Ella glanced away slightly before asking.

"...How did you manage that?"

'Where should I even start explaining?'

After pondering for a moment, I decided to brush it off with a simple comment.

"I just resolved it with sheer determination."

She gave me a skeptical look but didn't press further. Once she regained her composure, we put our heads together to discuss our next steps.

"First, we should focus on that basin."

She looked over at the basin and said, "Do we really have to go there? It's filled with monsters."

Ella, who was feeling much better, spoke with renewed energy in her voice.

Since she's an archer with excellent eyesight, she likely noticed more than I did. Wondering if I'd missed anything, I asked her.

"Do you see anything unusual?"

"Unusual?"

She narrowed her eyes, giving her face an eagle-like appearance as she scrutinized the basin.

"Um... the magical creatures are all looking at the ground?"

The ground?

"Why would they be looking at the ground?"

"I don't know. Maybe they're searching for something to eat."

After finishing our reconnaissance of the basin, we put our heads together to devise a strategy.

"We probably need to take out that group first..."

"Is there any way around them?"

"No, I can sense the main body is there."

It seemed like it was hiding its core among the numerous magical creatures.

'Dumb as these creatures usually are, it seems they used some strategy.'

It looked like the being had prepared for an intrusion into its inner world.

"Let's circle around and find advantageous terrain."

Although it's unlikely there'd be unfavorable terrain set intentionally, rushing in with our numbers would be reckless.

'At the very least, we need to find terrain with our backs covered...'

With that thought, we started searching the forest.

As the saying goes, words can become reality, something attacked us from behind.

-Grrrroooowl!!!

"Ella!"

Ella, the senior, shouted this as she notched an arrow on her bow and stepped back.

I quickly turned around to block the rear.

I pushed back the first wolf magical creature that lunged at us with my shield.

-Whoooosh!

Then Ella's arrows pierced through the wolves.

"The situation isn't good."

The area was filled with wolves.

"Let's retreat. If we fight here, those in the basin might charge at us too."

"We're blocked at the back, where do we go?"

"The best option is to make a wide detour to the right."

Ella senior assessed the escape route.

It seemed she suggested circling to the relatively weak right side to get behind the wolf pack... a smart idea.

However, I looked towards the opposite direction she mentioned.

'...There's that gaze again.'

The monster leading the wolves.

Its gaze was coming from the left.

'Whatever its intent, it seems like it's trying to force us to move right.'

"Senior, by any chance, do you see anything on the right?"

"What?"

"Like a cliff or traps, perhaps?"

She squinted her eyes and focused on the right.

"I don't see anything like that."

"Then..."

"I can't see well, to be precise. It's dark, and the view is restricted."

'I can't figure out what it's planning right now.'

As I pushed away the charging magical creatures with my shield, I continued to think.

'Should we move as it's trying to lead us? Or should we...’

I pulled out a special magazine from my pocket.

A magazine imbued with the power of Iscaliote.

‘Should I fight head-on, regardless of the outcome?’

Of course, my choice was practically decided.

-Clack.

I slipped the magazine into the shotgun and completed reloading.

“Senior, let’s go left.”

“There’s a dangerous one over there, and you want to go that way?”

She had also noticed the gaze that had been following us.

“It will keep following us, let’s crush it now.”

She pondered my words for a moment, then finally agreed.

“Alright, even if we try to escape now, it will attack later anyway.”

-Whoosh!

She notched an arrow on her bowstring.

-Thud!

Releasing the bowstring, the arrow flew, scattering embers as it went.

It was aimed at the numerous wolf magical creatures blocking our way.

With one arrow, dozens of wolf magical creatures were pierced and fell dead.

Ella notched her bowstring for another shot.

Before she could release it, I swung the shotgun and scattered bullets.

-Bang!!!

-Bang!!!

The full spectrum of flames filled the view.

It incinerated the pack of wolves all at once.

“Let’s go!”

As the wolf pack was swept away, a clear path appeared instantaneously.

Without giving Ella a chance to be surprised, we dashed toward the gap.

Running through the dark forest, we began to see the magical creature, which had been watching us from afar, more clearly.

Its entire body was covered in purple skin.

Long arms and long legs.

Despite its massive size, it moved through the trees with agility.

“A monkey? No, maybe a gorilla.”

“…What’s that?”

“Senior? Do you know what that is?”

