Chapter 14 - Special Ability

"Hunting? You wish to hunt now?" Dimas looked at me in disbelief.

I nodded slowly. "Tomorrow night, Grussel is allowing me to join the hunt once more. After a week of doing nothing, I fear my instincts and skills may have dulled. After all, I am no master hunter. I need some personal practice. You should know that."

"But it's far too dangerous to cross into Elvian territory," he protested.

"Of course not. I won't cross the river, just the forest around the city," I said, flashing a wide grin.

The man sighed softly and rubbed my head. "Very well, but on one condition. I will accompany you to ensure your safety."

"That's fine."

The night sky stretched above us like a vast canvas, studded with a million twinkling stars. Rubiel's dim light shone down, illuminating the trees and grass beneath, wet with dew. A gentle night breeze stirred, bringing the fresh scent of earth and the fragrance of flowers. Beneath the sky, we left the tower behind, our steps quickening as we made our way toward the headquarters of the Dark Night.

After about half an hour of walking, we arrived. I waited in front of a shop beside the headquarters while Dimas retrieved my weapons. It wasn't time for me to return just yet. If I forced my way in, Grussel would surely expel me and possibly extend my punishment. The old man was quite disciplined when it came to time. Even a minute past the deadline, and he would consider it late. I had suffered his wrath many times for missing hunting deadlines.

Fifteen minutes passed, and Dimas sneaked out from the back. It was clear he would draw unwanted attention if he brought my weapons out the front. I immediately donned my gear—a thirty-centimeter-long dagger strapped to my waist. Then, I slung a quiver of arrows and a short bow across my back.

"Let's go!" I said enthusiastically. We hurriedly left the place and headed for the outskirts of the city.

As I looked at Dimas, I saw he had armed himself with a short sword. It was the weapon most often used to finish off our prey. In addition to learning hunting skills, we were both trained in self-defense and weaponry at the Dark Night. Dimas had chosen swordsmanship because, as he claimed, the martial art of Wushu—which he had studied—also taught sword techniques. So, he was already familiar with the basics. Or so he said.

As for me, I chose archery, inspired by the many adventure-fantasy games I had played. Every time I played one of those games, I always chose the archer character because I thought they were the coolest. My second reason was my new body. I was no longer human but Haier-Elvian. A race with superhuman hearing and sight. With such a gift, being an archer seemed perfect for me. I could shoot my target from great distances.

"Hey!" Dimas called.

"What?"

"We won't be hunting for too long. Just find one animal, and then we'll head back."

"Yeah, yeah," I answered lazily.

To be honest, I was quite annoyed by his overprotective attitude. He worried too much, like a mother watching her child leave the house to play. "Don't do this, don't do that." Not to mention his incessant chatter. For some reason, since arriving here, he had become overly cautious about everything.

After walking for some time, the western city gate appeared a few hundred meters ahead. I greeted the guards who were closing the gate halfway. They knew we were hunters of rare animals. Whatever Grussel had done in the past—whether by bribing them or threatening them—the guards always allowed us to come and go freely. All we had to do was mention Grussel's name, and they'd let us pass without question. If possible, they'd probably even roll out a red carpet for us.

The hustle and bustle of the city faded into the silence of the night as we walked further from the gate. Only the sounds of insects and the rustling of dry leaves swept by the wind filled the air. The trees here were sparse, having been felled by the townspeople to clear fields and open roads. The flickering wings of fireflies led the way along the dark embankments of the rice fields. We continued deeper into the forest, finally parting ways at the edge of the farmland.

My feet struck the hard ground as we reached the forest's edge. Small rocks scattered around seemed to threaten anyone who was not careful.

Half an hour later, the trees grew denser, and the darkness deepened. Rubiel's light was hidden behind thick clouds. This did not trouble me, for my eyes could see as clearly as in the daylight. Unlike Dimas, who was still human and required light to see in the dark, I had no such need. This was why he carried a small lantern.

The lantern illuminated only a few meters around us, not much. But that was precisely what we needed as hunters. We couldn't afford to make ourselves visible with a light too bright. The lantern was easily extinguishable and reignitable, allowing us to hide quickly if an Elvian came near.

I gestured for Dimas to stop. My ears caught a sound. I closed my eyes to concentrate, tuning in more clearly to the sound. Like a projection on a screen, I could see everything around me in my mind's eye, even with my eyes closed. I could see Dimas watching me with a tense expression. Fallen leaves settled on my hair, and hundreds of ants scurried below my feet, busy constructing a massive nest. Everything was vividly clear. I called this ability Super Sense.

I directed my Super Sense deeper into the source of the sound. The projection in my mind pierced through the forest, past rows of tall pine trees. Beyond the bushes near a small, trickling stream, I saw a large deer grazing on fallen fruit. I heard the sound of fruit being crushed between its teeth. Its body was thick, its antlers large. It seemed like a good target. I had been fortunate to find it so quickly.

I stopped my Super Sense and turned to Dimas. "There's a large deer five hundred meters to the north. We must move quickly before it leaves."

"Let's go!"

The next moment, we were both dashing forward at lightning speed. We raced past the trees and over rocky paths. I led the way, with Dimas following behind. I ran, activating my Super Sense once more, wary of any danger nearby. Though the radius was small, only a few meters, it was enough to keep me alert.

