Michael leaned against a giant boulder. He was munching on some jerky as he studied the map of the area, it was a smaller version of the one in the command tent and he held it with one hand, partially folded. He was impressed by the fact that it constantly updated his location relative to the camp.
"This world is really strange. Some things feel so backwards like they are straight from the dark ages but some… I am basically holding a GPS powered by magic"
Michael recalled Elijah raising some sort of pylon in the middle of the camp. He had no idea how it functioned besides the fact it somehow synchronized with the enhanced map he was given and the others. Apparently it was standard use in the army.
"Anyway I am technically supposed to be scouting the area so let's do that"
The drama that happened yesterday felt like a great show to Michael, however the atmosphere in the camp really took a hit basically splitting the people into two factions and he—he did not want to have any part in it so when in the morning tasks were given out he was more than happy to volunteer to scout and since he was a hero they obviously did not send him anywhere dangerous. He was to go north-west, fairly away from any areas determined to pose danger.
Michael finished his jerky and stuffed the map into the pouch tied to his belt.
The forest stretched before him—dense, quiet, and tinged with an unnatural stillness. No birds. No rustling leaves. Just the distant hum of the wind weaving through the crimson canopy.
The silence was terrifyingly unnatural.
He exhaled. "Okay, that's not ominous at all but there shouldn't be anything dangerous, right?"
Taking a step forward, his boot landed on something soft.
He looked down. A severed deer leg.
Michael froze. His brain making a quick mental rundown. 'That's a deer leg. It's still fresh. Where the f*ck is the rest of it?'
He drew his sword and the grip on it instantly tightened as his eyes swept the area. That's when he saw it.
Just ahead, partially obscured by a thick bush, was a deer—or at least, he thought it was a deer. Its head was lowered, muzzle buried in the carcass of another deer, tearing into its exposed ribs. Blood stained its fur, its antlers glistening in the dim light.
Then the creature stopped eating. Just as Michael spotted it, it spotted him.
Slowly, it turned its head toward him—but its body remained perfectly still.
Michael felt a chill crawl down his spine.
It stared at him for several agonizing seconds, its dark eyes unnervingly human-like. Then, in a motion that sent every nerve in his body screaming—It began to rise.
Not just onto its legs, but onto its hind legs.
The illusion shattered. This was definitely not a deer.
Its limbs were too long, its shoulders too broad, its entire frame unnatural, as if something had taken a deer's shape and twisted it into something else. Its lower half was built for powerful jumps, like a monstrous hybrid of a deer and a kangaroo, with thick sinewy muscle stretching as it straightened to its full, horrifying height.
The creature grinned, showing its bloody teeth in full.
'F*ck. My. Life'
Micheal had barely enough time to curse before the creature lunged at him.
Michael barely managed to throw himself sideways as clawed hooves slammed into the boulder behind him, cracking it like brittle ice. He hit the ground hard, rolling to his feet just in time to see the monster twist mid-air, landing with unnatural grace near him.
Fast. Faster than anything that big had any right to be.
Instinct screamed at him to flood his body with mana—to push everything into raw speed and strength like he had before. But he hesitated.
'No. That's what I used to do'
He grit his teeth, forcing himself to take a different approach. Instead of overloading his body, he spread the mana evenly—enhancing his sight, hearing, reflexes. Not to the extreme, but just enough. Just enough to react. Just enough to read its movements.
The creature moved.
And this time, he saw it.
A twitch in its muscles—a shift in weight on its hind legs. It was going to pounce again.
Michael moved before it did.
He dodged right, feeling the air split where he had been just a second ago. His sword lashed out, scoring a shallow cut along the monster's flank. It twisted, grinning at him, unbothered by the wound.
Then it vanished.
"No—!"
A gust of wind, a sizzle—above!
Michael barely managed to jerk his head back as a hoof slashed downward, missing his skull by inches. It had leapt into the trees and rebounded off a branch, coming at him from a blind angle.
Michael staggered, his heartbeat hammering.
It's not just fast—it's smart.
The creature landed a few feet away, tilting its head, almost studying him. Then its grin widened. A low, rasping clicking sound rattled from its throat.
It was mocking him.
Michael exhaled sharply. "Alright, you forest freak. You want to play? Let's play"
His posture stabilized and he pushed his limits just a little more.
