The forest fell silent once more.
A heavy silence.
Suffocating.
As if even the air itself was on edge.
Nolan stood amidst a ring of wolf corpses.
His sword still dripped with blood.
But what mattered was not the blood.
It was—
The feeling.
"…What the hell just happened…"
he muttered.
His voice had dropped low.
All traces of humor were gone.
His body—
Lighter.
Faster.
Stronger.
Not just a sensation.
But a fact.
Nolan slowly clenched his hand.
His muscles responded instantly.
No delay.
No familiar limits.
"…This isn't normal mana."
He frowned.
"This…"
"…feels like something deeper."
A faint, intangible aura drifted around his body.
Colorless.
Formless.
Yet—
It existed.
"…Dragon Echo…"
he whispered.
The moment the name left his lips—
A sharp pain shot down his spine.
"Kh—!!"
Nolan froze.
His vision spun.
For an instant—
He saw it again.
Darkness.
Ten colossal shadows.
Eyes staring down at him.
"…Enough…"
Nolan gritted his teeth.
Forcing the memory away.
"This isn't the time to lose focus."
He scanned his surroundings.
The forest remained silent.
But—
No longer safe.
"…The smell of blood."
Nolan glanced at the wolf corpses.
"This will draw more monsters."
As if to confirm it—
A sound echoed from afar.
Click… click… click…
Not footsteps.
But—
Something hard.
Scraping against the ground.
Nolan turned.
His gaze sharpened.
"…Again?"
From the shadows—
A creature emerged.
Not a wolf.
Not a beast.
A spider.
But its size—
Nearly that of a carriage.
Eight long legs, sharp as blades.
A body encased in hardened armor.
Pitch-black eyes.
"…I'm starting to miss my bedroom."
Nolan sighed.
The spider did not wait.
It lunged.
Terrifyingly fast.
SLASH!!!
A leg swept sideways.
Nolan leapt back.
But—
THUD!!!
The ground where he had stood was pierced through.
"…That strength—"
Nolan narrowed his eyes.
"B-rank?"
There was no time to think further.
The spider opened its mouth.
A strand of white web shot out.
"—!!"
Nolan twisted.
Dodged.
The web struck a tree behind him.
CRACK!!!
The trunk snapped like paper.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
If that hit him—
It wouldn't just bind him.
It would crush him.
"…Alright."
Nolan took a deep breath.
His gaze turned cold.
"Let's see… how far this goes."
An invisible force rose within him.
Dragon Echo.
It didn't erupt like before.
Instead—
It flowed.
Through his veins.
Across his entire body.
"…Better."
Nolan dashed forward.
His speed—
Faster than before.
SLASH!!!
His blade struck one of the spider's legs.
CLANG!!!
"…Didn't cut?!"
The armor was too hard.
The spider counterattacked immediately.
BOOM!!!
A leg slammed down.
Nolan rolled away.
"…Not good…"
His power had increased.
But—
Not enough to break its armor.
"…Then…"
Nolan stepped back.
Observing.
"…The joints."
The weakest points.
"Got it."
The spider lunged again.
Nolan didn't dodge.
"…Come."
The moment the leg thrust down—
SLASH!!!
Nolan twisted.
His blade sliced into the joint.
STAB!!!
One leg was severed.
The spider screeched.
"Effective."
But—
FWOOSH!!!
Web shot out.
This time—
He couldn't dodge.
"—!!"
The web wrapped around his leg.
YANK!!!
Nolan was dragged toward the spider.
"…Damn it—!"
The spider's jaws opened wide.
Venom dripped.
"…This is bad…"
The distance—
Too close.
No time to dodge.
No time to strike.
And then—
"…Echo…"
The voice rang out again.
"…Again…?"
A surge of energy erupted.
Stronger than before.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The web tore apart.
Nolan dropped to the ground.
He raised his head.
His eyes—
Had changed.
"…Alright."
He stood up.
"Now… it's my turn."
Nolan dashed forward.
His speed—
Doubled.
The spider reacted.
But—
Too late.
SLASH!!! SLASH!!! SLASH!!!
Three consecutive strikes.
All—
At the joints.
STAB!!!
The spider collapsed.
Silence.
Nolan stood there.
Breathing heavily.
"…This is no longer normal power…"
He looked at his hand.
"…Dragon Echo…"
A chill ran down his spine.
"…Where…"
"…did this come from…"
At that moment—
Another sound.
But this time—
Not a monster.
Light.
A streak of light flashed within the forest.
"…What now…"
Nolan narrowed his eyes.
A strange sensation.
As if—
That thing…
Was calling him.
"…Great."
He picked up his sword.
"New world."
"New monsters."
"And now… a new mystery."
Nolan let out a breath.
But—
A faint smirk formed on his lips.
"…At least it's not boring."
He stepped toward the light.
Unaware that—
Far away—
A pair of eyes was watching.
"…Dragon Echo…"
A cold voice echoed in the darkness.
"…It has finally appeared."