Ken was making his way through the forest, at a steady pace.
There were a lot of surprises in the forest of jura, though. He had stumbled upon hundreds and hundreds of monsters in just a minute of travelling. He was not in a rush. Not exactly. So, he took his time, exploring the Great Jura Forest.
The magic beasts or monsters he had stumbled upon in his way, were all, incredibly dangerous. For a normal individual, though. Not for someone like him.
He had already had his fair share of pain ever since the battle with the Sky Dragons had started. At the end... none of the warriors had survived. Not even Saint Rose. Not even his... father.
Ken glanced up in the sky, the sky was filled with a strange blanket of darkness. He had not noticed it for quite a while, maybe because of the strange mental damage.
The darkness that loomed above had also affected the ground, obviously. The ground below was covered in darkness, as the blanket of darkness above permitted no light to pass through it.
Ken wanted to fight that calamity, but not yet. Not because he was scared that he might lose. But, he simply waited. Waited for a perfect chance to strike.
'It seems that thing is going through something.'
Back to the monsters, yes, they were kinda strange. Ken did know that the Great Jura Forest consisted of many, many kinds of magic beasts, races, and such. But, what was strange though, was that these magic beasts all seemed to be under control, under control of a being of a much higher status.
Ken could come to that conclusion because despite there being so many of them, of different types. They did not seem to show hostility towards eachother. It was strange, really so.
Just how strong was the thing that had made these monsters all join under one force.
Whatever, it seemed that it was all the work of an Otherworlder. That much was confirmed.
Ken was quite excited. To think that there was a possibility that he would soon kill that being, and possibly even gain all these minions all for himself. It was a true delight.
'It seems I'm still under the effect of that strange skill. Or maybe I just am a little wrong in the head?'
Ken saw many kinds of monsters:
Hulking ravager like beasts with wolf-like body covered in thorny vines and strong bark-like armor;
Giant bears with metallic plates fused into their hide;
Giant, skeletal birds with rotting feathers;
Panther-like beasts with crimson fur, glowing fangs tails tipped with spines;
Twisted tree monsters oozing black sap, their faces contorted into grotesque masks.
There was even a giant basilisk with stone-like scales, and crimson burning eyes.
They were all really strange.
Ken wanted to throw up at the disgusting sight of theirs.
Sigh.
Soon after, he reached a goblin village.
'These goblins don't seem normal either.'
It was all so strange!
It was as if a strange curse had befallen the Great Forest of Jura. How could something like this happen under the Storm Dragon's blessing?
Ken appeared back in his physical form, concealing his presence by using [Sealth]'s principles.
Then, he took on the guise of a goblin, as well. Mixing In with the goblin population. He wanted a lot of answers; he wanted to know a lot. He would get them eventually.
————— ———— ———— —————
Ken had arrived in the goblin village a week ago. He had gained all of the knowledge he needed. He was surprised at what he got to know.
It was:
"One day, a mysterious Oni; a divine being of legends, appeared inside the Great Forest of Jura.
He granted his divine blessing to a goblin village, then the Great Forest of Jura. All of the people were enchanted with the appearance of the Oni.
He protected the Great Forest of Jura for some years. Before he was eventually corrupted.
The new god of the people of Jura was corrupted in a battle against the "Lord of Darkness." The Lord of Darkness, The Ancient-True Demon Lord—Guy Crimson entered the forest of Jura, and immediately wiped out a chunk of it. The Oni was enraged and confronted the Lord of Darkness.
The two got engaged into a fierce battle. No one knew why the Lord of Darkness had suddenly left the Frozen Continent to attack the Great Jura Forest.
The battle went on for two days; where eventually, Guy Crimson ended the Oni's life.
The Oni left a warning:
"Guy Crimson. The day I shall be reborn in all my glory. I'd take your head first. Then, the True Dragons'. I will leave none of you alive. I shall tear apart the Frost Dragon limb to limb infront of the whole world."
Then, the Oni's power was fragmented: he was separated into three ogres—ones that will be reborn in the following years.
It is said in the prophecy—that The Master will return, purify all three, and then merge the three ogres; Rebirthing the Oni in it's former, no, even greater glory."
It was a legend passed down in the Great Forest of Jura. A mysterious man was the one to start it all. However, Ken couldn't get much information on that man, infact, none at all.
So, basically, an ogre had entered the village, now. And rules over the Great Forest of Jura, atleast some part of it.
All ogres submitted to his will. All ogre predecessors, did, too. However, the other races denied it's tyranny. So, the ogre took all of it by force. Leaving destruction in his wake.
It was all too much for Ken.
'So idiotic. Are they crazy?!' Ken cringed as he entered a cave, his new home.
'Hey, [Sentinent Truth]. Did the event in phrophecy really happen?'
'And what about you? [Great Sage].'
Sigh.
'So, that's all just a whole load of bullshit, then.'
'Well, according to you, [Great Sage]. As you've said. I have a 60% chance of defeating that ogre in battle?'
'I see.' Ken remarked as he nodded a couple.
He had seen that ogre. Just recently.
He was a tall ogre. He would look entirely human, if it weren't for the pair of black horns on top of it's head. He had waist length crimson hair. He wore a jet black jacket, beneath it, a silver plated armor. He had a pair of golden eyes that burned with madness, deep within. He had a suffocating presence. A really strong aura, comparable to Ken.
