amethyst-like purple eyes were the first things to catch the eye. Her stern, cold gaze lent her face an expression that was both elegant and intimidating.
The twin swords she carried on her back, identical in design and housed in white scabbards, made it clear she was no ordinary citizen; she was a warrior, or at the very least, someone intimately acquainted with battle.
The Void following her was shorter and younger; clearly an apprentice. Her short purple hair reached only to her nape, and her grape-green eyes scanned the surroundings with anxiety.
On her back, she carried a massive hammer, nearly as tall as herself, with a dark purple head. Following the older Void with hesitant steps, she tried to remain cautious and alert with every movement. After advancing a while longer, the young Void was the first to break the mysterious silence.
Miana: "Katara, are you truly certain there's something here?"
Katara: "..."
The young, purple-haired Void, still darting her uneasy gaze around, addressed the sea-green-haired woman—Katara—again when she received no answer, this time with a more pronounced tone.
Miana: "You said strange noises were coming from this direction, but we've been walking since morning and haven't found a thing. Hey, Katara, maybe you misheard? We're getting really close to the deeper parts; I don't have a good feeling about going any further."
Katara: "..."
The woman with the braided green hair continued to walk without reaction. It was as if something from that direction was pulling her, locking her entire focus there. She didn't even heed her companion's words, her firm steps pressing into the soil as she moved forward.
Yet, despite her determined and direct stride, she made not the slightest sound; her movements were in perfect harmony with the forest.
Miana: "Katara, are you even listening to me? Hey, Katara! Earth to Katara! Or... Nokon Forest to Katara?"
With a sudden movement, Miana grabbed the hand of the sleepwalking Katara and brought her to a halt. At that touch, the fading light in Katara's amethyst eyes flickered back to life. This faint shimmer was a sign that she had broken free from her brief, trance-like state.
Miana: "Katara, are you okay? Your face looks so pale, let me see… Ah! You're cold."
Placing two fingers on Katara's forehead, Miana knitted her brows in discomfort. Realizing her suspicion was correct, she lowered her hand and shook her head slightly. Turning to Katara with a worried expression:
Miana: "I knew I was right… You really don't look well. I know scouting is our duty, but I think we should take a break and turn back for now."
With her mind still clouded by the effects of the brief hypnosis, Katara looked first at Miana, then back at the point she had been staring at with bewildered eyes. After a moment's hesitation, she looked at Miana again. Her voice was resolute, yet it couldn't hide her fatigue.
Katara: "I'm fine. The mission is not an issue."
Miana: "Are you sure? It doesn't look that way from here. You look like you're about to faint."
Katara was indeed exhausted from the weight of the trance. As Miana said, her blue skin was paler than usual, and her breathing was rapid and irregular, as if she had been running for a long time. Seeing Katara's worsening state, Miana spoke with a concerned but firm voice.
Miana: "Listen, Katara. Like it or not, we're a team right now. Being the strongest female in the village doesn't mean you can endure everything by acting tough against sickness. When you feel bad, you have to tell me—your temporary teammate. I can handle anything except the actual fighting, and you know that."
Having said this with an air of confidence, Miana put her hands on her hips, standing before Katara like a hero. Katara closed her eyes slightly, acknowledging Miana's words with a silent breath. Then, she turned her head and looked past the trees they had been approaching all this time. Narrowing her eyes:
Katara: "Yes, I know… But we're so close. I can feel it. Just beyond these trees."
Miana: "What?"
Katara: "I don't know."
After Katara's words, both looked toward the clearing ahead. A few seconds later, Miana flinched slightly, then sighed and turned to Katara.
Miana: "Ugh, fine… Have it your way. It's not like you'd listen to me even if I said otherwise. But after this, promise me we'll return to the village immediately."
Katara gave a slight nod, accepting Miana's request. Then, the two Voids stepped cautiously past the trees and into an open clearing. But at the sight that unfolded before their eyes, they instantly dropped into defensive stances.
