Arayn’s eyes burned with fury as he spat, "You impudent fools! You dare to challenge me without proving your worth first? Laughable."

Saria let out a mocking laugh. "Oh, spare me, Arayn. If anyone should prove themselves, it’s you. Or are you speaking out of fear now?"

"Perhaps you’ve forgotten, Saria. Numbers have never been an issue for me."

Saria arched an eyebrow, her smirk unwavering. "And perhaps you’ve forgotten, everyone here can handle multiple opponents. Don’t think you’re facing mere low-level pawns. Let’s see how you fare." She raised her wand. "Attack."

Thalric wasted no time, slashing through the air to unleash arcs of clawed energy aimed straight at Arayn. Kaelion followed; he hurled a volley of knives. Saria’s wand flared, sending a beam of brilliant magic streaking toward him.

Arayn’s aura erupted, ready to move, but before he could act, a massive slash erupted from nowhere, a wave of energy so immense it obliterated the incoming attacks in a flash of destructive brilliance.

Out of the trees stepped Eryndor, his long sword resting on his shoulder as he surveyed the scene. "Four against one? That’s hardly exciting," he said. His eyes flicked to Arayn. "How about I even the odds and join you, Arayn?"

Arayn’s jaw tightened as he glared at the newcomer. "Your help is unnecessary."

Eryndor chuckled, shaking his head. "Ah, rejected. No matter. I don’t need consent to fight for justice. So, Miss Kaelthara, Miss Morgaine, Mister Vorth—" his tone grew sharp, almost taunting— "if you still wish to attack him together, I will stand with him. Now then, shall we continue?"

The air grew tense, the forest holding its breath as the unspoken challenge lingered.

Thalric grinned, his sharp teeth gleaming. " Are you Eryndor, huh? Good timing. Saves me the trouble of hunting you down. Let’s fight."

Before he could make a move, Lyssa grabbed his hand, her voice trembling. "Please, Thalric, let's leave for now."

Thalric blinked, surprised. "Are you joking? This is the perfect chance to get rid of your rivals." But as he turned to her, he noticed the way her hands trembled, her face pale with anxiety. He let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine, we’ll leave."

Kaelion, standing silently nearby, turned invisible in an instant, his presence vanishing like a ghost. Only Saria remained, glaring at the scene unfolding before her. She clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Lucky, Arayn. Very lucky. We could've killed you today."

Arayn smirked. "Come back when you’re actually worthy of challenging me, Worm."

Saria’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t respond. With a flick of her wand, she turned and disappeared into thin air, leaving Arayn and Eryndor standing alone.

Eryndor tilted his head, his expression curious. "So, am I worthy?"

Arayn turned away, his tone dismissive. "Work hard to be worthy."

Undeterred, Eryndor followed after him. "Then I still have a chance to prove myself worthy."

Arayn stopped and shot him a cold glance. "Who said you could follow me? Scram."

Eryndor held his ground, a grin playing at his lips. "Don’t be so quick to chase me off. You told me yesterday to entertain you, didn’t you? I’m here to do just that."

Arayn raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? You have an interesting way of thinking. So tell me, how exactly do you plan to entertain me?"

"By showing you my strength. Maybe that’ll amuse you."

Arayn scoffed, a mocking smile curling his lips. "A fool’s answer. I already know how strong you are. I want you to express more than that."

Eryndor hesitated, his brows furrowing. "Then I’ve got nothing else. My power and abilities are all I have to offer."

Arayn’s smirk widened. "You still don’t understand yourself, do you? Fine. As a token of appreciation for your effort, I’ll help you realize it. Follow me."

Eryndor nodded, a flicker of determination crossing his face as he trailed behind Arayn into the depths of the forest.

---

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In a quieter corner of the forest, Aveline sat beneath the sprawling branches of an ancient tree. Around her lay the mangled remains of beasts, their lifeless bodies staining the forest floor. Her expression was calm, her emerald eyes fixed on the distance as though lost in thought.

The sound of footsteps broke the silence, and Saria emerged from the shadows, her wand twirling idly in her hand. She paused briefly, her gaze sweeping over the carnage. "You haven’t harvested their souls."

"I’ve tolerated you harvesting monster souls for your schemes. Don’t start ordering me to do unorthodox things like that. We’re equals, Saria."

Saria chuckled. "Of course. Equals."

"How did the ambush go?"

Saria’s smirk faded slightly, her voice turning sour. "It failed. Eryndor decided to play hero and came to Arayn’s rescue."

Aveline frowned, her fingers tapping lightly against her knee. "Why didn’t you call me? Wasn't handling him my purpose?"

Saria waved off the question with a dismissive flick of her wrist. "You’re my trump card, Aveline. Revealing you now would be a waste. Besides," she added, a sly grin returning to her face, "this was just a warm-up. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to corner Arayn again. I’ve placed a familiar to follow him. Wherever he goes, I’ll know. Next time, we’ll strike when he least expects it."

