2026-03-25 03:52:46Deep within the Forbidden Zone, the forest had long since lost its original form.
The ground was cracked and blackened.
The trees were twisted into grotesque shapes.
And the fog—
It was everywhere.
Thick. Endless. Suffocating.
By now, the concept of points had become meaningless.
Alaric glanced briefly at the system panel.
The number continued rising at an absurd rate.
But he closed it immediately.
It didn’t matter anymore.
If they couldn’t leave this place alive…
Even first place meant nothing.
“The scoring system might already be corrupted,” Tristan muttered, breathing heavily. “What’s the point anymore…?”
Kira didn’t respond.
Her focus remained ahead.
“Elena,” Alaric said quietly.
She stood at the front, her warhammer dragging slightly against the ground.
“I can feel it clearly now,” she said.
Her cold eyes fixed on the distance.
“The source is just ahead.”
The air suddenly grew heavier.
Then—
The fog surged.
From all directions, countless fog creatures emerged.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Their forms twisted and shapeless.
“Get ready!” Kira shouted.
Her Chimera roared and charged forward.
Tristan’s beast followed, but both of them were already exhausted.
The battle erupted instantly.
Elena stepped forward and swung her hammer.
BOOOOM!
A massive wave of fog exploded.
But—
More replaced it instantly.
Endless.
“Damn it!” Tristan shouted. “They won’t stop!”
Alaric’s eyes narrowed.
“They’re protecting something.”
Elena pushed forward, smashing through wave after wave.
But even she slowed down.
For the first time—
She was struggling.
“Master,” she said calmly, “there are too many.”
Then—
Through the dense fog—
They saw it.
A dark vortex floated in the air.
It pulsed like a living heart.
Black energy spiraled endlessly around it.
Kira’s eyes widened.
“…That’s it.”
Alaric nodded.
“The core.”
Elena tightened her grip on the hammer.
“Destroying it will end everything.”
But the closer they moved—
The more violent the fog became.
The clones attacked relentlessly.
Kira’s Chimera roared again, trying to hold them back.
But suddenly—
It staggered.
Blood dripped from its body.
“Kira!” Tristan shouted.
“My beast can’t take much more!” she replied, her voice strained.
Tristan’s beast was no better.
It collapsed to one knee, heavily injured.
“We can’t hold them!” Tristan yelled.
The fog creatures closed in.
Closer.
Closer.
Despair crept into their hearts.
Then—
A sudden surge of energy erupted from Kira’s Chimera.
Light exploded outward.
The creature roared, its body expanding, its aura intensifying.
Wings grew larger.
Its presence became overwhelming.
Kira gasped.
“…It’s evolving.”
The transformation completed in seconds.
The Chimera’s aura changed completely.
“Mythical rank…” Tristan whispered.
Kira clenched her fists.
“Let’s go!”
The newly evolved Chimera charged forward with renewed power.
It tore through waves of fog.
But—
Even that wasn’t enough.
The fog simply kept coming.
Endless.
Unstoppable.
Tristan’s voice trembled.
“…This isn’t working.”
Alaric felt it too.
The pressure.
The suffocating weight of death.
They were running out of time.
If this continued—
They would all die here.
Alaric’s eyes hardened.
“Elena.”
She turned slightly.
“Yes, Master.”
“This is our last chance.”
She nodded.
Without hesitation.
Elena stepped forward.
Her small figure moved straight toward the vortex.
The fog creatures swarmed her instantly.
But she didn’t stop.
She raised the warhammer high.
Then—
She swung.
BOOOOM!!
The hammer struck the core directly.
A shockwave exploded outward.
The fog trembled.
For a moment—
Everything froze.
Then—
Nothing happened.
The core remained intact.
Not even a crack.
Tristan’s face turned pale.
“…It didn’t work.”
Kira clenched her teeth.
“Even that… wasn’t enough?”
The fog surged violently.
More aggressive than before.
As if enraged.
The clones rushed forward like a tidal wave.
“We’re finished!” Tristan shouted.
