Within the oppressive darkness inside the Crimson Canopy. Three shadows moved with precision, without making much noise.
The world around them was illuminated only by slivers of silver light that managed to pierce the thick canopy of leaves.
Ishiki moved at the very end of the group, trembling and holding the [Curved Bone] tightly in his hands.
There were three of them. At the front walked a stocky guy named Bern with a conjured hammer. Beside him was another, frail-looking guy whose name Ishiki couldn’t be bothered to remember or pronounce.
This second one kept flinching at every snapped twig and rustle of leaves, sending jolts of panic through Ishiki that almost gave him a heart attack.
Ishiki glared at his back with a frustrated expression. ’I will kill him myself if he does that again.’
Never once did Ishiki felt comfortable moving inside this cursed forest. Even during Silver Night when the trees supposedly slept... but he had not forgotten that time he almost died here.
It was a scar on his psyche that throbbed whenever he was surrounded by these malevolent trees.
The thought alone made him shudder.
’I will cut these Vile trees... if i could that is.’ He shrugged.
That was not going to happen. He had seen beasts that could cut steel, fail to even leave a scratch on these corrupted trees.
He shook his head... thinking about that was not helping his mood at all. In fact, it was making it far more worse.
They had been walking maybe twenty minutes when Ishiki heard it thanks to his raised perception because of [Ghost Blade].
At some distance, there were wet tearing and crunching sounds. The unmistakable noise of something eating something else.
"Bern, Stop!" he whispered slowly, careful that nothing else heard him.
The stocky guy halted and hardened his grip on the hammer. The other guy stopped too, turned around to face Ishiki and asked in a nervous voice. "What happened? Did you see something?"
Ishiki simply nodded... taking the lead, he navigated slowly towards the sounds. Then when they were some distance away, he stopped and hid behind a tree.
He closed his eyes and let his perception leave his body and see the world around him like a ghost. A picture of approximately 500 meter large area slowly manifested itself in his mind.
And as he had suspected... he saw a scene that made his stomach drop.
There were Withering beasts... a whole pack of them. Around a dozen of smaller beasts feasted on something massive. It was corpse of a Withering beast three times their size.
Golden blood flowed from the carcass in glistening rivers, pooling on the forest floor.
The black and white image made the scene less visceral, but no less intimidating.
He gritted his teeth. ’Damn it! Why can’t they be alone.’
He was just about to give up on them and tell his teammates to just take the turn around and look somewhere else... until.
Until he saw something.
One Beast stood apart from the pack. It was smaller than the others and had different coloration too. It picked at scraps the larger ones had left behind, waiting its turn like the runt of the litter.
A wide grin spread across Ishiki’s face. ’Easy target spotted. If we can kill it quietly before the others notice...’
Noticing the creepy grin on Ishiki’s face... the frail guy trembled hard and called the other guy. "I... I think he has been possessed by some evil spirit."
Ishiki opened his eyes and glared at him. "I can hear you, dumbass."
He shook his head, then gestured for both of them to come closer. "Listen. There’s a whole pack of dog-like beasts up ahead."
Their faces paled visibly. Bern gulped. "We... we’re not strong enough for a whole pack. Let’s just be careful."
Ishiki looked at him with narrowed eyes. "I’m not insane. Why the hell would I suggest we fight a dozen of them?"
He sighed heavily. ’Are these two for real? That’s not even funny.’
"Anyway," he continued, "there’s a lone one a short distance from the main group. With my skill, I can get in, kill it without being noticed, and get out. I just need you two to have my back. Watch for anything unexpected."
The two guys nodded. Nothing was said after that.
They moved further into the forest, taking a wide, circular path until the feasting pack was visible through the trees and the lone Beast was within reach.
Ishiki gestured to his companions, clutching the [Curved Bone] hard. His teammates, went to flank him at some distance, hiding in the darkness.
Standing alone, looking at a Withering beast inside the Crimson Canopy. Ishiki sighed. ’Screw it! How did I end up here?’
Pushing away the unnecessary thoughts, Ishiki activated [Ghost Blade] in full swing.
In the past months, he had learned to control the output of the skill—to use just enough to be effective without draining himself completely. Right now, he wasn’t taking any chances.
Then... he struck.
Ishiki moved like a ghost, and got within striking distance. The Beast hadn’t noticed him yet, It was too focused on picking meat from bones.
It was only when something sharp and cold punched through its spiky hide and found its heart that the Beast came back to its senses, but it was too late.
The Beast convulsed and started to collapse— But before it went down, the bastard threw its head back and howled.
The sound cut through the silent forest. A high-pitched and agonized call that echoed between the trees.
"Fuck!" Ishiki yanked his sword free as the Beast finally died.
[You have Slain a Rank 1, Blighted Smikewolf’s Pup]
[You have received 50 Data Fragments]
Ishiki didn’t even paid any attention to the notification, he was already trying to run away. The pack of Smikewolves was already on the move.
’Screw that son of a bitch... why couldn’t he just die silently.’
He jumped over a bush and rejoined his companions. They were also running, their faces pale with terror.
Suddenly, all three of them stopped.
Their hearts stopped too.
Standing directly in front of them, blocking their escape path, was another Beast.
A large rhino like beast with a long neck that ended in a open circular mouth.
Behind them, the whole pack of Smikewolves closed in.
They were... trapped.
’We are dead.’