The Friendly Village

"Hey there, little one. Don't hide. Come on out."

"..."

"I took care of that scary monster, so don't worry."

I warily peeked out from behind the tree to look at the hunter. He looked like an ordinary middle-aged man. But the archery skills he had just displayed were definitely not those of an ordinary person.

What is this? An NPC is this strong?

Of course, it wasn't impossible for a hunter who couldn't use mana to kill a Void Hound. There were gaps here and there in the chitinous armor covering the Void Hound's skin. If one aimed precisely at those gaps and shot an arrow, the Void Hound's defense was no better than that of a wild dog.

And since the hound hadn't even used its Leap skill, strictly speaking, the hunter had just shot a wild dog standing completely still.

"Little girl, how did you end up all the way out here?"

But...

What on earth was this SSS-rank skill, Eye Chasing the Sky, that could see through my stealth? How did a mere hunter possess such a skill?

Countless questions swirled in my mind, but right now, I had to survive the immediate crisis.

"Well... I got lost and was wandering around, and then I saw a house..."

I trembled, putting on the most terrified expression I could muster.

If an adult man acted like this, it would practically beg for an arrow to the face. But my outward appearance was that of a young girl. Even if my words lacked some plausibility, it was believable enough for a child.

On top of that, my white hoodie was covered in dirt from building the Spawning Pools. No matter how you looked at me, I looked like a child stranded in the forest.

The problem was that I had been caught using a stealth skill...

"These woods are dangerous. Come, let's head to the village together."

The hunter didn't press me. Instead, he offered a warm smile and reached out his hand.

I took his hand and stood up.

"Merchants are visiting the village tomorrow. I'll help you get back home then."

"...Okay."

The hunter began to lead the way down the forest path.

Using my free hand, I secretly accessed the Transcendent Gallery.

Trying to have a conversation while keeping an eye on the hunter was inconvenient in many ways.

As I read through the comments, I realized I had left out one crucial piece of information.

My Perception stat was 35. That ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was a value far exceeding that of an ordinary human. If someone had been hiding nearby, I would have noticed.

Of course, it would be a different story if they were using a stealth skill of their own or observing from a great distance.

"Are you alright, little one?"

"Huh?! Yes!"

The hunter's voice snapped me out of my secret typing.

Turning my head, I saw him looking down at me with concern.

"We've arrived at the village. Are you feeling unwell?"

Before I knew it, the wooden palisade of a village was visible through the trees.

"No... I just... miss my mommy..."

"You'll see her soon if you hang in there a bit. Come, let's go inside."

The wooden palisade rose to a height of three meters. It looked more like a fortress than a defensive structure meant to protect a simple village.

As the hunter approached the palisade, a middle-aged woman appeared from beyond it.

"Hans! What brings you here? I didn't even call for you."

"I found a lost little girl and brought her back."

"Oh dear! How did that happen? Come on in, quickly!"

The large wooden gate of the palisade swung open, and two young men stepped out from inside.

"We'll take care of your bow."

"Sure. Is the elder doing well?"

"Of course. In fact, if you hadn't come by evening, we were going to call for you, Hans."

"Hans! Good to see you. Tomorrow is the festival, so stay in the village tonight."

The middle-aged woman who had come down from the palisade patted Hans on the shoulder.

"Little one, you must be hungry. Let's get you some food first."

"Huh? Oh, no, I'm fine..."

"Come along."

The middle-aged woman grabbed my hand and led me down the street.

Despite her appearance, her grip was incredibly strong. I was practically dragged along as I followed her.

My Strength stat is 35, though?

If I used my Mana Conversion skill, I could ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠easily resist, but refusing her here would only look suspicious.

As I walked through the village with the woman, the villagers began to gather around.

"Oh my, I've never seen this child before."

"She got lost in the forest. Hans brought her in."

"I see. Rina is an excellent cook, you know? Make sure to eat up!"

I hid behind the middle-aged woman, now identified as Rina, playing the part of a terrified child.

Even while doing so, I kept my eyes busy, scanning the layout of the village.

Nothing particularly unusual...

According to the system window, this was a village of nearly four hundred people. The Tower hadn't lied; the village was bustling with a large population.

"Hello? Who are you?"

A boy who looked to be about ten years old ran up and grabbed my hand.

"...?"

A cold, damp sensation wrapped around my hand.

"Our new friend is a bit shy. Why don't you come back later?"

Rina gently pried the boy's hand away and stepped in front of me.

