The darkness of the Forbidden Forest was not like the darkness of the city. Here, the shadows had teeth.
Kyzen walked through the dense undergrowth, his senses heightened to an unnatural degree. Every rustle of leaves, every distant snap of a twig felt like a vibration directly against his eardrums. Beside him, his Obsidian Void Ant moved in perfect synchronization, its serrated legs making no sound on the forest floor.
[System Notification: Host has entered the 'Silent Zone' of the Forbidden Forest.]
[Detection: Multiple Rank 1 and Rank 2 Beast signatures within 500 meters.]
[Quest Updated: Collect 100 Evolution Points to reach Rank 2 (Beginner Stage).]
Kyzen smiled, a cold, sharp expression. "Silent Zone? For them, maybe. For me, it's a buffet."
He stopped in his tracks as the system chimed again.
[Alert! Target Locked: Rank 2 Iron-Hide Wild Boar.]
[Potential Gene: 'Reinforced Skeletal Structure'.]
Through the thick mist, a massive creature appeared. It was nearly the size of a small carriage, covered in thick, metallic bristles that shimmered like rusted steel. Its tusks were jagged and stained with the blood of its previous prey.
In the past, Kyzen would have been paralyzed by fear. An Iron-Hide Boar was known for its unstoppable charge; its hide was so thick that common swords would shatter upon impact.
"Let's see how 'reinforced' that skeleton really is," Kyzen whispered. "Obsidian, go. Use 'Shadow Blink'."
The ant didn't hesitate. One moment it was on Kyzen's shoulder; the next, it was a blur of violet energy.
Whoosh!
The Iron-Hide Boar sensed the danger too late. It let out a guttural roar, its massive hooves churning the earth as it tried to turn. But the Obsidian Void Ant was already beneath its belly—the only soft spot on the beast.
CRACK!
The ant's mandibles, empowered by the SSS-Rank God-Devourer trait, didn't just bite; they sheared through the boar's flesh like a hot knife through butter. The boar shrieked, a sound that echoed through the trees, chilling the hearts of any nearby travelers.
[Ding! Critical Hit!]
[Target Immobilized.]
"Finish it," Kyzen commanded, his voice devoid of pity.
The ant climbed onto the boar's head. Its violet eyes glowed intensely as it drove its sharp legs into the creature's skull. Within seconds, the struggling giant went limp.
[Target Killed!]
[Trait 'God-Devourer' Triggered.]
[Absorbing Essence... 30 Evolution Points gained.]
[New Gene Acquired: 'Iron Chitin' (Passive).]
[Your Obsidian Void Ant's shell has been reinforced with Iron-Hide properties!]
Kyzen felt a surge of energy flow into his own body. His skin felt tougher, his muscles more compact. This was the beauty of the Beast Editor System—whatever his beast devoured, he also benefited from.
"Help! Someone... please!"
A sharp, feminine scream pierced the air. It wasn't far—maybe three hundred meters to the north. Kyzen's eyes narrowed. He recognized that voice. It was a voice that had haunted his dreams, a voice that had delivered the final blow to his pride back in the Great Hall.
"Elena?"
His first instinct was to turn and walk away. Why should he care? She had abandoned him, mocked him, and looked at him like he was dirt beneath her boots. But a darker thought entered his mind.
If the 'Genius' of the city is in trouble, what better way to show her my power than to save her life when she is at her weakest?
"Let's go," Kyzen told the ant. "It's time for a reunion."
In a small clearing, the scene was chaotic.
Elena von Astra was backed against a massive ancient oak tree. Her clothes, once pristine blue silk, were torn and stained with dirt and blood. Beside her, her summoned beast—a Silver-Winged Hawk—lay on the ground, its wings broken and its chest heaving.
They were surrounded by Blood-Sucking Vines. These weren't ordinary plants; they were parasitic magical beasts that moved like snakes, their surfaces covered in tiny, needle-like thorns that drained the mana and blood of anything they touched.
"Stay back!" Elena cried out, her hand glowing with a faint frost magic. She sent a shard of ice toward the creeping vines, but the plants simply absorbed the cold and continued their slow, suffocating advance.
