Bathed in the pouring moonlight, Set galloped through the nocturnal forest. As a Gryphon, he possessed the traits of both the King of the Sky and the King of Beasts, his upper body that of an eagle. Despite the darkness, Set’s blue eyes relied on the faint lunar glow to navigate the terrain with unwavering certainty, tearing through the woods at breakneck speed.
Rei straddled Set’s back, stroking the creature’s neck with admiration. He reached out and offered him one of their few remaining Clara Fruits.
"Guruu."
Set gave a pleased cry from the back of his throat without breaking his stride, snatched the fruit with his beak, and chewed.
"If Zephyle’s knowledge is correct, we should have been out of this forest long ago..."
Rei surveyed their surroundings as he muttered, but the woods seemed to stretch on indefinitely.
(Did the forest grow this much in a few hundred years? Well, in a world with magic, I guess it’s possible.)
He couldn't shake a nagging sense of foreboding, but he pushed it aside and spoke to Set while stroking his neck.
"Still, you’re incredible, Set. You’ve been running since this morning, and yet you don't show the slightest sign of fatigue."
"Guruu."
Perhaps bolstered by the praise, Set pushed himself to a higher speed.
Rei wore a wry smile but remained genuinely impressed by the physical abilities that were extraordinary even for a Gryphon.
Since Set began his sprint, they hadn't been attacked once. To be precise, they had encountered several creatures—three-eyed monkeys, boars with fifty-centimeter tusks, and rabbits nearly a meter tall with blade-like ears. However, none could keep up with Set’s pace, and they were all left in the dust.
Ideally, Rei wanted to fight monsters to gain combat experience, gauge his body’s potential, and secure magic stones to empower Set and the Death Scythe. However, the earlier encounter with the wolves had taught him that starting a fight often drew in more predators. Reaching the edge of the forest was his top priority, so he focused on keeping Set moving.
"Guruu!"
Set suddenly gave a sharp cry. To Rei, the tone sounded like a warning.
"Set, an enemy?"
"Guruu."
Set gave a short, affirmative chirp.
Rei’s eyes couldn't spot the threat in the dim moonlight. Nevertheless, he drew his Mithril Knife from its sheath and held it ready to counter.
"Guruu!"
Set sharply jerked his head to the left while still in mid-sprint. Simultaneously, something launched itself out of the darkness.
"Tch!"
Clicking his tongue, Rei reflexively used the fabric of his Dragon Robe to shield himself and catch the projectile.
Unluckily for Rei, the attack had come from the left. Being right-handed, he could have easily intercepted a right-side attack with his knife. On the bright side, the attacker was unexpectedly small, allowing him to stay balanced on Set’s back.
"Gii!"
The creature caught in the Dragon Robe screeched. Rei quickly bit down on his Mithril Knife to hold it in his mouth, then grabbed the struggling assailant through the robe with his right hand and brought it close to his face.
"Is this... a flying squirrel?"
At first glance, it looked like a common squirrel, but it had membranes between its limbs. However, its tail was entirely different. Instead of being soft and fluffy, the fur was hardened and sharp, resembling a serrated blade.
Fortunately, because he was gripping it by the torso from the front, the creature’s characteristic tail couldn't reach him.
"Giiii!"
The creature bared its teeth. Its fangs were about three centimeters long—small to Rei, but quite formidable for a creature only fifteen centimeters in length.
He didn't have time to dig through Zephyle’s knowledge right now. Keeping his left hand on the creature's body, he used his right to snap its neck. Once he confirmed it was dead, he stashed the Blade Flying Squirrel in the Misty Ring.
"Guruu!"
Set cried out again. This time, Rei snatched the Mithril Knife from his mouth and stabbed upward at a creature diving from the canopy.
He winced slightly at the squelching sensation of the blade sinking into flesh. He yanked the knife out and threw the new corpse into the Misty Ring.
For the next several minutes, a swarm of Blade Flying Squirrels ambushed them from the branches and bushes. Rei stabbed them, crushed them with his bare hands, and watched as Set snapped them up with his beak or shredded them with his talons. Yet no matter how many they killed, the swarm showed no signs of relenting.
"Dammit, there's no end to them!"
With a practiced motion, Rei slashed through the air. A squirrel split in two fell to the forest floor and was instantly left behind.
He wondered if he should just risk a forest fire and incinerate the whole area with fire magic. Just as the thought crossed his mind—
"Gururururururuuuu!"
