The Smiling Death

The forest remained the same. Silent and dark.

Grey clouds covered the sky without change, blocking any sense of time. There was no clear day or night here.

Only dim light and heavy shadows. The black trees stood tall and silent, their dark leaves unmoving, as if the entire forest was holding its breath.

Amon was already deep inside it. He was trying to find a spot to rest. But then, suddenly, monsters found him.

So right now, he was fighting.

Two large monsters stood in front of him.

They were lizard-type beasts.

Their bodies were tall and bulky, almost as big as a grown man. Thick black-green scales covered them from head to toe, hard enough to deflect weak attacks.

Their arms were long, ending in sharp claws, and their mouths were filled with rows of jagged teeth. Long tails dragged behind them, smashing against trees and rocks as they moved.

Hissss!

One of them let out a low, threatening hiss, similar to that of a snake.

The other stepped forward, its yellow eyes locked onto Amon, observing him dangerously.

"Two at once, huh…" Amon muttered under his breath. They didn't seem like too big of a problem. Amon was slowly getting used to fighting monsters in groups. His instincts had improved.

Now he didn't hesitate to fight them. His confidence was increasing the more he fought.

His grip tightened around his sword.

The moment he shifted his stance, both monsters moved.

One rushed straight at him, claws swinging wildly. The other circled to the side, trying to attack from behind.

Amon reacted instantly.

He stepped back, barely avoiding the first swipe, and swung his sword in a wide arc. The blade struck the lizard's arm, sparks flying as metal scraped against scales.

"Tch – hard."

Before he could pull back, the second monster lunged.

Amon twisted his body and rolled across the ground. The claws missed his head by inches, tearing deep marks into the soil where he had been standing.

He didn't stop.

Using the roll, he pushed himself up and thrust his sword forward.

[Shadow Clutch]

[Gloom Orb]

Dark shadows burst from the ground, wrapping around the legs of the second lizard. The creature roared, losing balance for a moment.

At the same time, a smoky black sphere collided against it.

That moment was enough.

Amon rushed forward and stabbed upward, driving his blade into the monster's neck where the scales were thinner.

The lizard screamed and thrashed violently, but Amon held on and twisted the sword.

Black blood sprayed out.

The monster collapsed.

But he had no time to rest.

The first lizard roared in rage and charged again, its tail swinging like a whip.

Bang!

Amon was hit and sent flying, crashing into a tree trunk. Pain exploded through his back, forcing the air out of his lungs.

"Guh—!"

He barely managed to stand before the monster was on him again.

Its jaws opened wide.

At the last second, Amon raised his sword and pushed it straight into its mouth.

The blade pierced through the upper jaw and into its skull.

The lizard froze.

Then it fell.

Amon staggered back, breathing heavily. His arms trembled, and sweat ran down his face. His whole body ached, but he was still standing.

"…Done."

He looked at the two corpses lying on the ground.

Another fight survived.

Amon sat down against a tree, letting his sword rest beside him. His chest rose and fell rapidly. He closed his eyes.

"I'll just… rest for a bit…"

He didn't plan to sleep for long. Just a short nap. Just enough to recover some strength.

The forest was quiet. Too quiet.

Suddenly.

Rustle.

Amon's eyes snapped open.

Something moved.

Before he could even stand, a shadow leapt out from the side.

Bang!

A massive beast slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. Pain shot through his body as claws dug into his shoulder.

"Damn it!"

He rolled desperately, barely avoiding a second strike.

The creature was different.

It was a beast-type monster, larger than the lizards, with thick muscles and dark fur mixed with rough scales. Its eyes glowed faintly red, and its presence alone felt heavy.

Then another appeared.

And another.

Three of them.

"They just won't let me rest…" Amon muttered through clenched teeth.

The beasts attacked together.

Amon was forced to retreat, blocking claws, dodging bites, and striking whenever he found an opening. His movements were slower now. But it didn't make him stop.

Still, he didn't stop.

Shadow gathered around his blade.

[Umbral Veil Sword Art: First Form – Crescent of Dusk]

He slashed.

The dark arc slashed horizontally, thrusting in its direction.

One beast fell after a deep slash to the chest.

Another lunged, but Amon stepped inside its guard and drove his sword straight through its heart.

The last one roared and charged in desperation.

Amon met it head-on.

With a final swing, he ended it.

Silence returned to the forest.

Amon stood there, panting, his body shaking from exhaustion. His clothes were torn, and blood. Both his and the monsters stained the ground.

"…Seriously," he muttered weakly.

He leaned on his sword to stay upright.

Even when he tried to rest, the forest didn't allow it.

Still, he was alive.

And that was enough for now.

Slowly, carefully, Amon moved away from the bodies, searching for a safer spot.

This forest was merciless. Just when he was going to take a small sleep, those damn monsters came. Now he needed to find a place to sleep comfortably so he could travel at night without any problem.

He saw a huge tree. The branches were thick and long.

"I will just sleep on it."

Amon climbed onto the tree. He sat on the thickest branch, which was horizontal.

He was tired, so he knew sleep would come easily.

He leaned his back against the bark.

Just like that, sleep came to him.

---

Amon slept for more than three hours.

After that, he started his journey again.

Now it was going to be night soon. Amon had collected some sticks that would help him for the night.

Tearing some part of his uniform, he covered it at the top of the wood and applied some fuel on it.

Now he was ready for the night.

"Okay… here goes nothing. Everything will be fine."

Thus, the grey sky started to turn dark.