The sound grew louder—a deep, resonating growl that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. The very air around them thickened, heavy that made even the leaves stop their gentle swaying.

Jaipa's face had lost all traces of its usual mockery. His eyes were wide, focused on something in the distance The floating man's body was tense, coiled like a spring ready to snap.

"Kid," Jaipa's voice was barely above a whisper, "don't move."

But Rudra was already turning, his movements deliberate and measured, toward the source of that haunting sound. The fog parted slowly, revealing a sight that should have stopped his heart.

There, emerging from between the ancient pillars, was a creature that defied description. Its body was massive—easily twice the size of the largest predator Rudra had ever seen. Scales of deep obsidian covered its form, but they weren't ordinary scales. They seemed to absorb the light around them, creating patches of darkness that shifted with each movement. Its eyes were pools of liquid gold, pupils split vertically like a cat's, but there was an intelligence in them that spoke far more like than any mere beast.

"A Shadowmancer," Jaipa breathed, the words carrying a weight of recognition and fear. "One of the Primordial Ones."

The creature's head lowered, its gaze fixing upon Rudra with an intensity that should have made him tremble. But Rudra stood still, his dead eyes meeting those ancient orbs without flinching.

"What's a shadowmancer" Rudra asked, his voice as flat as ever, even as the creature's massive form began to circle them.

Jaipa's laugh was hollow, tinged with disbelief. "Even now, you're asking questions? The shadowmancer Ones are the common inhabitants of 48H,

The Shadowmancer moved.

It was faster than anything its size had any right to be. One moment it was circling, the next it was directly in front of Rudra, close enough that he could feel its hot breath on his face. Those golden eyes—upon closer look—had tiny black dots shifting within them, adding an eerie beauty to their radiance. At first glance, they were mesmerizing, almost hypnotic, but the more one stared, the more unnatural they seemed.

For Rudra, however, there was no time to admire them.

The moment he felt the hot breath of the Shadowmancer, his body moved on its own. In an instant, he found himself ten steps away, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. He hadn’t even registered his own movement—one moment, the creature's presence suffocated him, the next, he was standing far from where he had been.

Jaipa's scream shattered the silence.

“Kid… Kid, how did you do that?! How could you move that fast?!”

Rudra had his own thoughts on the matter.

Even he didn’t know how he had managed to move that fast. Was it because of his newfound wings? Or was it the result of successfully owning the Key?

One thing was certain—his body had changed. He was stronger than before. Far stronger.

Before, he had been like a small ant, insignificant and powerless. But now… now he was a carpenter ant, larger, sturdier, a creature no longer so easily crushed.

Without much thought, Rudra tried to move his wings.His wing moved like an arm reaching through the air, each slow, deliberate motion resembling a hand waving in silence. The feathers flexed and shifted, like fingers adjusting their grip on the wind, catching just enough air to lift the body higher as his body little bit high from the land His wing jerked awkwardly, his movements were unsteady—like a child taking their first steps, unsure of how much strength to use. The feathers ruffled as they caught the wind at the wrong angle, sending a shudder down the limb. For a moment, it flapped too hard, the sudden lift pulling the body upward in an uncontrolled lurch, rudra subtle tremor ran through the wingtip, as if he was testing the weight of the sky, feeling the invisible currents like a blind man tracing familiar paths with his fingertips.

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With each beat, it pushed against the unseen resistance, rising smoothly, as though taking careful steps upward. The movement was neither rushed nor forced—it was patient, controlled, almost thoughtful, like a person wading through water, trusting the rhythm of their own limbs to keep them a float Rudra glanced at Jaipa for a moment, observing how he moved while floating awkwardly.

Jaipa noticed the look and, with mockery in his voice, scoffed,

“Do you really think you can just learn how to fly in a few tries—without even failing? And in a situation like this, no less?”

At Jaipa’s words, half of Rudra’s focus shifted back to the Shadowmancer standing beneath him. But as he looked down, he realized something—it wasn’t attacking. It simply stood there, unmoving, watching.

Taking advantage of the moment, Rudra quickly glanced toward Jaipa. The Shadowmancer still didn’t budge.

But then—slowly—it began to move.

At first, its steps were sluggish, almost deliberate, as if testing the ground. But that hesitation vanished in an instant. The massive entity, towering at twenty-five meters, suddenly burst into motion, charging toward Rudra with terrifying speed.

Rudra’s height in the air gave him some advantage, but it wasn’t enough. The Shadowmancer’s long limbs carved through the air like blackened spears, closing the distance far faster than expected.

In just a few seconds, it had already covered half the ground Rudra had put between them when it wasn’t moving. If it kept this pace, it would reach him in an instant.

A cold realization sank in.

It was just to fast

As Rudra continued to observe Jaipa’s fast yet delicate movements, he noticed something—the way his wings moved was slow, but there were subtle changes happening with each beat.

However, there was no more time to focus.

