Trap (3)
The Forbidden Forest was shrouded in thick white snow-mist. Visibility barely scraped ten meters—one misstep and you'd lose your bearings for good. The monsters lurking here were enhanced mutants, so tension was the smart play.
"Bro, these fuckers look kinda familiar."
As Raven said, the knights showed only faint nerves—no outright panic.
"Not their first rodeo, then."
Valerius didn't fancy himself a genius. Even grinding challenges, he'd muscled through on raw physicality and gut, not brainpower. Getting isekai'd hadn't flipped the script much; instinct still drove him hard. And right now, that gut was howling wrong, but the logic train derailed there.
This is why you need a staff officer, dammit.
Spotting weird shit and probing reactions only got you so far.
Stuffing down the itch, they pushed forward.
"Topsolers go straight."
Chanting their goofy slogan, they barreled ahead, bumping monsters along the way. The snow-pale orcs? Valerius carved them up easy. Maybe 1.5 times tougher than stock models.
Ogre-tier would suck.
Nemean could handle it, but unknowns meant risks—he'd dodge those if possible. Teaming with the knights? Piece of cake.
These assholes are phoning it in.
The knights oozed zero hustle. Screamed connection. Prod too hard, and you'd stir their skeletons.
Least, that's what he'd figured—until.
"Ha."
On Kal's cue, every knight bolted every which way.
Instinct snagged Kal, but the rest slipped. Valerius waved off Raven's chase—getting lost here was game over.
"Let go, you filthy commoner!"
"Bullshit. Fucking hell."
Valerius yanked every joint in Kal's limbs clean out, smooth as silk. Then he eyed Bella.
"Guess they all knew the score."
"...Looks like."
Her smug mask cracked into pure dismay.
"Milord, seems they flipped the script—trying to bury us."
"Yeah?"
"Bandit boss ties, too. Figured they'd clean us proper inside the Forbidden Forest."
Support squad? Tailed from a distance, ambushed deep in. They'd sniffed it first and reacted.
"Turn back?"
"No dice."
Yanes fielded it, shaking her head after a scan.
"Paths shifted. Residual mana particles changed."
"The fuck's that mean?"
"Mist surged on vice-captain's signal. Knights vanished, mana flipped. Feels like the forest rearranged itself."
He'd heard tales. Mother Seria's kid stories: Merc band entered, mist rose, half gone. Turned taboo ever since.
No quick exit now—a week minimum to adapt and navigate.
"You?"
"Zilch here too."
Even Raven, pathfinding pro, threw up his hands.
"Keep moving."
Standing baited monsters. Needed a defensible spot to hole up a week.
Four hours stumbling with a tiny torch.
"Huff. Huff."
Yanes, still beat from recovery, tapped out. Others hurting bad too. The forest's mana dragged like wet clothes—moving underwater vibes.
"Bro, check that."
Tailing Raven's find: a lone cabin.
"Whoa. No way I wanna step in there."
Valerius blurted it. The creepy shack screamed horror flick bait.
Rest was non-negotiable, though.
"Huff. No magic wards. Huff."
Yanes greenlit; Valerius plunged in. Creaky boards aside, solid.
"Pile in. Raven, shove ‘that’ down Kal-fucker's throat, then join."
"Leave him?"
"Expert'll live. Blood wafts, then we roll."
Ditched the torch for lantern. Stale weight lifted—faces eased to human.
"Crash hard."
"Thanks."
Sophia fussed over sweat-drenched Yanes: wipe-down, sleeping bag burrito.
Raven tuned arrows at range; Valerius wall-leaned, gnawed rations.
"Plan?"
Bella broke the hush.
"Investigation kicks off. Week lock us out for sure?"
"...Yeah. Mana acclimation."
Yanes had the exit hack—sweet relief. Mission locked: probe the Forbidden Forest.
Lady's commission, spot-on.
"...Fair."
Knights full no-show, though. Shocked even Bella.
Valerius jaw-worked, filing intel.
Sinic Wolf Knights' chunk tied to anomalies. Pitbull Gang too—if dispatching backup, nobles in the mix.
"Straight-up murder plot on us, huh? Right, maid?"
"... "
Bella stone-faced, lantern-glared. Valerius squirmed.
This reeks of mega-shitstorm.
Shoulda relayed intel, skipped the itch-chase. Catching it pre-blowup was luck, though. North front migraines enough.
"Can't just smash it all."
Vented frustration. Not literal.
Rumble.
Cabin quaked like gale-force.
"What the—! Up! Gear up!"
Pre-exit scramble with Yanes and packs—
"Argh!"
"Grip tight!"
Cabin bucked wild, flinging them like shaken ants.
"Ngh!"
Valerius mana-burst the walls.
BOOM!
Half-shack vaporized; airborne crew free-falled.
They glimpsed it: cabin-lure on tentacles, anglerfish maw gaping below.
Roooar!
Valerius whistled Nemean. Black axe hefted, shadow-lion pelt draped, full-power swing.
SLASH-BOOM!
Black crescent bisected the beast; clipped the mana stone.
Compressed mana detonated huge.
"Shit!"
Snagged closest Yanes. Spotted Raven clutching Sophia. Bella? Her funeral.
Men curled over women—blast engulfed.
No clue how long.
"Ughhh."
Yanes stirred, agony everywhere, but clenched teeth and rose.
"... "
Shook fog, pieced it: Valerius scooped her last-second, blast-shield hug. Brutal shocks, inferno heat—textbook high-mana burst.
Stones unbreakable usually, but curse-luck shattered it.
"Ah!"
Whipped around for savior.
"Milord! Milord!"
Spotted nearby. Rushed—blood reek halted.
"N-no."
Freezing puddle cradled Valerius. Still breathing—thank fuck.
"B-back."
Back flayed to ruin. Masters steel-forged, yet trashed.
Shaky rummage: alchemy potions for her syndrome scares, splashed on.
Sizzle. Wound knit slow.
"Grrk."
Pain snapped him awake.
"Milord! You good?"
Yanes freaked, slapped cheeks fierce—rise-and-move priority.
"...Quit slapping."
Rubbed sting, hauled up. Body-checked first.
"Tch."
Starved Nemean turned cannibal. Point-blank blast wrecked the meat-suit.
Rip. Rip. Shredded shirt to strips, knotted bandage, offered Yanes.
"Wrap it."
"B-but infection... "
"...Know infection? Do it. Master's flesh laughs at that."
Potions hit, basic wrap suffices.
She fumbled; he scouted. No crew. Kal AWOL too.
Raven thrives, but Sophia...
North hunter turf for Raven; not her. Combat edge hers, survival? Alien. Paired up? Best case.
"Done."
"Yeah. Nice."
March now. Blood-free hole-up minimum.
Snow-mist sleeveless, Valerius sighed deep.
"Walkable?"
"...Kinda."
"Speak up if not. Helps."
"Nope."
Villainess zero guilt—classic. Snorted, one-arm scooped her, gear-slung.
Shivers screamed struggle.
"Safe spot first. Rest, heal, hunt others."
"...Roger."
"Raven prime. He's our ticket out."
Sophia next. Bella? Master, she'll manage.
Stranded deep Forbidden Forest.
What a pain in the ass.