Alaric stood still.
His mind raced.
There was only one option left.
His gaze fell on Elena.
“Elena.”
She looked back calmly.
“Yes.”
“Use your final ability.”
Kira froze.
“What?”
Alaric’s voice was firm.
“Divine Bloodline.”
Tristan’s eyes widened.
“Are you crazy?!”
Kira shouted, “If her balance collapses now, she won’t be able to fight again!”
Alaric didn’t hesitate.
“At this moment…”
His eyes locked on the core.
“Invincibility is useless.”
He spoke clearly.
“We need power.”
Elena nodded.
Without a single word of doubt.
“Understood.”
A dark aura began to rise from her body.
The light within her dimmed.
Darkness took over.
Her eyes turned deep black.
“God of Night Bloodline… activated.”
BOOM!
A terrifying energy exploded outward.
The ground cracked beneath her feet.
Her aura surged violently.
Alaric saw the system panel flash.
All attributes increased by 500%.
Tristan staggered back.
“…What the hell is that?”
Kira stared in shock.
“That power…”
Elena moved.
Faster than before.
Stronger than before.
The fog creatures were instantly torn apart as she advanced.
Nothing could stop her now.
She reached the core again.
And raised her hammer.
“Break.”
Her voice was cold.
She swung.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The impact shook the entire forest.
This time—
A crack appeared.
The core trembled violently.
Alaric’s eyes sharpened.
“It’s working!”
But—
The moment the core was damaged—
The fog creatures went insane.
They surged forward in a frenzy.
Even faster.
Even more violently.
“Watch out!” Tristan shouted.
They were surrounded instantly.
The situation worsened.
Even Elena began to slow.
The cost of her power was catching up.
Her balance was collapsing.
“Master…” she said quietly.
Alaric clenched his fists.
“Just a little more!”
The fog closed in.
Closer.
Closer.
Despair filled the air.
Then—
Elena raised the hammer one last time.
Her body trembled slightly.
But her eyes remained cold.
She leapt forward.
And brought the hammer down with everything she had left.
CRAAAAASH!!!
The core shattered.
Fragments of darkness exploded outward.
A piercing scream echoed across the entire realm.
The fog froze.
Then—
It began to collapse.
Piece by piece.
The clones dissolved into nothingness.
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Unbelievable silence.
Tristan dropped to his knees.
“…We… did it?”
Kira stared at the fading darkness.
“…It’s over.”
Alaric looked at Elena.
She stood still for a moment.
Then—
Her body swayed.
And she collapsed.
Previous Chapter
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Chapter 9: The Shattered Core
Deep within the Forbidden Zone, the forest had long since lost its original form.The ground was cracked and blackened.The trees were twisted into grotesque shapes.And the fog—It was everywhere.Thick. Endless. Suffocating.By now, the concept of points had become meaningless.Alaric glanced briefly at the system panel.The number continued rising at an absurd rate.But he closed it immediately.It didn’t matter anymore.If they couldn’t leave this place alive…Even first place meant nothing.“The scoring system might already be corrupted,” Tristan muttered, breathing heavily. “What’s the point anymore…?”Kira didn’t respond.Her focus remained ahead.“Elena,” Alaric said quietly.She stood at the front, her warhammer dragging slightly against the ground.“I can feel it clearly now,” she said.Her cold eyes fixed on the distance.“The source is just ahead.”The air suddenly grew heavier.Then—The fog surged.From all directions, countless fog creatures emerged.Dozens.Hundreds.T
Chapter 8: The Outer Demon
Outside the Secret Realm, the situation had spiraled completely out of control.The once-orderly examination grounds were now filled with shouting, panic, and despair. Families of the candidates crowded the area, their faces pale as they stared at the sealed portal.“Why isn’t it opening?!”“My son is still inside!”“Do something!”Examiners rushed back and forth, attempting to stabilize the situation, but the tension only grew heavier with each passing minute.Then—A powerful aura descended.The air itself seemed to tremble.Everyone instinctively turned toward the sky.A man stepped forward from the crowd of arriving officials.He wore a long black coat, his presence calm yet overwhelming.The moment he appeared, even the arguing examiners fell silent.“The Grand Beast Master…”Someone whispered the title with reverence.He was the nation’s strongest Beast Master.The final authority in matters like this.The chief examiner stepped forward immediately.“Sir, the Secret Realm—”The