The Shadowmancer had closed the distance. And then—it leaped.

A massive, long jump straight toward Rudra.

But this time, Rudra felt it before it happened.

What had changed in his body wasn’t just his strength or agility. It wasn’t just the new wings on his back.

It was his senses.

Somehow, they had become razor-sharp, far beyond what they had been before. As the Shadowmancer moved, Rudra perceived it in slow motion, every shift of its muscles, every ripple of its dark form, as if time itself had stretched before him

“This feeling… it’s the same as when I was chosen by my first Key.”That moment when that black fog overwhelming surged inside me, carving its mark into my very being. Back then, I thought it was just power—but.

It wasn’t just strength. It was awareness. An evolution of my very perception

Let's think about it later

He had also been able to see the Shadowmancer’s movement before, but he had no experience in such a situation. Even then, without much effort, he had managed to avoid being eaten by the Shadowmancer. But this time, he knew what had changed within him, as the Shadowmancer jumped towards him from above. Rudra could only see the creature’s teeth, large enough to match his own size, and some even double the size of him. As the Shadowmancer closed in, Rudra mustered all his strength, flapping his wings to gain sudden speed. In that split second, he shot upwards into the sky, just outside the reach of the Shadowmancer.

On the other hand, Jaipa sat calmly atop the Shadowmancer’s head, observing all that was unfolding in silence. Minutes passed by, and the Shadowmancer growled as it stood on the land, staring up at Rudra. As time went on, Rudra’s wing movements became faster and more delicate, much like Jaipa’s. Yet, something else was changing within him—his stamina was being tested. The continued flapping of his wings had started to take its toll, and Rudra’s breathing had become heavier.

Meanwhile, Jaipa remained seated, watching from the top of the Shadowmancer’s head.

Jaipa stared at Rudra, his gaze sharp and piercing as he watched the young one’s graceful flight. His thoughts churned with disbelief. That kid... what kind is he?

He didn't even take a day to learn how to fly, as if he was born with wings. Even a bird falls when learning to fly, but look at that brat—he's matching my wing movements, just by observing them for a few minutes. But Jaipa knew better. He won’t last long.

With a fluid motion, Jaipa rose from the Shadowmancer’s head. His wings unfurled with a deliberate precision, each flap cutting through the air with ease. His movements were deliberate, efficient, honed from years of practice. He flapped once, twice, and then surged forward, his form slicing through the air in pursuit of Rudra.

In mere moments, Jaipa reached Rudra, the distance between them closing as quickly as the wind could carry him. He hovered in front of the younger flier, his wings beating in steady rhythm, the air around them filled with a subtle tension.

"Kid... you’re flying quite well now," Jaipa remarked with a cold smile, his voice low and almost amused,.

Rudra’s breath still came in ragged bursts, his wings working harder than they had before. His exhaustion was beginning to show, but he kept his gaze steady on Jaipa in silence Rudra remained silent, not wasting any energy on talking. As time passed, the Shadowmancer began to move deeper into the forest. After a few moments, Rudra could no longer see the Shadowmancer. Taking a moment to look around, Rudra spoke to Jaipa, his breaths heavy and labored.

“Jaipa, go look if that Shadowmancer is still there or if it’s gone.”

Jaipa looked at Rudra, noticing that he was already at his limits. Rudra had been flying for hours now, his stamina drained. Jaipa shook his head, sensing the fatigue in the young one, before descending to check on the situation. After a while, Jaipa returned, signaling for Rudra to come down. Without wasting any time, Rudra followed, gliding down toward the pillar.

As he landed near it, Rudra didn’t hesitate and settled onto a large rock beside the pillar. His chest heaved with each breath, trying to catch up with the exhaustion that had built up over time.

Once he had regained enough of his breath, Jaipa spoke suddenly.

“Let’s move.”

Rudra looked at him, a question forming on his lips. But before he could ask, Jaipa spoke again.

“Let’s move inside the cave.”

“If we stay outside, other creatures might notice us, and you’ll be in even more danger. It won’t be as easy as it was this time. Was it luck, or was it your wings that saved you? You survived, but next time, don’t fly that high in the sky just because you can. There are many creatures that can fly, and if they notice you, you won’t have a place to run.”

Jaipa's words hung in the air, sharp and stern. Rudra shook his head, agreeing with the warning. Jaipa wasn’t just stating facts—he was trying to make him understand the danger of this world. The world was filled with creatures far more dangerous than the Shadowmancer, and even the smallest misstep could lead to an end.

As the time passed, Jaipa spoke again, his tone as unwavering as ever.

“Let’s move, without wasting time.”

Rudra didn’t hesitate. He turned toward the cave and began walking towards it, the weight of Jaipa’s words lingering in his mind. With each step, the quiet of the forest around them felt heavier, as if every shadow could be hiding something dangerous. But for now, the cave offered a small reprieve, and Rudra knew they had no choice but to keep moving .......