Chapter 41: Hellscape Island (6)
Bentram Fortress was situated on the outskirts of the island.
When I climbed the spire, the sea came into view at a glance.
Being so far on the outskirts, near the barrier, it was typically inhabited by low-grade monsters,
those pushed out in the world of the survival of the fittest.
Thus, there were many Grade 2 or 3 monsters that could be relatively easily hunted if one knew how to handle Aura.
Of course, that applied only to those with a certain level of skill, and since most of them roamed in groups here, underestimating them was absolutely forbidden.
“Don’t run away!! You cowardly lizard!”
However, this didn’t apply to those rare beings who surpassed human limits.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Evan chased a Grade 3 monster, a Lizard.
Even while running through the forest, he calmly drew his bowstring.
―Thwack!
The arrow pierced the Lizard’s ankle with precision.
“Karack!”
The man-eating Lizard fled from this smaller, aggressive being who showed no fear.
“Huh? It’s still running after taking that hit?”
And this being, as if unwilling to let go of its prey once spotted, kept firing arrows.
In response, the Lizard deliberately weaved through dense trees to gain distance.
―Thwack! Thwack!
Yet, the arrows pierced only the Lizard’s vital spots with uncanny accuracy, as if guided.
“Karack!”
Just when it thought it was doomed, no more arrows came.
Looking back, I saw Evan touching an empty quiver.
“Karalack!”
Seizing the chance, the Lizard stopped fleeing and charged at Evan.
It aimed to repay all the humiliation it had suffered.
Even as the Lizard approached with its jaws wide open, Evan remained completely unfazed.
“Just because I’m out of arrows doesn’t mean the bow is useless.”
I infused Qi into the bow and turned it so the string faced outward.
Then, I kicked off the ground, leaping high over the Lizard’s head.
In mid-air, I swung the bow, wrapping the string around the Lizard’s neck,
and with my full weight, I pulled back with all my strength.
―Rip!
With the sound of tearing leather, the Lizard’s neck was cleanly severed.
―Thud!
The Lizard’s head rolled on the ground.
‘That makes…’
I looked down at the corpse with a satisfied expression when Nell came running from ahead.
“Evan, how far were you planning to go! I told you to just clear the area around the fortress!”
Seeing Nell panting, I shrugged.
“My idea of ‘around’ is a bit further out.”
Hearing this, Nell shook his head in dismay.
“From the barrier, a hundred-meter radius! That’s all you need to clear. And you’re already hundreds of meters out!”
“Come on, you should’ve said that from the start. I was just doing this for the cadets’ sake.”
“Fine, just go back. Everyone’s searching the forest, worried about you.”
“I’m not a kid…”
“You are a kid! So hurry up and get back inside the barrier!”
I thought it over.
By age alone, I suppose I was still a kid.
“Alright. I don’t want to cause more worry, so let’s go. I’ve hunted enough anyway.”
“You lead the way. I’ll follow.”
As I walked ahead, Nell glanced at the Lizard’s head rolling on the ground.
‘Did he cut its neck with the bowstring? To wield Qi so sharply already. To think he cut it with just a string, not even a blade.’
A Grade 3 monster, a Lizard.
Nell had never heard of a boy taking one down so cleanly,
and he doubted he ever would again.
‘I know he even took down a stronger Alraune, and Grade 3 is relatively low here… but it’s still impressive. Lizards are usually handled by Executors around the mid-point of their training.’
While marveling at my skill, Nell followed me.
Then, I stopped a little ahead and spoke.
“By the way, Instructor, are we just leaving that as is?”
“What are you talking about?”
“That pile over there.”
I pointed at a bush.
“What’s got you acting like that?”
Nell pushed aside the tangled bush and couldn’t hide his shock.
“What the…!”
Beyond the bush were about ten Lizard corpses stacked up.
Each one had an arrow through its head.
‘He’s insane, this guy is truly insane!’
To think he did this in such a short time. For Evan, hunting Lizards was merely a game.
“It feels like a waste to leave them. Don’t they use their hides? Or is it too troublesome because of the venom?”
Whether or not I knew Nell’s shock, I was only thinking about Lizard hides.
“Oh! Is there anyone among the hires who knows how to skin them?”
***
The northern part of Benner Island, where Bentram Fortress stood, was overgrown with weeds despite occasional maintenance.
If the north was like this, what about the opposite side of the island, where people rarely ventured?
That area was practically a jungle with no distinction of roads.
One could only guess there once was a road because of the barrier created by the Eternal Hourglass.
―Swish, swish.
The Viper gang cut through the overgrown grass as they moved forward.
“Even a farmer at harvest wouldn’t swing a sickle this much!”
“Why don’t we just set it on fire? That’d be easier.”
“For once, we’re on the same page.”
Rauf and Lina bantered.
At this, their leader, Kasion, stopped walking and let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh… Let’s say you set it on fire. What about the smoke? And what if the commotion draws monsters? They’re not like wild animals. They don’t fear fire.”
Monsters were beings that sought the source of a fire rather than fleeing from it.
Even if they were inside the barrier, was it worth risking an encounter? At Kasion’s question, Lina, embarrassed, hacked at the grass even harder.
