Chapter 11: The Forest That Devours Humans The night sky above Hinthada was quiet. The city lights slowly disappeared behind Adrian as he moved farther away. Standing on the Eternal Void Sword... Adrian flew silently through the night. The upgraded flying sword moved much faster than before. The refined materials and improved formations allowed it to move smoothly through the sky. Below him... The world was peaceful. But Adrian knew. Peace was only the surface. After awakening his memories and stepping onto the path of cultivation, he had realized something. This world was not ordinary. Hidden existences were everywhere. Ghosts. Witches. Guardian spirits. Unknown beings that humans could never see. Tonight... He wanted to explore. Not because he was searching for trouble. But because his curiosity had grown. His path was still beginning. There were countless mysteries waiting beyond human understanding. ... After flying for some time... Adrian noticed something unusual. A forest. A massive forest near the outskirts of the city. At first glance... It looked normal. But the moment he approached... The atmosphere changed. The temperature dropped. The wind became strangely silent. Even the insects disappeared. Adrian slowed down. His eyes narrowed. "Interesting." The forest was filled with ancient trees. Some were so large that several people could not surround their trunks. Their roots spread across the land like countless veins. These trees were old. Very old. They had existed longer than the nearby villages. Adrian could feel something inside them. Not simple life energy. Something darker. Something twisted. ... People nearby had rumors about this forest. A place where people entered... But never returned. Some said they lost their way. Some said the forest itself moved. Some said the trees whispered their names. Most people treated those stories as legends. But Adrian knew. Legends often came from somewhere. He landed at the edge of the forest. The moment his feet touched the ground... The trees moved. Not from wind. From awareness. A low voice echoed. "Another human..." "Another soul..." Adrian looked forward. The ancient trees were awake. Their branches slowly moved. Their roots crawled across the ground. The entire forest seemed to become alive. "You have entered our territory." The voice came from everywhere. From every tree. From every root. Adrian remained calm. "Are you the ones who made humans disappear?" Silence. Then... A terrible laugh echoed. "Disappear?" "We do not destroy them." "We preserve them." The ground cracked. Roots emerged. "Their bodies become our nourishment." "Their emotions become our memories." "Their life becomes part of the forest." Adrian's expression became colder. These were not guardian spirits. They were corrupted ancient spirits. They had existed for countless years. But instead of protecting life... They consumed it. A massive ancient tree rose from the center of the forest. Its trunk was covered with countless strange markings. Two glowing eyes appeared. "I have waited for a powerful soul." "Your energy..." "It will make this forest eternal." The entire forest reacted. Thousands of roots attacked at the same time. Adrian moved instantly. "Void Traverse Art." His figure disappeared. The ground exploded. The roots missed. But they changed direction immediately. They followed him. The ancient tree spirits controlled the entire forest. Every branch. Every root. Every leaf. Everything was their weapon. Adrian drew the Eternal Void Sword. A sword light flashed. The attacking roots were cut apart. But the broken roots immediately regenerated. The ancient tree laughed. "Human." "You cannot defeat a forest." Adrian looked at the endless trees surrounding him. Then he smiled slightly. "Then I will destroy the forest." The moment those words were spoken... The atmosphere changed. The ancient tree spirits finally felt something. This human... Was not afraid. The battle between the cultivator and the devouring forest had begun.