The forest stretched endlessly beneath Ricky as he soared through the heavy, cloud-streaked sky. The dense canopy of emerald leaves shifted in waves below him, a living ocean of green. Every motion, every disturbance rippled through the thick mana-laden air, feeding directly into Ricky's sharpened senses.
Even without focusing, he could feel it—the chaotic energy swirling around the clearing he'd left behind. Dozens of creatures, beasts of all sizes, had begun gathering, drawn by the echoes of his battle with the Obsidian Aegis Ant. Curious eyes peered from between twisted roots and thick foliage, noses lifted to catch the scent of blood and upheaval.
Ricky spared them a single indifferent glance before dismissing their presence entirely.
The battle against the ant hadn't just scarred his flesh—it had stirred something much deeper within him. Something old, something dangerous. It wasn't bloodlust, nor was it the savage desire for slaughter.
It was hunger.
