Chapter 82: Hell (2)

Götz's counter-question made Yuri's face fall.

"...Why do you talk as if you don't expect me to succeed at all?"

"Ho, you've got a sharp eye, owl. Your intuition is as good as ever."

"You...!"

Yuri swallowed the curse that was on the tip of his tongue.

'Hold it, hold it... He's still my customer until I get the points.'

He forced a smile and said,

"If you want the item, bring the points. The meeting place will be... where we met for the third time."

Götz looked at Yuri with slightly surprised eyes. He seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding.

"Hmm... Let's do it that way."

Relieved by his answer, Yuri glanced behind him.

Aerin was blinking, having overheard the conversation between Yuri and Götz.

Yuri quickly changed the subject.

"But what are you doing here? Are you here to earn points too?"

"Points? Me? Haha, you don't know much, owl. What I want is not just points."

"Then what?"

"Of course, I'm here to get a precious item that can only be obtained now!"

"Such a thing exists? What is it?"

Seeing Yuri's suddenly bright eyes, Götz shook his head.

"Tsk, to not recognize a precious item right in front of you. Your discernment is truly pitiful, owl."

"Huh?"

Seeing Yuri's utterly confused look, Götz gently removed his rabbit ear headband.

He held it carefully in both hands and declared,

"In this forest of animals, the most valuable treasure is undoubtedly these rabbit ears!"

"......?"

"These rabbit ear headbands are the finest of the finest, only obtainable during this period!"

"......"

Yuri's eyes gradually turned cold.

Aerin's eyes behind him were no different.

Unaware of this, Götz politely offered his rabbit ears to Aerin.

"Ah, goddess of the blue rose, would you please wear this exquisite rabbit headband?"

His eyes were full of hopeful anticipation.

In response, Aerin...

Smack.

Slapped the rabbit ears away with her palm.

"Wha, what?!"

Götz chased after the rabbit ear headband that flew two meters away.

He squatted down and carefully brushed the dirt off the pristine white rabbit ears.

Seeing his pitiful state, Aerin asked,

"...Do you know that guy?"

"No, I don't. He's just a pervert."

"Can you not get involved with someone like that?"

The coldness in Yuri's voice made Aerin nod in agreement.

Yuri then asked Aerin,

"But why were you being chased by that pervert?"

"I don't know. He suddenly appeared and said he fell in love at first sight, something about a blue rose."

"Why didn't you just shoot an arrow through his head?"

"I tried, but it didn't work."

"...Ah, you already did that, didn't you?"

"Yeah, no matter how much I attacked, it didn't affect him, and he kept chasing me with weird noises... Ugh."

Seeing Aerin shudder, Yuri asked again,

"What about Poppy? Weren't you with her?"

"I don't know, she suddenly disappeared. I was looking for her when I met that weird guy around here!"

"Right..."

Yuri's expression stiffened as he nodded.

'Around here? Could it be?'

Sensing something amiss, Yuri urgently turned his gaze to Götz Lüttgen.

"Hey, Götz Lüttgen... or should I say, Mr. Pervert Rabbit?"

Götz, who was squatting and tidying up his rabbit ears, turned his head at Yuri's call.

With a look that said he was busy, Yuri asked,

"Why are you here?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Why is a rabbit here? This is the deer zone, right?"

"Oh, that?"

Götz smiled faintly at Yuri's question.

"It's simple. At night... "

His gaze swept over the campfire.

"...it's the time of the beasts."

As soon as he finished speaking, sounds of movement came from all around.

Rustle.

Yuri quickly drew his sword and kicked the campfire over with his foot.

Bang!

Flying sparks and embers.

Aerin stood back-to-back with Yuri, nocking an arrow to her bow.

As Aerin's eyes filled with tension, a sound of disapproval came from behind.

"Tsk, I thought it would be easy. After all, young ones never easily give in."

Aerin whispered,

"...Can you explain the situation?"

Yuri nodded toward Götz, who was still squatting to one side.

"The pervert said it himself, at night it's the time of the beasts."

Night is the time of the beasts.

The meaning was simple.

"At night, the boundaries between animal territories disappear."

During the day, each animal had its own designated area.

