Luke leapt onto a massive branch, his body far too light for someone carrying that many weapons and intentions. The landing was almost silent, just a faint tremor rippling through the wood beneath his feet. He did not slow down. If anything, he accelerated, pushing off again and weaving through the trunks as if the terrain belonged to him.

  “Hey! I’m not that agile, don’t just take off like that!” Layla shouted, her voice echoing from several yards below.

  Luke ignored her. He climbed higher, using thick branches for leverage, vanishing for moments at a time behind dense foliage. The forest here was not just thick. The air felt heavy, watchful, like the place itself was tracking every movement.

  “You want to go to the Spore Forest, don’t you?” Layla’s voice came from below.

  Luke stopped. Silence settled over the area for a few seconds before he dropped back down with the same ease, landing in front of her.

  “You know which direction it is?”

  “Of course I do. I’m extremely useful.”

  “Then tell me.”

  “Just like that?”

  Luke studied her for a moment, weighing whether the conversation was worth the effort. Then he turned, already preparing to move on alone.

  “The faster I handle this, the faster you go back to Maine. But fine, I’ll find it either way. A forest covered in green mist should be easy to spot from a distance.”

  He took a step.

  “Alright, alright, I’ll tell you!” she said quickly, hurrying to catch up.

  Luke stopped but did not turn right away.

  “Look, it’s a dangerous place. Everyone talks about it. There are beasts, powerful monsters, and the air itself is toxic. The deeper you go, the deadlier it gets.”

  Layla took a deep breath, as if organizing her memories before continuing.

  “And the alchemists have the advantage of making antidotes to protect themselves, which makes it the perfect place for them. And besides…”

  She hesitated for a brief second.

  Maybe that’s where one of the treasure sites is.

  Luke gave no outward reaction, but the information fit far too neatly to ignore. He clearly remembered that part of the meeting. Cassandra speaking in a low voice. Peter listening closely. A detail tossed aside like an afterthought, now suddenly heavy with meaning.

  “I’ve been to the exit base once,” Layla continued. “It’s near the mountains, past the Black Ravine. The forest is west of the ravine.”

  “Ravine?”

  “It’s massive. Like a black tear dropping into an abyss. There are giant worms down there. Arcadia is to the east. The mountains are to the north. We’re way down south.”

  The moment she finished, Luke took off at a run, decisive, without looking back.

  “Wait, you bastard! Don’t leave me alone in this place!”

  Layla’s voice faded behind him as he plunged into the undergrowth, the vegetation swallowing his silhouette in seconds.

  Luke stepped off the path and into the brush, slowing his pace just enough to focus. For a brief moment, the world around him seemed to recede as he turned inward. Angie and Charlie slipped out of his soul, materializing at his side as if they had always been there, merely unseen.

  Layla emerged seconds later, breathing hard, gripping her bow tightly.

  “Don’t scare me like that and… wait. Who are they?” she said, instinctively raising the weapon.

  “Hello again, Master Luke.”

  “Greetings, my lord.”

  Luke lifted a hand in a simple gesture, signaling that everything was under control.

  “Layla, these are members of my team who were waiting for me here. Charlie and Angie,” Luke said. “And team, this is Layla. Unfortunately, she’ll be traveling with us.”

  Layla narrowed her eyes, studying the two with renewed attention.

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  “You’re the knight who traveled with him during the tutorial?”

  “A pleasure, Miss Layla. My name is Charlie,” she replied with a polite nod. “Yes, I was the one accompanying him back then. I’ve seen you a few times, but we never really had the chance to talk.”

  “And this is Angie,” Luke added.

  “It’s not a pleasure to meet you, but… pleasure,” Angie said, removing her helmet.

  Layla’s eyes widened instantly.

  “Y-you’re gray?”

  “Of course she’s gray, Layla. Are you not literally seeing the color gray?” Luke replied dryly.

  “I’m a humanoid familiar,” Angie said, slipping smoothly into her disguise.

  “A familiar? Wow. That’s expensive. You look just like the statues from the tutorial.”

  “I was one of those statues. That’s where I was found.”

  “That explains a lot,” Layla muttered.

  Not long after, the group resumed walking. Luke filled Charlie in on everything that had happened over the last day, recounting the events plainly, without embellishment. Angie already knew most of it, having spoken with him earlier, and moved in silence, alert and scanning their surroundings.

  As they advanced, Luke opened his system interface, the notification hovering before his eyes.

