Beastbound: Awakening the Hunter

"Damn it, those pests... after all these years of raising Kramar, you kill them just like that? The master is definitely going to be held accountable by the Silver Circle cult!" Walter seethed, cursing under his breath.

Walter clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His mind raced through the possible repercussions—would the Silver Circle hold him responsible? Would Lord Avery even care about his fate? The thought sent a cold shiver down his spine.

Over the past few years, Lord Avery had been buying slaves from nearby villages and towns, even forcibly turning ordinary farmers into slaves. Oliver had almost become one of their victims.

On the surface, Lord Avery claimed that his knights and mages needed slave warriors to combat powerful magical beasts in the forest. But in truth, only a small portion of the slaves had died during these "beast hunts." Most of them had been used as sacrifices to breed the evil Kramar spirits.

Walter hurried back to the lord’s estate.

The estate loomed like a grim fortress against the morning fog, its high walls casting long shadows over the barren courtyard. The occasional flicker of torchlight revealed grotesque gargoyle statues lining the parapets,

Walter's mind racing with anxiety, but Lord Avery, surprisingly, was calm and collected, not the least bit panicked.

At fifty years old, Lord Avery was a physically imposing figure, with a thick beard and a noble’s cloak that added to his grim demeanor.

“It's just a few dead spirits, Walter. Why are you panicking? The Silver Circle cult is far more powerful than you think,” Lord Avery said, a thin smile playing on his lips. “I’ve already sent a raven to the Venomous Fang priest. He’ll be here soon, bringing reinforcements. By then, the blood of ordinary townsfolk won’t matter. What we need are the cores from the mages and knights!”

Lord Avery traced a finger along the intricate patterns etched into his ceremonial dagger.

His eyes gleamed with anticipation as he continued, “Once we refine the evil spirit gem needed for the grand ritual, everything the Silver Circle promised will be ours...”

“Lord, once you reach the Orange rank as a Necromancer, no one in Glensorne will stand a chance against you!” Walter said, eagerly rubbing his hands together.

Indeed, Lord Avery had secretly been studying necromancy from the Silver Circle cult. In Riverhaven, necromancy was strictly forbidden, not only because it involved raising the dead, which posed significant ethical issues, but also because the process of learning it often required human sacrifices. The higher the necromancer’s rank, the more civilians they had to slaughter.

Lord Avery had already secretly advanced to the rank of a Red Necromancer—how many innocent lives had he destroyed in the process? As a Red Necromancer, his combat abilities far surpassed those of ordinary mages or knights.

This man, it seemed, was the true mastermind behind the recent evil spirit infestation in the town!

At that moment, as the two spoke, they were unaware that a dim, flickering butterfly was gently flapping its wings on the wall just outside, unnoticed in the first light of dawn.

---

Oliver was once again deep in the forest. He was eager to test the benefits of his newly acquired "Forest Blessing" and see if the boost in his abilities truly lived up to expectations.

However, the regular forest seemed unchanged by his new connection with it. It appeared that the Forest Blessing only worked within the toxic, mist-shrouded region known as the Purple Mist Forest.

As Oliver approached the cave where Pebble, Kitty, and Oinky lived, he was greeted with enthusiastic embraces from all three.

Kitty, now much larger after evolving, dove down from the air, her massive tiger body almost knocking Oliver off his feet. Having spent most of her time sleeping, Kitty had only recently begun to stir, eating when needed before returning to her rest. Under Oliver’s instructions, Oinky and the others had been feeding her magical plants, which seemed to have accelerated her growth,especially the growth of her wings.

Kitty's wings, once small and underdeveloped, were now fully grown and functional. She could fly freely.Kitty flared her wings proudly, their leathery surface catching the light as she circled above. Her purring was deep and rumbling, a sound that seemed to vibrate through Oliver’s chest.

“Perfect timing. Let's put those wings to the test,” Oliver said, leaping onto Kitty's back.

With a satisfied purr, Kitty took off, launching herself into the sky with surprising speed. The wind whipped against Oliver’s face as he tried to hold on, startled by the force of the flight.

From high above, the view of the winter forest below was stunning. The eastern edge, where the Purple Mist Forest lay, was even more striking from this height.

“This place is truly mysterious...” Oliver muttered under his breath. His instincts told him to be cautious, so he didn’t let Kitty fly any closer to the mist-covered forest.

That area was too dangerous. Even now, with Kitty’s newfound abilities, Oliver’s intuition warned him that drawing too much attention there could spell trouble.

[Current Forest Blessing: 8. All common plants will now be more favorably disposed toward you. The chance of rare red-tier magical plants favoring you is 50%, orange-tier 5%, and higher-tier plants have a progressively lower chance of reacting positively... ]

Once Oliver dismounted from Kitty, he ventured deeper into the mist-covered woods on foot. As soon as he entered, the system’s notification echoed in his ears.

To better test his new abilities, he walked deeper into the forest, soon noticing the tangible effects of his Forest Blessing.

First, the thick underbrush parted as he walked, with branches gently moving aside to allow him to pass. Previously, traversing the forest had been a painful experience, with branches constantly striking him, but now the trees seemed to clear a path for him.

It might seem like a minor change, but Oliver quickly discovered the true advantage of his new power. When he came across a patch of berry bushes, the surrounding shrubs began to shake, revealing a nearly hidden moonflower, previously obscured by the dense foliage.

“Haha, so the forest is helping me find treasure now? This feels incredible!” Oliver said, grinning widely.

His treasure-hunting abilities had been significantly enhanced!