Chapter 03: Acquiring a Guide

Inside the black forest.

A young teenager was desperately running to escape a giant wild boar, which was voraciously chasing him.

(Giant Boar): "Oink! Oink! Oink!"

(Young Teenager): "Aah!"

Releasing a scream of despair, the teenager ran towards a large tree. And without decreasing his speed, the teenager climbed the trunk of the tree, running vertically until he reached and embraced one of the thick branches of the large tree.

Bang!

When the teenager grabbed the branch of the tree, a loud crashing noise occurred underneath him and then the whole tree shook along with the teenager.

(Giant Boar): "Oink...! Oink! Oink!"

Looking down, the teenager saw the giant boar stagger a bit in a small state of confusion, caused by its collision with the large tree.

The boar's state of confusion only lasted a few seconds before he regained his composure and began sniffing the area around him in an attempt to find the teenager's scent trails.

Observing the actions of the boar at the foot of the tree, the teenager became a little uneasy, thinking about what he would do if the giant boar decided to stay in that area. Since the teenager had heard rumors that monsters of this type are very persistent in chasing people who have been marked as prey by them.

(Young Teenager): "Aah, what bad luck. I came across a troublesome monster this time. And what's worse is that I don't detect any other rule masters near here. So.... Should I use my flag? It's an emergency, so I don't think my master will mind, even though that's still a shameful act as I only stayed in this forest for a period of two weeks."

Wooosh!

(Young Teenager): "Huh?!"

Feeling the wind blow across his skin, the teenager furrowed his brows and looked towards a certain direction of the forest with dignified countenance.

Whoosh!

Coming from the direction the teenager was looking, the blurred shadow figure moving at high speed made a straight path towards the giant boar that was at the foot of the tree where the teenager was.

Bang!

(Giant Boar): "Hiiiiiiiiiinc...! "

Bash!

When the shadow collided with the boar, a pitiful cry was made by the animal before falling flat on its side to the ground with a dark figure clutching the side of its belly.

Rip! Rip! Rip! Rip!

(Giant Boar): "Oiiinc! Oiiinc...! "

Tearing open the boar's belly, the dark figure, heedless of the animal's sighs of pain, ripped a huge hole in the giant boar's stomach. And when the hole was opened, the dark figure without hesitation plunged the upper half of its body into the hole, causing a large amount of blood to spurt out of the boar's body.

(Young Teenager): "But what is that? "

Completely stunned by what was happening to the giant boar, the teenager was frozen in place for at least a minute before he regained his senses and panicked thinking about how he was going to get out of that place.

(What is this monster that appeared out of nowhere?! I barely noticed him, before he killed the monster that was chasing me. No, wait, now that this new monster has killed the monster that was chasing me, I can run away from here while he is busy eating): thought the teenager.

Releasing the branch he was holding, the teenager fell towards the ground while being helped by the winds that mysteriously enveloped his body, reducing the speed of his fall.

Reaching the ground without making a sound, the teenager looked towards the monster and saw it still buried in the giant boar's belly.

Releasing a sigh of relief, the teenager turned and ran from that spot.

***

After having escaped from the place where the monsters were, the teenager ran through the forest and through some bushes, before coming across a humanoid figure covered in blood, looking at him with its glowing red eyes.

It was the monster that had killed the giant boar that was chasing him.

Stopping running abruptly, the teen almost tripped. Before taking a few steps back and landing on your ass.

After falling pathetically to the ground, the teenager who did not take his eyes off the monster in front of him, saw a bizarre event where the blood that covered the monster's body was completely absorbed by the monster's own skin. It revealed a dark skin, which looked more like a burnt shell without having a single hair on it.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Several cracks appearing on the dark skin of the monster, cracking sounds were produced from them. Before the dark skin completely breaks down and reveals a new layer of tanned skin.

Crack!

Crash!

(Young Teenager): "Huh?!"

When the new layer of skin was revealed, the teenager was surprised to see the monster's new appearance, which had now become a naked red-haired man with tan skin with shoulder-length hair.

(Red-Haired Man): "Haaa, I finally recovered. I was already at my limit enduring all that burning on my skin. Cursed dragon, I will be sure to take revenge when I complete the second cycle of my divine ascension."