  [Your Class Skill Profane Knife Throwing has evolved into Advanced Knife Throwing.]

  He had expected something like this. It was one of the advantages of Rank E. Certain skills could evolve, growing stronger alongside their user. Not all of them. Only those that met specific requirements, many of which were hidden or tied to concrete achievements.

  Luke tapped the notification, bringing up two descriptions. The old one appeared first.

  [Profane Knife Throwing (Uncommon)]: Thrown blades pierce more efficiently, reducing the enemy’s chance to dodge upon impact. There is also a small chance to inflict Bleed, causing the target to lose HP over time.

  Below it, the new version.

  [Advanced Knife Throwing (Rare)]: Mastery of thrown blades has reached a new level. Projectiles now maintain perfect stability in flight, penetrating armor with greater ease. The chance to inflict Bleed is increased, and precise hits apply Hemorrhage, amplifying damage over time. Consecutive attacks against the same target slightly increase the accuracy and damage of each subsequent throw.

  Luke closed the interface and kept walking, already adjusting his instincts to account for the changes.

  ***

  A week had passed since Layla began traveling alongside the bastard. He was the worst person in the world. Moody, impatient, and determined to remind her several times a day that he truly did not care about her. It was not simple indifference. It felt like he took pleasure in making that clear.

  As if that were not enough, the bastard also made her cut open the creatures he killed, just to check whether they had cores. Apparently for some kind of psychotic beast-core collection.

  “I’m going to take a bath,” Layla announced.

  “And?” the bastard replied, completely focused as he stirred potions in his cauldron.

  “I-it’s n-n-not for you to go into the forest now!” she snapped.

  “Layla, why would I be interested in watching you? Even Artemis isn’t interested in you,” he said flatly.

  “Yeah, Layla, your body does absolutely nothing for me,” added that irritating, chatty voice that loved mocking her.

  Layla clenched her fists, her face burning with rage.

  “Master Luke, lunch will be ready soon,” Charlie said gently.

  Layla did not understand it. How could someone so kind and well-mannered walk around with that bastard?

  When Charlie stepped away, Layla followed, lowering her voice.

  “Why do you stay with that jerk? Is he blackmailing you or something?”

  “Master Luke is very good to me, Layla. I don’t like it when you talk about him like that,” Charlie replied.

  Good to you? He’s the worst person alive.

  ***

  Night fell. The camp was quiet, broken only by the soft crackle of the fire and the distant sounds of the forest. Luke was now very close to the Spore Forest. Even from a distance, something about it felt wrong. The air was heavier, almost viscous, and a greenish mist gathered between the far trees, as if the forest itself breathed something toxic.

  Over the past few days, Angie had made considerable progress. Upon reaching level 15 in her class, she unlocked and selected a new skill.

  [Valykrie Charge (Rare)]: The Valkyrie surges forward in a straight line, covering a short distance with power and precision. The strike deals moderate physical damage and can destabilize the enemy on impact, making it ideal for breaking defenses or initiating close combat.

  She was already approaching level 20. Luke watched her growth closely, assessing how it could be leveraged in upcoming battles. He had progressed as well. Now level 15 in the Witch class, he had made his choice.

  [Cursed Weapon Throw (Rare)]: By combining [Curse] and [Cursed Weapon], the Witch can now throw weapons while keeping the curse effect active even without physical contact. Ideal for injuring enemies with a curse embedded in the weapon itself.

  It was exactly the kind of skill that fit his combat style. The next step was clear: enter the forest and locate the fourth treasure site. He needed it to reach the temple. Without it, the path simply did not come together.

  That night, already inside his tent, Luke sat down and focused. He closed his eyes, directing energy outward. A glow formed in front of him, expanding until it touched the tent floor.

  “Hm? What happened?” a voice asked from within the light.

  The glow condensed, taking shape, until a small wyvern hatchling appeared before him, still half asleep.

  “Well, Franky, long time no see,” Luke said casually.

  “Human? Oh, right. For a moment I forgot you existed. You woke me from my sleep,” the hatchling muttered, blinking slowly.

  “Yeah.”

  “This place is different. It doesn’t feel like your home.”

  “It’s a home in the New World. I’m still on that personal mission I told you about. But I’ve made some progress on what we agreed.”

  The deal was simple. Luke would gather enough cores to make Franky stronger. Once that was done, they would part ways, each pursuing their own goals.

  “I’ll have to explain a few things about where we are,” Luke continued. “By the way, you once said you grow stronger with beast cores, right? I have a few.”

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