Chapter 88

It all started with wild animals.

“Jack Uncle? What is that? A rabbit? Wow!”

“While chopping wood, I saw an insane number of rabbits fleeing. Even though I swung my axe wildly, I still managed to get this many.”

Dozens of rabbits lay dead from Jack the woodsman’s axe, and he mentioned even more had escaped.

The village chief’s daughter, a lively young girl, found the situation incredibly fascinating.

“If there were so many rabbits around and we haven’t seen meat in a while, was it because they were hiding well? Or maybe our hunters aren’t skilled enough?”

“Hmm. We’ll enjoy some meat after a long time, so that’s good. Here, take a few for yourself. Share them with the chief and that young traveler staying temporarily.”

“Yes! Thank you, Jack Uncle! As expected, your heart is as big as your muscles! By the way, that guest wants to learn how to chop wood. Could you teach them when you have time? Of course, not for free! I’ll reduce your taxes slightly next time since that guest helped lighten the workload thanks to their side jobs! They want to learn various things, so it’d be a win-win situation, right? But of course, no one’s forcing you! If you’re okay with it and if you have time!”

“Uh, sure. Sure. If that young person settles here, they might work as a woodsman.”

“Exactly! I hope they settle down. For some reason, they seem hesitant. Oh, if only they’d settle here! We’re always short on manpower, especially with all the trees we need. That’s why you go up the mountain almost daily, right, Jack Uncle? It’s dangerous, but we need people like you! Look at those muscles! Incredible! Someone with such muscles could easily handle the job! Ah, I wish they’d decide to stay and tell us their name already.”

“Well, then, I’ll be going now.”

“Yes! Enjoy the rabbit!”

With that, Jack handed over three rabbits and quickly walked away, while the energetic girl happily skipped home holding the rabbits by their ears.

No one noticed the anomaly amidst the scene.

—

First, it was rabbits.

Then birds and small squirrels.

Afterward, larger animals like deer and wild boars.

Animals that are rarely seen unless specifically sought after were now fleeing en masse in the same direction—a far cry from normal circumstances.

And then…

“Hurry! This way! Everyone else has already evacuated; we’re the last ones! Quickly!!”

The girl led the hero into a hidden cave behind the village.

“Phew. We should be safe here. It’s an emergency shelter prepared for situations like this. Though I’ve never actually used it before… maintenance has been consistent, so it should be fine. Hopefully.”

The hero looked at her curiously.

“What’s happening?”

“I’m not sure. Ever since a few days ago, animals have been acting erratic. Now even fierce predators like wolves and bears…”

“Wolves?”

“Yes. Hunter Connor returned badly wounded after being attacked by wolves. Thankfully, he received treatment in time, but apparently, there were too many wolves this time. Normally, they hunt in packs, but this was ridiculous. And bears, which usually avoid human territory because they’re smart… hmm…”

“Too many animals?”

“That’s it exactly. Also, according to Connor, all the animals—every single one—were running in the same direction. Very strange. It’s not like they’re having some kind of race or something.”

The girl’s words made the hero pause thoughtfully.

“That… sounds like they’re fleeing, doesn’t it?”

“Fleeing? But these are ferocious beasts that don’t fear humans!”

“There are creatures in this world even those beasts fear.”

The girl’s face lit up as if realizing something.

“Could it be… a monster?”

“Yes. Not just any monster either. To scare off this many ferocious animals, it must be quite powerful.”

The girl finally nodded in understanding.

“True, if it’s a monster, that makes sense. Dangerous monsters can destroy entire villages. Still, it’s odd. Pilgrims frequently pass through this area near the Temple of Life; monsters usually avoid such routes.”

“Maybe it’s strong enough to not care about pilgrims.”

“You’re right. Though… you seem to know a lot about monsters?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah… I learned about them.”

*Hmm. I did teach him quite a bit about monsters.*

For now, only animal-based monsters had appeared, but who knows what the future holds.

“If it’s a monster… we might need to hide here for a while. Do we have enough preserved food stored? And please don’t let Dad secretly eat it as snacks again…”

“If it’s a monster, I think I should go deal with it alone.”

“No way! That’s dangerous! Extremely dangerous! You may not realize it, but a monster can wipe out someone’s life in an instant! Absolutely not! I won’t let you go!!!”

“But…”

“No means no!!! Don’t even think about it!!! If you insist on leaving, knock me out first!!! And be prepared to never return to this village!!! Because I’ll hate you forever!!! Seriously!!! I mean it!!! No lies!!!”

Embarrassed yet concerned, the hero awkwardly patted the girl’s head.

“Don’t worry. I’ve had thorough training. Monsters are nothing to me.”

*He’s had thorough training. Even basic monsters can’t scratch him.*

“Nothing to you?! Who ARE you?!”

Without answering, the hero gently pushed the girl aside and unsheathed the massive silver sword strapped to his back.

Its grandeur left the girl momentarily speechless.

“That sword… could it be…”

The hero simply nodded slightly.

“I’ll be back. Stay hidden.”

“Wait! Just a second!!”

Before she could grab him, the hero vanished from the spot.

—

The entity causing the animals to flee in terror was indeed a monster.

A colossal snake.

So large that each scale resembled a tiny shield, its body dwarfed ordinary landmarks.

It was comparable in size to the sandworms I used to train heroes with.

Equipped with razor-sharp fangs dripping venom and a tail strong enough to shatter tree trunks, this creature was formidable enough to challenge entire armies.

Facing this monstrous serpent, the hero gripped his sword without hesitation.

The battle began!

—

Upon spotting the hero, the snake charged fiercely, as if sensing a mortal threat.

Indeed, the hero possessed the power to slay the beast.

The immense serpent whipped its body forward, revealing deadly fangs at the end of its charge.

But the hero effortlessly dodged. Despite its size, the snake wasn’t fast enough to catch the agile hero.

With a nimble leap to the side, the hero evaded. However, the snake proved tenacious.

CRACK!!

Breaking several thick trees, the snake turned its massive head toward the hero and charged again. This time, the hero leapt upward to avoid the attack.

Seizing the opportunity, the snake lashed out with its enormous tail, creating a deafening sound akin to striking steel.

BOOM!!!

Even a boulder would have shattered under that blow—but the hero remained unscathed.

“Is that all?”

While airborne, the hero deflected the tail with the flat side of his greatsword, sending it rebounding harmlessly. The impact left a deep dent in the snake’s tail.

“KIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!!!”

“Annoying.”

The snake screamed in pain as the hero tightened his grip on the sword.

“If you’d retreat, that’d be ideal. But I doubt you will. Time to finish this.”

With that, the hero and the colossal snake clashed once more.

Unaware of the faint shadow looming over them…