The forest was unnaturally silent.

  Kazuki stepped lightly through the dense, dark terrain—trees looming like ancient titans, roots twisted as if recoiling from some deeper presence. The guild had sent him here to investigate strange energy fluctuations, but he already knew something was off. His instincts had been screaming the moment he stepped into the forest’s heart.

  He unsheathed his twin demon daggers, their dark blades humming faintly with hunger.

  “Let’s see what you’re hiding,” Kazuki muttered, activating Total Concentration.

  From all around him, the forest stirred—monsters emerging from the shadows.

  A Magma Fanghound, its molten body sizzling with heat.

  A Spectral Widow, her ghostly form hovering above the trees.

  A Tempest Wingbeast, flapping with blades of wind.

  Even a rare Crystal-Scale Basilisk, its eyes glowing with paralysis magic.

  Dozens of monsters charged at him—and Kazuki didn’t hesitate.

  He darted into the fray, slicing through the Basilisk’s hide, avoiding the Widow’s spectral webs with narrow spins, and leaping off the Wingbeast to impale the Fanghound midair. Spells clashed, daggers danced, and blood mist filled the air.

  One by one, the monsters fell—and with his Necromancy Skill, Kazuki raised them.

  Some returned with twisted humanoid forms. Others retained bestial silhouettes but were shrouded in dark aura. When the final creature dropped, a status screen appeared:

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  > Dark Army Updated

  Total Soldiers: 563

  Mages: 254

  Flight Units: 123

  Tanks: 54

  Kazuki exhaled, letting the quiet return—only for the ground to tremble violently beneath him.

  An earthquake.

  Trees cracked. Birds fled.

  And from the depths of the forest, something ancient and malevolent rose.

  A Shadow Dragon.

  It was immense, almost as large as a fortress. Its eyes glowed crimson, its body darker than night, wings spreading like a storm cloud.

  Kazuki activated Total Concentration, eyes narrowing. “Let’s dance.”

  He dashed at the dragon with incredible speed, his daggers slicing its hide—but no damage appeared. He gritted his teeth, activating Elemental Fury, igniting his blades with fire and lightning, but even that failed to pierce its defenses.

  He kept fighting, pushing himself harder and harder—but he was tiring. His movements slowed, breaths heavy. The dragon struck back with a speed that didn’t match its size.

  It lashed out with its tail—and Kazuki barely dodged, skidding back and gasping.

  “I’m out of steam…”

  The dragon’s maw opened wide—ready to end him.

  Then time seemed to slow.

  SLASH

  A blur of blue and black descended from the sky. The dragon's tail fell to the ground—cleanly severed.

  And then, in the blink of an eye, its head rolled.

  The creature collapsed, its body twitching as steam hissed from its corpse.

  Kazuki looked up in shock.

  A boy stood before the dragon's remains.

  He was around Kazuki’s age—blue hair, heterochromatic glowing eyes—one red, one blue. His short-sleeved jacket fluttered slightly as power radiated from his body. Blue wristbands, black long-sleeved shirt and trousers. He looked… strangely out of place.

  The aura around him felt ancient. Unfathomable.

  He glanced toward Kazuki.

  “So it was you,” he said with a voice sharp but calm. “The one I sensed through the seal. You’ve grown… but not enough.”

  Kazuki didn’t answer—too many questions filled his head.

  The boy continued. “The seal the Custodians placed weakened my form. This body… is a child’s shell. My powers have been defaulted. But I’ll make do.”

  He looked down at his hands, flexing them.

  Kazuki gripped his daggers. “Who are you?”

  The boy smirked. “You’ll find out soon. Just keep getting stronger.”

  He turned and vanished—teleporting with a flicker of light, leaving behind only the dragon’s corpse.

  Kazuki stood frozen. That energy… it wasn’t just powerful.

  It was familiar.

  He raised his hand, activating Necromancy once more. The Shadow Dragon rose as a dark soldier, keeping its majestic dragon form.

  > Dark Army Updated

  +1 Shadow Dragon

  Combat Stats: 1250+

  INT: 400

  Kazuki exhaled, closing his eyes. “This is just the beginning.”

  Far above the forest, the sky rumbled faintly.

  And far beneath the world… something else stirred.