The Seal of the Lost Power

In the bustling hall of the Hunter's Guild, Diego's first encounter with Elara, Kael, and Roric sowed the seeds of an unexpected alliance. Elara had sensed the determination in Diego's eyes and the mystery behind his rapid rise from F to C-level. Kael had felt Diego's solitude and the spark of goodness within him, while Roric found something of himself in Diego's rule-defying attitude. The four young individuals, each with their own marginalization and goals, decided to undertake the "Lost Caravan in the Dark Forest" quest.

"Alright, let's officially take the quest," Elara said with a determined tone. "Fruz, you're coming with us. This is a team quest; if you try to be a lone hero, we'll leave you in the middle of the forest, got it?" There was a slight threat in her voice, but more of a warning.

Diego nodded. "Understood. Teamwork." For the first time, being included in a team by someone left a strange but pleasant feeling within him.

When they went to the registration desk, the same official saw them. His surprise at seeing Diego had still not faded. "You... you're taking this quest?" he asked incredulously. "This is too dangerous for people like you."

Roric stepped forward mockingly. "People like us? People like us can achieve much more than people like you, old man. Just watch."

The official grumbled but didn't object. He handed over the quest parchment, and after the quartet signed, they officially undertook the "Lost Caravan" quest.

The next morning, as the sun rose, the four left the capital of the Ocxi Kingdom. As they proceeded along the path to the Dark Forest, the forest air grew heavier. Giant trees seemingly formed a dome over the sky, preventing even faint rays of sunlight from penetrating. Fallen, decaying leaves and moss-covered tree trunks formed a damp, earthy-smelling, suffocating carpet. This place truly lived up to its name, a genuinely dark and eerie place.

Elara, at the front of the group, scanned their surroundings with keen eyes. Thanks to her air magic ability, she could sense the slightest change in the wind, foreseeing potential dangers. "The forest is like a living entity within itself," she murmured. "We must be careful with every step."

Kael, in the middle of the group, held his healing staff tightly. There was a slight tension on his face, but his eyes carefully watched their surroundings. "The mana flow here is very dense," he said. "But it's also very chaotic. It's as if something has disturbed the balance of this forest."

Roric, at the very back, constantly cast cynical glances around, occasionally breaking the forest's oppressive silence with murmurs. "What a gloomy place. It's as if something's going to jump out at us at any moment."

Diego, with the strange feeling of being part of a group, silently followed them. Solitude had been his armor, but these three were slowly piercing through it. The System interface within him was constantly active, scanning for mana and abilities in the vicinity. Every mana fluctuation in the depths of the forest resonated in Diego's mind.

After several hours of walking, they had ventured deeper into the forest. The air had grown colder, and mist had set in. Suddenly, Elara stopped. She raised her hand. "Hold on. Something's approaching."

The mana in the air had suddenly intensified. Growls came from among the trees. And then, they appeared. Forest Golems, formed from tree roots and earth, much larger and more aggressive than the Mud Golems Diego had previously encountered. They were covered in moss, their eyes glowing in the darkness. There were many of them, at least five.

"Damn it, these aren't normal Golems!" Roric grumbled, his hands already beginning to flare with fire. As a C-level Fire Mage, Roric's damage potential was quite high.

Elara, donning her armor, shouted, "Formation! Kael, stay back and support us. Roric, deal damage to the front lines. Fruz, you..."

Elara turned to Diego. She didn't have full knowledge of Diego's abilities. She only knew he had risen rapidly from F-level.

Diego didn't hesitate. "I'll be on the front lines," he said. "I'm physically durable and can withstand their attacks." In the System interface in his mind, the "Mud Armor" and "Mud Fist" abilities glowed. Forest Golems were also earth-based; these abilities might work.

The first Forest Golem swung its colossal fist towards Diego. Diego activated "Mud Armor" and met the blow. The mud armor absorbed the force of the impact, but Diego still staggered back a few steps. The Golem's strength was far greater than that of the Mud Golems.

