We set off through the dense forest again early the next morning, our pace even faster than the previous day. The reason was simple: Glen was in top form. I had been a bit concerned since he had drunk quite a bit the night before, but if anything, he seemed more energetic than ever.
"I knew it! Shoveling down good meat and bathing in booze before hitting the sack is the way to go!" he barked as soon as we woke.
It made sense. Despite having food stashed in his magic tools, he usually had to ration his intake while traveling through the Sea of Trees. For someone with his constitution, that chronic lack of calories probably dampened his ability to exert his full power. Yesterday, I had let him loose on my supplies and provided a real room to sleep in. It seemed that had finally unlocked his true potential. It was frightening to think he hadn't even been at his best until now.
"Hold on," Glen said, stopping suddenly.
It was uncharacteristic of him; usually, he just barreled toward any enemy he sensed without a second thought. He had told me yesterday that he reached S-Rank for two main reasons. One was his physical strengthening, of course. The other was his "Intuition" skill. It wasn't a particularly rare skill—even some non-adventurers possessed it—but his was different. Because he wasn't one for deep, analytical thinking, his instincts had been forged in a thousand death-defying struggles. By surviving situations that would have meant certain death for anyone else through sheer physical specs, his intuition had been polished to the point where he could accurately "sense" the nature of a situation.
"Things look like they're going to get annoying up ahead," he said.
"If it’s just 'annoying,' does that mean there aren't any strong monsters?" I asked.
"Yeah, just sounds like a nuisance."
I wondered if it was a swarm of weak monsters. Raptors were nomadic, so they wouldn't just be sitting in one spot, and if it were a nest, Glen would have likely charged right in. "Can we go around them?"
"Probably."
"In that case, it might be Gluttony Flies."
"What the hell are those?"
"Simply put, they’re large carnivorous flies. Even 'large' only means about five centimeters, but they have jaws with sharp fangs. When they find an animal, they swarm it regardless of whether it’s alive or dead, tear off chunks of meat, and bring it back to the nest. They repeat the cycle until only bones are left."
In short, they were flying piranhas.
They were arguably worse than piranhas, actually. Because each wound was small relative to the fly's size, the victim suffered a slow, agonizing death rather than a quick one. Since they fed their larvae rotting leftovers in their nests, a single bite carried a massive risk of bacteria infection. Even if you managed to escape, the blood loss and the scent of rot would likely draw other predators. Avoiding their territory was the safest bet, but fortunately, we had enough warning to prepare.
Using Space Magic, I cast a lightning-attribute barrier specifically designed to target living organisms inside my Rain Shield. For emergencies, I stationed one Stone Slime nearby, and the preparations were complete.
"That's it? You sure that's enough?" Glen asked.
"Their jaws are their only threat. Their bodies are as fragile as any other insect. They rely on hit-and-run tactics, so we'll use ourselves as bait to lure them into the barrier. Think of it like an electric bug zapper."
"Heh. Well, even if it fails, I can warp us back here with Space Magic. You'd probably be fine even if they bit you, Glen-san."
"True. It'd just be a pain in the ass."
"Also, the Hotel Rafflesia that lives in a symbiotic relationship with them can be sold for a high price."
"Really? Well, in that case, we're definitely going."
Ever the mercenary, Glen quickened his pace. Soon, a foul buzzing filled the air. A cloud of insects swarmed us like a dark mist, but the moment they hit the barrier, they burst into sparks and died.
"Ryoma! Where's that monster you mentioned!?"
"Look for a bright red flower! That’s the Hotel Rafflesia! It doubles as the nest, so it should be right where the flies are coming from!"
"Got it!"
Even a single fly was irritating, but the collective sound of the swarm was deafening. Glen found the target immediately.
"Alright, I got it!"
I followed after him only to find him ripping a massive flower off a tree, ignoring the vines that were trying to strangle him. "This the one?"
"Yes, but only the petals are valuable. Let’s just take what we need and go."
The insects were frantic as their nest was threatened, but Glen ignored them entirely as he brought the flower to me. It was in a dying state, but the vines extending from the giant bloom still squirmed like tentacles. The central cavity of the flower was filled with Gluttony Fly larvae—maggots, essentially—making it a stomach-turning sight. I quickly carved off the petal portions with my katana and tossed the remaining nest toward the roots of a distant tree. We retreated from the territory immediately, and I summoned a Cleaner Slime to wash us down.
"This is handy," Glen noted.
"Realizing the charm of slimes now?"
"They're convenient. I don't hate baths, but I don't like wasting time in them."
"I figured you weren't the type for long soaks."
It was a perfect tool for those who preferred a quick wash. Back on Earth, I would have been a heavy user too. "So, what's this flower worth?"
"Based on the documents I've read, a single one is worth enough to buy a mansion."
"Seriously? Nobles really do throw money at the weirdest crap."
"Well, they’re rare, and the danger of the flies makes them hard to harvest. If you can't find someone willing to fetch one, no amount of money will get it for you."
I explained that the dye from the petals was called "Noble Blood," named for its vivid red color—though some cynics claimed it was a jab at nobles who lived like parasites on the commoners.
We resumed our journey, and after another four hours, the atmosphere changed. The vegetation, aside from the Heat-Radiating Trees, had been flattened in large swaths.
"Easy walking here," Glen noted.
"The lake is close. Cannonball Rhinos live there. They're B-Rank, reach five meters in length, and form herds. When they move, they trample everything in their path. They have hides tougher than armor and even use no-attribute magic for physical strengthening. They're called 'Wall Breakers' because they've been known to smash through city gates."
"Wall Breakers, huh? Sounds like a challenge."
"They're actually quite docile for this forest, so let's try to avoid them."
"If you say so. But if they find us, all bets are off, right?"
I prayed we wouldn't encounter any, as I couldn't imagine Glen hiding from a fight. Fortunately, the lake was empty, and we moved east toward a narrow tributary.
"If we follow this stream, we should reach Kormi Village in an hour."
"Then we'll make it today."
As we drew closer, the feeling of life vanished. "Undead. A lot of them," Glen warned.
I felt it too. The vibrant life force of the Sea of Trees was gone, replaced by something cold and stagnant. A zombie turned toward us, its throat torn out.
"Light Ball!" I fired immediately, blowing the creature's head apart.
The journey along the stream became a gauntlet of Undead-type monsters. There were far more Beast Zombies—undead animals—than humans. It was as if every monster we had encountered on the trip was reappearing for a second round.
"Ugh, the stench! I really don't want to punch these things bare-handed," Glen grumbled. "Why are there so many?"
"Kormi Village must be the source."
I fired Light Shots in rapid succession while Glen cleared a path through the rot. Suddenly, a wooden gate appeared through the gloom.
Four years after my reincarnation, and six days after entering the Sea of Trees, I had finally come home.