Arthanis whirled around, his heart pounding as a towering kobold emerged from the shadows, blocking his path. The creature was massive, towering at twice the height of a man, its sleek black fur and scales shimmering under the moonlight. Its fangs gleamed with fresh saliva, and its eyes blazed with a mixture of fury and sorrow. In its right hand, it wielded a massive iron mace, and a glowing red essence symbol pulsed ominously on its left arm. Crude bone armor covered its head and legs, leaving its broad, muscular chest exposed.

“Why, human, why?” the kobold roared, its voice cracking with emotion. “The others were nothing to me, but the little one… How could you kill him?”

Arthanis remained unmoved, his expression cold. Pity and regret were luxuries he couldn’t afford, not in this world. These creatures were obstacles—nothing more. Drawing both his sword and dagger, he stood ready, his eyes fixed on the kobold.

“I don’t care about your kin or your kind. You’re all monsters, and you deserve to die,” Arthanis replied flatly, his voice devoid of emotion.

The kobold’s eyes widened, momentarily shocked by Arthanis’s heartless words. “You call us monsters?” it growled, its voice thick with loathing. “You have no honor, no heart, no soul! You are the true monster here. You butchered them while they slept, drank, rested—and you even killed an innocent child. For that, you deserve more than death. You should be erased from existence!”

With a guttural roar, the kobold charged at Arthanis, swinging its massive mace with terrifying force. Arthanis barely dodged the first blow, feeling the air crackle as the mace grazed past his head, smashing into the ground with an explosion of dirt and sparks.

“Look at what you’ve done!” the kobold bellowed, its voice heavy with grief and rage. “You slaughtered them without mercy, like animals! You are no warrior!”

Arthanis seized the opening as the kobold’s mace was lodged in the dirt, lunging forward with his dagger. He aimed for the kobold’s side, hoping to pierce its heart. But the creature’s thick, scaly hide resisted the blade, and the dagger barely sank halfway into its flesh. The kobold howled in pain, yanking its mace free and swinging it toward Arthanis. The sheer force of the blow sent him skidding back, his dagger still lodged in the kobold’s side.

The beast glowered at him, its eyes reflecting the flickering flames around them. The essence symbol on its left arm pulsed brighter, radiating power. “You… I will burn you to ash!” the kobold growled, its voice low and dangerous.

With a primal snarl, it raised its mace high. The weapon erupted into flames, fire wrapping around the iron as sparks and smoke filled the air. The kobold charged again, swinging the fiery mace with relentless fury.

Arthanis parried the first strike, but the intense heat scorched his hands through his gloves. He winced, dodging the second blow by leaping back several paces.

“Fire of wrath, devour my enemy…” the kobold hissed, its voice barely above a whisper as the glowing essence symbol on its arm surged with energy.

Arthanis knew he had to end the fight quickly. If this kobold unleashed the full force of its power, there was no telling how much destruction it could cause. He reached for the last of his goblin axes, his mind racing. One shot. I need to surprise him.

Without hesitation, he hurled the axe, aiming for the kobold’s head. But the creature was faster than he had anticipated. With a swift motion, it deflected the axe with its burning mace, sending it spinning into the trunk of a nearby tree.

“Until nothing remains but ashes… 「Energy of Fire: Fire Burst」!” the kobold roared.

A red thread of energy shot from the symbol on its arm to its palm. It slammed its palm into the ground, and a fiery shockwave erupted from the earth, rushing toward Arthanis in a blazing wave of heat and destruction.

Arthanis barely had time to react. The flames struck him with full force, throwing him back against a tree. Agonizing pain coursed through his body as the fire scorched his skin and burned through his armor. He gritted his teeth, suppressing a groan of pain as he pushed himself back to his feet.

“So, it’s you,” the kobold said coldly, yanking Arthanis’s dagger from its side with a wince. “You’re the one who slaughtered my scouts earlier. And now, I see your plan—using a goblin weapon to frame them for this massacre.”

Arthanis glanced around, his sharp eyes taking in the situation. Flames had spread to the surrounding trees, creating a fiery barrier around them. There was no escape. Damn it, he cursed inwardly. He had always relied on stealth and precision, but this situation left him no choice—he would have to fight this beast head-on.

The kobold sneered, its sharp teeth glinting in the firelight. “There’s no way out for you, human. How does it feel to be cornered by death?”

Arthanis didn’t respond. His cold gaze remained locked on the kobold, his body calm despite the flames raging around him. He tightened his grip on his sword, drawing in a deep breath. Fear is the enemy. Focus.

