* * *
“Yeah.”
Ruen held out a branch, as if to prove his point.
As I handled the branch he gave me, I could feel a rough, powdery texture falling away.
It reminded me of the true form of the trees I had seen after the illusion faded, making it easy to guess that this branch had come from outside.
I stopped fiddling with the wood and scanned the ground.
Though the darkness made it hard to see clearly, I could make out some thin shapes.
Picking up a few of them confirmed that they were indeed the same kind of wood Ruen had handed me.
It’s true.
As I marveled quietly, Owen, who was also picking up branches beside me, clicked his tongue.
“They really are here.”
“Did you doubt me?”
“How can I trust you?”
“You little…”
Ruen glared at Owen, about to retort, but clamped his mouth shut.
Wondering if it was because of me, I glanced over and found his gaze fixed on me, as I’d expected.
His unchanging demeanor almost made me chuckle.
Owen, who had been staring at the ground again, tilted his head, the movement of his fingers slowing down.
“But something’s odd. There are way too many branches here.”
It looks as if someone gathered them all.
Owen mumbled as he felt around, eventually picking up a thicker branch and lighting it on fire.
The faint light illuminated the area, making it much easier to examine the surroundings.
My eyes followed the trail of branches that seemed to lead in one direction, as if they had fallen along the path while being carried.
They were piled up in heaps at the far end, where a shadow bulged up from the floor.
Staring at the round shadow, I spoke.
“This could be a nest.”
Ruen, standing beside me, responded in disbelief.
“That ridiculous thing?”
“Yes, just a moment.”
I borrowed the fire from Owen and headed toward the pile of tangled branches.
The scattered branches underfoot slowed my steps, but I pressed on, with Owen and Daniel following close behind.
Reaching the heap of branches, I saw a round object, about the size of a forearm, nestled among them.
It had a purple surface covered in black spots.
“It’s an egg.”
“An egg.”
Owen, who had identified the egg at the same time as me, leaned down to touch it.
As I watched him, Daniel shifted the conversation.
“That’s not the problem. Look up.”
Only then did I remember the strange objects hanging from the ceiling.
I raised my chin and finally saw it—a black creature with glowing eyes, its thin wings wrapped around its body, hanging upside down from the ceiling.
Something about it seemed vaguely familiar.
Did it live somewhere in Luther Village?
Unable to remember clearly, I could only sigh softly.
As I tried to recall the creature, Ruen came up behind me and asked,
“What is that?”
“It looks like a bat.”
“It’s not a bat. It’s a low-level monster that resembles one.”
Owen and Daniel answered his question in turn.
Ah, a bat. Well, not exactly a bat, but a monster that looks like one.
Only then did I recognize the creature.
Although I had never seen a bat in person, I had occasionally seen pictures of them in the books children left behind in the restaurant.
That must be why its appearance felt familiar.
Ruen, after listening to Daniel’s explanation, turned to his left and scanned the ceiling.
He crossed his arms as he looked over the left side.
“Hey, are we sure there’s only one of those?”
“Hard to say. For now, I only see one.”
“Then why does it look like there are hundreds?”
“…”
At his words, Owen quickly glanced at the left ceiling as well.
His lips, which had remained calm when he thought there was only one monster, now pressed together in discomfort.
Curious about Owen’s rare reaction, I also looked to the left.
There, hanging in clusters, were what appeared to be hundreds of bat-like monsters.
They were all gathered together, watching us in unison.
In the dim light, their glowing eyes alone numbered in the hundreds, meaning there could be even more hidden in the shadows.
The sight made my skin crawl, and I instinctively hunched my shoulders.
As the chilly air sent shivers down my spine, Daniel quietly remarked beside me,
“Bats are animals that live in groups.”
“Thanks for the reminder. That makes me feel much better,” Ruen muttered with a bitter laugh.
Like me, he seemed repulsed by the horde of monsters, his face scrunched in distaste.
Daniel, perhaps trying to offer some comfort, added,
“I’ve sent a message to Kaindel and Sehir.”
“When are they getting here?”
“They should be here soon.”
“So, until they show up, we’re stuck dealing with… those.”
Ruen stopped laughing and turned to Owen.
“Hey, can’t you use your powers to put up some kind of barrier?”
“I can pray for the blessing of the gods.”
“…Oh, come on.”
Owen suggested an alternative, apparently reluctant to say he couldn’t protect us.
The deity’s blessing was known to speed up healing, but it offered little in terms of defense or attack.
Ruen frowned, clearly dissatisfied.
He reached into his robe, pulling out a small pouch.
Opening it, he drew out a strange, curved sword, contrasting with Kaindel’s clean blade.
Its edges were serrated, and it had an unfinished look.
A magic pouch.
Sehir had mentioned Ruen had some skill in magic, so I wasn’t too surprised.
While Ruen prepared himself with the weapon, Daniel turned to me.
“Given the situation, Isaac, it seems you’ll have to break the egg. Are you alright with that?”
“I’ll give it a try.”
“I’ll lend you a dagger.”
Daniel handed me a dagger, the same one he’d been polishing earlier.
I looked at it, then hesitated, holding onto Daniel’s robe.
“Are you sure you’re okay without a dagger?”
“I have another.”
He pulled out an identical dagger, reassuring me.
Letting out a short breath, I released his robe, and Daniel joined Ruen.
After checking our positions, Ruen raised his sword slightly, then flung it, aiming diagonally at the ceiling where the monsters clustered.
A high-pitched screech rang out.
The swarm of monsters, struck by a sword attack, fell from the ceiling and began to flail in the air.
Some recognized Ruen, the one who attacked them, and flew toward him.
Ruen gripped the sword that had returned to him, circling the space around him.
One by one, he swiftly dealt with the oncoming monsters.
I glanced at Daniel, who was slashing down bats, and Owen, who was providing support from behind.
Everyone was fulfilling their roles perfectly without needing to speak.
This made me feel I couldn’t just stand here; like Daniel said, I had to be helpful too.
Seizing the moment when the monsters’ attention wasn’t on me, I quickly took hold of the egg.
It looked like an ordinary ostrich egg, with no apparent weak spots.
I rolled it around in my hands and struck it with a dagger.
But it was no use.
Despite striking with all my strength, the egg didn’t even crack, not a single scratch appeared.
I thought maybe persistence was the key, so I kept stabbing at the same spot, even changing angles.
Still, the egg remained intact.
In frustration, I bit down hard on my lower lip.
“…What should I do?”
If I couldn’t break the egg here, all the others’ efforts in fighting the monsters would end up being for nothing.
My hand shook as I held the dagger, burdened by the pressure.
Just as I was hesitating and preparing to strike the egg again—
“Leave it alone.”
* * *
slay
👍
🙃