CHAPTER 106

Gott muttered as he stared at the sudden pit that had appeared.

"What's going on here...?"

He truly hadn't anticipated this.

He couldn't have imagined that such a seemingly ordinary mole would cause such a situation.

The idea of ​​luring it with barley was good, and Vlad's judgment of rushing out like lightning and catching the mole was also good.

However, he could never have imagined that as soon as Vlad grabbed the mole, the ground would collapse instantly.

"...Was it not meant to be caught?"

Vlad was dragged into the darkness as if he had been caught.

Just like that, Vlad disappeared right before Gott's eyes, leaving behind only a single scream.

"Captain! Are you alright?"

Gott, who has finally come to his senses, shouted loudly towards the pit Vlad had been sucked into, but all that came back was the sound of empty wind.

After being left behind with Noir under the pitch-black night, Gott was at a loss as to what to do.

※※※※

"Ugh..."

As Vlad's seemingly endless fall came to an end, he drew his sword and glared around.

"Where is this?"

Given that he had been pulled into the ground as it collapsed, he could surmise that this was underground.

"Where the hell is this, damn it!"

Swinging the mole around as if venting his frustration, Vlad shook it vigorously, but the creature wriggling in his hand had no means to answer in human language.

Although it was undoubtedly the culprit behind this situation, the fact that the creature still shone brightly even in the darkness was enough to deter Vlad from acting rashly.

"If only it wasn't some damn spirit."

Though he grumbled aloud, Vlad, swift in his actions as ever, attempted to conjure an aura to illuminate the pitch-black darkness.

His experiences in Shoara, where he operated more at night than during the day, were proving helpful in times like these.

Kyu?

"Shut up."

Though the mole seemed surprised to sense Vlad's aura, all it got back was a cold reply.

However, contrary to Vlad's cold response, the mole was feeling quite relieved.

Because along with the flow of the aura, it felt the protection of the spirits emanating from the armor and amber stone.

"There's never an easy task in this world."

The first thing Vlad did after gaining some visibility through his aura was to check the hole he had fallen into, but no matter how much he looked, it seemed impossible to climb back up here.

'Hmm,'

The next thing he did was to explore where he was standing right now.

Although he hadn't completely secured his vision, Vlad, utilizing his senses to the fingertips and toes, realized that he was standing in what seemed like a passage.

It was a passage wide enough for even a human like himself to stand if he bent slightly.

It was oddly spacious for a tunnel supposedly made by small-bodied moles.

'At any rate, I need to get out of here.'

After all, since the creature currently wriggling in his hand had managed to come out and steal barley, there must be a way out for him as well.

Vlad put saliva on the tip of his finger and checked to see if there was any airflow.

"There it is."

Though faint, he could feel a breeze.

Whether big or small, it was clear evidence that there was a hole leading outside.

"If I don't get out of here by tonight, you'll be tomorrow's breakfast."

Kuuuuu–

Vlad, who had threatened the mole just in case, started moving towards the direction he had found.

Even in the darkness, Vlad's blue eyes, shining brightly, began to find their way.

※※※※

"What should I do about this..."

Gott, who had been screaming towards the pit until his throat was sore, realized that this was something he couldn't handle alone anymore.

Whether he dug out the pit in front of him or found another way, he would definitely need more people for now.

Pffft-

"Hmm?"

Just as Gott was hastily grabbing the reins to descend to the village, he realized, rather, that he was being led by Noir's movements.

"Where are you going? Hey, where are you going?"

Noir, who had been quietly looking down at the pit where Vlad had disappeared, began to walk towards the dark forest instead of the village, as if indicating this direction.

It seemed as if Noir knew exactly where Vlad was.

"....This is driving me crazy."

Gott, flustered by Noir not moving as he pleased, at least knew that this horse wouldn't act without reason.

He knew that even barbarians revered him and that sometimes he seemed smarter than humans.

"Alright. Let's go."

The connection with Vlad's world wasn't just limited to the voice.

Noir, also a being who shared worlds through connected boundaries, could sense Vlad's movements underground.

Sometimes animals reacted sharper than humans.

"...But there were strange sounds."

As Gott entered the dark forest, he suddenly remembered a story the villagers had told him.

On the day the girl disappeared, some villagers claimed to have heard strange cries from the forest.

Even though it was a sound they had never heard before, it sent shivers down their spines.

※※※※

"...Feels like roots or something."

As Vlad walked through the darkness with the glowing mole in his hand, he realized that the ground he was stepping on wasn't soil.

Surely, since he had been sucked into the ground, he should be stepping on soil.

But what was filling the ground now felt like hard roots, not soft soil.

Like dried-up tree roots.

'I'll find out once I'm out.'

Though he was alone in the narrow and dark tunnel, Vlad didn't lose his composure.

Partly because of his bold nature, but also because the current situation was better than when he was digging holes in Shoara.

And the fact that the wind was getting closer was enough to give Vlad a little hope.

Whirr, whirr.

As the wind got closer and the air fresher, a smile formed on Vlad's face, but the struggles of the glowing mole he held only seemed to intensify.

"What's the fuss all about?"

Kyuu!

Despite spreading its arms wide and seeming to communicate something, there was no way they could understand each other due to their inherently different natures.

Perhaps if there was the voice, wouldn't it have acted as an interpreter?

"Let's get out of here for now."

