Alex walked through an eerie forest in the desolate, his boots crunching against the damp, decayed leaves that littered the ground. The trees shadowed him, their twisted branches dripping with strange gooey liquid.

It wasn’t a place one would want to come to unless necessary, as the rancid scent of the surroundings made it hard to breathe.

Alex, however, wasn’t focusing on the scenery; his eyes were fixed on the communication device in his palm as he spoke of the incident in Luminora.

The device flickered, showing the image of Zahara and Mira; they seemed to be sitting next to each other, meditating.

“—so yeah, that’s what happened,” Alex concluded his report about everything that had happened in the village.

“You… weren’t hurt, right?” Mira’s voice came from the other side, a bit low as she still wasn’t that comfortable around Zahara—more like she was only comfortable around Alex.

“No. The situation where I would have to use my full power never came,” Alex replied, a bit amused as he saw how both Zahara and Mira sat in a lotus position while talking to him as if getting preached by their teacher.

“Come on. Why are you so tense?” Zahara spoke, patting Mira’s shoulder with a smile. “You will become my sister in the future, so don’t be like this.”

Those words brought a light blush on Mira’s cheeks, but she relaxed a bit.

[Looks like they’re getting along well,] Sophie commented in Alex’s head, making him raise a brow.

‘I won’t call it ‘Well’, but yeah, Mira’s talking it better than I had expected,’ interjected Alex in a strained voice. He could see Mira fidgeting after all.

[Well, it was Zahara’s plan, and it saves time while helping Mira open up more, so I guess it’s better than nothing.] Sophie let out her thoughts, at which Alex nodded, ‘True that.’

It was yesterday morning when Alex was talking with Zahara that she put up this proposal. Alex didn’t readily agree since he knew how Mira didn’t feel comfortable around others, but Mira surprisingly agreed to it.

Mira said that she wanted to change.

“Anyway, as you had guessed, nothing has happened here yet. No attacks. No threats.” Zahara waved her hand, her voice casual but tinged with amusement as she added, “Though Theron and Fenna have been avoiding each other. The atmosphere is tense.”

Alex frowned, stepping over a large root that jutted from the earth, humming thoughtfully as he had expected this. “Well, let them be for now. Tell the others not to get affected by the atmosphere. Also, what about the thing I asked you to do?”

Zahara’s eyes shone as she heard the question. “I and Gurrak ‘took care’ of all those who claimed to have seen something suspicious.”

“I knew I could depend on you,” he praised Zahara with a smile, only to narrow his eyes the next second as his ears picked up on a rustling ahead.

His instincts flared. Without missing a beat, he side-stepped, avoiding a grotesque clawed limb that shot out from the shadows. It was a creature, twisted and malformed, its flesh bubbling as if something was constantly shifting beneath its skin. Hollow, sunken eyes locked onto Alex hungrily.

‘Another one, huh?’ Alex muttered, and with a casual flick of his wrist, his sword slashed forward.

The monster barely registered a black flash before its head was separated from its body. It couldn’t even roar in pain as it collapsed into a heap of rotting flesh. Alex stepped over it, brushing some of its filth off his coat. ‘It seems like we are in the right forest.’

[You’ve been saying the same thing about every forest we come through…] Sophie sighed at his words.

Mira, on the other side of the call, suddenly spoke up, her head tilted. “…You’re fighting, aren’t you?”

Alex stared at her for a while, flicking his sword, whipping the disgusting blood off it before he chuckled. “What gave it away?”

“The sound of something dying,” Zahara quipped. “Really, Alex? Talking to us while taking down monsters? You’re ridiculous.”

“What can I say? I like multitasking.” His voice remained light, even as another beast lunged at him from the left. With minimal effort, he twisted his body, avoiding its swipe, then drove his sword through its chest. It let out a wet, guttural sound before collapsing.

“What kind of monsters?” Zahara asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Ugly ones. And they smell worse than they look,” Alex muttered, flicking blood off his blade. Again. “I think their bodies had modified a bit too much that they became like this. They are mutated beyond recognition.”

Mira remained quiet again, though Alex could sense her listening intently. Zahara, meanwhile, hummed in thought. “Well, be careful. Just because you’re absurdly strong doesn’t mean you can be reckless.”

Alex was about to retort when Zahara suddenly changed the topic. “Oh! I almost forgot. I broke through to the nine-star, star-formation realm today.”

Alex stopped in his tracks. “Wait, really?” A genuine smile spread across his face. “That’s amazing, Zahara.”

“Right?” Her voice was filled with satisfaction. “I thought I would advance to the next realm with eight stars.”

Alex could hear the pride in her voice, and he couldn’t help but feel happy for her. She had always been determined, pushing herself relentlessly. “Now, you’ll be stronger after breaking through,” he said. “Just don’t get complacent.”

“I know, I know.” Zahara laughed softly. “But still, I wanted to tell you first since it’s only possible because of you.”

Alex’s gaze shifted to the communication device, where he saw Mira’s expression subtly shift.

Unlike Zahara, who thrived in competition, Mira was the opposite. She was quiet and reserved. Her progress had never been slow, but her starting point was way behind others.

Hearing Zahara talk about her strength made her feel powerless—even more so when she felt like there was something that Zahara knew but she didn’t.

Zahara noticed it too. She realized she had made Mira uncomfortable, so she turned to Alex.

“Hey, Alex,” she said in a softer tone. “When are you going to tell Mira about everything?”

Mira stiffened slightly, but she didn’t say anything.

Alex exhaled, his eyes locked on Mira, observing her tense body, his fingers tightening around his sword. “After I return,” he replied.

Mira glanced away, her expression unreadable. Alex wanted to say more to reassure her, but now wasn’t the time. Verbal consolation could only do so much. He would show it with his actions when he had to.

He instead refocused on his surroundings—just in time to feel a presence ahead.

A low, guttural growl rumbled through the trees.

Alex’s gaze sharpened as a towering figure stepped into view. The previous creatures were grotesque, but this one was something else entirely. Its body was a shifting mass of writhing, pulsing flesh, with jagged bones protruding at odd angles. Its elongated mouth stretched far too wide, dripping with a foul, black substance.

The forest fell silent. Even the air felt thick with tension.

“Looks like I’ve got company again,” Alex muttered, his gaze returning to the communication device as he added, “Looks like I’ll have to hang up for now.”

“Don’t get hurt,” Zahara said, making Alex chuckle. “I won’t.” He assured her before his gaze focused on Mira.

“Take care,” she spoke, her voice low. A smile couldn’t help but spread on Alex’s face. “You as well.”

With that, he cut the call, storing the device in his storage. His now-free hand was flexing. His full attention now lay on the monstrosity in front of him.

The creature let out a guttural roar, shaking the trees around them. It took a step forward, its massive form towering over Alex like a nightmare-given form.

Alex, unfazed, simply raised his sword. “Alright then. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep