"Dark Red Nuke"

A small ball of dark red flame appeared in front of Maimou, still engulfed in the dark green flames. Before he could react, it detonated with a muffled roar. Instead of a massive explosion tearing through the forest, the blast was contained within a glowing sphere surrounding the Daimoniki.

1...

As the dark green flames dissipated, black smoke, thick and pungent, rushed outward in all directions. Standing too close, Mav inhaled a cloud of the acrid smoke, immediately breaking into violent coughs. The stench of burnt hair and scorched flesh invaded his senses, making his stomach turn. His eyes watered, and nausea clawed at his throat.

A notification box blinked in front of him:

Fighter Gorilla Core X 10 Acquired

Fighter Gorilla Enhancement Stone X 1 Acquired

Relief washed over Mav like a tidal wave, and his legs gave out, sending him to his knees. The adrenaline from the fight had drained away, leaving a bone-deep exhaustion that made his body feel sluggish.

"I actually did it..." he muttered, his hands digging into the soil beneath him.

When the smoke finally cleared, he noticed a deep, circular crater where Maimou had stood. The blast had carved a perfect scar into the earth.

"So, even a skill as powerful as Dark Red Nuke couldn’t overpower Dark Green Invincibility," he said, shaking his head. "But that containment sphere... that might be useful again."

He thought for a moment, then smiled. "I'll call it... Invincibility Cage."

Another notification box appeared:

Dark Green Invincibility Form: Invincibility Cage Saved to Database.

Mav took deep, steadying breaths, trying to process everything that had just transpired. His heart still raced as the adrenaline faded. He opened his item box, confirming that the materials were there. Sure enough, 10 Fighter Gorilla Cores and 1 Fighter Gorilla Enhancement Stone sat in his inventory.

"I got ten cores from just one enemy?" He murmured, furrowing his brow. "Is that why it was so strong? No, there’s gotta be more to it. That gorilla mentioned something about King Vasilias giving him that broken skill... How did he even combine ten cores into one body?"

His gaze drifted to the Fighter Gorilla Enhancement Stone listed in the loot box. "And this enhancement stone… what’s that about?" He turned it over in his mind for a moment, then shrugged. "I’ll just ask the merchant guild about it later."

He sat back, leaning against a nearby tree, still reeling from the fight. His mind raced with unanswered questions.

Exhaling sharply, Mav opened his status screen and scrolled to his skills:

Skill Name: Dark Red Nuke (Maximum) lvl. 8/120

Manacost: 112

Skill Name: Dark Yellow Transcendence (Maximum) lvl. 15/120

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Duration: 15 seconds

"It’s back to its normal level... So that Gorilla was telling the truth," Mav said, scrolling down further.

Skill Name: Dark Green Invincibility (Maximum) lvl. 15/120

Duration: 15 seconds

"So all the skills that I used in that fight leveled up by five," Mav noted. "I don't think any Daimoniki in this forest will help them level any further. I’ll have to find stronger monsters in a different hunting ground." His pulse quickened at the thought. "And with the king’s reward, I’ll be able to buy even more high-tier potions."

His eyes gleamed with excitement as he thought about facing new Daimoniki. "I need to head to the library, meet with Mina, and ask her about other hunting grounds. Maybe borrow another book too." He stood, brushing the dirt off his pants.

With a deep breath, he began the trek back, his mana nearly depleted at just 3/120. The exhaustion weighed heavily on him. "I’ll rest for today," he decided. "I’ll head to the capital again tomorrow."

He opened his item box, checking his supply of potions—just one low-tier and one high-tier mana potion remained. He didn’t want to use them unless absolutely necessary.

For several minutes, he walked in silence, expecting to encounter some Daimoniki along the way. But there was nothing. Not even a Gray Wolf, which would normally have detected his presence by now. At first, he thought he was just lucky. But as the eerie silence stretched on, a sense of unease crept over him. Something was wrong.

As Mav moved through the dense foliage, the familiar scent of moss and damp earth clung to the air, but something was wrong. The forest felt... off. The usual hum of life—the chirping of birds, the rustle of small creatures—had vanished. The air hung heavy, thick and stifling, pressing down on him like an invisible weight. Each step he took sounded unnaturally loud, the crunch of leaves beneath his boots the only noise in the unnatural stillness.

He paused, straining to listen, but there was nothing. Not even the faintest whisper of wind. He glanced over his shoulder, a prickle of unease crawling down his spine. For the first time, the woods didn’t feel like a sanctuary—they felt like a trap, the trees closing in around him, their branches curling like skeletal fingers, watching, waiting.

Then, just at the edge of his vision, something moved—too quick to catch, but enough to set his nerves on edge. He whipped around, eyes scanning the undergrowth. But there was nothing.

A shiver crawled up his neck. "Am I imagining things?" He shook his head, forcing himself to continue walking, but the silence followed, thick and suffocating, as if the forest itself was holding its breath. His heart pounded harder with every step, the growing sense of dread gnawing at him. Something was watching. He could feel it.

His body screamed at him to run. Without hesitation, he obeyed, dashing through the forest, careful to avoid tripping on roots and rocks. But then he stopped abruptly, his feet skidding against the dirt. "If something is watching me and I lead it back to the village..."

A faint rustle from behind froze him in place. His heart skipped a beat as he turned to look.

Just the wind, carrying dried leaves across the path.

He let out a shaky breath, chuckling nervously. "Maybe I’m really just being parano—"

Before he could finish, a sharp, crushing pain exploded in his stomach. It felt like a sledgehammer had struck him. He was launched backward, crashing into a towering tree. His back slammed into the trunk, and he tumbled to the ground, landing awkwardly on his arm, a sickening snap filling the air.

"W-What just... happened?" His mind reeled as a wave of agony shot through him, sharp and unforgiving. His stomach felt like it had been ripped apart, a burning, hollow pain where something vital should be. His breath came in shallow gasps, each one dragging jagged claws down his throat. He coughed, splattering the dirt with blood, warm and thick.

His trembling hand reached for his abdomen, but where he expected flesh, there was... nothing. His fingers met only slick, exposed muscle and jagged bone. His skin was gone, his side torn open like paper, and a gaping wound yawned back at him. His vision blurred as panic screamed through his body, but his legs wouldn't respond. His thoughts spiraled as he stared at the dark hole where his flesh should be.

"What the fuck... what the fuck..." His thoughts spiraled as panic set in.

He wanted to scream, but no sound came. His legs were numb, completely unresponsive. He tried to stand, but his body refused to obey.

"Am I dying...?" The realization was cold, numbing. He tried to move, tried to crawl, but his limbs were stone, unresponsive as blood pooled beneath him. Every heartbeat sent another spasm of pain through him, but it was getting harder to focus. The world around him faded, and the cold began to creep in.

Then, a sound. Soft footsteps approached. His vision blurred as he turned his gaze forward. In the haze, he could make out a pair of animal-like foot coming closer.