Chapter 47: Chilling in a death forest

Chapter 46

After a few more silent glides, the family finally reached their destination at the base of the forest. Just upward from there, they found something solid to set their boat on so it would not slip off. Once that was done, they departed the ship and stepped onto land.

Smiles were on their faces.

All except Rayden.

The deeper they went, the heavier his chest felt. Each step into the forest made his instincts scream louder.

Why do I have a bad feeling about this place?

He already knew the answer.

The quest hovered in his mind like a mocking eye.

Survive Infancy.

Still there. Still active. Still daring him to fail.

If quests were anything to go by, then there was more than a hundred percent assurance that danger was waiting for them. Not maybe. Not if. Waiting.

They did not walk far before meeting another creature.

This one was familiar.

Or so they thought.

It was classified as a wild animal, known for attacking anyone foolish enough to step into its territory. A massive chicken with a long horn rising from its head, pointing upward as if it meant to challenge the heavens themselves.

A horned chicken.

Extremely dangerous.

The duo froze.

Their danger instincts spiked instantly. Guards raised. Muscles tensed.

Then the chicken saw them.

And ran.

It bolted like its life depended on it, crashing through bushes and snapping branches in blind panic.

The forest swallowed it whole.

“That is strange,” Callack said slowly.

Selene stared at where it vanished. “Very strange. Isn’t that thing supposed to take at least five hardened men to take down without fatal injuries? Why did it run like we are monsters?”

Callack frowned. “I have no idea.”

Selene exhaled, pressing a hand to her chest. “But I am not complaining. My heart nearly jumped out seeing that thing. This forest is dangerous.”

Vastro scoffed internally.

Of course a forest is dangerous. What are they, kids?

Then again, he was literally the baby here, so maybe he should not be talking.

Not that he could talk anyway.

That was another thing he hated about being human.

When he was born as a Hatalgon, he could do everything despite being newly born. Speech. Control. Awareness. No limitations.

As a human?

Limited. Fragile. Helpless.

Just another flaw of being born human.

They moved forward, trying their best to stay stealthy. Unfortunately, snapping twigs, crunching leaves, and careless steps made sure stealth was more of a wish than reality.

They drew attention.

A lot of it.

Yet every wild creature that noticed them reacted the same way.

They ran.

Scattered.

Fled as if chased by death itself.

It happened again. And again. And again.

The forest felt wrong.

A horrifying mystery wrapped around them, something they did not understand. Still, they welcomed it as long as it protected them.

Callack did not lower his guard.

Along the way, he found a few rusty weapons scattered about. As a blacksmith, he made use of them. With careful effort, he managed to craft a small but solid sword.

Not bad.

Something that might save their lives if the animals ever stopped running and decided to fight back instead.

They continued deeper, walking almost casually now as more creatures fled at the mere sight of them. Terrified. Desperate.

Vastro wondered if he was the cause.

Then dismissed it.

He had already received the notification more than once. Everything he owned was sealed. His power. His conceptual abilities. His law mastery. Even his aura.

The Hellbrand was not even fully activated.

He was practically just a human baby.

An arrogant soul inside a helpless body.

Physically. Aurally. In every sense that mattered.

So he could not be the reason.

Then what was?

No one had the answer.

So he let it be..

The group found it by chance.

A mid-sized cave tucked between stone and roots, surprisingly clean, surprisingly dry. Pretty, even. The kind of place that felt like it wanted to be a shelter.

It already had an owner.

The moment they stepped inside, the gray boar came charging out.

And despair hit them like a hammer.

This was not like the other animals.

Unlike the beasts they had seen so far, this one radiated power. Dense. Heavy. Crushing. A true aura, not the empty shell most creatures here carried.

Callack felt it instantly.

He was a cultivator. Barely at the beginning, but still one. He knew true power when he saw it.

And standing before that gray boar made him feel utterly powerless.

One swipe of its claw would kill him. No question. No struggle.

Still, he stepped forward.

Jaw clenched. Grip tight.

If he had to die, he would die standing. He would give everything to make sure his family survived.

Then the impossible happened.

The moment the beast truly perceived the aura surrounding the group, it froze.

Not fear.

Something deeper.

Absolute dread.

The gray boar let out a broken sound, turned, and fled as fast as its massive body could carry it. Crashing through stone and brush, disappearing into the forest.

Gone.

Never seen again.

That was how they claimed the lair of the ruler of the forest.

For a while, the group remained on edge. But by now, the pattern was impossible to ignore. Any beast that could have killed them. Any wild animal that should have attacked.

They all ran.

Every single time.

Headfirst. Full speed. No hesitation.

It was as if an unseen guardian stood right behind them. Silent. Invisible. Watching. Protecting. And terrifying every creature that dared to get close.

Rayden considered it.

What if it was him?

His parents were weak. His father barely had a wisp of energy around him. His mother was even weaker, practically a normal human.

They did not have the means to scare beasts like this.

But the thought did not last.

He shook his head internally.

Of course not.

He was the weakest among them.

He might carry the soul of a vast, ancient being, but it meant nothing right now. His aura was sealed. His powers nullified. Everything locked away until a future far beyond his reach.

So it could not be him.

Then what was it?

He searched his mind and found nothing. No explanation. No logic. Nothing that made sense.

Except one name.

Iscaris.

A fryborn. One of the weakest summons in his soul contract. Yet the only one who answered when Rayden had no one else.

The one who obeyed his order.

The one who destroyed the kingdom that wanted him dead. Burned it to the ground while Rayden watched, broken and fading, before he blacked out before the final act.

Rayden was certain of one thing.

Iscaris’s power exceeded the limits of this realm.

Which meant the laws would have ejected him.

But Iscaris would not leave him unprotected.

Not like that.

Rayden’s fingers curled slowly.

Iscaris must had done something.

Sure that he would not have left him alone like that. He must have done something to ensure his safety. That was what Vastro believed.

He was right.

And also wrong.

Iscaris did not bother much about Vastro himself.

In every way Iscaris saw it, Vastro was a being with limitless power. A baby only because he willed it so. That did not mean he was weak.

So Iscaris chose another path.

He cleansed Callack’s meridians and energy passages. Strengthened them. Refined them. With the hope that Callack would grow strong enough to become his servant. His blade. His anchor.

Iscaris could not stay.

Not without damaging the realm itself, and that was something he would never do.

So he left.

But not completely.

A thin trace of his aura lingered around the group.

That was what had been protecting them all this time.

Days passed in the blink of an eye.

The trio visibly relaxed. Nothing dared to approach them. Nothing even tried to look their way, let alone harm them.

They were safe.

For a while.

They lived quietly in the cave as Callack searched for signs of a city, a road, any hint of human settlement.

The routine became calm. Too calm.

And that was when Vastro felt it.

A very bad feeling.

Something terrible was coming.

Bad luck always wears a safety blanket first.

He was right.

On the tenth day, during a serene afternoon, as the family rested together, a flicker flashed through the air.

They all felt it.

As if something precious had been taken away.

Because it had.

Iscaris’s aura vanished completely.

At the same time, the Hellbrand flickered ever so slightly.

Vastro’s unease turned heavy.

Trouble.

The thought had barely formed when a deep, threatening growl sounded from behind the thick bushes ahead of them.

Leaves parted.

A massive wolf stepped out.

Fierce eyes. Muscles coiled. Two jagged horns curved from its head, crackling faintly with power.

Of course we are in trouble, Vastro thought sarcastically.

But the look on Callack’s face told a different story.

This was not a joke.

Sarcastic or not, they had finally faced their first real danger in the forest.

To be continued.

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