The enraged crows were attacking Shion Lan ferociously — or rather, trying to push him away from something. As he approached the fallen crows, he noticed one that stood out: it had a single red feather on its head and was smaller than the rest, yet it clearly held a special position.
'That's probably the next leader of this flock', Shion thought. 'Their instincts are forcing them to protect it. But I won't risk my life for this little chick. I'll just take what I need and leave.'.
He killed three crows, took their beaks, but his (Water Vortex) spell could no longer hold so he tried to run but the crows still attack him. So, in a reckless move, Shion grabbed the little chick and shouted,
"Hey, chief! I didn't come here for your kid — just for a few beaks. But if I can't leave safely, I'll kill your son!"
Instantly, the entire flock froze. Then Shion heard a voice speak to him.
"Boy, you can let go of my child, and no harm will come to you."
"Really?" Shion asked skeptically.
"Yes. I am the Dark Crow. You have my word."
"Sorry," Shion said coldly, "but your word means nothing to me. In the end, we're talking about a deceitful crow."
"You insolent brat! Do you think I can't kill you right now?"
"Oh, you can't," Shion replied calmly. "If you could, I wouldn't still be standing here."
"You asked for it — (Blood Moon on a Dark Night)!"
Suddenly, the bright day around Shion turned into night, and in the pitch-black sky hung a blood-red moon then Shion thought 'that crow isn't here, but still his effect works....is that because of his flock?'.
Some distance away, a five-star swordsman was watching him — assigned by the commander to keep an eye on Shion and help him if trouble arose. But he hadn't expected Shion to throw himself into this kind of trouble.
'Damn that kid!' the man thought. 'Just from the atmosphere, I can tell this is a high-level beast — completely different from anything else! Did that idiot provoke it?!'
But things got even worse when Shion opened his mouth.
"Is that the best you've got? I expected more."
The crows attacked with renewed fury and power. Shion quickly drank a potion and continued defending himself.
The observer was stunned. 'Can't he sense that murderous aura?! Is he numb or just insane?!'
Shion spoke again,
"These crows are fighting to protect that chick… but what do you think will happen if I kill a creature they see as their symbol of strength? They'll panic — they'll either run from me or from you. Why don't we test it? Oh, and by the way, if you ever try to scare me with something that weak again, remember — I've seen far worse, oh mighty Seventh-Level beast."
Then Shion snapped the chick's neck.
The crows went mad and lunged at him in a frenzy, but Shion had had enough. He began cutting them down relentlessly until the survivors fled and the effect of the dark night disappeared so he enjoyed the sun again.
Breathing heavily, Shion shouted in frustration,
"When I threatened that damn bird, I was trying to avoid using potions because they're expensive! Why couldn't it just follow the plan and let me leave safely?! And you—why were you shaking like a chicken earlier?! I just used three potions for this task! Do you know how much that costs for a student like me?!"
The observer froze in place, speechless.
Shion glared at him. "Weren't you assigned to watch me by the commander? And when you saw me surrounded, you did nothing! Now you're going to compensate me for what I lost!"
"You insane brat!" the man shouted. "Is money all you care about right now?! You just angered a seventh-level creature! Do you even realize what that means?!"
"It means," Shion snapped back, "that if you hadn't stood there like an idiot, I wouldn't have had to do all this! You didn't help me break the encirclement, and when it mattered most, you froze! Get lost! I'd rather deal with a cunning enemy than a useless ally like you!"
"Do you think it's that easy? You tell me to leave, and I leave?!" the man barked. "Bad luck for me — I'm bound to you! I have to keep you alive!"
Shion gave him a look of pure disdain, then turned away. "Fine. We'll head for the far north — fast. You'll carry me; you're faster."
The man was stunned. "Are you insane? Do you even know what's in the far north? It's—"
"An eighth-level beast," Shion interrupted. "So what? That means the area is ruled by an eighth-level commander and the crow can't get behind us. Worst case, I'll use my inheritance."
"Then why not use it here?!"
"Because using the inheritance — using power beyond your limits — consumes your soul. And I'm not making another mistake because of you."
The observer swallowed his protest and obeyed. They moved quickly, with Shion silently calculating his remaining potions. Then the sky darkened above them, and the blood moon appeared again.
A massive, cloud-sized crow emerged — its eyes crimson and its presence overwhelming. The Dark Crow's voice thundered,
"You'll regret this, insolent child!"
"Yes," Shion said casually, "hello there, black one."
It was a horribly unfitting tone for the situation — his companion trembled in terror, while Shion spoke with calm indifference.
"I'll admit," Shion continued, "you're smarter than most of the ants here — humans or beasts alike. So, I'll grant you one wish: choose how you want to die."
