Morning light filtered through the dense canopy of the Spirit Beast Forest.
Lin Ye stood atop a fallen tree, his black robes fluttering slightly in the wind. Around him, silence dominated—an unnatural silence.
No birds. No insects.
Only fear.
Ever since he absorbed that "ten-year" soul ring—which had evolved into an absurd, heaven-defying existence—the aura leaking from his body had turned him into a walking calamity.
Low-level spirit beasts didn't dare approach.
Even hundred-year beasts avoided him.
Lin Ye sighed.
"This won't do…"
"If everything runs away, how am I supposed to hunt?"
He jumped down lightly, landing without a sound.
He needed a stronger target now.
According to the original timeline, spirit masters at his level should struggle just to handle a hundred-year beast. But with his current strength…
"That's too low."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Let's try a thousand-year spirit beast."
If anyone heard this, they would think he was insane.
A six-year-old child hunting a thousand-year beast?
Suicidal.
But Lin Ye simply walked deeper into the forest.
After half an hour, he suddenly stopped.
Voices.
Faint… but clear.
"…Let go of me!"
A young girl's voice, sharp and angry.
Lin Ye raised an eyebrow.
This voice…
He stepped forward silently, concealing his aura.
Soon, the scene came into view.
A group of Spirit Hall scouts surrounded a young girl in a pink dress.
She looked about his age—delicate, beautiful, with long soft hair and eyes filled with stubborn defiance.
Lin Ye's lips curved slightly.
"Found you."
Xiao Wu.
One of the most important characters in the entire story.
A hundred-thousand-year transformed spirit beast.
And… one of his future targets.
"Stop struggling," one of the Spirit Hall members sneered. "You're coming with us."
Xiao Wu glared at him.
"I said no!"
She dashed to the side, her movements agile and quick—but before she could escape, another man blocked her path.
"Tch. Annoying brat."
They moved to capture her.
At that exact moment—
"Hey."
A calm voice echoed.
Everyone froze.
Lin Ye stepped out from the shadows, hands casually in his pockets.
"A group of grown men bullying a little girl?"
"…Don't you feel embarrassed?"
The Spirit Hall members frowned.
"Who are you?"
Lin Ye smiled faintly.
"Just a passerby."
Xiao Wu blinked, surprised.
Another kid?
But something felt… off.
She couldn't sense his strength at all.
That made him even more dangerous.
"Kid, this doesn't concern you," one man said coldly. "Leave now."
Lin Ye tilted his head.
"And if I don't?"
The atmosphere turned tense.
"Then don't blame us for being ruthless."
Lin Ye sighed.
"…You talk too much."
He raised a finger.
"Void Pressure."
BOOM!
An invisible force slammed down.
Before they could even react—
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Every single Spirit Hall scout collapsed instantly, their bodies pressed into the ground, bones snapping under overwhelming pressure.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Xiao Wu's eyes widened.
What… was that?!
Lin Ye didn't even look at them again.
To him, they were less than ants.
He turned toward Xiao Wu.
"You're safe now."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Xiao Wu crossed her arms, still cautious.
"…Who are you?"
"Lin Ye."
"…Why did you help me?"
He smiled lightly.
"Because I felt like it."
A lie, obviously.
But Xiao Wu didn't press further.
Instead, she studied him.
"You're strong."
"Mm."
"Very strong."
"Mm."
"…Are you always this annoying?"
Lin Ye chuckled.
"She has a sharp tongue. Just like in the story."
Xiao Wu frowned.
"In the story?"
"Nothing."
He waved it off.
Suddenly—
ROOOOAR!!!
A deafening roar echoed through the forest.
The ground trembled.
Both of them turned instantly.
From the depths of the trees, a massive figure emerged.
A Thousand-Year Ironback Bear.
Its body was like a moving fortress, muscles bulging, its back covered in hardened black armor.
Xiao Wu's expression changed.
"That's… a thousand-year spirit beast!"
Even she felt pressure from it.
Lin Ye, however—
Smiled.
"Perfect timing."
The Ironback Bear locked onto them and charged, each step shaking the earth.
"Run!" Xiao Wu shouted instinctively.
But Lin Ye didn't move.
"Watch closely."
The bear raised its massive claw, slamming it down toward him.
At the last second—
Lin Ye lifted his hand.
"Sit."
BOOOOM!!!
The bear was slammed into the ground mid-attack, its body crashing so hard that the earth cracked beneath it.
Dust exploded everywhere.
Xiao Wu froze.
"…What?"
The bear struggled, roaring furiously—but it couldn't move.
It was as if an entire mountain was crushing it.
Lin Ye walked forward slowly.
"To think I'd need to search so long…"
He crouched beside the beast.
"Don't worry."
"This will only hurt for a second."
He snapped his fingers.
CRACK!!!
The bear's skull shattered instantly.
Dead.
A deep purple soul ring slowly rose from its body.
Xiao Wu stared blankly.
"You… you killed it… just like that?"
Lin Ye didn't answer.
He focused on the ring instead.
"A thousand-year ring…"
"Let's upgrade it."
He sat down cross-legged.
"Guard me."
Xiao Wu subconsciously nodded.
"…Okay."
Only after agreeing did she realize—
Wait, why am I listening to him?!
Lin Ye placed his hand on the soul ring.
It surged into his body.
[Ding!]
[Thousand-Year Soul Ring detected.]
[Applying 1,000,000,000x enhancement…]
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A terrifying shockwave erupted outward.
The purple ring twisted, expanded—
Turning black.
Then red.
Then—
An even deeper, more ancient crimson than before.
The sky dimmed.
The forest trembled violently.
Even Xiao Wu felt her legs weaken.
"This aura…"
"…It's like a hundred-thousand-year beast… no—more!"
Lin Ye opened his eyes slowly.
A faint red glow flickered within them.
Power surged through his body, far greater than before.
"Good."
He stood up, stretching slightly.
"Now this is acceptable."
Xiao Wu looked at him like he was a monster.
"…Who are you, really?"
Lin Ye smiled.
"Didn't I tell you?"
"Just a passerby."
He turned and began walking away.
"Come with me if you want."
Xiao Wu hesitated.
Then—
She followed.
For some reason…
She felt that staying near him was safer than anything else in this forest.
As they disappeared into the trees, Lin Ye's voice echoed lightly:
"Let's head to Notting Academy."
"Your story starts there, doesn't it?"
Xiao Wu froze.
"…How do you know that?"
Lin Ye only laughed.
"You'll find out."
Far away, unseen forces stirred.
The wheel of fate had begun to crack.
And at its center—
Walked a boy who already knew how the story ended.