Katara drew her swords from their white scabbards with a sudden flash. The swords, a silver so bright it was almost white, possessed the straight, razor-sharp lines reminiscent of Murim blades, reflecting the light in an elegant yet lethal shimmer. Driven by shock and warrior instinct, she raised her blades toward the direction of any potential threat.
Miana, though not as fast as Katara, gripped her massive hammer. Although she couldn't pinpoint where an attack might come from, she held the hammer defensively in front of her, her grape-green eyes scanning the area intensely.
Their hearts hammered against their ribs as the two warriors watched for the slightest movement. The silence stretched on as if time itself had frozen. Katara and Miana even controlled their breathing, carefully inspecting the perimeter.
When they saw no sign of immediate danger, their tensed muscles slowly relaxed. Still, they didn't lower their weapons completely; though the swords and hammer were lowered cautiously, their grip remained tight, and their long, pointed ears remained pricked and alert.
Because the scene before them offered no comfort.
Miana: "What… what is this?"
While Katara examined the surroundings with a grim face, Miana covered her mouth with her hand, her expression one of pure horror. Then, in a dejected voice:
Miana: "It's… it's horrible."
Miana's words were an understatement. The treeless clearing, which should have been bathed in peaceful blue tones, was now stained crimson. Everywhere lay human bodies that looked as though they had been torn apart and devoured alive.
Scattered across the battlefield were the corpses of over fifteen purplish creatures. They were less mutilated than the humans, but many were riddled with spears and swords. The two Voids shuddered at the sight of this miniature apocalypse.
Miana: "What happened here?"
Katara's brows furrowed with anger and resentment as she surveyed the area. Then, her lips parted, and she whispered a name in a cold, almost hollow voice.
Katara: "Mandarks."
The Mandarks are a terrifying species of monster inhabiting the "Black Forest" to the east of the Blue Forest—a dark realm covered in gargantuan black trees. They are known for their massive height, reaching nearly three meters, and their bear-like frames. They possess thick, coarse fur in shades of black and purple, with long limbs that seem disproportionate to their broad torsos.
With pointed, bat-like ears and mouths filled with razor-sharp white teeth, these unsettling creatures are well-known among many races for their gruesome appearance.
But what truly makes them terrifying are their blood-red eyes that glow in the dark. With these eyes, they can easily track prey even in the pitch-black of night, stalking silently before ending them with a sudden strike.
Miana: "What? Mandarks? How did creatures from the Black Forest make it this deep? That… should have been impossible."
Miana muttered to herself, her gaze wandering over the discolored clearing. Her grape-green eyes held both fear and confusion.
Miana: "But… what's even weirder are the humans here. Didn't we have an agreement with them? Or… do they want to start a war?"
As Miana voiced her anxieties, Katara answered while coldly inspecting the field.
Katara: "They must be poachers. I've encountered them before; rebels who disregard the promises made by their own leaders."
Miana: "This isn't good. Maybe we should go and report to the Chief or Acat-sama?"
Katara: "Not yet. First, we must be sure—whether there are any survivors."
Following her answer, Katara began to move toward the old battlefield, filled with blood-soaked, mangled human bodies and collapsed tents.
Miana: "You must be joking. Do you really think someone could survive a slaughter like this? If anyone's left, it's probably one of those Mandarks. They were scary enough before, but after seeing this, my opinion of them has changed for the worse..."
Scanning the field of corpses again, Miana's eyes locked onto a gruesome sight in the distance.
The body of a human warrior in metallic gray armor hung motionless in the jaws of a Mandark, the creature's razor-sharp teeth having pierced through his back and out his stomach. He hung there like a half-finished meal, ready to be torn apart.
But the Mandark that had done this was also dead. It had been pinned in place by over a dozen spears driven into its back.
Even in death, it had neither fallen forward nor toppled back. It remained frozen on its knees, its meal still clutched in its mouth. It looked so lifelike that it seemed as though it might snap its jaws shut and finish its meal at any moment.
Miana's throat tightened at the sight. She swallowed hard, trying to suppress her fear, and turned to Katara with trembling eyes.
Miana: "Do you think… Katara… there's really no one left, right? What if one of them jumps out at me while we're searching? What would I do?"