As he spoke, blood began to drip from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
The crow laughed. "Arrogant human! Do you really think—"
He stopped when he saw the observer collapse. The crow burst out laughing. "You two fools! You tried to act strong before me and even killed my son before my eyes — now you fall like flies. At least let me feel a little human pride before you die!"
"So you want an honorable death, then?" Shion's voice was now cold, emotionless. His eyes turned pitch black, and a chilling smile spread across his face — one that could terrify anyone who saw it.
"It will be your honor," he said, "to die by my hand — I am Shi Yun Lan."
The surroundings shifted — the black night faded into a pale, lifeless hue. The blood moon dimmed, the world drained of color. Energy gathered around Shion and reshaped him into Shi Yun Lan — appearing in his twenties, terrifyingly handsome, with an aura of beauty and dread. Dressed in flowing black silk, he exuded majesty and fear.
The Dark Crow trembled. Its domain shattered around it. Then the young man spoke again:
"This body can't hold for long… so I'll end you quickly. (Art of Annihilation: The Defeated)."
A colorless mist formed behind Shi Yon Lan, and from it emerged a spectral figure — tall and thin, with horns, wrapped in dark robes, carrying a massive scythe that reeked of death.
Shi Yun Lan spoke, "I won't be here for long, so let's attribute this to the Radiant Star. End him with one strike — and bring me his soul. Soul Harvest."
The ghostly reaper glided forward, moving toward the paralyzed Dark Crow. The beast tried to flee, but before it could move, a pale shadow appeared in front of it — a dead reflection of itself, stiff and blood-soaked. The crow realized too late that the scythe was already at its throat.
Its head fell to the ground.
A strange essence formed before the reaper, who then handed it to Shi Yun Lan. He took it and said,
"I suppose this could aid other arts… but my art doesn't need such filth. The Art of Annihilation is too pure for this corruption. Still, I'll consume its soul — only to keep Shion from collapsing. Ah, such sacrifice."
He absorbed the soul, enhancing Shion's understanding of the Darkness element, and regained some of his strength. Then Shi Yun Lan vanished back into slumber, and Shion regained consciousness and his normal form.
His armor reappeared on his body. Looking at the crow's severed neck, he muttered,
"One strike. That's all it took. A seventh-level beast, gone in one strike. This is the first time I've ever felt such pressure… such killing intent. I'll just attribute this to my imaginary master — the Radiant Star. But what could've brought him here, at this exact time and place?"
He sat, deep in thought, waiting for his observer to wake.
After some time, the man stirred. The first image that flashed in his mind was the Dark Crow towering over them — then blood pouring from Shion's body — and then darkness. He stood up, trembling, only to find the once-proud Dark Crow beheaded, with Shion resting casually against it.
"W–what… what happened to the crow?" the observer stammered.
Shion opened his eyes in irritation. "Instead of worrying about me, you're checking on the monster? I almost lost my soul because of you! If I hadn't used what remained of my power to summon my teacher, we'd both be dead!"
"Your… teacher?" the man asked. "How did you summon him?"
"(Star Travel) — a technique that allows practitioners to teleport to each other instantly. He came and saved us."
"What level is your teacher, to kill a seventh-level beast with one strike?!"
"Would you believe me if I said I don't know?"
"Then at least tell me his name — I need to include it in the report."
"The Radiant Star. He saved us both after we lost consciousness."
"You fainted?"
"Do you think summoning a master from that distance is easy?!"
Shion didn't want to elaborate further, so he continued coldly,
"Anyway, I don't want you on my mission anymore."
"But—"
"You didn't do your job. I ended up saving you! So just give me a few more potions and stay out of my way. If the commander wants to send someone else, make sure he's at least level six."
He took what he needed and left, heading for his second target — the cactus bark. It was far away, but he reached it in two days without rest. Ensuring no one was watching, he muttered,
"Looks like they're not sending anyone else to monitor me. Good. That means I can use the veins again without worrying about being seen."
He entered the Cactus Forest — a cursed place drawn only to warriors, mages, duelists, or inheritors. Ordinary people were untouched by it. Warriors, however, had to fight their way in, for the forest was drawn to strength. The moment someone entered, the branches and thorns would turn toward them.
These weren't ordinary thorns — no aura or magic could block them. The only option was to cut through the plants themselves, which would, in turn, alert nearby beasts that fed on cactus flesh.
Those creatures loved cactus bark — but its thorns killed them if they got too close. So instead, they attacked whoever possessed the bark. And all of these lurking monsters were at least level four.
"Looks like the director really appreciates me," Shion muttered bitterly, "to give me a mission like this…"
Meanwhile, in the director's office, Tim Ayr shouted,
"HE TOOK THE WRONG MISSION!!"