Novel Full Chapter 487: Pandora forest
Chapter 487: Pandora forest
Ethan studied him carefully. The Founder’s memory erasure had been absolute. Dominic’s eyes held no recognition beyond their previous conversation about gold level potential. There was no flicker of confusion, no sense that something had been removed. It was as though Ethan had manifested on the ground floor directly after receiving his evaluation.
“I appreciate the assessment,” Ethan said, maintaining the seamless flow of their earlier exchange. “But I need to begin hunting immediately. Is there a recommended location for someone at my level?”
Dominic’s expression shifted into something resembling approval. “Eager. That’s good. Most new recruits waste their first week wandering the castle, too intimidated to step outside.” He reached into his robe and produced a small crystalline map, its surface shimmering with topological data. “There are several hunting grounds within the castle’s domain. The most suitable for your level would be the Pandora Forest.”
He handed the map to Ethan, who studied the glowing contours. A vast woodland sprawled across the eastern sector, its boundaries marked in shifting amber light.
“The Pandora Forest serves as a convergence point for countless monsters,” Dominic explained. “The outer layers contain creatures ranging from level one to level ten.”
He paused, his tone growing heavier. “However, you must not venture deep into the forest. The inner regions are unrestricted. There are things there that even I would not confront alone. If you cross the threshold marked by the black obelisks, you will find yourself in territory where level one hundred creatures are common.”
He fixed Ethan with a serious stare. “Stay in the outer rings. Do not be lured by greed or curiosity. The forest has claimed countless recruits who believed they could push just a little further.”
Ethan nodded. “I understand. Thank you for the guidance.”
Without further delay, he turned and walked toward the castle’s main exit, a towering archway of crystalline stone that shimmered with protective enchantments. The moment he stepped through, the temperature shifted. The controlled atmosphere of the castle gave way to the wild energy of Elysium itself.
The sky above was not blue but a deep violet streaked with ribbons of silver light. The air carried the scent of ancient wood and damp earth, mingled with something sharper, ozone, perhaps, or the faint residue of spiritual power that saturated this realm.
Before him stretched the Pandora Forest.
It looked ancient and abandoned.
The trees rose to impossible heights, their trunks wrapped in thick vines that glowed faintly with bioluminescent patterns. The canopy above was so dense that only scattered beams of violet light penetrated to the forest floor, creating pools of illumination amid deep shadow. Fallen leaves carpeted the ground in layers of silver and black, and the silence was profound, not the silence of emptiness, but the attentive quiet of a place where countless predators lurked in waiting.
Ethan stood at the forest’s periphery, where the cultivated grounds of the castle domain gave way to untamed wilderness. He could feel the difference immediately. The ambient spiritual energy here was denser, almost viscous, as though the air itself was saturated with power.
“Hey, look, there is a level one sucker. Does he want to die? Which clan does he belong to?”
The mocking voice cut through the forest’s silence like a blade.
Ethan turned calmly. A group of five individuals emerged from the tree line, their movements casual and confident. They wore the practical hunting gear common among Elysium’s lower-ranked members, reinforced leather, minimal armor, weapons strapped across backs and hips. Their leader, a broad-shouldered man with a scar running across his jaw, was examining Ethan with open amusement.
Ethan’s perception registered their levels immediately. The scarred man was level three. The others ranged between levels one and two. A typical hunting party, likely from one of the smaller clans that operated in the outer territories.
The scarred man’s companions laughed among themselves.
“Look at him standing there like a lost child. Did he wander out from a clam by accident?” one of them jeered.
“Maybe he’s a scout. A very, very stupid scout,” another added.
The scarred man stepped forward, his posture aggressive but not quite hostile. “Which clan are you with, kid? The Ashborne? The Veilwalkers?” He squinted. “No, you don’t look familiar. Are you from the Aurora clan?”
Ethan assessed the situation. Engaging in conversation would serve no purpose. These individuals were not threats, the level three was the only one who could potentially harm him, and even that was questionable given Ethan’s unique advantages, but they were distractions. Time spent talking was time not spent hunting.
He chose not to respond.
Before any of them could react, Ethan moved.
He did not activate any visible skills. He simply stepped forward, and the space around him seemed to fold. One moment he was standing before them; the next, he had vanished into the forest’s depths, leaving only the faint rustle of displaced leaves.
The group fell silent.
“…What the hell?” one of them muttered after a long pause. “Did he just, where did he go?”
The scarred man’s expression had shifted from amusement to something more cautious. “That wasn’t normal movement. There was no spatial skill activation. No energy signature at all.” He looked toward the forest where Ethan had disappeared. “Who the hell is that kid?”
…
Ethan moved through the forest with silence that belied his level.
In this world, people had limited options about the powers they could use and that was after passing level 10. But Ethan’s law of Infinity Strand could create any kinds of powers he wanted to use.
And that was his absolute advantage in this world.
Ethan’s power was defined by what he could become.
The Law of Infinity Strand meant that any supernatural ability he encountered, any skill he witnessed, any technique he understood, all of it became available to him. And more than that, it would only grow stronger within him.
There were no limits to his potential, no constraints on what he could master. Every skill he acquired would feed into the infinite strand, growing in power and complexity as it integrated with everything else.
But that was a long-term advantage. For now, he needed to hunt.
He retrieved the device the Founder had given him, a small crystalline disk that fit comfortably in his palm. Its surface activated at his touch, displaying a holographic map of the surrounding area. Red dots began to appear across its surface, each one marking the location of a monster within range.
Ethan filtered the display, searching specifically for level two creatures.
He understood the Founder’s advice. Killing monsters at his own level would grant standard points. But killing those one level above would yield three times the normal reward. It was an efficient strategy, and one that his capabilities made feasible despite his current rank.
The device highlighted three red dots within a hundred-meter radius, all clustered near a clearing to the northwest. Ethan moved toward them, his footsteps silent against the forest floor.
He found them in a small depression between massive roots.
Three creatures were feeding on the carcass of something that had died recently. They resembled wolves, but their forms were wrong, too angular, too sharp. Their fur was the color of tarnished silver, and their eyes glowed with a sickly green luminescence. Each stood roughly the size of a large dog, but their bodies seemed to flicker at the edges, as though they were not entirely solid.
[Shadowfang Whelp
Level 2
Common Monster
Pack hunters. Possess minor shadow manipulation abilities. Weak to concentrated light and physical attacks that disrupt their partial incorporeality.]
Ethan observed them for a moment, analyzing their behavior. They moved with coordination, taking turns feeding while one kept watch. Their awareness seemed heightened, their senses likely attuned to spiritual energy signatures.