The Forbidden Forest didn't welcome Arain; it tolerated him.
He had spent three days in the 'Graveyard of Kings', stabilizing his new Abyss Sovereign class. At Level 10, his perception had shifted. He no longer saw trees and mist; he saw flows of energy. The forest was a living, breathing lungs of dark mana, and for the first time, Arain felt like he was breathing in sync with it.
[Host: Arain Luxmore]
[Level: 10]
[New Skill Unlocked: Abyss Sense (Passive)]
He was currently crouched on a branch of a 'Soul-Eater Oak', watching a pack of Corpse-Crawlers below. These Rank 3 beasts were the scavengers of the forest, but to Arain, they were the perfect test subjects for his evolved mana.
"Let's see," Arain mused, his eyes pulsing with a soft violet light. "If my memory of the 'Sovereign' path is correct... I don't need to touch them to kill them."
He raised his hand. He didn't form a spike or a bolt. He simply willed the shadows beneath the beasts to thicken.
"Abyssal Grip: Domain Phase."
The shadows on the ground suddenly turned into quicksand. The Corpse-Crawlers began to sink, their skeletal legs thrashing wildly, but there was no friction to grab onto. They weren't sinking into mud; they were sinking into the Void.
Within seconds, the pack was gone. No blood, no struggle. Just silence.
[Targets Slain: 4x Corpse-Crawlers.]
[Experience Gained: 400 EXP.]
"Too easy," Arain muttered, jumping down from the branch. His landing was silent, cushioned by a puff of dark mist.
Suddenly, his 'Abyss Sense' flared red. A sharp, burning sensation hit the back of his neck.
It wasn't a beast. It was a Mana Flare.
High above the forest canopy, a golden light erupted, spreading across the sky like a spiderweb. It was a search-grid—a high-level detection spell used by the Imperial Inquisition.
"They're not just searching for a runaway," Arain realized, his face darkening. "The Duke told the Emperor I'm a 'Cursed Entity'. They've declared a Great Hunt."
He looked at his small hands. He was Level 10, but he was still in the body of a child, and the Empire had Rank 7 and Rank 8 Heroes. If he stayed in the open, he would be found.
"System," Arain commanded, his voice cold. "Mark the location of the Onyx Caverns."
[Calculating... Zone 3 identified. Distance: 12 Kilometers.]
[Warning: Zone 3 is home to the Night-Stalker Queen. Difficulty: Rank 6.]
Arain's lips curled into a predator's smile. "The Inquisition wants a monster? I'll give them one. But first, I need a queen's heart to stabilize my second ritual."
He didn't run. He vanished into the mist, moving toward the darkest part of the forest. The hunt had begun, but the hunters didn't realize they were walking into a graveyard he was already preparing for them.