Chapter 314: Crows Are So Cute

“Damn it, these damned bugs and snakes—so annoying!”

In the same forest, but in the shadowed places where starlight could not reach, Ariel kicked away an aberrant that had tried to attack her, gritting her teeth a little. What irked her wasn’t only the rough terrain and the snakes and insects that attacked from time to time; she had already been in this forest for over ten hours, yet not only had she found no trace of Liya, she herself was starting to lose her sense of direction.

So it really was, just as Master had said—trying to find a single person in this vast forest was like searching for a needle in the ocean?

“But... why isn’t Liya calling me with the transmission stone?”

Ariel gripped her transmission stone tight, hoping countless times that it would chime, and trying countless times to connect to that familiar frequency—but up to now, there was still no movement at all.

That wasn’t normal. Although, as Master had said, because of that Calamity’s influence, the perceptions of the strong could be blocked by this forest, the transmission stone wasn’t a kind of perception and shouldn’t be within the scope of the interference. The fact that Ariel’s transmission stone still worked right now was the best proof.

And given Liya’s soft and cute disposition, faced with such a sudden incident, she ought to have contacted her at the first moment. How could there have been no movement for so long?

“Could it be... something really happened?”

Unease spread in her heart; Ariel quickened her steps.

Suddenly, her gaze fixed, looking toward a certain spot in the grass not far away. Doubt and gravity flashed through her eyes, but in the end she slowly walked over and picked up the thing that clashed with the surroundings.

It was a pendant, the jade-like structure shaped like a delicate crescent moon. But the faint magic aura on it also showed that it was not an ordinary pendant.

It was a magitech device, a spatial magitech device.

Unfortunately, it was already ruined. There was a clear notch on the crescent, and whatever had been inside had likely been lost through that gap. Now it was just a useless shell.

But it still looked familiar to Liya—no, it should be said, extremely familiar.

Because this spatial magitech device was something she practically saw every day.

—it was Liya’s spatial magitech device, often hanging at her waist.

“How could... this happen?”

Ariel’s hand holding the device began to tremble. This was Liya’s personal device. Although Ariel knew she also had a spatial ring used specifically for storing precious items, the loss of such an intimate object already told a story.

“Don’t tell me... Liya really...”

The bad thought grew stronger and even began to shake her composure.

“Ariel, calm down!”

At that moment, Master’s voice suddenly sounded at her ear.

“Feel it carefully—there’s the aura of spatial magic on this. It might have been lost during a spatial teleport. That little girl Liya hasn’t necessarily encountered danger.”

“I—is that so?”

Ariel came back to herself; her eyes refocused on the device. Indeed, if she concentrated, she could sense chaotic magical auras on it. A normal teleport wouldn’t damage a magitech device, but if chaos attributes were deliberately infused into a spatial spell, that was an exception. In that twisted, chaotic space, the first to suffer would be magitech devices of the same spatial attribute. This pendant of Liya’s was only for carrying personal items and its quality was ordinary; in that situation, damage was entirely normal.

In that case, Liya’s failure to contact her via transmission stone could also be explained.

It seemed she had been too on edge.

But...

A cold wind blew, and Ariel’s heart rose into her throat again. The forest at night was so cold. So dark. And with no food—so hungry. If even she felt like this, then Liya, who had even lost her personal items—even if she was safe for the moment—how miserable must she be?

In Ariel’s mind, she imagined Liya curled up in some pitch-black corner, cold and hungry, shivering like a little white rabbit, able only to call Ariel’s name again and again. No one to help her—pitiful, small, helpless.

“No. I can’t slack off—I have to keep going!”

Ariel pulled out a piece of black bread so hard it could knock out a magical beast, took a few fierce bites to top up a little energy, then rallied herself and continued forward on the path to find Liya.

...

“How is it—did you sleep well?”

The moment Liya opened her eyes, that gentle voice sounded at her ear. Her awareness was still a little hazy, but she nodded on instinct.

She was still leaning where she had been before; in front of her was the campfire, freshly fed with more wood. How strange—clearly in such an unfamiliar yet dangerous environment, and she hadn’t even truly lain down, only leaned like this, yet last night she had slept exceptionally at ease and sweetly.

Could it be because...

As if remembering something, Liya subconsciously tugged the coat still properly draped on her after a night’s sleep, then shyly tucked her head into the crook of her arm.

And then she quickly raised her head again.

“Here... your coat.”

“Keep it on for now. It’s still quite chilly in the morning.”

“Then you...”

“I went out for another circuit just now, worked up a bit of a sweat. I’m warm—don’t need it.”

Muen smiled and passed Liya a skewer. “Breakfast is makeshift—it’s yesterday’s octopus meat, but I added some wild fruit to grill together. Not sure how it tastes.”

“...Thank you.”

Liya pressed her lips together and took the skewer—meat and fruit together, even the colors clearly arranged on purpose, reds and greens looking especially appetizing. She blinked and took a small bite. The sweet juices mingled with tender meat bloomed in her mouth. That taste...

