It only took a few minutes for Kael to find himself hundreds of meters in the air. From that height, the people on the ground looked like mere moving blobs; no faces, no details, not even distinct colors could be made out. The wind blew hard against his face, making it difficult to breathe.

  // -- AAAAA, we're doomed! We're going to die! -- //

  Kael thought: Oh, stop complaining... just hit the gargoyle on the back of the neck and that's it... with my magic, I think we could survive the fall...

  // -- And who's talking about the damn gargoyle that looks like a drug addict? We'll be the ones getting beaten up by everyone in the mansion! -- //

  Kael thought: Well, we'll just have to accept it... I'm sure it's taking us to where the other children are...

  // -- Well, according to the map we once saw with Freya, we're approaching the Untamed Forest from the coast. -- //

  The landscape began to change. The air became more humid, heavier. In the distance, the sea crashed against the cliffs with a deep, constant roar. The forest stretched out like a dark, endless mass, covered by a thin fog that seemed to breathe.

  At a certain point, the gargoyle began to descend into the depths of the forest.

  // -- And here we are again. You have a strange tendency to end up in trouble related to this place... -- //

  Kael thought: What can I say? I tend to attract the attention of the wildest and most violent things...

  // -- Well, here's the situation. I analyzed the entire route as you requested. We are about five kilometers from the border with Cautares... it is still extremely dangerous. How on earth do you plan to immobilize the enemy and protect so many children? -- //

  “Little by little...” Kael muttered under his breath as he clenched his teeth. “Luckily, I have plenty of supplies and medicinal herbs in case... I can't believe that everything I saved for my own emergencies has to be used so soon...”

  The gargoyle finally descended and landed in front of a group of armed men waiting among twisted trees and enormous roots.

  “BOSS, LOOK OUT! WHAT IS THAT THING?” shouted one of the bandits, taking a step back with his sword trembling in his hand.

  “Calm down, everyone,” replied the bandit chief, raising his hand reassuringly. "It's the wizard's messenger. He was supposed to bring us instructions to continue with our plan... but that was supposed to happen in three more days... when we kidnapped more abandoned children in the city of Cautares with the rest of my men...

  The gargoyle showed the child he was carrying in his claws. Kael, completely motionless, pretended to be unconscious.

  “Why did you bring such a small child?” exclaimed another bandit, frowning. “Look at him! He won't survive the journey...”

  “My friend... several of the demon children we brought didn't survive the journey and we had to abandon them...” said a third in a cold tone. “I hope we don't have to lose all the merchandise...”

  The word “merchandise” echoed in the air like something dirty and inhuman.

  The bandit leader finally concluded and made a decision.

  “Change of plans,” he announced. “We'll continue without the wizard. Let's go. Our priority is to keep the merchandise alive.”

  As soon as he uttered that last word, one of his subordinates fell to the ground with a thud. Then another. And another.

  Kael, at the precise moment when everyone was distracted reading the message, had fired poison darts with surgical precision.

  The bodies began to collapse one after another.

  They all fell... except one.

  The bandit leader managed to dodge the dart at the last second.

  “Damn bastard wizard! Why did you send us this?!”

  You damn brat, you'll pay for this!“ he roared as he drew his sword.

  Kael turned his head toward the demon children, who were watching the scene in utter terror.

  ”Listen,“ he said firmly, though his voice was still that of a child. ”Stay together and hide. Don't make any noise... with all the commotion, wild beasts will come."

  The little ones, still perplexed and unable to comprehend what had happened in less than a minute, just nodded silently. Their eyes were wide open. They hid under the raised roots of a large ancient tree, covering each other.

  The bandit chief lunged at Kael.

  Kael filled his body with magic, feeling the flow run through his muscles like a burning current.

  He drew his staff and took a defensive stance.

  The bandit leader activated his element.

  “Earth!”

  He stomped the ground with a brutal kick. A tremor shook the area. A rock emerged violently in front of him, and with a slash of his magic-charged sword, he shattered it into hundreds of pieces that flew off like projectiles.

  Several rocks hit Kael.

  The pain was immediate and sharp. Even so, he managed to keep his magic guard active, deflecting some of the damage.

  But at that moment, both he and the system understood something.

  // -- kid, get ready. This guy is willing to kill... there's no turning back now. Either you kill him... or he'll kill you. -- //

  The air grew heavy.

  The confrontation was no longer a game.

  It was life or death.

