They had only taken a few steps away from the weapons storage when— suddenly…
the hurried sound of footsteps came from the direction of the village gate.
“Sir Rowan!”
Everyone instinctively turned.
A middle-aged man came running toward them as fast as he could.
His clothes were covered in mud.
His breathing was ragged.
Sweat drenched his face.
The moment he reached Rowan…
he immediately bent forward, trying to catch his breath.
Rowan recognized him.
He was one of Nareth Village’s senior hunters.
And Rowan immediately realized something.
If a hunter as composed as him was running like this…
then something had gone terribly wrong.
Rowan stepped closer.
“What happened?”
The man took several deep breaths before finally managing to speak.
“…Sir Rowan…”
“…Bren hasn’t returned yet.”
Rowan’s expression slowly hardened.
Bren.
One of the village’s most experienced hunters.
He was almost never late coming back.
Rowan asked shortly,
“When?”
The hunter answered immediately.
“This morning.”
“There were three of us.”
“Usually, before the sun reaches its highest point…”
“…we’re already back.”
“But…”
“…Bren disappeared.”
“We tried to search for him.”
“But we found nothing.”
Silence immediately fell over the weapons storage.
Finn, who had been relaxed moments ago, now wore a serious expression.
Kael folded his arms.
Lyra carefully absorbed every detail without interrupting.
Rowan asked another question.
“Were there any signs of a struggle?”
The hunter shook his head.
“No.”
“Bren’s footprints suddenly led toward the eastern forest.”
“Then…”
“…they disappeared.”
Rowan frowned slightly.
“Disappeared?”
The hunter nodded quickly.
“As if…”
“…he simply stopped walking.”
“Or…”
“…something took him.”
Before Rowan could respond…
another villager came running toward them.
Her face was pale.
Her eyes were filled with worry.
The moment she saw Rowan, she spoke.
“Sir Rowan!”
“My husband hasn’t come home either!”
“He should have returned this morning.”
Before she could finish…
another young man arrived.
“My brother hasn’t come back either.”
“He went into the forest to gather medicinal herbs.”
Within minutes…
the peaceful atmosphere of the village changed completely.
Several villagers began gathering around them.
They questioned one another.
Checking whether their own family members had returned.
Rowan raised a hand.
His voice remained calm, but firm enough to silence everyone once again.
“Everyone, stay calm.”
“I’ll lead the search.”
Those words alone…
were enough to ease the villagers’ panic.
They trusted Rowan.
For years, he had always been the one standing at the front whenever Nareth faced trouble.
Rowan turned toward Kael.
“Kael.”
Kael immediately straightened.
“Ready.”
“You take the rear.”
“Make sure no one falls behind.”
“Understood.”
Rowan then looked at Finn.
“Finn.”
“You’re the scout.”
“If you find anything…”
“…don’t act on your own.”
“Report it.”
Finn nodded without the slightest trace of his usual joking attitude.
“Understood.”
“Doran.”
“Carry the supplies and cover our flank.”
Doran nodded firmly.
“Got it.”
“Lyra.”
“Keep watch on our surroundings.”
“If you notice anything suspicious…”
“…let us know immediately.”
Lyra nodded.
“Understood.”
“Mira.”
“Bring the medical supplies.”
Mira immediately checked the small bag at her waist.
“Already packed.”
Only then did Rowan turn toward Aether.
The young man stood quietly beside the weapon rack.
He had not said a word since the report came in.
Rowan studied him for a moment.
Then he turned toward one of the racks inside the weapons storage.
His hand stopped on an iron sword stored at the very back.
Its sheath had faded with age.
Yet it had clearly been well maintained.
Rowan slowly drew the blade.
A thin glimmer of light reflected off the still-sharp steel.
He stared at the sword for a moment.
As though remembering something.
Then…
he walked over to Aether.
Rowan held the sword out.
“Use this.”
Aether looked slightly surprised.
“This… for me?”
Rowan nodded.
“A long time ago…”
“…this sword stayed at my side before I awakened my Vestige.”
“I carried it through countless battles.”
“But now…”
“…it’ll be more useful in your hands.”
Aether accepted the sword with both hands.
The weight felt just right.
Not too light.
Not too heavy.
He slowly fastened it to his waist.
Then looked at Rowan.
“…Thank you.”
Rowan gave a small nod.
Deep down…
he had already made his decision.
The swordsmanship he displayed earlier was enough to prove his skill.
Even though he isn’t a Vestiger…
he can still be relied upon.
On the battlefield…
not every victory was decided by Authority.
