Night had fallen.
Santos could no longer keep walking, not with the extra burden. For him, there was no immediate danger in the forest—but he couldn't say the same for his companions. His hearing and senses wouldn't be much help either.
In the forest, giant tarantulas moved with deadly silent precision, making it impossible to move at night without proper preparation. These creatures moved along the treetops or hid in small caves, waiting for an unsuspecting prey.
To avoid further casualties, he had set up a camping tent.
It was supposed to be safe—but he no longer believed that.
He had covered the tent with branches and leaves, hiding among bushes near the trees.
"Are you sure you want to be out there alone? I can help," said the Warrior.
"There's no need. If they see me, I'll make a perfect decoy."
The question was really because of the cramped situation inside the tent. The four of them were too close—way too close. They were all curled up together in fetal positions.
The tent was only meant for two people, at most.
"There's nothing we can do," sigh
"Hey, move your arm out of my face."
"This is way too close."
"Hey, what's that I'm feeling back there?"
"It's my knife. I'll move it now."
"Stop moving."
Sigh
Luckily for Santos, the tarantulas were deaf.
Or so he thought...
Lost in thought, Vashina began to organize a strategy to get everyone out as soon as dawn broke.
She had been evaluating everyone's skills and already had a general idea of how to proceed when the birds began to sing.
She had evaluated everyone—except Ukryo's bodyguard, Gamba.
"Hey, you!" she pointed.
"Hmm? Do you need something?" It was Ukryo who responded.
"I need you to tell me what you're good at."
Vashina ignored Ukryo and kept talking to the old man.
Fredar and Cuar watched silently. Fredar, in particular, seemed interested in the old man.
"Well, I don't know if you saw my sword, but I'm clearly a swordsman," he said.
Vashina smiled, but her expression remained cold.
Fredar gave him a doubtful look and glanced at Vashina. She might be younger than him, but she surpassed him in nearly every aspect of being an adventurer—aside from experience.
"Do you think I'm an idiot? The way you walk and your muscle tone are clearly those of a warrior. What's your rank?"
"…I'm Gold Rank."
Silence lingered a moment before he spoke again.
"I'm an excellent warrior. A supreme master of martial arts."
"I see." Vashina nodded. She didn't quite believe him—but that didn't matter.
As long as she could reach her goal, at least half of them would make it out alive.
Vashina began devising her next move.
The sounds of the night fell over the white forest.
Vashina sat outside, staring into the impenetrable darkness of night. Above her, the stars were not visible and the moon was hidden behind dark layers of cloud.
Fredar, Cuar, and two of their group stood behind her, waiting for the moment. The others had gone to hide, planning to escape the moment battle began.
The wind blew—and in a spot where no one had stood before, something appeared.
"So you showed up, huh?"
Ten paces from her stood a walker. It had no expression, but an ugly scar ran down the right side of its face—from forehead to chin. One eye was missing, and its mouth was a hollow void where teeth should have been.
She had marked it earlier that morning, after it had decapitated one of the new recruits with its bare hands.
"Glad to see you too, you bastard."
She hadn't just marked him—she thought she'd killed the two who were with him... or so she thought.
From the darkness, two more emerged. One fat, and a girl with her neck seemingly torn off by force.
Did I miscalculate? No—if I draw them in, the others can get farther.
She had been releasing her aura for some time now.
The undead could sense the living—but these weren't normal.
During their last battle, when Vashina released her aura, they all lunged at her instantly.
She was preparing to fight—when something startled her.
"What?"
More walkers appeared. All irregular, armed, with their characteristic lifeless eyes.
Something was wrong.
She hadn't released enough aura to attract this many. And worst of all...
Twenty-one. That's too many—even for me.
Vashina gripped her sword, which curved at the tip like a hook.
She was ready to fight—to break some bones.
She tightened her grip on the handle until she felt the pressure.
She waited. One, two, even three minutes.
But no one moved. Not her, not her group—not the walkers.
Sensing the ominous tension, Fredar stepped forward and struck.
In a tent, whispers echoed.
"Hey," the girl called.
"…"
"Hey!" she raised her voice slightly.
"What!?" the squire replied, exasperated.
"I don't hear Ezequiel… did he leave?"
Feeling the awkward silence, the warrior spoke.
"I don't think so. Maybe he just hid nearby."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"You know what? I'm going out."
"Hey, wait."
"Relax. Just wait until morning and—"
Still unsure, they all stepped out.
Open
They were greeted by the cold darkness of night.
Even standing so close together, they could barely make out each other's faces.
"…He's not here…"
Those words sounded strangely loud.
Using a campfire or light magic would only attract monsters—and insect-types were particularly drawn to it. That's why they hadn't made one.
Ezequiel had said it wasn't necessary—but the group was feeling increasingly uneasy.
After all, if he wanted to, he could leave on his own.
"Maybe he went to take a crap? I mean, everyone's got needs and—ah!?"
Taking a wrong step, the girl fell and grabbed a branch to steady herself.
...?
But something felt off. The branch wasn't hard or firm—
It moved the moment she touched it.
Its texture was rough and hairy.
With a bit of pressure, it even felt like she was grabbing something she definitely shouldn't be.
Moonlight filtered faintly through the clouds, giving her a glimpse of what she held.
Small black eyes.
Long, hairy legs.
A body large enough to dwarf a person.
And rows of fangs that would haunt even the toughest adult's nightmares.
A tarantula lay just a step away from the camping tent.
"…"
The lump in her throat didn't last long—
Because in the next instant, a piercing scream echoed across the woods:
KYAAAAAAAAAA!