Suryaputra Karna: 10 Million Dharma Critical hits-Chapter 91 - 89: Into the Unknown
The training ground slowly disappeared behind them, its familiar sights and sounds fading into memory with each step they took forward.
The echo of clashing practice weapons, the guidance of instructors, the predictable rhythm of drills—all of it dissolved into silence.
What lay ahead was no longer structured, no longer controlled. It was real.
And that difference could be felt.
Duryodhana walked at the front of the group, leading without hesitation.
His steps were steady, measured, and deliberate.
There was confidence in the way he moved, but it wasn’t the careless confidence of arrogance.
It had weight now.
Responsibility had settled onto his shoulders—not enough to burden him, but enough to sharpen his awareness.
He knew that every decision he made from this point forward could affect the lives behind him.
The other students followed closely.
Some whispered to each other, unable to hide their excitement at finally stepping beyond the boundaries of training.
Others remained quiet, their nervousness visible in the tight grip they held on their weapons.
A few tried to appear calm, though their eyes betrayed the tension building inside them.
Karna walked among them.
Unarmed.
Silent.
At ease.
Yet far from unaware.
His gaze drifted across the surroundings, not in restless searching, but in quiet observation.
He wasn’t looking for something specific—he was feeling the environment itself.
Every shift, every sound, every absence of sound.
The forest path stretched endlessly ahead, narrow and enclosed by towering trees whose branches intertwined like a canopy overhead.
The deeper they went, the dimmer the light became.
Sunlight filtered through in thin, scattered beams, barely touching the ground.
At first, the forest was alive.
Birds called from the branches.
Leaves rustled softly in the wind.
Small creatures darted through the undergrowth.
But gradually—
Those sounds began to fade.
One by one, they disappeared, replaced by something far more unsettling.
Silence.
Not the peaceful quiet of nature resting—
But a silence that felt aware.
Watching.
Waiting.
Duryodhana noticed it first.
His steps slowed, almost imperceptibly, but enough for those behind him to sense the shift.
His grip tightened slightly on his mace as his eyes scanned the path ahead.
"Stay alert," he said, his voice calm but carrying a firmness that allowed no room for carelessness.
The group instinctively tightened their formation.
Weapons were raised.
Eyes moved more carefully now, scanning not just what was visible—but what might be hidden.
Their mission had sounded simple when it was given.
Investigate disturbances.
Unusual beast activity.
Nothing beyond their capability.
But now—
Something felt off.
The air itself seemed heavier.
Karna’s gaze shifted toward the trees on their right.
There was movement.
He couldn’t see it directly—
But he could sense it.
A presence.
Not rushing toward them.
Not fleeing either.
Just... there.
Watching them.
Measuring them.
Waiting.
The forest eventually opened up, and the group stepped into what should have been a small village clearing.
But what greeted them was not life.
It was aftermath.
Broken wooden fences lay scattered across the ground, as if something massive had pushed through them without resistance.
The earth was disturbed, trampled deeply in multiple places.
There were marks of struggle everywhere—scratches on walls, overturned carts, splintered doors.
And yet—
There were no bodies.
No blood.
No clear signs of what had happened to the people who once lived here.
Only absence.
A hollow emptiness that felt more disturbing than destruction.
One of the students whispered, his voice barely steady, "What... happened here?"
No one answered him.
Because no one had an answer.
Duryodhana stepped forward, lowering himself slightly as he examined the ground more closely.
His focus narrowed, blocking out everything else as he studied the tracks left behind.
They were large.
Deep.
Too deep for normal animals.
"These are not ordinary beasts," he said quietly, more to himself than anyone else.
Another student crouched nearby, tracing one of the impressions with his fingers.
"They didn’t come alone... these are from multiple creatures."
Karna remained where he stood, his eyes moving slowly across the entire scene.
He wasn’t focused on one detail.
He was observing the pattern.
The movement.
The intent.
Then he spoke.
"They didn’t hunt."
The statement caused several heads to turn toward him.
"What do you mean?" someone asked, confusion clear in his voice.
Karna gestured slightly toward the ground, his tone calm and certain. "The movement is wrong."
He took a step forward, pointing toward a sequence of tracks that cut across the clearing.
"They came together."
"Moved through the village."
"And then left."
A brief silence followed as the others processed his words.
Duryodhana’s eyes narrowed slightly as understanding began to form.
"Not hunting..." he murmured. "Then why attack at all?"
