A dense, humid silence pressed in on JaiJamesLooming Verdant

  The forest floor was a mosaic of shadow, with only slivers of sunlight

  James, already sweating in his leather tunic, craned his neck, his eyes wide with a mix of awe and trepidation. "Gods above, Jai, how vast this place? And how long will it actually take us to reach that blasted Dwarf Kingdom

  Jai, always the more composed of the two, sighed, adjusting the pack on his shoulder. "My mother mentioned the route through here. From this entry point, she estimated it's approximately one thousand kilometers

  James stopped dead, his jaw slackening. "One ? What the hell! That's... that's two months of steady walking! Are you seriously telling me we have to trudge for that long?"

  "Oh, it'll be more than one month, bro," Jai corrected, his tone dry. "We have to sleep at night, and every time we have to fight a beastbe carefulno one detects us

  James puffed out his chest, a flicker of his usual bravado returning. "If a beast comes, I'll use my space power

  Jai, a mental image of the arrogant ArthurTier 10 Elemental MastersTier 10 status—the weakest. "Rule number one: think of escaping firstabsolute last resort."

  A genuine look of worry, akin to the meek Clement'sThey walked in silence for several minutes, the rustle of their footsteps masked by the soft forest sounds. But Jai, ever vigilant, suddenly froze, his hand snapping out to grab James’s arm.

  "Don't movefootsteps

  "A beast? Or just a human like us?" James whispered, trying to peer into the shadows.

  Jai rolled his eyes. "Why do you think I bought this artifact, the Noise Specternot

  They scrambled behind the thick trunk of a Dreadwoodsize of a small elephant

  "It's a baby Borrenbeasts

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  Just as he finished speaking, a second set of sounds reached his enhanced hearing—a much deeper, heavier series of thuds that made the ground tremble faintly.

  Then, a sudden wave of scorching heattwo times

  James tapped Jai's shoulder frantically. "Don't make any noise! That Borren will spot us and hunt us down," Jai muttered angrily, swatting James’s hand away. "They're carnivorous. They only eat meat!"

  James tapped him again, more insistently.

  "What the fuck do you want, James?!" Jai finally snapped, twisting his neck to look behind him.

  His eyes met the dark, molten-gold eyes of the gigantic Mother Borren"Maybe... maybe it's the mother," Jai stammered, his mind racing.

  In a surge of panic, James slammed his palm to the ground and cast his Space SpellEarth DanceWhy didn't it work?

  "Now, James!"

  Jai, having planned for this possibility, hurled a concussion bomb

  They bolted.

  "Why didn't my spell work on her?" James yelled as they sprinted through the dense undergrowth, the furious squeals of the Borren close behind them.

  "She's too strong, bro!" Jai shouted back. "She must be a Tier 9Tier 8 Elemental Beast

  His eyes spotted a dark, inviting shadow nestled between two root systems: a cave

  Inside, panting and desperate, James fumbled with a delicate silver chain around his neck. "The Blessing Bracelet

  "Are you insane?" Jai shot back, his voice raw with anger. "We just started! We save the blessings for when we're about to die! We have to rely on ourselves!"

  Jai paced, his thoughts spinning, then he stopped and looked at James with a sudden, dawning horror. "Did you bring any food?"

  "Uh, no," James mumbled, avoiding his gaze. "I didn't think..."

  Arthur'sthink? What the hell are we supposed to eat now? We'll starve before we're out of this damn forest!"

  They argued in low, furious whispers for a short time, their frustration a welcome distraction from the danger outside.

  As they finally calmed, the air in the cave grew chilly. The light outside had faded from deep purple to absolute black. They were both desperately hungry

  Then, a memory flashed in Jai's mind: as they had been running, he'd glimpsed a patch of red near a small, beautiful lake

  "The baby Borren's corpse

  Cautiously, they crept out. To their immense relief, the Mother Borren was gone. When they reached the lake, the young creature’s carcass was exactly where Jai remembered it. The blood hadn't yet crystallized

  With their magical blue crystal necklaces

  Using the ancient, arduous method of friction—a fire-starting skill learned from the legendary Emperor Dominatrix

  They ate sparingly, saving the bulk of their meal. This meat, they knew, wouldn't rot for at least three days

  As Jai chewed slowly, a cold certainty settled over him. "Someone or something else killed that baby Borren," he mused, scraping his plate clean. "That's why the mother was so angry."

  He let out a deep sighWe nearly died fighting a single Borren. What happens when a truly stronger beast

  That grim thought was the last thing he remembered before falling into a deep, necessary sleep.

  The first day had been a brutal lesson, a stark reminder of their weakness. But the journey was long. Not all days could be bad. They just had to wait for the good ones.