Using his hands to wipe the dust from his old skin that was still on his body, the red haired man decided to start a conversation with the teenager who was lying not far from him.

(Red-Haired Man): "Hey! Can you understand my words? "

(Young Teenager): "Ha! Y, yes"

(Red-Haired Man): "Great. So answer me, where are we? And how do I get to a human city? "

(Young Teenage Girl): "Ah, we are on the border of the west side of the Ilian Theocracy, in the black forest. And the closest town to here is the town of Bernadock, which is two kilometers from here."

Looking in the direction the teenager was pointing, the red-haired man nodded in understanding.

(Linguistic communication with the inhabitant of this world using Drozz's memories is going well. But it's still annoying that despite knowing the native language, Drozz doesn't have any other relevant information about the beings that live in this world, such as the language itself. existence of the dragon I faced a few days ago, which almost killed me with its mysterious strength): thought the red-haired man.

(Young Teenager): "Hmmm, sir"

(Red-Haired Man): "Huh? "

(Young Teenager): "Are you some kind of vampire by any chance? "

(Red-Haired Man): "Vampire? Are there vampires around here? "

(Young Teenager): "Ah, yes, sometimes some of them appear in this realm. But are you one of them? "

(Red-Haired Man): "And why do you think that? "

(Young Teenager): "Vampires usually have a pair of long, sharp fangs, ruby-red eyes, and a strength that is beyond the human realm. But.... They can't walk in daylight. And that's why I'm confused about what you are."

(Faced with such a situation, does he want to know what I am? Is he crazy? Or is he trying to buy time for something?)

Finding the teenager's attitude suspicious, the red-haired man narrowed his eyes. Increasing his caution, before questioning the teen.

(Red-Haired Man): "What is your name? "

(Sorín): "My name is Sorín"

(Bruno): "Sorín, my name is Bruno and I'm a guy with little patience. So don't think you're going to get away with it if you try to run away from me, do you understand? "

(Sorin): "... Yes"

(Bruno): "Great"

Materializing a sheet of paper in his right hand, Bruno threw the sheet towards Sorin.

Holding the sheet of paper Bruno threw him, Sorín looked at its contents. And then her face contorted.

(Sorin): "Is this serious? "

(Bruno): "Yes, very serious"

(Sorin): "But, but, this is a magical contract! It's something only demons do."

(Bruno): "Hmm, that's right. Good to know. But this is not a magic contract."

(Bruno): "This is a spiritual contract, made from my vital energy"

(Sorin): "Spiritual contract? I have never heard of such a contract."

(Bruno): "Spiritual contracts oblige the contracting parties to unconsciously fulfill the agreement accepted by both parties who signed the contract. Avoiding injuring or killing contractors for breach of contract"

(Bruno): "So, you can think of this contract as a harmless contract that will keep both of us in line for a period of five years"

(Sorin): ".... Do I really need to sign this? "

(Bruno): "Well, if you don't want to die, yes"

Releasing a sigh, Sorin looked down at the contract in his hand and then frowned.

(Sorin): "I don't have a pen"

(Bruno): "Just put your finger on the dotted line. And then, the contract will collect some of your life energy to acknowledge your consent."

Following Bruno's instructions, Sorin placed his finger on the dotted line on the contract. And he felt something come out of him through his finger.

Emitting a soft glow, the contract floated from Sorin's hand, having drawn his life energy.

And when the contract reached a certain height, it split into two balls of light that flew towards Bruno and Sorin. Reaching their chests and disappearing inside their bodies, leaving no trace.

(Bruno): "It's done"

(Sorin): "That means, now I have to be your guide without betraying you or revealing about the contract we made, right? "

(Bruno): "Yes, and you will do this for a period of five years. With the assurance that I will spare your life upon completion of the contract."

(Sorin): "Got it. Although I have my doubts about the validity of this contract, I will fulfill what was written in it. But... can I ask you a question? "

(Bruno): "You do"

(Sorin): "How did you get into this forest? "

"I don't want to talk about it": Bruno said while frowning.

(Sorin): "Okay, so what do you want to do now? "

(Bruno): "I want you to lead the way to take me to the city"

(Sorin): "I see, but... Are you going there that way? "

Hearing Sorin's question, Bruno looked down at his own naked body and made a thoughtful expression. While Sorin made a helpless smile.