The Shadow Forest got its name from more than just the trees. Instead, it came from how dark clung low, gobbling up whatever moonlight slipped through.
Most growers stayed away after dark. Since the creatures came out then - mean, active at night, moving together in groups. Yet Kaelen didn't see risk. To him, it felt more like a free meal pass for leveling up.
Kaelen slipped between the low branches without a sound. After ditching his ripped noble clothes, he knotted the sleeves at his hips so his arms could move easy. Sweat shone on his torso, showing off tight, wiry strength.
"System, scan for targets," Kaelen commanded.
[Checking...] Target spotted - 50 meters up north. It's a Wind Wolf, rank two
"Only Level 2?" Kaelen frowned. "That won't be enough."
He had to close a three-part gap in just 72 hours. Taking out weak enemies wouldn't work this time. So he went after top-tier beasts instead.
He headed north regardless. Out of nowhere, a Wind Wolf stepped into the open - coat dull, tangled with debris. The creature spotted him, bared its teeth, ready to leap.
Kaelen kept going without stopping.
When the wolf jumped, Kaelen slipped beneath it. Without a sword, he turned his hand into a stabbing tool instead. He locked his fingers straight, pushing every bit of Qi into their tips - drawing on a move from an old combat guide, sharpened by his Dragon Body.
Thwack.
He stuck his hand into the wolf's neck, right where it was tender.
[Target Eliminated: Wind Wolf (Level 2)] [Experience Gained: 80 XP]
Kaelen flicked the blood from his fingers - way too simple. Bring on whoever's after that
Over the following three hours, Kaelen moved like a storm. Hunting sharp and fast - driven by instinct instead of thought.
One after another, he took down three Wind Wolves. Then came the Stone Badger - neck broken fast. A quick move, and the Poison Spitting Snake's head was smashed in.
[Ding!] [Experience Threshold Reached.] [Level Up!] [Current Cultivation: Body Tempering Realm - Stage 3.]
Kaelen sensed that old heat rush inside. So his frame got tougher, eyes clearer. Now he'd hit Level 3.
"Good," Kaelen panted, leaning against a tree to catch his breath. "But it's getting harder. I need more XP for the next level. If I keep hunting these weaklings, I won't make it to Stage 5 by the duel."
He stared further into the woods. A row of trunks had red marks on them - this was where the "Inner Zone" began
The Outer Zone held creatures as strong as Level 3. Meanwhile, the Inner Zone housed ones hitting Level 6 or even 7. Stepping in there at Stage 3? That'd get you killed fast.
Kaelen smirked. "Suicide is just another word for high stakes."
He went too far.
The mood shifted right away. Cold crept into the air. Crickets and frogs stopped their noise, swapped with thick quiet. Here, top hunters ruled.
Kaelen eased up a bit. While his Eyes of Truth stayed on, they poked into each dark corner.
Suddenly, the hairs at his neck rose. An old gut feeling, built from endless fights, yelled - move now!
Kaelen dove sideways, tumbling over damp earth.
SLASH.
One moment he was there - then, out of nowhere, three jagged gashes tore into the thick oak. Splinters burst from the bark as if it were thin tissue.
Kaelen shot up, bracing himself like he was ready to fight.
A shape crept out of the dark - something straight from a bad dream. Not just any animal, this one towered over lions by far. Blacker than soot, its coat vanished under moonless skies. Yellow lights burned where eyes should be. Instead of a normal tip on its tail, a jagged piece of bone jutted out, sharp as a scorpion's jab.
[Alert: High-Level Threat Detected!] [Target: Shadow Stalker Panther] [Level: 5 (Mid-Tier Beast)] [Danger Level: Fatal.]
Level 5," Kaelen mumbled, pulse slamming hard in his chest. Just like Darius - same rank, same danger
The panther stayed quiet - no roar, just a sharp hiss, like air leaking out. Instead of attacking, it waited… aware Kaelen couldn't fight back hard. It wasn't rushing; this was more game than battle.
"You think I'm food?" Kaelen grinned, his fear transforming into focus. "Come get a taste."
The panther vanished.
It zipped by in a flash - Kaelen's regular vision couldn't catch it. Yet his instincts flared, sensing the streak before his brain processed it.
"Eyes of Truth, max output!"
Kaelen blinked - colors faded. Everything looked washed out, except the panther's heat, glowing hot like fire. It was moving now, creeping around to his left side. Danger close, aiming for a surprise attack from behind.
