Seraphina slowly closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, there was something almost painfully affectionate within her gaze.
"I searched for you."
Grey stared at her.
"I searched through kingdoms, mountains, oceans, and ruins. I waited beneath this forest until even the world forgot my name."
Grey’s confusion reached a point where he wasn’t even sure which question he should ask first. "You waited for me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Seraphina’s expression softened further.
"Because you promised."
Grey stared blankly at her. "I promised what?"
Seraphina’s lips curved into a faint smile.
"You promised you would come back to me."
Grey’s face went blank.
"I definitely didn’t."
The smile vanished.
The temperature of the clearing seemed to drop.
Seraphina stared at him in silence for several seconds before quietly saying, "You don’t remember."
Grey shook his head. "No."
The ancient dragon studied him for a long moment before lowering herself onto the forest floor, bringing her enormous body down until her head rested beside Grey.
"I see."
Grey remained cautious as he watched her. There was sadness within her expression, but beneath that sadness was something far more dangerous, something that felt like determination.
"You don’t remember," Seraphina repeated.
"No."
The dragon’s golden eyes remained fixed upon him.
"Then I will make you remember."
Grey felt a chill travel down his spine. "How?"
Seraphina’s smile slowly returned.
"That is simple."
She leaned closer, her enormous golden eyes reflecting Grey’s tiny figure.
"I will stay beside you."
Grey blinked. "What?"
"You will stay with me."
Grey looked around the enormous forest before pointing toward himself. "Me?"
"Yes."
"Here?"
"Yes."
Grey stared at the ancient SSS-ranked dragon before glancing down at his own body. He was a Level 3 Lesser Goblin standing in a forest filled with monsters, while the creature in front of him was an ancient dragon capable of making the entire region tremble simply by moving.
"This doesn’t make sense."
Seraphina smiled.
"It does to me."
Before Grey could answer, the ground suddenly trembled.
Both of them looked toward the forest.
Grey’s Predatory Instinct activated almost immediately, and the familiar sensation of danger crawled across his skin as multiple creatures moved through the trees.
The system appeared.
[Multiple hostile entities detected.]
[Estimated number: 17.]
[Average threat level: 4–6.]
Grey’s expression hardened as he counted the movement between the trees.
Seventeen.
Seraphina noticed his reaction and tilted her head. "Are you afraid?"
Grey looked toward the approaching creatures before tightening his grip around the broken branch.
"No."
It was a lie, but Grey had learned something during his short time in this world: fear didn’t disappear simply because he became stronger. The important part was learning how to move while carrying it.
"I can handle them."
Seraphina stared at him for several seconds before a soft laugh escaped her lips.
"Of course you can."
Grey glanced over his shoulder. "You don’t believe me."
"I do."
She folded her enormous wings against her body and settled comfortably onto the ground. "But I would like to see you try."
Grey stared at her for a moment before sighing. "You aren’t going to help?"
Seraphina’s smile widened.
"No."
She rested her chin against the ground and watched him with obvious interest. "I want to watch."
The first monster emerged from between the trees.
Then another.
Then another.
Grey counted them as they slowly surrounded the clearing, their dark bodies covered in coarse fur and long spines that caught the moonlight whenever they moved.
The system identified the nearest creature.
[Forest Ravager — Level 5.]
Another stepped into view.
[Forest Ravager — Level 5.]
A third appeared behind them.
[Forest Ravager — Level 6.]
Grey’s expression became serious.
These creatures were stronger than anything he had fought since arriving in this world, and there were seventeen of them.
Yet he couldn’t back down now.
Seraphina was watching.
Grey didn’t know why that mattered to him, but it did.
The nearest Forest Ravager suddenly charged.
Grey lowered his body as his Predatory Instinct activated, allowing him to notice the subtle movement of the creature’s muscles before the attack fully developed. Its left shoulder shifted first, revealing the direction of its charge, and Grey immediately stepped to the side as the beast’s jaws snapped shut where his head had been.
He swung the broken branch into its eye before immediately retreating, but the Forest Ravager recovered far faster than the Moonfang Hyenas had.
It turned toward him with a furious roar.
Grey didn’t wait.
He moved forward instead, ducked beneath the creature’s next swipe, and drove the sharpened end of the branch into the softer flesh beneath its jaw.
The system appeared.
[Critical strike.]
[Forest Ravager — Level 5 has been wounded.]
Grey twisted the branch before pulling it free, but another creature was already rushing toward him from the side.
His Predatory Instinct screamed.
Grey dropped low.
