Deep within the vast, shadowed expanse of the Great Forest of Tob, the distant cries of birds and the rustling of unseen creatures echoed through the dense foliage.
The air was thick with moisture, the scent of earth and decaying leaves mingling in the heavy atmosphere. A place teeming with danger and mystery, where ordinary people would tread cautiously—if they dared venture in at all.
However—
For Sakeer and the little Barghest, this treacherous land brought not fear, but a sense of comfort.
"Awoo."
The chains wrapped around the little Barghest rattled softly as the beast's gleaming eyes shimmered with excitement.
"Feels good to be back."
Sakeer stretched out his arms, inhaling deeply, filling his lungs with the damp, earthy air.
With Leinas and Imina's matters settled, there was nothing pressing that required his attention—at least for now.
And so, after leaving the royal capital, he had set out once more toward the Great Forest of Tob.
His goal this time was clear—
Leveling up.
The Kaz Plains, swarming with undead creatures, would have been an equally viable option. However, with the Re-Estize Kingdom currently embroiled in war with the Baharuth Empire, that battlefield was far from ideal for training.
Moreover—
Sakeer was also interested in exploring the vast wetlands beyond Great Forest of Tob, as well as the towering Azerlisia Mountains.
He did a quick mental review of his supplies.
"Only two third-tier angel scrolls left. Haven't even had time to craft any fourth-tier ones."
Sakeer shook his head.
"Even the mana reserves in the 'Orb of Death' are running low—only about forty points left."
That meant, in addition to leveling up, he needed to restock his scrolls and replenish his mana.
With these priorities in mind, Sakeer sharpened his focus—
And then—
With a flick of his wrist, an iron sword materialized in his palm.
With expert precision, he flung it forward.
Whoosh!
The blade tore through the underbrush, slicing effortlessly through the dense foliage before impaling a hare nearly ten meters away.
Thud.
The small creature's lifeless body was pinned to the ground.
Taking a step forward, Sakeer activated the Forest Crossing enchantment on his arm.
At once, the magic item pulsed faintly, causing the tangled branches and thick shrubbery to part before him, carving out a clear path.
As he approached, he yanked the iron sword from the ground.
The hare, still twitching reflexively, dangled from the blade's tip. Its head had been pierced clean through—a swift, merciless kill.
"No need for magic charades in a place like this."
With a flick of his wrist, he sent the lifeless creature flying toward the little Barghest.
"Awo!"
The beast's jaws snapped open, catching the hare in midair before swallowing it in just two quick bites.
Sakeer barely reacted.
His eyes flickered to his attribute panel—but there was no notification.
"No experience points, huh?"
He frowned slightly, mulling it over.
As his level increased, the experience gained from lower-tier creatures had evidently begun to diminish.
It was as expected.
He still remembered—back at level 20, the very last bit of experience he had needed to level up had come from killing a single hare.
Now?
Killing low-level creatures offered nothing.
Back when he first arrived in the Great Forest of Tob, he had slaughtered countless insects—not a single one had granted him experience.
Clearly, experience gain wasn't just tied to the level of the defeated creature, but also to the level difference between them.
His gaze drifted back to the panel.
[Experience: 30,998 / 10,000]
"Over 30,000 stored up… I wonder if I can push two levels in one go?"
A hint of anticipation flickered in his chest.
If his earlier theory was correct—
Then the high-tier advancement of the "Cursed Knight" class wouldn't require traditional experience points at all.
Instead, it forcefully boosted him to Lv. 3 by absorbing cursed energy, bypassing the usual leveling system entirely.
That meant—
It might be possible to circumvent the massive experience demands of later levels.
A crucial discovery.
Still—
"For now, I need to stick to the plan."
Lifting his gaze, Sakeer surveyed the dense forest ahead.
This area marked the heart of the Great Forest of Tob, a place ruled by one of the three dominant powers—
The Southern Demonic Beast, known as the Wise King of the Forest, Hamusuke.
Of course—
At this point in time, he had yet to be given the name "Hamusuke."
That title would come later—bestowed upon him by the Bone King himself.
For now, Sakeer's thoughts shifted.
Raising his arm, he gestured forward.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
With five heavy thuds, the corpses of five ogres tumbled out of his inventory storage, crashing onto the forest floor.
Sakeer's lips moved slightly—
"Undead Control."
At his whispered command, an invisible pulse of magic spread through the air, engulfing the lifeless bodies.
And then—
The corpses stirred.
One by one, the five ogres lurched upright, staggering into position, their lifeless eyes glowing with dark energy.
Without hesitation, Sakeer commanded them forward.
The dense foliage that might have hindered normal passage was no obstacle for their brute strength—
Branches snapped. Shrubs were trampled. Trees shook from their sheer force.
