In the outskirts of the vast capital city, beyond the sprawling urban development and the last remnants of suburban housing, lay a grim forest.
Its trees were thick, ancient, and twisted, their branches interlocking to form a dense, oppressive canopy that blocked out much of the sunlight, casting the ground in perpetual twilight.
This forest was not merely a collection of trees, it was known to house various magical beasts, some powerful enough to swallow a person whole, making it a dangerous and avoided area for ordinary citizens.
From the shadowed depths of this grim forest, a lone figure in black robes could be seen traveling. His movements were swift and practiced, despite the uneven terrain.
This was Karl.
He had been ejected from Klaus's subspace just hours earlier, stripped of everything but the Death Tracker artifact that Klaus had deliberately left on him.
Klaus had meticulously given him his storage ring back, but only after emptying its contents.