Roric attacked the Golems with fireballs erupting from his hands. When the flames struck the Golems' mossy bodies, sizzles rose, and small burn marks appeared on the Golems. However, the Golems were surprisingly resistant to flames.

"Fire doesn't seem to be working!" Roric shouted, frustrated.

Kael had already begun casting healing spells from the back. He was mending his teammates' minor wounds and replenishing their mana. "Their bodies are empowered by the essence of the forest. They're resistant to fire!"

As Diego dodged the Golem's attacks, he focused on the System interface in his mind. The "Ability Copy Module" was active again.

Ability Found: [Forest Essence (Forest Golem)]

Copying Possibility: 80%

"Forest Essence?" Diego's eyes lit up. This must be the source of the Golems' durability. He didn't hesitate to tap the "Copy" button. A greenish stream of energy flowed into his body.

Ability Copied: [Forest Essence (Forest Golem)] - Level 1

New Ability Added: [Nature Resistance]

New Ability Added: [Plant Manipulation (Basic)]

Diego quickly scanned his new abilities. "Nature Resistance" was a passive ability, granting him resistance to nature-based attacks. But the most interesting was "Plant Manipulation."

A Forest Golem swung a massive tree root towards Diego to catch him. Diego activated the "Plant Manipulation" ability and extended his hand towards the root. Surprisingly, the root bent at Diego's command and wrapped around the Golem's own leg. The Golem stumbled, losing its balance.

"What did you do?" Elara shouted in surprise.

"I'm using their own powers!" Diego replied. Then, he activated "Essence of Shadows" and lunged at the Golem. The purple aura surrounding him began to absorb the Golem's natural energy. The Golem growled, feeling weakened. Diego used his "Mud Fist" ability to deliver successive blows to the Golem's chest. With its weakening resistance, the Golem began to shatter.

Elara was amazed by Diego's ability copying skill. "Air Blade!" she cried, and with sharp wind blades emanating from her hands, she attacked the other Golem's weakened points. Roric, too, took advantage of the openings Diego created, sending more intense fire bursts.

Kael, supporting the team with healing spells, watched Diego's effectiveness in battle. It was incredible for an F-level hunter to be able to copy and use so many abilities in such a short time.

The battle was the first real test of their teamwork. Elara's strategic intelligence and air magic, Roric's destructive fire power, and Kael's unwavering healing, combined with Diego's unique ability copying and infinite mana potential, left the Forest Golems no chance.

When the last Golem disintegrated and vanished, a profound silence fell over the forest. The four young people were breathless, but a smile of triumph and shared accomplishment was on their faces.

"Wow, Fruz," Roric said, dropping his cynical demeanor. "You're actually useful."

Elara walked towards Diego. "Ability copying... This is an ability I've never heard of before. How do you do it?"

Diego shrugged. "Thanks to the System. It appeared after I awakened in my village. I can copy the ability of any monster or mage."

Kael's eyes gleamed. "This... this is incredible potential! With this ability, you could surpass even the most powerful mages!"

Diego nodded. "Perhaps. But for now, we need to find the caravan."

The team continued their journey. The ice between them had now melted, and a bond of trust had formed. They were not just a quest team, but a group that complemented each other's weaknesses and supported each other. Deep within the Dark Forest, they continued their search for the lost caravan. This quest would test not only their abilities but also their faith in each other. And this was just the first step of Diego's long journey with his new family.

Secrets of the Dark Forest (Continued)

After the clash with the Forest Golems, the team proceeded with more cautious steps. Diego's ability copying feature had deeply impressed Elara and Kael. Roric, though still cynical, had begun to develop a noticeable respect for Diego. As they delved deeper into the forest, the air grew even thicker, and the trees became denser.

"We've lost the caravan's tracks," Elara said, looking at a faint wheel mark on a tree trunk. "From here on, it'll be even tougher."

Kael gently waved his staff. The crystal at its tip glowed, casting a dim light around them. "The mana traces are also very scattered. It's as if the caravan just vanished here."