A set of claws passed over his head, and he immediately rolled beneath the creature’s body before scrambling back onto his feet.
The first Forest Ravager attacked again.
Grey barely avoided its jaws before driving his shoulder into its weakened side, using the creature’s own momentum to throw it off balance.
It stumbled.
Grey saw the opening and he grabbed a loose stone and smashed it against the creature’s skull continuously until the beast collapsed.
[Forest Ravager defeated.]
[Experience acquired.]
[Evolution Energy acquired.]
Grey’s breathing became heavier as he looked toward the remaining monsters.
’One down, sixteen left.’
He glanced at the system.
[Evolution Energy: 47/50.]
His eyes widene, he needed only three more to complete his evolution.
Grey smiled despite himself and tightened his grip around the broken branch.
"Then let’s finish this."
The remaining Forest Ravagers roared and charged simultaneously.
Grey immediately moved.
He ducked beneath the first attack, sidestepped the second, and narrowly avoided a third creature that crashed into the ground where he had been standing only a moment earlier.
The clearing erupted into chaos as Grey darted between the monsters, relying on his Predatory Instinct to anticipate their movements while searching desperately for another opening.
He wasn’t stronger or faster and he couldn’t defeat them through brute force, so he did what he had done against the Thornwolf.
He adapted.
Grey lured two of the Forest Ravagers toward one another before diving aside at the last moment, causing them to collide violently. Before either creature could recover, he rushed toward the nearest one and drove his branch into its exposed eye.
The creature screamed and thrashed.
Grey pulled the weapon free and immediately retreated as another monster charged.
Behind him, Seraphina watched silently with her golden eyes following his every movement.
There was no concern in her expression.
Only fascination.
The battle continued through the clearing as Grey fought desperately for every opening, his body becoming covered in scratches and dirt while the number of enemies slowly decreased.
He was exhausted with his arms were trembling, he could feel his legs were beginning to feel numb.
Yet he refused to stop.
Eventually, another Forest Ravager collapsed.
Then another.
The system continued appearing with every victory.
[Forest Ravager defeated.]
[Experience acquired.]
[Evolution Energy acquired.]
Grey glanced at his status again.
[Evolution Energy: 49/50.]
One more.
A wounded Forest Ravager suddenly lunged at him.
Grey’s body was too exhausted to dodge properly.
The creature’s jaws opened.
Grey raised his branch desperately.
Before the attack could connect, something enormous moved behind him.
Seraphina’s tail swept across the clearing.
The Forest Ravager was launched into the trees with such force that its body disappeared into the darkness.
Grey stared.
Seraphina looked at him innocently.
"That one was going to bite you."
Grey stared at her for several seconds before sighing.
"You said you weren’t helping."
"I didn’t."
Grey looked toward the forest where the creature had disappeared.
"You literally just hit it."
Seraphina smiled.
"It was going to bite you."
Grey opened his mouth, then closed it again.
There was no point arguing.
He turned back toward the remaining monsters.
The final Forest Ravager was already wounded.
Grey tightened his grip and charged.
The creature lunged.
Grey ducked beneath its jaws, slid across the dirt, and drove his broken branch upward with every ounce of strength remaining in his body.
The weapon pierced beneath the creature’s jaw.
The beast collapsed.
Grey staggered backward and dropped onto one knee.
For several seconds, he could only breathe.
Then the system appeared.
[Forest Ravager defeated.]
[Experience acquired.]
[Evolution Energy acquired.]
The next notification appeared almost immediately.
[Evolution Energy requirement fulfilled.]
Grey slowly raised his head.
[Evolution available.]
His exhaustion disappeared beneath a surge of excitement.
He had reached fifty.
He had done it.
Grey opened the evolution interface, expecting to see the Goblin Hunter transformation he had already selected.
Instead, the screen flickered.
Then the entire interface changed.
[Hidden condition fulfilled.]
Grey frowned.
[Unique Bond detected.]
His eyes widened.
[Evolutionary compatibility with SSS-ranked existence confirmed.]
Another notification appeared.
[Special Evolution Route unlocked.]
Grey stared at the words.
He had no idea what they meant.
Behind him, however, Seraphina’s expression had completely changed.
Her golden eyes were fixed on the system interface that Grey couldn’t see clearly anymore, and for the first time since awakening, the ancient dragon looked genuinely excited.
She slowly smiled.
"Interesting."
Grey turned toward her.
"What?"
Seraphina’s smile widened as she looked at him.
"Nothing."
She lowered her head beside him, her golden eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.
"Go ahead, Grey."
Her voice was soft, almost affectionate.
"Let’s see what you become."