The Forbidden Forest was no longer a place of darkness.
Not to Emil.
With the Sun Eyes awakened, the world had changed completely.
Every morning, when sunlight poured through the endless canopy, Emil saw the forest in a way no ordinary person could.
The trees were no longer just trees.
They were pillars of life energy, their roots connected through invisible currents beneath the earth.
The river was not merely water.
It carried traces of spiritual energy, flowing like a blue ribbon through the land.
Even the smallest creatures possessed their own unique energy signatures.
The forest was alive.
Truly alive.
And Emil was finally able to witness it.
---
But with this new vision came a deeper understanding.
The Forbidden Forest was far more dangerous than he originally believed.
Before, he feared what he could hear.
Now, he feared what he could see.
Hidden among the trees were countless powerful creatures.
Some carried weak energy.
Others possessed strength that made even Emil's instincts warn him to stay away.
Massive beasts slept beneath mountains.
Ancient creatures moved through rivers.
Strange plants absorbed spiritual energy for thousands of years.
The forest was not empty.
It was a world of its own.
---
"Strength first."
Emil looked toward the distant golden pillar of energy he had discovered days ago.
The mysterious location connected to the Lost Civilization.
He wanted to investigate immediately.
But he understood something important.
Curiosity without strength was simply another way to die.
The Void Wraith had taught him that lesson.
He needed more power.
Much more.
---
The following weeks became a period of rapid growth.
Emil abandoned his old temporary camp beside the river and created a proper base deeper within his territory.
Using his sword and strengthened body, he carved a shelter into the side of a rocky hill.
The location had several advantages:
- A nearby water source.
- Natural protection from beasts.
- A clear view of approaching enemies.
- High concentrations of spiritual energy.
It was no longer a place to hide.
It was his home.
---
Every day followed a strict routine.
Morning:
Cultivation.
Emil sat beneath the rising sun, allowing the Sun God Breathing Technique and Energy Absorption to work together.
With the Sun Eyes, he could clearly observe the spiritual energy entering his body.
The process became much more efficient.
He could see every mistake.
Every weakness.
Every improvement.
---
Afternoon:
Combat training.
Emil hunted spirit beasts.
Not recklessly.
Carefully.
He studied every opponent before attacking.
A creature's movements.
Its energy flow.
Its weaknesses.
His first battle against the spirit beast had been a desperate struggle.
Now...
Every hunt became a lesson.
---
The first major challenge came from a Wind Claw Wolf.
Unlike the beasts he fought before, this creature was incredibly fast.
Its body moved like a shadow.
Its claws carried sharp wind energy capable of cutting through stone.
Before gaining Sun Eyes, Emil would have struggled.
Now...
He could see the energy gathering before every attack.
He could predict its movements.
The battle lasted less than five minutes.
---
Sun Step.
Emil vanished.
The wolf turned too late.
Sun First.
Golden light struck.
The Wind Claw Wolf collapsed.
---
Ding!
[First-Order Spirit Beast defeated.]
[SCP +25.]
---
Emil looked at the defeated beast.
A few months ago...
Something like this would have been impossible.
Now, it was training.
---
The victories continued.
A Flame Monkey that controlled weak fire energy.
A Stone Shell Turtle with incredible defense.
A Thunder Horn Deer that moved faster than lightning.
Each battle pushed Emil further.
Each victory expanded his understanding.
His techniques evolved.
---
Sun Step Level 2.
Sun First Level 2.
Sun God Breathing Technique Level 3.
Energy Absorption Level 2.
---
His status changed dramatically.
---
STATUS
Name: Emil Myers
Level: 5
Title:
- Village's Abominable Child
- Void Slayer I
Affinity:
- Sun
- Void
Skills:
- Sun God Breathing Technique
- Sun Sword Technique
- Sun Step
- Sun Eyes
- Energy Absorption
SCP: 240
---
Emil stared at the changes.
The boy who had entered the forest with nothing...
Had finally begun building something.
---
But survival was not only about fighting.
Emil learned to use his abilities in other ways.
With Sun Eyes, he discovered rare herbs hidden throughout the forest.
Some could heal wounds.
Some increased cultivation speed.
Some contained strange energies he had never encountered before.
He began storing them carefully.
One day, he even created a small garden near his shelter.
A simple thing.
But important.
For the first time in his life...
He wasn't just surviving.
He was creating.
---
One evening, while returning from a hunt, Emil stopped.
Something was different.
The forest was silent.
Too silent.
His Sun Eyes scanned the surroundings.
At first...
Nothing.
Then he noticed it.
A faint black mist spreading beneath the earth.
Void energy.
Again.
But this time...
Much stronger.
---
Ding!
The system awakened.
---
[Emergency Detection.]
[Large-scale Void Energy fluctuation detected.]
[Location: Unknown underground region.]
[Threat level: Increasing.]
---
Emil's expression became serious.
The Void wasn't random.
It was spreading.
The Forbidden Forest was slowly being consumed.
---
Then another notification appeared.
---
Emergency Mission
The Sleeping Darkness
Objective:
Investigate the source of the Void corruption.
Requirements:
- Discover the origin of the Void.
- Gather information about the Lost Civilization.
Reward:
Unknown.
Failure:
Death.
---
Emil stared at the mission.
A few months ago, the word "death" would have terrified him.
Now...
It only reminded him of what he had already overcome.
The cliff.
The river.
The beasts.
The Void Wraith.
He had survived everything the forest had thrown at him.
---
But before he could move...
The entire forest trembled.
A deep rumbling sound echoed beneath the ground.
Birds fled.
Animals roared in panic.
The spiritual energy of the entire region shifted.
Far away...
The golden pillar of light he had seen before flickered.
Then a wave of darkness erupted around it.
---
Emil stared toward the horizon.
His eyes narrowed.
"The ruins..."
"They're reacting."
The Sun God Fragment inside him burned brighter.
As if recognizing something ancient.
Something connected to its own origin.
---
Emil picked up his sword.
The Forbidden Forest had been his prison.
Then it became his training ground.
Now...
It was becoming the place where he would uncover the truth.
He looked toward the unknown depths.
"I'll find the answers."
His golden eyes shone beneath the darkness.
"Whatever is waiting there..."
"I'll face it."
The forest answered with silence.
But deep below the earth...
Something ancient awakened.