"Seriously, what the hell is this world?" Ian muttered under his breath, frustration thick in his voice. Fire mana roared to life around him, weaving itself into astral energy within his Spear Heart. The energy flared, consuming the writhing tendrils of the 7-star beast lunging at him with a fury born of primal hunger.
"Repeating the question won't make the universe suddenly hand you an answer, dumbass," Jin retorted sharply. His body shimmered, melting into the shadows as dark astral energy coiled around him like a living thing. He emerged behind the beast, his blade slicing through its bark-like flesh with precision.
The towering tree beast bellowed, its guttural roar shaking the ground. Ian's grip tightened on his spear as he huffed a breath, his fiery aura flaring brighter.
"Second movement of the Grade 6 art, Legend of Prominence: Dragon Dive," he whispered, the incantation a promise.
Dragon scales shimmered faintly across his arms and shoulders as he summoned a blazing dragon head, crafted from his fire astral energy and infused with the will of his ancestral gift, Inferno's Fury. The spectral dragon snarled silently before Ian launched himself forward, the infernal construct hurtling into the beast with devastating force.
The creature didn't stand a chance. The fiery impact incinerated its twisted form, leaving nothing but smoldering ash in the wake of Ian's charge. He landed with a heavy exhale, his chest rising and falling as the tension eased.
"That was annoying," Ian muttered, leaning on his spear as he glanced at the scorched clearing.
"Annoying doesn't begin to cover it," Jin replied, rolling his neck as he stepped forward, his blade still gleaming with shadow. "And we're no closer to figuring out where the hell we are."
The two of them exchanged glances, the unspoken weight of their predicament settling between them. Ian sighed, running a hand through his fiery hair.
"At least we're together," he said, the words carrying a faint hint of solace.
"Small mercies," Jin nodded, though his tone was grim. "But there's something off about all of this. Even my father couldn't stop the mana that brought me here."
Ian hesitated, his brows furrowing. "Same with my father," he admitted, his voice low. "Which means whatever—or whoever—did this is beyond both of them."
Jin's expression darkened as he considered Ian's words. "We were in different continents, in our own homes, yet the mana pulled us both at the same time," he said slowly. "Even a demigod shouldn't have that kind of reach."
Ian licked his lips, his grip on his spear tightening as unease settled in his chest. "So what are we dealing with, then?"
Jin shook his head, his tone clipped. "We don't have enough information to answer that yet. Let's focus on surviving and figuring out where the others might be. If we're here, it's possible they've been dragged into this mess too."
Ian nodded reluctantly, his fiery determination rekindling. "Fine. But let's not waste time. The sooner we figure this out, the sooner we can get back."
"Assuming there's a way back," Jin muttered under his breath, though Ian pretended not to hear.
The two princes began to move, their steps purposeful as they ventured deeper into the unfamiliar terrain. The air around them crackled faintly, thick with mana that neither could quite place. Each step carried them closer to the unknown, the weight of unanswered questions pressing heavily on their shoulders.
The forest around them was unnervingly silent. Each step Jin and Ian took seemed to amplify the absence of life, the absence of sound. The usual rustle of leaves, the distant cries of birds, the scurrying of small animals—none of it was here.
Ian frowned, his spear resting lightly on his shoulder. "You notice it too, don't you?"
Jin's gaze swept over the trees, his dark eyes narrowing. "The silence. No beasts, no insects… nothing. It's unnatural."
"Unnatural's putting it lightly," Ian muttered, his grip tightening on his weapon. "Even in the black mana territories, you'd still feel something. Here… it's like the forest is holding its breath."
Jin didn't reply, his shadowy form flickering as he melded briefly with the dim light filtering through the canopy, scouting ahead. He reappeared a few steps in front of Ian, his expression grim. "No tracks, no signs of movement. Either something cleared this area out completely, or—"
"Or we're walking into the aftermath of something worse," Ian finished, his voice low. He adjusted his stance, his fiery aura flickering faintly. "Stay sharp."
As they pressed deeper into the forest, the silence turned oppressive. The air felt heavy, laden with mana that prickled uncomfortably against their senses. And then, a metallic tang hit their nostrils—subtle at first, then stronger with every step.
Blood.
Ian's eyes narrowed. "You smell that?"
Jin nodded, his hand tightening on the hilt of his blade. "Yeah. And there's a lot of it."
The first corpse appeared just beyond the next clearing—a mangled mana beast, its body torn apart as if by an explosion. Blood pooled around it, dark and viscous, soaking into the earth. Ian crouched beside it, inspecting the wounds.
"Clean cuts," he muttered. "Whatever killed this thing did it fast and with precision."
Jin stepped past him, his gaze sweeping the area. "This is just the start. Look ahead."
Ian straightened, his eyes following Jin's gesture. More bodies—mana beasts of various shapes and sizes—littered the ground ahead, their forms broken and lifeless. The blood trail thickened, the scent now almost overpowering.
They moved cautiously, stepping over shattered limbs and pools of crimson. Ian's fiery aura flickered brighter, his instincts screaming at him to prepare for a fight. "This wasn't just a random slaughter," he said. "Whoever did this… they were making a statement."
Jin didn't respond immediately. His shadowy form had stilled, his eyes locked on something further ahead. "Ian," he said quietly, his voice strained. "Look."
Ian followed Jin's gaze, his breath catching as they crested a slight rise in the terrain.
A sea of blood stretched out before them, the ground completely submerged in crimson. Corpses of beasts—hundreds of them—lay piled upon one another, their forms twisted and broken, as if they had been caught in a storm of blades and fire. The trees around the area were scorched and splintered, the earth itself marred by deep gashes and craters.
And at the center of it all, sitting atop a mound of fallen monsters, was Arthur.
His azure eyes glowed faintly, his posture relaxed as he rested one arm on his bent knee. Blood spattered his black coat, though his expression was eerily calm, almost detached. His sword, still slick with gore, lay across his lap, its blade humming faintly with suppressed mana.
Ian and Jin froze, tension crackling in the air between them.
"Arthur," Ian said finally, his voice low and wary. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Arthur's gaze shifted to them, his eyes sharp and calculating. For a moment, he didn't respond, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, a smile curled at the corner of his lips.
"Just cleaning up," he said, his voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of something… unsettling.
Jin's grip on his blade tightened. "Cleaning up? This looks more like a massacre."
Arthur rose to his feet, the blood pooling at the base of his boots as he descended from the mound of corpses. The air around him seemed to hum with power, and though he made no threatening move, the weight of his presence was suffocating.
"You're both here too," Arthur said, his tone almost conversational. "Which means you felt it—the mana that pulled us here."
Ian's jaw tightened. "You mean the mana that dropped us in the middle of this hellhole?"
Arthur nodded, his expression darkening. "We're not in our world anymore. This place… it's different. And these things—" he gestured to the sea of corpses behind him, "—they were a welcome party."
"A welcome party?" Jin repeated, his voice sharp. "Arthur, what the hell are you talking about?"
Arthur's smile widened slightly, though there was no humor in it. "You'll see soon enough."
For a moment, no one spoke, the silence between them heavy with tension. Then Arthur's gaze hardened, his demeanor shifting.
"But if you're here," he said, his voice dropping, "it means whoever or whatever brought us here isn't done yet."
Ian and Jin exchanged a glance, unease settling in their chests. Arthur's words were cryptic, but his tone left little room for doubt.
Whatever lay ahead, this was only the beginning.