Arthur moved like a ghost, following the trail of massive tracks. Whatever he was tracking was big, no doubt about it, and it had plowed through the forest with little care.
One of the first lessons back at Everglen was tracking. Usually, an Augmenter took the lead—fast, agile, and capable of self-defense if things went south.
Broken branches littered the ground. Muddy prints, huge and deep, marred the grass. Yet, an eerie silence clung to the forest. The deeper he ventured, the more unsettling the signs became. He found an entire tree stump, thick as his own torso, snapped clean off its base.
It was the only one. No signs of a struggle, no claw marks, just a clean break.
"This doesn't feel right," Arthur muttered, a knot tightening in his gut. "Maybe I should head back." But a stubborn curiosity, a need to know, pulled him forward. His heart refused to listen to reason.
A short while later, he found clearer prints in a patch of damp earth. Each one was easily the size of his head, pressed deep, showing three vicious claw marks. The distance between them spoke of a creature with a massive stride.
"Definitely not a wolf," he reasoned. "A bear, maybe? But wild bears don't usually roam this close to the city outskirts. What could it be?" He racked his brain, sifting through his knowledge of forest creatures.
His grip on his sword tightened instinctively. His stomach felt cold, and the air carried a faint, metallic tang. Then, a more potent stench hit him—a smell Arthur knew all too well.
The scent of concentrated mana. This was no ordinary beast.
"I knew it! A magical beast!" Arthur's eyes lit up with a dangerous excitement, and his pace quickened. He was hell-bent on finding it. His training manuals were filled with descriptions of magical beasts, but reading about them was nothing compared to seeing one, fighting one.
Above, the sunlight began to fade as dusk crept in. The day was nearly done.
"How long have I been tracking this thing?" he wondered. "I must be getting close to the edge of the designated training area." He made a mental note to be cautious of the boundaries.
The air grew heavy, oppressive. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath, leaving the forest so unnervingly silent Arthur could hear the thumping of his own heart.
Then, he heard it. A low, deep rumble that vibrated through the ground beneath his feet. He felt it more than heard it. It was close. Very close.
Arthur froze for a split second before diving behind the nearest giant oak tree. Steeling his nerves, he cautiously peeked around its massive trunk.
The sight almost stole the breath from his lungs.
It was colossal. Easily twice as tall as any horse or wolf he'd ever encountered. Its fur was the color of midnight, sleek and dark, almost seeming to absorb the fading light, making it blend with the deepening shadows.
Its head was gigantic, held high, and its powerful jaw looked capable of crushing stone. And its eyes… its eyes glowed with a malevolent, sickly green light, currently fixed on something in the distance.
Two massive, curved horns, like polished obsidian, swept back from its brow. As he watched, its great head began to turn, slowly, towards his hiding spot.
"A Forest Mauler!" The name screamed in Arthur's mind.
This was a Tier Two beast, possibly even a high-Tier Two, bordering on Tier Three. There was absolutely no reason for a creature of this caliber to be so close to the forest outskirts, so near a student training area.
"I knew something felt wrong," he thought, a cold dread seeping into him. "Did the instructors know about this? No way. Even a fully trained Knight instructor would have a hell of a time facing this thing alone."
The Mauler's head snapped fully in his direction, its glowing green eyes locking onto the oak tree he was hiding behind. It knew.
A deafening roar ripped through the forest, far more terrifying than the howls of the dire wolf pack leader he'd heard earlier. This roar was primal, filled with raw power. It shook the leaves from the branches above him, and the very ground trembled.
Arthur didn't waste a precious second. He turned and bolted.
His body surged with adrenaline, mana flooding his legs, pushing him to his absolute physical limits.
Loud crashing sounds erupted behind him. The Mauler was smashing through the undergrowth, bushes and small trees splintering as if they were twigs, forging its own path. He could hear its heavy, thundering footfalls gaining on him.
He risked a single, terrifying glance over his shoulder. The Mauler was closer than he'd dared to imagine, its green eyes burning with a terrifying, predatory hunger.
This was what it felt like to be hunted.
He leaped, dodged, and weaved, desperately trying to put distance between himself and the monstrosity. He pushed his body harder than ever before. His lungs burned, his legs screamed in protest. He was running deeper into the forest, away from any hope of aid.
Glancing to his right, he saw the ominous red boundary markings flash past.
"We cannot guarantee your safety." The old man's warning echoed in his ears. Too late now. He had no other choice.
The terrain grew rougher, sloping sharply downhill. This was deep forest, untouched by regular patrols, with no man-made tracks to follow. He stumbled on a loose rock, nearly losing his footing, but a desperate surge of will kept him upright.
The Mauler roared again, closer, much closer. He could almost feel its hot breath on the back of his neck. It was catching up. He was slowing down.
Then, through the dense trees, a sliver of hope.
A dark opening in some rocks. A narrow crack in the stone, just small enough for him to squeeze through, but definitely too small for the behemoth chasing him.
Mustering the last of his strength, he made a final, desperate dash, throwing himself at the small opening. Just as he plunged into the darkness, the Mauler's giant, clawed paw slammed into the rock face he'd leaped from, crushing the stone and shaking the ground.
Arthur scrambled further into the blackness, scraping his knees and elbows on the rough stone. Behind him, the faint light from the forest entrance faded as the Mauler bellowed in frustration, its massive head appearing in the opening, snapping its teeth. But it was no use.
The cave was a narrow, jagged tunnel, barely tall enough for him to crouch. It smelled of damp earth and something ancient, something wild.
Outside, the Mauler continued to roar, its voice filled with fury. It clawed at the entrance, sending chips of rock flying, but the cave opening, though small, held firm. The beast could not fit its massive shoulders through.
Arthur panted, his heart hammering against his ribs as if trying to escape his chest. He pressed himself against the cold, wet wall of the cave, as far from the entrance as he could manage. He was trapped, deeper in the uncharted wilderness than he had ever been, with a monstrous, enraged beast waiting just outside.
But for now, for this one moment, he was alive.