A swordsman with a solid grasp of the fundamentals…
could often defeat a Vestiger who relied too heavily on their power.
Rowan turned back toward the entire group.
His gaze swept over them one by one.
“From this moment on…”
“This is no longer training.”
“Our priority is finding every missing villager.”
“If they’re still alive…”
“…bring them home.”
“If the situation is beyond your capabilities…”
“…retreat.”
“Don’t take unnecessary risks.”
“Report back to me.”
Everyone nodded in unison.
“Understood.”
Rowan took his short spear from the weapon rack.
Then he headed toward the entrance of the weapons storage.
Kael moved to his right.
Finn immediately took several steps ahead of the group.
Doran slung a backpack over his shoulder, carrying ropes, a small axe, and various emergency supplies.
Lyra checked her bow and the quiver strapped to her back.
Mira made sure all the medicine and bandages were accounted for.
Meanwhile…
Aether walked at the very back.
One hand occasionally brushed against the hilt of the sword at his waist.
He remained calm.
Together with the village hunter, the group then left the village.
Behind them…
the people of Nareth could only watch with hopeful expressions.
No one could have imagined…
that their journey into the forest that day…
would mark the beginning of a chain of events…
that would one day change the fate of Nareth Village.
Nareth — Eastern Forest
The wooden gates of Nareth Village slowly closed behind them.
Eight people followed a narrow trail cutting through Eldergreen Forest.
At the front…
Finn led the group.
His body moved lightly between the trees.
His eyes constantly scanned the ground for any traces left behind.
A few steps behind him…
Kael walked beside Rowan.
Doran carried the search equipment.
Lyra occasionally looked toward the treetops.
Her bow was already in hand.
Mira walked in the middle of the group.
Meanwhile…
Aether remained at the very back.
His hand occasionally brushed against the sword Rowan had given him.
There was no more casual conversation.
The forest felt far quieter than usual.
…
About thirty minutes later…
Finn raised his hand.
The entire group immediately stopped.
Finn crouched down.
His fingers touched the slightly damp soil.
“There are footprints.”
Kael stepped closer.
“Bren’s?”
Finn nodded slowly.
“Same size.”
“The other two hunters came back through a different route.”
“But these…”
“…keep going deeper.”
Lyra examined them as well.
“They’re still fresh.”
“Probably less than half a day old.”
Rowan nodded.
“Keep moving.”
Finn continued forward.
The deeper they went into the forest…
the denser the trees became.
Less and less sunlight managed to break through the canopy.
The air had changed too.
Colder.
More humid.
At some point…
the birds had gone silent.
Doran frowned.
“That’s strange.”
“There are usually plenty of animals around here.”
Lyra noticed it too.
“…You’re right.”
“Not even a squirrel.”
Finn slowed his pace.
His eyes swept across the surroundings.
“I don’t see any animal tracks either.”
Rowan said nothing.
But his grip on his spear tightened.
…
A few minutes later…
Finn stopped again.
This time…
his expression had changed.
“…There’s something.”
Everyone immediately became alert.
Rowan stepped forward.
Finn pointed toward the ground.
The grass ahead was flattened.
Several bushes had been broken.
As if something large had passed through.
Kael knelt down.
His fingers touched one of the broken branches.
“Still fresh.”
Doran looked around.
“But there’s no blood.”
Lyra raised her bow slightly.
“These tracks…”
“…aren’t human.”
Silence descended once again.
Finn slowly followed the direction of the marks.
Not far.
Around thirty paces ahead…
he suddenly stopped.
His entire body went still.
“…Sir Rowan.”
His tone was completely different this time.
No jokes.
No smile.
Only tension.
Rowan immediately approached.
“What did you find?”
Finn didn’t answer right away.
He simply pointed ahead.
About thirty meters from where they stood…
the forest began to change.
The grass had withered.
Its color had turned brown.
The once-damp soil…
had hardened.
Tiny cracks spread across its surface.
The wild plants surrounding the area had wilted.
Their leaves had turned black.
Some had even crumbled into ash.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
“What happened here…?”
Everyone slowly moved closer.
The nearer they got…
the clearer the changes became.
The large trees still stood.
But their bark was covered in black cracks.
Their branches hung bare.
Even the air had changed.
Cold.
Unnatural.
Then…
they saw it.
A deer lay in the middle of the deadened area.
Its body was decaying.
But this was no ordinary decomposition.
Its skin had turned black.
Dark purple veins spread throughout its body.
Parts of its flesh had split apart.
From those cracks…
thin black-and-purple smoke slowly seeped out.
The smoke did not disappear.
