Farewell to the hero! chapter 57

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“Why isn’t he back yet?”

I murmured as I stretched my hand toward the small fire I’d started with embers from the campsite.

Contrary to my expectations of finding Ruen there, the campsite had been empty, so I hadn’t needed to explain why I was bringing back the embers.

“Mmm.”

I gazed down at the flames flickering in the wind, blown around by the occasional gust.

The warmth of the fire tingled against my palms, and I could feel my skin, frozen from the cold, slowly warming up.

But while my body relaxed, a heavy knot began to form in my stomach.

It was getting darker by the moment, and Daniel still hadn’t returned.

Judging by the pitch-black sky, at least an hour must have passed by now.

He was still nowhere in sight.

What could be keeping him?

I felt a growing sense of dread.

No matter how long I strained my eyes, there was no trace of Daniel or even a silhouette that might resemble him.

He only went to look for May, so why was it taking this long?

Anxiety gnawed at me.

The already weakened fire couldn’t withstand the wind and was slowly dying out.

It would completely go out soon.

What should I do…?

I rolled the dagger Daniel had left in my hand.

It would be one thing during the day, but wandering around alone in the middle of the night wasn’t a good idea.

Yet, there was no one back at camp to ask for help, and it was uncertain when the search party would return.

If something had happened to Daniel during this delay, he might be in dire need of assistance.

The decision didn’t take long.

I brushed the dirt off my pants, grabbed a thick branch, and transferred some embers from the campfire to it, extinguishing the fire with a stomp.

I then tucked the dagger into my belt, feeling oddly reassured.

I would find Daniel and bring him back before it got too dark.

I resolved to keep searching only until the night became too dark to see even a glimmer of light.

If I hadn’t found him by then, I’d return to the campsite and ask Kaindel for help.

I set off, using the faint glow from the ember to light my way.

I traced Daniel’s steps as best as I could remember.

In the barren highlands, with nothing but rocks and weeds around, the silence was almost oppressive.

Not a single sound of wildlife could be heard, nor could I see the usual insects.

The farther I walked from the campsite, the more isolated I felt.

A dry gulp slipped down my throat, as tension crept in.

I whispered to myself, my throat tight.

Just a little longer, I told myself, before heading back.

Going back now would make all my mustered courage pointless.

As I tried to steady my trembling heart, my foot unexpectedly caught on a stone.

“Ah!”

By the time I realized there was an obstacle, my foot was already tangled up.

My balance shifted all at once, thrown to one side due to the downhill slope.

Helplessly, I fell forward, and as I hit the ground, my knees and palms stung from the impact.

At least my face was unhurt, and there was no blood from my knees or palms.

As I hurried to regain my composure and checked myself over, I felt a wave of relief.

Then I noticed the log rolling on the ground, and I sighed.

It must have slipped from my grasp when I fell, losing its flame and now lying charred and dull.

No wonder it had suddenly gotten so dark—the fire had gone out.

Staring blankly at the charred log, I pressed on its end, and it crumbled into ash with the slightest pressure.

What do I do now?

Anxiety hit me hard.

Without any light, wandering around aimlessly was impossible.

I had mustered all my courage to come find Daniel, yet now I faced the frustrating prospect of failing miserably.

“Should I call for Owen?”

I dusted the dirt from my hands and turned around.

The path behind me seemed daunting, swallowed in darkness.

I had come so far that relying on memory alone would be difficult.

If I still had the fire, making a decision would be easier, but there was no way to rekindle it now.

Going back was probably the best choice.

I didn’t even know where Daniel was right now.

Just as I fought off the creeping despair and prepared to stand up, I heard it—a low growling, not too far off.

The sound was unpleasantly familiar, similar to the feeling I got when I heard Mother growl.

Goosebumps prickled over my skin as my heart pounded wildly.

Every instinct screamed that I had to leave this place immediately to survive.

My body reacted faster than my mind could fully grasp the source of the sound.

I scanned my surroundings, trying to pinpoint the source of the growl, when suddenly, someone grabbed my arm and pulled me up.

I was quickly dragged behind a large rock without a word.

“Ah…”

The sudden force made me wince.

My eyes, now adjusted to the darkness, could only make out a vague figure.

But as clouds shifted, letting a sliver of moonlight through, I could see his face clearly.

Jet-black hair and equally dark eyes.

“Why are you here?”

The pale face with starkly defined features belonged to none other than Daniel.

“Daniel!”

Relief flooded me as the person I had been desperately searching for stood right before me.

Noticing my reaction, Daniel raised a finger to his lips, signaling for me to be quiet, then glanced beyond the rock.

His dark eyes gleamed as he waited for something to appear.

Another growl echoed, and Daniel’s gaze sharpened immediately, as though expecting it.

After what felt like a long moment of calculating the distance, Daniel finally lowered his hand from his lips.

“I don’t know why you’re here, Isa, but stay hidden behind this rock. Morhan has sharp hearing, so don’t make a sound.”

Morhan?

I froze, recognizing the name.

Based on what I had heard from Ruen, the owner of this growl might indeed be a high-level monster, just like Mother. But Morhan?

The realization felt like a blow to the back of my head.

“I’ll go get help.”

I stood up hastily, words tumbling out.

Right now, it was just Daniel and me here.

If that growl truly belonged to Morhan, we’d have to face it on our own.

Just the two of us, against Morhan.

The thought was so absurd that I couldn’t even laugh.

It was impossible—utter madness.

My voice shook as I voiced my panic, but Daniel grasped my wrist firmly.

“Morhan is watching us right now. If you step out from behind this rock, it’ll notice you immediately.”

“What do we do then?”

“I’ll draw its attention. While I do, move to that rock over there without being seen. Crouch down as you go.”

Daniel pointed to a boulder a few steps away from where we hid, in the direction opposite to Morhan’s growls.

It was big enough for one or two people to hide, just enough to stay out of sight for a moment.

I nodded, tearing my gaze from the rock.

“Be careful.”

“Understood.”

Before I could say anything else, Daniel gripped his dagger tightly and darted out.

In a flash, he vanished into the darkness, running toward the massive figure I could now make out.

So, that enormous shape was Morhan.

I clenched my empty hands, feeling overwhelmed by its sheer size.

If Ruen’s information was right, a scratch from Morhan’s claws would turn you into one of its spawn.

But it seemed more likely that one would just be crushed under its giant paws before even getting scratched.

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