She was exhausted. Her mana was depleted, and her pride was shattered. She had come to the forest to prove she didn't need the clan's protection, only to find herself about to become fertilizer for a plant.
Is this how I die? she thought, her eyes tearing up. In this gods-forsaken place?
"I told you the Forbidden Forest wasn't for children, Elena."
A calm, mocking voice drifted through the clearing.
Elena's head snapped up. Through the shadows, a figure emerged. He was covered in grime, his hair messy, but his posture was upright, radiating a strange, overwhelming confidence.
"Kyzen?" she gasped, her voice trembling. "What are you... how are you still alive?"
Kyzen walked into the clearing, ignoring the vines that lashed out at him. As a vine tried to pierce his leg, the Obsidian Void Ant on his shoulder let out a low, ultrasonic hiss. The vine instantly recoiled, as if it had touched molten lava.
"I could ask you the same thing," Kyzen said, stopping ten feet away. He looked at her broken hawk and then back at her pale face. "Where is that 'Genius' pride now? Where is the girl who said I was just a bug-catcher?"
"Kyzen, please!" Elena sobbed, her desperation overriding her shock. "I... I was wrong! Help me! These vines... they're Rank 2 Elites! They'll kill us both if you stay here!"
"Kill 'us'?" Kyzen chuckled. "Elena, look closely. Do I look like someone who is afraid of a few weeds?"
He raised his hand. "Obsidian, 'Shadow Blink' and 'Devour'."
The ant vanished.
In the next second, a storm of violet slashes filled the clearing. The Blood-Sucking Vines, which had survived fire and ice, were being shredded into tiny pieces. But it didn't stop there. Instead of falling to the ground, the pieces of the vines were being sucked into a small vortex of dark energy centered around the ant.
[Ding! Devouring Rank 2 Parasitic Vines...]
[Gain: 40 Evolution Points.]
[Acquired Trait: 'Life Leech' (Active).]
[Your Beast can now heal itself by dealing damage!]
Within minutes, the clearing was silent. The terrifying vines were gone, completely erased from existence.
Elena stared at Kyzen, her mouth agape. Her mind couldn't process what she had just seen. A Black Ant? No, that thing was a monster. And Kyzen... the energy radiating from him was stronger than any E-Rank summoner she had ever met.
"How?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "That's an F-Rank insect... it shouldn't be able to do that."
Kyzen walked over to her and knelt down. He didn't offer his hand to help her up. Instead, he gripped her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes.
"The world is changing, Elena," Kyzen said, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "The 'Genius' you once knew is dead. And the 'Trash' you discarded? He's the one who just decided whether you live or die today."
Elena felt a shiver run down her spine. It wasn't just fear. Looking at Kyzen now, he seemed... magnetic. Dangerous, yet undeniably powerful. The Weak to Strong transformation was so drastic it felt like she was looking at a god in human skin.
"Why... why did you save me?" she asked, her breath hitching.
Kyzen released her chin and stood up. "Because dead people can't witness my rise. I want you to go back to the city. I want you to tell them that Kyzen is coming back. And I want you to remember this feeling of being saved by a 'bug'."
He turned to leave, but Elena scrambled to her feet, ignoring her pain. "Wait! Kyzen! You can't stay here alone. The Blood-Moon Drake has been sighted nearby. It's a Rank 4 Calamity! Even my father would struggle against it!"
Kyzen stopped and looked over his shoulder. A dark, predatory smile spread across his face.
"A Rank 4 Drake?"
He looked at his Obsidian Void Ant, which was now glowing with a menacing light as it prepared for its next evolution.
"Good. My ant was starting to get bored of eating rabbits and pigs. A Dragon's heart sounds like a perfect dinner."
As he disappeared into the deeper shadows of the forest, Elena stood frozen. Her heart was racing for a completely different reason now. She was the city's beauty, sought after by every noble, but for the first time, she felt like she was the one chasing after someone.
[System Notification: Elena von Astra's Affection Level shifted: -50 (Contempt) -> +10 (Curiosity/Awe).]
Kyzen didn't care about the notification. He had a Drake to hunt and a world to edit.