Katara: "I can't give you a clear answer to that. Still, if the situation is worse than we thought and there are more than we can handle, run as fast as you can. Our top priority is to bring as much information as possible back to the village."
Miana blinked in surprise at Katara's blunt, almost indifferent response to her anxiety.
Miana: "Ha… Why are there only two options? Can't we think of a third option before that happens? Like… going back to the village without running into anything. I think we already have plenty of information right in front of us."
Miana turned her worried gaze back to the field of corpses, where the smell of blood and rust hung heavy. She set her purple hammer down and nervously tapped her index fingers together, looking at Katara with a bashful expression.
Miana: "And, well… how should I put this… As you know, I've only just become a scout, and I have zero combat experience. And as for running—I mean, tactical retreating—I'm not great at that either. I mean, look at this weapon, it's heavier than it looks."
She picked up the hammer again to show Katara. Katara remained silent for a few seconds. Then, she turned her head back to the battlefield. After a moment, she answered Miana in a voice that was soft but carried an underlying resolve.
Katara: "...Fine. Wait for me here, then. I'll be right back."
Miana: "What? No, no! If I'm left alone, they'll definitely finish me off. I can feel it! Don't you dare go without me!"
Katara: "..."
Miana: "Hey, Katara! Where are you going?! PLEASE, DON'T GO! DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE! KATARAAA!"
Sheathing her silver swords back into their white hilts, Katara moved forward with determined steps, ignoring Miana's frantic pleas.
As she moved quickly through the field of corpses, her heart grew heavier with every step, burdened by a strange attraction she couldn't describe. It was as if an invisible force was dragging her into the depths of the unknown.
The pressure in her chest intensified, making it hard to breathe; her heart raced, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead. This crushing weight lasted for a few more seconds before vanishing instantly, as if it had never existed.
Katara: "?"
The call she had perceived only as a sensation had suddenly disappeared. This sudden release caused Katara to skid to a halt on the soil soaked with the blood of humans and monsters.
As she scanned her surroundings, she noticed something that felt like the physical manifestation of the sensation that had pulled her here. Before her, a mysterious object hovered in the air, emitting pulsating rays of light. Katara stepped back, startled.
She locked her bewildered gaze onto the entity. Her eyes narrowed, her lips thinning into a line. After a few seconds of silence, she addressed the creature in a stern voice.
Katara: "Who are you?"
The glowing entity gave no reaction, only continuing to ripple and shimmer. Katara did not appreciate the silence.
She gripped the hilt of one of her swords, a serious glint appearing in her eyes. She repeated her question in a cold, threatening tone.
Katara: "There won't be a third time. What are you? Why did you call me? ANSWER!"
Katara's voice echoed through the forest's silence. Following her words, the light began to fade, the vibrations softened, and a silhouette emerged from within the glow. It was a woman; though still faintly luminous, her features were clear—a young woman with brown hair, green eyes, and porcelain-white skin.
A peaceful smile rested on her face; she looked at Katara with affection, as if she had finally found the person she was looking for. Katara took her hand off her sword, narrowing her eyes as she studied the woman carefully. After a few seconds of silence, she asked again, her curiosity and caution intertwined:
Katara: "Who are you? Why did you call me?"
In response to Katara's question, the glowing woman, with an expressionless face, slowly raised her hand and pointed toward a large, torn tent—a ruin dominated by the stench of blood and death. Katara turned her head in the direction the woman pointed. But when she looked back, the woman was gone.
Even though she had only looked away for a few seconds, there wasn't a trace of her left.
This sudden disappearance caused a brief flicker of shock in Katara's eyes. She narrowed them, took a deep breath, and began to walk slowly toward the tent the woman had indicated. Her instincts were on high alert, her heart pounding. As she approached the tent, a sharp scent hit her nostrils.
It was a familiar, unsettling smell that made her skin crawl: the scent of a Mandark. By instinct, Katara gripped her swords, her eyes flashing with determination. As she stepped inside the tent, the sight she encountered made her pause for a moment. Her eyes widened with the shock of finding something entirely unexpected.