No one had an answer.
Because the question itself hinted at something far more troubling.
This wasn’t instinct.
It wasn’t survival.
It was something else.
Before anyone could speak further—
A sound echoed from the forest.
Low.
Distant.
A growl.
Every muscle in the group tensed instantly.
Weapons were raised higher.
Breathing slowed.
Listening.
The sound came again.
Closer this time.
Heavier.
Something was moving toward them.
Branches shifted ahead.
Leaves trembled, not from wind—but from force.
And then—
It emerged.
The creature stepped into the clearing, and for a moment, no one moved.
It resembled a wolf—
But far larger.
Its body was unnaturally built, muscles coiling and shifting in ways that didn’t seem right.
Its posture was wrong.
Its movement wasn’t fluid—it was erratic, almost as if it was being forced into motion.
Its eyes glowed faintly.
But not with life.
Not with instinct.
There was something hollow in them.
Something controlled.
The students instinctively stepped back.
Fear spread quickly through the group, raw and undeniable.
This was no longer a training exercise.
This was real danger.
Duryodhana stepped forward.
His mace rose into position, his stance firm and grounded.
He didn’t retreat.
He didn’t hesitate.
The beast let out a low, rumbling growl, its body lowering slightly as it prepared to strike.
And then—
It lunged.
Fast.
Far faster than any of them had anticipated.
The students reacted, but they were late.
Duryodhana swung his mace with power, aiming to intercept the attack mid-air.
The weapon connected—
But not fully.
The beast twisted its body unnaturally, shifting its trajectory at the last possible moment.
The blow glanced off instead of landing cleanly.
It landed to the side, barely losing momentum.
Then moved again.
Unpredictable.
Its attacks didn’t follow any pattern they had trained against.
Duryodhana adjusted his stance, but there was a hesitation—small, almost invisible.
His movements still carried the structure of training drills, where opponents behaved in expected ways.
This creature did not.
It attacked again.
From a different angle.
Faster.
Closing distance in an instant.
And in that moment—
Karna moved.
Just one step.
No rush.
No wasted motion.
He didn’t charge forward or attempt to overpower the beast.
He simply placed himself in its path.
His hand reached out—not to strike, but to meet the movement itself.
For a brief instant, it looked as though he had done nothing.
But the effect was immediate.
The beast’s trajectory shifted.
Not stopped.
Not blocked.
Just... redirected.
A small change.
Barely noticeable.
But enough.
The attack missed its target.
The beast landed awkwardly, its balance broken.
Duryodhana saw it.
Understood instantly.
And this time—
He didn’t force the attack.
He waited.
Just a fraction of a second.
Watching.
Reading the opening.
Then he moved.
The mace came down with precision.
Clean.
Controlled.
Direct.
The impact landed solidly.
The beast was thrown back, hitting the ground hard.
It let out a sharp, pained growl as it struggled to regain its footing.
It wasn’t defeated.
But it was hurt.
And more importantly—
It was unstable.
Its movements became more erratic, its growls harsher, almost distorted.
Karna’s gaze sharpened slightly as he observed it.
Something was wrong.
Not just physically.
But fundamentally.
This wasn’t natural aggression.
It wasn’t even wild behavior.
It felt forced.
Driven.
As if something else was influencing it.
Before they could press the advantage—
The beast suddenly retreated.
Not in fear.
Not in defeat.
But as if responding to something unseen.
It turned and disappeared into the forest, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.
The clearing fell silent once again.
The group remained where they stood, breathing heavily, their eyes fixed on the trees.
No one spoke immediately.
Duryodhana slowly lowered his mace, his expression serious, focused.
"That wasn’t normal," he said.
Karna answered quietly, his voice steady.
"No."
A brief pause followed.
Then he added—
"Something is driving them."
A cold wind passed through the clearing, rustling the broken remains of the village.
It carried with it a sense of unease.
Of something hidden just beyond their understanding.
The mission they had been given—
Was no longer simple.
It had changed.
From investigation—
To something deeper.
Something far more dangerous.
And as they stood there, staring into the dark forest ahead—
One truth settled over them all.
This—
Was only the beginning.
Author Note
If you are enjoying Suryaputra Karna: 10 Million Dharma Critical Hits, please support the novel.
Give Power Stones, Golden Tickets, and share your thoughts in the comments.
First real combat + mystery introducedThese beasts are not normal — hint toward hidden forces (future arcs: beasts, serpents, secret control).
