Ambush in the Canyon
The sun had dipped low, painting the sky in deep shades of crimson as dusk settled in. The forest beneath that blood-red canopy was wrapped in a heavy, oppressive silence. It had been roughly an hour since we began tracking the two squad members who had been attacked by demonic beasts, their fates still unknown.
“What do you think?”
Garan’s voice came from behind me. He was maintaining a careful distance as part of our formation. I knew he was asking for my opinion. I didn’t bother turning around.
“Do you believe they’re still alive?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“……”
He had more than enough experience to make his own judgment. Ten years in the military didn’t just vanish; it was etched into his instincts. Yet the fact that he was turning to me suggested he desperately wanted to believe his men were alive. Or perhaps he was hoping for some comforting words to ease his anxiety.
If that was the case, it wasn’t exactly the mindset of a proper squad leader responsible for everyone’s lives. Maybe my unspoken criticism got through to him, because Garan finally spoke his mind.
“To be honest, this situation is incredibly baffling. I’ve seen my share of horrors as a soldier, but nothing like this. Those weapons shaped like bones… that spear made of ribs. And now this—dragging people away instead of devouring them on the spot.”
It was far from ordinary behavior. Demonic beasts hunted humans to eat them. Their instincts and hunger usually drove them to tear into their prey right where they struck.
“I… if the beasts attacked our men, I believe there must be some purpose behind taking them alive.”
Garan was clearly worried about his subordinates, but he wasn’t simply fishing for blind reassurance. As their commanding officer, he was trying to analyze the situation rationally. I nodded at his words.
“That makes sense.”
They had taken the squad members for a reason. The real question was what that reason could be.
“It probably depends on the circumstances.”
“Circumstances?”
“If the two who were attacked died on the spot.”
“……”
The mood among the others grew heavier at my assumption. They tried not to show it, but everyone had already been thinking the same thing. That was probably why the atmosphere felt so thick.
“It’s just a hypothesis.”
“Go on.”
At Garan’s prompting, the rest of the squad continued scanning our surroundings while waiting for me to continue.
“It’s simple. They’re taking the food back to their nest. Like a mother bird bringing prey to her chicks.”
Comparing humans to food was an unpleasant metaphor, but it was logical enough. I had tried to keep my tone neutral so no one would let their guard down, but I could still sense the squad members growing unsettled.
“Do demonic beasts even have habits like that?”
“……”
“Like I said, it’s just a hypothesis. The first one that came to mind, and the most likely one.”
“It’s not entirely impossible. Demonic beasts share many traits with regular animals. Bringing food to their young is common among creatures with maternal instincts. The only question is whether these monsters possess that kind of instinct…”
Even though it was only a guess, it wasn’t impossible, so no one could outright deny it.
“Then what about the opposite scenario?”
“Hm?”
Amid the grim expressions of Garan and the others, Kalant spoke up.
“You just said what would happen if the ones who were taken had already died from the attack… That implies there’s also a scenario where they’re still alive, right?”
“……”
I didn’t answer Kalant right away. This was the part that truly unsettled me. If the two taken were still alive, that would be a blessing. But if the beasts had deliberately kept them alive and dragged them away… the implications were far more disturbing.
If the goal was simply to feed their young, wouldn’t it make more sense to kill them first? No. The two captured would have resisted. Dragging living, struggling prey would be far less efficient than hauling corpses.
“…There must be a reason they need to take them alive.”
“I believe so.”
What could that reason possibly be? The intentions of creatures that normally acted on pure instinct were beyond my ability to guess.
“There’s no point in making these assumptions now, but… I still hope those two are alive.”
“Yes.”
I agreed. I was sick of seeing corpses. Sick of looking at people who had laughed and talked beside me just days ago, now reduced to lifeless shells. I never wanted to see that again.
We followed the trail on the ground for a while longer until the search unit and I discovered a deep gorge hidden within the mountains. It was a long, narrow ravine. Sheer rock cliffs rose like folding screens on either side, riddled with small caves and natural tunnels that resembled a honeycomb. The floor of the gorge was covered in dark crimson moss that looked centuries old, radiating a strange, ominous energy as if it had been soaked in the blood of demonic beasts.
Small-statured demonic beasts stood guard between the cliffs, weapons in hand. Kobolds. They seemed to be patrolling, glancing around and moving in odd patterns.
“Looks like they’re on patrol…”
“Now that I see it, I thought these monsters weren’t smart enough for that, but maybe it’s not so strange after all.”
Goblins, who traveled in fairly large groups, built dens, established territories, and patrolled to scout for threats. It was their species’ way of surviving with their relatively weak bodies and cunning minds. Since these were also Rank 8 demonic beasts, perhaps it wasn’t impossible.
“Still, I’ve never heard of kobolds operating with this kind of organization. Goblins, sure, but these guys?”
