The fog had not fully lifted yet, but the forest felt different.
Noc glanced around the forest.
"Maybe it won't be long before he returns here."
"I… have to prepare." He walked back toward his hut.
"His name is Augustus…"
"His traits and his name narrow down to one figure…"
"Augustus Kael'dorn…" Noc held onto the wooden chair inside the hut.
"If he really is who I think he is, then this won't be as simple as I imagine."
"What he brings… will determine whether he truly is the Augustus Kael'dorn I know."
"Huuffttt." Noc sat on the chair while holding his head.
"I… have to prepare."
Noc began to put on a serious expression.
"Whether you're playing with me or being serious." The fog shifted and seemed to grow thicker, and the forest appeared darker.
"I will respond to everything you do to me… Augustus." Noc's figure sat calmly as if waiting.
On the other side of the forest.
Many monsters lay on the ground, drenched in blood, with the aftermath of battle surrounding them.
Cracked earth, fallen trees, and traces of residual energy filled the area.
Augustus stood there, holding his sword Valdryss as if he were frozen in place.
"With my current strength… I could defeat Erenwald." Augustus still stood before the monsters he had slain.
Valdryss whispered again. "Augustus, you have reached the same stage as the geniuses of past eras."
"Only the same stage, you say?" Augustus replied flatly through his mind.
"Correct." Valdryss answered.
"You might even be stronger than them."
"You haven't even used a quarter of your current ability."
"In fact… it still feels like there is a lot of room to grow, because you've only just finished meditating."
This time, the spirit of the sword Valdryss tried to manifest itself, a human-shaped shadow forming before Augustus, looking exactly like him.
"You are still adapting, Augustus."
"Yes…" Augustus replied flatly.
"What about that person…"
"What kind of figure do you think he is?" Augustus asked Valdryss.
"…" Valdryss fell silent for a moment.
"I don't know."
"However… your instinct to come here…"
"And your decision to follow him is the right choice."
"Your instincts… are still as terrifying as ever."
"Augustus." At the same time, Valdryss' figure returned into the sword.
Augustus looked at the pile of monsters around him.
"Strange…"
"When I first came to this forest…"
"Why… couldn't I detect them?"
"Why… did this place seem so calm before?"
Now Augustus stood before the corpse of one monster.
"Vel'khar Serpentis…"
"I could kill it with just one slash."
"He… lived calmly in a place filled with monsters like these?"
"Even Sil'turah…"
...
Noc sat in front of the hut.
Silent.
Calm.
Just as he had decided.
But…
something came.
Not the sound of footsteps.
Not the wind.
But pressure.
The ground trembled slightly.
Very faint.
But enough to be felt.
Noc did not move.
Did not turn.
Did not react.
But inside…
"…What now."
His instincts tightened.
The air grew heavy.
As if something large…
was approaching.
Slowly.
Surely.
Then…
something emerged from the fog.
First…
a shadow.
Long.
Crawling.
Then…
a body, a giant serpent with two large arms.
Greenish-black scales.
A body as large as an old tree trunk.
Its head resembled that of an ape.
Empty eyes.
Lifeless.
Its body… dragged across the ground.
And the one dragging it…
Augustus.
He walked calmly.
Unhurried.
One hand holding the creature's body…
as if it weighed nothing.
Behind him…
more.
Other monster corpses floated, carried by telekinesis.
Torn.
Destroyed.
Unrecognizable.
One of them…
larger than the others.
A tiger.
Muscular body.
Long fangs.
Deep scars across its body.
Thalgrim.
And all of it was brought…
as if it were merely… ordinary prey.
Noc did not move.
Did not blink.
Did not react.
But inside…
"WHAAAAAT IS THIS?!"
Panic.
Pure.
Brutal.
"What kind of snake is that?!"
"WHY IS IT SO HUGE?!"
"That one… that tiger-like one… THAT'S THE ONE THAT BIT ME BEFORE—"
His mind screamed.
But his body…
remained still.
Calm.
Flat.
As if all of this…
was exactly how it should be.
Augustus stopped a few steps in front of him.
Then…
released the monster's body.
DUMM.
The ground shook.
The fog parted.
He lowered his head.
"My Lord."
His voice was calm.
But this time…
there was something in it.
Sincerity.
"I have brought the results of the hunt."
Silence.
Noc looked.
One second.
Two seconds.
He stood up slowly.
Took one step forward.
Not too close.
But enough…
to appear as if he was evaluating.
In reality…
"I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS IS."
His eyes swept over the bodies.
Vel'khar Serpentis.
Thalgrim.
And the others.
Those names…
he did not know.
But one thing was clear…
"If this is what he considers 'enough'…"
"…I'm really in trouble."
He stopped.
Then…
let out a soft breath.
"…Hm."
One sound.
Light.
But to Augustus…
it meant something.
Noc raised his chin slightly.
His gaze lowered toward the monster.
"…Not bad."
Silence.
The words fell.
Short.
Simple.
But…
enough to change the air.
Augustus fell silent.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Not bad."
He repeated in his mind.
These creatures…
were no ordinary beings.
Vel'khar Serpentis.
A creature that could become a disaster if it appeared in human territory.
Thalgrim.
A land predator even elite soldiers avoid.
And to his Lord…
"…not bad."
Augustus lowered his head deeper.
"I understand."
His tone changed.
More serious.
"Then… this does not yet meet your standards."
Noc almost choked.
"WHAT—?!"
But his face…
remained calm.
"…Enough."
He spoke.
Softly.
Not denying.
Not agreeing.
Just…
stopping it.
"For now."
A small addition.
Enough to…
steer the direction.
Augustus fell silent.
Then…
nodded.
"Understood."
Silence fell again.
Noc looked at the monsters once more.