The kobold growled in frustration, its voice dripping with contempt. “What are you waiting for? Do you really think you can win?”

Arthanis closed his eyes for a brief moment, clearing his mind of distractions. This wasn’t just another fight—it was a battle for survival. The creature’s words were irrelevant. Only action mattered now.

This ends here.

He opened his eyes, calm and resolute. In his mind, he repeated the mantra that had guided him through countless fights:

In the silence of the void, there is nothing. In the silence, there is peace. Embrace the emptiness as vast as the boundless cosmos.

His pain and fatigue faded, his body finding harmony with his weapon. He shifted his sword to his side, holding it like a katana, his movements deliberate and measured. His breathing slowed, and the world seemed to quiet around him.

The kobold, sensing the shift in Arthanis’s demeanor, roared and charged, swinging its flaming mace with reckless fury. “Die!”

But Arthanis did not flinch. He waited for the perfect moment. The kobold was strong, but its rage made it predictable. At the last possible second, Arthanis sidestepped, his voice calm as he whispered the words of his technique.

“「Hollow Blade Technique, 5th Form: Cosmos Redirection and Counter.」”

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The kobold’s mace met Arthanis’s sword with a deafening clash. The heat from the flames seared his hands, but he ignored the pain, redirecting the kobold’s attack with a swift, practiced motion. The mace flew upward, and in the blink of an eye, Arthanis slashed across the kobold’s chest in a perfect cross pattern, then thrust his sword deep into its stomach.

The kobold howled in pain, its massive form trembling, but it refused to fall. With a furious roar, it swung its flaming fist toward Arthanis, desperation fueling its strikes. But Arthanis was already a step ahead. He anticipated the move, his mind calculating every moment with precision.

As the fiery fist rushed toward him, Arthanis acted. In a single fluid motion, he used his sword—still embedded in the kobold’s torso—as leverage. His boot landed on the hilt, pushing it deeper into the beast’s body as he vaulted upward. His second step came as his foot landed on the kobold’s head, the impact forcing it to stumble. In mid-air, Arthanis twisted his body and reached for the mace that had slipped from the kobold’s grip.

He snatched the flaming mace out of the air just as he soared over the beast, landing gracefully behind it. As he landed, his sword slid even deeper into the kobold’s back, the blade tearing through muscle and sinew. Without hesitating, Arthanis swung the kobold’s own weapon with brutal force.

Bruk!

The mace collided with the bone armor protecting the kobold’s head, shattering it with a sickening crunch. The beast staggered, blood pouring from its wounds, its balance faltering under the immense pain. But still, it fought to remain standing.

Crack!

The second strike came swift and merciless, smashing through what remained of the kobold’s defenses. The beast collapsed to its knees, gasping for breath as it struggled to raise its head.

Arthanis loomed over it, his body drenched in sweat and blood, his breath heavy but controlled. The kobold looked up at him, its fiery eyes now dim with a mixture of rage and despair. Even in its final moments, the creature’s defiance remained, but its body could no longer obey its will.

With one last burst of strength, Arthanis gathered all the power he had left. Raising the mace high above his head, he let out a fierce shout and brought it down with all his might.

Boom!

The impact was devastating. A violent blast of fire erupted from the kobold’s shattered skull, the flames bursting outward as the creature’s life force was extinguished. The massive body slumped lifelessly to the ground, crumpling under the weight of its defeat. The surrounding flames, which had once roared with intensity, began to flicker and die, leaving only the faint glow of smoldering embers.

The battle was over.

Arthanis stood over the fallen beast, breathing heavily, his muscles burning with exhaustion. Blood dripped from his sword as he surveyed the aftermath—the charred remains of the kobold camp, the blackened trees, and the heavy silence that now hung over the forest like a suffocating shroud.

Relief washed over him, but it was short-lived. The pain of his burns and injuries quickly returned with a vengeance. He groaned in agony, the sharp sting of his wounds pulling him back into the harsh reality of his situation. Every movement felt like fire against his skin, and he collapsed onto his knees, crawling toward the corpse of the defeated kobold.

Without hesitation, he activated his skill, 「Feed」.

Slowly, he felt the familiar sensation of his wounds knitting back together. His scorched skin began to regenerate, and the excruciating pain eased into a dull throb. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as the healing process took hold.

But before he could fully relish the relief, Mire's voice pierced through the quiet, cutting into his thoughts.

