I readied my stance. Leaned a little forward while crouching to balance myself. I placed my hunts on the ground and held the spear I made. Slowly, I approached the entrance of my home.

My heart was beating so hard doctors might think I’m having a heart attack. Right now, I prefer to have a heart attack rather than being visited by a man wearing an armor ready to slit my throat.

After a while, I caught a glimpse of it. It was a girl… a human child… She crouched on the ground placing something and turned around. That’s the moment she saw me.

Thud.

The girl fell on her back after she saw me. She began to cry.

Sob… Sob… Hicc

“Uwaaaaa” (Child)

Uhh… OFFICER I DID NOT DO IT! IM INNOCENT! Behind her, I saw a piece of bread on the ground. Ah, She’s my goddess… I quickly let go of my weapon to stop the girl from crying. Even after I did that she didn’t stop wailing. I walked towards her and patted her head.

I usually did this to my sister when she was upset. Thus, I became a master at doing it. After a while, the girl stopped crying. I sat on the ground and tried talking to her.

“Who are you?” I asked her.

“…” She tilted her head in response.

Hmm… maybe…

“Do you understand me?” (Eliot)

“…” She just sat there while staring at me.

“I see, language barrier huh…” (Eliot)

While lost in thought on how to deal with this situation, the girl grabbed the bread on the ground and laid it infront of me. She then made a gesture of eating the bread.

Assuming that she wanted me to eat it, I grabbed it and took a bite of it. She smiled and stood up while saying words I could not comprehend. She left my home after that.

Worried that something bad might happen to the girl I tried following her. But by the time I got out of the cave, she was already gone… I grabbed my hunt and and made sure to prepare the meat before going to sleep.

[Day 7]

Today I want to set out and fight the nearest water source. Right now, I’m relying on the dirty water puddles inside the cave, so I want to find a cleaner source that is near my home.

Water is a very essential resource to any kind of living being. Thus, securing it is crucial for survival. But most importantly… I FUCKING SMELL! IM DIRTY! I NEED A SHOWER!

I packed the essentials and ventured inside the forest again. But this time, I was ready. So, face me you fucking monkeys.

(Molly POV)

[Fall, Year 896 in the Imperial Calendar]

As we continued to venture inside the forest to search for the witch, we stumbled upon a pile of bones. There were hundreds, no, it was closer to a thousand.

The ground was littered with them. Their bones were either blackened due to being burned or shattered due to fighting. There were bones of both infants and adults. Whoever did this did not differentiate their kind at all.

“They’re infernal apes.” (Paladin)

“ !!! “ (Elicia)

Infernal apes, they once ruled a large area of the demonic forest, they numbered thousands. They were the masters of this place, ruled it like kings. The apex predators. Their teeth were as sharp as a sword crafted by a master blacksmith. Thousands of knights throughout history have perished trying to wipe out these creatures.

They were cruel monsters. Making their prey experience excruciating pain before devouring them alive. But years ago, it was discovered that their population was almost wiped out.

This became a catalyst for human and other races’ encroachment to the demonic forest which brought forth the creation of the first adventurer’s guild in the continent.

“We need to continue; we can’t slow down here.” (Elicia)

“Understood Priestess.” (Paladin)

It made me tremble thinking what would happen if I somehow meet the creature that created this carnage.

[Meanwhile]

“Fuck. I’m lost.” (Eliot)

An idiot got lost in the forest trying to find a place to bathe in.