Chapter 80 — The Forest's Silent Target

Narrator

Deep inside Death Forest, the trees had stopped whispering.

They were listening.

The ancient branches stood motionless beneath the dark canopy, their leaves trembling despite the absence of wind.

Then...

the earth moved.

Not violently.

Not yet.

A deep vibration travelled through the soil.

Roots shifted.

Small stones rolled down the slopes.

Birds suddenly abandoned their nests.

And beneath the oldest part of the forest...

something opened its eyes.

Two enormous golden eyes emerged from the darkness of a cavern.

An Earth Dragon slowly raised its head.

Its body was covered in ancient scales that resembled weathered stone. Dust fell from its back as it rose from its centuries-long sleep.

For countless years, it had remained beneath the forest.

It had ignored armies.

Ignored monsters.

Ignored the kingdoms beyond the trees.

But now...

something had awakened it.

Something ancient.

Something powerful.

Something worthy of respect.

The Earth Dragon stepped outside its cavern.

The ground trembled beneath every step.

It raised its head.

Then turned toward a distant presence.

A presence that carried the aura of another dragon.

But this was not merely another dragon.

The aura belonged to something far older.

Something legendary.

Something the Earth Dragon instinctively recognized.

The presence of the Legendary Dragon.

Liza.

A dragon who had existed for two thousand years.

And now...

that legendary existence had taken the form of a small dragon named Tiami.

The Earth Dragon lowered its enormous head.

It did not move toward her as an enemy.

It moved toward her as an ancient creature approaching someone worthy of respect.

Brald felt it first.

His horse suddenly stopped.

The muscles beneath its skin tightened.

Brald raised one hand.

"Stop."

The royal procession came to a halt.

The Queen looked toward him.

"What is it?"

Brald remained silent.

His eyes moved across the forest.

"The forest has changed."

The Queen looked around.

Nothing seemed different.

But Brald knew better.

Death Forest was never truly silent.

There were always insects.

Birds.

Distant beasts.

The rustling of leaves.

Now...

there was nothing.

Then V looked toward the trees.

His expression became serious.

Something was approaching.

Tiami was already staring in the same direction.

V quietly communicated with her through their Soul Bond.

"You feel it too?"

Tiami looked toward the distant forest.

"Yes."

"Dragon?"

Tiami nodded.

"An old one."

V looked at her for a moment.

Then toward the forest.

Brald noticed the exchange.

He couldn't understand Tiami.

None of them could.

Whatever Tiami communicated...

only V understood.

It wasn't simply because of the Soul Bond.

V had spent years with Liza.

Years beside her.

Years learning her expressions, her moods, her silence, and even the smallest changes in her presence.

That understanding had remained.

Even after Liza's death.

Even now, with Tiami carrying that same existence within her new form...

V could understand her without needing words.

For everyone else, Tiami's tiny movements were simply movements.

For V...

they were a language.

Before Brald could ask—

A tremendous roar shook the forest.

ROOOOAR!

Birds exploded from the treetops.

Several horses panicked.

The soldiers immediately drew their weapons.

"Protect the Queen!"

Branches snapped.

The ground cracked.

Then—

a massive dragon emerged between the trees.

Its scales were dark and rugged, resembling the surface of ancient mountains.

The soldiers froze.

The Queen's expression hardened.

The princess stared at the creature.

"What is that?"

Brald drew his sword.

"Everyone, stay together."

The dragon spread its wings.

The wind created by the movement threw leaves into the air.

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One soldier swallowed nervously.

"Commander..."

Brald didn't look away from the creature.

"Hold your position."

The dragon roared again.

Then charged.

At almost the same moment...

something else moved through the forest.

A masked man stood behind the trees.

His face was completely hidden.

Only his eyes were visible.

Beside him stood an enormous Iron Fang Bear.

The creature's claws dug into the soil.

The masked man watched the battlefield.

His eyes moved toward the royal formation.

Then toward one particular man.

The Queen's chief security minister.

