Three days later, Arin had recovered to the point where he could walk without wobbling. The worst of the backlash from overdrafting his soul had faded, leaving behind damage that would linger—quiet, stubborn, and slow to heal. Soul wounds never announced themselves loudly, but they clung to you like shadows. Still, he breathed easier now. He didn’t look like someone who had nearly burned out their spirit.

  As he headed toward the bunker, he followed the narrow path that cut past the military camp. Normally he barely glanced at the camp’s tents and patrols. Today, however, something prickled the back of his neck.

  Then came the feeling.

  Like hooks sinking into his skin.

  Eyes.

  Dozens of them.

  Sharp, hungry, filled with predatory intention.

  Tsk… really? They’re not even subtle about it, Arin thought, forcing his steps to remain steady. People can sense malice now—blatantly. You’d think they'd know better.

  Another wave of hostility washed over him, cold enough to raise goosebumps on his arms. He didn’t need to look to know several soldiers were staring at him as if he were a choice cut of meat on a banquet table.

  Even Grandpa can feel it, and he’s still sitting calmly up in his tree… and he knows it’s not directed at him.

  Arin kept walking, expression neutral. But his senses remained sharp, tracing every malicious gaze until they finally faded behind him.

  Night veiled the forest in darkness, the silver light of the half-moon filtering through drifting clouds like a faint lantern. At the forest’s edge—where the trees began to swallow sound—roughly a hundred military trainees and another three hundred outsiders gathered.

  Their voices were hushed but excited, like gamblers who thought they’d found a foolproof win.

  “Roy… are you seriously sure about this?” Leroy whispered, voice barely audible. His hands trembled slightly. “Our fathers spent a fortune getting us training slots here. If we do something like this and someone finds out—”

  “Stop whining,” Roy snapped, rolling his eyes. “You heard the rumors. That kid’s flesh is delicious, strengthens mana flow, boosts your physique. And we confirmed he has one. This is our golden chance.”

  Loid chimed in eagerly. “Yeah, who cares how we got in? The training’s barely better than what we’d get back home. The only real advantage is the mana concentration here. And eating someone like him does the same thing. Besides—an arm goes for at least a million on the black market. A million, Leroy.”

  “But the instructors—”

  Loid snorted. “What about them? They treat the other groups like they’re special, talking about technique upgrades and their new roles. Bullshit. None of these archery club people are that impressive. After we get him, we’ll disappear into the countryside for a few days. And let our dads Handel the outcome. The outsiders can rush in first—let them take the arrows. Even if the kid fights back, he can only kill a few before we swarm him.”

  Nods spread through the crowd, their greed drowning out the faint tremor of fear.

  But their plan had two fatal flaws.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  The first was simple:

  They had no idea why they were isolated, given a lenient instructor, or placed in a small group. Anyone with real military experience would have seen through them instantly—they weren’t true soldiers. They were bought positions, acting entitled, arrogant, and unfocused. Their “special treatment” was a quarantine.

  Meanwhile, all other trainees were grouped into units of three hundred, put through harsh and serious training.

  These fools had no idea what their instructors were capable of. They weren’t the first to imagine taking the forest by force. A handful of generals had once considered it. Their descendants were sent here too—but those children, raised with discipline and pride, received the proper training after passing the aptitude tests.

  Those generals learned the truth quickly:

  Yes, the army could take the forest with ten thousand men…

  But they’d lose at least a thousand before the club simply vanished into the trees.

  And then the world would gain two hundred elite archer-assassins, impossible to catch. and mad at the EU.

  Any country would welcome them with open arms.

  Military strategy was cruelly realistic.

  The conclusion had been clear:

  It was far better to cooperate with the archery club than provoke them.

  The second flaw was even simpler.

  Every word spoken at the gathering…

  was recorded.

  Live-streamed directly into the clubhouse.

  Where the Grand Marshal of the EU Army sat alongside Karl, watching with cold eyes.

  “I thought we eliminated corruption,” the Marshal growled, voice sharp as steel.

  His right hand stiffened. “We have sir—over two thousand people, including a general, are scheduled for execution.”

  Karl chuckled darkly. “Don’t waste your energy, Herman. Corruption grows back like weeds. Dig deeper and you’ll find more filth, but never enough to clean the field.”

  “You’re right…” The Marshal slumped back, frustration etched on his face. “It’s unfortunate we meet again under these circumstances.”

  Karl gave a calm smile. “It’s not the worst. Tea with an old friend is pleasant enough. Besides, this incident benefits my family. They’ve never killed a human before—only animals. This will be… educational.”

  Sofie shivered at the glint in Karl’s eyes. She had no desire to be in this room but couldn’t look away.

  The Marshal exhaled and changed the subject. “Karl… about that tradition you suggested years ago—the test of killing a rabbit with bare hands. It saved lives.”

  Sofie flinched, remembering the warm softness of the rabbit she’d once been forced to kill.

  So he’s the monster who planted that idea…

  “Thank you,” the Marshal continued. “Though we couldn’t expand the practice. towards the general public. It was too costly, too controversial. So now we must rely on the goblins being ugly enough to push people past hesitation. It’s going to be hell.”

  Karl leaned forward. “Ah… it’s starting.”

  The screen flickered.

  Then went completely black.

  The forest had awakened.

  Its hunters had begun to move.

  And the predators who thought themselves hunters…

  were about to learn their place.