Chapter: 88
It all started with wild animals.
“Uncle Jack? What is that? A rabbit? Wow!”
“While I was chopping wood, a massive horde of rabbits suddenly ran away. I managed to smack a few with my axe, but there were just so many.”
Dozens of rabbits had met their end thanks to Jack the woodcutter’s axe. And the ones that got away? Even more!
The village chief’s daughter was utterly fascinated by the whole situation.
“There were so many rabbits, yet we haven’t seen meat in ages. Did the rabbits just have a great hiding spot? Or are the hunters really that bad?”
“Well, at least we can chow down on some meat now. Here, I’ll give you a few. Don’t forget to share with the young guest staying with the chief!”
“Thanks, Uncle Jack! You’re even more generous than you are muscular! By the way, that guest wants to learn how to chop wood. If you have a moment, could you teach him? I’m not asking for free, of course! I’ll knock a bit off your taxes later! That guest has helped me with a few odd jobs, so it could work out well for both of us. I won’t force him, though! Only if you’re cool with it and have the time!”
“Oh, uh, sure. That’s fine. If that young man sticks around, he might even turn into a woodcutter.”
“Right? I really hope he stays! He seems hesitant, though. I’d love for him to settle down here! Plus, we’re always low on wood. That’s why you’re climbing the mountain almost every day, even though it’s super dangerous. We definitely need more hands around! Look at those muscles! With a build like that, there’s no way he wouldn’t rock the woodcutting gig! I just hope he decides to settle and tells us his name soon.”
“Um, well, I’ll be off then.”
“Alright! I’ll enjoy the rabbits!!”
Having handed over three rabbits, woodcutter Jack quickly sped off, while the cheerful girl happily trot back home, holding the three deceased bunnies by their ears.
No one seemed to notice the unusual happenings.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
It started with rabbits.
Then came various mountain birds and small squirrels.
After that, even larger critters like deer and wild boars joined in.
It wasn’t normal to see so many animals booking it in the same direction, especially when you could barely spot one or two if you weren’t specifically looking.
And then…
“Hurry! Come this way! Everyone else has already run off—the last ones remaining are us! Move it!!”
The girl grabbed the hero’s hand and led him to the back of the village, into a cleverly concealed cave.
“Phew. We should be safe here. This is an emergency shelter. I’ve never actually seen it in action before, but it’s been well-maintained, so we should be good. I hope.”
The hero looked at the girl and asked, “What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure. Suddenly, the animals have been going haywire, and now even fierce beasts like wolves and bears are at it…”
“Wolves?”
“Yeah. Hunter Connor came back injured from a wolf attack. Thankfully, he got treatment in time, so he’s not in danger, but it was a big pack—totally odd. Plus, bears, which usually avoid human areas, have been creeping closer…”
“So there are just too many animals?”
“Yep, exactly. And according to Connor, all the animals were running in the same direction, all at once. Isn’t that super strange? They’re not racing, after all, just all rushing the same way.”
At her words, the hero’s face fell into deep thought.
“They’re… running away, right?”
“Huh? Running away? But they’re fierce beasts! They don’t scare easily!”
“There are things in this world that can make even the toughest creatures run for their lives.”
The girl’s expression suddenly changed, as if she was catching on. “Could it be… monsters?”
“Yup. And it’s likely not just your average one if it’s scaring off that many fierce beasts… It’s probably a really strong monster.”
Hearing that, the girl nodded as if she just got it.
“Sure, if it’s a monster, I can see that. I’ve heard some dangerous ones can really wreck the village. But it’s weird. Monsters don’t usually show up on this road, where the pilgrims from the Temple of Life frequently pass…”
“Who knows? Maybe it’s tough enough to not be scared of the pilgrims.”
“Good point. But you seem to know a lot about monsters, don’t you?”
“Huh? Oh, well… I studied them.”
Hmm. I did teach a lot about monsters.
So far, only beasts that have transformed from animals have popped up. Who knows what else lies ahead?
“If it’s a monster… we might need to hide here for a while. I wonder if we have enough rations stored… I really hope my dad hasn’t secretly snuck some for snacks again…”
“If it’s a monster, I think it’d be smarter for me to go tackle it alone.”
Hearing that, the girl panicked and protested.
“What? That’s dangerous! Really dangerous! I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a monster, but a person’s life can vanish in an instant! No way! Absolutely not!!!! I won’t let you go!!!!”
“But…”
“No means no!!! I won’t let you go!!! If you absolutely have to, then knock me out first and go! And be ready to be hated so much you’ll never want to come back to the village again!!! I’m serious!!! I’m not joking!!!!”
The hero looked troubled at her rant but awkwardly patted her head.
“It’s okay. I’ve been thoroughly trained. Monsters are nothing to me.”
Well, I’ve trained him well. Even an average monster wouldn’t stand a chance against him.
“Nothing to you, huh… Just who are you, exactly?”
The hero gently pushed the bewildered girl aside, then drew out this huge and dazzling silver sword he had strapped to his back. The sight left the girl momentarily speechless.
“That sword… Could it be…”
The hero just nodded lightly, no words necessary.
“I’ll be off now. Stay hidden well.”
“W-wait a minute!!!”
The girl hurriedly tried to grab the hero, but he’d already vanished into thin air.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The being that had sent the animals fleeing in terror was indeed a monster.
A gigantic serpent.
A snake so massive that each scale looked like a small shield, easily capable of crushing even small hills.
It was a monster comparable in size to the sandworm I had brought along for the hero’s training.
With sharp fangs and deadly poison at the tips, not to mention a tail that could swing like an entire tree trunk, this was a beast strong enough that even a troop of humans might struggle to bring it down.
As the hero gazed at the colossal serpent, he firmly gripped his sword without hesitation.
The hero began the battle!
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The moment the snake spotted the hero, it charged fiercely at him as if the hero were a threat to its life.
And truthfully, that was the case. The hero had the power to kill that snake.
The giant snake barreled toward the hero like a battering ram, fangs bared.
But the hero easily evaded the attack. It was fast for its size, but not so fast that the hero couldn’t respond.
With a slight leap to the side, he dodged it. But the snake was relentless.
Crack!!
The snake, smashing through several thick trees, redirected its head toward the hero and charged again. This time, the hero leaped upward.
As if anticipating this move, the snake’s enormous tail whipped through the air toward the hero’s leap.
Boom!!!
What sounded like a thunderous crash surprised everyone—it didn’t sound like a snake at all, more like metal striking metal.
The blow could’ve shattered even a large rock.
“Is that all?”
But it couldn’t even leave a scratch on the hero.
Even mid-air, the hero had parried the tail with the broadside of his greatsword.
The result? Just a deep dent remained on the serpent’s tail.
“Keeeeeee!!!!”
“How noisy,” the hero remarked.
The serpent screeched in pain. The hero, observing the snake, tightened his grip on his greatsword once more.
“I’d prefer it if you just backed off, but you seem to have no intention of doing so. This time, I’ll slice you down.”
And so, the hero and the gigantic snake charged at each other once more, oblivious to the faint shadow looming over them.
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