By the time Ren stepped into the forest, the veil of night had already begun to fall.
The dense foliage of the overhead canopy blocked out most of the moonlight, leaving the forest floor in a gloom far more treacherous than it had been during the day.
Ren expected the local Little Boars to be a nuisance, yet even after several minutes of trekking, not a single one appeared. He tilted his head in confusion, wondering why the woods had suddenly gone so silent.
Ren himself hadn't realized the cause.
At that moment, he was radiating an aura of killing intent so intense it was unlike anything he had ever projected before. Terrified by his presence, the Little Boars were actively avoiding him, clearing a path through the undergrowth to stay far from his reach.
His bloodlust was a byproduct of extreme tension and the heightened alertness triggered by the dark, oppressive forest.
"Sword Rock is..."
He checked his bearings. He was heading in the right direction.
Ren caught a faint glimpse of Sword Rock through the gaps in the leaves and let out a small sigh of relief. However, his anxiety quickly returned as he watched the sky grow even darker.
It was fine. He just had to reach the rock and find the herb.
Even accounting for the return trip, he could definitely make it back tonight. He had to.
He tried desperately to maintain his composure, but his heart refused to settle.
"......How pathetic."
He let out a self-deprecating scoff.
To think he was supposed to be the Ren Ashton, yet here he was, trembling.
"You’re the mastermind of this story, aren't you? Don't lose your cool over something like this."
He whispered the words even as the shadow of the Thief Wolfen loomed in the back of his mind.
But no matter how he tried to discipline his thoughts, the tension remained. With every step, he felt as if his legs were growing heavier, and a gnawing uncertainty about whether he would actually reach his destination began to take root.
However, after he had been in the forest for some time, the density of the trees began to thin. The path gradually opened up.
Hoping he was close, he dragged his heavy feet forward for another ten minutes.
"Finally."
Ren emerged from the woods into a wide clearing. In the center of a small lake sat Sword Rock—a massive, jagged boulder that looked like an inverted icicle thrusting out of the water.
Night had fully claimed the world, but under the light of a vast, star-filled sky, visibility here was surprisingly good.
"Now then..."
The question was how to reach the rock.
The lake wasn't exceptionally deep, but it was deep enough to easily submerge a boy of Ren's height. Even an adult would typically require a boat to cross it safely.
"Ah—right."
Ren remembered he had the Wooden Magic Sword.
He drew the blade and swung it, commanding thick tree roots to erupt from the ground and weave across the water's surface, forming a bridge to the base of the rock.
After crossing his makeshift bridge, he looked up at the nearly vertical face of Sword Rock. He swung the magic sword again, this time causing thick vines to sprout and cling to the side of the stone.
"Wow... that is incredibly convenient."
He felt a small spark of genuine excitement.
Ren had never even climbed a tree in his previous life, but here, he began scaling the rock face with effortless grace. He chuckled, profoundly grateful for his Physical Ability Boost (Small) skill, and continued his ascent.
Fortunately, he felt no fear of the heights or the potential for a fatal fall.
"I’m glad I have this sword..."
The thought of trying to free-climb Sword Rock—which was as tall as a ten-story building—with his bare hands was nightmare-inducing. Even with the vines, his grip was starting to tire; without the magic sword's aid, the task would have been impossible.
Realizing his fatigue, Ren paused to catch his breath.
He found a small ledge where he could just barely sit. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked upward.
"Is that—?"
Further up, near the summit, something caught his eye.
Leaves swayed in the night breeze, shimmering under the starlight. Ren’s face instinctively broke into a smile.
"They aren't extinct yet, Granny Rigu."
The leaves, shaped like five-pointed stars, fluttered leisurely in the wind.
The sight revitalized him. He reached for the vines with renewed vigor, climbing the rock face even faster than before, his strides growing wider and more confident.
His breath started to grow ragged again, but he didn't stop. A few minutes later, he reached the top.
"There’s no mistake! It’s Rondo Grass!"
The herb was still there. It grew in lush clusters, huddled together on the flat rock surface at the summit. Ren didn't know the exact dosage his father required, but there was plenty to harvest.
However, his relief was short-lived.
A short distance away from the herb patch, he spotted a scatter of white objects. He approached them cautiously and realized they were bones—the remains of beasts.
Upon closer inspection, he confirmed they belonged to Little Boars.
"........."
Sweat pooled in his clenched fists.
A Little Boar couldn't possibly climb Sword Rock on its own. Furthermore, he had never heard of any flying monsters inhabiting this region.
As he thought through the implications, the name of a specific monster flashed across his mind.
(I have to hurry.)
A terrible premonition gripped him.
He hurriedly harvested the Rondo Grass, stuffed it away, and used the vines to descend as quickly as possible.
