NOVPUB
Chapter 59: 400 Tons of force
"Whatever, let’s not think too much..."
Damien muttered to himself, brushing the heavy thoughts aside. He gave his head a quick shake, as if physically throwing away the pressure weighing on his mind.
In the next moment, an excited smile crept across his lips—sharp, eager, and full of youthful energy.
Now that he had reached the peak of Iron Rank, he could feel the raw power humming beneath his skin like a tightly coiled spring ready to explode. His muscles, bones, and blood all felt denser, stronger, more potent—as if the very core of his being had been reforged.
A glint of curiosity flickered in his eyes.
Back when he was only at Iron Rank stage 3, his body could already exert over a hundred thousand kilograms of pressure. That was equivalent to more than a hundred tons of force unleashed with precision and violence—something most Silver Rank warriors couldn’t even dream of matching.
But now...
He clenched his fist slowly, the joints crackling like dry twigs underfoot. Power surged through his arm, making his veins bulge slightly.
Just how much stronger had he become?
The question burned in his mind, and Damien wasn’t the type to theorize without proof.
Without wasting another breath, he stood and walked out of the quiet room where he had been cultivating for the past seven days. His footsteps were light, yet carried the quiet confidence of someone utterly sure of their own power.
He didn’t even bother heading toward the standard training grounds. The strength testing pillar stationed there was crude at best—it might’ve been good enough for the average soldier or budding warrior, but Damien knew that if he unleashed even a fraction of his strength now, the pillar would probably shatter on impact.
And that would just be a waste.
No, if he was going to test his strength... he needed something far sturdier.
Something real.
Something that could push back.
And maybe, just maybe, something that wouldn’t break after a single punch.
Somewhere in the Thousand Beasts Forest.
Boom! Boom!
Thunderous explosions echoed through the ancient woodland, scattering flocks of birds and sending nearby beastlings fleeing for their lives. Each sound wave tore through the quiet majesty of the forest like a war drum, announcing the presence of a monster in human skin.
The source? Damien.
Each of his punches shattered the air itself, creating concussive shockwaves that splintered trees dozens of meters away. Bark exploded, trunks twisted unnaturally, and the forest floor cracked beneath the pressure.
Every strike he threw now carried a terrifying 400 tons of force.
"Damn, I’m too powerful..." Damien muttered, standing in the midst of a ruined glade.
The aftermath around him looked more like a battlefield than a training ground. Trees lay toppled like matchsticks, their shattered limbs flung in every direction. Jagged roots jutted from the earth, and crushed foliage painted the ground in a chaotic mess of green and brown.
He clenched and unclenched his fists, feeling the ripple of strength coil through his reinforced bones.
If he truly unleashed everything—no holding back—his speed could exceed 6,000 kilometers per hour. The number danced in his mind, absurd and exhilarating. That was nearly two kilometers per second. At such velocity, even space itself seemed within reach.
But that kind of speed came with a price.
The g-forces were monstrous. The air resistance, enough to peel flesh from bone. If not for the tempered resilience of his body—those reinforced bones hardened through relentless cultivation—he’d have become nothing more than a smear on the ground.
He exhaled slowly, satisfied.
His strength had reached a new realm.
Without wasting any more time, Damien turned and began the trek back to his residence, a faint breeze rustling the shattered foliage behind him as if the forest itself whispered in fear.
---
By the time he approached the castle, dusk had begun to settle across the sky, casting long amber shadows on the walls. And yet... someone was already waiting for him.
Damien raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised.
A lone figure stood before the grand steps of the entrance—arms folded, posture straight, and expression unreadable.
Divine Researcher Akira.
Clad in her usual pristine robes, her presence exuded calm intellect with a hint of barely concealed excitement. It was rare for her to personally seek him out, and Damien instantly knew this wasn’t a casual visit.
As he approached, Akira’s lips curled into a subtle smile.
"Crown Prince, the time has come..."
She didn’t need to finish the sentence.
Damien’s eyes lit up with understanding. He knew exactly what she meant.
No questions. No hesitation.
He simply nodded.
---
"Who caused this destruction here..."
Akira’s voice rang out, sharp and curious, echoing slightly through the ruined clearing deep in the Thousand Beasts Forest. Her gaze swept over the devastation—splintered trees torn from their roots, deep gouges across the forest floor, and a strange heat still lingering in the air. The scent of scorched bark and disturbed earth clung to the atmosphere like a residue of fury.