The creature lunged again, a blur of sinew and clawed hooves. Michael did not panic.
He sidestepped, sword flashing upward in a precise arc. The monster twisted mid-air, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow—but not completely. The blade bit deep into its side, carving through muscle. A thick, inky-black blood splattered onto the ground.
The creature let out a guttural snarl, its earlier amusement gone.
Michael smirked, thinking he'd gained the upper hand—until pain bloomed across his side.
The monster's claws had caught him in its retreat. A very shallow but painful slash wound. If he'd been a second slower, it would have been much worse.
They locked eyes. The forest held its breath.
Then, slowly, the creature stepped back. Its hunched shoulders fell, its dark eyes scanning Michael with something new—calculation. The amusement had drained from its expression, replaced with something colder.
A long, rattling exhale left its maw before it abruptly turned. With one powerful bound, it vanished into the shadows of the trees, melting into the depths of the forest.
Michael remained still, sword still raised, pulse thundering in his ears. Only after a few seconds did he finally exhale.
"Yeah. You better run"
He glanced down at the wound on his side. It wasn't deep and would quickly heal, but damn, it stung.
Grumbling, he wiped his blade clean and sheathed it. That… could have gone worse.
Whatever that thing was, it wasn't just some mindless beast. It thought. It assessed.
And it had decided he wasn't worth the trouble however he had the nagging feeling this wouldn't be the last time he saw it.
Michael exhaled one last time, shaking off the lingering adrenaline. The forest was quiet again—unnervingly so. He cast one last glance in the direction the creature had vanished before turning back towards camp.
His muscles ached and his clothes were stained with something that definitely wasn't just his own blood and mud.
"Fantastic" He muttered, adjusting his gear. "Let's go tell Sarah I almost got mauled by… well… something that was definitely not a deer"
***
The walk back was cheerfully uneventful, but his mind was racing. The fight had proven something crucial—his training was paying off. He wasn't helpless anymore. But it also raised a more troubling realization. That thing was out there, lurking in the woods, and it had chosen to let him go.
By the time he reached the camp, the midday sun had begun its slow descent. The atmosphere was still tense from the previous day's drama, but Michael ignored the hushed conversations and stares as he made his way straight to the command tent.
Pushing aside the entrance flap, he found Sarah hunched over a table, scanning reports. Her sharp eyes flicked up at his arrival, immediately narrowing at his state.
"You look like s*it" She said flat out.
Michael shrugged. "You should see the other guy"
Sarah's brow arched. "Oh? And did the 'other guy' also limp back covered in blood, or am I supposed to be impressed?"
Michael dropped into a chair with a tired sigh. "Yeah, about that… ran into something in the woods"
Sarah straightened slightly. "Something?"
"Yeah. Some kind of monster. Looked like a deer at first, but then it stood up on its hind legs. Way too tall, too lean, shoulders all wrong. It was fast too—jumping through the trees like some kind of freakish kangaroo. Oh, and it had way too many damn teeth. Smiled at me like it enjoyed trying to kill me"
Sarah's expression shifted. "Wait… it looked like a deer but wasn't a deer?"
"Exactly!" Michael said, gesturing. "It was definitely not a deer"
Sarah nodded. "Right. Notadeer"
Michael blinked. "Yeah, exactly! It was not a deer"
Sarah nodded again. "Right"
A beat of silence passed.
Michael frowned. "Wait. No, I mean it wasn't a deer."
"Yes" Sarah said, crossing her arms. "Notadeer"
Michael's eye twitched. "...That's what I just said. It was not a deer"
"And I'm agreeing with you. It was a Notadeer"
Michael groaned, rubbing his temples. "Okay, I think we're having a stroke at the same time. I'm saying the thing looked like a deer, but it wasn't a deer"
"Yes, because it's called a Notadeer" Sarah said, voice exasperated now.
Michael paused. Stared. Processed. "...You're telling me its actual name is Notadeer?"
Sarah gave him a pointed look. "Yes"
Michael slowly leaned forward, elbows on the table, hands clasped together. "Sarah. Please. Tell me you're f*cking with me. What kind of idiot would come up with a name like that?"
She sighed. "I wish I was. But no, that's what it's called. It looks like a deer but isn't so the name fits, no?"
Michael sat back, dragging his hands down his face. "I hate this world"