Chapter 262

Do you know when a person comes to hate another person the most? Or do you know the reason why someone comes to hate another person the most? Of course, there is no correct answer to that. Human emotions are felt differently by each individual, and since people have lived through different years, experiences, and backgrounds, the moments and ways they come to hate others are also different. However, at this very moment, Bram could answer without hesitation. The moment he hated someone the most in his entire life was right now, and it was when the people he cherished the most betrayed him.

The beginning of everything was just like any other day. Bram, a Silver Rank Adventurer, set out with his fellow Silver Rank Adventurers to hunt monsters. The monster they were hunting was the Abnormal Bird, also known as the Featherless Creature, which had recently settled in the northern part of Astram. As its name suggested, it was a grotesque monster that looked like an ordinary bird with all its feathers plucked out, but grown to the size of a large crocodile. Despite its hideous appearance and size, which was larger than an average adult male, it was a monster befitting the Silver Rank. However, Bram’s party was also composed of skilled adventurers, all of whom were Silver Rank. Being a Silver Rank Adventurer wasn’t just about skill; it also required experience. For instance, Mari, a member of Kurt’s party, had the skill to be a Silver Rank Adventurer but struggled to reach that rank due to lack of experience. The story of an unknown person suddenly appearing and being recognized as the highest rank adventurer after showing amazing power in an examination is something that only exists in novels. Silver Rank Adventurers are high-end personnel, receiving good treatment and high rewards, and are thoroughly verified in skill, experience, and character. Therefore, Bram’s party, composed entirely of Silver Rank Adventurers, skillfully lured and hunted the Abnormal Birds one by one. The hunt went smoothly, and they soon managed to hunt all the targeted Abnormal Birds. There were still many Abnormal Birds left, and they had plenty of time, but they had to return to Astram because they ran out of space in their bags for more loot. However, at that moment, an unexpected problem arose. Among the flock of Abnormal Birds was an Awakening Species. Monsters are originally ordinary animals or plants that have undergone physical mutations due to the influence of mana in the atmosphere, or such species. By doing so, the monster gains several times more threatening physical abilities or special abilities compared to its original species. And an Awakening Species is a monster that has undergone mutation once again. It is such a rare case that most do not establish themselves as a species and just live as special individuals until they die, but even so, an Awakening Species is a dangerous existence that can shake the ecosystem by its very existence. Typically, when a monster becomes an Awakening Species, its danger level rises by at least one rank. In extreme cases, there are rumors that in a jungle far from Astram, an Awakening Species of the lowest rank monster, the One-Horned Rabbit, is classified as at least Gold Rank and dominates half of the jungle. In other words, the Awakening Species of the Abnormal Bird was at least a Gold Rank monster. And a monster of that level could not be hunted by a party of just four Silver Rank Adventurers. Thus, from the moment they encountered the Awakening Species, Bram’s party had been running away in disarray. However, no matter how much they ran, they could not shake off the pursuit of the Awakening Species. Eventually, Bram, judging that the entire party could not survive, gave an order as the party leader. The order was that he would act as bait while the others escaped, a decision that was the most rational and cruel, yet offered the highest survival rate. Of course, following that decision, Bram’s life would almost certainly, if not definitely, end in death at the hands of the Awakening Species of the Abnormal Bird, so his party members refused his order. However, whether it was because they rationally understood that Bram’s decision offered the highest survival rate or simply succumbed to the fear of death, the party members eventually agreed to Bram’s decision and chose to split up and escape. Thus, Bram, left alone, desperately lured and fled from the Awakening Species of the Abnormal Bird. That was the story of a week ago.