Instead…
it lingered in the air.
Slowly swirling…
covering the deer’s remains and the ground around it.
As if the entire area had been shrouded in a thick mist carrying death.
Mira instinctively covered her nose.
“…It reeks…”
Doran took half a step back.
“That’s not an ordinary corpse.”
Rowan immediately raised one hand.
“Don’t come any closer.”
“Stay behind me.”
Everyone stopped.
Rowan’s eyes never left the deer’s remains.
His expression slowly grew more serious.
A few seconds later…
he exhaled quietly.
“…Corruption.”
Silence immediately fell over the group.
Finn frowned.
“Corruption?”
Rowan nodded slowly.
“I’ve seen it before.”
“Back when I was part of a mission guarding the Empire’s northern fortress.”
His gaze remained fixed on the corpse.
“Living creatures exposed to Abyss Mana gradually lose their sanity.”
“Their bodies begin to change.”
“If left unchecked…”
“…they eventually become Abyss Creations.”
Doran unconsciously tightened his grip on his spear.
“So…”
“…this deer hasn’t fully transformed yet?”
Rowan shook his head.
“Not yet.”
“But it’s only a matter of time.”
Lyra, who had been watching the deer all this time, finally spoke.
“I’ve read about it too.”
“In a history book about the Divine War.”
“Corruption doesn’t only alter living creatures.”
“It also contaminates the environment around them.”
She pointed toward the hardened soil.
The dead grass.
The trees beginning to blacken.
“Abyss Mana keeps seeping into the surroundings.”
“The soil dries out.”
“Plants wither.”
“And the contaminated area slowly spreads.”
Mira stared at the area with concern.
“…Then…”
“…couldn’t the village be affected by this terrible mana too?”
Rowan nodded slowly.
“It could.”
“That’s why Corruption can never be allowed to spread.”
Without another word…
Rowan raised his right hand.
Silvery mana began to flow, and several metal fragments detached from the tip of his spear, floating in the air before stretching and merging into dozens of thin steel blades.
Rowan swept his hand forward.
Authority of Steel.
The blades shot forward all at once, and in the space of a single breath the deer’s body was torn apart into dozens of pieces.
The fragments spun once more, shattering every remaining piece until nothing was left connected, then flowed back into Rowan’s spear.
The black-and-purple smoke that had surrounded the corpse slowly began to thin.
Rowan lowered his hand.
“If it has already reached this stage…”
“…never give a Corrupted creature the chance to develop into an Abyss Creation.”
Aether stared at what remained of the deer.
His expression was calm.
But…
something inside him had begun to stir.
For some reason…
just seeing the traces of Abyss Mana still lingering in the air…
made his chest feel tight.
An emotion he couldn’t explain slowly surfaced.
Anger.
Hatred.
Disgust.
His heartbeat quickened slightly.
His hand unconsciously tightened around the sword at his waist.
His eyes never left the remains.
Inside his mind…
a powerful impulse emerged.
It wasn’t fear.
Nor curiosity.
It was…
the desire to erase it.
Destroy it.
The words appeared in his mind without warning.
So clear.
So strong.
Aether frowned slightly.
He didn’t understand it himself.
Why could the sight of a single dead deer…
awaken such deep hatred within him?
Meanwhile…
Rowan continued examining the remains.
A few seconds later…
he let out a quiet breath.
His expression grew even darker.
“…This is no longer just a search for missing people.”
Everyone turned toward him.
Rowan looked at the contaminated area.
Then spoke in a heavy voice.
“…We may be dealing with something far more dangerous.”
Nareth Forest — A Search in Vain
The group continued deeper into the forest.
Rowan remained at the front, with Kael and Doran guarding the left and right sides of the group.
Finn repeatedly disappeared between the trees, only to return several minutes later with brief reports.
Lyra kept watch over their surroundings.
Mira and Aether walked in the middle alongside the village hunter, who had been guiding them from the beginning.
The forest grew quieter with every passing moment.
The only sound was the crunch of dry leaves beneath their feet.
At last, the hunter stopped beside a large tree.
He pointed toward the ground beneath it.
“Bren’s last tracks were here.”
Everyone immediately looked down.
The soil still showed the marks of bootprints.
But the trail ended right there.
No footprints leading back.
No signs of a struggle.
No blood.
As if the man had simply vanished.
Finn crouched down and pressed his fingers against the soil for several moments.
Then he shook his head.
“No fresh tracks.”
“If someone dragged him away…”
“…there would at least be some kind of trail.”
Lyra’s gaze moved from the trees to the ground, then toward the bushes.