"Okay, Auntie Rina!"

"Grandson, let's go home now."

"Ah, Grandpa!"

An old man appeared out of nowhere and called the boy over.

"I'm sorry, did he startle you?"

"...No, I'm okay."

"Let's hurry along."

I continued to observe the people as I followed the woman.

Though I occasionally saw children and the elderly, their numbers weren't particularly high.

Strictly speaking, it was a demographic structure typical of an ordinary rural village. Young adults and middle-aged people made up the majority, while the elderly were the fewest.

Considering that even the middle-aged could participate in combat in an emergency, it was an ideal age distribution.

In the distance, a large house situated on a small hill came into view.

As we neared the house, an old woman approached us.

"It's been a while since we've had a lost child visit."

"I'm taking her to the chief's house."

"I see... Rina is a wonderful cook. Eat plenty, dear."

"..."

I bowed my head slightly and followed Rina up the hill.

When she opened the door and we stepped inside, the cozy interior of a rustic country home greeted us.

A fireplace crackled in one corner of the living room. There was a large table with chairs, and a bookshelf packed with books lined one wall.

"Sit here and wait."

Rina sat me down in a chair and headed into the kitchen.

Confirming that no one else was around, I was about to open the Transcendent Gallery when a sudden question flashed through my mind.

“I see. Rina is an excellent cook, you know? Make sure to eat up!”

“I see... Rina is a wonderful cook. Eat plenty, dear.”

How did they already know I was going to eat?

The oddities didn't stop there.

Is it normal for a countryside home to have this many books?

The bookshelf was packed to the brim, but the covers of the books were completely black, with no titles or writing whatsoever.

The first stage is supposed to have a medieval theme...

The floors of the Tower often had interconnected themes, and this one was set in a medieval background.

Given the setting, a rural village house overflowing with books was highly anomalous.

At this point, even the cold, damp touch of the boy's hand began to feel suspicious.

And above all...

What had happened when I first met the hunter.

Eye Chasing the Sky (SSS) has detected your Stealth (SS).

It was a skill I had never heard of, but the Transcendents had said it was a skill possessed by those who dream of defying heaven.

Of course, the hunter might just have a unique backstory.

Rina might just be a kind village grandmother who feeds every lost child she sees.

The village chief might be wealthy and enjoy collecting books.

The boy might have just been playing in the water before running up to me.

If I wanted to view things in a positive light, there were plenty of ways to rationalize them.

But a single factor accelerated my suspicion.

There was absolutely no way this godforsaken difficulty level would let things play out so smoothly.

My minor doubts branched out, fueling my imagination.

"Here, eat up. It's delicious."

Rina emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray laden with food.

It was an overly generous feast for a simple act of kindness toward a lost child.

Of course, it could just be that the village was prosperous and the woman was exceptionally kind, but...

Things never go that easily.

To be absolutely sure, I picked up the spoon and brought a mouthful of soup to my lips.

Rina sat across ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from me, watching with a warm, gentle smile.

The soup tasted sweet and savory.

The meal didn't last very long.

After eating a balanced amount of food—just enough to satisfy a child's appetite—I stood up.

As I did, Rina rose from her chair and gently took my wrist.

She guided me to a room on one side of the living room.

"You can use this room. If you get bored, you can read the books on the shelf over there."

Rina ushered me inside and closed the door.

The room contained a single bed and a small desk. On the desk sat five books with plain black covers.

I walked over to the window.

Through the glass, I could see the village. In the sprawling settlement, countless people were moving about busily.

And among them...

The hunter who had guided me here was standing there, staring up at my window.

The moment our eyes met, he turned and walked away.

I opened the system window to check the status of my Spawning Pools.

The maximum number of units I could produce at once from the Spawning Pools was one hundred.

The rate at which resources were being gathered had already long surpassed the production speed of the Void Grubs.

Next to the Spawning Pools, the excess resources were piling up, forming small hills.

I recalled what had happened just a moment ago.

The messages that had popped up while I was eating the meal Rina had prepared.

I walked over to the bed and closed my eyes.

Then, I used my telepathy.

Poppy. Switch all Spawning Pool production to Void Hounds.

Now that I had gathered enough workers, it was time to flood the field with soldiers.

Creak...

The old wooden door opened, and Rina stepped inside.

"Are you asleep, little one?"

"..."

Hearing Rina's words, a realization finally ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hit me.

Not a single person in this village had asked for my name.

It was no longer the time for doubt. It was the time for absolute certainty.