Chapter 4: Something Drawn to Ash
The roar didn't fade.
It lingered.
Deep.
Heavy. Like it came from something that didn't belong this close to people.
No one moved.
Not Aren.
Not Nara.
Not even the hunters.
For the first time since they arrived—
The men hesitated.
Aren noticed.
And that alone made his chest tighten.
"What… is that?" he asked quietly.
Nara didn't answer immediately.
Her eyes were fixed on the darkness beyond the ruins.
Listening.
Measuring.
Then she exhaled slowly.
"…not something we should still be here for."
That wasn't reassuring.
Another sound followed the roar.
Not loud this time.
A heavy step.
Thud.
The ground trembled slightly beneath Aren's feet.
His throat went dry.
The system flickered—
[Warning: High-Density Essence Detected]
[Source: Unknown]
High… density?
Aren didn't fully understand.
But his body reacted anyway.
The same way it had with the fire.
Tension.
Recognition.
Something about whatever was coming—
Felt familiar.
The lead hunter stepped forward slightly.
Not toward Aren this time.
Toward the darkness.
"…unexpected," he murmured.
One of the others spoke, quieter.
"Should we withdraw?"
A pause.
The man's gaze flicked back to Aren.
For a brief moment—
Calculation.
Then—
He clicked his tongue.
"…not yet."
Nara shifted her stance immediately.
"That's your mistake," she said under her breath.
Aren looked at her.
"You know what that is?"
She nodded once.
"…a Spirit Beast."
Aren swallowed.
"…like the hyena?"
Nara's expression hardened.
"No."
Another step echoed from the dark.
Closer now.
"Not like that."
The air grew heavier.
Hotter.
Ash lifted slightly from the ground, drifting upward in slow, unnatural spirals.
Aren's chest tightened again.
The system pulsed faintly—
[Essence Resonance Detected]
Resonance…?
Before he could think further—
It emerged.
From the shadows beyond the burnt remains of the village—
A massive shape stepped into the dim light.
At first, Aren couldn't make sense of it.
Too large.
Too uneven.
Then it moved again—
And the details became clearer.
It stood on four legs.
But not like any animal he knew.
Its body was covered in dark, cracked plating, like cooled lava. Between those cracks, faint orange light pulsed—like something burning underneath.
Its head was low.
Heavy.
Horned.
And its eyes—
Glowed.
Not with hunger.
But awareness.
Aren's breath caught.
"…it's looking at me."
Nara didn't deny it.
"…don't move."
Too late.
The beast took another step forward.
THUD.
The ground shook harder this time.
Ash scattered outward.
The hunters spread out slightly, instinctively creating distance between themselves and the creature.
Even they—
Were cautious.
The lead man spoke again.
"…this is interference."
Nara almost laughed.
"Interference?" she muttered. "That thing would wipe this entire place clean without even noticing you."
Aren's heart pounded harder.
"…why is it here?"
This time—
Nara answered.
"…because of you."
Silence.
Aren blinked.
"…what?"
The beast exhaled.
Smoke curled from its mouth.
And the faint glow beneath its cracked body pulsed stronger.
Nara didn't look at him.
"Spirit Beasts are drawn to Essence," she said quietly. "Especially unstable Essence."
Aren's stomach dropped.
Unstable…
The system flickered—
[State: Unstable]
"…so it's here because of me?" he asked.
"…yes."
That word hit harder than anything else.
For a moment—
The noise.
The tension.
The danger—
All faded behind something heavier.
Guilt.
Aren looked around.
At the ash.
At what remained of the village.
"…so everything that happened—"
"—is not your fault."
Nara cut him off immediately.
Her voice was firm.
"Don't think like that."
Aren looked at her.
"…but—"
"Later," she said sharply. "If we survive."
That shut him up.
The beast moved again.
Closer.
Its gaze never left Aren.
The hunters shifted.
This time—
Even they stepped back.
The lead man's voice lowered.
"…we withdraw."
One of the others frowned.
"But—"
"Now."
No argument followed.
They moved quickly.
Efficiently.
Within seconds—
They were gone.
Just like that.
Aren blinked.
"…they left?"
Nara didn't relax.
"…they'll be back."
Of course they would.
But right now—
That wasn't the problem.
The beast stopped.
Just a few meters away.
Close enough that Aren could feel the heat radiating from its body.
His breathing slowed.
Not by choice.
Something about its presence forced it.
"…what do we do?" he whispered.
Nara's grip tightened on her spear.
"…we don't fight."
Aren blinked.
"…what?"
Her eyes stayed locked on the creature.
"We survive."
The system flickered again—
[Recommendation: Avoid Direct Conflict]
[Survival Probability (Engagement): 3%]
Aren swallowed.
Three percent.
That low?
The beast exhaled again.
Then—
It took one final step forward.
And lowered its head.
Not to attack.
To observe.
Aren froze.
"…it's not attacking."
Nara didn't respond.
Because she saw it too.
Something wasn't right.
The beast's gaze shifted slightly—
From Aren…
To the space just in front of him.
The air flickered.
Faint.
Barely visible.
Like heat distortion.
The system reacted instantly—
[External Recognition Detected]
[Authority Response… Pending]
Aren's heart skipped.
Authority…?
The beast let out a low rumble.
Not aggressive.
Not calm.
Something else.
Then—
It stepped back.
Once.
Twice.
And slowly—
It turned away.
Aren didn't breathe.
Didn't move.
Didn't understand.
The massive creature walked back into the darkness…
And disappeared.
Silence returned.
But it wasn't the same.
Nara lowered her spear slowly.
"…that shouldn't have happened."
Aren nodded faintly.
"…yeah."
The system flickered one last time—
[Event Recorded]
[Unknown Interaction Logged]
[Ashborn Authority… Acknowledged]
Aren's chest tightened.
Acknowledged…?
He looked toward the darkness where the beast had vanished.
"…what am I becoming?"
Nara didn't answer.
Because she didn't know either.
But one thing was certain now—
This wasn't normal.
And whatever he had become…
The world was starting to notice