Form Ranks and Phalanx!
“Form ranks and phalanx!”
The senior knight, who could be called the expedition leader, charged ahead, slicing the necks of a few goblins as he bellowed the order. The expedition force managed to calmly reorganize into a defensive formation more steadily than expected, but by then, all the black goblins had already retreated. In short, they'd been toyed with by the black goblins.
“Report casualties by squad!”
Even after being played like fools by the black goblins, the expedition showed no major signs of panic. It felt like they were thinking, This much is par for the course around here.
“Squad 1, no casualties!”
“Squad 2, three minor injuries!”
Adding up the reports from each squad, they had one dead, three seriously wounded, and sixteen lightly injured. Considering how utterly one-sided the assault had been, the damage was remarkably light. In contrast, around thirty black goblin corpses lay scattered about. I'd been too busy darting around during the fight, absorbing the black goblins' souls, to watch the battle closely, but now I could see they'd responded perfectly. Truly worthy of Regisline's mercenaries, I thought.
It's said that the mercenaries here are rougher and more seasoned against magical beasts than those anywhere else on the continent. The only comparable group might be the rangers of the Dragon Mountains.
The black goblins didn't attack again. They'd tested the waters, confirmed this wasn't an easy mark, and pulled back. With that, the expedition pressed deeper into the Great Forest bit by bit. They walked casually on the surface, cracking lighthearted jokes, but their eyes stayed fixed on the pitch-black depths ahead.
“Halt! Short break!”
About two hours in, the lead senior knight called for rest. Knights of their caliber didn't need it physically, but there were mages along, and a few low-tier mercenaries too. Even the veterans and knights required breaks to ease mental fatigue more than bodily.
In the meantime, I patrolled near the expedition, scouting around. Warning them with a small noise if I spotted any ambushing beasts would be simple enough.
That's when I discovered something chilling.
Two hours passed without incident. But it wasn't because there were no beasts nearby. Just beyond the range of human eyesight—or aura sense—magical beasts were shadowing the expedition. Not just dozens, or a couple of species. It felt like they'd formed a united front to defend the Great Forest from humans.
Should I warn them?
But that dilemma didn't last long. Glancing toward the expedition, I saw a few mercenaries and knights in the resting formation staring right at this spot.
They already know.
And yet they pressed on? Was this just daily life here?
As those thoughts crossed my mind, the break ended, and the march resumed. I returned to the group's side. If they showed even a hint of weakness, the hundreds of beasts trailing behind would swarm. Knowing that and still plunging into the Great Forest made Regisline's mercenaries seem incredible. If I were still alive, I'd have pissed myself and fled by now. No doubt about it.
While shadowing the expedition, I overheard something intriguing.
“Feels kinda easy these days, doesn't it?”
One of the junior knights guarding the rear said to his comrade.
“Yeah, those tagalongs are annoying, but the hit-and-run attacks have dropped off.”
So this beast-tailgating formation wasn't a long-term thing, then.
“Still, no slacking. How many expeditions has that Death's Shadow wiped out already?”
“Heard it can even talk.”
“No way a beast talks.”
Death's Shadow—a monster with a title, huh? Maybe the one commanding the trailing pack. Otherwise, beasts of so many species wouldn't band together like this.
“Rumor has it the thing targets Master-class knights.”
“Targets? Please. It's not like Masters are stray dogs. If they meet, Death's Shadow's the one dying.”
“But didn't it already eat a senior knight last time? Even a Master wouldn't take it lightly.”
“Masters are on another level. With that rank, Death's Shadow's nothing— they'd bag a Nightmare or Death Wyrm from deeper in too.”
“Nah, even Masters couldn't handle those.”
The junior knights' chatter revealed a ton of info. So that Death's Shadow was probably trailing them now. I wanted to get a look at the thing.
Just as I moved toward the beasts again, I spotted something odd.
What the hell is that?
A bit away from the chattering junior knights, one mercenary's shadow looked strange. More precisely, I could see a soul in the shadow. A massive, shining one. Not quite Forte-level, but the second brightest I'd seen so far.
Ah, that's Death's Shadow.
