No second chances

The heart of the serpentine beast was as big as the head of an adult and barely fit within Orion's grasp.

After observing the surroundings for any new threats, Orion looked at the beating heart in his hand again. It was a mana heart, the very reason he was out hunting this creature in the first place. After giving it an indifferent glance once more, he put the heart away in his dimensional ring and jumped down from the dead creature. Then without wasting any time, he immediately dashed toward the crypt.

The Crypt - that's what the Secret Order had named the facility where Orion was living right now.

The body parts of the giant serpent were useful in many ways, but he had lots of them stored at the crypt already. Even if he wanted to retrieve them, he didn't have time to collect them as his fight with the giant serpent had caused quite a commotion within the forest. Other beasts should be already on their way here, including some even Orion didn't want to confront, not for now at least.

Orion had already ascended to the illustrious stage of the silver mana core, a feat that most could only dream of achieving. Yet, despite his newfound strength, the Death Forest still loomed as a perilous place, not to be ventured into lightly.

In the hallowed library of the Secret Order, ancient tomes revealed the existence of many wondrous and fearsome creatures that roamed within the depths of this forest, some surpassing even the mightiest of mages of the white mana core.

These were no ordinary beings; they were the very essence of ancient legends that became real under these shades. All in their glory, the mythical mana Beasts.

Fortunately, Orion haven't encountered any of such beings until now. It had been eight months since Orion had achieved the silver mana core, eight months since he had received the long-awaited permission to leave the crypt to venture outside.

It was a mesmerizing experience to be able to witness the outside world. He felt like he had stepped into, a completely different dimension. The green of the forest appeared more alive than the ashen walls he had stared at his whole life.

"You wouldn't be able to resist the allure of it," his grandfather used to say whenever Lisa asked him to let her have just a single glance outside.

"It should have been her witnessing it?" Orion thought, but just the simple memory of his sister caused Orion to grit his teeth, the image of her last visage immediately taking over his mind. The visage of her rotten face made him recall his failure again and again. He had turned fourteen just two months ago, and it had been nearly four years since he had arrived at the crypt, four whole years since Lisa had left the world.

But it still felt like yesterday's event, vividly etched into his psyche like fostering wound. Orion made a fist of his hand and began to sprint even faster just to shake away those images from his mind and thought about how he had achieved the right to leave instead.

Orion had to fill the runic circle with his own mana if he wished go outside, that too in a single attempt, a simple ritual to open the main entrance. Initially, he was frustrated by the imposed restrictions of achieving the silver stage, to leave the crypt, but as he delved into the book a little further, he came to understand the rationale behind such cautionary measures.

For the Death Forest was a place where survival was earned and not freely granted. Here, one had to be at least a silver core mage, for only then can you have the chance of facing the myriad perils that lurked within this place called Death Forest.

Orion had been fortunate thus far, avoiding nightmarish creatures beyond his power, though it could be also called the result of a combination of wit and magic. Perhaps it was simply the reluctance of those mightiest beasts to emerge from their lairs that had spared him, yet he knew better than to tempt fate. To minimize the possibility of such harrowing encounters, Orion swiftly departed from his earlier battleground and made his way back to the sanctuary.

Journeying deeper into the heart of the forest, the crypt held a strategic position, nestled not too close to the perilous center yet not too close to the forest's edge. Running through the dense undergrowth, Orion soon reached a particular point at the base of a towering mountain. This location was considerably distant from where he had faced the colossal serpent, but with his newfound mastery of the wind element after achieving silver core, his speed was nothing to be scoffed at.

After what can be called few minutes run, orion arrived at the foundation of towering mountain. Without lingering, He pressed his palm against the rugged mountainside, his arm adorned with golden-red runes began to radiate with a crimson glow, and his hand penetrated the rocky surface like a hot knife passes through butter, seamlessly passing through, emerging on the other side without any resistance.

Standing still on otherside, orion contemplated the sensation he experienced just now. It was unlike the chaotic disarray of a dimensional portal he had used to come here; instead, it felt akin to sinking into a deep ocean, only to be expelled out on the opposite end the next moment.

Regardless of how many times he ventured through this entrance, he couldn't help but marvel at the crypt's enchanting magic of runes – a testament to the remarkable power of the Secret Order.

After returning to his chamber, Orion wasted no time in drawing a scalding bath. He had been on the tail of that giant serpent for about a week now, which had left him in dire need of such respite. He had shadowed the creature, biding his time for the perfect opportunity to strike while avoiding other creatures at the same time.

It was quite a hard maneuver, but he never embarked on a hunt without meticulous preparation, never lowering his guard against his prey. For in this deadly realm, there was no room for error, no second chances.

If he were to quote the tomes from the Order's library: "Death could manifest in any form in these shades, befalling the strong and the weak alike."