“No traces of mana.”
“Nothing from a fight either.”
Doran exhaled softly.
“A person can just disappear like that?”
No one answered.
Rowan studied the area for a long moment.
Decades of experience on battlefields told him that something had happened here.
But every trace of it was gone.
“We move on.”
They followed a small river.
Checked several caves.
Tracked the paths commonly used by hunters, all the way into the deeper parts of the forest.
Once, through a break in the trees, they glimpsed the old hill on the eastern edge of Nareth, the one the villagers whispered hid a sealed gateway to the World of the Elves.
Rowan’s gaze lingered on it for a moment.
Everyone in the village knew of that old seal, and it had never poisoned so much as a blade of grass.
Whatever was killing this forest, it was not coming from there.
Yet the result remained the same.
No Bren.
No missing villagers.
No source of Corruption.
All they found were several dead animals, some already showing signs of Corruption, and every time they encountered one, Rowan destroyed the remains with his Authority before the Abyss Mana could spread any further.
The sun slowly began to sink toward the west.
The light filtering between the trees turned orange.
Finn returned from scouting.
“Nothing.”
“I checked all the way to the eastern cliffs.”
Kael stepped closer.
“I didn’t find anything either.”
Lyra lowered her bow.
“The traces of Abyssal Mana are disappearing too…”
“Maybe the source has moved.”
Her words left everyone silent.
If that was true…
then whatever was causing the Corruption in this forest…
was still moving.
Rowan looked toward the sky for a moment.
Then released a long breath.
“We’re heading back.”
“The forest is getting dark.”
“We’ll continue the search tomorrow morning.”
No one objected.
Forcing the search after nightfall would only increase the danger.
The group turned back.
Their steps felt heavier this time.
Each of them was lost in their own thoughts.
Aether walked in silence.
Every now and then, he looked back toward the trees.
For some reason…
that uneasy feeling still hadn’t disappeared.
As if…
something was watching them.
But whenever he turned around…
there was nothing.
Only rows of trees standing silently beneath the evening wind.
The journey home passed with little conversation.
Not long after…
the wooden gates of Nareth Village came into view in the distance.
The hunter who had been guiding them let out a relieved breath.
“Thank goodness…”
“We finally made it back.”
Usually, at this hour, several villagers would still be active around the gates.
Children would be running around.
Smoke would rise from the kitchens.
But…
that day felt different.
As they drew closer…
there was no laughter.
No conversation.
No children running out to greet them.
All they could hear…
was the wind whispering through the village’s wooden fences.
Finn slowed his pace.
Doran looked from side to side.
Kael frowned slightly.
Even the hunter from the village looked confused.
“…Strange.”
“It’s usually still busy around this time.”
Rowan stopped for a moment.
His gaze fixed on the gates of Nareth Village.
His expression remained calm.
But…
for the first time since entering the forest…
he felt a deep sense of unease.
Without saying a word…
he continued walking into the village.
The others followed immediately.
Nareth — The Village That Was Too Quiet
Their footsteps carried them through the wooden gates of Nareth Village.
At first, none of them thought anything was wrong.
Maybe…
the villagers had all gathered in the town square.
Or…
they were still busy with their work.
Finn looked from side to side.
“Hmm…”
“Where is everyone?”
Doran glanced around as well.
“Usually the kids are still running around at this hour.”
No answer.
They continued down the village’s main road.
The farther they walked…
the more obvious the silence became.
There was no sound of hammers from the blacksmith’s workshop.
No laughter from children.
No voices of women chatting.
Not even the smell of food that usually filled the air before evening.
All they could hear…
were their own footsteps.
Mira slowed down.
Her eyes swept across the houses on either side.
Several doors stood open.
Yet…
there was no one inside.
Finn called out.
“Hello!”
“Mr. Joren!”
“Master Bram!”
No one answered.
Doran called as well.
“Aunt Elna?”
“Kids?”
Still nothing.
Rowan’s expression slowly changed.
He quickened his pace.
The next few houses showed the same scene.
A basket of vegetables had fallen in front of one house.
The door was still open.
On the table…
there was food that had never been touched.
In another yard…
a bucket filled with water had been knocked over.
The water had already dried.
Kael stopped in front of one of the houses.
His eyes fell on a small wooden doll.
It lay abandoned on the ground.
As if…
its owner had been forced to drop it and leave.
Lyra studied the surroundings.
The longer she looked…
the more things felt wrong.
There were no signs of a battle.
No blood.
No damaged buildings.
And yet…
the village was empty.
As though the entire population had vanished at the same moment.
