By the time they exited the cave, the sky had begun to darken, the last rays of sunlight fading over the horizon. The forest was quiet, the air still and cool. Eirik and Lyra moved quickly through the trees, the weight of their newly acquired materials heavy in their packs.
Eirik's mind buzzed with thoughts of what he could craft with the Greater Mana Core and the Mana Crystals. The possibilities seemed endless. He could forge weapons, armor, perhaps even something entirely new, something that hadn't been seen in this world before. But first, they needed to make it back to the village.
As they moved deeper into the forest, a strange feeling crept over Eirik. It was subtle at first, just a sense that something was off, but as they continued walking, the feeling grew stronger. He glanced at Lyra, who seemed to have noticed it too, her eyes were scanning the trees, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade.
"You feel that?" Eirik whispered.
Lyra nodded. "We're being watched."
Eirik's grip tightened on the Ether Dagger. His senses were heightened, every rustle of the leaves and snap of a twig setting his nerves on edge. Whoever, or whatever, was out there, they were keeping their distance, but he knew they wouldn't stay hidden for long.
The silence of the forest was broken by the soft sound of footsteps, too light to belong to any of the beasts they had encountered so far. Eirik stopped, his heart pounding in his chest as he scanned the shadows.
Then, from the treeline, a figure stepped forward.
It was a man, tall and cloaked, his face obscured by a hood. His movements were slow, deliberate, and there was something unsettling about the way he carried himself, calm, confident, as if he had nothing to fear.
"Well, well," the man said, his voice smooth and cold. "It seems I'm not the only one interested in the Mana Crystals."
Eirik and Lyra tensed, their hands inching toward their weapons. The man's gaze shifted between them, his eyes glinting with curiosity as they landed on Eirik.
"You're not from here, are you?" the man asked, his voice dripping with amusement. "I can always tell."
Eirik narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
The man chuckled softly. "You can call me Ahron. And I've been watching you, blacksmith." His eyes flicked to the Ether Dagger in Eirik's hand. "That system of yours… it's rare. Crafting systems are difficult to come by."
Eirik felt a chill run down his spine. This wasn't just a random encounter, this man knew about his system. And that made him dangerous.
"I'm not interested in a fight," Eirik said, though his grip on his dagger remained firm.
Ahron chuckled again, his eyes gleaming. "Oh, but I am."
Before Eirik could react, the ground beneath them began to tremble. Shadows coiled around Ahron's feet, twisting and writhing as the air around him grew colder.
"Prepare yourself, blacksmith," Ahron said with a wicked grin. "Your crafting skills are about to be tested."