Chapter 44: First Target

The Jeju Forest loomed along the western edge of the viscounty like an open, festering wound upon the earth.

Sprawling across hundreds of square miles, it was a dark, suffocating expanse dominated by ancient, twisted trees bearing ink-black leaves that absorbed the sunlight rather than reflecting it.

Above the jagged canopy, thick clouds of heavy, obsidian-tinted mist hung perpetually motionless, sealing the woodland in an eerie, endless twilight.

To a normal human, the dense, unrefined abyssal mana radiating from the black woods was suffocating—a sickening pressure that smelled of ozone, scorched iron, and rotting bone.

To Dark Sister, however, it was home.

She was an Abomination herself, a proud Child of the Abyss.

As she soared over the dark canopy, her broad wings catching the thermal currents rising from the corrupted soil, her massive reptilian lungs inhaled the raw, dark mana with pure, instinctual satisfaction.

She let out a low, purring huff, her glowing violet eyes scanning the black forest below.

High upon her back, Craig leaned forward into the whistling wind, his crimson hair fluttering wildly against his dark battle suit.

His golden eyes glowed with an intense, supernatural radiance.

Thanks to the biological perfection of his Divine Draconic Physique, his heightened senses pierced through the thick obsidian clouds as if they were thin silk.

He could hear the snapping of twigs miles away, smell the metallic tang of beast blood wafting from the underbrush, and visually track the faint, glowing mana signatures of the creatures lurking beneath the black leaves.

"One... two... three... four..." Craig muttered under his breath, methodically counting the beasts moving below.

He was recording the exact numbers and territorial clusters of the 1st-Tier Abominations in his mind, cataloging their coordinates while simultaneously scouting for far more dangerous variables:

2nd-Tier Abominations.

In the complex power balance of the Superhuman world, dispatching a 1st-Tier Abomination was no simple task.

Under ordinary circumstances, it required a coordinated squad of at least four well-trained Sword Apprentices to safely hunt and kill a single 1st-Tier beast—and even then, success heavily depended on whether a Ranker was present to lead them, as well as the specific biological traits of the Abomination in question.

Armor-plated beasts required brute force, while venomous or avian types required specialized tactics.

There were simply too many lethal variables.

A seasoned Sword Runner, on the other hand, possessed enough physical speed and refined mana to cut down a 1st-Tier Abomination single-handedly.

When it came to 2nd-Tier Abominations, however, the fundamental nature of the threat shifted completely.

A 2nd-Tier beast no longer relied solely on mindless, predatory instinct.

They were crude, ruthless, and often possessed a terrifying, predatory intelligence depending on their species.

Facing a single 2nd-Tier Abomination in its natural habitat was vastly more dangerous and unpredictable than clashing with a pack of ten 1st-Tier beasts.

Because Craig had not yet officially stepped into the Sword Runner class, he remained intensely vigilant of these higher-tier threats.

Based on his past-life knowledge and current aerial reconnaissance, Craig knew that the Jeju Forest housed at least one or two hidden 2nd-Tier Abominations, alongside a massive population of roughly two hundred 1st-Tier beasts lurking across its four distinct cardinal zones.

An hour of meticulous aerial mapping passed in silence.

Looking toward the dusty eastern horizon, Craig spotted the approaching military column of the Myrain Viscounty drawing close to the outer perimeter of the Jeju Forest.

The steel armor of the thirty knights gleamed under the pale sunlight, followed closely by the long, disciplined lines of one hundred and fifty foot soldiers and heavy supply wagons.

Leaning close to the dragon’s ear, Craig issued a crisp, clear command in the ancient tongue of his bloodline:

"Rha’klor, Dark Sister!"

(Turn, Dark Sister!)

Dark Sister obeyed instantly.

Tilting her massive left wing, she executed a sharp, fluid banked turn in mid-air, sweeping her long tail behind her as she redirected her flight path straight toward the advancing army.

Down on the dirt road, the soldiers looked up in sudden, instinctual terror.

Despite having seen the dragon earlier at the castle, the common infantry simply could not get used to the suffocating, terrifying existence of a true dragon looming above them.

The armored war stallions panicked, whinnying loudly and rearing back on their hind legs, their iron shoes kicking up clouds of dirt.

The knights quickly pulled their reins tight, barking stern orders and using their mana to soothe the frightened mounts.

As they reached the head of the military column, Craig called out his next command in High Darkstarian:

"Valthor, Dark Sister!"

(Descend, Dark Sister!)

Dark Sister spread her massive wings wide, catching the air to break her momentum as she glided downward.

BOOM!

Her heavy talons slammed onto the dirt road directly before the front line, kicking up a massive dust cloud that forced the vanguard to shield their eyes.

The entire marching column ground to an immediate halt.

Ser Gunther and Ser Hughway dismounted their horses without delay, throwing their reins to nearby squires as they marched briskly through the settling dust toward the stationary dragon.

Craig unbuckled his leather harness, smoothly slid down Dark Sister’s massive wing, and stepped onto the solid earth.

He pulled down his leather riding gloves, stepping forward to meet his two commanders.

"Welcome back, Lord Viscount," Ser Hughway greeted, bowing his head slightly before getting straight to the point. "What did your eyes reveal from above the canopy?"

Craig offered a calm, confident smile. "The forest is teeming with life. I counted over two hundred 1st-Tier Abominations distributed across the four sectors of the Jeju Forest."

He paused, sweeping his golden eyes over the two commanders as he broke down the regional ecology.

"The beasts are divided into four primary dominant races, each ruling a distinct territory with roughly fifty beasts per herd," Craig explained clearly.

"In the moist swamplands of the East, we have the Namphilian Frogars. The rocky crags of the West belong to the Thunder Buffalos. The dark northern thickets are held by Three-Headed Rhinos. And finally, the fertile grasslands along the southern edge are occupied by a massive herd of Red-Scaled Sheep."

Ser Gunther nodded, his expression turning grave as he asked the crucial follow-up question. "And what of higher-tier threats, my Lord? Did you spot any signs of a 2nd-Tier Abomination lurking near the tree line?"

Craig slowly shook his head, taking a deep, steady breath of the crisp forest air.

"I spotted zero active 2nd-Tier beasts roaming the outer perimeter," Craig revealed smoothly.

"However... my senses caught a single faint, deep mana signature slumbering deep within the dark central heart of the forest. As long as we do not cross into the central core, they will remain dormant."

Craig turned his gaze toward the southern edge of the dark woodland, a sharp, calculating glint flashing in his eyes.

"We will begin our raid at the southern border," Craig declared, his voice carrying clearly to the nearby captains.

"Our very first target will be the Red-Scaled Sheep herd."

***

AUTHOR NOTE: Hello guys, We’ll be going premium since we’ve reached the end of the month.

I truly want to thank you all for your support during this past two weeks, your powerstones, your gifts, your golden tickets, your comments and your dedication to read every Chapter I dropped.

I know some parts may be confusing especially when it comes to the power system, I’ll be dropping an auxiliary Chapter to explain some things while the rest will be explained in the later Chapters.

I do not want to spoil anything.

And also I will be mass releasing 50 Chapters within the first few days as October begins.

Don’t forget to vote with your powerstones, your golden tickets. Your gifts are much more appreciated 😊

For every 100 Golden Tickets, I’ll be mass releasing 5-10 Chapters.

For every Super Gifts, I’ll be mass releasing 5-10 Chapters.

Thank you.