Chapter 22: Monstrous Creature

A monstrous creature now stood where Levi had been moments before! No one could have recognized it as Levi anymore.

The creature that Levi had become let out a furious roar that echoed through the wilderness.

-Graaawl!

With a guttural growl, the creature—or rather, Levi—suddenly sprang into the air with explosive force. The leap was so powerful that Levi found himself halfway up the massive boulder. His claws dug deep into the stone, leaving deep gouges as he clung to the rock face.

With bloodshot eyes, the creature gazed at the distant tower of the stronghold, still visible on the horizon. Its focus lingered there, scanning for movement, but then, as if losing all interest, it turned its attention away.

From its high vantage point, the creature could see countless monsters crawling through the wilderness below. But they did not hold its interest. With an exaggerated growl, the creature shifted its gaze further into the wild.

Its eyes gleamed with a dangerous light as if it had spotted something. Then, without hesitation, it leaped from its high perch, its massive body plummeting through the air.

The ground shook upon its impact, the force of the landing reverberating through the earth. A split second later, it propelled itself upward again, using the momentum of the fall as a springboard.

As Levi's consciousness drifted further into the void, the creature plunged deeper into the wilderness, driven by an instinct Levi could no longer control.

****

In the wilderness outside Hopeshire Stronghold, a young man with a strikingly handsome face and a well-built physique fought against a creature that resembled a chameleon, though it was much larger in size.

"Be careful, young master!" called out a man standing a short distance away, his eyes sharp and ready to intervene at a moment's notice.

But the warning wasn't necessary. The young man activated his ability, and in an instant, his sword was engulfed in red flames. With practiced ease, he moved, his blade slicing cleanly through the creature's neck, severing its head in one swift motion.

-Clap, clap.

The man appeared to be alone, but he waited, unperturbed by the apparent absence of a listener. And sure enough, a disembodied voice responded.

"A new follower has appeared."

The monk's right eyebrow arched slightly at the news. "Have you found them?" he inquired, his voice steady and composed.

"Not yet," the voice answered, its tone precise and devoid of unnecessary words.

The monk clasped his hands together in a gesture of acknowledgment. "Find them soon and bring them to me. You know what to do if they disagree, Amita-Tamas."

Without waiting for a reply, the monk turned and walked back toward the meditating group, his steps as silent as before. The hills remained as serene as ever, untouched by the exchange, with no trace of the presence that had conversed with the monk. The world above stayed as it always had—silent, calm, and undisturbed.

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