The aftermath of the battle left the Hollow Thicket eerily silent. As DK and Lucy began walking back toward the cart, the previously hostile vines parted before them, slithering away as though retreating in fear. The path cleared, unnatural and deliberate, as if the forest itself was bowing to DK's presence.
DK limped forward, his blade sheathed but still humming faintly with residual corrupted energy. His face was pale, his breaths shallow, and every step seemed to cost him immense effort. Lucy walked beside him, her staff glowing faintly as she kept a wary eye on their surroundings. The tension in the air lingered, but the forest remained unnervingly still.
"Even the Thicket's afraid of you now," Lucy muttered, glancing at the vines coiling away into the shadows. "What the hell did you become back there?"
DK didn't answer. His darkened eyes scanned the treetops as though searching for something—or someone. He felt an inexplicable presence, a sensation of being watched. It wasn't the oppressive malice of the forest or the faint hostility of hidden creatures. This was different, a gaze that felt intelligent, calculating, and distant. DK shook his head, willing himself to ignore the sensation, and kept walking.
"You okay?" Lucy asked, her voice tinged with concern.
"I'm fine," DK said hoarsely, though the tremor in his voice betrayed his exhaustion. His Nexus Core felt heavier than ever, the corruption weighing on him like a physical burden. His muscles burned, his mind fogged with fatigue, and the overuse of his abilities left him teetering on the edge of collapse.
When they finally reached the cart, DK barely managed to climb inside. He slumped against the wooden frame, his body giving out the moment he sat down. Lucy helped him settle, her usual sharp tongue tempered by genuine worry.
"You look like death walked over you," she said, trying to mask her concern with sarcasm. "Get some rest. I'll keep watch."
DK nodded weakly, his eyelids already drooping. He didn't even have the strength to check the system for his quest progress or rewards. The rhythmic creak of the cart and the steady clatter of the wheels on the rough path lulled him into an uneasy sleep.
The driver glanced over his shoulder, his expression a mix of curiosity and unease. "What happened to him?" he asked. "The Lin family won't be happy if something happens to their heir. They'll have my head."
Lucy leaned against the side of the cart, her staff resting beside her. "He'll be fine," she said, though the uncertainty in her voice was hard to miss. "Just… overdid it, that's all."
The driver didn't seem convinced but said no more. He snapped the reins, urging the horses onward toward Dragondale.
Farther back in the forest, Sylvia and Romeo watched from their concealed vantage point. The aftermath of the battle had left them stunned, their usual smirks replaced by furrowed brows and uneasy glances.
"I'll admit it," Romeo muttered, scratching the stubble on his jaw. "I was rooting for the kid to bite it. Would've saved us a lot of trouble and cut the trip short."
Sylvia didn't respond immediately, her sharp eyes fixed on the now-quiet clearing where DK had fought the Elder Vine Fiends. She had felt it too—that suffocating aura, the oppressive weight of the corrupted energy that DK had unleashed.
"I didn't expect him to survive," she said finally, her tone unusually serious. "That transformation… it wasn't normal."
Romeo snorted. "Understatement of the year. I've seen high-level combat specialists use their transformations, sure, but those are surface-level enhancements—physical boosts, beast forms, maybe a flashy aura. What that kid did? It was like he became something else entirely."
Sylvia nodded, her expression grim. "It wasn't just a combat transformation. It was… deeper. Fundamental. Like his very core changed. And the danger he radiated—it wasn't just raw power. It felt… unhinged."
Romeo folded his arms, his usual nonchalance giving way to a rare moment of seriousness. "Think Conrad knew about this? About what the kid could do?"
Sylvia's eyes narrowed. "If Conrad did know, he didn't tell us. But I don't think even he expected this. That kind of corruption—it's dangerous. It eats away at you, warps you. And yet, he was in control. Barely, but it was there."
Romeo shuddered slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "You get the feeling he knew we were watching?"
Sylvia hesitated. The thought had crossed her mind. During the fight, there had been moments when DK's gaze seemed to linger, as though he was looking beyond the immediate battle. "Maybe," she said slowly. "It felt like he was aware, but it's hard to say for sure."
Romeo let out a low whistle, leaning back against a tree. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm not getting any closer to him than I have to. Whatever's in him—it's trouble. Big trouble."
Sylvia nodded in agreement, though a flicker of curiosity lingered in her sharp eyes. "Still," she said, her tone thoughtful, "it makes me wonder. If he can do this now, at his level… what's he going to become later?"
Romeo didn't answer, his expression grim as they both turned their attention back to the road ahead. The cart carrying DK and Lucy was moving farther away, and the two mercenaries followed at a distance, their interest piqued.