Morning, at seven o'clock. Crowne, Ronan, Sylvara, and Velrisa were already inside the forest. They had departed so early because in about an hour, the adventurers led by Dorian would begin their assault on the forest.
Crowne didn't want to encounter that group and risk his plan being ruined. He was still only an F-rank adventurer, and if Dorian saw him inside the southern forest of Stromhall, there was a high chance he would be ordered to return.
To them, he was considered unfit for the expedition to wipe out as many Gorthaks as possible.
"Velrisa, where is the beast you mentioned yesterday?" Crowne asked.
Another reason Crowne was determined to come to this forest was because he wanted to tame a powerful beast that dwelled here.
He didn't know what kind of beast it was, but he was certain it was strong.
"In that direction," Velrisa replied, pointing deeper into the forest.
Crowne nodded. "Alright then. Let's go in!" he urged.
He started walking toward the direction Velrisa had pointed. Meanwhile, Velrisa, Sylvara, and Ronan followed from behind. Velrisa and Sylvara walked calmly, their focus fixed ahead.
But Ronan looked anxious. He felt an ominous premonition. His eyes kept darting around, scanning the surroundings.
"Master, wouldn't it be better if you just tamed a Gorthak instead? I believe they're strong beasts," Ronan said, trying to persuade Crowne.
"I have my own standards for the beasts I will tame. So don't lecture me," Crowne scolded.
"But Master, I feel—"
"Ronan…" Crowne raised his voice. "If you don't want to follow, then leave! You know very well what I hate the most, don't you?"
Ronan fell silent. He said nothing more. Yet he remained uneasy, for some reason sensing that deep within the forest lurked a being of unimaginable strength.
Something that felt impossible to defeat. He didn't know what it was, but his instincts screamed that it wasn't an ordinary beast.
"Your duty as a servant is to obey orders and protect your master. Nothing more," Velrisa said sharply.
Her gaze turned cold. Ronan, staring into her eyes, froze in place and even stumbled backward moments later. His entire body trembled.
It was as though he was witnessing something ancient… and terrifying.
"What is this? Who exactly is Velrisa?" Ronan thought.
**
Their steps carried them deeper toward the heart of the forest. The air grew heavier. They could feel a massive aura pressing down on them, but Crowne, Velrisa, and Sylvara remained unfazed.
Crowne, in fact, looked even more excited. "I can feel it… something is here. Just like you said…" He turned to Velrisa. "It's strong."
Velrisa smiled. "Of course. I am certain this beast is very suitable for you."
Crowne nodded. Meanwhile, Ronan grew increasingly panicked. Sweat dripped down his forehead. The aura here was far stronger than that of the King Gorthak, a beast classified as rank B.
Then Ronan realized something strange. "This is odd. Didn't the guild master say today was the Gorthak Wave? But why haven't we seen a single Gorthak? We've gone deeper and deeper."
Crowne, who had been walking steadily, suddenly stopped. He glanced at Ronan. What Ronan said was true.
Yesterday, they had just stepped into the forest and were immediately attacked by dozens of Gorthaks. Yet now, they had ventured deeper into the heart of the woods, but not a single Gorthak appeared. Not even smaller beasts were visible.
"It does seem strange," Crowne admitted.
Just as they fell silent, a large shadow appeared from behind the trees. A massive silhouette loomed from the direction of the forest's core.
Crowne and Ronan instantly drew their weapons, ready to fight.
"I knew something was off," Crowne muttered.
The creature stepped forward, its form revealed. Not one, but three Gorthaks emerged at once. Their bodies were larger than normal, with triple-branched horns, glowing red eyes, mouths drooling constantly, and bulging veins covering nearly all of their skin.
"Mutation?" Ronan muttered under his breath.
Crowne shook his head. "This isn't mutation. These Gorthaks are… infected by something." His gaze turned sharp and serious.
Ronan swallowed hard. "Infected? By what…"
"I don't know," Crowne cut him off.
The aura of these three Gorthaks far surpassed that of a King Gorthak. Their heavy breaths mixed with deep growls that made the earth itself tremble.
"Prepare yourselves!" Crowne commanded.
The first Gorthak roared ferociously. The sound shattered the silence, so loud that even the rarely-seen birds burst out from the trees. Then it charged forward with terrifying speed—far too fast for a body that massive.
BOOOM!
Its massive body slammed into the ground, sending waves of dust everywhere. Crowne leapt to the side, his blade slashing through the air. The strike managed to wound the Gorthak's shoulder, but the blood that spurted out was far darker than it should have been—nearly black.
"Don't touch its blood! We don't know what it will do!" he shouted.
Ronan nodded.
Both of them tightened their stances, ready to fight these three infected Gorthaks.
The monsters opened their jaws wide. One second later, three bursts of wind magic blasted forward, aimed directly at Crowne and Ronan.
Both prepared themselves to counter. Crowne focused his mind, readying a powerful slash. Ronan did the same. The orbs of wind drew closer at deadly speed.
Slash!
The three projectiles were cut apart by their blades, split into six fragments that flew past them and struck the trees behind.
Baam!
A powerful explosion erupted from the rear. Crowne seized the moment, instantly preparing to unleash his Wind Step Slash.
But before he could move, one Gorthak suddenly appeared right before him—far too close. Its movements had grown many times faster.
[Blash Wind]
Another wind orb shot forward. This time, the distance between Crowne and the spell was no more than two meters.
Crowne's eyes widened. "Damn it. This is bad," he muttered.
BOOM!
Explode.