A beast that hid and moved in shadows, apparently. There are a few types like that—Shadow Tigers or Shadow Hunters. Extremely rare, of course. Their hides fetch insane prices if undamaged. Processed with magic, they make artifacts that let you hide in shadows.
I was impressed. No one had noticed it lurking this close? It must have hidden during the initial black goblin ambush, then shadowed them silently ever since. That was no ordinary beast patience or intelligence.
I took a keen interest in this Death's Shadow. From the talk, it had taken down a senior knight, so not a Shadow Tiger. Those aren't weak, but not that strong— a senior knight would crush one. Shadow Hunter? No, they don't operate solo.
I wanted to drag this Death's Shadow out of hiding. I couldn't cast grand spells or boast physical might, but delivering a small shock was easy. The magic I could use was basic mana discharge. Up close, though, it packed the punch of an adult man's fist, plus a loud bang.
I approached the shadow it hid in and unleashed a mana discharge.
Bang!
A solid crack echoed, and something pitch-black erupted from the shadow at blinding speed, stretching it like taffy.
What the—?
I startled myself with what I'd unleashed. Scouring all my knowledge, no such beast existed. Or hadn't, anyway.
It gleamed with insect-like chitinous black armor wrapping a sleek body. But it had humanoid limbs like a person's joints and a long, reptilian tail. Its bald, helmeted head sported seven pairs of eyes, and its slit mouth revealed saw-like teeth. Grotesque overall, yet somehow beautiful. The thought hit me unbidden. Where did this thing even come from? Born solely to kill.
Chimera? Demonkin?
Before my guesses could form, the beast rocketed away from the expedition, leaving afterimages.
“Ambush!”
“It's Death's Shadow!”
The expedition spotted it and shouted, but it was already gone. I chased the direction it'd vanished.
The beast was insanely fast. Even at full soul-speed, I couldn't keep up. But as expected, it lingered near the trailing beasts. This one was their leader, commanding the pack.
A strange sound emanated from Death's Shadow's throat.
“Grrruk, gruk, brrrurrr.”
That's how it sounded to me, but the beasts reacted differently. They moved in perfect unison at the call. I focused solely on observing Death's Shadow.
Its true nature, first off. I'd thought black mage chimera, but no. Chimeras are savage and dumb. No dark magic aura here, either, regardless of some mad mage's involvement.
Demonkin, then? Legends spoke of them, but over a millennium old—no confirmed sightings. And this reeked less of dark magic than a black mage should. Demonkin scratched off.
Pure new species, then? Doubtful. Last new beast discovery? At least 800 years in my records. Undiscovered doesn't mean newly born. And now, suddenly? Slim odds.
The beasts led by Death's Shadow scattered, abandoning the pursuit. Death's Shadow itself started moving somewhere. Not at escape velocity this time, so trailing was easier.
After a good trek, it reached its lair. The Great Forest isn't all dense trees—hills, rivers dot it. Its den was a small cave midway up a rocky slope.
But inside, I was stunned again.
A table? Chair?
Furniture like a human dwelling: table, chair, even a plausible bed. Crudely made, but unmistakably for people. Then the walls—letters scratched into the stone. Human script, nothing profound.
A real chimera after all?
I'd read records of chimeras retaining faint humanity if made from humans. The beast slumped in the chair like a worker home from the grind, muttering alone.
“Ah, I'm hungry.”
Huh?
It had definitely spoken. I'd heard rumors, but didn't expect it for real.
“What's for dinner?”
Too mundane for a chimera, wasn't it?
“Lizardmen are getting old; trolls taste like crap. Maybe some jentas?”
Death's Shadow pondered dinner options while my mind reeled.
“Oh yeah, those guys earlier were hunting jentas, right? Overlapping paths would suck.”
It rose sluggishly, like someone dreading the commute back out, and slinked from the cave. I watched dumbstruck. If I had a face for expressions, my brow would be furrowed deep.
Snapping to, I tailed it again. This time, it picked up real speed. I maxed out, but the gap widened. Soon, its body vanished from sight. The obstacle-strewn, dim Great Forest plus its all-black form made spotting tough. Only its soul's glow kept me on track.
Then, as even the soul faded from view, a loud crash erupted ahead.