Verdant Abyss Jungle — Outer Perimeter

  Today was our first official hunting session.

  All cadets gathered at the edge of the Verdant Abyss Jungle, standing in organized groups under the supervision of Professor Voss, Instructor Thorn, and several other academy instructors.

  I stood among them, wearing my glasses.

  The jungle before us looked less like a forest and more like a wall.

  Massive trees rose hundreds of feet into the air, their trunks thick enough that five people could barely encircle one. Their branches intertwined high above, forming a dense canopy that swallowed sunlight before it could reach the ground.

  Even standing outside the jungle, the inside looked dark.

  Almost unnaturally so.

  Moist air drifted outward, carrying the smell of soil, moss, and concentrated mana.

  The deeper parts of the forest were completely hidden behind layers of foliage.

  It was easy to understand why this place was famous.

  Professor Voss stepped forward.

  “You have already studied the creatures inhabiting this region,” he said calmly, his voice carrying clearly across the gathered cadets.

  “Today’s hunt will focus on Thornhide Boars.”

  Several cadets nodded.

  The beasts were common within mana-dense forests like this one.

  Not weak — but manageable.

  A Thornhide Boar was roughly the size of a small car, its body covered with thick bark-like plates that grew from its hide like natural armor. Mana circulated heavily through those plates, making the creature resilient but predictable.

  They were aggressive, territorial, and—most importantly—abundant.

  Perfect targets for training hunts.

  “You already know their anatomy,” Professor Voss continued. “Their mana gland is located beneath the forward shoulder plate. Strike there if you want to end the fight quickly.”

  He paused briefly.

  “This is not an exam. But treat it seriously.”

  Instructor Thorn stepped forward next.

  “Groups will enter the jungle simultaneously,” she said sharply.

  “You only need to hunt one Thornhide Boar per team.”

  Her gaze swept across the cadets.

  “Maintain formation. Do not wander outside your assigned zones. And if you encounter anything unusual—retreat immediately and signal the instructors.”

  A brief silence followed.

  Then Thorn gave a short nod.

  “Begin.”

  My Group

  Varek moved first.

  “Formation.”

  Hugh stepped forward with his spear ready.

  Jain positioned himself slightly behind with his crossbow.

  I walked between them.

  The four of us entered the jungle together.

  The moment we passed beneath the canopy, the world changed.

  Sunlight disappeared almost completely. The ground was uneven, tangled with roots and fallen branches. Thick vines hung between the trees like natural traps.

  The deeper we moved, the heavier the mana in the air became.

  And yet—

  We encountered nothing.

  No boars.

  No tracks.

  No territorial sounds.

  After nearly twenty minutes, Jain frowned.

  “This is strange.”

  Hugh nodded.

  “We should have seen something by now.”

  Even Varek’s expression darkened slightly.

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  “This area should be full of them.”

  We continued deeper.

  Then suddenly—

  Rustling bushes ahead.

  All four of us instantly raised our weapons.

  A man stumbled out from the undergrowth.

  He looked exhausted, clothes dirty, face pale.

  “Oh—thank god,” the man said when he saw us. “Cadets.”

  Hugh lowered his spear slightly.

  “Sir, are you alright?”

  “I’m fine,” the man said quickly, breathing heavily. “Just lost. I wandered off the trail and can’t find my way out.”

  Varek stepped forward.

  “Why were you alone in the jungle?”

  “I thought the outer road was nearby,” the man said awkwardly. “Clearly I was wrong.”

  Varek studied him carefully for a moment.

  Then nodded.

  “You can walk with us.”

  Relief spread across the man’s face.

  “Thank you.”

  “But we still have to complete our hunt first,” Varek added. “After that, we’ll escort you out.”

  “That’s fine,” the man said quickly. “I’ll stay out of the way.”

  I said nothing.

  But I activated Silent Eclipse.

  The world sharpened.

  Mana flows became visible.

  And immediately—

  I saw it.

  A faint distortion around the man’s body.

  Not obvious.

  But wrong.

  Unnatural.

  My eyes instinctively focused on him.

  Then Ada’s voice echoed in my memory.

  Don’t stare.

  I immediately looked away.

  I forced my gaze toward the surrounding trees instead.

  Inside, tension tightened.

  Hollowed.

  My thoughts raced.

  Even if I exposed it now…

  We might not win.

  Hollowed were far stronger than normal humans.

  And they were far more dangerous than the Thornhide Boars we came here to hunt.

  For cadets, fighting one was already borderline suicidal.

  So I stayed silent.

  For now.

  Deeper Jungle

  We continued moving.

  The stranger walked quietly beside us.

  And the deeper we went—

  The clearer the pattern became.

  No beasts.

  Not a single one.

  Slowly, I began to understand.

  Mana beasts avoided threats.

  Something had pushed them away from this area.

  Something stronger.

  Or something hunting.

  Another thought followed.

  Maybe he wasn’t here to kill us.

  Maybe he wanted to capture someone.

  The idea made my stomach tighten.

  Then—

  Movement ahead.

  A massive Thornhide Boar emerged from between two trees.

  Nearly three meters long.

  Its bark-like armor plates scraped against the trunks as it moved.

  Finally.

  Varek reacted immediately.

  “Hugh, front!”

  Hugh stepped forward with his spear.

