Ace felt something shining in his eyes, so bright and warm. However, his head didn't feel as dizzy as before. Slowly he opened his eyes. This glare comes from the sun that infiltrates the gaps in the leaves. After adapting for a few minutes, Ace chose to sit down. His fingers touched the fresh green grass and felt soft. The cool air is enough to help Ace relax a little. There was no one there, only the chirping of birds echoed which reminded Ace of the quiet Barl Town.

When Ace tried to stand up. His right hand accidentally touched something. "A Bag?"

His brows furrowed to find a sling bag made of old cloth. Hesitantly, Ace took the bag and opened its contents. There are five bottles of small tubes similar to laboratory test tubes during school. They are blue and red, respectively, with a written on it potion. It could be this thing that the NPC described just now. Underneath the tubes was a worn-out brown-bound book with ancient writing. Ace was sure he had never studied ancient languages, but how could he read this writing so easily?

Ace narrowed his eyes as the reddish sunlight that broke through the gaps in the leaves reflected on the sword. Carefully, Ace gripped the sword that felt sadistic. Ace swallowed. It's about half Ace's arm length. The sharp curved blade seemed to be able to stab and tear the body of a monster, while on the wooden handle there was a dragon carving. Ace is not a very good swordsman. He had never taken sword classes or anything like that in school, but the sword was light on him, even lighter than the pocket knife in the kitchen. From the embroidered letter A on the end of the rope, Ace guessed the bag was his.

Not wanting to waste time, Ace put on the bag and stood up. With his support on the tree trunks, Ace began to walk, tracing the path. His ignorance about this place is misleading. As a child, walking the path in the pine forest had become his habit. He enjoyed the smell of the pine, watching the fallen leaves while enjoying the fresh air. Despite his unpreparedness in Erfheim, this forest managed to calm Ace's chaotic mind.

The bushes behind the tree rustled. Instinct made Ace take out a short sword from the bag, then pointed it at the source of the sound warily. Various kinds of strange thoughts began to fill his mind.

Ace grew more alert as the voice approached. Fifteen steps from Ace, a man approached. Ace squinted to see the man's face which was partially covered by hair and surrounded by a faint mist. His clothes were dark red, like a cloak tied around his shoulders with an all-black shirt. The tall shoes he was wearing were slightly soiled. In his black glove-clad hands, he held scythe a pointed. Similar to the weapon used by the Angel of Death. However, from the style of his clothes, the man looks like a heroine in a game online. The red eyes that made his skin look pale were abnormal. Ace got goosebumps. Unknowingly, his legs and arms trembled when he saw the cold and flat expression like a vampire.

Ace immediately wanted to stab the man, but he could be far more powerful than him. It's not funny if you die in the early game.

Ace's feet continued to step back as the man drew closer. His eyes probed, then fell on the dragon emblem on the man's weapon.

"Who are you?" Ace ventured to ask.

The man was silent for a moment. He glanced at the longsword Ace was holding, then sighed. "Niel."

“You were also thrown into this world?”

Niel nodded. "We will continue the introductory session in the capital. Come on."

"Why? Who are you? Why should I obey a stranger like you?”

Niel shrugged, then pointed at the sky behind Ace. The deafening roar made Ace look back. About two hundred meters away from him, a huge beast—Bluriz— was flying towards them at high speed. His skin that was shiny like steel made Ace sure this short sword would not pierce him.

The movement of very wide wings like bats freely flung the pine trees. As if the trees were little toys. Ace felt his body float as yellow claws stuck in front of him. For a moment time seemed to stop.

"Don't daydream, you idiot!"

Ace realized it wasn't a dragon, but it was the size of the clock tower in Hilfheim. Quick movements like a horse, wings as light as a bat, and a fierce face like a lion. The beast roared again. The whole plant dried up and the ground cracked as if their life had been snatched away. Maybe Ace will die right away if Niel doesn't pull him. For some reason, Ace's instincts told him that the man was quite strong and reliable.

Ace felt the ground shaking. The beast flew back, then stopped in front of them. The swing of his long tail that looks flexible is ready to release Ace's head if Niel doesn't pull him down. They make dry tree trunks to hide. It seemed that the beasts would not let them go quietly.

Ace's knees trembled. There was nothing he could do but surrender to Niel. Even if Ace tries to run, the beast will knock him back.

"What will we do now?"

“Escape. Bluriz is not easy to beat.” Niel answered briefly, but Ace didn't understand what the man meant.

Did He said to run away? Escape from beasts that are a hundred times their size? That's ridiculous! Moreover, he did not have any power. This short sword would have no way of breaking through those thick scales. Let alone penetrate, just scratch Ace sure this sword will break first. The only way to escape was to face this beast while looking for an opening.

How could Niel calm down when the beast turned his head to them? What was the real use of the scythe Niel? Or maybe Niel is just a beginner like him? Ace shuddered at the thought of the worst. From the way the beast flew and roared, it was likely using the power of nature. Ace realized when the beast snatched the tree's life, then turned it into a great power.

Bluriz again spread wings. I don't know what happened, when the beast attacked with a flap of its wings, the ground shook violently. Something underground exploded out with the sound of chains. "Stay here," Niel spoke softly before rushing out.

Ace's face paled when Niel stood in front of Bluriz who spread his wings again. Eyes ruby Niel'smet the beast's yellow speckled emerald eyes. Bluriz's movement was so fast that Ace couldn't see it.

Niel jumped back nimbly. Ace was mesmerized as the skinny man slid from above, using the fallen trees to pump up his strength. In an instant, Niel managed to dodge the flapping of the wings, then landed on top of him. He mumbled a long sentence. Then the ground shook violently as if something was thrashing beneath it.