Ken was sure that the battle wouldn't be easy. [Great Sage] had given the judgement based on just analysing what could be seen on the surface. It did not know about all of the Otherworldly ogre's skills. Plus, it also commanded hundreds of Ogres, Goblins, Direwolves and many other races under it's command with an iron fist.
Ken could not just barge in, and take on thousands of them all alone. No matter how strong he was, now. Ofcourse, it would be possible if that ogre didn't exist.
And... there was an equally dangerous threat far above somewhere in the sky.
Ken had a hypothesis that the Sky Dragons, too, were under the ogre's command. And they had fused to create that dragon by one of the ogre's skills. If it was really true. Then, Ken didn't want to think about just what other skills did the ogre posses.
Having to fight a being equal to him, probably superior, thousands of other monsters, and many other hidden cards such as the fused Sky Dragon would only result in one thing. Death.
Ken pondered on his chances. 'I think I should just leave, and return back here after the trial. This place is too dangerous. Come on, what to do? what to do?'
While Ken pondered what to do, the hobgoblin in charge of this village entered the cave, alongwith some others.
"Ah, man. Just what is going on in the head of the Lord?" One of the hobgoblin's questioned as he and the others sat down in a corner.
"To be honest, what if we all just kill him?" One thought for a while before answering.
"Are you an idiot? You don't know just how strong the Lord is. We're just hobgoblins while he's an Ogre. He subdued several Sky Dragons all alone and put them under control." Another hobgoblin who carried a sack said, as he opened it and took out some meat. Then, he lit some fire on top of the palm of his hand and started roasting the meat.
"Really?"
"Yes, fucker. Why would I lie?"
The other hobgoblins chuckled. Then, after the hobgoblin with the sack had finished roasting the meat. They all took some and started chewing, producing annoying noises of them chewing.
Then, the hobgoblin who had considered killing the Lord, looked around and said:
"Oh! By the way, guys. I somehow got this unique skill. It lets me manipulate the surrounding magicules, and give them shape as aura. And it devours everything! Ofcourse, there's a reason why I considered killing the Lord." Hmph!
All of the hobgoblins stopped eating, looking at the hobgoblin.
One of the hobgoblins turned to look at the one with the sack.
"Hey, Oru. You posses the skill to transfer your skills, right?"
The hobgoblin named Oru nodded. "Yes, Rin. Why?"
The hobgoblin name Rin stood up. "I propose a battle royale! The one who wins will gain the skill. Also, to ensure that none of us cheats, we'll take The Lord as the adjudicator."
Soon, after some persuasion, all the five hobgoblins were engaged in a furious battle.
All of them seemed to posses some control over fire magic. Unleashing different kinds of spells upon one another. The hobgoblin named Rin dashed towards Oru and slammed into him. Argh!
Oru had been forbidden from using his Unique Skill: [Devour]. So, he had been forbidden from using his greatest card. Yet, he did not waver. He slammed his elbow on Rin's back, then neck and then drove his knee straight into Rin's face.
Rin fell on the cave's jet black surface. Oru looked at Rin. Ken suppressed a chuckle as he could tell exactly what was going in on the hobgoblin's mind.
Then, his thought lingered back to what [Great Sage] had said.
"It is abnormal for such a weak creature to posses a Unique Skill. It can be concluded that there's something else at play." It had said.
Sigh.
'Anything having to do with an Otherworlder would be strange.'
Ken used [Emotional Amplification].
A strange expression appeared on Oru's face, then he gritted his teeth, raised his hand and pointed it at Rin. "[Devour]." He called out to his skill, and a chilly purple aura shrouded in swirling darkness appeared on his palm, slowly reaching for Rin. Rin stood up and tried to escape the clutches of [Devour].
However, he failed. He was devoured by Oru's skill.
All of the other hobgoblins siezed fighting, looking at Oru.
Oru looked at them, then dashed forward and activated "[Devour]" once more. All of them were devoured.
'That's the difference between someone who has a Unique skill, and those who don't. Same goes for ones with an Ultimate and those who don't. I'm still not there yet, either.'
Ken deactivated [Stealth] and appeared beside Oru.
————— ———— ———— —————
A figure clad in jet black exoskeletic-armor appeared beside the hobgoblin, Oru, one who possessed an Unique Skill. He possessed a beetle's features. Yet, he was far more majestic and perfect than a mere beetle.
The figure radiated an extremely ominous and chilly aura around them. Their presence was so suffocating that Oru was unable to breath.
Ghhhk! He choked.
The figure raised a hand, their hand turned into a sickle-like blade. The figure walked past Oru.
Before Oru knew, he was dead. Oru's body was split in half, vertically.
All life gone from his eyes.
The figure, who seemed to be an Insectar, gazed in the direction of the cave's entrance.
Bathing in the glow of the moonlight, the Otherworldly ogre stood there. "I'll give you—The Insectar appeared before the Ogre, and sent him flying back with a direct punch, the sound of something breaking could be heard. The Insectar had broken past the Ogre's defensive skill.
Then, it glanced at the Ogre who had been slammed into a nearby boulder, which crumbled on impact.
It stood there, imposing and menacingly. it's jet black armor bathing in the moonlight, giving it an even more threatening look. Then, it spoke:
"I give you two months worth of time. Prepare for your death."
Then, it simply disappeared without any trace. Not elaborating any further.
————— ———— ———— —————
A/N: Bro's aura farming now.