Chapter 7: Into the Forbidden Zone
The forest grew darker as time passed.The faint light filtering through the trees had turned dim and gray, as if the entire Secret Realm itself was slowly suffocating under an unseen force.Kira’s group moved cautiously through the undergrowth.Every sound made them tense.Every shadow looked like an enemy.Behind them, the memory of the fog creature still lingered like a nightmare.One of the boys in Kira’s team—tall, sharp-faced, with a constant scowl—glanced at Alaric with obvious dissatisfaction.His name was Marcus.And his eyes were filled with something more than fear.Jealousy.He watched the way Kira occasionally looked toward Alaric.That small shift in her attitude…It irritated him.Finally, Marcus scoffed.“So let me get this straight,” he said mockingly. “We’re supposed to trust this guy now?”His gaze swept over Alaric with open disdain.“The same loser who got kicked out of his own family?”One of the girls hesitated.“Well… he did save us…”Marcus snapped back immedi
Chapter 6: The Sealed Realm
The four surviving students stood frozen, their eyes locked on Elena, who calmly rested the massive warhammer against the ground as if nothing unusual had happened.Alaric’s gaze shifted toward them.Up close, he recognized one of them immediately.The girl standing at the front—long dark hair, sharp features, and a composed aura even under pressure—was someone well known throughout the city.Kira White.A prodigy.And one of the most admired beauties among the younger generation.Behind her, a massive beast stood protectively.It had the head of a lion, the wings of a dragon, and the tail of a serpent.A Chimera.A Legendary Beast.Kira took a slow breath, regaining her composure.Then she stepped forward and looked at Alaric.“Thank you,” she said sincerely. “You saved us.”Alaric gave a small nod.“You’re welcome.”One of the boys behind her, still shaken, asked nervously, “Who… who are you?”Alaric answered calmly.“Alaric.”The moment his name left his mouth—The group froze.“…A
Chapter 5: The Rising Score
Deep inside the Secret Realm, the forest echoed with the sounds of battle.Explosions, roars, and the crashing of trees filled the air.At the center of one clearing, a massive magical beast collapsed with a heavy thud.Elena stood calmly in front of its body, the enormous Upper Realm Warhammer resting on her shoulder.The creature had been a Level 5 Stone Boar, a monster that normally required an entire team to defeat.But now it lay motionless, its skull crushed into the ground.Alaric glanced at the system panel floating before his eyes.Target Defeated. Points Earned: 500Another line followed.Elena – Level Up. Current Level: 6Alaric exhaled slowly.“Level six already.”Elena looked down at the monster without emotion.“Do you want me to destroy the body, Master?”Alaric shook his head.“No need. Let’s move.”They had been inside the Secret Realm for less than an hour, yet their progress was already unbelievable.Every monster they encountered was eliminated within seconds.Mo
Chapter 4: The First Hunt
The streets of the small city gradually quieted as night settled in.After leaving the beast shop, Alaric walked through several dim alleys before finally stopping in front of a rundown inn. The wooden sign above the door creaked in the wind, and the building itself looked like it might collapse at any moment.Alaric glanced at the few coins left in his palm.Not much.But it would have to do.He pushed open the door and approached the counter.The tired innkeeper looked up lazily. His eyes moved between Alaric and the small girl beside him.“You renting a room?” the man asked.Alaric nodded. “One night.”The innkeeper looked at the coins Alaric placed on the counter and snorted.“For that price, you get the smallest room.”“That’s fine.”A rusty key slid across the counter.Alaric picked it up without complaint and led Iris upstairs.The room was small and poorly lit. A single bed stood against the wall, and the wooden floor creaked under every step.Iris looked around quietly.“…Mas
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