Dylan continued his journey in the Darknot world. He fought and bled against different types of beasts but he managed to get through them.
They ranged from ferocious blood wolves, horrific black goo that could crush and devour everything in its way, demonic bears with their sharp claws that could cut steel like butter, to terrifying stone golems that could turn you into a meat paste with just a step, and many more.
Dylan fought all of them, albeit he faced some difficulties, he still managed to overcome them with his skills and unwavering will.
The world wasn't merciful to him or anyone, it was cold and cruel where only the strong survived and the weak crumbled to dust.
Such cruelty and harshness was what made Darknot a very dangerous world.
Thud!
Deep inside a cave, a head had fallen on the ground with blood staining it making a puddle while a huge brownish body fell making a crack on the ground due to its heaviness and size.
"Huff... That was the last in this damn cave." Dylan said as he flicked his katana to get ride of the blood on it. The smell of blood filled the air making it heavy and hard to breath, but to him who had adapted to it, breathed normally as if breathing fresh air.
After absorbing the soul of the demonic bear that he had just killed, Dylan walked out of the cave and looked around before looking up at the blood red sky then moved ahead toward the woods that he had seen earlier but didn't go there because of the demonic bears that kept attacking him, so he decided to kill them all to the last one before going there.
"Finally, seeing something different than caves and rocks in this damn place." He said with a sigh as he kept walking but he didn't let his guard down as any tiny slip might get him in a very dangerous situation that could cause his death in a matter of second.
As he neared the woods, he could feel it, a deep sense of dread and death coming out of it, it was so terrifying that it sent a shiver running down his spine, despite all the power ups he got during his journey in this dark bloody world, he couldn't help but feel it.
This was a sign that what was inside was much stronger than those monsters that he fought before.
'I need to get more cautious.' He reminded himself as he neared it.
Once he stood at the threshold of these dark woods, he took a deep breath before stepping inside.
Once he put his first steps into the woods, he felt as if a hand suddenly came out of nowhere and grabbed his heart tightly, Dylan felt cold sweat on his back and forehead while his breaths hitched as dread could be seen on his face, he tried to calm himself down by taking a breath in and out until it worked, but he could still feel it. This feeling wasn't new to him, it just made him feel quite uncomfortable.
That cold and horrific feeling that stuck him once he put his feet into the woods, as if someone grabbed his heart trying to crush it, it was so terrifying and terrible.
'What was that just now?' He wondered inwardly before looking around searching for something out of place, but finding the whole place itself out of place making it hard.
Anyway, he began moving forward but with more caution than before, ready to attack at any slip or move in his field of vision.
The place was filled with trees that had black trunks like coal and the same with the leaves, they were all black like coal.
It gave him some weird feeling but he didn't focus on it and continued moving forward until suddenly—
Step!
He heard something coming toward him with unusual steady steps making him feel that something was off.
And coupled with the black trees that had thick leaves, Dylan couldn't see much.
But he could feel and sense his surroundings as if using his eyes. He had honed them through countless fights and battles.
Anyway, he could still see a little as the leaves weren't that thick.
Once the steps neared him, he saw it, pair of red gleaming eyes staring at him with deep hunger for blood and low growls was coming out of whatever was staring at him.
Once the creature took another step toward Dylan, he finally saw it, a quite tall humanoid figure with red gleaming eyes, pale grey skin and saliva dripping out of its mouth, it had curly pale white hair that reached beyond its shoulders and little and it appeared wearing a white shirt stained in blood along with black leather pants and shoes, but his arms were long.
'Huh, it looks like a human to me.' Dylan thought as he looked at the creature.
It definitely look like a human but those eyes and growls coupled with the long arms made him think otherwise.
But looking at it, it reminded him of a creature similar to it with the same features he had seen in some games he played in the past.
"Is that a ghoul?" He muttered then a voice coming from inside him responded.
[Yes, it's a ghoul. Belongs to the vampire race but it's the lowest class because they don't have minds and their actions are driven by instincts.]
"Yeah, I saw them in games and they looked similar, they always charge at you once they see you." Dylan said before suddenly, the ghoul in front of him ran fast at him with inhumane speed that defied logic and attacked once it got Dylan within his attack range.
Swoosh!
His arm moved like a whip towards Dylan's face with incredible speed intending to smash his face.
Dylan dodged to the side making the long arm smash against the black tree trunk breaking it into two.
"Damn, you was about to smash my handsome face! You freak!" Dylan exclaimed before attacking with his katana with incredible speed making the ghoul unable to respond in time before his head was cut off and fell on the ground.
"Hmph!" He snorted before seeing the body of the ghoul turning to dust.
But then Dylan noticed something unusual, he didn't absorb the soul of the ghoul he had just killed making him wonder.
"Why didn't I absorb his soul?"
[The soul of ghouls is tainted and distorted, because they are already dead, so your body won't absorb them as it will harm you than benefiting you.] A deep majestic voice said to him.
"So, it must be the soul of living creature, right?"
[Technically yes but not all souls as there are some souls that are harmful.]
"Which are?"
[You don't need to know for now, but when you meet a soul like that we will tell you.] Another enigmatic voice said to him making him nod and continue moving forward but he sighed inwardly because he wouldn't get any power ups by killing them.
'How unfortunate.'