The loud rustling of leaves and the startled cries of birds filled the air.
As they advanced, some of the beasts in the forest instinctively attacked the ogres, enraged by the intrusion into their territory.
But—
They were swiftly slaughtered by the undead brutes.
"XP Gained: 37."
"XP Gained: 51."
"..."
"XP Gained: 29."
Sakeer cast a quick glance at the experience notifications before shifting his focus back to the lush labyrinth of greenery ahead.
The once lively jungle had fallen into an eerie silence.
The distant cries of birds were now sporadic, and the usual hum of insects had begun to fade.
Sakeer's expression grew serious. His gaze flicked around the dense foliage, scanning for movement.
"Stay alert. Listen carefully for anything approaching."
The territory of the Wise King of the Forest was far more complex and treacherous than the troll-infested lands they had previously crossed.
Goblins could eat anything.
But here—something much deadlier lurked.
"Rrr."
Beside him, the little Barghest remained close, ears pricked forward, letting out a low, wary growl.
The five undead ogres stomped forward, their heavy, lumbering steps amplifying through the still air.
And yet—
The more noise they made, the more unsettling the silence around them became.
Even the faintest insect chirps had vanished.
It was clear—
The creatures of the forest weren't afraid of Sakeer and his group.
They were afraid of something else.
Rustle!
A sudden commotion erupted from the northwest, the sound of something shifting through the undergrowth.
Then—
It stopped.
The forest fell into absolute stillness once more.
"Grrr!"
The little Barghest stiffened. Every strand of fur along its body bristled in alarm as a deep, guttural snarl escaped its throat.
Sakeer's eyes sharpened.
"Is it coming?"
He hadn't summoned the ogres for experience points—
No.
He had done it to lure out the Wise King of the Forest—Hamusuke.
The Great Forest of Tob was vast. Even with a magic tool like 'Forest Crossing', leveling up efficiently took far too much time.
And beyond that—
The massacre of goblins he had caused last time had drawn unwanted attention.
Even the Adventurer's Guild had sent people to investigate.
It had been a warning sign.
For now, while his strength was still growing, it was best to avoid drawing too much suspicion.
And so—he had chosen this approach instead.
Rustling.
Shifting.
The sound of something massive moving across the forest floor reached his ears.
But—
Something was off.
The noise wasn't coming from just one direction.
Instead—
It was closing in from all sides.
Sakeer's grip on his iron sword tightened. His stance shifted lower, legs spreading slightly as his sharp gaze followed the approaching sounds.
"Circling in?"
"And at this speed—it's fast."
A predator.
A superior hunter.
He already knew—compared to the other two jungle overlords, Hamusuke's strength was on an entirely different level.
And yet—
Sakeer's lips pressed into a thin line.
That didn't matter.
For his next move to work, he needed to confirm one thing—
That magic.
BOOM!
In an instant, a dark blur shot out from the left—
And half of the leftmost ogre's body vanished.
Thud!
The mutilated corpse collapsed to the ground.
Then—
More shadows flickered through the dense forest.
Each movement was razor-sharp, decisive, merciless.
Within the span of a few heartbeats—
All five ogres were gone.
Their scattered remains littered the blood-soaked earth, broken limbs and torn flesh decorating the forest floor.
"Woo…!"
The little Barghest instinctively lowered itself, trembling.
It nearly collapsed onto its knees, eyes darting about in sheer terror.
Sakeer remained eerily calm.
His mind worked quickly.
"For a creature of Hamusuke's size to move so quickly through such dense terrain… without causing destruction?"
That meant—
It likely possessed an ability similar to 'Forest Crossing.'
Sakeer's fingers flexed slightly.
"This is trickier than I expected."
The anime and novel hadn't depicted Hamusuke using much magic—but they had revealed something important.
Eight magic patterns.
Innate abilities, unique to his species.
Then—
A flicker of silver.
Sakeer's eyes widened.
Through the gaps between the trees, a colossal silver-white figure loomed twenty meters ahead.
The thick foliage obscured most of its form, allowing only a vague silhouette to be seen.
But even at this distance—its size was unmistakable.
Sakeer didn't hesitate.
His hand snapped forward, grabbing the bone chains of the little Barghest—
And with one swift motion, he tossed the creature behind him.
It wasn't ready for this fight.
BOOM!
The silver-white beast moved.
The forest—dense and filled with obstacles—did not hinder it in the slightest.
The trees and shrubs might as well have been air, offering no resistance as it closed in.
A breath's length.
A heartbeat.
Then—
It vanished.
And in that instant—
A deafening, razor-sharp cry exploded through the air.