Chapter 28
The toll fee for the Cloud Bridge was determined by the weight of the bundle, and the profits were quite substantial. Above all, the merchants praised the Cloud Bridge because it was safe.
They could now go to the most prosperous Zylson Viscounty without having to hire a separate escort.
“You remember that blood wolf I mentioned before?”
“Is Lord Ambrod really going to ride a blood wolf?”
Serpen’s guildmaster could not hide his astonishment.
For a noble knight to ride a blood wolf meant that he was prepared to be treated like a lowly orc.
“No, not yet. If Ambrod ends up under my command, he’ll ride one whether he likes it or not. That would be a direct order from his lord.”
“Ah…”
The guildmaster nodded.
That nod felt more like a moment of silence in honor of Ambrod’s fate.
“Have you found out where the blood wolves are?”
“I’ve made inquiries, but their packs are highly nomadic. Their exact habitat is unclear. However, there are rumors that they have been seen in the hunting grounds of Zylson Viscounty.”
“Then we should start by checking nearby.”
The guildmaster seemed on the verge of saying something, but held back.
‘He probably wants to warn me about the blood wolves and orcs.’
Blood wolves and orcs were known to have a symbiotic relationship. The appearance of a marked orc in the Zylson Viscounty was no coincidence. There were likely more orcs scattered throughout the region, and the blood wolves would be living among them.
Hebron’s territory beyond the cloud bridge measured less than 100 hectares. On the opposite side lay a forest owned by the Zylson Viscounty, estimated to span about 1,000 hectares.
In terms of area, it stretched roughly 10 kilometers by 10 kilometers, though in reality, it was a crescent-shaped area that stretched from the south to the southeast of the Zylson Viscounty.
Given its size, it wasn’t strange for one or two orcs to live there. Even a whole pack wouldn’t be surprising. Though Viscount Zylson had periodically dispatched soldiers, there were always some that escaped their search.
* * *
I entered the forest. The locals of Zylson referred to it as the “Forest of Caprice.”
‘So that’s why it’s called the Forest of Caprice.’
The terrain was unpredictable.
Uphill and downhill paths repeated endlessly, and the heat emitted by the naturally growing birch trees caused temperatures to fluctuate wildly. The constant shifts made it feel like I was moving between hot springs and ice baths.
Along the main road connecting Hebron to Zylson, there were watch posts stationed at regular intervals, each manned by two soldiers. The birch trees in these areas had all been cleared, and the road had been properly maintained. Thanks to this, merchants traveled between Hebron and Zylson with little concern.
But the moment one left the road and entered the forest, the hardship began. It was wild, untouched land.
‘I should’ve brought a hunter with me.’
My theoretical knowledge of hunting was solid. I knew archery, knife skills, tracking, how to throw snares, set traps, and use smoke screens.
I had just never actually done it.
‘The books said there’s a distinct difference between the footprints of normal wolves and blood wolves.’
Though I had a keen eye, the footprints and claw marks here made it difficult to tell the difference.
“Smaller wolves probably can’t survive here. Has the Forest of Caprice really become that fierce?”
If my analysis was correct, this region was far more dangerous than expected. Only creatures at the level of blood wolves or higher could survive here. That fact didn’t seem to be widely known yet.
“There must be a commander. Who could it be? The ruler of this forest who succeeded the marked orc.”
At first, I found only a few scattered footprints. But then, a chaotic cluster of footprints emerged. Clearly, something had clashed violently here.
The marks resembled those of the blood wolves I was tracking. It looked like two massive wolves had fought against something.
The identity of that something revealed itself soon enough.
“An orc got taken out. Clean work.”
The orc had died face-down on the ground. Its build was similar to the one I had fought before, but this one bore no mark on its forehead.
“Cause of death… a stab wound to the abdomen? No, the blade was coated in poison.”
Occasionally, some monsters possessed deadly poison.
But few intelligent beings used poison on their blades. Orcs did not use poison because of their pride as warriors. Though orc shamans handled poison, a fighter of this caliber likely would’ve chosen the path of the honorable warrior instead.
“The stab came from below. Must’ve been a short attacker. Fast, strong, and clever… could it be a mutant?”
They were known as Nom, also called earth spirits. Nom were gentle monsters who never attacked unless provoked.
They were said to be born from flowers, though only four people in human history had ever witnessed their birth.
Any land where monsters lived was never truly safe. Fights between them were a daily occurrence, a necessary struggle for survival. The real problem was when one killed but failed to consume the other.
Following the trail of the blood wolves, I found another corpse. Another orc. But this one hadn’t been slain by a blade. Its body had been ripped open from shoulder to belly by something with three sharp claws.
“Slashed clean through in one stroke. Is there even a monster around here capable of that kind of brute strength?”
My mind ran through the list of known monsters in Hebron and Zylson. For that level of power, it had to be something like an ogre or a troll—but none had been seen in over a century.
The forest’s ecosystem was relatively well-understood due to the birch trees. Only in areas without those trees could living creatures dwell. Birch trees absorb moisture and release heat. On the other hand, the oyster mushrooms that thrived in that heat grew abundantly.