It moves quick. Much quicker than I do.
Kaelen realized running wouldn't work - his only chance was thinking faster than it. Instead of speed, his mind needed to act quicker.
He noticed a tiny gap in the rocks behind - just a slim crack between two big stones.
The panther lunged.
Kaelen made no move to escape. Down he went, flat on his back, slipping fast toward the crack in the stone. A swipe from the beast caught him - claws slicing through flesh, leaving behind four red gashes on his chest.
"Argh!"
The pain burned like fire - still, Kaelen pushed through. Slipping sideways, he squeezed into the tight gap between stone walls.
The panther crashed against the rocks, swinging its huge paws toward the opening. Yet the space was way too narrow for it to squeeze in. Still, it managed to poke just a little inside.
"Now!"
Kaelen couldn't escape - yet the creature seemed angry. Since it pushed its face near the gap, growling, aiming to snap at him.
That's where things went wrong.
Kaelen dug through his pack. Not carrying a blade, though - he'd kept the tusk from the Iron-Hide Boar he'd taken before. Just a rough chunk of bone, about ten inches long.
When the panther started to growl down the crack, Kaelen shoved the tusk ahead using all his might.
SHUCK.
The tusk shot up, slicing through the tender flesh beneath the panther's chin - then straight into its skull.
The creature froze. Then it jerked - once, again - before dropping limp onto the stones, lifeless.
Kaelen stayed flat on the ground, night all around, soaked in blood - his own - and drool from the creature, struggling to breathe.
[Ding!] [Target Eliminated: Shadow Stalker Panther (Level 5)] [Experience Gained: 500 XP] [Bonus: Defeated an enemy 2 levels higher! +100 XP]
Congrats - you just hit a new level. Right now, your training stands at Body Tempering, phase four
The warm glow from leveling up fixed the cuts on his chest right away. Not only did Kaelen sense strength flooding in, but it also dwarfed anything he'd felt before. Hitting stage 4 changed everything. Tougher skin kicked in while his hearing and sight turned crisper.
He shoved the lifeless panther aside then wriggled through the stones.
"One more level," Kaelen said, looking at his blood-soaked hands. "I need one more level to match Darius."
He stared at the dead panther. Inside its chest, a faint light flickered.
Kaelen sliced into the chest with the boar's tusk. Then he yanked out a tiny black crystal, about walnut-sized, throbbing faintly.
[Found Item: Shadow Core (Level 1)] | [Info: Packed mass of dark energy. Use it to boost speed, otherwise trade for coins.]
"Consumed?" Kaelen raised an eyebrow. "System, can I eat this?"
Yeah, it's true. This dragon training method lets someone eat core energy straight up - but doing so hurts like hell
Kaelen glanced toward the core, then over to the moon. Picking wasn't an option - he had no time.
"Pain is just weakness leaving the body," Kaelen quoted his old drill sergeant.
He brushed the blood from the core, then shoved it in his mouth like it was candy. After that, he gulped it down without chewing.
Three seconds passed - no movement at all.
After that, it was as if his gut held a ticking bomb.
"GAAAAH!"
Kaelen dropped down, hands gripping his gut. Then dark lines crawled from his throat toward his cheeks. This force ripped through him, like it wanted to break every bone. Worse than the surge when you grow stronger.
His jaw clenched till it almost broke. Yet he made himself settle into a cross-legged pose.
"Subdue it!" he roared internally. "I am a Dragon! You are just food!"
He turned on the old dragon's way of breathing. In his head, he saw a gold-colored dragon eating up the dark shadow force.
Gradually, the ache started to fade. As a result, the dark lines disappeared.
[Absorption Complete.] [Agility +5] [New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Step (Level 1)]
Kaelen blinked awake. Everything seemed off somehow. A weird floatiness tugged at his chest - like the ground forgot to pull.
He got up, then moved forward. Not walking - more like vanishing, popping up half a dozen steps ahead in a flash.
"Shadow Step," Kaelen grinned. "With this, Darius won't even be able to touch me."
He almost walked away - then saw a shape hidden behind the stones where the big cat stayed. That animal wasn't just resting there; it was watching over something secret.
Behind dense leaves sat the opening to a tiny cave. From within it came a soft, sugary scent - hinting at rare healing plants growing deep inside.
Kaelen's eyes widened. Wow
He moved the vines away then entered the dark.