Chapter 3 - Hunter from the Vermillion Family

Arthur, still stunned by what he had just witnessed, suddenly snapped back to reality when he noticed the young man who had defeated the giant bird was now heading straight toward him.

Arthur didn't know how to react—should he run or let the young man approach him?

"It seems pointless to run," Arthur sighed, deciding to stay where he was and let the young man come to him.

Arthur wasn't without reason for making this decision. The young man had already covered a significant distance in just a few seconds. With his speed, even if Arthur tried to escape, it would be futile. It was better not to take any action that might make him seem suspicious.

Before long, the young man arrived at the spot where Arthur was standing and immediately asked for his identity.

"Excuse me, sir. My name is Arthur, and I seem to have gotten lost in this vast meadow," Arthur introduced himself, addressing the young man as "sir" out of respect and politeness. From the events he had just witnessed, Arthur concluded that the person in front of him was not an ordinary human like himself.

'He's just a regular mortal, not a hunter,' the young man thought to himself, after carefully examining Arthur and confirming there was no aura of a hunter around him.

The fact that Arthur had addressed him so politely reinforced the young man's belief that he was dealing with an ordinary mortal.

"Are you from a nearby city?" the young man asked.

"No, sir. I'm from a distant city, and I don't know how I ended up here in this meadow. Do you know where we are?" Arthur replied.

"This place is called the Thousand Trees Meadow from the northern continent. From what I can see, you don't seem to be from the northern continent, as nearly everyone from this continent knows this place," the young man explained.

Arthur confirmed that he wasn't from the northern continent and that he was indeed lost.

Arthur then decided to ask the young man for help in getting to the nearest city, as he wanted to find a way back to his world.

Luckily for Arthur, the young man turned out to be a hunter from the path of righteousness and was willing to take him to the nearest city.

In addition to his good fortune, Arthur's communication skills played a role. Having worked in an office before, Arthur had learned how to speak with others, especially superiors, to make a good impression.

After agreeing to take Arthur to the nearest city, the young man raised his hands, muttered an incantation, and soon a small bird the size of a butterfly emerged from his chest. This bird, colored red with white markings, was vastly different from the large bird Arthur had seen earlier.

"Transformation," the young man said loudly.

In an instant, the small bird grew into a large bird, now just as large as the one the young man had previously defeated.

The bird retained its red and white coloring, resembling a rooster with sharp spurs on its legs. On top of the bird, a small structure appeared, roughly the size of a small car.

The bird lowered itself, allowing the young man to climb into the small structure atop it.

"Come on in," the young man called to Arthur.

Arthur climbed into the small building, which was furnished similarly to the inside of a car, with a few seats.

The young man took a seat at the front and gave instructions to the large bird. The bird flapped its wings and took off into the sky, quickly heading in the direction the young man had indicated.

Arthur, sitting quietly behind him, was in awe of the experience. This was his first time flying on a bird—on Earth, people usually flew in airplanes. As they flew, Arthur engaged in conversation with the young man. Thanks to his communication skills, Arthur learned the young man's name and gathered some information about the world he had found himself in.

The young man's name was Jake Vermillion, and he was a hunter from the Vermillion family. Arthur also learned that this world was called the Beast World, confirming that it was not Earth.

Although their conversation went well and Arthur gained some insight, he realized that Jake only shared general information and did not reveal anything personal about himself or the Vermillion family.

The journey to the nearest city took several hours, and during that time, Arthur not only continued his conversation with Jake but also marveled at the vast meadow with its towering trees.

He couldn't help but wonder how he had ended up in this unknown world.

"A falling star?" Arthur suddenly recalled that he had once wished upon a falling star to live a more colorful life.

"Could this be the result of my wish?"

After several hours, the sun began to rise, signaling the arrival of morning. The vast meadow gave way to a dense rainforest, and eventually, Arthur found himself at the foot of a mountain, with a city in view.

"We've arrived. You can get off now," Jake said, indicating that their journey was over.

Arthur dismounted from the large bird and thanked Jake before saying his farewells. Jake couldn't bring Arthur to his home because of the Vermillion family's rules, which forbade outsiders from staying. Arthur understood this and didn't mind, as he had only just met Jake.

Jake then continued his journey, and Arthur looked ahead at the large city in the distance.

The city was surrounded by high walls, perhaps several meters tall, and the gates bore the inscription "Red Rainforest City."

"So, this city is called Red Rainforest City," Arthur mused, walking toward the gates. At the entrance, a few guards stood watch, but as Jake had mentioned, only hunters were stopped. Since Arthur was just an ordinary mortal, he was allowed to pass without issue.

Once inside the city, Arthur was greeted by a lively and bustling atmosphere. People were everywhere—walking through the streets, shopping, and selling goods on the sidewalks.

"This place is surprisingly lively," Arthur thought, taken aback by the bustling energy of the city. He had expected a quieter, more peaceful environment, and the architecture reminded him of a medieval city from Earth.

Deciding to explore further, Arthur walked deeper into the city. The further he went, the less crowded it became, though there were still shops and vendors in the area.

Just as Arthur was about to venture deeper into the heart of the city, a hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder from behind.