First Hunt

The heavy, suffocating silence of the Jeju Forest's southern border was broken only by the crunch of dead, black leaves beneath armored boots.

Crossing the perimeter first was the 1st Division, led directly by Ser Hetos.

The black-haired Sword Sage moved at the vanguard with smooth, measured strides, his dark cloak blending effortlessly into the twilight gloom cast by the obsidian canopy.

Right behind him marched three Sword Runners and five Sword Apprentices, their hands resting firmly on the hilts of their weapons, their eyes scanning the dark thickets for the slightest tremor.

Bringing up the rear were fifty foot soldiers armed with heavy long spears, razor-sharp rapiers, and broad cutting axes, moving in a tight, disciplined formation.

Their designated target was the herd of Red-Scaled Sheep—a species of peaceful livestock that had long since been twisted by unrefined abyssal mana radiation into nightmarish predators.