The moment Ivan and the knight apprentices stepped into Woodstone Forest, their pace changed.
What had been a steady march quickly turned into a sprint.
Ivan took the lead, his figure cutting through the undergrowth with practiced ease. His breathing remained calm, his movements efficient, each step placed carefully to avoid unnecessary noise or wasted energy.
Behind him, the ten knight apprentices followed without hesitation.
Though confusion flickered briefly in their minds, none questioned the direction. This was a mission, and Ivan was their leader.
As they ran, Ivan cast a brief glance backward.
The formation was loose—but intact.
Even the low-level knight apprentices were keeping up.
That alone was enough to separate them from ordinary people.
In this era, most commoners lived with barely enough food to survive. Their bodies were thin, their stamina limited. Sprinting through a forest like this—for minutes, let alone hours—was impossible for them.
Only trained individuals could do this.
Hunters, perhaps.
Soldiers, certainly.
Knight apprentices—without question.
As they pushed deeper, the forest began to change.
The sunlight filtering through the canopy grew weaker. The air turned cooler, heavier. Trees thickened, their trunks wider, their branches tangled together like interlocking claws. Moss crept along roots and stones, and the ground beneath their feet softened with layers of decayed leaves.
The deeper they went, the darker it became.
Eventually, sprinting was no longer possible.
Ivan raised his hand sharply.
The group halted at once.
With a series of precise hand signals, he ordered them into a tight circular formation. Spacing closed, backs aligned, weapons kept ready.
From the village chief's account, they already knew—
Magical beasts roamed these depths.
Ambush was the greatest danger in a forest like this.
With their formation secured, they resumed movement at a slower pace, advancing cautiously.
Ivan's gaze never stopped moving.
At the same time, Nova's presence remained active within his mind.
"Scanning ongoing," Nova reported calmly.
"No immediate threats detected in the surrounding area."
On the Valen Continent, the knight's path was the only recognized path to power.
To become a knight was to step beyond the limits of ordinary men—but that step was not easily taken.
Even among those who entered training, most would never cross that final barrier.
The majority of knight apprentices spent their entire lives at that stage, unable to advance no matter how hard they trained.
The difference between apprentice and knight was absolute.
Knights were not merely warriors.
They were commanders, enforcers, and symbols of authority.
From a young age, knight apprentices trained relentlessly—horsemanship, swordsmanship, spearmanship, archery, lance combat. They studied military tactics, battlefield coordination, and noble etiquette.
Every knight was expected to lead.
In war, they served as generals or officers.
In peace, they upheld order.
They followed the Knight's Code:
Honor before fear.
Loyalty before self.
Protect the weak.
Obey rightful command.
Face the enemy head-on.
Never abandon the battlefield.
Only after breaking through the knight rank could one truly surpass human limits.
Until then—
They were being forged.
As Ivan led the group forward, Nova began issuing warnings.
"Low-level magical beast detected. Direction: northeast."
Moments later, a beast lunged from the underbrush.
It was small, feral, driven purely by hunger.
Before it could close the distance, a sword flashed.
The creature collapsed.
Several similar attacks followed—but none posed a real threat.
Magical beasts could sense danger.
Most avoided the group entirely.
Only the mindless ones attacked.
Hour by hour, they advanced.
Nearly six hours passed before Nova's tone changed.
"Alert. Four human life signatures detected. Elevated positions."
Ivan stopped instantly.
His raised fist froze the group in place.
Nova continued, "Four individuals. Positioned in separate trees. Acting as scouts."
Ivan's eyes sharpened.
With swift, silent gestures, he conveyed the situation.
Four targets.
Tree positions.
Distance—approximately one hundred meters.
Then—bows.
All knight apprentices moved as one.
A knight might not be a master archer—but every knight was trained to shoot.
One hundred meters was well within their capability.
Ivan drew his bow.
Arrow nocked.
Aim steady.
"Release."
The forest echoed with soft whistling sounds.
Four arrows flew.
Four dull impacts followed.
Muted screams broke the silence.
Bodies fell from the trees.
The apprentices advanced immediately.
As they checked the bodies, one of them suddenly paused.
"…This," he said quietly.
He pulled aside torn cloth near the scout's shoulder.
A crude tattoo was revealed.
A snarling wolf's head, etched in black ink.
The apprentice's expression darkened.
"This is the mark of the Howling Wolf bandits."
Ivan looked over.
"Howling Wolf?"
The apprentice nodded. "They've been active near the Baron's territory for years. They raid merchants, plunder villages, then disappear into the wilds."
He hesitated before continuing, "The Baron has tried to encircle them several times. Every time, they escaped."
"Their leader is known as the Black Wolf, A high-level knight apprentice."
Silence spread through the group.
This deep into the forest—
What were they doing here?
There was no time to dwell on it.
Their vigilance doubled.
They moved on.
Soon, flickering firelight appeared through the trees.
Ivan raised a hand again.
Ahead, a bonfire burned.
Around it sat nearly twenty men.
Ivan's gaze hardened.
"NOVA. Full scan."
Energy flowed.
"Scan complete," Nova reported.
"Twenty armed individuals outside. Wearing crude armor."
"Structure detected. Cave entrance behind camp."
"Inside cave: approximately sixty individuals."
Ivan's fingers tightened.
"Forty unarmed. Likely captives."
"Twenty armed. Two confirmed knight apprentices."
Nova's voice sounded again.
"Additional life signature detected—former knight-level."
A brief pause followed.
"Analysis complete," Nova continued. "Energy fluctuations indicate a recent breakthrough. This individual is a newly advanced knight."
Ivan's pupils constricted slightly.
A newly advanced knight—
In that instant, the earlier words spoken by the knight apprentice resurfaced in his mind.
The leader of the Howling Wolf… the Black Wolf… a high-level knight apprentice.
The pieces connected almost instantly.
Ivan understood.
The Black Wolf had broken through.
He had stepped past the cruel barrier that trapped countless knight apprentices for their entire lives.
Surprise flickered briefly in Ivan's eyes—but it vanished just as quickly.
Instead, a sharp, steady resolve took its place.
He did not retreat.
He did not hesitate.
On the contrary—
His heartbeat quickened.
This was dangerous.
But danger often walked hand in hand with opportunity.
Ivan clenched his fist slowly.
Perhaps… this is my chance.
A chance to face a true knight.
A chance to test himself at the edge of the barrier.
A chance to break through.
Nova's voice followed calmly.
"Recommendation: ambush at nightfall."
Hearing Nova's suggestion, Ivan's thoughts stirred as he silently weighed the situation.
"Direct engagement is not ideal. Two high-level knight apprentices, three mid-level, and five lower-level apprentices could take on forty armed men, but even a straight fight would leave injuries—or worse, casualties."
"A surprise assault will reduce enemy numbers in advance and prevent prolonged combat."
Ivan's gaze darkened slightly.
He did not fear battle.
But he would not allow unnecessary losses.
Ivan raised his hand.
The group halted completely.
They would wait for nightfall.