At the riverbank…
The water flowed calmly, reflecting the fading orange glow of dusk. The atmosphere felt peaceful, as if cut off from the commotion elsewhere.
Hana crouched by the riverbank, rinsing a few fruits one by one with careful movements. Water dripped from her fingers every time she lifted them. Not far from her, Karin sat on a low rock, her eyes occasionally sweeping the surroundings—not entirely relaxed, but not quite tense either.
Kevin stood a few steps ahead of them. He rubbed his neck gently; his breathing was still heavy, a sign his body hadn't fully recovered.
Standing slightly apart from the others, Raven faced the river's current. His gaze was vacant, but not entirely unfocused.
His brow furrowed slightly.
…Something was there.
A faint tremor rippled up from the ground. Subtle, barely perceptible—except to someone like Raven.
She turned her head slightly, about to speak.
"RAVENNN!!"
The scream shattered the silence.
All heads snapped around at once.
From behind the trees, Lisa emerged, panting. Her face was pale, her hair disheveled. Kyle ran right beside her, clutching her hand tightly, as if afraid of losing her.
"There's a bear!" Lisa shouted, her voice trembling.
Hana instinctively stood up. "A bear?"
Kevin tensed up too, his eyes widening. "You're serious?!"
Before anyone could fully process the situation, the rumbling sound of heavy footsteps came along with the massive body of a bear bursting through the bushes behind Kyle and Lisa.
Karin immediately took a step back. "Crazy… that's really a bear"
The situation turned chaotic in an instant.
Without a second thought, Karin grabbed Hana's wrist and pulled her away from the riverbank. Hana was nearly dragged along; the fruits she'd been washing fell back into the water before she could even react. Meanwhile, Kevin remained frozen in place, his body stiff. His face was pale, his breath held.
But Raven—
She remained standing calmly.
Her gaze was fixed on the massive creature before her. Slowly, she slipped her hand under her shirt and pulled out the dagger given to her by the village chief.
"Kevin," she said softly but firmly,
"stay away from the river. Protect the others."
Kevin looked at her for a moment, still hesitant. But the look in Raven's eyes made him ask no more questions. He immediately stepped back, then ran toward Karin and Hana.
Raven turned her gaze forward again.
"Kyle! Lure that beast over here!"
Kyle, who was running, nearly tripped as he turned around, panting. "Are you sure?! It's a bear, Raven! It could kill you!"
Lisa shot him a sharp glance from the side. "Seriously? Did you forget who took out those bandits in that cave?"
Kyle muttered under his breath. "Damn… fine!"
He kept holding Lisa's hand and quickened his pace.
The bear's roar echoed, deep and earth-shaking. The beast charged straight at them, its paws pounding the ground with brutal force. Rocks and mud flew with every swipe of its claws.
Just as Kyle and Lisa were about to reach Raven
"To the right! Toward the river! Now!" Raven shouted.
Kyle swerved sharply, nearly losing his balance as he pulled Lisa toward the riverbank. There was no time to think.
They jumped.
Splash!
The river water hit them hard, its current immediately dragging their bodies along. Kyle moved quickly, positioning himself beneath her, holding Lisa's body to keep her from being swept further downstream.
His hand grabbed a rock on the riverbank, gripping it tightly for support.
Behind them, the pursuing bear didn't have time to change direction—its massive body kept charging straight ahead, right toward where Raven stood.
With a swift motion, Raven drew her dagger and readied herself. The bear's claws struck hard, but Raven immediately parried the attack with her dagger's blade. A heavy thud echoed as the animal's sharp claws struck the metal.
Raven didn't flinch even slightly
But—
Suddenly, something pulsed from within his body.
Like a stagnant flow… then surging erratically.
"Ugh… this Qi flow…" he thought.
In an instant, the strength in his body weakened. The Qi flow, which had previously felt stable, now felt chaotic, causing his muscles to lose their power instantly.
The bear roared furiously and immediately swung its claws again.
Raven didn't force himself to block. He leaped to the side, dodging as fast as lightning. As the attack missed, he seized the opening and leaped upward, landing on the bear's side, then propelling himself onto its back.
In one sharp motion…
The dagger sank into the bear's shoulder.
RAAARGHH!
A roar of pain shook the air. The colossal body went into a wild frenzy, thrashing and stomping, trying to shake off Raven, who was clinging tightly to its fur.
The ground around them began to crack. Its surface was slippery from the river's spray and the bear's brutal thrashing.
His steps retreated uncontrollably.
One foot slipped.