When he reached the lake's edge, Ren scanned his surroundings with cold intensity. He held his breath and began to walk back across the bridge of roots. He forced himself to regulate his breathing, which had grown chaotic in his haste.
He wiped the sweat from his brow the moment he stepped back onto solid ground.
(I need to get out of the forest before—)
He pushed one foot forward, trying to move quickly without making a sound, when—
"!" "Gruuu...!" "Gaaah!"
Three Little Boars suddenly burst from the brush. They looked terrified, but they charged at Ren simultaneously in a desperate frenzy.
"Not now...!"
Ren was momentarily confused by the fact that they were attacking despite being clearly frightened. Annoyed that they were making so much noise, he swung the Wooden Magic Sword.
He couldn't afford to struggle here.
He cut the three monsters down in an instant. Without even glancing at their carcasses, he tried to sprint away—but then, he felt it.
"————"
The night breeze abruptly died.
The grass stopped swaying. Behind Ren, a massive shadow stretched across the ground.
It was there. Right behind him.
He knew it with every fiber of his being.
"......I see. They weren't attacking me; they were just running away from you."
Ren spoke softly, taking a single, slow step forward.
Behind him, four tails attached to the shadow swayed eerily, and a massive head tilted toward the sky.
"Dammit...!"
Ren bolted.
He ran with everything he had, desperate to put distance between himself and that shadow. He had to get home. He had to get back to the village.
"AWOOOOOOOOOO—!"
The roar pierced his eardrums.
It was exactly as he remembered it from the game—the chilling, intimidating howl of the Thief Wolfen marking its prey.
"Haah... haah...!"
He pushed his body to its absolute limit.
His legs moved with such violence he felt like his muscles might snap from the strain. He didn't look back once. He simply ran.
But less than a minute into his flight, the trees on either side of him were flattened by a sudden, powerful gale. A localized whirlwind tore past him, missing him by inches.
"—!?"
Ren dodged the invisible blade of wind by a hair’s breadth, but the momentum sent him sprawling onto the forest floor.
As he scrambled to get back up, he saw the whirlwind dissipate in front of a tree just a few yards ahead. He narrowed his eyes.
"My bad. I won't go near your nest again, okay?"
"........."
"There are plenty of Little Boars around here. Just eat them and leave me alone."
He knew it was pointless to talk to a monster, but the words helped him steady his racing heart.
He drew the Wooden Magic Sword, his knuckles white as he gripped the hilt.
In response, the Thief Wolfen shifted its weight. Its six crimson eyes glowed with a predatory light. It took a silent step forward, hunching its back and baring its serrated fangs.
"—Move."
Ren glared at the creature, his gaze filled with cold hostility.
He didn't have time for this. The fear of this powerful enemy was nothing compared to the terror that he might not get the medicine to his father in time.
"Garuuu......"
The Thief Wolfen didn't budge. Instead, it let out a low, guttural growl that felt like a vibration in the air.
Then, an irregular, swirling current of wind began to surround Ren.
(Wind Magic.)
By manipulating the wind, the Thief Wolfen could create "Wind Arms"—invisible limbs that could strike from any direction. The only way to detect them was to feel the minute changes in air pressure against one's skin.
A sudden gust brushed against Ren’s cheek.
It wasn't a breeze; it was a blade.
"You—!"
Ren twisted his body, spinning away as a sharp pain lanced across his face. He touched his cheek; his fingertips came away stained with bright red blood.
He hadn't seen it coming. He hadn't even felt it until it was too late.
The sheer efficacy of the Thief Wolfen’s magic sent a chill down his spine. He realized the truth in an instant.
(This isn't something I’m supposed to be able to fight—)
If he couldn't fight it, he had to run, but he already knew that escaping a creature of this speed was nearly impossible.
He would have to find a way to survive this encounter—and in that split second, he noticed something.
(...Its leg. It’s injured?)
The Thief Wolfen was favoring its front leg, shifting its weight to compensate for a hidden wound. Ren realized then that Roy hadn't just been a victim.
That was why Roy had been able to escape.
Despite the surprise attack, Roy had managed to wound the Thief Wolfen’s leg before fleeing to the forest's edge.
The monster hadn't attacked the village afterward because it couldn't. It had been forced to retreat to Sword Rock to lick its wounds, wary of the man who had hurt it.
(Father fulfilled his duty as a knight.)
If Ren could just make it out of the forest, the Thief Wolfen wouldn't follow him to the village. Not while it was still healing.
All he had to do was get the Rondo Grass back to the manor. Once the Baron’s reinforcements arrived, they could hunt this thing down with ease.
(In that case, I just have to survive this one moment!)
Seeing the proof of his father’s courage, a new spark of resolve ignited in Ren’s heart.