“Powerful.”
That was the only word Michael could use to describe Mage Lian’s display of magic.
He had seen Fire Spear before from his undead mage, but that one could only conjure two at most.
In contrast, Mage Lian summoned several with ease.
“His mastery level must be advanced… maybe even close to perfect,” Michael speculated.
He wasn’t entirely sure what perfect mastery looked like, as he had never witnessed it himself.
However, it was said that at perfect mastery, a spell underwent a transformation, significantly enhancing its effects.
While Mage Lian’s magic was undoubtedly skillful, it lacked that transformative quality, leading Michael to believe it was at the Advanced level.
That, or the spell itself was of such a high grade that it appeared to be mastered at a higher level than it actually was.
With such power, wiping out weaker monsters was effortless for Mage Lian, no matter how many there were. However, his magic took a toll on the forest, leaving destruction in its wake.
As Mage Lian slowly descended from the air, Michael hesitated for a moment before stepping out of ‘hiding.’
The mage turned to look at him but quickly shifted his gaze away.
There was no hostility in his expression, which gave Michael some relief and the confidence to approach.
Initially, he had planned to keep to himself after satisfying his curiosity, but the sight of those familiar black tentacles on the slain monsters unsettled him.
It made him uneasy.
He had no concrete evidence, but he was almost certain they were connected to that monster.
Had he unknowingly unleashed something very dangerous?
Even though he had been growing more self-conscious lately, it didn’t mean he had abandoned his previous values.
As he drew closer to the twenty knights—several of whom were barely standing—his sharp ears picked up on Mage Lian’s conversation with one of them, a man who appeared to be their leader.
“What happened here? Did you catch the monster that attacked the adventurer team? Was it the one responsible for all this?” Mage Lian questioned in rapid succession.
The knight, struggling to remain upright, took a deep breath before speaking.
“Lord Lian, we did see the monster… but… but… it wasn’t alone…”
His voice wavered, and before he could say more, his body gave out, and he collapsed.
Mage Lian frowned but didn’t press him further.Instead, his gaze shifted to another knight, one who looked just as exhausted but was still standing.
“You. Tell me what happened.”
“Yes, my lord,” the knight answered.
Though clearly drained, he had managed to catch his breath for a few seconds.
Whether it was the brief respite or Mage Lian’s more measured approach this time, the knight was able to recount everything that had transpired.
Michael, now standing in plain view of the twenty knights, listened intently.
Some of them regarded him warily, but none acted against him—likely because Mage Lian had shown no sign of disapproval at his presence.
Aside from using Detect on the knights, Michael paid them little attention and instead focused on Mage Lian’s conversation.
The knights’ levels ranged from 16 to 19, with the first knight Mage Lian had spoken to being level 22.
By checking their names with Detect, Michael confirmed that the first knight was indeed the leader of the group.
No—there hadn’t been just twenty men.
Originally, they were a force of fifty. The twenty present were merely the survivors.
According to the second knight, their mission had been to hunt down a special monster—one powerful enough to warrant dispatching a team from the capital.
It was a threat beyond what most people could handle, and their journey had taken them this far from the kingdom’s heart in pursuit of it.
The Everlong Forest was a unique location in the LionHeart Kingdom.
For one, no one had ever seen its end—or rather, only those at the level of a Grand Mage or Grand Knight might have.
Only individuals of such strength would dare to venture deep into its unknown depths.
However, it was precisely because of this mystery that the forest was well-known among adventurers.
Powerful monsters were not rare within its depths, and the deeper one went, the stronger they became.
Those confident in their strength, or those seeking the treasures hidden within the bodies of these beasts, often ventured into the forest, making it a prime destination for the bold and ambitious.
Despite its allure, the entrance near Blackstone Town remained largely unpopular.
The town’s remote and underdeveloped location did little to attract adventurers, especially since the Everlong Forest stretched far and wide, with multiple points of entry across the kingdom.
With no special features to set it apart, Blackstone Town was often overlooked.
Not wanting to linger in this backward town after living in the capital for so long, the fifty knights—confident in their strength—wasted no time and charged into the forest in search of their target.
And they found it.
A massive humanoid monster covered in writhing black tentacles.
Even from a distance, the aura it exuded made their hearts tremble.
It was worse than anything they had ever felt—even more terrifying than the presence of the grand mages or knights they had encountered before.
Instinctively, they knew this was not a monster they could handle. Even the grand mage accompanying them wouldn’t stand a chance.
They decided to retreat.
But before they could slip away, the monster turned.
A single, piercing screech shattered their resolve.
Dizziness overwhelmed them, but that wasn’t the worst of it—what truly horrified them was when nearly a quarter of their own men suddenly screamed in agony… and turned against them.
Betrayal in their eyes. Weapons drawn.
Then, as if summoned by that terrible screech, monsters swarmed in from every direction, attacking relentlessly.
By some stroke of luck, the massive creature itself did not move to attack them directly. Yet the chaos it had unleashed was enough to almost wipe them out.
No—it would have wiped them out had the grand mage not arrived in time.
Even so, the fact that the kingdom knights had managed to hold out for so long before help arrived spoke volumes about their strength.
Michael and Mage Lian listened in silence, their expressions dark and serious as the second knight recounted the nightmare they had barely survived.
Michael felt a storm of emotions—concern, fear, anxiety. He didn’t know how long he lingered on each, but he felt them all.
“The monster doesn’t even need to attack directly to cause devastation. And not only did it move from its original location, but it also seems to need bodies… Because if what the knight said is true, then every time one of them died, a monster would carry the corpse away.”
“Wait!”
Michael and Mage Lian’s eyes widened as realization struck them at the same time.
If the monster’s minions always retrieved the dead… didn’t that mean it was still watching?
Even from afar, it knew exactly what was happening here.
The moment that thought clicked, a chilling screech pierced the air.
Their hearts sank.
Instinctively, they turned their gazes skyward—and their expressions darkened.
A massive flock of creatures loomed above, blotting out the sky.
The huge, black, tentacled monster was nowhere in sight, but that didn’t bring even the slightest relief.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of eagle-like beasts circled above, each radiating an aura dangerously close to first knight’s own power.
And they all shared the same disturbing trait.
Black tentacles writhing across their bodies.
Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire
One look was enough to confirm it.
These creatures were no different from the monsters Mage Lian had just killed.
“Sir Mic!”
Mage Lian’s urgent voice snapped Michael out of his shock.
“Please assist me in bringing these men out of the forest. I assure you, the kingdom will reward you heavily!”
His grave tone carried weight, but what truly surprised the exhausted knights was the fact that he had asked Michael for help in the first place.
Though they could tell Michael wasn’t ordinary, they struggled to understand why someone younger than them—by at least half a decade to a full one—would be asked to assist in such a dire situation.
After all, Michael hadn’t shown any obvious display of power.
Michael was about to mentally refuse when he hesitated.
“Isn’t this an opportunity to integrate myself into this world?”
There was no better way to build trust than by helping people in their time of need.
His experience in the real world after the chaos—and even before—had taught him that much.
But was it worth risking his life for these people?
There was no sign of the true monster controlling these creatures, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t nearby.
From his previous experience, Michael knew that hat thing could truly kill him.
He hesitated, weighing his options.
However, the monsters above made the decision for him.
With a screech the eagle like monsters in the air all started to attack.
In fast movements they dived down at the people below.
