Robb closed his eyes, trying to pinpoint the source of the strange sensation—but the sound had already vanished.
"Weird," he muttered, uneasily rolling out of bed.
At that moment, the sounds next door suddenly intensified.
They were no longer human sounds. More like the anguished howls of some beast, mixed with an eerie screeching of metal on metal.
"So the worst-case scenario… really happened."
He whispered grimly as a strong sense of foreboding gripped him.
Robb leapt up from bed in one smooth, silent motion.
Those hunting drills forced on him by his father and older brothers back in the kingdom were finally proving useful.
The noise from next door grew more urgent, occasionally punctuated by the heavy thuds of something slamming into the walls.
Whatever it was, it was clearly struggling, crashing, and howling inside that cramped room.
Robb hesitated for a moment, thoughts racing.
As Darude's direct neighbor, he was in the most danger.
Andre had warned him specifically about the horrors of mutated entities in the Black Mist Forest.
During early mutation stages, victims might retain some sense of reason. But over time, their minds would be consumed, and they would become mindless monsters.
Worse still, once reason was gone, the mutant's power would skyrocket.
By breaking free of bodily limits and violently consuming matter for fuel, they could reach a strength level rivaling that of advanced apprentices in a short time.
There were still two months left until the assessment. He couldn't take any risks now.
"Darude's mutation has already started. By the time the enforcers arrive, it'll be too late." Robb thought quickly. "I have to get out of here now."
He threw on his clothes, grabbed his wooden sword, and stuffed his valuables into his coat.
"Better him than me," he muttered. "Survival comes first. I'll report it in the morning."
He had just finished packing when the noise next door suddenly stopped—replaced by an even more terrifying silence.
It lasted only a few seconds before being shattered by the sound of bones cracking and muscles squelching and twisting.
Robb's heartbeat quickened. He crept to the door and cracked it open just enough to peek outside.
The corridor was empty. Most of the apprentice candidates were either asleep or meditating in their rooms, completely unaware of the danger brewing among them.
He had to get far away. Only then could he safely contact the enforcers.
Taking a deep breath, Robb slowly opened his door and prepared to slip out.
Just as he stepped into the hallway, the wall next to him exploded.
A twisted figure burst through it like a cannonball, crashing into the hallway.
Debris—bricks, wood, dust—flew everywhere, along with a monstrous, inhuman screech.
Robb instinctively jumped back two steps, narrowly avoiding being crushed.
"Damn it—!"
That thing… was that Darude?
Robb stared in disbelief.
The figure before him was no longer the slightly chubby researcher he had known. It was a grotesque monster.
Darude's body was contorted and swollen, muscles writhing beneath torn clothing.
But the most terrifying part was his head—his skull looked like it had been pushed outward from within. A massive, pulsating, semi-transparent brain had emerged.
The brain's surface was veined with wriggling blood vessels. In some places, pale blue light flickered—like currents of electricity surging within.
"R-Robb..." the monster actually recognized him.
Its voice was a layered echo of two tones—groaning out a single warning: "Run..."
That flicker of humanity vanished in an instant. Darude's eyes turned hollow, pupils dilating into endless black.
"Uuuh… AAARGH!"
His voice broke into a beast's roar. The light on the exposed brain grew even brighter.
Robb suddenly felt a wave of force crash into him—a soundless impact that hit like a sledgehammer to the chest.
Thanks to the enhanced constitution of his Knight Squire class, he barely withstood the shock, but it felt like his organs were being wrung out by invisible hands—agony surged through him.
Had this been earlier in his training, he would've been coughing blood from internal damage.
The mutated brain-monster didn't hesitate. It howled again, unleashing another sonic blast—each stronger than the last.
Wooden railings cracked. Doors nearby creaked and shuddered.
Robb realized the situation was already beyond saving.
Darude had completely transformed into a mutant—a dangerous aberration.
In the Black Mist Forest, there was only one proper response to this:
Eliminate the threat!
From the beast's muscular form and relentless sonic attacks, Robb knew turning his back and running would only get him killed.
His gaze hardened. Fear and hesitation were shoved deep down.
At this moment, only one thought remained—Survive.
The mutated Darude seemed to sense the danger and roared, launching himself at Robb.
He moved with shocking speed. His swollen legs stomped the floor and propelled him forward in a blur, closing the distance in a blink.
Robb didn't panic. Following the Solar Swordcraft principles, he matched breath with movement.
At the last second, he sidestepped and struck.
His sword sliced toward Darude's leg with precision.
[Perfect Evade & Counter! Basic Swordcraft EXP +2]
The blade hit with a dull thud. Darude staggered but quickly recovered, turning to attack again—slightly slower now.
This time, instead of charging, he opened his mouth and let out a sonic pulse.
The air distorted as translucent soundwaves rippled toward Robb.
Robb tried to dodge, narrowly avoiding the first—but the second caught his shoulder directly.
"Agh!"
Blinding pain shot through him. His right arm went numb.
This wasn't just a physical attack—it was a hybrid of sonic and spiritual force. The same sonic spell prototype Darude had been researching.
Robb struggled to widen the gap, but the creature threw back its head and howled again. Stronger waves blasted out in every direction from its brain, pummeling everything around it.
Blood welled up in Robb's mouth. He knew—he had to end this fast.
If he didn't, he'd be shaken to death.
As the mutant charged another blast, Robb had an idea.
"Mucus Splash!"
He focused his spiritforce. A glob of sticky liquid shot from his fingers and hit Darude's feet.
The mucus hardened instantly, rooting the monster to the ground.
[Direct Hit! Mucus Splash EXP +2]
The monster howled in rage, thrashing to break free, but the goo held fast—for now.
Still, it wouldn't last long. One leg was already halfway loose.
If it broke free completely, Robb would be dead.
Seizing the brief window, Robb kept dodging the sonic blasts while watching for an opening.
Then he noticed something—each time Darude used a soundwave attack, he paused briefly afterward.
The mutated brain clearly needed recovery time.
"Now!"
Timing it just as the brain dimmed after a sonic burst, Robb circled behind him.
At this distance, he could clearly see the brain's pulsing veins.
No more hesitation.
He raised his sword—and thrust it, full force, at the exposed, vulnerable spot.