Mira tightened her grip on her staff.
“…Where did everyone go?”
No one could answer.
Rowan stopped in the middle of the village road.
His voice remained calm.
But it was far more commanding than before.
His orders came short and fast.
Kael would search the eastern side of the village, making sure there were still villagers left somewhere.
Doran would check every house without missing a single one.
Lyra was sent onto the rooftops to look for smoke or even the slightest movement, and Finn was to look for tracks and report anything he found.
Mira would stay in the middle, ready to treat any injured.
Rowan then turned toward the hunter who had accompanied them.
“You’re coming with me.”
The man nodded quickly.
Finally…
Rowan’s gaze settled on Aether.
“Come with me.”
Aether nodded slowly.
“…All right.”
Everyone immediately moved.
The village that was normally filled with life…
now held nothing but the sound of footsteps.
Finn ran through the village’s narrow streets.
His eyes darted in every direction.
Nothing.
No one.
He stopped for a moment.
Closed his eyes.
Took a deep breath.
Then…
slowly opened them again.
Mana began flowing throughout his body.
Overdrive.
Five percent.
No more.
Enough to sharpen his senses without putting unnecessary strain on his body.
Finn’s vision changed.
Tracks that had previously been almost invisible…
now became much clearer.
Footprints.
Wheel marks.
Broken branches.
Soil that had shifted slightly.
Finn followed the trail.
The farther he went…
the more serious his expression became.
There were…
far too many tracks.
Hundreds.
Perhaps more.
Then…
he stopped abruptly.
His eyes widened.
Across the ground…
were long drag marks.
Not one.
Not two.
But…
hundreds, overlapping one another until they formed a wide, trampled road.
They led out of the village.
Toward the eastern forest.
Finn held his breath.
Then shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Sir Rowan!!”
It didn’t take long…
before everyone had gathered.
Finn pointed toward the ground.
No one spoke.
Their eyes followed the direction of the drag marks.
Kael clenched his fists.
Doran tightened his jaw.
Lyra crouched down.
She carefully examined the marks.
Mira slowly covered her mouth.
“…This…”
Rowan crouched down as well.
His hand touched the soil.
He studied the tracks for a long moment.
Then raised his head.
“There’s no blood.”
Everyone immediately looked at him.
Rowan continued.
“Which means…”
“…there’s a good chance they’re still alive.”
The words brought a small wave of relief.
Still alive.
There was still hope.
Finn pointed ahead again.
“All of these tracks…”
“…lead toward the eastern forest.”
Lyra immediately realized something.
“The eastern forest…”
“That’s…”
“…the area we searched earlier.”
Silence fell once again.
Kael slowly understood what it meant.
While they had been searching for Bren…
the villagers had been taken through another route.
They…
were too late.
But…
not completely.
Rowan stood.
His gaze once again became as sharp as a battlefield commander’s.
There was not even a trace of panic on his face.
Only resolve.
Rowan turned toward the village hunter who had remained with them.
“You stay here.”
The man looked startled.
“…What?”
Rowan remained calm.
“If the entire village really was taken away…”
“…then this place is no longer safe.”
“Lock the gates.”
“If we haven’t returned by tomorrow morning…”
“…go to the nearest city.”
“Report everything to the Imperial Military outpost there.”
The hunter immediately shook his head.
“But, Sir Rowan—”
Rowan cut him off.
“That’s an order.”
The man fell silent.
A few seconds later…
he finally lowered his head.
“…Understood.”
Rowan turned back toward his group.
Kael had drawn his sword.
Doran hoisted his spear onto his shoulder.
Lyra raised her bow.
Mira took a deep breath and tightened her grip on her staff.
Finn deactivated Overdrive.
Then slowly exhaled.
There was no trace of his usual humor left in his eyes.
Meanwhile…
Aether gripped the hilt of the sword Rowan had given him.
His expression remained calm.
But…
for some reason…
his heart was beating slightly faster.
The uneasy feeling that had followed him through the forest…
was now much stronger.
As if…
something was waiting for them.
Rowan turned his gaze toward the eastern forest.
His voice was firm.
“We’re leaving.”
“We can’t waste any more time.”
No one answered.
They simply ran.
The silhouettes of the seven figures slowly disappeared between the trees.
Silence once again settled over Nareth Village.
The evening wind drifted gently through the streets.
In the middle of the village road…
a small wooden sword belonging to one of the children— the same sword they had used that morning to imitate Aether’s fighting style— lay abandoned.
There was no more laughter.
No more cheering.
Only silence…
as if it were waiting for a tragedy to come.
Hope y like it!