In the silver moonlight of the twin moons, the forest below was bathed in its glow.

Here, countless flora and fauna flourished, thriving in the moon's gentle embrace.

But amidst it all, a source of light shone above, burning with an unusual intensity, far surpassing anything ever seen. It was unlike any campfire's warm flicker, far fiercer in its brilliance.

Nearby, a figure lay, drenched in green blood from head to toe, sleeping soundly with eyes closed.

Above this body, hovering in the air, were tentacles coming out from the void.

Hundreds of them, their sinister form aimed directly at Eryke the Third.

The tentacles moved with an eerie slowness.

The slowness itself was more terrifying than any rush of speed, a sense of inevitability building with every moment.

They wrapped around his limbs, binding his hands and legs, lifting him from the ground as if he were a mere ragdoll.

Then, one of the tentacles shot toward his ears.

From the shadows, whispered voices turned into mocking chuckles:

"Once we have this strong creature, we can draw others to us. They'll become our slaves too."

"It's a bit of a disappointment that those pigs died, but it's worth it in the end."

Just as the tentacle neared his ear, Eryke the Third's hand shot out, claws striking at the appendage with force.

In a single, swift motion, his eyes snapped open, revealing boundless blue pupils:

"Have you had your fun?"

Mana surged from his core, and a black haze enveloped his body.

"Aura Spell: Aura."

Snap!

With a sharp crack, Eryke the Third unleashed all his strength, obliterating the tentacles in an instant. He landed on the ground with a graceful flip, his gaze fixed on the darkened sky above.

His narrowed eyes swept over the countless shadows, but his expression remained unfazed. Inside, however, his thoughts churned:

'How the hell do I even kill any of these shadows?'

The question lingered in his mind, unanswered for the moment.

A sense of confusion settled within him.

The shadows roamed in the sky, and whispers slithered into his ears:

"Haha, we don't know how you managed to break free, but you will not leave this place."

"Be obedient, and we may show you mercy. Resist, and you will suffer for eternity."

'Let's try it.'

With a single push against the ground, Eryke the Third propelled himself into the sky, his fist gathering all his strength for a crushing blow with glitter starlights.

The shadows, swift and evasive, darted away just in time, narrowly avoiding his strike.

"Give up, little insect. You cannot harm us."

A whisper echoed in his ear, and a wave of discouragement washed over his mind.

"Give up."

"Give up."

The words repeated, each echo sinking deeper, and with every repetition, his limbs grew heavier, weaker.

His vision blurred, his body succumbing to exhaustion.

"I will never give up."

With bloodshot eyes and a roar that shook the air, he defied the crushing weight on his spirit.

<Dash> <Acceleration>

Drawing on the last reserves of his strength, Eryke propelled himself further in mid-air, his fist reaching for one of the shadows. A scream echoed through the air.

A flicker of exhilaration surged through every fiber of his being.

For a brief moment, Eryke the Third felt alive, a rush of excitement flooding his senses.

But then…

Gravity claimed him. His body lost its momentum, and he plummeted to the ground in one swift motion, crashing into the earth with bone-jarring force.

"Ho."

He exhaled sharply, his chest rising and falling.

With him, the shadow also fell to the ground, but when his pupils looked over at the fallen shadow, he was stunned in place. All he saw was a black liquid on the ground and nothing more than that.

It was strange to look at, and he tilted his head in confusion.

He crouched on the ground and felt it. There was no movement of mana in the air, and he was sure the fallen shadow had landed on this exact spot.

He scratched his hair in utter frustration.

"Why am I so irritated?"

The next moment, he felt an incredible urge to beat someone; his anger boiled.

But after some time, it changed again. He felt happy, and the memories of all his happy times came to him, making him giggle.

Eryke the Third was going through a whirlpool of emotions, which settled down as his skill kicked in.

"Lucky," he thought in his heart.

The amount of time "Hive Mind" had saved him was countless!

Anyway, he looked up at the lingering shadows that refused to vanish but were much higher now, his brows knitted.

Even if he reached them now with his skill, now that they were alert, it would be a lot harder, and there were thousands of these shadows. He couldn't kill all of them, right?

So, what could he do?

He just went to the fire and stomped on it to dry it out. Unfortunately, the fire wasn't extinguished, but his clothes were definitely burned.

"Oh, well."

He just slept on the ground with a calm heart.

"Die!"

"Stop resisting!"

"Kill yourself."

Countless whispers resounded in his mind, but he didn't care. His Hive Mind activated and swatted them away.

For some reason, the tentacles didn't activate, and Eryke the Third knew that these shadows were weaklings who only relied on the power of the mind.

Time passed in the blink of an eye, and two moons left the sky, greeted by the warm sun. The shadows left parting whispers in his ears:

"We will come again at night. I wonder how long your sanity can last."

Eryke the Third looked at the shadows that had vanished and the source of light, the campfire, which was still burning.

He tried to leave the forest again but was stuck in place, like always.

"This is troublesome. The main body will soon arrive, and I am still here."

It would be troublesome if the main body also entered this place and got stuck here in an infinite loop.

So, Eryke the Third started to look for a solution.

He first checked the black sticky liquid, the remains of the shadow. It still hadn't dried out, even till now.

"Let's apply mana to it."

The result stunned him.