Ryo leaned casually on the wooden railing, the golden sky stretching over the horizon.

  “How’s your little sister?” he asked, glancing sideways at Raze.

  Raze exhaled softly. “She’s alright. Just shaken up, y’know? My aunt’s taking care of her for now.”

  A quiet moment passed before Raze added, his eyes narrowing with certainty, “Also… I’m gonna tell the guild I found someone who’s potentially S-rank.”

  Ryo tilted his head, curious. “Oh yeah? Who?”

  Raze smirked, throwing a glance at him. “You.”

  Ryo blinked, then laughed. “Tch. Maybe after I win the competition next week.”

  “Heh, agreed,” Raze said, giving him a solid pat on the back. “I’m cheering for you, bro. Don’t disappoint.” With a flash of wind, he vanished.

  Left alone, Ryo scratched the back of his head and looked up at the fading sunlight. “Man… what a weird guy.”

  [SYSTEM]: Weird? That man just labeled you as walking natural disaster potential with a smile. No pressure, champ.

  Back at the A-Rank Gate...

  The atmosphere grew tense as Seraphine stood before the final chamber of the dungeon, golden hair flowing behind her like firelight in the dim cavern glow. She drew her blade slowly — a silver longsword etched with faint blue runes that shimmered as the gate rumbled open.

  With a thunderous roar, the ground shook.

  Emerging from the darkness was a massive creature — its skin like cracked stone, laced with glowing magma veins. Standing nearly four meters tall, it had the brutish form of an ogre, with thick arms like piled boulders and iron plates embedded across its body.

  [RANK A- BOSS MONSTER: GOLIATH, THE HARDENED WALL]

  Seraphine narrowed her eyes, raising her sword and pointing it forward. “Formation C. Buffs up. Hold position until I give the signal.”

  Her party sprang into action. One cast a defense enchantment, cloaking them in a faint blue aura. Another increased their agility, their movements suddenly lighter. The last chanted a strength booster that caused their veins to glow faintly red.

  Seraphine’s golden eyes stayed locked on the beast.

  “That thing doesn’t move fast,” she said calmly, “but don’t let your guard down. If it lands even one hit, it’ll flatten you.”

  The ground trembled as Goliath slammed one massive fist into the earth. Suddenly, jagged rock spikes erupted, shooting straight toward Seraphine and her team like deadly arrows.

  Without missing a beat, Seraphine raised her shield, summoning a crackling Spark Shield that shimmered violet. She slammed it forward with a powerful force, sending the rock spikes scattering and dissolving into dust.

  A sharp crack of violet lightning danced across the shield’s surface as Goliath growled, clearly puzzled by the sudden resistance.

  From the shadows, Valkyrie’s voice cut through the tension.

  “Now, cast the spell! Assassin, close in—dodge and strike!”

  The assassin melted into the darkness, eyes sharp, ready to weave through attacks while Seraphine prepared for the next move.

  Seraphine steadied herself, shield raised on her right arm and her long sword drawn in her left, crackling with violet lightning. Around her, the two A-rank hunters began chanting spells, their hands glowing with arcane power. The assassin weaved fluidly through the battlefield, dodging rocks and debris.

  “Back away now!” Seraphine commanded sharply. “It’s about to release something!”

  With a deafening roar, the Goliath unleashed a powerful gust of air, knocking the mages and assassin backward. But Seraphine stood firm, eyes blazing with determination. She dashed forward, lightning arcing along her blade as she shouted,

  “Strike with the wrath of violet thunder… Fulvio!”

  Her sword plunged deep into the Goliath’s chest. A surge of violet lightning erupted, echoing through the entire chamber as the monster staggered, stunned by the sheer force of the attack.

  The Goliath groaned, struggling to rise as violet lightning crackled across its massive, rocky form. Steam hissed from cracks in its stone-like skin, the air thick with tension.

  Seraphine didn’t hesitate. She leveled her sword, the violet glow intensifying as she pointed it directly at the towering beast.

  “Hold your ground,” she commanded her team, voice cold and steady. “Wait for my signal — then, we finish this.”

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  The Goliath stood, rocks tumbling from its massive body as violet lightning crackled wildly across its skin. Struggling to keep its footing, the sparks danced along its rocky surface.

  Seraphine leapt forward and slammed her shield in a rapid flurry against the Goliath’s chest, each strike echoing like thunder. With a final powerful slam, she struck its jaw, sending the beast staggering upward.

  Raising her longsword high, she pointed it directly at the Goliath and declared, “En garde!”

  At her command, the three Rank A hunters unleashed their spells in unison — one firing a roaring water cannon, another sending a storm of ice shards, and the assassin buffing their daggers before throwing more than twenty sharp blades toward the enemy.

  With a fierce swing, Seraphine brought her sword down. As her blade cut through the air, violet lightning descended, striking the Goliath’s massive form. The electricity tore through the monster’s rocky flesh, ripping it apart under the combined assault.

  As they walked toward the gate exit, a confident Rank A hunter stepped forward, clearing his throat.

