Chapter Forty Five: Monsters And Only Monsters

The sacred land is guarded by four defenders—north, south, east, and west. Each direction has a guardian whose sole duty is to prevent entry into the sacred grounds, even at the cost of their lives. Against demons, that is. People of the races rarely possess enough strength to break through the first barrier, let alone the second one that tightly surrounds the sacred land.
As such, most of the time the guardians simply watch over the capital from their hills, their vigilant eyes covering a mile of territory each.
It is said that the one I fought last night was notorious for being particularly dangerous to anyone foolish enough to approach the forbidden zone. His thorns had injured countless people who thought they could sneak into the sacred land without permission.
To enter properly, someone from the inside must come to fetch you or inform the guardians through the special magic they were given for that purpose. Nobles, however, are an exception. They can come and go as they please through their so-called “gate” magic—a teleportation spell that allows them to jump to specific locations. That was the same type of magic the lord used when he whisked Leila and his family away from the town.
All nobles within the sacred land have that ability. And those who lack it are assigned to live in the noble neighborhood—like the one we currently reside in.
The south is guarded by the first one who attacked me, the ice user. I hadn’t gotten a clear look at him, but the sheer cold of his attack was proof of his threat.
The west, I recently confirmed, is under the watch of the thorn user.
The east is protected by a fire user, and she is said to be the most dangerous of them all—a demi-human with a violent temper who will attack even those nowhere near the no-trespassing zone.
And the final guardian of the north is a dwarf with strange magic. They say his sorcery plunges intruders into hallucinations, the intensity depending on their level. For weaker adventurers, the illusions are so powerful they often die before his true attack even begins.
All this I learned from Serila after we tended to Duddul’s injuries back in my room. The wounds weren’t too severe, and with some rest, Duddul healed himself. During that time, I received an earful from the coward who had merely stood by and watched while I fought.
“How can you be that weak!? You expect me to believe you can only use your strength against monsters!? What are you, born just to fight monsters!? I’ve never heard of anything so ridiculous in my life!”
I didn’t know how to answer her tirade. I simply kept quiet while she ranted on and on about how easily I could have been killed or captured. When she finally ran out of breath, I spoke of my intentions.
“I plan on going to the Dungeon or the Nightmare Forest tomorrow to prove my theory. If I’m able to fight with all my strength there, then that will prove my point. I would’ve preferred the Dungeon, but I still have unfinished business in the forest… the winged freezer needs to feel my wrath. I’ll pour all my frustration into him when we meet.”
For me, it was a vow—almost sacred. But she looked at me with mocking eyes.
“Quit being delusional!” she snapped.
“How in the world do you expect to defeat the winged freezer when you couldn’t even handle thorns!?”
Her words stabbed deeper than I’d expected, and anger boiled inside me. I blurted out something without thinking.
“Fine then! If you really think I’m weak, then come with me to the forest. I’ll show you how strong I am!”
“Okay then,” she smirked, flicking her hair arrogantly. “If you’re so desperate to prove yourself, I’ll go with you.”
A moment later, she strutted out and entered the music room she had claimed as her own. The door slammed, and silence fell.
That’s how I ended up in my current predicament.
I rose early the next morning and prepared breakfast. In the noble’s kitchen, I peeled potatoes and fried them with eggs. I discovered a locker brimming with various drinks, but ignored the long bottles of beer. Instead, I pulled out two bottles of fresh milk. Another locker, just beside it, preserved vegetables, meat, and fish—overflowing with fresh, high-quality provisions as though the true owners had stocked it for us.
“I’m sorry for using your food like this,” I muttered in apology to absent ears, then resumed cooking.
I wasn’t an exceptional cook, but I could at least prepare something edible—and that was enough.
Breakfast, however, was far from peaceful. Instead of appreciating my effort and perhaps calling me “Big Brother” in gratitude, Serila mocked me non-stop with her usual arrogant tone.
“Eh…? I’ve never seen food prepared like this before. Are you sure it’s not poisonous? Maybe you’re still mad about yesterday’s fight and want to kill me to keep me quiet?”
I ignored her and continued eating, but she licked her plate clean and smirked.
“Not bad. I didn’t think it was edible. Looks like we’ve found the one who’ll handle all the chores around here.”
Was she always this insufferable? I knew she was annoying, but yesterday’s events seemed to have fueled her cockiness even more.
Did she look down on me because I lost so miserably? How much more arrogant could she become?
After breakfast, I bathed in the nobles’ lavish inner toilet—a large room with flowers surrounding a fifty-centimeter-deep pool. Once I was done, I dragged Serila out with me.
“I’ll show you just how strong I am once we get to the forest.”
We mounted Duddul and headed west. Since we were close to the western barrier, we passed through it and made our way toward the gate town that bordered the Nightmare Forest. We didn’t bother returning to our old town—there was no reason.
When the town came into view, we veered away, traveling a long distance until we reached the barrier leading to the forest.
Leila had once explained that the forest stretched from the south gate near the mountains all the way to the west. People living near the west gate were often attacked by monsters spilling out of the Nightmare Forest—it loomed just a few hundred meters away.
We avoided the town entirely. There was no need to involve anyone.
Standing by the barrier, I looked ahead. The forest loomed, familiar and menacing. The long grass swayed, and the towering trees looked exactly like those I had faced before. It felt as if I had returned to the southern entrance.
“Let’s go,” I whispered, a smirk tugging my lips.
The moment Duddul crossed the barrier, the air changed. A cold, heavy tension pressed down on us. Behind me, Serila clutched my shirt tightly.