“Delicious. Very delicious.”

Liya’s eyes brightened slightly. “It’s like grilled meat with spices and tomato sauce.”

“As long as you like it.”

Seeing that the girl liked it, Muen felt a bit satisfied, and used up the “leftovers” from last night to deal with his own breakfast simply. After all, they were still in wilderness survival mode; naturally he couldn’t expect his usual top-grade steak, red wine, and creamy cod chowder.

After eating their fill, Muen stood at the lakeshore and gazed out. In the morning, a faint mist spread—not too thick, but enough that the trees across the lake hid in haze, even more intimidating.

“The road ahead might get even harder.”

Muen rubbed his chin, thinking. “But there was such a racket last night, and yet afterward it was unusually quiet.”

“It’s been a full day—nothing has happened.” “By the timing, that shouldn’t be.”

“Don’t tell me... those guys really are just hoping I’ll be trapped to death in this forest? Or—”

“Caw—”

The harsh cawing of crows cut off Muen’s thoughts.

A half-man-tall giant crow folded its wings and landed on the floating carcass of the octopus in the lake’s center. Its scarlet eyes met Muen’s without fear. It cocked its head, looked at a spot not far away where there was nothing, then let its gaze fall back on Muen.

“S-such a big crow.”

At some point Liya had come to stand beside Muen, exclaiming in surprise. On that huge carcass, dozens of large crows had already settled, calmly claiming a prize that wasn’t theirs, hopping excitedly and feasting, seeming not to care at all that Muen—the rightful owner—was right there.

“Are these aberrants too? They really have no fear of people.”

Muen smiled, shook his head, and had no intention of disturbing these relatively harmless “natives” of the forest.

“Let’s go.”

Muen led Liya, ready to leave.

But just then—“Caw—”

That crow which had met Muen’s gaze suddenly beat its wings and rushed toward him. Half a man tall, wingspan at least two or three meters, and very fast—the momentum was truly frightening.

“You only like sweet-smelling pretty girls too?”

Muen’s expression sank. He gripped the short blade at his waist and shifted into a guarded stance. The crow charged, its giant wings kicking up a gale, like a streak of black lightning—but just as it was about to reach Muen it suddenly veered, a feint, and dove into the trees to one side, vanishing.

“Huh?”

Muen was dumbfounded.

What the hell was that crow doing?

Is this fun?

But the next moment—

Muen turned back. In the gale stirred by those wings, he caught a different scent. And—

Killing intent!

In an instant, the alarm bells of death blared in his mind. Muen’s pupils shrank; he stepped in front of Liya.

“Get down!”

At the same time, his twin blades crossed to the front—Block!

Ting!

A crisp, piercing impact rang out, as if an invisible blade had slashed from the void. The force was terrifying—Muen had braced with everything in a heartbeat, and even so his hands tingled numb.

Cold sweat seeped from his forehead. If not for that crow giving him a timely cue, the ambush might well have succeeded.

“Who!”

Muen barked, voice low.

“Get out here!”

“Tch.”

In the gradually warping light, a man with a sinister face slowly appeared. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and looked to the side. “Your concealment magic isn’t cutting it, Frall.”

“My magic is perfect.”

Beside him, a woman with a wand revealed herself. With open disgust, she shot Barton a hard look. “If not for that crow, Muen Campbell would never have noticed anything before he died.”

“Damn crows.”

Barton spat fiercely, then turned to the lake where the crows were scattering and snarled, “I’ll eat every last one of you sooner or later.”

Caw— Caw—

The crows scattered overhead, leaving fresh breakfast on the raging Barton’s head as they went.

“You’re the pursuers this time?”

Muen looked at the two before him, narrowed his eyes, and said coldly, “You don’t look very—”

“Ha! A billion! A billion! °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° A billion is right in front of me!”

Before Muen finished, another voice rang out behind him, blocking his retreat. The man called Hyena bared his teeth, excitement crazed his face, and his eyes were bloodshot like he’d just worked a month of all-nighters.

“I’m about to get a billion—then with that billion I’ll get stronger, buy more weapons, kill more people—hahahahaha...”

“Ah, what a tragedy.”

At the same time, Muen jolted. In the instant he hadn’t noticed at all, a kindly priest was already kneeling not far away on the shore, hands cupping a holy text, praying earnestly over the octopus corpse in the lake.

“Creatures stained with sin ought to meet my Lord’s purification, not the pollution of sinners. Great Lord, forgive my incompetence in failing to send it to Your kingdom ahead of time...”

“...”

Muen drew a deep breath and, for the moment, couldn’t come up with any snark.

Because even those fleeing crows understood what a crisis he was facing.

Four people in total. Now that they were exposed, they were like cats toying with a mouse, making no effort to hide their terrifying auras.

“Two Fourth Rank warriors, one Sublimation-stage mage, and...”

Muen glanced at the priest. “One ordinary man who doesn’t seem to have any special traits.”

“Heh. Such a luxurious lineup... you really do think highly of a mere Second Rank like me...”