Chapter 19: Into the Abyss

The gates of the Abyssal Wildlands groaned open, revealing a vast expanse of darkness beyond. A twisted land of nightmares, where only the strongest survived.

The thirty-six Magus-Knights stood at the threshold, their breathing controlled but tense. Even with their newfound power, the aura radiating from the Wildlands was suffocating—an invisible force pressing down on their very souls.

Valerius stood beside Leonidas and Tiberius, observing his warriors one final time.

"This is not a simple trial," he said, his voice calm yet unyielding. "Beyond this gate, there is no protection. No mercy. You will either adapt… or you will be consumed."

Aldric stepped forward, his stance firm. "What is our objective?"

Valerius' lips curled into a cold smile.

"To survive for one month."

The warriors stiffened.

One month?

In a land filled with creatures capable of devouring Magi whole?

Orin swallowed hard but clenched his fists, determination flickering in his eyes.

"Your only tools are your bodies, minds, and instincts," Valerius continued. "If you cannot master your new existence in the Wildlands, then you are not worthy of it."

Leonidas grinned, arms crossed. "Oh, and there's one more thing."

He gestured toward the forest.

"Out there, you're not just fighting monsters… but each other."

The Magus-Knights exchanged wary glances.

Tiberius elaborated. "Only those who prove their worth will return as true warriors of House Darius."

Valerius raised his hand. "The weak will be culled."

Then, with a flick of his wrist—

The gates slammed shut behind them.

The Hunt Begins

The moment the warriors stepped into the Wildlands, the change in atmosphere was palpable.

The trees loomed like twisted sentinels, their bark shifting as if alive. The air carried the scent of rotting flesh and mana-rich blood. The earth beneath their feet pulsed, as though breathing.

A low growl echoed through the trees.

Orin tightened his grip on his weapon. "We're being watched."

Aldric nodded, his newly sharpened senses detecting movement—shadows shifting unnaturally between the branches.

Then—

A blur of black chitin lunged from the darkness, moving faster than the eye could follow.

A warrior screamed as a massive beast—a Shadow Stalker—clamped its jaws around his throat, ripping his head clean off.

Blood sprayed.

Chaos erupted.

Five more Shadow Stalkers descended, their razor-sharp claws slashing through armor like paper.

Orin barely dodged, rolling under a swipe that would have eviscerated him. He retaliated, his blade glowing with compressed force—striking the beast's side with enough power to crush a boulder.

But the creature barely flinched.

"What the hell—?!" Orin barely managed to leap away as another beast pounced.

Aldric reacted instantly. He planted his feet, focusing his mana into his fist—then punched forward.

Boom!

A shockwave erupted as the impact sent a Shadow Stalker flying into a tree, snapping its spine on impact.

More creatures lurked beyond the trees, their glowing red eyes watching, waiting.

This was a feeding ground.

And the Magus-Knights had stepped directly into it.

The Cost of Evolution

The battle raged for hours.

Some warriors adapted quickly, mastering their enhanced abilities. Others… fell.

A warrior named Garrick tried to use his magic-enhanced strength to overpower a Stalker—but underestimated its speed.

Before he could react—

A claw pierced his chest, ripping out his heart.

His corpse barely hit the ground before it was devoured.

Another warrior, Lys, attempted to flee after seeing her comrades slaughtered. She ran blindly into the woods—

Only for the trees to consume her.

Valerius, watching through an observation array, remained impassive.

"Only those who embrace their new existence will survive."

Leonidas smirked. "This is better than I expected."

Tiberius, arms crossed, remained silent, eyes calculating.

Out of thirty-six warriors, seven had already died.

And it was only the first day.

A New Predator is Born

By the third day, the Magus-Knights had begun to adapt.

They learned to hunt in teams, using their enhanced reflexes and mana control to predict the Shadow Stalkers' movements.

Aldric emerged as a natural leader, directing small groups to take down stronger threats.

Orin, after nearly dying twice, refined his combat instincts—turning from prey to hunter.

But it was not just the warriors who were changing.

Valerius observed Aldric closely. Something was awakening within him.

During a fight with a particularly powerful beast—Abyssal Devourer—Aldric was cornered.

The creature's jaws, dripping with corrosive saliva, lunged for his throat.

Instead of dodging—

Aldric roared.

His aura ignited, a dark-red glow rippling from his core. His flesh hardened, his muscles expanded, his mind sharpened.

With inhuman speed, he grabbed the beast's jaws—and tore them apart.

Silence fell over the battlefield.

The other warriors stared.

Leonidas let out a low whistle. "Now that's new."

Valerius, watching through his mental link, narrowed his eyes.

The transformation was beyond the normal Magus-Knight evolution.

Aldric had triggered something deeper.

Something that had yet to be understood.

And Valerius knew—

This was only the beginning.