The forest of Liliac. A place infested with an abomination known as Aranea. They come in groups and bear venom enough to kill an entire army.

Samael could only sigh as he inched closer to the entrance of the forest before him.

Unlike the usual forest, the trees here bore black leaves with gray bark. They were crooked in shape, some intertwining while the rest were slumped down.

As Samael approached the opening of the cursed woodland realm, he steeled his resolve and heightened his senses.

The moment I step another foot inside, I'm officially inside enemy territory, Samael thought.

He was anxious, perhaps nervous. He does not know whether he can leave this place whole or alive. But he also cannot accept the thought of staying back and living the rest of his life in fear of what is to come.

It was not his nature, and it never will be.

Samael knows it—that it is in such environments that he improves the most. It is where his growth is at its highest. Like some form of twisted joke.

I cannot falter now. This is only the beginning, Samael thought as he gathered his resolve.

With one final breath, Samael delved into the darkness ahead of him, allowing the shadows to devour him whole.

As he did, the scorching heat vanished as though it had never been there in the first place, replaced by a chill crawling through your spine as if someone or something were watching you.

However, he steadfastly marched forward, greeting the towering trees and their inhabitants.

Fortunately, it seems the Aranea's were deeper in the forest, as there was no sign of their existence as of yet.

But Samael remained on guard. One slip-up was all it took to end him.

Samael's footsteps left trails of echoes in the wind, breaking the unnerving silence engulfing the forest.

But it did not help soothe Samael, as his gaze kept shifting back and forth without rest. Every movement of the shadows caught his attention, giving him no time to breathe.

Eventually, hours passed by like the falling leaves, swiftly stacking up until the dawn of night overshadowed the towering trees.

Samael found himself sitting on a high branch, observing the darkness and keenly listening to the sounds of the forest.

But as he expected, there was nothing. No growls of abominations or as much as footsteps on the brittle earth.

This is not going to work, Samael thought as a heavy sigh escaped his lips.

He was aware of it, how on edge he was. He thought he had gained resistance, as he was barely affected by the ambushes of the beasts out there.

This nervousness was never going to help him. In fact, it was a hurdle. Too much of it will blind him to the real dangers aiming for his throat.

He needs to relax, but how?

There was no point in thinking about it.

Samael composed himself as he took multiple breaths, easing himself little by little.

Although the results were not vast, it did somewhat help as Samael finally felt the call of sleep whisper in his ears.

However, he still did not fall asleep.

Is there any alternative to sleep? He wondered when his eyes grew large.

As per the hosts request, a good alternative is meditation.

Huh, that's not a bad idea, Samael thought.

Meditation will allow the host to get enough rest and energy while staying awake and mindful of his surroundings. Not only that, but when done properly, the host may gain some benefits exclusive to meditation.

If that's the case, teach me, Samael ordered.

To enter meditation, the user must first assume a comfortable position. However, it should allow him to stay awake.

That's already done. Besides, I don't think I have many options here, Samael thought as he looked below him. He was practically hanging in a single line.

The usual way to meditate is to focus on your breathing or heartbeat. However, upon further research, it is recommended that the host focus on synergizing with his element.

Samael's brows furrowed.

Synergize? Can you explain? He inquired.

Synergizing will not only improve the host's mental clarity but also his control and absorption of his element. It allows you to get familiar with it.

How will I do that? Samael asked.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

It is simple. First, the user must close his eyes and feel his connection with his element. Once you've established a link, visualize the flow of essence in your body, its frequency, and its intensity. Not only that, but control it as you wish.

Lets try, Samael thought as he reluctantly closed his eyes.

Upon doing so, he carefully delved deeper into his consciousness, delicately searching for the connection the Codex mentioned.

As the minutes went on, Samael found himself struggling.

Damn it! I can vaguely sense the link, but then it vanishes! He thought.

Again! Samael insisted as he closed his eyes.

But he failed.

One more, he thought.

Failure yet again.

This isn't over yet, Samael steeled his will.

But failure was the only thing waiting for him.

It's not working; is there something I'm doing wrong? Samael asked the Codex.

The host is trying too hard to find the connection. A link can only be established harmoniously. It is recommended that the host ease himself and instead allow himself to use his understanding of his element and himself to find the link.

Samael remained silent as he absorbed the Codex's words. Maybe he was indeed trying too hard.

As he gently closed his eyes, Samael once again allowed himself to dig deeper. But this time, he allowed the darkness in him to consume him.

It was calm and serene yet, at the same time, mysterious and unique. This was his element.

Allowing himself to drift, Samael felt a tug, as though a string was pulling his clothes.

Is this the link? He thought.

However, as Samael reached out, the string snapped and withered.

No, be patient, Samael thought.

It seems the night is going to be long.

