In another part of the Vault, far away from the swamp where Pellian was struggling and far from the peaceful garden where Isis walked as if he owned the world, the land turned into something far more unsettling, a place that seemed to swallow light and sound at the same time.

This was a forest, but not the kind filled with life and movement, this was a dark and gloomy forest where everything felt wrong the moment one stepped into it.

The trees were tall and thin, their trunks twisted in unnatural shapes as if they had grown in pain rather than in peace, their branches stretching out like long skeletal arms that blocked out whatever faint light tried to enter from above.

The leaves were not green but a dull blackish shade, some of them hanging loosely as if they had died but refused to fall, while others rustled faintly even when there was no wind.

The ground was uneven and covered with damp soil that seemed to absorb sound, making every step feel muted, as if the forest itself was listening and did not want noise to travel too far.

Thick fog drifted slowly between the trees, hugging the ground and rising just enough to blur vision, making it hard to tell what lay ahead or behind, and occasionally, faint whispers seemed to echo through the air, though it was impossible to tell if they were real or just the mind reacting to the suffocating atmosphere.

The smell here was heavy and unpleasant, a mix of rot and dampness that clung to the air, making it feel thick and hard to breathe, and the deeper one looked into the forest, the more it felt like something was staring back, waiting patiently.

Walking through this terrifying place as if it was nothing more than a quiet afternoon stroll was an old man whose appearance alone was enough to make anyone uneasy. His back was hunched so deeply that it looked like it had been broken long ago and never healed properly, his body thin and fragile, like a dry stick that could snap at any moment.

His hair was sparse, barely clinging to his scalp, and what little remained was dull and lifeless. His face was the most unsettling part, with sunken cheeks that made his bones stand out sharply, his eyes deep and hollow yet glowing faintly with a disturbing red and yellow mix that gave off a feeling of madness.

His lips were thin and dry, and when he opened his mouth, only four teeth could be seen, uneven and discolored, making his smile look more like a nightmare than anything human.

Yet despite his appearance, he walked with no fear at all, his steps slow but steady, as if this forest was nothing more than his own backyard.

From time to time, he would stop mid-step, his head tilting slightly as he sniffed the air deeply, his nostrils flaring as if he was searching for something.

Each time he did this, his eyes would widen slightly, a twisted expression of enjoyment spreading across his face as he muttered in a voice that sounded like metal scraping against metal, rough and broken.

"Blood... I can smell it... the sweet scent of blood... ohhh..."

His words were drawn out, almost like a moan, filled with a kind of excitement that made the air around him feel even colder.

Just then, the forest behind him seemed to shift slightly, and without any warning, a massive shadow appeared silently from the fog.

It was a monster, a grotesque creature that did not look like anything natural. Its head was shaped like a triangle, with six glowing eyes scattered across its surface, each one moving independently as it locked onto the old man.

Its body was large and twisted, supported by ten long limbs that dragged across the ground, leaving deep marks in the soil, while several tentacle-like arms extended from its torso, writhing slowly as if alive on their own. Below what looked like its stomach was a massive gaping maw, filled with rows of dense, clicking teeth that made a faint, chilling sound every time they moved, like something grinding bone into dust.

The creature moved silently, its massive form creeping closer as it prepared to pounce.

The moment it lunged forward, something strange happened. Its entire body froze mid-air, as if time itself had suddenly stopped around it. Its limbs hung in place, its mouth open, its eyes wide, but it could not move, could not even twitch.

Then, without warning, its body began to swell, expanding rapidly like something being filled beyond its limit, until it suddenly burst apart with a sickening sound, turning into a dark, sticky mass that spread outward in all directions.

Before any of that mess could touch the ground, the old man’s hunched back split open in an unnatural way, revealing a massive gaping mouth hidden within his body.

The mouth opened wide and sucked in everything, the dark, sticky remains of the creature disappearing into it in an instant, as if it had never existed at all.

The forest fell silent again, as if nothing had happened.

The old man let out a small burp, his expression relaxed as he reached down and patted his stomach lightly.

"Not bad... not bad at all..." he muttered, his voice still rough and broken.

Then he resumed walking, his head tilting again as he sniffed the air, his eyes lighting up once more with that same twisted joy.

"Blood... blood... sweet scent of blood..." he whispered, his voice trailing off into a low, disturbing moan as he disappeared deeper into the dark forest.

—

In another place, the environment shifted once again, this time into a wide valley surrounded by towering cliffs and rocky slopes. The ground here was rough and uneven, covered with patches of dirt and scattered stones, with only a few dry shrubs growing here and there.

The air was heavy but not suffocating, carrying a faint warmth that made the place feel alive in a different way compared to the dead silence of the forest. Standing in the middle of this valley was a group that could not be mistaken for anything else, Orcs.

Their massive green bodies stood tall and powerful, their muscles bulging under their rough skin, their tusks protruding from their mouths as they let out low growls and heavy breaths.

Each one of them carried crude but deadly weapons, axes, clubs, and spears, all stained and worn from countless battles.

At the center of the group stood a giant Orc, much larger than the others, his presence overwhelming even among his own kind.

He carried a massive club over his shoulder, its size alone enough to crush a human with a single swing. His eyes scanned the valley slowly, his breath steady as he let out a deep grunt. The other Orcs looked toward him, waiting, their posture showing that he was their leader.

—

In another place, the world turned cold, unbearably cold, as a frozen landscape stretched endlessly in all directions. Snow covered the ground completely, thick and untouched, while icy winds blew across the land, carrying sharp fragments of ice that cut lightly against exposed skin.

The sky above was pale and empty, and everything here felt still, as if time itself moved slower in this place. Standing calmly within this freezing environment was a group of individuals who seemed completely unaffected by the cold.

Their hair was pure white, their skin had a faint blue tint, and their eyes glowed with a soft icy blue light. They moved gracefully across the snow, their steps leaving almost no trace, as if they belonged to this place more than anything else.

—

In another place, a dense emerald forest stretched endlessly, filled with towering trees and thick vegetation that created a natural canopy above. Sunlight filtered gently through the leaves, casting soft patterns on the ground below.

Moving silently through this forest was a group of Elves, their movements light and precise, their armor elegant yet practical. Their eyes were sharp, their expressions calm, and every step they took seemed to blend perfectly with the environment around them.

—

In another place, the land burned. A volcanic region stretched across the horizon, filled with rivers of molten lava and cracked black ground that radiated intense heat.

Smoke rose from the earth in thick clouds, and the air shimmered from the heat. Standing within this harsh environment was a group of beings that looked both human and not, their bodies covered in scales, their eyes glowing faintly, their presence strong and fierce.

These were Dragonewts, creatures that carried the blood of dragons, though not true dragons themselves, their forms a mix of power and wildness.

—

And just like that, across different lands within the Vault, from darkness to beauty, from ice to fire, from silence to chaos, countless people and races moved forward, each one driven by their own goals, their own desires, all of them heading toward one place.

The center of the Vault.