The man responsible for her protection.

The masked man's fingers slowly moved toward the weapon hidden beneath his coat.

But the guards were too close.

Too many.

He needed an opening.

His gaze moved toward the Iron Fang Bear.

"Go."

The beast roared.

Then charged.

The Iron Fang Bear burst from the trees.

The soldiers barely had time to react.

BOOM!

The enormous creature crashed into their formation.

Two guards were thrown backward.

Another rolled across the ground.

"Don't let it reach the carriage!"

A soldier attacked.

His sword struck the bear's thick hide.

The bear barely reacted.

It swung its massive arm.

The soldier was sent flying.

Another guard rushed forward.

Then another.

The bear roared.

The soldiers surrounded it.

The battlefield split into chaos.

On one side—

Dragon versus soldiers.

On the other—

Iron Fang Bear versus soldiers.

Exactly as the masked man had intended.

And while everyone's attention was divided...

he disappeared between the trees.

V watched.

His expression remained calm.

The dragon was strong.

The bear was creating another opening.

The guards were being separated.

Brald had already moved closer to the Queen.

V's eyes narrowed.

Something didn't feel right.

The monsters were dangerous.

But their timing...

was too convenient.

Then—

a massive claw crashed toward the princess.

V moved instantly.

He grabbed her and pulled her away from the attack.

The princess found herself in V's arms.

For a moment...

she simply stared at him.

Then—

"You!"

V blinked.

"What?"

"How dare you touch me!"

V looked at her.

Then at the battlefield around them.

"I saved you."

"I did not ask you to!"

V remained silent for a moment.

Then he nodded.

"Sorry."

He carried her farther away from the dragon's attack.

Then placed her safely beyond the danger.

The princess immediately stepped back.

"You cannot simply pick me up whenever you want!"

V looked at her.

"There was a dragon."

"I know there was a dragon!"

"Then why are we arguing?"

"Because you touched me!"

V sighed.

"We are in the middle of Death Forest."

"I don't care!"

V glanced around.

A soldier was fighting a dragon.

Another was being thrown through a tree.

The Iron Fang Bear roared nearby.

Branches were falling.

The ground was shaking.

V calmly looked back at her.

"You really don't care?"

The princess opened her mouth.

Then stopped.

V continued.

"You were about to be crushed."

"I could have moved."

"You didn't."

"I was surprised."

"So was I."

"You still shouldn't have touched me."

V stared at her.

Then quietly said—

"Next time, I'll let the dragon ask first."

The princess's eyes widened.

"Are you mocking me?"

"No."

"You are!"

V turned away.

"I said sorry."

"That doesn't make it acceptable!"

V looked toward Brald, who was fighting another threat.

Then he lowered his voice.

"Can we argue after surviving?"

The princess glared at him.

"I am not finished!"

V looked back.

"Apparently."

The princess crossed her arms.

"You cannot just pick me up and carry me around!"

V nodded.

"Okay."

"Good."

A brief silence followed.

Then the princess added,

"And don't ever drop me just because I tell you not to touch me!"

V paused.

He looked at her.

Then calmly said,

"You should have said that earlier."

The princess stared at him.

"What?"

V turned away.

"I understood your first sentence literally."

"You—!"

She stepped toward him.

"You are impossible!"

V looked over his shoulder.

"I apologized."

"After nearly throwing me onto the ground!"

"I didn't throw you."

"You were about to!"

"I didn't."

"That isn't the point!"

V stared at her for a moment.

Then quietly said,

"Next time, I'll put you down more carefully."

The princess's expression softened for half a second.

Then—

"Wait."

V stopped.

"What?"

"You said next time."

V nodded.

"Yes."

"There better not be a next time!"

V looked toward the dragon.

Then back at her.

"That depends on the dragon."

The princess's eye twitched.

"You really are doing this on purpose."

"No."

"You are!"

V turned away.

But his expression had already changed.

The argument disappeared from his face.

His eyes became sharp.

He was watching.

Counting.

Understanding.

