Gorath stood still, his eyes tracing the trees that moved in the night wind. The forest that had previously been filled with the sounds of battle was now silent, too silent.
The mysterious figure had disappeared, but its presence was still there. It was no illusion. Something—or someone—was truly there, watching him.
Gorath took a deep breath. If the enemy did not want to show himself, then he would not waste his time looking for him. Right now, there was something more important: getting stronger.
After defeating the Orc Champion, his body had undergone a major transformation. His muscles were denser, his movements were faster, and his strength had increased many times over. But he knew… that was still not enough.
'I must find more enemies to devour…' he thought.
With steady steps, Gorath began walking north, towards the deeper parts of the forest.
The Predators' Territory.
Several hours later…
Gorath stood at the edge of a large ravine that cut through the forest. At the bottom of the ravine, black mist swirled like deadly poison. The air around here was heavier, filled with dangerous energy.
He was not alone.
Across the chasm, stood several large figures with glowing red eyes. They were tall, even bigger than him.
Trolls.
Giant creatures with thick skin and armored muscles. Not only were they big, they also had insane regeneration abilities. Killing them was no easy matter.
But that also meant…
'If I eat them, my body will get their regeneration.'
This opportunity was too good to pass up.
Without hesitation, Gorath descended the chasm, heading straight for the Trolls.
The largest Troll, who seemed to be their leader, growled angrily when he saw Gorath approaching. With a heavy and thunderous voice, he swung his giant stone club to the ground, giving a warning signal.
But Gorath did not stop in his tracks.
"I did not come to negotiate…"
His right hand clenched, a black aura began to flow around him.
"I came to hunt."
His smile widened, and in an instant… he charged.
Gorath charged forward, the ground shaking beneath his power. The giant trolls growled in anger, realizing that a fight was inevitable. Their leader, the largest of the lot, swung his stone club at Gorath with surprising speed.
BOOM!
The ground cracked as the club struck where Gorath had been standing. But he had disappeared.
In an instant, he was in the air, hovering over the troll's head, his black claws poised to sink deep into its opponent's skull.
SLASH!
The claw struck, but before it could penetrate, the troll's other hand swatted it away roughly.
Damn! That was fast!
Gorath was sent crashing to the ground, but he landed firmly. The troll growled, staring at him with hateful eyes. The giant's body began to move, approaching with heavy steps that made the ground tremble.
Gorath grinned.
"Interesting…"
In an instant, he charged again. This time, he would not be held back.
—CLASH!—
Gorath charged at the troll with full force, his claws and fangs attacking relentlessly. But the troll's hide was too tough, like living steel. Gorath's claws left only small scratches.
The troll retaliated. Its massive hand hurtled toward Gorath like a giant hammer. He tried to dodge, but—
BAM!
A blow slammed into his chest, sending him flying into the cliff. Pain coursed through his body, but that wasn't what bothered him.
His blood dripped to the ground. For the first time since he became a monster, he felt an attack that actually hurt him.
The troll was strong. But that only made Gorath even more excited.
He wiped the blood from his lips and stood up again.
"Now… I'm going to get serious."
A black aura began to swirl around his body. The ground beneath him cracked, the air became heavy.
"Consume darkness…"
His fangs lengthened, his muscles tensed. Darkness swallowed his body, leaving only his red eyes shining in the shadows.
"DEVOURER MODE: NIGHTMARE ASCENT!"
The wind roared as his power surged to its peak. The trolls, though foolish, could sense this change. They growled, backing away slightly as fear began to creep in.
But it was too late.
Gorath leapt, faster than ever. In an instant, he was right in front of the leader troll, his black claws glowing with a dark, pulsating aura.
"DIE."
He plunged his claws straight into the troll's chest.
Unlike before, this time his claws penetrated easily.
Black blood spurted. The troll groaned, trying to fight back, but Gorath gave him no chance.
He opened his jaws and bit straight into the troll's neck.
[Consumed Troll King. Ability gained: Regeneration Lv.2]
Gorath's body shook as new power spread through him. His wounds began to close rapidly, his muscles growing denser.
The other trolls saw their leader fall, and fear gripped them. They tried to run… but Gorath would not let that happen.
In seconds, he slaughtered them all.
When the battle was over, he stood in a pool of blood, breathing heavily.
He had won.
And he had grown stronger.
But something in the distance watched him…
A presence darker, more terrifying than anything he had ever faced.
And he smiled.
Because that meant more prey to eat.