Episode 4. Forest of Death

This freaking world was once a game. I don’t know if the game has become a reality or if I’ve only pretended to be in a game, but it’s either one of them.
Of course, there was a story that became the scenario. As is common in games these days, the scenario of the ordinary world extinction in which the continent burns and the world splits.
In the meantime, even though Ivan realized that it was different from what he knew, he just passed it over, saying, “The game and reality are different.”
However, it turned out that Ivan had fallen before the game story began in earnest.
This means that a world like a shit will turn more like hell.
‘Heh, 1 gold. Shit. It’s like seolleongtang.
I bought Seolleongtang, but why can’t I eat it? Why can’t I eat it? It was strange that I was lucky today…
A famous line I learned at school one day flashed through my mind.
For a moment, Ivan seemed to have become Kim Cheomji. Domestic violence, the originator of tsundere, and the enemy of high school students.
As Ivan mumbled something incomprehensible, all the party members glanced at him. They are always cautious for party members who suddenly behave abnormally during a mission.
“I have a bad feeling. You have to quickly figure out the cause of the abnormality, let’s give up, retreat, and exit the forest.”
The other party members who heard it looked very uncomfortable.
Everyone is in a situation where they are aiming for a large amount of money from the commission fee, but it was uncomfortable to hear a colleague making an ominous sound as soon as he started.
“I thought he was a great warrior who caught Hydra in the west, but you’re scared.”
“When was there a request that wasn’t dangerous? You have to be prepared to give up your life to touch the gold.”
“We just came into the forest. You can’t go back without identifying the cause.”
All the other colleagues spoke out one by one, and the way they looked at him was not good.
When five people gather, one must be a trash.
A wise saying that Ivan uses as gold.
This time, I thought that Emin, a wizard from a blue tower, would play the role, but seeing other people’s eyes, it seemed that they thought of Ivan as one.
‘Damn, I’ve got a bad luck.’
The more I talked, the worse the atmosphere would get, so I tried to shut up, but guide Sven took his side.
It seems to be very fascinating to him that he is learning a complex way of receiving signals that only rangers can use.
“Wait, I don’t think you’re saying that without any grounds. Apparently, you also received Ranger training, but there must be a reason.”
Even a very small thing could be a clue in the forest. Rangers’ rule is to report anything strange.
When Sven, once a Ranger, brought it up, others’ expressions relaxed a little. If the forest expert said so, I had no choice but to follow it.
Ivan began to think desperately.
I couldn’t say that there must be a dangerous event because an unusual quest occurred.
“…The request content is that the monsters in the forest have turned vicious. That’s why we moved as carefully as possible and entered the forest.”
“We already knew that, so?
“What do you mean, so? Isn’t it weird? We are quite deep, but the fact that there were only two horned pigs we’ve met so far?”
“That’s because everyone moved carefully and avoided it as much as possible…”
Ivan looked at Sven, the guide, instead of answering. He would have felt something strange.
“…That’s right. The forest is so quiet.”
“What? Sven! What does that mean?”
“It is true that I moved to avoid the battle as much as possible. I led us like that. But there are still too few traces.”
Ivan stepped in right away.
“All the traces I’ve found have been days. If the monsters became vicious, there were no traces of them. Rather, the number of monsters around here decreased.”
Sven nodded his head heavily when people looked at him to ask if he was right.
“I’m not sure yet, but I could see it that way. You’ve been properly trained as a Ranger.”
“I learned this and that to live. I’m not at a level to brag about.”
As the story progressed that far, everyone else understood.
“Crap. They’re coming together. Is it Monster Wave?”
“Even if they are monsters near the lake, is there a leader?”
Monsters were not a species. There’s no way that different species will gather and laugh together.
The fact that such monsters moved together meant that a monster leader with strong control in the area was born after a fierce battle of the six disciplines.
The client is from a blue tower. People’s eyes were on Emin. This means that he should decide because he came out of the blue tower to investigate the abnormalities.
Emin, who had been agonizing for a while, opened his mouth heavily.
“We can’t just go back like this. At least you have to check the evidence that the monster leader has appeared.”
Everything is still speculation. Emin was right. If I had received the money, I had to pay that much.
The tower was not a pushover. As the commission was generous, the contract was thoroughly carried out.
Failure to do nothing is acceptable, but giving up in the middle is unforgivable.
“Then we’ll have to hurry. If there is really a monster leader, the more you stay in the forest, the more dangerous it becomes.”
They walked through the forest until just before sunset. However, I couldn’t see any proper monsters. They couldn’t really feel like that they didn’t meet any monster.
