Guide

Thud...

Ash collapsed to his knees, alien energy seeping into his bones.

A large amount of information flooded his mind, causing his head to throb with intensity. The process took only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity for Ash.

"Damn..."

Feeling as if his brains were melting he released a painful groan. His eyes immediately darted at the sword he had just touched.

He was a bit shaken.

According to the information he just received, all of these weapons in the graveyard were 'Guides', objects with a fragment of Light, containing information or knowledge embedded within them. The knowledge stored in these particular Guides were about the Hunter Academy.

'So this is what the doctor meant, saying that there would be a guide...'

With a sigh, Ash rose from the ground and pulled the sword from the dirt. Then, he glanced at the direction of the lush forest.

From the information injected by the Guide, Ash learned the location of the Hunter Academy. To reach it, he had to just simply pass through the forest.

However, although the guide didn't mention anything about the dangers that lurked in the greenery, Ash knew better than to assume it would be a breeze. He was given a weapon for a reason.

He didn't even trust the guide's information completely. To his knowledge, all the info he was given could be misleading or outright false. Ash couldn't trust anything but himself.

However, for now, he had no other choice.

Clasp...

Gripping the sword tighter, he approached the forest entrance. The dim glow of the lanterns ended abruptly, replaced by an inky blackness that seemed to pulsate with an unseen energy.

The air grew thick and humid, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and decay. An unnatural silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the occasional rustle of unseen creatures in the undergrowth.

His every instinct screamed at him to turn back, to find another way, anywhere but this oppressive darkness. The thought of facing the unknown forest unarmed left a cold pit in his stomach.

"I'm walking into my own death..."

With a deep breath, he sneered. He knew there was no turning back now.

Hesitantly, Ash stepped past the threshold, the forest floor crunching softly beneath his boots. He squinted into the gloom, his vision struggling to adjust. Every shadow seemed to writhe and twist, taking on monstrous shapes in his wary mind.

Crack...

A twig snapped behind him, sending a jolt of adrenaline through his system. He spun around, his hands gripping the hilt of the sword. His heart hammered in his chest, but there was nothing there, only the unsettling silence mocking him.

A bead of sweat trickled down his temple. Every sound, every rustle became amplified, his senses on high alert.

As he ventured deeper, the air grew colder, carrying a faint chill that seemed to seep into his bones.

Bioluminescent mushrooms peeked out from the damp undergrowth, casting an eerie greenish glow on the forest floor. Strange, pulsating lights flickered in the distance, dancing amongst the trees like malevolent eyes.

The air grew heavy with the cloying scent of rotting vegetation, a suffocating blanket that choked out any hope of a fresh breeze.

The path, if it could even be called that, was a winding labyrinth of tangled roots and fallen branches. Each step was a gamble, the ground potentially masking a hidden crevice or a treacherous hollow.

"What is this damn place..."

Ash cursed under his breath, his progress slow and painstaking. The longer he remained in this oppressive darkness, the more his pessimism began to gnaw at him.

Creak...

Suddenly, a high-pitched shriek tore through the silence, sending shivers down his spine. It was unlike any sound he had ever heard, a mix of screech and howl that sent chills down his spine.

He froze, eyes darting around in the darkness, searching for the source. Then, from the inky depths of the forest, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared, reflecting the bioluminescent light.

They blinked once, then vanished as quickly as they had appeared.

"Phantom..."

Ash's breath hitched in his throat. He wasn't alone.

Gripping the hilt of his sword tighter, he began to slowly move backwards. Fear clawed at his chest, his inner voice screamed at him to run, even tears threatened to escape his eyes.

'I've only become an Enchanted Human less than an hour ago, how am I supposed to defeat a Phantom!?'

Ash screamed internally, feeling his heart race and his legs turn to jelly.

However, even with fear breathing down his neck, Ash knew...

He couldn't outrun it, not in this dense undergrowth. He had to stand his ground, even if his legs trembled.

"Curse it!"

Slowly, he raised the sword, the metal cool and reassuring in his grip.

He strained his ears, the forest a cacophony of rustling leaves and the distant chirping of unseen insects. The silence that followed the shriek was even more unsettling. He knew it was out there, watching him, waiting for him to make a mistake.

Huff...

Taking another shaky breath, Ash inched forward.

Although he will most likely die, he would at least give it a shot. He didn't live in the streets for the majority of his life, scraping by for survival, only to give up on his life so easily now.

Crack...

Suddenly, a twig snapped to his right. Ash whirled around, his heart pounding like a frantic tattoo against his ribs. He saw nothing but a tangle of gnarled roots and the pulsating glow of a bioluminescent mushroom.

Had he imagined it?

Just as doubt began to creep in, a high-pitched whine echoed through the trees, closer this time. The red eyes reappeared, this time accompanied by a shadowy form that seemed to blend into the darkness.

This time, the creature didn't disappear. It even took a step forward, its frame temporarily being illuminated by the dim light of the bioluminescent fungi.

"Damn..."