In an instant, they lost their balance.
Raven and the bear slipped together
and vanished behind the edge of the waterfall.
"RAVEN!!" Hana screamed with all her might, but her voice was swallowed by the thunderous roar of the water.
-------------------------------------------
Beneath the waterfall, the twilight light pierced through the thin mist, casting a golden glow on the river's surface. The roar of the water mingled with the evening chirping of insects. Along the riverbank, several merchant wagons had stopped, their wooden wheels half-sunk in the damp earth.
Several servants were busy setting up camp, lighting a bonfire, heating water for tea, and unloading wooden crates from the back of the wagons.
On a large boulder jutting out into the river, a young girl sat leaning back, relaxed.
Her long black hair shone in the last rays of the sun, a single strand tied with a red ribbon that danced gently in the breeze. Her skin was as white as porcelain, and her clear brown eyes reflected the twilight sky. The robe she wore was a soft cream color with blue wave patterns at the cuffs—a garment characteristic of a prominent merchant family.
The girl dangled her feet in the water as she lost herself in thought. "Haa… finally, I can sit here without having to listen to Min-ji's nagging anymore." She murmured softly, her lips slightly pouting
"Miss Seorin, would you like some hot tea?" asked one of the servants respectfully, her voice slightly raised so it could be heard over the lapping water.
Seorin glanced briefly, then gave a small nod.
"Alright… please make some."
"Yes, Miss." The attendant bowed before leaving.
Not long after…
"Miss Seorin! Hurry over here! It's almost dark—get back to the carriage right away!" Min-ji's voice rang out from the direction of the tent.
"Okay, just a minute! I just want to enjoy the fresh air first!" Seorin replied with a small smile, gazing at her reflection in the water.
However, the tranquility of that afternoon shattered in an instant.
A large shadow fell from above the waterfall, slamming hard into the water's surface; a high spray split the air, causing everyone to turn in panic.
BYUUUSHH!
"What was that?!" shouted one of the guards, drawing his sword.
Meanwhile, Seorin, who was closest to where the shadow had landed, instinctively stood up. Her gaze was fixed, not blinking even once. From the violently churning water's surface, something massive began to move.
The water churned, and from within emerged a giant bear, its fur soaking wet and its eyes glowing with savagery. The beast stood upright with its body half-submerged, roaring so loudly that the air around it trembled.
"BEAR!!" shouted one of the guards.
Min-ji screamed, "Miss! Run away!!"
Seorin's body didn't move; her legs went limp with fear. She fell and sat down in the shallow water, unable to escape.
The bear raised its paw—
SREKKK
Time seemed to stand still.
The bear's body suddenly froze, then slowly shifted and split open from its arm to its head. Warm blood splattered onto the rocks around Seorin. The massive body collapsed to the ground, and from behind it…
Raven stood atop the bear's carcass.
Water dripped from his hair and clothes.
His breathing was heavy, yet his eyes remained sharp and cold. The dagger in his hand was smeared with blood mixed with water, dripping from the tip of the blade.
"I can't believe it… just because of this beast, I actually had a hard time," he muttered softly.
He exhaled softly, his brow slightly furrowed.
"This body isn't fully attuned to this energy flow yet… even though it can hold two types of Qi, my body itself isn't stable enough to follow both different streams," he thought briefly.
He wiped the wet hair covering part of his face.
His gaze then shifted to the girl in front of him, who was still sitting in the water with a stunned expression.
They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds.
Hmm... a person? Raven thought briefly.
"Are you okay?" he asked flatly, without expression.
Seorin stared at him without blinking. Her wet hair clung to her cheek, and slowly her face flushed without her realizing it.
"W-who are you…?" her voice trembled softly.
Raven let out a short sigh, gazing at the sky that was beginning to darken.
"A wanderer," he replied briefly.
Min-ji and the guards immediately ran over, surrounding Seorin. One of them immediately pointed his sword at Raven.
"Who are you?! What's your connection to that creature?
But before Raven could answer, the sound of footsteps from the top of the cliff echoed.
"RAVEN!!" Hana's voice cracked, filled with panic.
Another voice followed, overlapping with hers amid the roar of the waterfall.
"Raven!! Answer me!!" Kyle shouted.
"Hey! You're still alive, right?!" Karin called out, her tone worried.
"Raven!!" Lisa called out, her voice barely holding on.
Even Kevin joined in, his voice rough, "Raven! Damn it, answer!!"
Their voices echoed from above, mingling with the relentless rush of the falling water.
All eyes below immediately turned toward the cliff.