Hwar!
The bonfire burns quietly. Ivan and his party looked at it and stuffed each jerky into their mouths.
Cheap jerky’s unique rough and stiff taste was forcibly endured and chewed. I had to move my chin for a long time to swallow one.
If it is a high-quality jerky made with moderate seasoning, it is delicious and soft, I would go crazy and eat it, but no one has such luxury.
“Oh, my. I wish I had a bowl of hot soup”.”
Everyone nodded at someone’s murmur. It was hard work to chew cheap jerky.
It was good they could find a reasonable cave. If you block the entrance with stones, soil, and branches, the lights will not flow out even if a fire is made from the inside.
However, even after the fire was lit, it could not be used for cooking. The most powerful thing in the forest was not sight, but smell. The smell of food will spread everywhere, so burn the beef jerky.
It was impossible to even eat warps.
It had entered quite deep into the forest. It was better not to do anything dangerous because you didn’t know when and where the monster would pop out.
“…God damn it, now I know something’s weird. Was the forest this quiet?”
Ralph, the swordsman, was staring outside and shook his head.
“I can’t hear any wolf howling. What’s going on?”
“We should find out about it from now on. What do you want to do with the invincible enemy?”
“Except for the magician, each person should do two hours watch.”
The order of the lots is Ralph, Julia, Ivan, and Sven.
I was very anxious, but Ivan fell asleep as soon as he lied down with his body in his sleeping bag. It was important to be able to sleep quickly anytime, anywhere. That’s how I can maintain my stamina.
Ivan had invested some valuable skill points in sleep. At first glance, it seemed like a foolish choice, but it saved his life more than just one attack skill.
Four hours passed quickly, and Ivan suddenly opened his eyes. It was just before Julia shook him up.
“I woke up.”
“…You’re sensitive. There’s nothing wrong for now. The forest is quiet. I don’t know if I should like it.”
“You have to like it now. I didn’t get up after being stabbed while sleeping.”
Ivan got up from his seat and checked his equipment, and Yulia was looking at him without going to bed.
Of course, waiting for complete shifts is the standard way of invasions, but mercenaries couldn’t have acted so tightly, and most of them were open-eyed.
As soon as you do it, you’re bound to go to bed. There must have been something to tell him.
When Ivan glanced, Julia opened her mouth with difficulty.
“I am sorry for earlier. I was taking your warning lightly.”
What are you saying? I thought you were confessing your love.
Ivan replied with a strange disappointment.
“It’s not a big deal. I already forgot.”
“I thought I should apologize even if it was simple.”
“If you really think so, hurry up and sleep. That way, we can fight well tomorrow.”
“…Okay.”
Julia returned to her seat and Ivan, who was left alone, stared blankly outside.
The same scenery as before, and the same silence as before. The sound of branches bumping and leaves rubbing was still loud, but the scenery of the forest where you can’t feel life is scary.
It felt so quiet that it was only a feeling.
“Forest where I can’t feel life?”
Mana reaction from the lake. Request from the blue tower, abnormal behavior of monsters in the forest.
The blue tower, which confirmed the mana reaction, suspected that it was artificial.
Main story.
Quest connected to a forest where you can’t feel life, and movement of monsters in the forest.
In Ivan’s head, I heard the sound of a puzzle coming together.
“Oh, shit. Undead!”
Ivan, who jumped up from his seat, stared at the forest. The forest was no longer quiet. Something was rushing here.
Sniff sniff.
The smell of death passes through the tip of my nose.
Ivan hurriedly began to wake up the party. The mercenaries, who opened their eyes half-asleep, all showed sharp eyes after rubbing their eyes once.
“…What’s going on?”
“There was a reason why the forest was quiet. Undead.”
“What? Undead?”
“Listen to the wizard over there later for more information, and quickly pack your luggage. We have to hurry and move.”
Undead shows tremendous obsession and hatred with his lost life. They are terrible beings who constantly covet the blood of the living to reheat their own cold blood.
If you don’t keep moving, the undead will find us quickly. I don’t know how many undeads there are, but it ends the moment I’m surrounded.
“…Damn, it’s funny. I wish I’d known sooner.”
Ivan pulled out his sword and held a throwing axe in the other hand.
seuseuseuseuseuk!
Rotten flesh, broken bones, and stopped heart.
Those who are not supposed to move. Unjust beings filled with death instead of life.
kkigigigik!
His eyes, which had already lost their lives and turned blurry, have finally found Ivan.