---

Arayn and Eryndor moved through the dense forest, their steps crunching softly against the fallen leaves. The towering trees around them cast long shadows as the sunlight waned, but the silence between them was thick with unspoken thoughts.

Eryndor glanced at Arayn, his curiosity finally spilling over. "You know, I’m surprised. I expected you to be more… ruthless. Killing townsfolk to harvest their souls, for example."

Arayn didn’t break his stride, his tone as calm as ever. "There are two types of worms, Eryndor. The first is the impudent worm—arrogant, disrespectful, challenging my place. I love to punish them." His lips curved into a faint smirk before he continued, "The second is the irrelevant worm. Their existence is meaningless. They breathe, eat, and sleep, but contribute nothing. They exist for the sake of existing. Those worms can’t offer me any entertainment. So, I ignore them."

Eryndor nodded slowly, mulling over the words. "I see." After a moment, he tilted his head slightly, his expression shifting. "By the way, do you realize a familiar has been following you?"

Arayn’s eyes narrowed for a moment, but his voice carried no surprise. "I’m aware. This time, my senses are sharp."

Eryndor grinned, already flexing his fingers as though readying for a fight. "Want me to take care of it?"

Arayn shook his head dismissively. "Leave it. Let the worm watch. I don’t mind if someone wishes to learn… or to change their worthless existence. Even a worm can aspire to become something more."

Eryndor chuckled at the cryptic response, but Arayn’s expression remained unchanged as they continued forward.

Arayn and Eryndor arrived at the mouth of a cave nestled deep within the forest. The air around the entrance was heavy with the scent of decay, and faint scratching sounds echoed from within.

Eryndor glanced at the dark opening, his curiosity evident. "This cave… What is it?"

Arayn replied, "The nest of a mother-class Bloodthorn Beast."

Eryndor raised an eyebrow, impressed. "You sure know a lot about this area."

Arayn turned his head slightly. "You're a fool if you think information isn’t crucial. Without knowledge, you're nothing but a blind worm fumbling in the dark."

Eryndor chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fair enough. Lesson learned."

"As you should," Arayn said coldly. "Your enemies study you, learning your strengths and weaknesses. Yet here you stand, ignorant of them. That makes you a fool."

Eryndor laughed openly, though his tone held a note of self-awareness. "It stings, but you’re not wrong."

For the first time, Arayn allowed himself a faint smile. "But you’re different. You want to learn, and I admire that. Never be afraid to express yourself, but ensure you stand at least equal with others in every way before you do so."

Eryndor nodded. "I see. It seems everyone’s been wrong about you. You are so full of wisdom. I’m glad I decided to follow you. As they say, you can’t judge someone by their cover."

Arayn’s smile faded into his usual impassive expression. "It’s good you realize that. But don’t mistake this for trust. I don’t know you on a personal level yet. So, introduce yourself properly."

Eryndor blinked. "How?"

Arayn pointed toward the cave’s gaping maw. "By fighting the mother-class monster within. You are not allowed to hold back. Not at all."

Eryndor smirked. "Sure, but not holding back will make this too easy. I’m not sure that’ll entertain you."

Arayn’s eyes narrowed. "You fool. Don’t insult my decision. Just do it."

Eryndor raised his hands in surrender, his grin widening. "Okay, okay. I’ll give you a good show." With that, he strode confidently into the cave.

A deep rumble echoed from the depths of the cave, shaking the ground beneath Arayn’s feet. He remained still, his gaze fixed on the entrance. Moments later, Eryndor burst from the darkness, leaping into the air as a massive Bloodthorn Beast lunged after him, its gaping maw snapping just inches from his heels.

Arayn's sharp eyes caught movement to his side—a colossal claw swiping toward him. Without hesitation, he pushed off the ground, landing lightly on a high branch. From his vantage point, he saw Eryndor twist midair, narrowly avoiding the beast’s bite as he landed with a roll, maintaining distance from his pursuer.

Eryndor glanced at Arayn, his expression somewhere between amused and exasperated. "Hey, Arayn, you said this is the nest of a mother-class Bloodthorn Beast, right?"

Arayn raised a single eyebrow. "Are you implying I’d lie about such a trivial detail?"

Eryndor shook his head, smirking. "No, it’s not that. It’s just… there are seven mother-class Bloodthorn Beasts in there."

Before Arayn could respond, six more massive Bloodthorn Beasts crawled out of the cave, their crimson-hued forms towering over the forest floor.

Eryndor, now standing a few paces away, kept his eyes on the growing threat. "And not just that," he added, his tone darkening, "there’s one in there that’s several times bigger than these."

The ground shook violently as the cave entrance began to crumble. With a deafening roar, an enormous Bloodthorn Beast emerged, its size dwarfing the others. Long spikes lined its back, and its crimson eyes burned with rage. It let out a bellowing cry that seemed to shake the very forest.

Arayn stood unmoving on the branch, his gaze fixed on the behemoth. His lips curled into a faint, cold smile. "I know," he murmured, "is precisely why I told you to follow me."