"Damn it, these cursed bugs and snakes! So irritating!"

Deep within the forest, in a dim area where the starlight couldn't reach, Ariel swung a kick at a mutant creature that had attempted to attack her. She clenched her teeth in frustration.

What irritated her wasn't just the difficult terrain and the venomous creatures constantly ambushing her. It was the fact that after wandering this forest for more than ten hours, she hadn't found any trace of Lea. Worse still, she almost felt like she'd lost her sense of direction.

As her master had said, finding a single person in this vast forest was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

"But... why isn't Lea reaching out to me through the transmission stone?"

Ariel gripped her transmission stone tightly, repeatedly hoping it would sound or successfully connect to that familiar frequency. Yet, no matter how many times she tried, there was nothing. Just silence.

Something didn't add up. According to her master, the influence of that entity—that Disaster—could block even the sensory powers of the strong in this forest. However, the transmission stone wasn't part of sensory magic and should function outside that suppression. The fact that Ariel's transmission stone still worked was proof enough.

Moreover, given Lea's sweet and timid personality, she should've reached out immediately in such an unforeseen predicament. How could it take this long without a call?

"Could it be... has something happened to her?"

A chilly unease gripped Ariel's heart, making her accelerate her pace. Suddenly, her gaze fixed on a spot in the grass not far away.

A flicker of doubt and concern passed through her eyes. But finally, she walked over slowly, bending down to pick up the incongruous object she spotted.

It was a pendant—a delicately crafted crescent moon made of jade.

However, the faint magical aura emanating from it indicated it wasn't an ordinary pendant.

It was a magic device—a spatial magic tool.

Unfortunately, it was damaged. A clear crack marred the crescent moon, suggesting that whatever had been inside had already spilled out through the breach. Now, it was little more than an empty, useless shell.

But this particular pendant looked familiar to Ariel. Very familiar.

It was Lea's spatial device, worn around her waist every day.

"How could... this happen?"

Ariel’s hand, gripping the damaged magic tool, began to tremble. This was Lea’s personal magic item—a tool she carried everywhere. Ariel knew Lea also possessed a more secure spatial ring for storing valuable items, but to lose such a close personal belonging already hinted at trouble.

"Could it be... has something really happened to Lea?"

Dark and troubling thoughts swirled in Ariel's mind, stirring her emotions so strongly that her steady composure wavered.

"Ariel, stay calm!"

Her master’s voice suddenly resounded in her ears.

"Sense it carefully. There’s spatial magic residue on this item. It might’ve been lost during a chaotic teleportation. That little girl Lea might not actually be in danger."

"Really?"

Recollecting herself, Ariel focused her senses back on the magic tool in her hand.

Indeed, upon careful examination, the pendant bore remnants of distorted and chaotic magical energy.

Ordinary teleportation wouldn’t damage a magic tool, but a spatial spell laced with disruptive forces could easily disrupt the teleportation field. In such warped and unstable conditions, spatial devices—especially those of lower quality, like this pendant meant for storing daily necessities—were prone to being destroyed.

With that in mind, Lea’s silence on the voice transmission stone could be somewhat explained.

Perhaps she had overreacted.

But...

As a cold wind swept past her, a fresh wave of apprehension rose in Ariel’s heart.

The forest at night… was so cold.

And so dark.

Without sufficient food, she was already feeling the pangs of hunger. If her situation was this bleak, then surely Lea—having lost her belongings—would be facing even greater hardship. Even if she were currently safe, her condition could only be described as miserable.

A vivid image formed unbidden in Ariel's mind: Lea curled up in a pitch-black corner, cold and starving, trembling like a helpless little rabbit, repeatedly murmuring Ariel’s name.

With no one to help her. Completely pitiful, fragile, and desperate.

"No, I can’t afford to slack off. I have to keep going!"

Ariel pulled out a stale loaf of black bread almost hard enough to knock out a magical beast. She gnawed a few bites, replenished her energy as best as she could, and pressed onwards on the path to search for Lea.

...

“How was your sleep? Rested well?”

The moment Lea opened her eyes, she heard a warm voice right beside her.

Her consciousness was still slightly hazy, but she instinctively nodded.

She remained in the same spot as before, sitting by the campfire that had been stoked with fresh wood overnight.

How peculiar. Despite being in such an unfamiliar and perilous place, not even lying down properly but merely leaning against something, she’d had a restful, peaceful slumber.

Perhaps it was because…

A thought crossed her mind, and Lea instinctively tugged the outer coat that had been draped over her properly through the night, pulling it around her more snugly. Then, a little bashfully, she buried her face in the crook of her arm.

But soon after, she peeked out again.

“This… uh… your coat, I’ll return it to you.”

“Keep it on. It’s still chilly this morning.”

“But what about you…?” Lea asked hesitantly.

“I just took another quick scout around the area. Broke a sweat, so I’m feeling warm enough.”

Moen smiled gently and handed her a skewer.

“Breakfast may be a bit rough—it’s yesterday’s octopus. But I added some wild fruits when cooking this time. Not sure how it turned out, though.”

“… Thank you.”

Lea pressed her lips together lightly and accepted the skewer. It wasn’t just a mix of meat and fruit; its bright, colorful appearance suggested someone had gone out of their way to make it look appealing. Red and green hues interwove in an almost artistic manner. She blinked once, then took a careful bite.