The problem was that each issue needed to be solved systematically.

Whether the mole struggled or not, the most pressing problem to address would be getting out of this place if one didn't want to spend their entire life wandering in tunnels.

'Hmm?'

As Vlad became more confident that he was moving towards the exit, he heard strange sounds echoing in his ears.

Thunk! Thud!

It sounded like something was hitting forcefully against something else.

Vlad listened carefully, trying to gauge the direction and distance of the unfamiliar noise.

Judging by the spreading vibrations, it seemed like the noise was coming from outside the tunnel where he currently was.

"Quiet."

Kyu-

Before Vlad finished his sentence, the glowing mole quieted down on its own.

Quickly tucking the mole into his armor pocket, Vlad cautiously moved forward, sword in hand.

Thunk! Thunk!

As he proceeded, the noise grew louder, and now he could feel vibrations through the tree roots beneath his feet.

From the crumbling dirt piles on the ceiling, it seemed like something was striking down with considerable force, although Vlad couldn't see it.

'There it is.'

Amidst the unknown noise and vibrations, Vlad finally found a spot where moonlight gently shone through a hole in the ceiling, large enough for a person to pass through, revealing the moonlight outside.

'Good.'

Now that he had found a clear path, there was no reason to hesitate.

Putting away his sword, Vlad began to cautiously climb towards the moonlight.

The glowing mole, perhaps now understanding the situation, remained crouched silently in Vlad's arms.

Thunk!

As Vlad climbed, inserting his fingers into the crumbling dirt piles on the ceiling, he realized that to escape from here, he needed to be prepared for whatever lay ahead.

'There's never an easy task. Never.'

But now, there was no turning back, regardless of regrets.

Even if he knew that such an event would happen, he would still reach out for the mole.

Vlad, after mentally preparing himself, took a deep breath and exerted force on his fingertips.

Hup!

With determination, he extended his head towards the outside.

His posture might have looked comical, but the decision itself was commendable.

'....What on earth is that?'

The scene illuminated by the moonlight was indeed beautiful.

A field of moss spread out like green plains, with a majestic tree standing amidst the cluster.

Like the high trees on the hillsides or the maple trees seen in Alicia's amber stone, it was an extraordinary oak tree.

Thunk!

And there was a being swinging an axe ferociously in front of the oak tree.

A being that was standing on two feet but was too large to be considered a human was screaming incessantly and striking an oak tree with the ax it was holding.

The mole was not quietly crouching down.

It was trembling in Vlad's arms.

Because now, it was clear that an unknown monster was present.

'Damn it…'

Realizing the situation, Vlad quickly lowered his head and began to contemplate what to do.

The most crucial thing was to identify the monster.

Although he didn't know the reason behind the unknown monster striking the tree, if it had nothing to do with him, there was no need to engage with it.

"...".

Once again, Vlad raised his head, this time closing his left eye and observing the tree and the monster through his world.

There, he saw the oak tree screaming in agony and a monster engulfed in a black shadow.

'Yellow.'

And the remnant of the voice lingering in Vlad's world indicated that the tree currently screaming was emitting a yellow light.

It was the same color as a mole suspected to be a spirit.

'Seems like I have to drive it away from here.'

Vlad sighed softly as he felt the mole trembling in his arms.

He didn't know the exact reason, but it seemed like the mole had been chased away to the village because of that crazy monster.

".....Well, I guess I have to do it."

Even though there was an incident, he had found the home of the spirit, albeit with a possibility of retaliation. Vlad, being just as in a hurry, would likely receive concessions first.

"Phew."

The trick of a one-hit kill lies in unexpectedness.

With his quick feet, Vlad could embody the element of surprise in the form of a sudden attack.

Slowly, Vlad began to recall his world through deep breaths. 

Through the dense aura brought forth by him, he elevated his aura with Larmund's technique and imbued his voice's remnants into his sword.

And his world, which did not yet have color, was captured in his eyes.

Thunk-!

Ahhh!

'now!'

The moment the monster struck down the tree and raised the axe with a shout.

White lightning began to jump out of the small hole with an explosion-like charge.

Huh?

The monster, caught off guard by the unexpected angle and the speed of the glowing mole.

"Hyaaah!"

With a piercing sharpness, Vlad's strike, imbued with the element of surprise, swiftly approached the monster.

Slice-

Vlad's sword, dyed white, was slitting the throat of a monster that could not even turn its eyes.

It was a sword that contained the full blow of a knight who could now stand alone.

Neck that rolls down.

A falling body.

And an oak tree stopped screaming in pain and looked at Vlad in surprise.

Under Vlad's sword, everything fell silent under the moonlight.

"What the fuck..."

Yet, Vlad, who had created this silence, merely raised his sword again in haste.

His world, still without color, began to extend roughly towards his sword.

Vlad cut it down, but he couldn't cut it down.

Because the neck he had struck had been meaningless all along.

"You again."

With a growl in Vlad's voice, the crumbling body of the monster began to rise again.

As if the severed neck that lay far away meant nothing at all.

Its massive body, its neck severed but now smoothly closed.

Though Vlad, being from the north, was unaware, in the central regions, this monster was known with a mix of fear and reverence as a troll.

Roaaaar-!

A huge roar began to echo from the neck that was rolling on the floor.

It was a horrifying shout that the villagers heard.