Diego focused on the System interface in his mind. The "Essence of Shadows" ability gave him the power to sense mana fluctuations in his surroundings more clearly. He closed his eyes and tried to feel the mana flow in the depths of the forest. Beyond the normal mana flow, he felt a strange, cold, and unsettling energy. This was different from the mana of the Shadowed Beasts. It was something older, darker.

"This way," Diego said, suddenly opening his eyes and pointing in a specific direction. "There's a strong mana trace there. But... it's a different kind of mana. Something I haven't felt before."

The team began to move in the direction Diego indicated. The path became increasingly narrow, and the vegetation grew even denser. After about half an hour, they reached an even darker and quieter part of the forest. The air here was colder, and a strange hum could be heard.

And then, they saw it.

The caravan stood in the middle of the forest, among gigantic trees. However, this was no ordinary caravan. The horses were motionless, as if frozen in an instant. The bodies of the caravaneers and guards lay on the ground, covered in blood. But what was truly chilling was the caravan itself. The wagons were shattered, goods scattered, and everything was enveloped in an icy silence. And over everything, a strange, purplish mist undulated.

"What happened here?" Kael whispered, his voice trembling.

Elara drew her sword. "This... this isn't a monster attack. The mana traces are too strange. It's as if all their life energy was suddenly drained."

Diego approached the caravan. He looked at the bodies lying on the ground. Their eyes were open, their faces frozen in an expression of sheer terror. He tried to use his mana absorption ability, but no mana flowed from these bodies. It was as if everything within them had been drained to the last drop.

The System interface in his mind suddenly began to vibrate intensely.

Ability Copy Module: Scanning Nearby Abilities...

Ability Found: [Life Essence Absorption (Unknown Source)]

Copying Possibility: 95%

Diego's eyes widened in astonishment. "Life Essence Absorption?" he murmured. This ability was far more terrifying than the Shadowed Beasts' mana absorption. This was an ability that directly drained life energy. And the phrase "Unknown Source" indicated that this ability did not belong to an ordinary monster.

"Something is wrong," Diego said, his voice filled with concern. "This isn't the work of monsters. There's something here that drains life energy. And the System says I can copy its ability."

Roric frowned. "Life energy? This... this sounds like demonic magic."

Just then, from inside the largest wagon of the caravan, a thin, high-pitched sound was heard. It was as if something was whispering, but the words were unintelligible. The sound was chilling.

Elara cautiously approached the wagon. She raised her sword. "There's something inside."

The wagon door was ajar. It's dark inside. Elara looked in. And what she saw made her freeze. Inside the wagon, suspended in the air, was a translucent, purplish entity. It was in human form, but it had no face. Only glowing purple eyes. And around this entity, faint, shimmering particles of energy, the remnants of the caravaneers' souls, swirled.

"What is that?" Elara whispered, her voice filled with fear.

Diego looked at the System interface. Above the entity, it read "Malevolent Spirit." And beneath it, the "Life Essence Absorption" ability glowed.

The entity, as if feeling Diego's gaze, turned towards him. Though it had no face, Diego could feel it looking at him. And then, the entity absorbed one of the caravaneers' soul particles. As the particle was drawn into the entity, the entity became more defined, its purple color deepening.

"This... this is a Malevolent Angel?" Kael murmured, his voice filled with dread. "The ones spoken of in prophecies?"

Roric clenched his fists. "An angel? This thing looks worse than a demon."

Diego felt the entity's power. This was a far more powerful, far more dangerous entity than the Shadowed Beasts from his village. And this entity was what destroyed the caravan. The fire of vengeance within him reignited. This entity could be part of the greater evil that caused the loss of his family and friends.

"We have to stop this entity," Diego said, his voice resolute. "Otherwise, more innocent people will die."

Elara, Kael, and Roric looked at Diego. Their faces held both fear and determination. This quest had become far more than a simple caravan recovery mission. This was the beginning that confronted them with one of the world's greatest threats, the Malevolent Angels. And this would be Diego's first real step on his path to avenge his family and save the world.