Chapter 46

I'm late, and I apologize. Here's the latest chapter. This time, it's a bit shorter at around 4,000 characters.

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The eerie silence that had suddenly enveloped the surroundings was so profound that it felt as if all existence had frozen time itself. Not a single sound could be heard, not even the faint rustle of clothing when one moved. The silence was so intense that even the slightest sound was amplified in the ears.

"Roji"

"Y-Yes! What is it?"

"You should go back to the village in the carriage. We need to deliver the meat to the village anyway."

"I understand... What about you, sir?"

Nord broke the silence by addressing Roji. As if this were a signal, the wind began to blow again, and the rustling of the trees resumed, filling the air with noise as before.

"I'm going deeper into the forest."

"Is it really safe, sir?"

"...But something is definitely happening in this forest. We need to find out what's causing it."

"Something, you say... You're right. I've been coming to this forest for a long time, but I've never seen it like this."

As Roji gazed into the forest, his eyes reflected confusion and fear. The trees, swaying in the wind and rustling, seemed to take on a form that was no longer familiar, appearing as something terrifying and unknown. Realizing that he had carelessly ventured into the depths of the forest without noticing the "something" lurking within, Roji felt a cold sweat break out on his back.

Ignoring Roji's unease, Nord immediately began preparing to set off. He handed the burlap sack to Roji and pulled out a backpack from the carriage, checking its contents. Fortunately, he had brought all the necessary items. He had brought equipment for camping in case the hunt took longer than expected, and this preparation proved to be useful.

"Alright, everything's in order. Let's go."

"Kyuu!"

"Sir!"

Nord, now equipped with the necessary gear, got off the carriage. Neut, as if ready to go, let out a spirited cry. From the driver's seat, Roji called out to Nord and Neut.

"Please come back safely..."

"Sure, I will. Tell my brother I said hello."

"Leave it to me!"

After entrusting the rest to Roji, Nord strode confidently into the depths of the forest. His figure quickly disappeared into the forest, and Roji, after watching him go, took the reins and drove the carriage back to the village. The entrance to the Forest of Alba was left with only the rustling of the trees.

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Nord ran through the forest like the wind. The sun had already set, and the surroundings had transformed into the night. Fortunately, the moon was out, and according to the lunar calendar in his head, it would be a full moon the next day. The moonlight, shining through the trees, was much brighter than the stars, clearly illuminating the ground.

He continued to advance through the forest, relying on the moonlight. Apart from occasional breaks, nothing obstructed his path.

(There's still no sign of any living creatures...)

The sense of unease he felt at the entrance to the forest became more pronounced as he ventured deeper. Nord had already traveled a considerable distance, but he had not seen any moving objects. Nocturnal animals, large herbivores that were still visible near the entrance, and even insects were nowhere to be found. The only exception was the rustling of the trees in the wind. Something was definitely happening in this forest, and the unease gradually turned into a certainty in Nord's mind.

"!"

At that moment, Neut, who had been flying ahead of Nord, reacted to something. Nord approached where Neut had landed.

(What's wrong?)

Neut stretched his neck and sniffed the air, indicating that he had caught a scent while flying. Neut's sharp senses, which he had from birth, were a natural talent that Nord could never match. His sense of smell, far beyond that of a human, could detect the faintest traces carried by the wind.

Neut let out a quiet cry that only Nord could hear, pointing in the direction of the scent. After moving in that direction for a while, they found it.

A part of the ground, illuminated by the moonlight, was slightly discolored. Nord knelt down, alert to his surroundings, and examined the spot. The nature of the stain was immediately clear. It was a bloodstain. When he touched it, the soil felt dry. From the degree of dryness, it seemed to have been there for about half a day.

Nord then observed the surroundings. Although it was difficult to gather information as easily as during the day, he was still able to find traces in the moonlit forest.

(A battle... no, a one-sided "hunt." It was a single strike. This blood is definitely from that moment... The attacker ambushed the prey from that thicket and killed it. ...And this...)

From the gouges in the ground and the state of the surrounding vegetation, Nord roughly deduced what had happened. Upon re-examining the bloodstain where Neut had reacted, he found a piece of fur embedded in the dry ground. He picked it up and examined it under the moonlight, comparing it to his knowledge.

(Bear fur? The color... oh, this is a Razor Bear.)

The fur, illuminated by the moonlight, was a mix of dull and black colors. The hairs were thick and felt almost metallic. From these characteristics, Nord recognized it as the fur of a monster he had hunted on a quest from the Adventurer's Guild. The Razor Bear was a vicious creature with a hard, spiky hide and long, sharp claws that extended from its hands, making it a Crystal-class monster with a high difficulty level.

So, was the forest's abnormality caused by the Razor Bear? Nord immediately dismissed this possibility. While the Razor Bear was a dangerous monster, it was not enough to cause the forest to become this eerily quiet. At most, it would act as the forest's ruler, but it could not cause a situation where even insects were hiding.

In other words,

(This Razor Bear was the hunted.)

A creature capable of killing a Crystal-class monster with a single strike was lurking in the forest.

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While searching for the gouges in the ground where the prey, the Razor Bear, had been dragged, Nord noticed something.

(No blood trail?)

There was no sign of blood anywhere. From the size of the fur, Nord roughly estimated the height of the Razor Bear. The gouges in the ground matched this estimation. However, based on the bloodstain, it was difficult to imagine that all the blood had drained out. If all the blood had not drained, even a single strike should have left blood on the ground when the body was dragged. Yet, there was no sign of blood.

(What's going on... Did they bleed it out? No, if that were the case, there would be more blood... No, it's the opposite? Did they stop the bleeding? Why?)

No matter how much he speculated, he could not find an answer. Was it done by a human? Or something more terrifying? His doubts grew, and the unknown entity expanded in his imagination. To uncover the truth, more information was needed. Nord followed the drag marks, but they suddenly disappeared.

In the middle of the forest, the drag marks vanished. Nord looked around but found nothing. Why did they stop here? While he was puzzled, he noticed that Neut was looking at something. Following Neut's gaze, he saw a branch of an ancient tree, likely hundreds of years old. Something on the branch was reflecting the moonlight.

Nord moved nimbly, leaping up the ancient tree. With a movement that belied the weight of his armor, he landed on a thick branch and identified the object.

(Spider silk...! That makes sense.)

The white spider silk, slightly wet from the night dew, was reflecting the moonlight. It seemed that the drag marks had disappeared because the creature had jumped up onto this branch. Given that the spider silk was on the branch, it was likely that the Razor Bear had been wrapped in the silk. The bleeding area had been sealed with the sticky silk, preventing the blood from touching the ground. Nord recalled the General Spider, whose silk was used to make his armor. The Knight Spider, like the Razor Bear, was a Crystal-class monster, but the largest individual, the General Spider, was even stronger, equivalent to a Red Copper-class monster. A General Spider could likely kill a Razor Bear with a single strike if it ambushed it.

(It moved in this direction...)

Questions still lingered. Even with the General Spider's strength, it was not enough to cause the forest's abnormality. At least, it had not been like this when he came in the summer. However, Nord had no other leads at the moment. He decided to follow the thin thread of possibility, the spider silk, and delve deeper into the forest.

After the last post, I added a note on the 27th to announce that the book has been accepted for publication by Earth Star Novels. Additionally, I have changed my name. For more details on the book publication, please check the activity report.

Until the next chapter, then.