But as night fell, those boundaries vanished, and all animals were free to roam.

That's why Götz, who was just a rabbit, appeared in the deer zone.

However, that wasn't the main issue.

The real problem was...

'The beasts inside the forest.'

The predators that could strike first.

'Night is the time of the beasts... He's right.'

But one word was missing.

For the predators lurking deep in the forest, night was the time for 'hunting.'

'I shouldn't have lit the campfire. It's like I announced my presence in all directions.'

Realizing this, he extinguished the campfire, but it was already too late.

Numerous animals must have already gathered here.

The sounds of movement from all around were proof of that.

Yuri asked with a stern face,

"How many arrows do you have left?"

"I wasted a few on the pervert, but it's enough."

She tapped her quiver in response.

Yuri nodded and his eyes lit up.

At that moment,

Rustle.

"Get ready. They're coming."

Nod.

Aerin, nodding slightly, pulled her bowstring tighter with a cautious look.

Whoosh.

The campfire, which was still faintly glowing, went out completely, and something suddenly leaped out from beside a tree trunk.

"Bark!"

A dog bark.

No, a wolf bark, as a blue badge, 48th generation, appeared.

Without hesitation, Aerin shot her arrow.

Swish.

The arrow, flying through the darkness, was incredibly threatening.

Especially since the distance was close, dodging it was almost impossible.

Of course, that was by human standards.

Clang!

The wolf's sword deflected Aerin's arrow with a sharp sound.

The wolf, with a sinister smile, charged again.

Aerin's eyes widened, and in an instant, the distance between her and the wolf closed.

Swoosh.

Yuri stepped between them.

Clang.

Yuri easily parried the wolf's sword and shouted,

"The wolf is a recognized 1st rank! Don't hold back, give it your best!"

Yuri's sharp command made Aerin clench her teeth.

Today was the first time she encountered a wolf.

So she had only thought about deer and rabbits, and had shot a regular arrow with restraint.

But if the opponent was a recognized 1st rank, things were different.

"Huff..."

Her eyes glowed in the darkness as she exhaled softly.

Evidence that mana was flowing through her body.

Aerin's hands, moving like lightning, drew two arrows and nocked them to her bowstring.

Hum.

The bowstring vibrated strangely due to the mana technique she was using.

Her fingers, holding the string, lightly released it.

Whoosh!

The arrow, shooting out like a beam of light, was several times faster than the one she shot earlier.

It also cleverly slipped through the gap between Yuri and the wolf's sword.

In front was Yuri's sword.

In between were fierce arrows.

"Ugh!"

The startled wolf grunted and swung his sword.

Clang.

The wolf's sword barely deflected one arrow, but Aerin had shot two.

Thud.

"Ugh!"

An arrow pierced the wolf's thigh.

And this was no ordinary arrow.

Buzz.

The arrow, embedded in the wolf's thigh, vibrated continuously, tearing at the muscle.

"Argh!"

The forest shook with the wolf's loud, pained cry.

Seizing the opportunity, Yuri slammed the wolf's head with the hilt of his sword.

Crack.

The wolf fell with a terrifying sound.

Yuri gave Aerin a quick thumbs up.

But this brief moment of relief was short-lived.

Rustle.

"Bark."

"Bark, bark."

This time, two wolves appeared.

Yuri chuckled.

"Damn, this is getting crazy."

It seemed their first night in the Animal Forest would not be spent sleeping.

"Alright, let's see what you've got!"

Yuri charged at the two wolves with his sword, and Aerin's arrows followed in support.

* * *

Clang!

Boom!

The sounds of metal and explosions echoed loudly through the forest.

But despite the urgent situation, Götz, leaning against a tree trunk, looked incredibly calm.

Interest flickered in Götz's eyes as he watched the fight.

"Ho?"

Yuri, facing two wolves.

He was holding his own against two recognized 1st rank seniors.

No, he wasn't just holding his own.

Surprise crept onto Götz's face as he observed the situation.

'This is actually turning in Yuri's favor?'

Even though it was a 2-on-1 fight, the initiative was on Yuri's side.

'Even with the support of our Blue Rose... but still, this is impressive.'

For a new recruit to have the upper hand against two recognized 1st