The journey to the south continued.

  Alfred, who had been afraid before, was now curiously observing his surroundings.

  Lush greenery, different sizes of stones and boulders cluttered the forest, dancing blades of grass and insects that travel on their surfaces, and earthy mud. Normal things that could be seen anywhere were enough to awaken his neurons.

  The gushing wind and swaying tree branches created a unique sound that resonated with the birds singing and insects crying. The fresh air and the relaxing scent of the forest calmed his anxious mind.

  Though he knew they were going on a dangerous mission, Alfred couldn’t help but become excited by the new scenery and music he was experiencing. It had been weeks since he arrived in this magical world, but this was his first time basking in its beauty.

  Even though he had seen a lot of wonderful things, such as the Guardian Tree, unique animals, and magical phenomena, it was not enough. He wanted to see more, learn more, experience more.

  ‘I wonder if I can go out in the tribe more frequently after this.’

  Due to his wandering mind, a protruding root tripped him, planting his face onto the ground.

  Most hunters sighed, Gunnar mocked, and those remaining shook their heads. Tripping shouldn’t have triggered such a reaction, but the problem was that it had already happened several times, slowing everyone down to an undesirable pace.

  Perhaps due to this, Vir made a decision and ordered. “Someone, go to Alfred and carry him, we do not have time to waste, we only have a week or so to hunt a beast!”

  Not even a second had passed, and the youngest hunter answered the call. He ran at Alfred and carried him on his back without asking for his permission.

  “Sorry for the trouble.” Alfred apologized to the towering youth.

  The young hunter glanced at him and grinned. “There is no trouble. This sort of weight is nothing to us hunters.”

  ‘It’s embarrassing, but I can’t really complain. I have been interrupting the journey with my clumsiness. If only I didn’t lose my right foot.’ He sighed. ‘I guess, this is for the better. I can focus more on my observation without worrying about where to step with my wooden leg.’

  As they traveled, Alfred's charcoaled eyes would spark when something of interest garnered his attention: unknown fruits with shapes and colors different from his previous world, small critters unique in this world, and ecosystems far from what he understood.

  ‘It would have been great if I had a book and a pen, or a camera.’

  Then, his eyes widened.

  “What… is that?” He mumbled in almost a whisper.

  Not far from their group was a massive hole in the ground that could fit multiple baseball fields.

  The hunter who was carrying him seemed to anticipate his question as he already had an answer prepared.

  “The people in the great forest called it Death Fall because falling inside meant certain death. There were a lot of them scattered in the forest. No one knew how, when, or why they existed, and no one dared investigate. The only rule was to avoid them at all costs.”

  “That is understandable.” Alfred absentmindedly replied while his focus was on the bottomless pit. “The thought of falling alone is terrifying enough. Only a madman would willingly try it.”

  The young hunter chuckled. “Yeah, luckily, they are hard to miss.”

  After a while, the journey stopped when the darkness arrived, forcing the group to set up a place to rest.

  Without a single word, hunters moved like working ants, doing their part like they had been assigned to. Few hunters gathered dry wood for the fire, some prepared and cooked, others inspected the weapons and cargoes for any damage, and those remaining scouted the area for any danger.

  Alfred watched all of this while leaning against one of the trees. He wanted to help, but he didn’t know how. He thought of asking Vir for any instructions, but he seemed to be in a meeting with Gunnar, Armani, Rao, and a few hunters whose names he didn’t know.

  Even from a distance, he could see Vir’s sharp expression. Whatever they were discussing... it was serious.

  ‘Should I join them? I’m one of the important figures of the plan after all. But what will I even say if I know nothing about hunting?’

  He sighed, looked up, and whispered. “At least the night sky, stars, and the moon are still beautiful in this world. It’s rather comforting that not everything is different.”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Alfred stayed in his position for a while, enjoying the view and the cold breeze of the night. Then out of nowhere, a face blocked the view, interrupting his peace.

  Alfred fixed his sitting posture and focused his attention on the person.

  It was a young man standing 6-foot-tall, with black hair that covered his eyes, and a lean body marking his years of training and hunting experience. On his left leg were leaves tied around it, appearing to be a medicinal herb for an injury.

  “Are you not cold? Why not sit next to the fire?” The young hunter asked.

  “Oh, it's you, thank you for your help earlier,” Alfred said, and then extended his hand. “I’m Alfred, by the way.”

  The young man stared at his hand, seemingly not understanding what to do with it.

  Realizing that the people of this world probably have no clue about the concept of a handshake, Alfred withdrew it and awkwardly laughed.

  The young man smiled back and sat beside him. “I am Berus. No need to thank me, it is my duty as the youngest member of the hunting team. Anyway, I heard you can do magic. Is that true? It is such a shame I am not there to witness it.”

  Alfred gazed at the young man with a bit of understanding.

  ‘Is he curious about the Rune? Is that why he is so kind to me? Well, doesn’t really matter as long as I’m making friends, I’m all for it.’