‘According to ancient medicine, oyster mushrooms can help cure cold-body syndrome if consumed regularly. I should gather some later and boil them for those with cold extremities. If it works, I’ll give some to Lady Brown and El too.’
Rustle. Rustle.
Something careless was approaching.
I quietly stepped back behind a tree and observed the intruders.
Pushing through the undergrowth, the creatures that emerged were low-tier monsters called ratrolls.
‘Rodents with exceptional regenerative abilities. Not especially powerful, but when more than twenty swarm together, they become a nuisance.’
That was the opinion from a hunter’s perspective. For a spirit summoner, even twenty ratrolls were laughable.
“Inferno.”
Inferno surged into the forest. It burned the head of the Ratroll that had just appeared and gave flames to the ones behind it one after another.
Their heads flared up like candles, and it looked like a wildfire was spreading.
“That’s quite the crowd.”
At least fifty ratrolls had caught fire. They thrashed in agony, but nothing nearby could extinguish a spirit’s flame.
All they could do was rub their burning heads against the dirt.
I rushed toward the ratrolls.
If the fire were to spread, it would be a disaster. I might end up having to pay a colossal sum to the Zylson Viscounty.
“That’s enough, Inferno.”
Inferno didn’t set the forest ablaze.
I had held back its power. And those that didn’t die from the spirit’s flames had their throats cut by my sword.
Slice!
Ratrolls, a bit larger than raccoons, had long, slender necks that were easy to sever.
Their regenerative abilities rivaled those of trolls, so if their heads weren’t taken in one clean strike, they’d recover quickly and lunge again.
Slice!
‘One, two, three, four… fifty, fifty-one.’
I gathered all 51 severed ratroll heads into a pile.
These could fetch a good price if sold in bulk.
‘I’ll sell the ears to the mercenary guildmaster in Zylson.’
In a large city like Zylson, people typically hired mercenaries through a guildmaster to hunt monsters. Maintaining a standing army was costly, so it was more efficient to leave the dangerous jobs to mercenaries.
I sliced off the ratroll ears, burned the rest, and disposed of the remains.
The stench spread far and wide, seemingly attracting other creatures. I could feel eyes watching from within the forest.
‘So many predators... is it because the forest is large?’
Despite what people might think, noble hunting grounds weren’t overflowing with beasts. Even skilled hunters had to track prey over long distances. Most days ended in failure rather than success.
Encountering monsters with every step—now that was the stuff of legend, the kind of thing you’d hear about in tales of cursed forests.
“But what’s made this place such a mess? Could it be Trickster’s doing?”
Rustle.
Something burst from the underbrush.
I was about to cut its neck instantly—until I stopped myself.
“A Blood wolf?”
My tracking had been accurate.
I still wasn’t used to it, but wandering the forest had helped me sharpen my instincts.
I had found a blood wolf, but it was still just a pup.
It was about the size of a dog wandering Hebron’s streets. It would take at least two more years of growth before it could be ridden.
“Where are your parents?”
Of course, the blood wolf couldn’t understand my words.
It watched me warily.
When I reached out a hand, it backed away and started barking.
Woof! Woof! Woof!
The pup trembled all over. Still, it didn’t run far. It kept glancing behind, as if something had chased it here.
“If I can’t get an adult, I might as well raise you. It’s not like Ambrod’s going to ride a blood wolf into battle right away anyway. Once trained, a blood wolf could be used to guard the house.”
A man named Svillor had successfully trained a blood wolf 170 years ago. Though the beast tore him apart in his old age, they had lived in peace for about a decade before that.
“There’s no need to be afraid. I’m not here to hurt you.”
I crouched to match the pup’s eye level. I’d read that blinking slowly was how one began to communicate with a blood wolf.
Squeak.
The pup stepped back, trembling. Its red fur bristled.
It wasn’t afraid of me.
Its eyes had caught the image of something—something massive that filled its entire gaze.
I leaned forward and reached out. The moment my hand brushed the pup’s fur, I sprang from the ground with a footwork technique.
The Sardia Maneuvering Footwork.
BOOM!
A heavy impact struck where I had just stood.
The shockwave chased after me, ruffling my clothes and sending a wave of heat through my hair. I raised my sword, ready for a counterattack. But the opponent didn’t strike again. It merely looked at me once—then vanished.
‘An assassin?’
The glimpse I caught defied my expectations.
It wasn’t a mutant.
‘A goblin?’
I thought I saw a mark on its forehead. I couldn’t be sure, but it might have been marked.
The goblin assassin hadn’t truly fled. I could still feel its sticky, lingering gaze. The blood wolf pup in my arms jerked its head around frantically.
“You can sense where it is?”
The pup swung its head wildly.
I set it down. It let its tongue out as it shook its head—then suddenly barked sharply, woof!
Screech!
The goblin assassin struck from behind.
Thanks to the blood wolf’s warning, I was able to deflect its dagger just in time.
“You’re not getting away this time.”
The goblin tried to vanish again, but I didn’t give it a moment’s rest.
Clang!
The assassin blocked my sword. My eyes went wide.
I was losing in terms of raw strength.
