KIIIIIIII—EEK!
Mikhail gripped the hilt of the sword strapped to his waist with his right hand, while his other hand clamped over one ear. Because only one ear was covered, the grotesque screech couldn’t be completely blocked. The piercing wail tore through his body, shaking him to the core.
“Adrian, get back!”
Mikhail shoved Adrian forcefully backward. Adrian, with a dazed expression, mumbled, “Uh, okay,” and took a step back.
Shrrng—
The metallic scrape of a sword being drawn rang out. Adrian’s eyes shifted. In front of him, Mikhail stood with his blade unsheathed, his sharp gaze scanning their surroundings. The white blade in Mikhail’s hand caught the moonlight, its gleam standing in bold contrast to the darkness of the forest. It asserted its presence with authority.
Tsk. This is exactly why I wanted to come check it out alone. Of all times, to actually encounter true black mana while with Mikhail—just my luck. Adrian wrinkled his nose as he stared at Mikhail’s back.
“Damn it… Where did it go?”
Mikhail muttered while tightening his grip on the sword. The forest was so dark that he had no choice but to rely on senses other than sight.
However, in Adrian’s eyes, the trail of the grotesque creature remained crystal clear. That thing… Is it a beast born from black mana? The gaze of a dragon locked directly with that of the black mass lurking in the dark.
In this state, Adrian couldn’t be certain whether it was a true threat. The creature seemed to share the same doubt, staring fixedly at them from a distance. For the beast and the dragon, this forest was as bright as midday—but that wasn’t something he could explain to Mikhail.
Lowering his body slightly, Adrian cast a sideways glance at Mikhail beside him. Mikhail was gripping his sword with both hands, ready to swing at a moment’s notice. Adrian, still facing off with the black mass, asked in a hushed voice,
“What about your escort knights?”
He already knew the answer. Not a single trace of anyone had followed them since leaving the lodge. Still, he asked Mikhail, just in case.
“There aren’t any.”
Mikhail glanced at Adrian, checking his expression before replying. To that, Adrian muttered, “Really? Your escort knights are living the dream.”
To get paid while doing nothing—Mikhail might just be the best client imaginable. Having once worked as a mercenary, Adrian could only marvel with casual admiration.
Apparently, his thoughts showed on his face, because even in this tense moment, Mikhail muttered irritably under his breath. He didn’t exactly have a habit of dragging escort knights along for a short stroll.
“You’re the one who said it was just a walk!”
His voice was tightly clenched, fury held barely in check.
Mikhail clicked his tongue, thinking of the three escort knights who were likely still waiting quietly back at the lodge. Wanting to share a bit of time alone with Adrian had clearly been a mistake. He had never imagined Adrian would so fearlessly wander into this forest.
KRAIIIII—EEK!
It happened again.
The grotesque creature let out another monstrous cry and emerged from the dark thicket, revealing its form. It was an unknown lifeform, as large as a carriage. It charged forward on four legs, instantly closing the distance.
“…It’s coming!”
The moment Mikhail spotted the charging creature, he shouted back to alert Adrian. Then, twisting his body toward the direction it was coming from, he swung his sword high into the air.
Fwoosh—
Mikhail sliced horizontally with swift precision. The black mass let out a high-pitched screech—KKEEEEEK!—and recoiled slightly. Only then could Mikhail clearly make out what he was facing.
“What… is that thing?”
The creature that had just hidden itself behind a tree looked pitch-black even under the moonlight, like a void devouring the light itself. Huff— Huff! The black mass exhaled heavily, twin blood-red eyes flashing above.
Adrian, standing behind Mikhail, spoke in a low and resolute tone.
“It’s a monster. They survive by feeding on black mana.”
“…A monster?”
There are still monsters on the continent?
Mikhail’s pupils trembled with disbelief. Monsters were creatures he’d only read about in records and old fairy tales. Just like in the founding myth of the Rustavaran Kingdom, where the first king, Carlo, had led a grand campaign to purge them all—Mikhail had thought they’d been wiped off the continent long ago.
Eyes wide, Mikhail sucked in a deep breath, puffing out his chest, then exhaled slowly.
The monster circled around the radius where Mikhail and Adrian stood, its blood-red eyes glowing in the dark. Like a predator tightening its noose, it began to slowly close in, shrinking the perimeter with every step. Each time it moved, the leaves in the underbrush rustled noisily, as if sounding the alarm—warning that something had passed this way.
Once it seemed to have gauged the situation, the monster abruptly changed direction and charged straight toward them.
“…Mikhail! To your right!”
What?!
At Adrian’s shout, Mikhail whipped his head around. The monster, which had vanished moments ago, was now stomping its way toward them. Its gaping maw opened wide, aiming to bite down on the arm holding Mikhail’s sword.
“Tch—” Mikhail struck out hard, deflecting the creature’s snapping jaws before they could reach him.
A sharp metallic clang echoed violently through the forest. At the same time, Mikhail slashed downward with swift force, cutting across the monster’s forehead and leaving a large, visible mark. But instead of the red blood that should have poured from a living creature, a plume of black smoke hissed out. The dark mist swirled for a few seconds—then the gaping wound sealed itself shut.