The soldiers.

The dragon.

The bear.

Brald.

The Queen.

Tiami.

And somewhere...

the missing man.

Something was wrong.

Brald suddenly turned.

The Queen's formation had been broken.

A shadow moved between the trees.

Brald's instincts screamed.

"Your Majesty!"

He rushed forward.

A blade flashed.

CLANG!

Steel collided with steel.

The masked man stood before him.

Brald's eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?"

No answer.

The masked man attacked.

Brald blocked.

Another strike.

Brald stepped aside.

The masked man's movements were precise.

Fast.

Silent.

There was no unnecessary movement.

Brald countered.

Their swords collided again.

CLANG!

Leaves scattered around them.

Brald pushed forward.

The masked man slipped backward.

Brald realized something.

This man wasn't trying to defeat him.

He was trying to get past him.

Toward the Queen.

"So..."

Brald tightened his grip.

"She's not your target."

The masked man's eyes remained cold.

Brald understood.

"Then who?"

The masked man attacked again.

Their blades crossed.

Neither gave ground.

Near the carriage...

the Queen suddenly looked upward.

A massive shadow passed through the trees.

The ground began trembling.

V looked toward the source.

Tiami had already turned.

Another dragon emerged from the forest.

The Earth Dragon.

Its enormous body pushed ancient trees aside.

The soldiers froze.

The Queen took a step backward.

The princess stared.

"What now...?"

The Earth Dragon stopped.

Its enormous golden eyes moved across the battlefield.

Then—

they found Tiami.

Silence.

Tiami looked back.

The two dragons stared at one another.

No roar.

No attack.

Only recognition.

V felt the change through their Soul Bond.

"What is it doing?"

Tiami didn't answer immediately.

She simply continued looking at the Earth Dragon.

Then V understood.

"It recognizes you."

Tiami gave the smallest nod.

The Earth Dragon slowly lowered its head.

Its enormous body bent toward the ground.

Then...

it bowed.

Every soldier froze.

The Queen's eyes widened.

Brald's sword stopped in mid-motion for a brief moment.

The princess stared at Tiami.

The Earth Dragon wasn't bowing to a young dragon.

It was bowing to the presence of something ancient.

Something legendary.

Something that had existed for two thousand years.

It recognized the aura of Liza.

The Legendary Dragon.

The existence now living through Tiami's small form.

Tiami quietly communicated with V.

"It remembers."

V looked at the Earth Dragon.

"It knows who you are."

Tiami's eyes remained calm.

"It respects her."

V understood immediately.

Not merely Tiami.

Liza.

The name she had carried for two thousand years.

The ancient presence that even an Earth Dragon could recognize.

The Earth Dragon remained bowed for several moments.

Then it slowly rose.

It turned away.

And disappeared into the forest.

The ground gradually stopped trembling.

Nobody spoke.

The princess slowly looked at Tiami.

Her eyes changed.

For the first time...

she wasn't looking at her as merely a small dragon travelling beside V.

She was looking at something far greater.

Something ancient.

Something terrifyingly powerful.

A thought quietly entered her mind.

I want a dragon like that.

Then she looked at Tiami again.

No...

I want a baby dragon like her.

Brald was still fighting.

The masked man's blade came down.

Brald blocked.

He countered.

The masked man dodged.

Their swords clashed again.

But then the masked man suddenly retreated.

Brald's eyes narrowed.

He understood.

The fight had never been the objective.

It had been a distraction.

Brald immediately turned toward the Queen.

"The Queen!"

Too late.

The masked man was already there.

The Queen stood exposed.

The masked man's hand moved.

A tiny needle appeared between his fingers.

He threw it.

But at that exact moment—

the Earth Dragon's retreating movement disturbed the ground.

The Queen stumbled.

The masked man's eyes changed.

He moved.

Instead of allowing the Queen to fall toward the danger...

he grabbed her arm.

Pulled her away.

The needle disappeared back into his sleeve.

The Queen stared at him.

