Silence.
It was as if the world had stopped spinning.
Gorath stared at the woman without blinking.
Something about her felt… dangerous.
The aura around her pulsed with an unnatural rhythm, like a soft whisper trying to creep into his mind.
"Someone like you… shouldn't exist."
The woman repeated her previous words, this time in a softer tone.
Gorath raised his axe, preparing to fight.
But before he could move, the woman raised a finger.
"Don't be hasty."
FWOOOSH!
A shadow exploded from the ground.
In an instant, Gorath felt something wrap around his legs.
DAMN!
He used all his strength to jump back, but the shadow gripped him tightly.
CRACK!
The earth beneath him cracked, holding his body in place.
Gorath growled, swinging his axe down.
ZRAASSH!
The ground split.
The shadow shattered.
But the woman had already moved.
In the blink of an eye, she disappeared and reappeared beside him.
Too fast!
Gorath's eyes widened as a black dagger flew towards his neck.
DING!
He managed to raise his axe just in time, blocking the blow.
However, the woman only smiled.
"Good reflexes."
WHAM!
Something hit his chest.
A kick?
Gorath was thrown several meters back, slamming into a large tree.
The air in his lungs seemed to drain away.
Before he could recover, the woman was already on top of him.
Too fast!
His axe was still beside him, too heavy to lift in a short time.
He could only watch as the black dagger flew towards him.
But then—
BOOM!
From within Gorath's body, black energy exploded.
In a split second, the woman took several steps back.
Gorath felt something inside him.
That energy…
It wasn't her own power.
"Interesting…"
The woman studied Gorath with sparkling eyes.
"You hold something bigger than I thought."
She swung her hand.
The shadows around her began to twist.
Gorath knew he had to act now.
But before he could strike—
"Enough."
Another voice echoed through the forest.
In an instant, the woman stopped.
The shadows around her disappeared.
From the darkness, someone emerged.
A man in a long robe, his eyes glowing red.
"The orders have changed."
He stared at Gorath with a flat expression.
"We don't kill him. We take him alive."
Damn.
Gorath could feel his entire body stiffen.
He was still recovering from the previous clash, but now there were two enemies before him.
The shadowy woman with the black dagger… and the red-robed man who had just appeared.
"We take him alive?" the woman's voice sounded displeased. "Are you kidding me?"
The red-robed man remained silent. His gaze remained locked on Gorath.
"New orders. He is not a kill target."
Orders? From who?
Gorath growled.
It didn't matter who gave the orders—they were still his enemies.
His red eyes flashed.
They wanted to take him alive?
Just try.
In an instant, Gorath moved.
BOOM!
The ground beneath him cracked as he charged forward.
His axe spun through the air, aiming for the red-robed man's head.
However—
WHOOSH!
Just before his axe could reach its target, a black shadow shot toward him.
The woman was already standing in front of the red-robed man.
DING!
Her dagger blocked Gorath's attack.
Too fast!
"Don't rush, monster."
A cold smile etched onto her face.
SLASH!
Her black dagger slid towards Gorath's neck.
But this time, Gorath was ready.
He moved his body back, avoiding the attack by inches.
Then, he struck back.
BAM!
His massive fist slammed into the woman's stomach.
Gorath could feel the impact—but…
Something was wrong.
The woman wasn't thrown.
She didn't move at all.
Her smile grew wider.
"Do you think that's enough?"
FWOOSH!
In an instant, her body turned into a pitch-black shadow.
Before Gorath could react, she had disappeared from sight.
DAMN!
Gorath tried to jump back—
But it was too late.
SLASH!
A long gash opened on Gorath's chest.
Black blood dripped onto the ground.
He growled, but he didn't have time to feel the pain.
Because suddenly—
BOOM!
A magical attack exploded near him.
Gorath was pushed back, slamming into a large tree.
The man in the red robe.
His right hand was still raised, shimmering with dark red energy.
"You're strong enough," he said in a flat voice. "But not enough."
He raised his hand again.
Magic.
DAMN.
Gorath knew he couldn't keep holding on.
His enemy was too fast.
They were working well together.
If he kept fighting like this—
He would lose.
But…
He still had one trump card.
Something he had never used before.
The dark energy within his body began to pulse.
This was it.
Slowly, Gorath raised his axe.
His eyes flashed red.
The air around him vibrated.
A low voice came from his throat.
A spell.
Words that appeared in his mind.
"Devour the weak…"
"Rise, Abyssal Hunger."
BOOM!
In an instant, something exploded from within him.
A wave of dark energy swept across the area.
The ground shook.
The air vibrated.
And in the eyes of his enemy…
For the first time…
They saw something truly terrifying.