NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1138: A Strange Beast
Another day passed in the endless expanse of the secret domain, and Max's path led him into a place unlike any other he had seen before. The landscape that stretched before him was a jungle, but it was nothing like the forests of the outside world. The air here shimmered faintly, saturated with energy so pure that it distorted the colors of nature itself.
Towering trees covered the land, their presence ancient and proud. Their trunks were not brown but soft shades of pink, smooth and faintly glowing as though they were carved from crystal rather than wood. The leaves above were a brilliant blue, their surfaces reflecting the light that filtered through the thick canopy.
Every time the faint wind passed through, the leaves rustled together, producing a sound that resembled the soft ringing of chimes.
The entire forest seemed alive in a way that was hard to describe. Threads of luminous mist drifted between the trees, forming patterns that resembled waves in the air.
Small motes of light floated near the roots, occasionally rising and vanishing like fireflies. It was beautiful, but there was something unnatural about it too, something that made the place feel more like a dream than reality.
Max walked carefully through the forest, his eyes scanning the surroundings. The soil beneath his boots was pale purple, soft and slightly warm to the touch. Each step he took left faint glowing footprints that lingered for a few seconds before fading.
The energy of this forest was thick, and his body reacted to it immediately. His Draconic Essences pulsed faintly within him, and his Divine Vein stirred slightly as though resonating with the environment.
"This place…" he murmured to himself. "It's filled with energy. Even the air feels alive."
The deeper he went, the stronger the energy became. He could feel it pressing against his skin, flowing into his body in a slow, steady rhythm. The forest seemed to be breathing with him. Every movement of the wind carried faint whispers that were difficult to understand. It was almost as though the jungle itself was aware of his presence.
The trees grew thicker as he walked, their pink trunks towering high above like pillars holding up the sky. Some of them were so wide that it would take dozens of men to encircle them.
Strange flowers grew along their roots, glowing with soft blue light. They gave off a faint fragrance that calmed the mind but also sharpened the senses, allowing him to feel the energy currents flowing through the forest with surprising clarity.
Blob's voice echoed faintly in his mind, his tone curious. "This isn't a natural forest. Every tree here has absorbed the energy of the secret domain for countless years. Look at the color of the leaves and trunks—they are saturated with divine essence. If you touch one of these trees, you might even feel the flow of energy moving through it like blood."
Max placed his hand against one of the trunks. Immediately, he felt a gentle vibration, like the pulse of a living creature. A faint stream of blue light ran under the surface of the bark, winding upwards into the leaves. "You're right," he said softly. "It feels alive."
"This must be one of the forests left behind from the ancient age," Blob replied. "When the seven lords created this secret domain, they filled it with environments that could test different aspects of power. This place might be a trial of perception or connection—something to do with understanding the flow of natural energy."
Max took his hand back and looked around. The forest stretched endlessly, fading into a soft haze of blue and pink. Despite its beauty, he could sense hidden dangers. The silence was too perfect. There were no beasts, no birds, not even the sound of insects. It was the kind of stillness that only existed in places where the balance of life had been sealed by immense power.
He continued walking slowly, his senses alert. Occasionally, he saw faint shapes between the trees—vague outlines of something moving—but whenever he tried to focus, they disappeared. The forest was playing tricks on his perception. It was alive, intelligent, and watching.
"This place isn't ordinary," he muttered under his breath. "It's hiding something."
Blob's voice came again, lower this time. "Stay alert. Places that radiate this much energy always hold a core, something that acts as the source of all this vitality. Whatever it is, it's probably in the heart of the forest. But reaching it might not be easy."
Max's eyes narrowed as he looked deeper into the glowing expanse before him. "Then that's where I'm heading."
He took another step forward, and the ground beneath him pulsed faintly in response. The trees swayed even though there was no wind, their blue leaves rustling with a haunting melody. The further he walked, the more he felt as though he was stepping into a place where reality and illusion blended together.
Just as Max took another careful step forward, the air in front of him began to ripple faintly. The distortion started small, like heat waves rising from the ground, but within seconds, the disturbance grew into a swirling blur of blue and pink mist. The energy around him trembled, and the next instant, a beast emerged from the distortion.
It was unlike anything Max had seen before. Its body was long and lean, covered in fur that shimmered between shades of violet and silver. Its eyes glowed faintly white, completely devoid of pupils, and its limbs bent at strange angles as if it had no fixed bone structure.
Four sharp tendrils extended from its back, twitching and swaying like living whips. The creature radiated an aura that didn't belong to any elemental type Max could recognize—it was strange, shifting constantly, as though its very essence was unstable.
The beast tilted its head, its blank eyes focusing on Max. It didn't make a sound, but the pressure it released was enough to make the air tighten. Max instinctively shifted his stance, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"What beast is this??" He said quietly, his eyes narrowing.