The sweetness of the juice blended harmoniously with the tender meat, blossoming in her mouth.

“It’s delicious. Very delicious,” she said, her eyes lighting up.

“It tastes like seasoned roasted meat with tomatoes and spices.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

Moen nodded, clearly satisfied that she enjoyed the meal. He, too, turned his attention to the remaining portions of yesterday’s meals to make do for himself. Out in the wilderness, one couldn’t hope for the luxury of steaks, fine wine, or creamy cod soup.

After breakfast, Moen stood at the lakeside, gazing into the morning mist shrouding the distance.

The thin fog wasn’t overly dense, but it cloaked the treetops across the lake in a soft veil, lending them an eerie uncertainty.

“This next stretch won’t be an easy one.”

Moen stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“Strange enough. After all the commotion last night, it’s unusually quiet now.”

“It’s been an entire day, yet nothing’s happened.”

“If I were to hazard a guess, are they really planning to let me just waltz to my demise in this forest? Or could it be…”

“Caw—”

The jarring cry of a crow broke Moen's train of thought.

A massive crow, half as tall as a person, landed on the floating corpse of the octopus, folding its wings. Its crimson eyes locked onto Moen’s.

Tilting its head, it glanced to an empty patch of space nearby, then fixed its gaze back on Moen.

“What… what a huge crow,” Lea murmured. She had unknowingly walked up to Moen and let out a soft gasp.

By now, dozens of large crows perched on the giant octopus carcass, feasting and hopping around gleefully. They claimed ownership of the remains, seeming utterly unbothered by Moen’s presence.

“Are these creatures mutants too? They’re not the slightest bit afraid of people.”

Moen chuckled and shook his head, making no move to disturb these “residents” of the forest who weren’t particularly threatening.

“Let’s get going.”

With Lea in tow, Moen turned to leave.

But just then…

“Caw—”

The crow that had locked eyes with Moen leapt into the air, flapping its wings and hurtling toward him.

The half-man-sized creature spread its wings. With a wingspan of two to three meters, its sheer momentum seemed overwhelming.

“Ah, so you’re another one of those things drawn to young, good-smell girls?” Moen smirked grimly, gripping the handle of the short blade at his waist.

The crow charged at astonishing speed, a shadow like midnight. But as it neared Moen, it abruptly veered off course, feigning an attack and vanishing into the forest canopy.

“Hmm?”

Moen frowned, bewildered.

What was that about? Some kind of trick?

But in the next instant, Moen grew tense.

In that brief gust stirred by the crow’s wings, he caught a faint but unfamiliar scent.

And more than that…

A killing intent!

Instantly, warning signals blared within his instincts. His pupils contracted as he positioned himself instinctively in front of Lea.

“Get down!”

Simultaneously, Moen crossed his blades to intercept—

Clang!

A sharp, piercing sound resounded as if an invisible dagger had slashed out from thin air. The force behind the strike made Moen’s arms go numb, despite having poured all his strength into the defense.

Cold sweat dripped from his brow. If it weren’t for the crow’s unanticipated intervention giving him seconds to react, that ambush might’ve connected.

“Who’s there?” Moen’s voice turned frigid as he shouted into the shadows.

“Come out!”

“Tch.”

Amidst the distorted air, the silhouette of a sinister-looking man emerged. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he glanced off to the side.

“Your concealment spell sure didn’t work as expected, Fular.”

“My magic is flawless,” replied a woman nearby, holding an intricately carved staff.

She materialized from the void, turning a displeased gaze toward the man named Barton.

“If not for that damned crow, Moen Campbell wouldn’t even have realized he was moments from death.”

“Damn birds,” Barton hissed, spitting forcefully on the ground before glaring at the retreating crow flock over the lake.

“I’ll roast you all one day.”

Caw—

Caw—

The crows circled in the distance, some leaving parting gifts on Barton’s head as they departed.

“So, you’re the assassins?” Moen’s expression darkened as he studied the two newcomers.

“Not the most impressive team I’ve ever seen...”

"Ha, one billion! One billion! One billion right in front of me!"

Before Moen's voice had even finished echoing, another voice sounded behind him.

The man known as "Hyena" bared his teeth in a grotesque grin, excitement twisting his face, his bloodshot eyes resembling those of someone who had just endured a month of endless overtime:

"Very soon, I'll have one billion. Then I'll use that billion to become stronger, buy more weapons, and kill more people. Hahaha…"

"Ah, what a tragedy."

At that moment, Moen was startled with a jolt. In the split second when he had failed to notice, a priest with a merciful expression was already kneeling on the shore not far from him. The priest held a Holy Book in his hands and prayed sincerely over the corpse of the octopus in the lake:

"A being tainted by sin is meant to be purified by our Lord, not further polluted by sinners. Oh, great Lord, please forgive my incompetence for failing to send it to Your divine kingdom sooner..."

"…"

Moen took a deep breath and momentarily could not utter another snarky retort.

Even the crows that had previously fled seemed to understand the kind of peril he now faced.

Four people altogether.

After revealing themselves, they released their intimidating auras, unmistakably and openly, like cats jeering at a helpless mouse.

"Two Tier-4 warriors, one Ascension-Level mage, and..."

Moen glanced at the priest:

"One seemingly ordinary person with no discernible attributes."

"Heh, such a luxurious lineup… Those bastards are really giving a lot of credit to someone as insignificant as a Tier-Two like me…"