Kobolds typically didn’t settle in one place. They moved constantly, hunting and replenishing their food as they went. Their behavior was almost the complete opposite of goblins, who preferred to establish permanent lairs.
“Let’s set that question aside for now. Our priority is to enter the gorge, confirm whether those two are still alive, and rescue them if possible.”
At Garan’s words, the squad fell silent. We carefully examined the entrance to the gorge. Strange bone-like pillars were embedded throughout the opening.
What are those…? Decorations?
They bothered me, but there was no time to investigate.
“Prepare yourselves.”
Garan gave the order. The squad, already in formation, drew their weapons in unison and charged toward the kobold group at the gorge entrance.
I was the first to rush inside. Moss and vines hanging from the cliffs brushed against my shoulders. The stench of rotting beast blood and flesh stung my nose. My face twisted at the horrific smell.
“Entering!”
At Garan’s shout, the squad spread out. A thin, sharp whistle-like cry rang out. The kobolds had spotted us and reacted with alarm. Kalant and another squad member who had been following me split to the sides. They dropped to one knee, taking aim at the kobolds ahead.
Garan and I charged forward, cutting through the center. Two kobolds, still reeling from the surprise, had their necks severed by our blades.
The gorge was deep enough that the sunset light couldn’t reach it. The ground was covered in damp mud, and the sound of small stones tumbling down echoed from somewhere. Suddenly, red eyes glowed in the darkness.
Kobolds. One, two, four, eight…
No.
There were more. At least fifteen to twenty.
“Engage!”
Garan’s command rang out. Without hesitation, I swung my sword. The closest kobold lunged at me. I read its speed and trajectory perfectly, twisting my blade into a horizontal slash. The creature was sent flying, still clutching its bone spear, and slammed into the ground. The spearhead struck rock.
Crack!
The bone spear shattered. Two more charged from both sides. I dropped low, stabbing one in the stomach, then immediately sliced the leg of the one leaping from the side before kicking it hard in the gut.
A kobold behind it thrust its bone spear at me with a sharp whistle.
Bang!
A powerful gunshot from behind swept across the area. The kobold’s head exploded before its spear could reach me.
“Having a solid vanguard sure feels reassuring!”
It was Kalant’s voice. I didn’t bother replying. Instead, I kept my eyes forward and pressed on. I grabbed the arm of the headless kobold like a club and swung it violently, smashing the other creatures aside. Blood sprayed everywhere, staining the surroundings.
“Whoa. What kind of brute force…”
“Do you really have time to comment on that?”
The sight of me using a kobold corpse like a club to beat down the others seemed to shock the squad members following behind. I gave a small reply to their reactions while aggressively clearing the path ahead.
More kobolds swarmed in, drawn by the noise. A large number of beasts were closing in through the narrow space between the cliffs.
“These bastards are more organized than I expected.”
Kalant was right. The kobolds weren’t simply charging mindlessly. They were tightening their encirclement with tactical movements. Some even exploited blind spots in our formation or supported their comrades.
Is this really just a coincidence?
The unsettling feeling was too strong to dismiss as mere chance.
Viiiing!
A strange vibration spread overhead. My ears rang, and my vision blurred.
“What… is this…?”
It was strange. After feeling that vibration, my senses began to twist little by little.
“……!”
“……!”
The voices of Garan and the others echoed in my ears like tinnitus, distorted and unclear. I couldn’t understand what they were saying.
What the hell is…
My mind grew dizzy. Just as I lost my balance and started to pitch forward—
“Ugh!”
I barely managed to plant my foot forward and force myself to stay upright. I accelerated the flow of mana circulating through my body. The chaotic swirl in my head gradually returned to normal.
Just as I thought.
It felt as if something had entered my body and was disrupting my senses. By rapidly circulating my mana and expelling it, my senses returned to normal.
“Everyone!”
I quickly scanned the area. The squad members were all clutching their heads or struggling to regain their scattered minds. The only ones who had immediately recognized the distortion and used the same mana acceleration method to recover were myself, Garan, Kalant, and two other squad members. The less experienced lower-ranking members hadn’t been able to react in time.
They’re not dead, but…
In this state, they wouldn’t be able to fight. Protecting them while surrounded by this many enemies would be extremely difficult.
Kiiing!
A metallic sound rang out.
“……!”
Garan, Kalant, and the rest of us turned toward the source of the noise. A kobold stood there.
“That one…”
It looked different from the others. It was larger, with a bloated belly. Strange ornaments made of bone fragments tied together hung from its body, and it held a stone staff in its hand.
Kiiing!
Every time it struck the staff downward, the iron rings attached to the end collided, producing that ringing sound.
“What… the hell is that…?”
Kalant stared with a dazed expression, clearly confused by its distinctly different appearance. I felt the same. But my focus wasn’t on its unusual looks.
What I was watching was the stone staff. Every time the rings clashed, a black current flowed out with the sound, visible to my eyes.