Chapter 24: Roaring

Richard hadn’t expected such an offer from her.

He couldn’t help but ask, "What is it you need me to retrieve?"

"A necklace from a corpse buried deep in the forest. If you go far enough, you’ll find a grave beneath a Sakura tree," Olivia replied.

Richard frowned at her words.

Taking something from a corpse—just hearing it made his skin crawl.

And wouldn’t that mean he would have to dig up the grave as well?

"What will you give me in return?" Richard asked.

"You might like this..."

Suddenly, a small vial appeared in her hand, filled with thick crimson liquid that looked disturbingly like blood.

Richard didn’t recognize it.

"You have a Red Horse. If you feed this liquid to your mount, it will awaken its Primordial Bloodline, allowing it to draw out that potential and evolve into a Primordial Beast—something far beyond ordinary wild creatures," Olivia explained.

At her words, Richard couldn’t help but feel intrigued.

His eyes lit up with strong desire for the vial, but moments later, it vanished once again.

The woman clearly possessed some kind of storage artifact.

"Fine. But help me with a disguise," Richard said.

He had no idea how she intended to help him hide.

"Of course," she replied, taking his hand and pulling him into a narrow alley first.

There, she produced a large black cloak—far too big for a seven-year-old boy.

But as Olivia draped it over him, it adjusted itself, shrinking to fit perfectly around his small frame.

The cloak came with a hood that covered his head, and from it radiated a faint white glow, making his figure harder to discern.

"This is a Ghost Cloak, quite common among Magi though still very expensive. In regions filled with powerful people, many Magi use these to conceal their identities," Olivia explained.

"But when you register for a token, they’ll check your hand and confirm your age. So they’ll still know you’re seven. Not much you can do about that—besides being short, hahaha."

"I’m tall for my age," Richard muttered with a pout before heading toward the gate of the Dark Forest.

His cloak drew immediate attention as it concealed his entire figure.

One of the Sky Armor Knights stepped forward to meet him.

"Who are you?" the knight asked coldly.

"Richard. I want to enter the Dark Forest," Richard replied plainly, his childish voice echoing out and startling the knight along with the others nearby.

They gave him strange looks.

"Why hide your appearance?" the knight pressed.

"Is there a problem?" Richard asked back.

"Oh, no, of course not," the knight said with a faint smirk.

"Show me your hand."

Richard lifted his hand—still soft and spotless, making it clear he really was just a child.

The knight pressed an iron-like symbol against his palm. It glowed faintly before displaying a number.

Seven years old.

"Are you certain you wish to enter the Dark Forest?" the knight asked hesitantly upon seeing Richard’s age.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t sense Richard’s true strength.

"If I die, I’ll only have myself to blame," Richard answered calmly.

At that, the knight gave a small nod.

"I’m sure your background isn’t ordinary, seeing as you own a Ghost Cloak. But I must warn you—the Dark Forest is no place for a child to play. The beasts within are savage and bloodthirsty. They will attack any human they see. Of course, it doesn’t matter... if the child truly wishes to die," he said.

Richard remained silent as the knight asked once more, "Do you have a family name?"

"None," Richard replied.

"Very well..."

The knight then pulled out a token with a small screen on its front. Pressing it against the symbol, the display shifted.

(Richard, Age 7!)

(Points: 0)

Richard’s data had appeared on the screen.

"Keep this," the knight instructed, handing the token over. Richard took it with curiosity.

It resembled technology, though of course, he knew it was magic.

Magic can actually be turned into something far more advanced than technology. Perhaps people in this world focus too much on strength, leaving little room for new ideas, he thought.

"Can I enter now?" Richard asked.

"Stand over there first. We need to make sure you aren’t carrying any external source of power," the knight said, pointing to a circle of multicolored stones.

"Alright..." Richard nodded and stepped inside.

Immediately, the stones lit up, their glow wrapping around his body for several seconds before fading away.

"You pass," the knight declared with a wave of his hand.

Richard then stepped through the gates of the Dark Forest, a heavy and oppressive sensation washing over him the moment he entered.

He pressed forward, walking past towering trees until the gate was no longer visible behind him.

The forest was vast. He didn’t encounter any beasts right away, but his sharp instincts warned him that bloodthirsty creatures lurked everywhere.

"Mmm..."

Before long, he spotted a monkey dangling from a branch above.

It wasn’t like the monkeys he had seen in Purple Rose Village. This one was as large as a grown man—larger than Richard himself.

Yet upon seeing him, the monkey suddenly leapt away.

"Calling its pack?" Richard muttered suspiciously.

Unafraid, he pressed onward.

Sure enough, the monkey soon returned—with its pack.

Around fifteen of them in total, one clearly larger than the rest.

’That must be a Tier 1+ beast,’ Richard thought.

Wak! Wak! Wak!

The monkeys screeched loudly, their cries harsh and grating in his ears.

It gave him an idea—to respond in kind.

The moment he entertained the thought, his eyes lit with a savage glow.

ROAR!

He bellowed, unleashing his Aether alongside the roar. He was instantly shocked by its sheer power. Louder and fiercer than the most violent thunder he had ever heard, it boomed like a devastating explosion.

Even the wind responded, surging outward from him as though pushed by some invisible force.

The monkeys’ fur bristled, rising upward under the pressure, their bodies trembling violently as if struck in the head by a hammer.

Eyes wide and shaking uncontrollably, they fell together from the trees—including the largest one.

Each body released a glowing orb of light, which quickly flew into Richard’s token.

(Richard, Age 7!)

(Points: 170)

His token’s points had surged dramatically.

"Did... they just die?" Richard murmured, stunned.

At first, he thought it was merely some Arcane Art, meant only to make him appear fearsome with a dragon’s roar—loud and intimidating but harmless.

But this... this was far beyond his expectations.

---