Startled by the blow, the monster backed off with a deep grunt, its body inflating defensively. Mikhail spotted the inky residue clinging to his sword and scowled, glaring at the foul smear. Just as he began to flick the blade to shake it off—
“…Hm? What the hell?”
The white blade that had touched the monster was slowly darkening, black seeping over the surface like a stain. Adrian noticed it too, his expression hardening. Only a Swordmaster could purify that kind of demonic energy while facing such monsters. Though the contamination was minor now, continued exposure would cause it to creep up the hilt, engulfing the knight’s hand, his arm—and eventually his whole body.
To fight a monster composed entirely of demonic energy, one had to wield sword aura. And Mikhail, who had yet to fully master it, wouldn’t be able to inflict any meaningful damage.
The monster, seemingly unfamiliar with the sensation of injury, kept swiping at its healed forehead with short, twitching forelegs.
“Mikhail, we have to run—now!”
Adrian grabbed his shoulder and yanked him backward forcefully. But Mikhail stood unmoving, rooted to the spot. His eyes didn’t leave the monster’s, locked in tense opposition.
“…Right. You get out of the forest. Now.”
You’re not helping anyway. Mikhail jerked his chin, vaguely indicating the path to their right—the route they had taken into the woods. A normal person might have found his protective gesture dashing, but Adrian just found it irritating that a mere first-year academy student was spouting this nonsense.
“No, Mikhail.”
Adrian cut him off, voice firm. He lifted his arm, intent on dragging Mikhail with him if necessary. The moment his hand settled on Mikhail’s shoulder, he began,
“With your current skill, you can’t kill that thing. So we should—”
Huh?
Adrian’s pupils suddenly widened. His gaze froze, locked beyond the darkness.
SHRAAAAA—K!
From the monster, which had until now been keeping its distance to recover, shot a long tendril at blinding speed.
A sharp tug on his shoulder pulled Mikhail violently back just in time.
KA-BOOOM!
The tendril slammed into the ground where Mikhail had just stood, smashing stone and earth alike. The impact left a deep gouge in the ground. It had missed him by a hair’s breadth.
Mikhail instinctively stepped back and checked his torso. Just like what had happened to Fellen Deeps’ sword, a black soot-like smear was now clinging to the upper part of his shirt—where the tendril had grazed him. Without thinking, he reached toward the spot.
This is the same stuff that stuck to my sword earlier…
“Gh—!” Mikhail grimaced as something suddenly gripped his wrist hard. The strength was overwhelming.
“…Don’t touch it. That’s demonic energy.”
Adrian had grabbed him to stop him. Noticing Mikhail’s pain, he slowly loosened his grip. Mikhail’s eyes narrowed sharply. For someone supposedly just a research nerd obsessed with herbs, Adrian’s grip was way too strong.
Unaware of Mikhail’s growing suspicion, Adrian kept his gaze locked on the monster beyond the darkness. Calmly, he pointed toward the path beside them.
“On the count of three, we’re going to run that way. Got it?”
“How do I kill it?”
“What?”
Adrian turned his head toward Mikhail, startled by the sudden question.
“Tell me how to take that thing down.”
Mikhail’s crimson eyes blazed like fire in the dark. Adrian’s expression turned stone-cold. He’d seen too many people die from reckless bravado.
“You can’t. You have to purify its demonic energy using sword aura.”
“I can do that—at least for a short while. I’ve been training every day.”
Off in the distance, the monster had started to swell its body again. It would attack soon. Adrian bit down on his lip hard and tried again.
“Training’s just training. In real combat, one misstep and you’re dead, Mikhail.”
“If we run now, that thing will head straight for the village.”
“……”
Well, he’s not wrong, is he?
Adrian tilted his head with a resigned expression. There was no way a Swordmaster existed in a small village like Tamahild. In fact, there weren’t any Swordmasters left on the entire continent. That thing would soon become an untouchable outlaw, rampaging freely across the land without opposition.
“We could just run before it gets to the village, couldn’t we?”
“Adrian.”
Bathed in moonlight, Mikhail gazed at Adrian’s pale face with a determined expression. His eyes were unwavering. The dragon, seeing that look, immediately knew what Mikhail was about to say.
“If I say I don’t want to run… will you help me?”
“……”
Adrian pouted at that.
He says he likes me, but he’s really going to drag the person he likes into a death trap like this? Just a little while ago, he was the one insisting they go back because it was dangerous. Adrian scoffed inwardly. The odds of Mikhail actually defeating that monster right now were…
A vivid image flickered across Adrian’s mind—a vision of Mikhail standing tall on the battlefield as a fully grown Hero, striding proudly into war.
Adrian let out a long, heavy sigh.
“You’re so damn stubborn.”
He muttered under his breath, but his eyes never left the monster lurking in the shadows beyond. Fine. Mikhail’s not going to die here today. Right?
Right?