  “Seraphine… I’ve been meaning to tell you— I like you,” he said, his eyes hopeful.

  Seraphine’s golden hair fell forward, shielding her eyes as she calmly replied, “I already have a boyfriend.”

  At that moment, her cheeks flushed bright red—not because of the hunter, but as she thought of Ryo. She quickly lowered her head, hiding the blush.

  The hunter smiled awkwardly. “Well, good luck to you both.”

  Seraphine just nodded, her thoughts still with Ryo as they continued on.

  Meanwhile, Ryo was inside an A-rank gate located near Brightport Port, by Crimson Cove Beach. Beyond the gate stretched a dense forest.

  Ryo muttered, “Hmph… I know how this goes. If I head inside, monsters will definitely ambush me.”

  The system replied with a grin only he could hear: “No way, you think? Next you’ll tell me water’s wet.”

  Without wasting a second, Ryo plucked a sturdy leaf from a nearby bush.

  [SYSTEM] What are you gonna do with that leaf? Gonna fan them with it?

  Ryo smirked, holding the fragile leaf between his fingers. “Good idea,” he whispered with a mischievous grin.

  He softly murmured, “Whip the air.”

  The leaf suddenly shimmered and sparkled like it had just discovered its hidden potential.

  RáFAGA!

  The leaf began to grow, stretching like it was inflating for a big performance. Before long, it transformed into a massive brown-and-green fan—looking less like a piece of nature and more like a weapon ready to smack down any ambushers.

  Ryo gave it a quick flick and a strong gust swept through the forest, stirring the leaves—and hopefully any lurking monsters—into confusion.

  [SYSTEM] Well, that’s not exactly what I expected… but hey, when life gives you leaves, make giant fans! Ambush? More like breeze block!

  Ryo stood at the edge of the shadowed grove, muscles flexing as he pulled back the massive, glowing leaf-fan. The forest before him was still—eerily so—as if nature itself sensed what was coming.

  He narrowed his eyes.

  "The wind’s elegance... rends all."

  Then, with a single, sharp motion, he swept the colossal fan forward.

  "Raewen!"

  A burst of jade-and-gold wind surged out like a divine blade—an elegant storm, merciless and beautiful. Trees snapped like twigs, uprooted and sent flying. The wind twisted, carved, and danced through the horde of lurking monsters.

  Their skin tore away in an instant. What remained was bone, scorched and stripped, clattering to the ground in eerie silence.

  Far across the devastated forest, in the heart of the gate's inner zone, something stirred.

  A monstrous shape hunched in shadow—hulking, bleeding, ancient.

  It opened one glowing red eye and let out a low, guttural growl that echoed like a death sentence.

  [SYSTEM NOTICE: Forbidden Gust Skill ‘Raewen’ used successfully.]

  [Environmental Impact: 89% forest deforestation. Monster morale: 0%.]

  [WARNING: You’ve pissed off something very big.]

  [It’s coming.]

  Ryo stared at the devastation he caused—trees uprooted, monsters reduced to bone confetti, and the sky clearing as if nature itself feared him. But then... a thunderous growl echoed from deep within the forest. Something massive. Far beyond anything he'd just obliterated.

  He watched the shadow stir in the distance and chuckled.

  "Bigger than this fan, huh..."

  He casually snapped the giant leaf fan shut with a dramatic fwip.

  [SYSTEM NOTICE: Affirmative. Size comparison detected: Target is approximately ‘oh-hell-no’ percent larger.]

  Ryo planted the fan on his shoulder, striking a heroic pose.

  "In the wings of the tempest... the silent flame awakens destiny’s blade."

  A long pause.

  [SYSTEM NOTICE: ...What in the pretentious poetry hell was that? You just mashed cool words together like a salad.]

  Ryo smirked, not even flinching.

  "Still sounded dope."

  [SYSTEM NOTICE: So does getting smacked into a mountain. Want to try that next?]

  He stepped forward, eyes locked on the distant beast.

  "Let’s go. If it’s bigger... I’ll just fan harder."

  The forest trembled.

  From deep within the shadows of the trees, something immense stirred. Each thunderous step sent shudders through the ground, birds fleeing in panic. Branches cracked, roots tore, and the scent of ancient earth mixed with rot flooded the air.

  Then it emerged.

  A towering abomination, its body a grotesque mesh of coiled, fat brown roots, layered like sinew over a trunk-like torso. Its bark was thick, jagged, and dripping with sap the color of dried blood. Veins of moss slithered over its frame, pulsing faintly like a heart that shouldn’t beat.

  Its glowing amber eyes blinked from beneath a twisted crown of broken branches.

  ---

  [SYSTEM ALERT: Rank A Boss Monster Detected.]

  [Name: Warden of Witherroot – Eldenbark.]

  [Type: Nature / Curse Variant]

  [Threat Level: High. Do NOT engage recklessly.]

  ---

  The beast let out a low, rumbling groan that sounded like trees dying in winter. Its root-like arms rose as if to embrace the entire forest—and crush it.