Chapter 308: Survival In The Forest

The night was pitch-black. Cold wind swept across the broken ground, carrying the faint scent of blood.

Ali Arkman lay sprawled on the ground, his body twisted unnaturally. Several bones were shattered, and every breath sent waves of agony through his chest. Internal organs were heavily damaged — he could feel it clearly.

His spatial ring lay open beside him. Empty.

All his healing elixirs were gone. Already used.

His vision blurred, darkness creeping in from the edges. Footsteps approached. Slow. Unhurried.

Gazel and Sirus stood before him, looking down with expressions of cold satisfaction. Their clothes were clean, their breathing steady. This fight had never been equal.

“So this is the strongest person in this territory,” Gazel said mockingly. “Pathetic.”

Sirus tilted his head slightly. “At least his body will be useful.”

They stepped forward, ready to collect what remained.

But just then…

Rustle! Rustle!

Multiple presences appeared at once.

Gazel’s brows furrowed. Sirus’s eyes narrowed. From the darkness, figures emerged.

Hunters. They came in two groups. One led by Gideon. The other by Leo.

A total of eleven hunters surrounded the area in an instant, weapons drawn, auras flaring. They positioned themselves instinctively — some in front, some to the sides, forming a defensive wall.

“Guild Master!” Gideon shouted as he rushed forward and knelt beside Ali. “Are you alright?!” He didn’t wait for an answer, immediately checking Ali’s pulse and condition.

The other hunters stood at the front, shielding Ali and Gideon at the back.

Gazel clicked his tongue in irritation. “Tch. Bad timing.”

Sirus glanced around calmly. “Eleven hunters. Dealing with all of them at once won’t be easy.”

Both Gazel and Sirus were strong — very strong. But fighting eleven hunters at once would turn out to be impossible. They were fast — yes. But were they fast enough to dodge all the attacks from eleven hunters at once? Of course not.

And their mission? It was already compromised. Without another word, Gazel and Sirus turned.

In the next instant… They vanished. They left the place in the blink of an eye. It was so fast that it felt as if they had never been there to begin with.

The pressure lifted. Gideon let out a shaky breath. “Get a stretcher!” Leo barked. “Move, now!”

Together, they carefully lifted Ali and rushed toward the nearest infirmary, disappearing into the night.

Far away, inside the Grand Library… The world was silent. Lanterns glowed faintly, casting long shadows across endless shelves.

Logan remained seated at the table. He didn’t know what was happening outside the Spirit Mountain.

After resting briefly, he had returned to the book. His eyes moved steadily across the ancient lines.

’Seika moved through the forest cautiously.

But just as he was walking…..

Suddenly, an enormous shadow descended.

A giant ape burst from the trees, its roar shaking the forest ground.

Seika reacted instantly, throwing himself aside. His body screamed in protest, though, as he was already weak, already starving.

Still, he fought. He gave it his all and struck again and again, fists, stones, anything he could grab.

But the blows barely scratched the beast.

And then the ape threw his heavy limb.

A single hit.

The ape’s massive arm slammed into Seika’s body. He was sent flying. The world spun.

His back crashed into a thick tree branch with a sickening crack.

Pain exploded. Seika’s vision blurred. ’So is this it?’ he thought. ’Am I going to die just like this here?’

Then…

Memories surfaced. His father turning away.

His stepmother’s cruel, wicked smile. The beatings. The hunger. The streets. Rage ignited.

Something deep inside him snapped. Seika roared and leapt forward, gathering everything he had left.

His fingers gouged into the ape’s eyes. The beast howled in agony, stumbling back, thrashing wildly.

Seika landed, panting, blood dripping from his body.

“Normal brute, aren’t you?” he mocked hoarsely.

The ape roared again — this time in pure fury.

It charged. The fight resumed. Clumsy. Brutal. Desperate.

Branches snapped. Blood splattered the ground.

But the end…. Surprisingly….

The ape collapsed. Dead.

Seika fell beside it, his body barely moving.

Still alive — though barely.

Seika lay there for a long while, staring at the canopy above as his chest rose and fell unevenly. Little by little, the burning pain dulled. His limbs still trembled, and weakness clung to his bones like a curse, but he was alive. But hunger returned with a vengeance. His stomach twisted violently, reminding him of a truth he had almost forgotten in the heat of battle — he had eaten nothing for days.

Seika slowly turned his head. The giant ape’s corpse lay beside him, its massive body sprawled across broken branches and churned soil. Its lifeless eyes stared blankly at the sky.

And then…

An idea surfaced. Seika’s breathing quickened. He forced himself upright, ignoring the protests of his battered body. From his belt, he pulled out the small knife he always carried — dull, chipped, but still usable.

He approached the corpse. Without hesitation, he sliced into the ape’s thick hide. The smell that burst out made him gag, but he gritted his teeth and continued. After struggling for a while, he managed to carve out a chunk of meat, his hands slick with blood.

Next came fire. Seika gathered dry leaves, broken branches, and stones. His hands shook as he worked, but desperation gave him the focus he needed. After several failed attempts, sparks finally caught. A weak flame flickered, then grew.

He skewered the meat with a branch and held it over the fire. The smell was awful at first. The meat burned unevenly, blackened on the outside while still raw in places. If this were any other time, Seika knew he would have spat it out in disgust.

But now?

Now, it was salvation. He tore into it like a beast, barely chewing, grease and blood staining his face. The taste was bitter, harsh, and foul — but to him, it was heavenly.

Life returned to his limbs with every bite. When he finished the last scrap, Seika leaned back against a tree and let out a loud, unrestrained burp.

For the first time since entering the forest, he laughed weakly. “I’m not dying today,” he muttered.

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