Sitting on a log, Adam drank water from his leather canteen; he looked at the group of knights who were hydrating themselves in the same way.
The journey so far had gone well, without any inconveniences. That was because he had mapped out a route where the monsters had clearly defined territories.
Of course, Adam knew it wasn't a safe place; nothing in the demonic forest was safe to begin with.
But this is a good sign; we have to go a little deeper.
He stood up, wiped his mouth, and hung the leather canteen on his belt. He had rested long enough, and staying any longer would be dangerous.
Just as Adam was about to order everyone to get ready to leave, there was unusual movement in the nearby bushes.
Soon he saw them... wolves. But they were enormous, the size of ponies, with fur as black as midnight and muscles rippling beneath their skin. Their fangs glinted in the sunlight, long as knives.
The strange thing was that they didn't stop to attack. They ran past him, fleeing.
As if something much worse were coming after them.
Adam turned quickly and shouted:
"Prepare for battle!"
"Yes, sir!"
The metallic sound of weapons being drawn echoed in unison. Adam released his sword and let the mana flow through his body. The blade was covered in a dark, vibrant energy as he adopted a low stance, with his weight evenly distributed.
Then the crackling sound of trees falling in the distance began to be heard—one after another.
The ground shook beneath his feet.
It wasn't long before Adam saw the creature that had terrorized the giant wolves of rank II and even rank I.
And it appeared.
It was a bear... but not like normal bears. It was the size of a two-story house, or maybe even bigger. Adam couldn't tell for sure.
Its fur was dark, as hard as graphene.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
Adam knew it immediately.
It was a damn Rank IV monster.
A Graphene Bear.
Shit.
The creature opened its enormous mouth. The roar that emerged was not just sound: it was pressure. The air vibrated, Adam's chest contracted, and for a moment, he had the absurd sensation that his bones were resonating from within.
Without warning, it charged.
It wasn't a clumsy attack. It was pure speed. Impossible mass moving as if it weighed nothing.
Adam threw himself to one side. He rolled. The world spun just as a claw descended where he had been a second before.
The impact shook the ground.
There was a sharp crack.
Out of the corner of his eye, Adam saw a horse being crushed to the ground. Its body bent impossibly. It died without a whinny.
If that hits me squarely...
He stood up and attacked reflexively, aiming for the joint of the front leg.
Clang!
The blow was like crashing the sword against a wall. The blade bounced off. The impact ran through his arm, shook his shoulder, and left his hand numb.
He had done nothing.
Adam jumped back. Then another. The beast advanced steadily, each step making the ground shake.
To his right, a knight shouted and raised his shield just in time.
BANG!
The impact was brutal. The man was thrown several meters, rolling across the ground like a broken doll. Adam didn't know if he was still alive. He didn't have time to check.
So this is the difference in rank...
A damn rank IV monster.
He gritted his teeth. They couldn't beat him by trading blows.
Without wasting any more time, he forced more mana into the sword. The black energy became denser, heavier, enveloping the blade with greater intensity.
Adam raised his sword as the Graphene Bear charged again.
This time, there was no room for error.
The Graphene Bear roared again and advanced.
It didn't charge this time.
It walked.
Each step made the earth tremble, crushing roots and rocks as if they were mud. Adam felt the air grow heavy, thick with hostile mana. His breathing quickened despite his best efforts.
No... this isn't right.
"Defensive formation!"
Adam shouted.
The knights reacted immediately, raising their shields. Steel rattled as the Graphene Bear struck the front of the group with a single sideways charge.
CRASH!
Three men were thrown back like rag dolls. One did not move again.
Adam felt an icy emptiness in his chest.
Too strong...
He leaped forward and attacked again, this time unleashing all his mana in a single vertical slash.
The sword fell.
CLANG!
Black sparks burst into the air. The blade stopped midway, embedded just a few inches into the bear's fur.
It wasn't enough.
The beast slowly turned its head... and fixed its eyes on Adam.
In that instant, the world seemed to shrink.
The Graphene Bear raised a paw and brought it down.
Adam barely had time to react. He thrust his sword into the ground and used the mana as momentum, launching himself backward just as the impact shattered the ground where he had been standing.
The shockwave threw him against a tree.
The air was knocked out of his lungs.
C... calm down... think...
He tried to stand up, but his body protested. His right arm felt numb, and a warm trickle ran down his forehead.
He heard a scream.
"Young master!"
One of the knights was caught by the monster's claw and lifted off the ground. Adam saw the armor deform... and then heard the sharp crack.
There was no scream afterward.
Something inside Adam broke.
This is my fault.
The Graphene Bear opened its mouth again, gathering mana in its throat. Adam felt it before he saw it: a brutal, crushing pressure.
Is it going to...?
"Dodge!"
He shouted with all the strength he had left.
"Now!"
The monster exhaled.
A wave of dark mana swept through the makeshift camp, uprooting trees and throwing bodies into the air. Adam raised his sword out of pure reflex and was thrown backward as if a wall had hit him.
He rolled across the ground until he came to rest on his back.
The sky spun.
His vision blurred.
He sat up again, his body a mess.
The Graphene Bear advanced toward him. Each step closed the distance. Adam tried to gather mana, but he didn't have enough time.
Is this how it ends...?
Just as the monster's shadow completely covered him, Adam felt something strange.
A different kind of pressure.
More dangerous.
The Graphene Bear stopped dead in its tracks and turned its head, letting out a low, tense growl.
Adam didn't understand what was happening... until he felt it.
From deep within the forest, a much more terrifying presence manifested itself.
Something that even a Rank IV monster recognized as a threat.
The trees began to creak again.
But this time...
It wasn't the wolves running away.
It was the entire forest that seemed to be retreating.
Adam opened his eyes with difficulty.
And smiled weakly.
...this was definitely not part of the plan.