[You have consumed the blood of the lowest-stage awakened kobold. Your life countdown has increased by +34 hours 8 minutes 56 seconds. Congratulations, sir!]

The notification continued, but Arthanis tuned out the details, his focus shifting inward. The added time felt like a temporary reprieve—a brief escape from the looming shadow of death that constantly hovered over him. But gratitude was a fleeting feeling, quickly replaced by something darker. Deep down, a burning hatred festered—for the cursed god Sinahtra, the one who had inflicted this cruel countdown upon him.

He clenched his fists, glaring at the ticking timer in the corner of his vision, the constant reminder of his fleeting existence.

Status Condition: Life until 65:31:12 downtime.

The battle had bought him time, but time was always running out. Every second slipping away meant he was one step closer to death unless he continued to kill. The weight of it crushed him, even as he stood victorious over his enemy.

There was no time to celebrate. No time to rest.

With his body still aching, Arthanis forced himself to his feet, his legs heavy from the strain. He couldn’t afford to linger—every moment spent here was another moment of vulnerability. He started running, his breath labored, his mind replaying the events of the battle.

Suddenly, Mire buzzed again, breaking through the silence of his thoughts with an unusual notification.

[An unknown voice has been detected in Master's mind.]

Arthanis’s brows furrowed in confusion. He had never experienced anything like this before. His hand instinctively tightened around the hilt of his sword. Another trick? A spell? he wondered, scanning his surroundings.

Then, faint and unfamiliar, a whisper echoed through his mind.

"Behind you."

The voice was calm, noble even, a stark contrast to Mire’s cold, mechanical tone. It was not a kobold. Not something he’d encountered before.

Arthanis whipped around, instincts taking over. His sword was already drawn when he spotted the threat—a kobold leaping from a tree branch, a glittering dagger clutched in its hand, ready to strike. But Arthanis was quicker. His sword met the kobold’s attack with a deafening clash, blocking the blow, before he delivered a swift kick to its chest, sending the creature stumbling back.

With fluid precision, he followed up, slashing his blade across the kobold’s throat. The creature’s body collapsed in a heap, blood spraying across the forest floor and splattering onto his face and clothes.

He winced as a sharp sting cut across his arm where the kobold’s dagger had grazed him. Cursing under his breath, he quickly searched the body, finding only an onyx gem necklace—an insignificant prize for the bloodshed.

[You have consumed the blood of a kobold. Your life countdown has increased by +1 hour 12 minutes 26 seconds. Congratulations, Master!]

“Damn it... how did I miss that one?” Arthanis muttered to himself, pocketing the necklace before moving on. He couldn’t waste more time fighting stragglers. There was still danger in this forest, and he was already on borrowed time.

After several minutes of sprinting, he stumbled upon a small cave. The entrance was hidden beneath a cluster of dense trees, and it seemed undisturbed—safe. Exhausted, he entered and lit a fire with some dry wood he had found, watching as the flames flickered and crackled in the darkness. The warmth offered a brief comfort, and for a moment, he allowed himself to relax.

Mire hovered nearby, displaying the same cryptic notification.

[An unknown voice has been detected in Master's mind.]

“Who are you?” Arthanis asked aloud, his voice low and cautious. The flames danced in his eyes as he scanned the cave, searching for any sign of the mysterious presence.

The voice returned, softer now but clear.

"I am the voice of the forest."

Arthanis froze, his mind racing. “The voice of the forest?” he repeated skeptically, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

"Yes," the voice replied, calm and patient. "I have been watching you for some time now. You are different from the others who tread these woods. You possess a bond with nature—something ancient and forgotten."

A bond with nature? Arthanis’s confusion deepened, but his curiosity was piqued. He had no connection to this world, no reason for the forest to take notice of him. Yet, the voice continued, as though it had been waiting for this moment.

"Because of this bond, you can hear me. I have a request for you—a favor. In return, I will offer you something precious, something that could make you beyond your current limits."

Arthanis’s eyes narrowed. The promise of survival, was tempting. But there was something unsettling about the voice’s calm, almost reverent tone. And a question gnawed at him.

“How long have you been watching me?” he asked warily. “Since when?”

There was a brief pause, as though the voice was considering its answer.

"Since the moment you entered the forest. You’ve been watched by more than just me."

A chill ran down Arthanis’s spine. He had always known this world was dangerous, but the idea that he was being observed, perhaps even hunted, added a new layer of threat to his situation.

Still, the promise of power... it was too enticing to ignore.

“What do you want?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.