“H-Hey… are we really going in?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“What are you saying? Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“B-but…”
So she thought I’d back out after coming this far?
I ignored her concerns and pressed on. The grass brushed against Duddul’s legs as we approached the trees.
“Wait! I-I don’t want to go in!” she cried, her tone turning bratty.
“Huhu~ That’s not possible.”
“Please~?” Her voice cracked with desperation, her body trembling as she clung to me. I could hear her heart pounding.
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you if anything happens.”
“But…~”
I pushed forward, ignoring her pleas. If my theory was right, then it wouldn’t matter which direction we entered from. Either way, I would face the winged freezer.
Still, a pang of guilt struck me when I glanced back. Her eyes were tightly shut, her entire body shaking.
Did I go too far dragging her here?
Before I could speak, the forest shifted. The trees vanished, replaced by endless green plains.
“FLAP. FLAP.”
Wings thundered above.
“Winged freezer… you coward! Come down here!” I roared, unsheathing my sword. Rage burned through me—I would destroy him with all the frustration bottled inside me.
He descended slowly, as if mocking me with his calm. But before I could move, a piercing scream ripped the air.
“KYAAAAA!”
It was Serila's voice—but distant, impossibly far behind me.
I whipped around. She was gone. Neither on Duddul nor anywhere on the plains.
“No…” My chest tightened with dread.
SERILA had never set foot in the Nightmare Forest before. She hadn’t fought its beginner-stage monsters. The only explanation was that she had been ejected to the lower levels.
And that terrified me more than the winged freezer. Everyone who entered the forest reported the same thing—hordes of monsters attacking all at once. If that happened to Meila…
I clenched my teeth, rage and fear warring inside me. This was the perfect chance to fight the winged freezer, but her safety came first.
“Duddul!!” I barked.
He bolted, carrying me back toward her voice.
Please… please let her be alive!
The air thickened with danger. My barrier pulsed faintly as if warning me. When my vision cleared, I saw her—thrown into the air by some unseen force, her body limp. Blood streamed from her swollen wounds, her eyes closed in unconsciousness.
“Oh no…” My heart dropped.
I spurred Duddul forward, leaping to catch her. Shadows closed in—presences swarming from the trees, the ground, the skies. I couldn’t see them, but I felt over a hundred hostile beings surrounding us.
This was no ordinary stage.
I stretched my hand and caught her midair just as an invisible monster slammed against my barrier. The shield flickered black and shattered, but I didn’t feel pain. I only felt the pressure of countless blows raining down on me.
“Duddul!!” I commanded.
He charged through the forest at breakneck speed. The swarm followed, relentless, but I clutched her tighter, praying she would endure.
We burst through the barrier, racing straight for the gate town. She needed a healer—now.
“I need a healer!!” I screamed as we tore through the streets.
People gathered, staring blankly. None stepped forward. Rage surged through me.
“Why are you just standing there!? Can’t you see she’s suffering!? Help us!” Tears blurred my vision as despair clawed at me.
At last, a boy pushed through the crowd. “My sister practices healing! I’ll take you to her!”
I didn’t hesitate.
The child led us to a rundown house. I dismounted and burst inside. “Help us!!”
A young woman rushed down the stairs, a towel wrapped hastily around her. “Lay her down!”
I obeyed. She knelt and placed glowing palms on Meila, green light spilling over her broken body.
“This is bad… she’s severely injured. I don’t think I can save her with my strength alone…”
“Tell me what to do!” I roared.
She swallowed. “We need a strong potion. They’re only sold in the capital. It’s too late to fetch one now. Unless—unless there’s a powerful healer nearby… or a potion made from a healer’s blood…”
Blood?
Before I could think, instinct moved me. I lifted Meila’s head, pressed my lips against hers, and kissed her.
“Wait—what are you doing!?” the woman cried.
I ignored her. My blood, my saliva—I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew it mattered.
The woman’s eyes widened. “Impossible… Who are you…?”
Ten seconds later, I pulled away. Bruises faded from Meila’s skin, color returned to her cheeks, and her breathing steadied.
“She’s… she’s healing?!”
Relief barely had time to sink in before—
GAJAAM!
A brutal strike slammed my neck, hurling me through the wall and into the street.
I staggered up, fury burning through me, and rushed back inside. Serila's body convulsed violently, her power surging uncontrollably. The house shook as if struck by an earthquake. Objects toppled, shelves shattered, the floor cracked wide open.
The healer woman clutched her little brother in terror, staring at her transformation.
I couldn’t let it continue. Bracing myself, I dove forward. My barrier turned pitch black, struggling to hold back the waves of raw energy pouring out of her.
“Please… that’s enough!!” I shouted, gripping her tightly.The black wave of energy intensified, dissolving the floor, the ground and anything it came into contact with. I desperately hugged onto her trying to calm her down. The burst of energy continued for a while when it suddenly stopped.
The earth stilled. The energy vanished. My barrier dissolved into nothing.
We were some meters underground, a crater carved out by her power. The healer peered down nervously. “A-are you alright!?”
“I… I think,” I muttered, breathless.
I leapt out, laying Meila on a cushion. Her skin was flawless, radiant like a newborn’s.
“In all my life,” the healer whispered, “I’ve never seen anyone recover so perfectly…”
“She’s healed…” My knees buckled, and I collapsed. “Thank God…”
But before relief could fully take me, the door slammed open. Officials in battle gear stormed inside, faces dark with fury.
“What’s going on here!? The whole town is in chaos, and this house is the source of it all!”
Their anger burned like fire—and we were the fuel.