“…It’s a bit vague, but it looks similar to the giant that swallowed us.”

Similar to the owner of this belly?

I looked at it once more, puzzled.

It didn’t seem like the main body.

While I was watching it with suspicion, the creature, perhaps feeling threatened, tried to escape by climbing the trees.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

But Ella's arrow hit it.

The creature fell from the tree after being struck by the arrow.

-Growwwl...

A sorrowful cry came from the magical creature as if it was in pain.

Because of its thick skin, unfortunately, the arrow didn’t pierce through its targeted arm. However, it seemed unable to grasp the tree again with the injured limb, and it began to run away along the ground.

“Senior, can you shoot one more arrow?”

“My view is blocked, I can’t.”

The trees in the forest seemed to be an obstacle.

Even though I wanted to burn them all with Iscaliote’s shot, the distance was too far.

‘It seems like I could catch it if I use Leap.’

Using Leap meant I would be charging in alone.

Abandoning the rear and rushing ahead alone? That's something that shouldn't exist.

‘Should I carry Ella senior and run?’

The decision was made quickly.

“…Senior, I’m going to lift you up briefly.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

I slightly slowed down to match her pace.

Then, wrapping my arm around her waist, I lifted her.

“W-what are you doing!”

Though she was startled and resisted weakly,

I could withstand it, so I ignored it and started running using Leap.

Her surprised scream echoed through the forest.

“Hyaaah!!!”

The scenery rushed past as if blown by the wind.

The back of the fleeing magical creature came within reach.

‘Going this way takes us away from the Basin… is this a trick?’

That thought was brief.

As we closed the gap with the creature, Ella senior drew her bow and nocked an arrow.

“I’ll hold it in since it’s an emergency…”

With those words, she released the arrow.

It struck the creature’s thigh.

-Groooan…

The creature cried out in pain and limped.

Its speed had considerably slowed, but she seemed unsatisfied with just that.

-Whoosh!

She rapidly fired burning arrows in succession.

The arrows flew, shattering the creature’s limbs.

-Boom!!!

Each time an arrow embedded itself in its body, the sound of stones exploding reverberated.

Eventually, all of its limbs were pulverized, and it dragged itself along the ground.

Once it could barely walk, I set Ella Senior down on the ground.

She stood on her feet and gave me a look of uncertainty.

It seemed she was contemplating whether to spare or kill it.

As she had mentioned earlier, since it was an emergency, I hoped she would understand.

Anyway, I cautiously moved forward with my shield, staying alert as the creature attempted to rise.

-Grrrrr…

Pressing the creature's head down with the muzzle, I fired.

-Bang!!!

Just to be sure, I confirmed the kill.

Its head burst open in a full spectrum of colors.

“At last, we caught it,” Ella Senior murmured as she approached.

"Usually, magical creatures prefer to fight rather than flee, but this one was peculiar."

She was right.

If it had been fully focused on the battle, it would have been an even tougher fight.

“It seems it lured us away from the basin for some reason.”

The creature acted as if its goal was to separate us from the basin rather than focus on its survival or fighting.

“There must be something significant in the basin for it to behave like this…”

The moment she and I simultaneously looked in the direction of the basin, a sorrowful cry was heard from afar.

-Screeeeech…

It wasn't human, more like the sound of an ape or chimpanzee.

-Screeeeech.

The sound was getting closer. At the same time, a presence could be felt.

Something hidden in the basin was descending from the mountain.

“What on earth…”

“Sounds like a baby monkey crying… Gardner? What’s wrong?”

A massive presence could be felt.

The entity that absorbs our souls, its main body.

A gigantic presence was coming down from the mountains.

Simultaneously, a familiar sensation approached.

“That… could it be starlight?”

An entity with a colossal presence.

There was a persistent light pouring down toward it.

Mysterious and cold starlight.

An entity with an immense presence.

As it approached, the starlight also drew nearer.

"Hey, what's wrong? Snap out of it!"

Finally, my body entered the range of the light.

"It's warm."

A familiar sensation.

Similar to the power absorbed by killing monsters.

It shone upon me, and I was absorbing it.

There was no need for the cumbersome process of killing and disintegrating it.

The starlight was already akin to a crystallization of decomposed power.

A force that was closer to our souls than anything else.

I just needed to absorb it.

“Don't forget what has caused you pain.”

A sticky, tar-like voice caressed my heart.

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