On the first day, Bram, while dodging the Awakening Species, saw his party members safely leave the mountain and breathed a sigh of relief even in the dangerous situation of being chased by the Awakening Species. On the second day, Bram realized he was still alive while being chased by the Awakening Species. If his party members had safely returned to Astram, they surely would not have given up on him, and a rescue team would soon be organized to save him and allow him to leave the mountain alive. He felt hope. On the third day, his stamina began to wane. From the beginning, he did not have enough food or water to last several days in the mountain. His role was the vanguard, and it was an unwritten rule that the vanguard should always be ready for combat, so the party’s burden was shared by the rear guard. Fortunately, since this was a mountain, he could occasionally find edible grass or berries while fleeing from the Abnormal Bird, so he did not reach a critical state. However, despite this, Bram believed he still had hope and did not give up on fleeing. On the fourth day, he realized that he was alive not because of his excellent survival skills or the Awakening Species’ clumsy pursuit. The Awakening Species was simply enjoying watching him suffer and exhaust himself. Even after four days of fleeing, it would skillfully chase him whenever he got close to the foot of the mountain, making him flee in the opposite direction. While wandering in the mountain, no other Abnormal Birds attacked him. Every few hours, it would periodically lose him, and each time, he would find a place to hide. It was no coincidence. The monster was enjoying watching him flee, scream, and suffer as if playing with a toy. When Bram realized this and fell into despair, the Awakening Species of the Abnormal Bird laughed at him from afar with a creepy sound. On the fifth day, his body began to reach its limit. However, Bram still forced his legs, which had no strength, to move. He knew that the moment the Abnormal Bird lost interest in him would be the moment of his death. Even though he knew that was what the Abnormal Bird wanted, he could not stop. On the sixth day, Bram had no memory of the sixth day. He did not remember how he fled or how he survived. Only the sensation of desperately moving to survive remained. His entire body was a mess, not only from sweat and blood but also from refluxed stomach acid and vomit, and he felt the end approaching. And on the seventh day, Bram finally felt that his limit had come. Even though he had fallen asleep and woke up as if he had fainted on the sixth day, his body simply would not move. But more than his physical limit, it was a mental issue that prevented him from moving. A week had passed. In his mind, a rescue team should have arrived by now. However, during that time, Bram had not seen a single other person, let alone a rescue team. Only then did Bram accept it. Whether they thought he was dead or simply had no interest in organizing a rescue team, the fact was that no rescue team would come.

“Cough… Damn bastards. I made such a huge sacrifice for you… and you abandoned me?”

From afar, the cry of the Abnormal Bird could be heard. It was the bell signaling the start of the hunt that had continued for the past week. Just like in a game of tag when the seeker finishes counting, whenever the Abnormal Bird cried out, Bram would run until his heart felt like bursting and his lungs felt squeezed. Hearing that sound, Bram desperately dragged his unmoving body and struggled to take step after step forward. His stamina was already exhausted. However, what moved Bram was not the hope of survival or the desperation to escape. What moved him was hatred and a desire for revenge. The extreme situation that had continued for a week was more than enough time to gnaw away not only at his stamina but also at his mental strength, and after a week of abuse to both his body and mind, he eventually came to harbor hatred towards his party members who did not come to save him.

“If I return to Astram… I will take revenge on all of you.”

Finn, who always boasted about the Artifact sword he inherited from his father, a retired Gold Rank Adventurer.

“Finn. You wanted to follow in your father’s footsteps and become a great adventurer, so you wouldn’t want a failure in your career, would you…?”

Ellie, who always seriously talked about making a big score, quitting the adventurer life, and living rich.

“Ellie. You always loved money. The reward you’d have to pay the rescue team must have been really precious to you…?”

Jackson, the most reliable party member and leader, who only told him secrets, confessing subtly while drinking.

“Jackson. You said you liked Ellie, that’s why you’ve been saving up to confess to Ellie, who loves money. You must have been reluctant to spend the money you saved up for me too… Cough!”

Thus, Bram vented his hatred towards his abandoned party members and slowly moved his body, which had reached its limit. However, sometimes there are problems that cannot be solved by willpower alone. Bram was moving his body, which had already surpassed its limit, with willpower alone, but it was at a very slow pace. It was a speed that could be described more as staggering than walking. Considering his physical condition, even that was almost a miracle… Unfortunately, it was still far from enough to escape the pursuit of the Abnormal Bird, and he felt the end of the week-long chase approaching. It was then.

“Hmm…! This is wild sage! There are only dried leaves in the market! How lucky!”

It was when he met a Lizardman casually picking herbs as if this place, inhabited by a potential Gold Rank monster, was just a neighborhood hill.