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  1 hour earlier, in the city of Cautares

  Three guardians ran through the cobbled streets at breakneck speed. The sound of their footsteps echoed among the houses of the lower district as they kicked up dust and startled passersby. The gargoyle looked smaller and smaller in the sky, disappearing into the gray clouds.

  “Damn it! We're losing her!” Holley shouted, gritting her teeth.

  “If we keep going like this, she'll end up in the Untamed Forest, and it'll be even harder to follow her there,” Ken replied without stopping.

  Enta looked up at the distant silhouette of the monster. His eyes reflected pain and helplessness. His feline pupils narrowed.

  “There's only one option...” he said in a low voice. “Listen. I'll jump, concentrating magic in my feet until I reach her. I'll take care of destroying the monster, and once I release the young master, you must be ready to catch him.”

  Holley looked at him in horror.

  “Hey, damn cat, if you do that, you'll lose almost all your magic and die when you fall.”

  Enta slowly turned his face toward him.

  There was no doubt in his gaze. There was no fear. Only pure instinct.

  A wild instinct that protected his own.

  Holley held that gaze for a few seconds... and then nodded silently.

  Just as Enta was about to execute the technique, a presence burst into their path.

  The D-rank team appeared in front of them.

  “SIR ENTA! WHAT HAPPENED?” Lyris exclaimed, panting.

  “What are you doing here?” Ken asked, surprised.

  “Ugh... we don't know either,” Bezal replied between heavy breaths. “Suddenly Lyris ran off and we had to follow her... and we found you.”

  Lyris stepped forward.

  “Coco flew up to me while we were shopping. He was very upset. He just asked me to follow him... and we ended up here with you.”

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  “The young master was kidnapped by a dark magic gargoyle,” Holley explained in a firm voice. “He's heading for the Untamed Forest.”

  The D-rank adventurers were shocked. Their expressions went from confusion to disbelief.

  “There's no time! We must follow the gargoyle!” Enta roared.

  “Enta, are you really sure about this?” Ken asked.

  “We have no other choice!”

  Lyris instantly understood that they were considering extreme measures. Her mind worked quickly.

  “Coco can follow the gargoyle and tell us where it is!”

  The three guardians looked at her in bewilderment. A second later, they understood.

  “Can he really follow it?” Holley asked.

  Without wasting any time, Lyris raised her hand and pointed to the sky.

  The raven shot off in pursuit, flapping its wings with fierce determination.

  “Coco will follow it and then, using his instincts, he'll find me nearby so we can keep in touch,” she explained.

  Ken let out a nervous laugh.

  “Girl, you're a true exploration and rescue adventurer. You have a great future ahead of you!”

  Enta didn't hesitate. He knelt in front of her and offered her his back.

  “Please, climb on. If you're going to help us, you won't be able to move as fast as we can.”

  Lyris, with a slight blush on her face, nodded and climbed on carefully.

  Ken looked at the rest of the team.

  “Guys... this is a critical, high-priority mission from the Sungleys themselves. Please, we need you to go to the lower district of Cautares. The Sungleys are fighting at the orphanage. Give them the information about what we're going to do.”

  The four remaining adventurers nodded determinedly and set off in the opposite direction.

  For their part, the three guardians began to run at an even faster pace, leaving the city and heading towards the coastal area of the Untamed Forest.

  As they ran, Enta spoke without stopping.

  “Miss Lyris, we are truly grateful for your help.”

  “It's nothing,” she replied with a slight smile. “The young master has helped us grow so much.”

  “It almost seems like fate,” Ken commented. “Right after helping you, now you have to help him so quickly.”

  “This is no time to relax,” Holley interrupted. “You know well the dangers of the forest, and above all, we don't know what awaits us inside.”

  Enta nodded gravely.

  “That's right, Miss Lyris. My priority on this mission is to get you and the young master out safely. If the situation becomes dangerous, please retreat immediately. You're already risking too much just by tracking him.”

  The wind blew against their faces. The edge of the forest was getting closer and closer.

  The Untamed Forest awaited them.

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  Back at the orphanage

  After several minutes of intense combat, the place was devastated. Walls had collapsed, dust hung in the air, and deep cracks marred the floor. Dark magic hung like a thick, oppressive residue.

  The wizard, completely furious at seeing his plans spiral out of control, gritted his teeth.

  “Damn heroes! It doesn't matter... I've already used up all my energy... I'll have to use that... anyway, when I kill them, I'll steal all their energy... ha, ha, ha!”

