Chapter 75: Second Hunt Finale [4]

To understand the weight of the shadow lingering within the central thickets of the Jeju Forest, one had to understand the terrifying hierarchy of the Abyssal corruption.

What exactly was a 2nd-Tier Abomination?

Every animal, beast, or mortal human that succumbed to the horrific, chaotic radiation of the Abyss began their evolutionary descent at the 1st-Tier.

Even at this baseline level, these mutated monsters existed far beyond the realm of ordinary human physical limits.

A single 1st-Tier Abomination possessed enough kinetic force to decimate stone buildings with a single blow, requiring an entire organized squad of mundane soldiers or standard Sword Apprentices to hunt down and slay.

Yet, within the 1st-Tier, there existed a distinct ceiling.

Beasts that reached the absolute peak of this baseline tier would undergo a terrifying mutation:

Awakening a unique, specialized trait and gaining primitive alpha control over lower 1st-Tiers.

Where it usually took four to six standard Sword Apprentices to slay a normal 1st-Tier Abomination, a single elite Ranker Sword Apprentice possessed enough refined combat skill to handle one alone.

However, fighting a 1st-Tier Abomination with an awakened trait was an entirely different nightmare.

It required at least two Ranker Sword Apprentices working in absolute sync, or a true Sword Runner superhuman to reliably hunt it down without casualties.

When it came to the 2nd-Tier, however, the evolutionary scale took a massive, catastrophic leap.

Every single 2nd-Tier Abomination possessed an awakened trait by default.

They grew to thrice the physical size of average 1st-Tier beasts, their raw muscle density and physical prowess increased by ten folds, and their bodies contained immense reserves of concentrated Abyssal mana.

Most terrifyingly, they began to gain a subtle, insidious level of true animal sentience—allowing them to plan ambushes, evaluate threats, and utilize primitive tactics.

These abominations were not overly rare, yet they were never common.

By imperial classification, a designated C-level danger zone was almost always ruled by a singular 2nd-Tier Abomination serving as the domain’s absolute overlord.

In comparison, B-level danger zones were governed by nightmare 3rd-Tier threats, while A-level danger zones were terrorized by catastrophic 4th-Tier entities.

The 2nd-Tier Abomination Craig was currently facing originated from the Red-Scaled Deer species—a mutated, giant Alpha variant.

Through the drifting curtains of ash and burning embers, Craig locked his eyes onto the far edge of the grove.

Though the dense smoke obscured its exact features, he could clearly see its gigantic, towering silhouette standing amidst the charred ironwood trees.

An overwhelming, heavy pressure rolled off the creature, thick with dark Abyssal mana that caused the ambient air to vibrate violently.

Craig could feel the creature’s cold, calculating gaze locked onto him from the shadows, evaluating the human who had dared to scorch its territory.

Naturally, any ordinary Sword Apprentice standing before such an apex terror would be paralyzed with primal fear.

Yet, Craig felt no fear.

A wild, electric thrill surged through his veins, making his blood boil with intense combat hunger. His lips curled into an unhinged, confident smirk.

SWOOSH!

Without waiting a single second, Craig kicked off the scorched earth, dashing straight into the burning depths of the central area!

Behind him, Dark Sister watched her master sprint into the smoke.

She let out a frustrated, smoky snort through her nostrils, her long tail thrashing against the earth in irritation.

Though her instinct screamed at her to protect her sovereign, she dared not disobey Craig’s direct, absolute command to stand down.

To distract her restless agitation, the colossal 4th-Tier Dragon turned her dark gaze toward the outer sectors of the forest and went on a mindless rampage.

Spreading her wings, she swept across the treeline, unleashing torrential waves of violet-crimson dragonfire to incinerate whole packs of fleeing beasts, casually snapping up burning 1st-Tier corpses in her massive jaws to feast upon their meat.

Meanwhile, Craig’s boots blurred across the forest floor as he plunged deeper into the central woods.

The further he ran, the thicker and more suffocating the pitch-black mist became.

The surrounding temperature plunged dramatically, turning his warm breath into pale vapor.

The trees here were ancient, twisted ironwoods with roots like coiled sea serpents, shrouded in a dark haze that reduced visibility to mere meters.

Craig’s senses were stretched to their absolute maximum.

The rhythmic beat of his activated Dragon’s Heart echoed inside his ears like a heavy war drum, amplifying his reflexes and spatial awareness.

Suddenly, Craig’s golden eyes widened to pinpricks.

BOOM!

A violent gust of wind tore through the mist as a massive, century-old ironwood tree—over thirty feet tall and three feet thick—was hurled through the air like a wooden javelin, flying straight toward Craig’s head at breakneck speed!

Craig didn’t flinch.

Bending his knees, he pushed off the damp earth with explosive power, vaulting over twenty feet into the chilly air.

The massive trunk whistled dangerously beneath his boots, smashing into the ground behind him with a deafening crash that sent dirt and splintered wood flying in all directions.

Mid-air, Craig twisted his frame, his dark golden eyes narrowing to sharp slits as he pierced through the dark fog below.

There, standing quietly within the pitch-black shadows of the ironwood grove, a pair of glowing, predatory orange eyes stared directly up at him.

Ser Hughway and Ser Damian skidded to a abrupt halt at the edge of the ironwood grove, their boots carving deep grooves into the scorched, ash-laden earth.

Before them lay the dark, gaping archway leading into the central depths—the exact point where Viscount Craig had vanished just minutes prior.

Ser Hughway’s gaze darkened significantly as he swept his eyes across the clearing.

The ground was an utter bloodbath.

Dozens of 1st-Tier Abomination corpses lay charred and mangled across the clearing, their flesh still smoking from the unnatural heat of Dark Sister’s breath.

The veteran Sword Master slowly turned his head toward the left flank, where the colossal form of Dark Sister was currently tearing through the forest like a force of nature.

Her terrifying roars echoed through the woods, accompanied by the violent crackle of incinerating trees and the sickening sound of her massive jaws crushing monster bones.

She was feasting and rampaging entirely on her own—completely detached from Craig’s presence.

Inhaled deeply, Ser Hughway let the ash-laden air fill his lungs before letting out a slow, heavy breath.

The reality of the situation was crystal clear.

"The Lord Viscount has deliberately ventured into the deepest sector alone," Ser Hughway spoke, his voice dropping into a low, deadly register that cut through the roaring flames nearby.

He adjusted his grip on his heavy longsword, his knuckles turning pale white. "And that means the 2nd-Tier Abomination is in there with him right now."

Ser Hughway turned his head slightly, his cold, hardened eyes locking onto the young First Dragonknight beside him.

"Prepare yourself, Damian," Hughway commanded, his aura flaring with suffocating intensity. "We step into those shadows with one singular purpose. Should our Lord be in peril, we lay down our lives without hesitation to ensure his safety."

Ser Damian’s face hardened into stone.

The hesitation and excitement from earlier completely vanished, replaced by an unshakeable, lethal resolve.

He unclipped his sword’s safety strap, his fingers tightening around the hilt as he looked into the pitch-black, mist-shrouded depths.

"Understood, Commander," Damian answered quietly, his voice burning with absolute devotion.

"My blade belongs to the Viscount."

Without another word, both men crossed the threshold into the dark mist, racing after their master.