The Master of Uradan

Rohan walked inside the forest. Since he didn't know where he was and where to go, he simply took a direction. This forest was far more lively than all the other ones he had seen to this day, which were only two. Countless animal cries came from all around, slightly creeping out Rohan.

Since he had started to walk, he had felt that something wasn't quite right about this place, but he could pinpoint this sensation. Luckily, he had learned a bit from the Blackwolf clan about the movement inside a forest and scared to attract anything, Rohan fully used it.

He stepped carefully on the ground as he slowly advanced, muffling the noise he made in this forest.

After a few hours of walking, Rohan suddenly froze. There, in front of him, an animal stared at him in between a few trees.

A brown fur covering his whole body. Standing on his two legs with two long arms touching the ground. It was the first time Rohan saw a monkey. He had already read about them and saw a drawing, so he was sure this animal should be one.

Rohan stepped back and put his hand on the handle of his sword. Although it was without a doubt a monkey, the way it was looking at him with red eyes was quite threatening. The young warrior squinted his eyes. Should he hunt it to have some meat?

Before he came up with an answer, the monkey screamed and rushed toward the human. His steps crushed twigs, leaves, and roots while his body brushed the branches on his way. Rohan was alarmed by the speed of this animal, and he unsheathed his weapon before waiting in a battle stance.

The monkey pounced at him with a shrill and waved his hand to attack. This seemingly harmless blow suddenly became deadly when terrifying-looking claws grew in less than a second from his nail. Rohan used his sword to defend against this attack with a frown.

A loud clang resonated after the claws and sword connected. Rohan tightened his handle. He used his strength to slide his sword against the long pointed nails, and arrived at the side of the beast with great footwork combining his speed and control over his body. His sword flashed.

As Rohan thought, the beast nimbly dodged the attack along with a loud scream and leaped forward a new time. His sword easily parried and deflected the attacks from the beast and counterattacked every time with a quick response. But the beast was extremely nimble, it dodged and contorted its body. Rohan couldn't touch this beast at all!

He didn't dare to use his mana to launch a skill or a spell. Firstly he didn't know if it was the only beast in this area and his stock of weak mana potions was far from being incredible. Secondly, his mana was now the crackling red one, and Rohan didn't want to activate a skill or spell with it. Maybe it will destroy his limb the instant he tried it, and he didn't want to play with his life.

For a short time, a stalemate appeared as Rohan and the monkey danced together surrounded by trees in the middle of an unknown forest. The frustration grew inside his body as he couldn't touch at all this damn magical beast, but this one was also becoming more restless during this fight.

Obviously, this beast was a magical one, and one stronger than a dracass. His long nails remained without any scratches even though they had clashed against his sword countless times, and despite his speed and swordsmanship, this monkey was still evading everything.

The clashes continued for a short time. Abruptly, Rohan kicked. But this kick wasn't aiming for the monkey, but the ground. The beast, only paying attention to any attacks, didn't expect the soil and leaves to be violently thrown at him. It had reacted to the kick, but seeing it wouldn't touch his body, it had decided to ignore it to concentrate on the sword.

This mistake gave him no time to dodge and the dirt meet in his face, blinding him for a second. Using this opportunity, Rohan charged forward and stabbed with his sword. The fur and skin of the beast weren't exceptional, and the sharp tip easily pierced through the heart of the beast, killing it on the spot.

Rohan loudly sighed as he looked at the dead body. Now he was sure that he wasn't in the Barren Lands anymore. Apart from the dracasses, there weren't any other magical beasts, and Rohan didn't believe a single second that the clans wouldn't know about their existence if he was there.

He didn't waste more time, and taking out a dagger from his bag, he first removed the heart. After proficiently cutting it apart, he found himself with a red crystal in his hand. He looked at this stone strangely as it was quite different from the other mana cores he had found on the dracasses. He thought that he had already seen something like that someday, but he didn't remember where.

He put it away and began to cut the meat of this beast, but before he could even start the operation, he heard a violet shrill coming from a near distance. Rohan carefully looked around him as he stood up while drawing back his sword.

A twig broke at his left. Footsteps approached from his right. Screams appeared in front of him. Rohan's face became ugly as he slowly stepped back with his sword in front of him.

The whole forest became even noisier as countless screams and shrills were coming from the three directions. The forest was opening the path to numerous beasts charging over there, and without the need to see them, Rohan knew he was in a really bad situation.

Facing probably several tens of creatures wanting to avenge their comrades, Rohan, the powerful rank 5 Beginner Warrior as well as mighty rank 1 Beginner Wizard, chose the most courageous decision he could in the instant.

"Fuck."

he turned around, and without waiting for anything, he fled with the highest speed he could muster. He didn't care anymore about being the least noisy possible or anything.

Using his powerful body with extreme efficiency, Rohan charged through the bushes and lush, destroying branches and weak plants on his path.

After a few seconds of running away at full speed, the screams of the beast intensified with a palpable rage and indignation. They should have encountered the dead body of their companion.

Sweat broke out from Rohan's back as he heard the countless beast rushing in his direction while screaming as if he had killed some of their members. Which was the case, but still.

Sadly, Rohan didn't know anymore where he was as he simply ran in a random direction. From the monkey he had killed, he had clearly seen how fast and nimble they were. Rohan didn't have any confidence in his speed, and instead of running in a straight line, he abruptly decided to run toward the left.

Maybe that way the monkeys would continue forward. Or at least it was his goal. Unfortunately, he heard the screams on his back nearing him not even a minute later.

He resisted the urge to shout out loud from frustration and darted forward, inside this unknown forest.