Set let out a thunderous roar to grab Rei’s attention. Ahead, the endless canopy finally began to thin.
"The exit!"
Breathing a sigh of relief, Rei stabbed one last squirrel that leaped at them, then tucked it into the Misty Ring.
"Set, it's safe to fly now! Let’s leave these things in the dust. Go!"
"Gurururuuu!"
Set gave a spirited cry of acknowledgment and unfurled his wings. Each one spanned nearly two meters.
They already had more than enough momentum from their sprint. Set flapped his powerful wings and kicked off the earth. A moment later, Rei felt the exhilarating sensation of weightlessness as they rose above the forest canopy.
The night sky was cloudless, the moon shining brilliantly. Set soared through the vast expanse. Because it was night, the sky belonged to them alone. The sight was so breathtaking it reminded Rei once again that he was truly in another world.
But the peace was short-lived.
"Gurururuuu!"
Set let out a sharp, wary cry. Rei snapped back to attention and scanned their surroundings.
"...What?"
Countless shadows were rising from the forest, mimicking Set’s ascent. In the moonlight, it was hard to be certain, but it looked like a swarm of at least a hundred.
The size of the shadows told Rei everything he needed to know. They were the Blade Flying Squirrels, still pursuing them with dogged persistence.
(I thought flying squirrels could only glide, but I guess they can actually fly here. Fantasy logic, huh? Well, we’re out of the woods now. I don't have to worry about starting a forest fire. It’s time I thanked you bastards for the chase.)
Rei pulled the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring, taking care not to hit Set’s wings.
It had only been two days since he’d inhabited this body. This was his first time flying on Set, let alone wielding the scythe in mid-air. If he accidentally clipped one of Set’s wings and they fell from this height, their chances of survival were slim.
Instead of using the handle, Rei pointed the meter-long blade at the pursuing swarm and began his incantation. Even though they were high up, they were still directly above the forest. He needed a spell that offered wide-range destruction but stayed contained within the sky.
"O flames, dance and whirl. In your magnificent ball, illuminate the world and entrance all with your scorching beauty."
He designated the area of effect and spoke the final keyword.
"Dancing Flames!"
The world, rewritten by Rei’s magic power, manifested his will.
Dozens, then hundreds of human-sized orbs of fire appeared, swirling freely through the night sky. The brilliant flames illuminated the air, truly resembling a celestial dance. The Blade Flying Squirrels caught in the fiery ball attempted to resist, but neither their bladed tails nor their sharp fangs could harm the fire.
One by one, they were incinerated, falling toward the forest as charred remains. Some tried to dive back into the safety of the trees, but the dancing flames pursued them with fluid grace, turning them to ash in an instant. Only a handful of lucky survivors managed to escape the designated area of effect and vanished into the darkness of the woods.
A few minutes later, the sky was clear. Rei snapped his fingers, and the flames vanished as if they had never existed. Only Set’s flapping wings and the wind remained.
"Guruu."
Rei had been staring at the sky, reminded of a fireworks display, until Set’s voice brought him back.
"Sorry, I was spacing out. You’re right. Let’s put some distance between us and the forest, then we’ll find a place to rest."
"Guruu!"
Set’s roar echoed through the empty sky where the battle had just taken place. He flapped his wings and carried them away from the forest.
As they traveled, Rei checked Zephyle’s knowledge for information on the squirrels. Like the Water Bear, there was nothing.
(What’s going on? Even with a few centuries of absence, it’s weird to encounter two unknown species in a row. Does this mean...)
A bad feeling stirred in his chest, but he realized he wouldn't get answers until he reached civilization. He put the Death Scythe back in the Misty Ring and pulled out one of the squirrel corpses.
He used his Mithril Knife to cut it open and found a small magic stone, only a few centimeters wide, near its heart.
"So it is a monster. But..."
Rei recalled the fight. Set had devoured quite a few of them during the struggle. Logically, the magic stones should have been absorbed, but no notification for a new skill had appeared. He checked Set’s status, but it still only listed Water Ball Lv.1.
Puzzled, he searched Zephyle’s memories again.
According to the records, consuming a magic stone didn't guarantee a skill. It seemed the Water Bear, which had granted a skill on the first try, was a rare exception.
Furthermore, he discovered a new fact: there was almost no benefit to absorbing magic stones from monsters that were significantly weaker than the consumer.