  “If there's one thing I don't care about at all, it's the opinion of a damn disgusting dark magic worm,” Caria replied.

  “As the ruling lord of this city, I sentence you to death for damage, kidnapping, and attempted murder of multiple innocent victims,” Laret declared solemnly.

  The wizard summoned dark tentacles that sprouted from the floor and walls like living snakes.

  The two heroes unleashed their magic.

  Laret drew his sword and, with a single movement charged with water power, destroyed most of the tentacles.

  Caria lunged with brutal speed and delivered a flying kick to the wizard, sending him crashing into another wall, which was destroyed by the impact.

  “Damn worm... your dark magic is almost as dense as my earth magic... it resists blows too well...” she growled.

  The wizard rose, his face contorted with hatred and contempt.

  “I've had enough of you, damn you. It's time you knew your place!”

  With one hand, he pointed at his own chest... and plunged it into it.

  No blood came out.

  Instead, a dark, thick liquid, similar to oil, began to ooze out.

  The fluid emerged in a huge amount and covered his body. It solidified like armor made of black flesh.

  The pressure in the air changed.

  It became dense and gloomy.

  That magic not only exuded power... it exuded pain, sadness, and despair.

  Because all that energy once belonged to innocent people.

  The wizard now lunged with physical force. He disappeared from view and reappeared behind Laret, delivering a brutal blow that sent him crashing into a wall.

  Caria roared and attacked with her rock fist. The blow was stopped by the hand covered in dark armor.

  Suddenly, he manifested an artificial arm from his stump made with dark magic, and with it he launched an explosion that sent Caria to the opposite end of the room.

  "You are a disgrace! And these are the heroes who killed the Demon King?

  Laret emerged from the rubble and tried to stab him. The wizard stopped the sword with his bare hand, grabbing the blade.

  With his other arm, Laret concentrated water magic and launched a pressure blast at the enemy's chest. The impact threw him backward, though he managed to stay on his feet.

  “Is that all your power? It's nothing compared to what I've accumulated...” the wizard sneered.

  Laret looked at him sadly.

  "You're a complete fool... you should have let yourself be killed with that attack.

  The wizard frowned.

  “That way you would have died quickly and painlessly... now you will suffer the unleashed fury of the declared greatest enemy of dark wizards... Caria.”

  The rubble exploded.

  Caria emerged with an intimidating posture. Behind her, a spirit roared with ancestral force.

  “The two beings most tortured by dark wizards are united,” Laret continued.

  Caria lost her entire family in a sacrifice... and Kahu died protecting his herd from a group of dark wizards. Do you think their contract is based solely on power? Now you will feel true terror... the Crimson Fist.

  The ground began to crack under the magical pressure emanating from her.

  For the first time, the wizard felt real fear.

  He knew he couldn't win.

  Even so, he concentrated his energy to summon corrupted creatures.

  “My creatures from hell, attack everything that moves! Kill anyone who crosses your path!”

  “I won't let any creatures pass through here,” declared Laret, positioning himself at the entrance.

  "Laret, take care of the monsters. I'll take care of the parasite," said Caria.

  And she launched herself like a bullet toward the wizard.

  Caria advanced at almost supersonic speed and delivered a kick that dragged him across much of the building, destroying columns, benches, and part of the church adjacent to the orphanage. Wood creaked, stone cracked, dust rose in thick gray clouds.

  Despite the dark armor covering his body, the impact was brutal. The wizard felt several of his organs compress and shift violently inside his body.

  Desperate and overcome with panic, he launched a large number of dark tentacles that wrapped around Caria, trying to strangle her.

  To his surprise...

  He failed to hurt her.

  Caria's skin was as rigid and compact as living rock. The tentacles barely managed to tense before breaking.

  Caria grabbed him by the neck with one hand, lifting him off the ground as if he were a doll.

  She covered her fist with earth magic. The energy vibrated in the air.

  “Feel my rock fist... special for dark magicians...”

  The blow struck his jaw with a terrifying crunch.

  The magician was thrown outside, crashing through walls and destroying everything in his path. His body rolled across the ground amid the rubble, leaving a dark trail behind him.

  As soon as he regained consciousness, he realized the extent of the damage. His jaw was partially torn. Several teeth were scattered on the floor along with fragments of bone. Part of his skull was exposed.

  At that moment, he understood that the Crimson Fist was no exaggeration.

  He tried to pull himself together... but a hand grabbed him by the back of the neck.