“I was just joking.”
“Get it together. Even inside the barrier, we don’t know what dangers lurk. Not just monsters, either.”
But those words felt hollow, as there were no threats inside the barrier.
That is, until they realized a towering cliff stood before them.
“Damn.”
The cliff, stretching high and long beyond the barrier, wasn’t something they could simply climb.
It was perfectly smooth, like a sheet of ice, with no protrusions or indentations.
“Breaking it to make a gap won’t be easy. This isn’t ordinary rock. It’s hard as diamond.”
“It’s not natural. It feels like it was created by magic. Who would do this?”
The cliff stretched endlessly on both sides.
Kasion, the Viper gang’s leader, had no choice but to make a decision.
“We’ll go around. It’s better than wasting energy trying to climb this. It’s not even clear if we can climb it.”
“But that means going outside the barrier. What about monsters?”
“We’ll use the monster repellent we have. That should keep most monsters at bay. Plus, this cliff itself creates a isolated environment, so we’re less likely to encounter dangerous things beyond it.”
“Right. Let’s go. No need to overthink it!”
With the decision made, the Viper gang stepped outside the barrier.
Of course, leaving the barrier didn’t change much.
The only thing weighing on their minds was the loss of their sole protective shield.
“The repellent isn’t foolproof. So keep noise to a minimum.”
As they moved along the cliff, avoiding the island’s central area,
they spotted something beyond the dense forest.
“Karack!”
“Karack!”
It was a humanoid lizard covered in green scales—a Lizard.
“Shh.”
Spotting the monster, Kasion crouched low.
“It’s a Lizard. Everyone, hold.”
Though less dangerous than a Grade 5 Alraune, a group of them could be a significant threat.
‘About nine of them.’
The creatures were gathered, tearing into a rotting corpse.
‘We could avoid them now, but if they catch even a hint of us, they’ll chase us down. The repellent covers our scent, but avoiding their sight is tricky.’
Lizards, with their highly developed vision, reacted sensitively to even the slightest movement in the bushes.
Kasion could be cautious enough, but could the others, especially Rauf, stay hidden?
“Karack?”
While he hesitated, the Lizards detected them first.
“Damn, prepare for combat!”
Perhaps avoiding them was never an option.
Instead, the Viper gang formed a formation to face the charging Lizards.
“Karack!”
“Remember, no one dies.”
And so, a life-or-death battle began.
The Lizards’ attacks tore through armor and left wounds in several places.
A single moment of carelessness could have led to death—
it was that precarious a fight.
“Karalack…”
But the battle soon reached its conclusion.
“Phew, did we get them all?”
It was the Viper gang’s victory.
“Wait! This one’s still alive. I’ll finish it off.”
The battle ended as a Lizard, charred by Lina’s lightning magic, stopped moving.
“Man, these things are tough. To think they could withstand my iron club. We’d have been in trouble without our leader.”
“Save the compliments. We’re done here, so let’s move before more show up.”
After roughly cleaning up, they headed north again.
The fight with the Lizards had drained their stamina, so they moved with even greater caution.
Fortunately, they encountered no more dangerous monsters after that.
“Seriously, the one we’re after doesn’t show up, and we’re stuck dealing with these worthless things. Right, boss?”
“Exactly. We’re just burning through scroll costs. Though the reward for our target is pretty hefty compared to these.”
Did they know?
The human who slaughtered the Lizards they just fought was their target.
And that target was currently being scolded for hunting too many monsters.
“If you go off on your own one more time, I’ll put you on a ship back to the Academy!”
“Huh? Isn’t that a good thing?”
At my retort, the Head Instructor faltered.
“…Instead! I’ll strip you of your instructor position.”
“I understand, Head Instructor.”
Losing my instructor position was a different matter, so I accepted the warning.
“I trust you’ve got the message. Now go. It’s almost dinner time.”
“Yes, sir!”
Evan Lafard, the Viper gang’s target.
I was unaware of the assassins coming for me.
Even if I knew, what mattered more to me was simply tonight’s dinner menu.
“Listen up, cadets. There’s no free food here. Either defeat the instructors to claim food, or go outside the fortress to procure your own. Those are your options.”
“Ugh!”
An Executor must survive in any environment.
To that end, survival training began, and the cadets split into two groups.
One group aimed to defeat the instructors for food, while the other decided to avoid wasting energy and search for food outside.
I, too, grabbed my bow and tried to join those heading out.
“I’ll go get some food, too.”
Nell grabbed my shoulder as I tried to leave.
“Instructors get meals provided. So please, just stay put.”
I was always looking for a chance to slip out of the fortress.
“I can handle my own food, so I don’t get why everyone’s fussing over me.”
“It’s not fussing, it’s keeping you in check. We’re worried you’ll do something reckless!”
“Still, if they’re going outside the fortress, someone needs to supervise.”
“Other instructors will go. If you’re so eager to burn energy, go stop the cadets trying to steal food from the instructors.”
Barred from leaving the fortress, I felt frustrated.
And that frustration soon sparked trouble for the cadets preparing to steal food from the instructors.