Then…
turned away.
As if not too interested.
"…Store them."
A short instruction.
"What can be eaten… separate it."
A simple sentence.
But…
enough to make everything seem… reasonable.
As if…
this was routine.
As if…
this was not the first time.
Augustus immediately moved.
"Yes, My Lord."
Without hesitation.
Without question.
And as he began moving the bodies…
Noc sat down again.
Calm.
Silent.
As if everything was under control.
But inside…
"…Crazy."
His breath slightly caught.
"These… those creatures were in this forest?"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
For the first time…
not out of fear.
But because…
he saw possibility.
"But…"
"That tiger…"
"The only thing that made me worry about living here has died."
"So all this time there were still many other creatures?"
Silence.
Calculations ran.
Fast.
Cold.
"…I can live."
Not just survive.
But…
live.
The corner of his lips lifted slightly.
Thin.
Almost invisible.
"This person can be used as my protector."
"Yes… even so, I still have to be careful."
And on his shoulder…
the small horned creature…
moved its tail slowly.
As if…
witnessing something.
That had just begun.
The monster bodies had been moved.
Blood still soaked the ground.
The scent of iron filled the air.
But in front of the hut…
it was quiet again.
Noc sat.
Like before.
Calm.
Silent.
But this time…
he wasn't just waiting.
He was thinking.
His gaze lowered slightly.
Not at the monsters.
Not at Augustus.
At the ground.
"…If I let this run on its own…"
"he will act according to his standards."
"And his standards…"
He glanced briefly at the massive corpse beside him.
"…are too high."
That was a problem.
On the other side, Noc thought.
"If Augustus keeps hunting like this…"
"attention will come because of the traces of his power."
And that…
was the last thing Noc wanted.
"…I need his strength."
"But I also need him… not to draw attention."
Two opposing things.
Silence.
Then…
Noc stood.
Augustus immediately stopped what he was doing.
Turned.
Lowered his head.
"My Lord."
Noc did not answer immediately.
He walked slowly.
Passing the monster bodies.
Without looking.
As if they were unimportant.
Even though…
"UGHH THE SMELL OF BLOOD ON HIM IS SO STRONG."
He stopped.
A few steps from Augustus.
Silent.
A few seconds.
Long enough…
to make others start thinking.
Then…
he spoke.
"…Do you know…"
His tone was soft.
Flat.
"…what is the most dangerous thing in this forest?"
A question.
Not an order.
Augustus slightly raised his head.
But remained respectful.
"…The strongest creature, My Lord?"
Noc shook his head slowly.
"…No."
Silence.
He turned slightly.
His gaze unfocused.
As if seeing something that wasn't there.
"The most dangerous thing…"
Pause.
"…is the law… of cause and effect."
Augustus fell silent.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Processing.
Noc did not explain.
Did not continue.
He simply remained silent.
Giving space.
And in that space…
Augustus' thoughts began to work.
"Cause and effect…"
Traces.
Blood.
Movement.
Strong creatures…
always leave marks.
And marks…
invite something else.
Hunters.
Stronger creatures.
Or even…
humans.
His expression shifted slightly.
"…I understand."
Noc did not respond directly.
But inside…
"…He caught on fast."
He remained silent.
Giving confirmation without words.
Augustus continued.
His tone deeper.
"…That means it's not only strength that matters."
"…but how that strength is used."
Noc tilted his head slightly.
"…Continue."
One word.
But for Augustus…
it was permission.
"…If the traces are too large…"
"…then attention will come."
"Including the remnants of my energy that are too dense and leaking because I'm not yet accustomed to my current level of power."
"…and that… is undesirable."
He lowered his head.
Deeper.
"…I have been careless."
Noc looked at him.
Inside…
"…Yeah, true."
But outside…
he only exhaled lightly.
"…A small mistake."
A simple sentence.
But enough…
to maintain balance.
Not too harsh.
Not too soft.
"…Fix it."
An instruction.
Short.
Augustus immediately answered.
"Understood."
But this time…
he didn't stop there.
He stood straight.
"…From now on."
"…I will limit my movements."
"…eliminate traces."
"…and only take what is necessary."
Noc stayed silent.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Good."
One word.
Approval.
And in that moment…
the direction had changed.
Not because of an order.
But because…
of a conclusion.
A conclusion that felt like Augustus' own.
But inside Noc's head…
"…Success."
He sat back down.
Calm.
"Now he will move…"
"…within the limits I set."
Unaware.
Without force.
"And most importantly…"
His gaze lowered slightly.
"…he won't suspect anything."
Silence.
But…
that was not enough.
"If I only survive…"
"…I'll just keep depending."
He looked toward the forest.
"…I need more."
Not strength.
But…
position.
Noc spoke again.
"…Besides that."
Augustus immediately focused.
"Yes, My Lord."
Noc looked toward the forest.
"…Not everything that moves there…"
"…has to be killed."
Augustus fell silent.
The meaning of that sentence…
was broader.
Noc continued.
"…Some things…"
"…are more useful if they remain alive."
Silence.
And inside Augustus' mind…
interpretations began to form.
Strong creatures.
Rare creatures.
Creatures with value.
Or even…
something that could be used.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…I understand."
His tone shifted again.
Sharper.
More focused.
"…I will assess… which should be eliminated…"
"…and which should be preserved."
Noc did not answer immediately.
But inside…
"…Nice."
He gave a small nod.
"…Do it."
The wind moved slowly.
The fog began to thin.
But something had changed.
Not visible.
Not tangible.
But real.
Noc was no longer just surviving.
He was beginning…
to control.
Slowly.
Unseen.
Like a maggot…
that does not change the world.
But…
dominates the place it lives.
And Augustus…
had become part of that.