Black chains with a red aura emerged from the ground, restraining the lion's clawed horse's hooves. Bluriz's body struggled so hard that the chains failed to hold him back. There was a very loud crash as Niel bounced into the trees.

Ace didn't know what he was thinking just now, but suddenly his short sword was grasped. His shaking hands almost made Ace unable to hold the knife hilt. Ace looked at the emerald eyes sharply. Even though Niel looks strong, Ace doesn't want to depend on him. He did not want to get involved in a debt of gratitude that could ensnare him in the future. Right now, Ace knew they had no chance of escaping, but there had to be another way.

Ace scanned the beast's entire body. His head might be hard to reach because their heights are so different, and Ace can't jump as high as Niel. After all, its shiny scales looked slick from the strange liquid that was constantly oozing out.

The wings are also the same. Seeing Niel get knocked down with wings gave Ace goosebumps. Attacking clawed feet with scales is also a bad idea. The yellowish-pointed fangs can stick into the head or body easily. At first glance, this bluriz [YA2] has no drawbacks. Don't forget the beast's instincts that can sense the air of existence.

Ace dared to run as fast as possible. Bluriz's high head position makes his scaly neck an easy target. Quickly and with all his might, Ace threw his short sword.

However, the instincts of a beast cannot be deceived. The beast replied with a roar. Ace's short sword bounced before it managed to pierce his neck, while his tail was ready to hit Ace's body. The man bounced, almost hitting Niel who just got up.

` "Oh, damn it!" Ace cursed as he realized his HP bar had dropped drastically. His whole body ached until his bones seemed to shift. He didn't expect Niel to be alive and look fine. Even though Ace was sure Niel was knocked down from a height and hit a tree trunk. If in the real world, Ace was sure the man was dead. Even his HP bar only decreased slightly. How big is the difference in their strength?

The beast's gaze was fixed on them. Niel hurriedly took scythe from his back, then spun it a few times. For Ace, this was the first time he had seen a monster and human fight. He's like seeing the main character of the game fight so cool and defeat the enemy. For some reason, after seeing the brief fight just now, Ace felt he had some hope in Niel.

Should he help Niel? Does not seem. His HP bar was only a quarter left. Ace realizes the difference in strength between himself and Bluriz. One small strike could kill him this time.

The next challenge arrived. Before the beasts charged, black chains with a red aura appeared again. However, the chains didn't hold back the movement like before. The sharp ends of the chain like a demon's tail stuck in several parts of the body. The deafening roar sounded again. A clawed hand swung at Niel, but the man was ready. He swung the scythe while muttering an incantation.

Ace didn't know Niel's fighting instincts were good or that the man had been stuck here long enough. But Niel managed to block the attack. The scarlet aura-shaped blade surrounded Niel's body and made the place he stood on blackened. When Niel's right hand rose, the chains moved freely again. Black blood spurted out as the end of the chain pierced through Bluriz's thick scales. The beast roared again. His skin changed.

Now it looks like a sturdy steel shell surrounded by a black aura. The wounds from Niel's attack slowly disappeared, even the blood on his skin disappeared. His wings, which were still pierced by chains, were moved vigorously until they were spread apart. So big and made Ace widen.

He saw it himself. The chains melted. His skin gave off hot steam that seemed to melt anything it touched or touched. While Ace was still amazed and horrified by the scene in front of him, Niel approached the man.

"You made him mad!" Ace flinched when the beast's two eyes caught them.

"Very nice." Niel snuggled closer to the tree trunk and lifted the scythe with his right hand.

"What will we do? Your attack failed."

"I didn't intend to attack."

"Then?"

“Looking for an opportunity to escape. My attacks have no effect on Bluriz who also has dark magic.”

The beast flies. Hot air hit them, making their HP bar slowly decrease. The roar was ear-splitting. Ace covered his ears, while Niel silently watched Bluriz move. If Ace forgot that the man saved his life, he might have stuck his sword on Niel.

“Now then, hold on to me tightly.”

"What?" Ace frowned.

"Hold on tight," Niel repeated his words while watching Bluriz move closer and closer.

"What would you do?"

"Escape."

"In a way?"

“Hold the strong on me. Or you will die.” Niel thrust the chain at the end of his scythe.

“Okay.” Ace relented. He held tightly to the ends of the chains scythe as if to lay down his life for the newfound figure.

Yes, he had no choice. His life depended on whether Niel's crazy plan that he had no idea about would work or not. It's not a good idea to stay in this place anyway. He couldn't let the hot air erode his HP bar continuously.

"Are you ready?"

“No—Ah, y-no—ah! Good. I am ready! Whether I die or not, the important thing is that I'm ready." Ace shook his head several times. His grip on the chain was strengthened.

Then within seconds, Niel swung the scythe at Bluriz's head. The beast struggled even more as the scythe was perfectly embedded, held back by thick, hard scales. Their bodies were drawn, dangling with tossed chains. Bluriz's bat wings make them fly higher and higher. Ace got goosebumps when he looked down. If his grip on the chain loosened, his body would hit the ground hard.

His entire body cooled and made his grip on the chains loosen. However, as if knowing Ace's predicament, Niel removed his scythe from Bluriz's head, then wrapped it around their bodies with chains to keep them from falling free.

He muttered the incantation again, then the chains turned into black shadows that carried them away.

Dimly, Ace could see the beast going mad. Something's weird, Ace thought. The beast seemed to be raging alone, leaving questions in its mind about the man who brought it out of the forest.