For one moment...

she couldn't understand.

He had the perfect opportunity.

Yet he had saved her.

The masked man released her.

His eyes moved past her.

Toward the chief security minister.

The true target.

The minister turned.

He never saw the second needle.

A tiny flash.

A single movement.

The needle pierced his neck.

He froze.

His hand went toward his throat.

Then his knees gave way.

He collapsed.

"Minister!"

The Queen rushed forward.

"Someone call a healer!"

But the poison had already spread.

The masked man stepped backward.

Then vanished into the trees.

A soldier noticed something beside the fallen minister.

"Your Majesty..."

He picked up a small folded piece of paper.

The Queen took it.

Her fingers slowly opened the note.

There were only a few lines.

My intention was to kill only that man.

No one else.

I killed the murderer.

I will not let the innocent die.

The Queen stared at the words.

Brald approached.

He read the note.

His expression became heavy.

"He saved you..."

The Queen looked toward the forest.

"And then killed him."

Brald nodded.

"Yes."

No one understood who the masked man was.

No one knew why the minister had been chosen.

But one thing was certain.

This wasn't a massacre.

It was an assassination.

A single target.

A single death.

The dragon battle continued.

The normal dragon roared as several soldiers attacked together.

Its scales were already damaged.

One soldier struck its leg.

Another attacked from behind.

The dragon attempted to retreat.

But the soldiers surrounded it.

A final strike landed.

The creature collapsed.

Nearby, the Iron Fang Bear was still fighting.

It roared and swung its claws.

One soldier was knocked aside.

Another attacked from the rear.

Then another.

The bear's movements became slower.

Its strength was fading.

Finally—

it fell.

The forest became quiet.

Dust settled.

Broken branches lay across the ground.

The soldiers slowly gathered around the Queen.

Brald looked around.

One by one...

he checked everyone.

The Queen.

Alive.

The princess.

Alive.

V.

Alive.

Tiami.

Alive.

The soldiers.

Alive.

Only one important person was dead.

The chief security minister.

Brald looked toward the dark forest.

His expression remained thoughtful.

Then he spoke quietly.

"Sometimes the truth isn't found in who survives..."

He paused.

His eyes moved toward the fallen minister.

"...but in who was deliberately spared."

The Queen remained silent.

Brald continued.

"Power without restraint destroys everything in its path."

His gaze shifted toward the trees.

"But knowing where to stop..."

He tightened his grip around his sword.

"...is what separates a monster from a man who has chosen his own path."

The Queen looked at him.

Brald's voice became quieter.

"Remember that."

V heard every word.

His eyes remained fixed on the forest.

He understood.

Someone had entered Death Forest with a purpose.

The monsters were distractions.

The chaos was planned.

The minister was the target.

And everyone else...

had been deliberately spared.

Tiami looked toward V.

"You noticed it too."

V nodded.

"The monsters were placed here to separate the guards."

Tiami looked toward the forest.

"And the masked man?"

V remained silent for a moment.

Then answered—

"He never wanted to fight everyone."

Tiami's eyes narrowed.

"Then what did he want?"

V looked at the place where the masked man had disappeared.

"One person."

A cold wind passed through Death Forest.

The leaves moved softly.

The Queen stood beside the body of her fallen minister.

Brald remained alert.

The princess was still looking at V with irritation mixed with confusion.

The soldiers checked their wounded.

Tiami stayed beside V.

And somewhere beyond the trees...

the masked man continued walking.

His mission was complete.

He had killed his target.

He had spared the innocent.

And he had disappeared without leaving his name behind.

Death Forest slowly returned to silence.

But the silence was no longer peaceful.

It felt like the forest itself had witnessed something...

and chosen not to speak.

Narrator

A journey meant to cross the forest had become something else.

A royal procession had lost its protector.

A hidden assassin had revealed his rule.

And those who survived had learned a dangerous truth—

in a forest filled with monsters, the most frightening creature is sometimes the one who knows exactly whom to kill...

and whom to leave alive.