  “Jain, support!”

  Jain raised his crossbow.

  “Korin, flank.”

  We moved instantly.

  The stranger stayed behind us, standing quietly near me.

  The battle began.

  The boar charged.

  Hugh intercepted it with his spear, redirecting the momentum.

  Jain fired two bolts into the creature’s shoulder plates.

  I moved to the side, throwing three hatchets in quick succession.

  Two struck armor.

  One lodged between plates.

  The fight continued for nearly a minute.

  The boar’s movements slowed.

  Blood stained the forest floor.

  We were winning.

  I retrieved two remaining hatchets.

  And waited.

  The others pushed the beast closer to collapse.

  Then—

  I gathered Ether.

  Every bit I could safely draw.

  The energy flowed into the hatchet in my hand.

  The weapon trembled slightly from the pressure.

  I raised my arm to throw.

  Then—

  My foot slipped.

  My body lurched forward.

  Instead of flying toward the boar—

  The hatchet struck the man beside me directly in the head.

  Not thrown.

  Driven forward as I fell.

  The blade slammed into his skull.

  CRACK.

  The hatchet shattered the thin mana shield protecting his body and embedded itself halfway into his head.

  Blood spilled down the man’s face.

  Varek’s voice exploded across the battlefield.

  “What are you doing, fool?!”

  I remained on the ground.

  The forest went silent.

  Then—

  The man stood up.

  Slowly.

  The hatchet still buried in his skull.

  His body trembled violently.

  His face twisted with rage and pain.

  When he lifted his head—

  His eyes were completely black.

  Varek’s expression hardened instantly.

  “Everyone back,” he shouted.

  “He’s Hollowed.”

  Battle With the Hollowed

  “Formation!”

  Varek’s voice cut through the chaos like a blade.

  We moved instantly.

  Hugh stepped forward, spear lowered into a defensive stance.

  Jain shifted back, crossbow raised and ready.

  I moved to the side, hatchet already in hand.

  The Hollowed let out a distorted snarl.

  Its body twisted unnaturally, muscles tightening beneath the skin as if something inside it was trying to tear free.

  Then it moved.

  Fast.

  Too fast.

  But it didn’t charge the formation.

  It charged me.

  Hugh reacted instantly, intercepting the charge. His spear struck the Hollowed’s shoulder, but the creature didn’t even slow down. Its arm swung sideways and knocked the weapon away as if it weighed nothing.

  “Jain!” Varek barked.

  A bolt fired.

  The projectile slammed into the Hollowed’s chest, but the creature barely reacted. Its black eyes never left me.

  It moved again.

  Straight for me.

  Varek stepped in.

  His heavy spear drove forward like a battering ram, slamming into the Hollowed’s side and forcing it to stagger a step away from me.

  For a moment.

  Then the creature retaliated instantly.

  Its hand shot out and caught the shaft of Varek’s spear.

  For a second the two were locked in place.

  Then the Hollowed twisted violently and hurled Varek backward.

  He crashed into a tree trunk with a heavy impact, bark splintering behind him.

  “Hugh, pressure it!” Varek ordered immediately.

  Hugh recovered and lunged again, spear thrusting toward the Hollowed’s torso.

  This time the creature grabbed the shaft mid-strike.

  Its grip tightened.

  Wood cracked.

  The spear snapped in half.

  The Hollowed threw the broken weapon aside.

  Its attention returned immediately to me.

  It stepped forward, rage burning in its empty black eyes.

  Then—

  It stopped.

  The creature froze mid-motion.

  Its body trembled once.

  Twice.

  Blood suddenly poured down its face.

  The hatchet embedded in its skull shifted slightly.

  A faint cracking sound echoed.

  The Hollowed staggered backward, arms twitching violently.

  Then its body collapsed to the forest floor.

  For a moment it lay still.

  Then the corpse began to dissolve.

  Dark veins spread across its skin as the body rapidly broke apart, turning into drifting black ash that scattered across the forest floor.

  Within seconds—

  Nothing remained.

  Silence filled the jungle.

  Varek slowly pushed himself upright.

  His eyes remained fixed on the place where the body had vanished.

  “…Confirmed,” he muttered.

  Then his expression hardened.

  “Jain.”

  Jain immediately looked up.

  “Run to the instructors,” Varek ordered. “Tell them we encountered a Hollowed.”

  Jain didn’t hesitate. He turned and sprinted into the forest.

  Varek turned next.

  “Korin.”

  I straightened.

  “You take the eastern route.”

  Then Varek pointed toward Hugh.

  “Hugh, western side.”

  Both of us waited for the rest.

  “If you encounter other cadet teams,” Varek continued, his voice calm but urgent, “do not tell them about the Hollowed.”

  I frowned slightly.

  “Say that our team has injured members,” Varek said. “Tell them to move back toward the outer jungle.”

  Hugh nodded slowly.

  “You want us to stall them.”

  “Yes.”

  Varek’s gaze hardened.

  “And if there’s a stranger with the group… stall them longer.”

  A brief pause.

  “But if there’s no outsider with them—”

  “Tell them to run for the exit immediately.”

  The jungle suddenly felt much darker than before.

  Varek tightened his grip on the broken spear shaft still in his hand.

  “Until the instructors arrive.”

  He looked at both of us.

  “Move.”