  Caria was already behind him.

  Long before he could process it.

  He began to squeeze his skull with ruthless pressure. Only muffled sounds of pain could be heard, because with his jaw shattered, he could not speak.

  The wizard tried to push the arm away, but his strength was not enough.

  Caria lifted him with one hand.

  With the other, she pressed his fingers together as if they were a blade and plunged them into the wizard's back with disproportionate force.

  A sharp sound.

  His spine snapped.

  The body fell uncontrollably to the ground.

  With his last ounce of strength, the wizard attempted a desperate move. He summoned more and more creatures, throwing them all at Caria.

  The creatures attacked fiercely.

  But to no avail.

  His skin remained stone.

  Meanwhile, Laret was beginning to feel overwhelmed.

  “If this continues, several will escape and could harm innocent people!” he exclaimed as he blocked attacks and repelled creatures with his water sword.

  Three monsters managed to escape through a side opening.

  Laret felt a knot in his chest.

  But then, unexpected reinforcements arrived.

  With courage and high-quality weapons, four D-rank adventurers burst into the place.

  “Great Lord Laret! We have come to report!” Bezal shouted.

  Laret looked at them with relief.

  “Lord Ken told us to come. The three guardians and our companion Lyris entered the Untamed Forest to rescue the young master. They have a solid lead to follow the monster that took him.

  ”Thank you very much for the information, guys," replied Laret.

  “Now, if you don't mind... we're really eager to kick some monster ass. May we help you?” said Aran with a tense smile.

  “Sure. There are monsters for everyone,” replied Laret, returning to the fight.

  With the help of the D-rank team, the creatures began to fall one after another.

  Only one remained.

  The wizard.

  He was writhing in pain, breathing heavily.

  Caria turned him over to look at his face.

  The wizard looked at her with teary, disfigured eyes, begging for mercy.

  Caria stared at him with utter coldness.

  “There's a phrase I've always liked to say to dark wizards in this situation...”

  She leaned in slightly.

  “How does it feel to experience the death you invoked so many times... now in this state? Now do you know how the innocent people you silenced felt?”

  She raised her foot.

  And stamped it down on his head.

  The impact was devastating.

  Fragments of bone, eyes, and brain tissue scattered across the floor in a brutal scene that made the air seem to freeze for a moment.

  When the execution was over, silence fell over the place.

  There was a husband there... deeply saddened, having lived through scenes like this more times than he could bear.

  And four adventurers who were clearly shocked and terrified.

  Laret approached calmly.

  "Don't take it personally, guys.

  Caria isn't called the Crimson Fist just for defeating demons... it's more for the punishment she gives to dark mages.

  “Well... in a way, they deserve it...” muttered Elira, still pale.

  And so, the confrontation with the dark mage ended in the lower district.

  Only one battle remained.

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  Back in the Untamed Forest

  Kael was panting heavily.

  Blood was pouring from various parts of his body, the result of the earth magic attacks that had taken him by surprise. Some wounds were superficial, but others burned intensely, especially on his side and shoulder where the rocks had hit him hardest.

  The bandit leader advanced toward him with his magic-charged sword. The blade vibrated slightly with elemental energy.

  The air felt heavy.

  The ground, still cracked from previous impacts, gave off dust and small fragments that crunched under the enemy's boots.

  // -- STOP HESITATING OR HE WILL KILL US! -- //

  Kael thought: I can't! I can't kill people!... even with that dark wizard...

  The bandit stomped on the ground again, kicking up fragments of rock around him. His intention was clear.

  Kill.

  Not capture.

  Not negotiate.

  Not warn.

  Kill.

  Kael felt fear mingle with something much deeper: a visceral refusal to cross that line.

  Behind him, under the enormous roots of the tree, the demon children watched in absolute silence. Their eyes were wide open. Some were trembling. Others were clenching their teeth, trying not to cry.

  If he failed...

  There would be no second chance.

  // -- kid, get ready. This guy is willing to kill... there's no turning back now! Either you kill him... or he'll kill you! -- //

  Kael thought: No... I can't...

  His breathing became irregular.

  His mind oscillated between two worlds.

  The world he was born into.

  And this new world where death was an everyday tool.

  The bandit leader raised his sword once more, preparing to launch another attack charged with earth magic.

  The first moral dilemma of a new world stood before Kael.

  And this time...

  There was no training.

  There was no theory.

  There was no system to decide for him.

  Only his will.

  And the decision that would change who he would be in this world.