Learning from my mistake last week, I had become more cautious each time I entered the forest. This area still belonged to humans, so there were no Elvians. But danger could always emerge from anywhere. So, I kept my senses heightened.

I signaled for Dimas to stop when we were one hundred meters from the deer. Dimas extinguished his lantern, trusting me for sight. The deer could easily run off if it heard us. I didn't want to risk that. We crept closer, moving carefully, step by step.

I peered around a large, gnarled tree. Just ahead, near some bushes, a stag was munching on fallen fruits. Its massive antlers glistened in the faint light. Though deer were not mystical creatures, their antlers could still fetch a good price. My purse would finally get heavier again after a week of losing weight.

I nodded toward Dimas, who was hidden behind a nearby tree. He understood my signal. It was a simple plan. I would shoot the deer's leg with an arrow, and he would finish it off. This was our standard strategy when hunting together.

Still focused on the deer, I nocked an arrow and placed it on my bow. I took my stance and drew the string back, pulling it to its maximum. The bow I used was a short one, not capable of long-range shooting, but it would suffice to disable the prey standing right in front of me.

I took a deep breath, focusing on the target. In the next moment, I released the arrow.

The deer screamed as the arrow struck its leg. Without hesitation, Dimas lunged forward, driving his sword into the animal's body, quickly ending its life.

"Well done, Dimas!" I shouted.

I ran to him, watching as the stag struggled in its final moments. Its eyes locked with mine, as if it were asking, "What wrong have I done to you?"

I had been through this countless times, yet it always unsettled me to look at my prey. Dimas had already begun to cut off the stag's antlers with his sword, not caring that the animal was still alive.

I released one last arrow into its forehead, ending its suffering. Slowly, the light left its eyes. Moments later, it was dead. I knelt beside it, closing its wide eyes and gently stroking its fur. It was a ritual I kept for every animal I killed. They died because of my selfishness, so I felt it was only right to give them one final respect.

"Can you stop praying for the animal? I need help!" Dimas called out. He had already managed to cut off the massive antlers.

"I'm not praying for it. I'm giving it a final tribute."

"It's the same thing, fool! Come on, help me skin it!"

If I delayed any longer, he would surely continue shouting at me. So, reluctantly, I joined him. We both set to work skinning the large stag. Its hide could be used for various accessories and clothing. While there were breeders who raised deer in the city, their hides were far inferior to the thick, wild ones.

As we skinned the animal, a terrifying rumble suddenly reached my ears.

"What is it?" Dimas asked, noticing my sudden tense posture.

I activated my Super Sense and scanned the surroundings. Even though I expanded the radius to its maximum, covering hundreds of meters, I saw nothing. Just trees and bushes. But the sound was unmistakable, and the vibrations in the earth were undeniable. It wasn't an animal. It was humans.

"It seems like a group of people is heading this way. A lot of them," I said.

"Let's hide!"

"But where? There are only trees around us."

Dimas hesitated for a moment. "There's a good spot!"

And so, we hid in a tree. The trees in this forest were tall and thick. The distance between the ground and where I was perched was about ten meters. We were safe for now, perhaps.

The rumbling sound grew louder, even without my Super Sense. Dimas, just a human, could hear it as well. His face tightened as he followed the direction of the sound.

Not long after, a caravan of horse-drawn carts appeared, speeding along. They seemed like a line of ants, marching in a single row. The tree we were hidden in trembled as the caravan passed beneath. It was more fitting to call these carts cargo carriers, not passenger carriages. They were merchant carts, used to transport goods of all kinds.

"They look like traders," Dimas whispered.

"Wait, don't regular city traders conduct their expeditions in the morning?"

As far as I knew, city traders typically set out at dawn, seeking blessings from the Sun God for their travels.

"That means they're not from this land," Dimas explained. "Look at their clothes and the thick animal-hide coverings on their horses. They're likely from Sigrotia Iuna in the north, a land known for its extreme winters."

"I've never seen them before."

"Of course not. They must have snuck in. They're probably avoiding customs checks."

"They're bold, sneaking in with so many people."

"Maybe they know the weak points in the kingdom's patrols. They're confident in their reckless plan."

After some time, the caravan of traders continued on their way. Dimas and I decided to climb down from the tree and head back to the city. It was already dark. Perhaps I had avoided trouble for now, but who knew what lay ahead if we lingered too long in the forest.

Barely a minute passed since I spoke, and trouble found us once more. My carelessness had returned. As I jumped to a lower branch, my foot slipped due to poor footing. The branch I landed on was too frail. It snapped instantly, and I fell.

"ANGGI...!!" Dimas shouted in horror.

As I braced for impact, a miracle happened. A cart with an open roof passed directly beneath me, possibly left behind by the group. It broke my fall, saving me from certain injury or worse.

THUD!

My back hit a wooden crate with such force that it shattered, spilling fruit everywhere, much of it crushed under me. I felt the sharp pain in my head as I collided with an unknown object.

My consciousness slowly faded. My strength left me, and I languished in the darkness. The last thing I saw was Dimas running after the cart, desperately trying to catch up.

I gave a wry smile. You fool! A human like you could never catch up to the speed of that horse-drawn cart!

You... always worry too much.

You really are... a true friend. But you...

...such a fool...