  Alfred scratched the back of his head and uttered. “It is embarrassing, but yes. However, I don’t think it's that amazing, not yet at least.”

  Berus leaned closer and questioned. “Really? Do you think you can do it now?”

  Alfred slanted his body back. “I don’t think that’s smart. I don’t want to attract any monster's attention in this darkness.”

  The young hunter nodded. “You are right. What am I thinking? Sorry about that.”

  Alfred shook his hands. “You don’t have to apologize.”

  “No, I have to. I almost placed our camp in danger.”

  “No no no.”

  “No no no.”

  The two repeatedly apologize to each other, like a broken tape, as if it would continue for eternity. Fortunately, someone sauntered closer and interrupted them, breaking the cycle of insanity.

  “Hey, outsider!” Another youth shouted, slightly kicking the prosthetic leg of Alfred. “I like how you made us laugh earlier. Can you repeat it?”

  Alfred turned his eyes to the silver-haired man. “Gunnar, can you just leave me alone?”

  Gunnar scuffed. “What a coward. I was right, you are not worthy of marrying Aponi. Someone like you, who could not even protect himself, does not have the right to even talk to her. I will make sure the marriage never happens, I promise you that.”

  Even though a part of him agreed with Gunnar’s statement, the way he talked to him triggered something inside him he didn’t know existed—stubbornness. Perhaps due to his disdain towards bullies, or tired of being belittled, Alfred looked at Gunnar directly in his silver eyes and rebutted. “I don’t think you have any power to stop it. If even Aponi agrees, what gives you the right to reject it?”

  The short hunter’s face immediately turned red, his blood boiling in anger. “What did you just say?” He stepped forward, ready to fight, but then the youngest hunter stopped him.

  “What are you doing, Gunnar? We are in the middle of an important mission, you know how much Head Hunter Vir hates disagreement while we are on the mission.”

  Gunnar's enraged eyes jumped at Berus. “You are defending him? Do you think you can beat me in a fight?”

  Berus lowered himself upon receiving Gunnar’s direct anger.

  “What is happening over there!” A commanding voice echoed into the surroundings, instantly garnering everyone’s attention.

  Alfred traced the owner of the strong voice to the man sitting next to the campfire. His dark red hair complemented his intimidating body structure. It was the Head Hunter, glaring in their direction with intense scarlet eyes.

  Without a once of delay, Gunnar pivoted his body and faced Vir with the widest smile he could make. “N-nothing! I am just giving Alfred advice on what to do if he meets a monster!”

  Berus nodded repeatedly, completely agreeing with the silver-haired man. “T-that is right, Head Hunter!”

  Alfred felt a tug on his foot, only to realize it was Gunnar and Berus kicking him simultaneously as if urging him to say something.

  With his vast amount of knowledge from reading manga, Alfred recognized the hint. Not wanting to worsen the situation, Alfred nodded in confirmation.

  Vir leered at them for a few seconds before opening his mouth. “…Do it quietly.”

  Gunnar and Berus sighed together while touching their chests.

  “That was close.” The towering youth mumbled as he slid his back down against a tree.

  “Do not think we are over,” Gunnar remarked and then left.

  Alfred, once again, looked at the dark sky and sighed. Exhaustion washed over his mind and body.

  The next day started very early as Vir chose to persist at their fast pace.

  Luckily for Alfred, he had time to sleep more because he embraced his situation of being carried by Berus.

  The group left the place with only the mark of the campfire they created last night. With a single file, the group traversed the forest.

  They had been walking for hours without slowing down, yet not a single one complained or even appeared tired. When the journey seemed to be endless, Vir gave a command to stop. Finally, they were here. It took them another half a day to arrive at their destination.

  Berus placed Alfred on one side, near the weapons and 5 massive pots, as he too must help to prepare for the hunt.

  Alfred observed the people around him busied themselves, finishing the final preparation.

  After a while, Vir sauntered towards him. “Alfred, get ready, you are next.”

  Hearing that his time was nearing, he closed his eyes and began absorbing Spirit Energy as much as possible.

  Another hour, and a voice called out. “Alfred, your turn.”

  With his cue uttered, Alfred released a mouthful of air and slowly opened his eyes. He stood, walked to the location of the plan, and did his specialty.

  It took him several minutes to finish the final piece of the puzzle. Therefore, when he was done, he returned to where he had sat before and rested his body with a vast amount of Spirit Energy missing.

  ‘That took much more effort than I anticipated.’

  The hunters finished the preparation before nighttime. The sky was painted red as the sun neared its final stage. Everyone’s expressions of exhaustion were clear as they sat against the tree, panting while swiping the sweat and dirt off their faces.

  However, before everyone could sink their body into relaxation, a loud clap resounded.

  “Great work, everyone,” Vir announced while his arm crossed before his chest. “I know all of you must be tired, and it is understandable, considering all the work we have done. However, we still have one important thing to do before we rest. We must consume all our rations tonight and ensure you get all your energy back before tomorrow. Thus, even if it is hard, you must rise and eat as much as you can. Tomorrow, we hunt!”