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When I entered the barracks, people were busy moving around. Abel quickly saw me and Sigren.
âYou both came back together.â
âWhatâs going on?â
Abel nervously swept his hair up. âThe other hunting team caught a monster, but thatâs the strange thing.â
âHow?â
âIt would be better for you to see and judge for yourself.â
I followed Abelâs suggestion and went to the place where the ânew monsterâ was. It wasnât difficult to find the location because people were gathering around it.
A corpse of a monster was spread out in the center.
âThe speed was so fast that several people barely caught it. One person dead, and one injured.â
âIt looks like a low-level monster in this areaâŚ,â
However, when I looked closely, it was definitely different. The skin of the monster that resembled a large hunting dog was hard and black.
âOriginally, it must have been a weak object to fireâŚ, if the outside skin is this hard, it would be useless to use any kind of fire.â
I checked the monsterâs teeth and claws.
âItâs harder than normal low-level monsters. It has big teeth and claws.â
âWhen it was alive, its eyes glowed red. It wasnât originally like that.â
âI know. Also, originally, ah, I think the leg muscles were even stronger. I think I could understand how fast it was.â
After slowly examining the monster, I looked at Abel. âI honestly donât understand this sudden transformation.â
Abel looked at me flatly. âAnd youâre saying that after guessing roughly like that.â
I sighed lightly. âHonestly, thereâs only one reason for this transformation. The emergence of Darkness.â
Abel nodded. âYeah. itâs my first time seeing it with my own eyes.â
âItâs the same for me, too. Also, I didnât see the âdead landâ that often appears after the appearance of Darkness in the hunting groundsâŚ.â
If there was, the hunting competition would have been stopped immediately.
âThatâs true. Anyway, it was decided that the hunting competition had to be abruptly stopped. It would be dangerous if there were many such transformed monsters in the forest.â
âThen, are we going to just leave it alone?â
This was a forest not far from the capital. No one knew whether more monsters would come down and attack the capital.
âNo, a subjugation team will be formed soon. Itâs not a playful competition like this, itâs official.â
âI see.â
That was weird. This didnât happen in the original novel. The hunting competition scene was just a process in which Sigren and Eunice confirmed each otherâs feelings little by little.
Abel glanced at my face. âDonât worry too much.â
He must have thought that I was worried about monsters.
âItâs okay. It hasnât been confirmed that Darkness is the cause. Rather, did everyone return safely from the hunting grounds?â
âNo, I heard Ernestâs party hasnât returned yet. Have you seen them?â
A sigh came out.
âSigren⌠No, the Prince said they were heading towards the control line.â
âWhy?â
âHe thought he was going to lose, so I guess he went looking for stronger monsters.â
Abel clicked his tongue.
âAnyhow, that old man⌠fighting to death just so he could win and beat a young girl whoâs the age of a daughter, really pathetic.â
That was true. Ernest was older than Abel. In terms of age, Ernest was older than my father.
âIâll have to send a search team. Get ready to go back.â
âYes.â
After answering, he was returning to Heilonâs tent when suddenly, a corner of the headquarterâs tent became noisy.
âThereâs an injured person!â
âHurry and call the healer!â
People rushed in.
I grabbed one of the restless ladies and asked about the situation.âWhatâs going on?â
âDuke Ernestâs party returned and was said to be injured.â
Oh, did they come back? In that case, it seemed that it would be okay not to send the search party. I approached the party through the gap of the people that gathered. There seemed to be a lot of injuries.
âDid the duke get hurt?â
âStop the bleeding!â
âIâve tried to stop the bleeding, but this woundâŚ, is it the poison of the monsters?â
At first glance, Duke Ernest didnât look too badly injured. It was mainly his knights who were seriously injured. There were many knights protecting the duke in the first place. However, the number of those who returned could only be counted on one hand.
âAre the other knights dead?â
Unfortunately, it seemed that they ran into a group of transformed monsters head-on.
In the midst of chaotic shouts, a clear voice broke the commotion.
âIâll take care of the poison.â
It was as clear as a bell ringing.
Naturally, the gazes turned around.
Bright golden hair, as if taken from the sun, brushed past me.
âBlond hair?â
It was not one of the healers who came out calmly, but a noble girl who appeared to be of my age.
âNo wayââ
The girl looked around for a moment, perhaps because she heard my voice popping out of my mouth. I met with the purple eyes sparkling like amethysts. The peach-colored bright cheeks and dense facial features were surprisingly lovely.
I swallowed my words involuntarily.
âEunice Arlynâ
That girl was the female lead in the original story.