That not so important character turned out to be important

The silence that followed the carnage was almost suffocating. The remnants of terror still hung thick in the air, an invisible weight pressing down on those who remained alive. Shaun stood there for a moment, suitcase in hand, his detached gaze sweeping over the survivors—the three thieves who clung to each other as if their very lives depended on it, and the hostages, trembling, their faces streaked with tears.

Shaun exhaled softly, almost imperceptibly, as if dismissing the entire situation. Without a word, he adjusted his grip on the suitcase and turned away, his calm, unhurried steps crunching against the forest floor.

The thieves, still huddled together, dared not move. Their eyes, wide with fear, darted between each other and the shadowy figure of Shaun. Though the darkness of the night obscured him, the immense pressure left by Jim's aura lingered, keeping their hearts racing in terror. The hostages were no better, their expressions frozen in a mix of relief and dread, their bodies still too paralyzed to act.

As Shaun prepared to disappear into the woods, his voice, cut through the silence like a blade.

Shaun Without looking back: "Take this as a lesson: never put your head where it does not belong."

(His tone carried an almost dismissive finality as he continued.)

"And do one good thing for once. Take these people where they belong."

The weight of Shaun's presence lingered in the air, pressing down on everyone who remained. His voice, cold and unfeeling, was like a knife carving its message into their very souls.

Bruno, the thief who had tried to act tough earlier, now shook like a leaf in a storm. His voice cracked as he stumbled over his words.

Bruno:

"We… we will do as you say! I swear, we're really sorry! Please… forgive us for our insolence…"

Audrey, her usual arrogance stripped away, forced herself to speak through trembling lips. Her hands clutched at her chest, as if trying to hold her courage together.

Audrey:

"I promise… I swear on my soul—I'll return them safely to their homes. I will… I will make it right."

Tears welled in her eyes, her voice breaking under the weight of fear and guilt. Struggling to maintain her composure, she mustered the strength to continue, despite the tremor in her voice.

Audrey:

"H-Thank you… for freeing these people… and for showing us mercy. Despite how we behaved… really, thank you. It wasn't our choice, but… but we're still sorry…"

The third thief, the youngest of the trio, stayed silent. He huddled behind the others, too terrified to even lift his head. His body quivered, and his wide eyes darted around nervously, avoiding Shaun's gaze entirely. He didn't dare to utter a single word, fearing that even breathing too loudly might draw attention.

But Shaun didn't spare them a second glance. Their apologies, their promises, their gratitude—it all washed over him like water against stone. His expression remained as detached as ever, his focus already elsewhere.

He turned his attention to the hostages, who had yet to regain their footing from the ordeal.

Shaun:

"Behave as if this never happened… if you wish to avoid the same fate."

The hostages barely managed to nod, their bodies stiff with fear. His words were not a request but a cold declaration that brooked no argument.

And with that, Shaun disappeared. One moment he was standing there, an unshakable presence; the next, the shadows of the night had swallowed him whole. It was as though he had never been there at all, leaving behind only the faint rustle of leaves in his wake.

The clearing fell silent again, save for the faint, shaky breaths of the survivors. Bruno collapsed to his knees, his head hanging low as he muttered incoherent prayers for salvation. Audrey wiped her tears with trembling hands, her face pale but resolute. The youngest thief, still cowering, finally found the courage to glance up—but only after he was sure Shaun was truly gone.

The hostages, freed but still dazed, clung to one another for comfort. Despite the terror that gripped their hearts, they began to take cautious steps toward the path that led out of the woods. Bruno and Audrey, with no choice but to face the consequences of their actions, started helping them along.

The group moved slowly, each step filled with hesitation. No one dared to speak of the horrors they had witnessed, but one thought remained clear in their minds: whatever Shaun was, he was not someone they ever wanted to encounter again.

Shaun: "Finally made it here! Though it feels more like just the entrance—I still need to go deeper. Man, that was far! I had to speed run all night to get here."

The dense forest opened into a clearing that stretched endlessly under the twilight sky. The air was thick with raw, untamed magic, the very ground humming with power. This was Aeternus Silva, an ancient forest whispered about in legends as a place where only the strongest survived.

Shaun: "Thanks to OG Shaun's notes, I discovered this place even exists. Now that I'm here, I'll make the most of it. In the early story, this place didn't have much significance, other than being a hunting ground for few characters, so I won't be bothered, that's good a thing."

Shaun stood still, his sharp eyes surveying the chaotic beauty around him. Twisted trees loomed like silent sentinels, their bark glistening with traces of mana. Faint howls echoed in the distance, mingling with the rustle of unseen creatures in the underbrush. He placed the suitcase gently on the ground.

With a cold detachment, Shaun unlatched the suitcase. From within, Jim's eerie, boneless form emerged, his hollow eyes gazing at Shaun. He waited, motionless, for the command.

Shaun: "Jim. I'll be moving forward now and leaving you here. You have one job—devour and consume as much as it takes to grow and evolve. When I return, I'll judge whether you're worthy of forming a contract with me or not."

Jim tilted his head, his twisted grin spreading unnaturally wide as a faint, hostile aura began to pour from his body. The forest seemed to respond, trembling under the weight of his presence. With a low, guttural sound, Jim launched himself into the forest, his movements unnaturally fluid and disjointed.

Shaun continued forward, leaving the monstrosity behind in the forest.

