A few minutes after feasting on the strange yet delicious wolf soup, I decided to take a closer look at my surroundings.The campsite, the pot over the fire... even the wolf itself, which had a large but precise sword slash across its belly."I don't get it...""Could there really be someone else out here?"
That couldn't be right. There were only a few footprints on the ground—and from the looks of it, they were all mine.So then what? A ghost?Ghosts don't exist. Then again… neither do two-meter-tall wolves. And one-eyed giants? Definitely not supposed to be real either.So maybe I shouldn't be too surprised if some ghastly specter shows up around here, right?
As if someone had read my thoughts, I heard whispers coming from the trees. I instantly tensed, and then I could make out the words clearly:—"Hey, boss, how strong do you think that swordsman everyone talks about really is?"—"I don't know, Mark. Now be quiet. We're close."—"But what was his name again? Mmm... Rusbel? Luzel? Rusel... Ah! Rusel. Right, right. Desmond Rusel—the Forest Swordsman. Don't you think people are just hyping him up because he lives outside the capital?"—"I said quiet. Look. We're here."
Two men emerged from between the branches, clad in iron armor with helmets covering their heads. They carried what looked like a spear and a shield strapped to their backs.What are they talking about? And those weapons… Am I in the Middle Ages or something?
When I saw a raven emblem on their shoulders, something stirred inside me. A strange, almost instinctive hatred for the symbol's origin surged through my body.Without thinking, I focused on the sword at my waist. My body moved on its own—pure reflex—as I stepped forward, drawing the blade from the tip and pointing it directly at one man's throat.
In a cold, raspy voice, I said:—"Stay where you are."
The man behind reacted fast. He drew his spear and lunged at me with a quick, vicious thrust.I stepped to the side, dodging the attack, and pulled my sword back from the first man's neck—just as he drew his own spear.He slashed horizontally, cutting a crescent through the air aimed at my torso.I dodged again—barely.
I planted my left foot hard into the ground, cracking the earth beneath me.In an instant, I was beside him. I swung my sword and sliced through the arm holding his spear. His scream of pain echoed through the forest.
Then I turned to the second man. He attacked first this time, lunging straight for my chest.And that's when I felt it—a sensation I'd never known before. Not fear... but a sharp, brutal clarity.
I wanted to move, to dodge, to cut the man's throat before his weapon could reach me.And... that's exactly what I did.
I shifted to the side, letting the spear graze my shoulder, then threw all my strength into my legs and arms. In a flash, I was next to him, and I slashed across his neck.Skin, flesh, and bone were all cleanly severed by my blade.It felt... familiar.
Then, the robotic voice I had heard earlier spoke again—this time with a different tone:[You have killed a common human][New function available!]