The Hash Forest was a desolate place, filled with dead trees and dark shadows. This forest, part of the dark world, was teeming with monsters and wild animals. Vast and treacherous, it was all too easy to get lost or, worse, killed.

Skalf trudged through the forest, the sound of crunching snow beneath his boots and the gloomy day adding to the eerie atmosphere. "Fucking hell... The Hash Forest..." he muttered.

He paused, watching his breath form a mist in the cold air. "Hm... today is quite snowy, huh," he thought to himself.

Ahead of him, the crow flew, a solitary figure against the grey sky. It had been a while since he started walking, and the forest seemed to stretch endlessly before him.

He looked down at the snowy ground, his thoughts drifting to what the king had told him. Everything was still vague in his mind. "Revenge... angels..."

"What exactly happened to him to die... and why choose me?" he murmured to himself.

Skalf's mind was a whirlwind of questions and doubts. The king's words had been cryptic, leaving him with more uncertainties than answers. As he trudged forward, the forest seemed to close in around him, the trees like silent sentinels guarding their secrets.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden movement in the corner of his eye. He turned quickly, hand instinctively reaching for his weapon. But it was just a fox, darting through the underbrush, its red fur a stark contrast against the white snow.

Suddenly, the red fox looked at him with an emotional, almost human-like gaze, and Skalf stood silent, transfixed by the fox's stare.

Even in the dangerous Hash Forest, normal savage animals roamed around.

However...

The fox suddenly twitched and let out a blood-curdling scream. Its body convulsed, bones cracking and reshaping into a grotesque, towering monster.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

This was the hidden secret of the forest: all the creatures here were corrupted by darkness, driven by an insatiable hunger for blood and flesh.

Skalf looked at the monster, unsurprised. This wasn't the first time he had faced these abominations. Slowly, he unsheathed his sword from its scabbard, the longsword glowing with readiness.

He prepared himself for the fight.

The monster lunged at him with terrifying speed. Skalf sidestepped, swinging his sword in a wide arc. The blade sliced through the creature's arm, black blood spraying across the snow. The monster howled in agony, its severed limb twitching on the ground.

Skalf didn't hesitate. He pressed the attack, driving his sword deep into the monster's chest. The creature's eyes widened in shock and pain as it let out a final, gurgling scream before collapsing into a lifeless heap.

Skalf pulled his sword free, black blood dripping from the blade. He took a moment to catch his breath, but the forest was far from silent.

More monsters emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing with malevolent hunger. Skalf counted at least five, each more hideous than the last.

They charged at him, snarling and snapping. Skalf met them head-on, his sword a blur of steel. He hacked and slashed, cutting down the first monster with a swift blow to the neck. Its head rolled across the snow, leaving a trail of dark blood.

The second monster clawed at him, but he parried its attack and plunged his sword into its gut, twisting the blade to maximize the damage. The creature shrieked and crumpled to the ground, writhing in agony.

The third and fourth monsters came at him together. Skalf ducked under their attacks, slashing at their legs. They stumbled, and he took the opportunity to decapitate one with a powerful swing. The other he finished off with a brutal stab to the heart.

The fifth and final monster hesitated, seeing the carnage around it. Skalf stared it down, his eyes cold and unyielding. The creature roared and charged, but Skalf was ready. He sidestepped its wild attack and brought his sword down in a vicious arc, cleaving the monster in two.

As the last monster fell, the forest grew silent once more. Skalf stood amidst the carnage, his breath heavy, his sword dripping with dark blood. He wiped the blade clean on the snow and sheathed it.

...

...

"Dominate them all..."

He remember what the king told him, he knew he felt powerful as soon as he killed the first fox...yet

"Why don't i feel nothing from all this..."

...

...

...

Skalf slowly sheathed his sword and walked up to the fallen animals. He didn't know why, but he never realized how close these monsters were to demons, existing in both darkness and light. All they wanted was to fight, kill, and dominate. Yet, inside their hearts, they were just beings filled with despair and confusion.

He knelt beside the deceased fox and gently caressed its lifeless form. "I'm sorry for the pain you endured," he whispered, his voice tinged with sorrow. "May you find peace in the afterlife that you couldn't find here."

In the distance, the crow watched the scene with an emotional look, its eyes reflecting a profound emptiness.