Jim's presence in the heart of Aeternus Silva was a grotesque testament to his hunger. His boneless, shifting form—like a nightmare born of writhing shadows and malice—pulsed with an aura so hostile that it seemed to burn the air itself. His body, fluid and unnatural, slithered across the forest floor, sending a wave of unease through the creatures that called the dark woods home. They could feel him before they saw him—an oppressive, violent force that threatened to consume everything in its path. It wasn't just the scent of death that lingered; it was the promise of suffering. And the forest answered, its monstrous inhabitants stirring, drawn by the scent of a battle to come.

The first to challenge him was a massive Ignis Griffon, its fiery wings unfurling in a blazing arc, the flames licking the air with intense heat. It screeched in fury, its talons sharp as swords, and charged. Jim's twisted, boneless body gave a grotesque, fluid lunge, his form rippling unnaturally as he collided with the griffon in a blur of motion. His dark aura clashed with the griffon's flames, snuffing out its fiery radiance in an instant. The griffon screeched as its feathers ignited and melted under the weight of Jim's crushing force, but Jim was relentless. His limbs expanded, wrapping around the beast's throat, squeezing until its fiery heart was extinguished. With a sickening, wet sound, he consumed the griffon whole, its wings twitching in futile resistance before being dissolved into nothingness.

Barely a moment passed before another threat emerged—an immense Basilisk Tenebris, its scaled body gleaming in the shadows like liquid darkness. Its glowing, serpentine eyes locked onto Jim with predatory precision. The basilisk hissed, coiling its body, preparing to strike with terrifying speed. But Jim was already on the move. His body twisted impossibly, his hollow eyes flashing with hunger as he shot forward, a blinding surge of hostile energy. The basilisk struck, its fangs like daggers, but Jim met the strike head-on. His limbs expanded, grotesquely stretching and folding in ways no natural body could, intercepting the serpent's jaws and snapping its spine in a grotesque spectacle of consumed violence. The basilisk's dark blood splattered the ground as Jim hungrily absorbed its power, the serpent's life snuffed out like a candle flame.

The forest trembled as Jim moved on, his aura darkening, growing stronger with each beast he consumed. The air around him thickened with an oppressive malice, like a storm cloud ready to burst. The ground seemed to shake, and a monstrous roar echoed through the trees—an Ursa Titanica, a colossal bear-like beast crackling with raw, electrified energy, charging toward him. Its fur sparked with violent arcs of lightning, sending tremors through the forest as it swung its massive claws. Jim barely flinched. With unnatural grace, he contorted his boneless form, slipping beneath the Ursa's massive paws and wrapping his body around its chest. The titan roared, its body thrashing as it tried to shake Jim off, but Jim's tendrils tightened, siphoning the bear's energy. The once powerful creature writhed in agony, its fur withering to ash as Jim drained it of everything, leaving behind only a hollow, lifeless husk.

The forest was now silent, a twisted calm before the final storm. From the shadows emerged a figure unlike any other—a Phantom Stag, its ethereal form glowing with an otherworldly light. Its antlers, like jagged shards of moonlight, cast an eerie glow through the dense trees. This creature, calm and almost serene, seemed out of place amidst the carnage. But Jim, his hunger insatiable, recognized the challenge it posed. He paused for a moment, his hollow eyes narrowing as the stag watched him with quiet defiance. Then, with a sickening burst of violence, Jim surged forward. The stag flickered, its ethereal form twisting and weaving in the air, but Jim's aura expanded, suffocating the space around them. His body expanded in a final, grotesque act of consumption, swallowing the stag's flickering essence whole. The stag's ethereal form struggled, its light fading as it was devoured, leaving nothing behind but the lingering echoes of its existence.

Jim stood amidst the ruin, his form pulsing with dark energy. The forest seemed to recoil from his presence, but he knew—this was only the beginning. His body rippled with a malignant hunger, and his hollow eyes glowed brighter than ever, as a predator on hunt. "more need more," he whispered, his voice an unnatural hiss.

Hours passed as Shaun pressed on through the dense forest, feeling the distant pulse of energy behind him. Jim was carrying out his task, feeding on the beasts of Aeternus Silva, growing stronger with each kill.

Shaun, lost in thought, couldn't help but acknowledge the progress. "Guess he's actually doing a good job. I'd love to see it firsthand, but I've got other priorities right now. Too bad I can't witness my creation in action."

He shook the thought away, focusing on his own mission.

At last, he arrived at the base of an ancient, colossal tree. Its presence was unlike anything he had encountered, exuding an overwhelming magical aura that made the air hum with power. The bark was smooth, almost alive, and it seemed to pulse in rhythm with the very heartbeat of the forest.

Shaun placed his hand on its trunk, closing his eyes for a moment as he absorbed the surge of energy that flowed from it. The power was raw, primal, and intoxicating. This was the heart of the forest—an ancient force that had existed far longer than anything else around it. He could feel it beckoning, urging him to harness it.

"Not bad," Shaun muttered, his voice low as he studied the tree. "Let's hope Jim's still in one piece when I'm done here."

A smirk spread across his face as he pulled his hand away, the surge of power settling within him. With one last glance at the tree, he turned and ventured deeper into the forest, leaving behind the echoes of Jim's monstrous evolution—an unseen force growing stronger, but for now, out of sight.

The path ahead was still uncertain, but Shaun knew that the ancient tree held the key to whatever came next.