The very air still trembled faintly with residual shockwaves.
A faint smile tugged at Damien’s lips—barely noticeable, even to someone watching closely. He didn’t know why her words pleased him... but they did.
Maybe it was the subtle validation. Maybe it was just pride.
Salene, clad in her usual scholarly robes, stepped forward beside Akira, her eyes sharp with analysis. She took in the landscape with a calculating calm, kneeling briefly to brush her fingers against a cracked stone jutting from the ground.
"Strange," she murmured, brow furrowing. "There should be no monsters in this section of the forest capable of causing such widespread destruction."
Her gaze lingered on the fractured terrain for a heartbeat... then drifted—just slightly—to the figure standing beside her. The black-haired crown prince, Damien.
The remnants of his aura still saturated the surroundings like a storm that hadn’t yet passed.
Hmmm. A glint of understanding flickered in her eyes. She said nothing—but her expression sharpened, the pieces quietly falling into place.
Meanwhile, Damien—unaware or perhaps simply uncaring of her thoughts—glanced toward Akira and asked casually, "I thought you were in a hurry to find the toad. So why wait a whole week?"
Akira responded with a faint smile, her hands behind her back as she stared at the horizon beyond the treetops.
"Crown Prince," she said, her tone light but informed, "the Thousand Miles Toad is no ordinary creature. It’s shy—elusive. It rarely sets foot in the real world, preferring to float within the boundless void where few can reach it."
Damien’s brow arched, thoughtful now. The idea of a creature drifting in some otherworldly plane piqued his curiosity, though only slightly. These things rarely concerned him unless they were useful.
But Akira wasn’t finished.
"Today marks the beginning of their mating season," she added. "So the males will be forced to appear. We just need to be patient—and ready."
What she didn’t say aloud was that the female Thousand Miles Toads were bound to the material world. They couldn’t escape into the void like their male counterparts. And during this narrow window of time, the males were compelled to emerge, drawn by instinct.
It was a rare opportunity—perhaps once in a decade—to capture one.
Damien didn’t comment. Whether it was due to lack of interest or implicit trust in her, he simply turned and began to lead the way. The trio moved deeper into the forest, the silence between them calm yet charged with anticipation.
Soon, they arrived at a familiar spot—the battlefield where Devrok had defeated the stone-hearted knight.
Beyond this point, the second layer of the forest began.
More dangerous. More wild. Less forgiving.
Of course, with Damien’s current strength, no Silver-rank warrior posed even the slightest threat to him anymore. He could likely annihilate most threats in the blink of an eye.
But the two girls following behind him had no way of knowing that. Still, they showed no hesitation, striding forward with quiet confidence, matching his pace without complaint.
Damien glanced back at them, a small smirk dancing across his lips.
What gave them such confidence?
---
"He truly isn’t afraid..."
Salene’s voice was a soft murmur, spoken under her breath as she watched Damien’s steady back.
Her eyes shimmered faintly, sensing... nothing.
Her unique talent, a deeply honed intuition, allowed her to perceive danger long before it ever reached her. It had saved her life countless times. In this forest, layered with lurking predators and spiritual beasts, that sense should have been buzzing.
Yet now, it was as if all the danger in the world had disappeared into mist.
Ever since he’d appeared, the fog of risk had lifted—like the forest itself dared not challenge him.
It was terrifying.
And mesmerizing.
Damien wasn’t sure what filled them with such confidence—nor did he particularly care.
After giving them one last glance, he turned his gaze forward, eyes steady and calm.
He had full confidence in his strength, of that there was no doubt. But being cautious never hurt. Strength without awareness was just arrogance waiting to be punished. 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝔭𝖚𝖇.𝔠𝖔𝔪
And this was his first time stepping into the second layer of the Thousand Beasts Forest.
A domain far more dangerous than the outer rim—where silence could turn deadly in a heartbeat.
As that thought crossed his mind, Damien’s steps slowed. His body tensed, instincts flaring like a blade unsheathed.
His eyes narrowed.
Something was coming.
He felt it before he saw anything—an aura sharp and predatory, pressing against the forest like a heavy fog rolling downhill. It wasn’t subtle, either. It moved directly toward them with confidence, no attempt at hiding its presence.
A Silver-rank monster.
Powerful. Aggressive.
And aware of their presence.