***

As the morning sun peeked at the horizon, Samael slowly opened his eyes as he noticed his position was slightly altered.

Did I move on my own? He wondered.

Rising up, Samael felt himself invigorated. As the Codex said, it was akin to sleeping.

Samael had nearly forgotten the feeling of freshness a good night's sleep could provide. It was a good change of pace.

That being said, he must now go further into the woods.

Without wasting time, Samael jumped down and went onward. He ate his breakfast on the move, chewing on the pieces of dried meat he had made.

By the time he finished his breakfast, Samael saw some changes in the terrain.

This... webs? Samael thought as he stared at the white strings in his hand.

This close? He thought. Although, he was indeed traveling without stop, he was indeed bound to cross the distance with haste. But he did not expect to see it that fast.

This means there are probably abominations wandering here, as Samael concluded.

As Samael ventured deeper, time seemed to fly by. Seconds became minutes, and soon they became hours.

To his surprise, there were no Araneas as of yet. There were just some occasional webs stuck on the trees.

However, it was indeed concerning how empty the forest was. There were no signs of other abominations aside from the spiders.

This means he must leave this place with haste if he wishes not to starve to death.

Keeping his worries aside, Samael continued his march.

Eventually, the cold night managed to catch up to him as he climbed yet another tree.

There, he decided to continue his meditation, familiarizing himself with the feeling of the link and attempting to grab it.

Samael struggled as usual, but progress was made as he felt the tug become more potent.

Patience... He thought as he allowed the connection to develop further. It was like hatching an egg; it just needed the right amount of time and care.

Slowly, the tug became stronger and stronger until Samael felt himself being pulled by it.

It was time.

Without an ounce of hesitation, he grabbed the link and established it. As he did, he nearly recoiled, as it felt as though he had opened a door to a very foreign world.

Samael could feel his essence travel from his veins to his organs. It was like a river with a strong current.

As he allowed himself to feel the current, Samael was forced to break his trance as the pressure overtook him.

Damn it, I messed up, he thought as he closed his eyes once more.

It seems just like a river; one careless move was enough to destroy his progress.

However, much to his pleasant surprise, forming a connection was now easier than before.

It's as though the string is now attracted to him and more than willing to cooperate again. So Samael took the offer.

As he felt the chaotic stream of essence strike him again, Samael stood steadfast, not allowing it to consume him like last time.

Carefully, Samael followed the currents as they took him on a journey.

So this is... me...? He thought in fascination. But that small gap was enough to shatter everything again.

Samael flinched as he opened his eyes.

I flunked it again, he thought.

Again, he thought as he closed his eyes.

Unfortunately, before he could even form a link, Samael felt a small tremor course through the branch he was sitting on.

Samael's eyes flew open as a small, spider-like creature lunged at him. Without thinking, Samael hastily weaved to the side, prompting himself to fall to the ground with a loud bang.

However, he was not given time to breathe as he felt multiple legs crawl all over him.

Samael swiftly rose to his feet as he plucked away the small spiders climbing his legs and back, but to no avail.

The small critters came in hordes, charging Samael in waves without a sign of stopping.

Left with no choice, Samael converged his essence and ejected it all at once, causing a small shockwave that threw the small Aranea's off of him.

As the abominations were knocked back, Samael dashed back, regaining some distance as he casted.

"Void fire."

Consecutive onyx black bullets burst from Samael's finger tips, striking the damned abominations square in the face, then...

BOOOOOM!!!

Multiple resounding explosions rocked the forest as the small critters were blown to smithereens.

Their green blood splattered on the trees, marring it with their guts as they fell down like snow on a winter day.

As Samael lowered his hands, what was left were dozens of craters and a clearing born from the chaos.

No time to waste, Samael thought in exasperation as he took off.

The noise would have surely alerted everyone within 500 meters. He had to move, or he might just get swarmed again.

Samael breezed by the trees, the freezing night wind whipping his hair back as cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

Samael kept running and running, blending with the darkness until he felt it was safe to stop.

Samael's chest rose up and down, like a boat stranded in a storm, as he hungered for air.

Casting a glance back, he could faintly feel the shadows moving in the direction of the chaos he caused.

That was a dangerous Samael thought.

After composing himself, Samael kept awake for the rest of the night, watching carefully for any more ambushes.

He doubts he can meditate, even if he wanted to.

Those were small baby Araneas; that means I'm nearing their main camp, Samael thought.

It was time to prepare for the worst.

He had no plan whatsoever, mostly because there was nothing he could do.

He had no materials to create concoctions or explosives to take out dozens at once. He only had his axe and himself.

The odds were against him. He was outnumbered and in enemy territory.

In the end, it all boils down to who's will to live was stronger.

And he wasn't planning to die.

As Samael stared at the darkness, his grip tightened.

Tomorrow was the day of reckoning.