Chapter 5: JOAN
Hari woke early the next morning, as usual.
The encounter with the red wolf still haunted his thoughts. He had seen the creature kill two deer with terrifying ease, and he had narrowly escaped becoming its next victim. The memory was enough to remind him that confidence could be dangerous in a world where even familiar-looking animals might possess extraordinary abilities.
He hunted a few small animals to replenish his energy, then remained where he was until the afternoon.
He had no intention of rushing blindly through the forest again. Before leaving, he wanted to make sure the wolf was no longer nearby. The last thing he needed was another encounter with a predator whose claws could produce blue flames.
Eventually, Hari returned to the place where he had first met the wolf. He approached cautiously, checking the surrounding forest and listening for any movement. He found no sign of the creature.
After confirming that the wolf had gone elsewhere, he decided not to waste any more time. He started running.
He continued for nearly two hours before finally slowing down. He stopped, looked around, and listened carefully. No footsteps followed him. No growling came from the trees. Nothing suggested that the wolf was still on his trail.
Only then did Hari allow himself to relax.
He had spent enough time in the wilderness to understand that a moment of carelessness could cost him his life. Still, after running for so long, he wanted to rest and enjoy a little peace.
He had no idea that the wolf had already noticed him crossing its territory.
The predator had not pursued him simply to kill him with a magical attack. It wanted something more satisfying.
It wanted the thrill of the hunt.
It imagined biting into the pulsating neck of its prey and drinking the hot blood that followed. The terrified expression of a creature facing its final moments gave the wolf a peculiar pleasure. For it, the chase was not merely a way to obtain food. The fear of its prey was part of the experience.
The wolf had followed Hari all the way to the place where he eventually stopped to rest.
It waited.
Hari, unaware that he was being watched, began to settle down. As he relaxed, his attention drifted away from the surrounding forest. The wolf remained hidden, waiting for the moment when its target would become careless enough to attack.
Hari caught some fish and began eating.
He still disliked eating raw meat. The taste and texture were hardly pleasant, and he missed the comfort of properly cooked food. But his encounter with the red wolf the previous day had taught him a painful lesson about his own weakness.
He could complain about his meals later. For now, he needed to survive.
After filling his stomach, Hari's thoughts began to wander.
"Hmmm... Why am I feeling moody now? Is it because I didn't watch any porn these weeks, or because I didn't have any private time with my little brother?"
He paused to consider the question.
"I even forgot about my little brother this week. After years of wizard hood, did I become the legendary sage? God, is there any way to salvage it?"
For a man stranded in a strange world, with a deadly predator somewhere nearby, Hari's priorities could certainly be questioned.
Unfortunately, he had no idea how close that predator was.
The wolf had reached a shrub behind him without making a sound. It peered through the leaves, its mouth beginning to drool as it watched Hari finish his meal.
Its eyes remained fixed on his neck.
The wolf lowered its body, preparing to leap. It waited a few more seconds, making sure Hari was not pretending to be distracted.
Then it attacked with all its strength.
"GRRRRR..."
"BITE....."
"WOOSH!"
"THUD!"
Hari had been lost in his thoughts when the wolf's growl reached his ears. He turned around.
The creature was already airborne, hurtling toward him.
For a brief moment, his mind went completely blank.
The red wolf was too close. Its attack was too fast. There was no time to dodge, and he had no weapon ready to defend himself.
He knew he had no chance of avoiding the attack.
His journey was ending here.
Hari could see the killing intent in the wolf's eyes. Worse, he sensed a terrible pleasure in the creature's expression, as though it had been looking forward to this moment.
He closed his eyes, preparing to meet his end.
Seconds stretched into what felt like hours.
He waited for the sharp pain of teeth sinking into his body.
Instead, he heard the sound of jaws snapping shut.
Then something warm splashed across him, like hot water.
"THUD!"
Hari remained frozen for a moment, unable to understand what had happened. The expected pain never arrived. He slowly opened his eyes.
His body was covered in blood.
Beside him lay the horrifying red wolf, dead.
A piece of stone had pierced its head.
Hari stared at the scene, too shocked to move. Only a few seconds earlier, he had been certain he was about to die. Now the predator that had hunted him lay motionless on the ground.
He couldn't understand it.
Who had killed the wolf?
Where had the stone come from?
And, most importantly, was the person responsible still nearby?
Fear overcame his confusion. Hari hurried toward a nearby shrub and crouched down, checking his surroundings as carefully as he could. He searched the forest for movement, trying to identify the direction from which the attack had come.
Nothing.
He could not see anyone.
He knew that mana had caused animals in this world to mutate in abnormal ways. The red wolf had already demonstrated that it could use a magical attack, and Hari was terrified by the thought that other creatures might possess abilities he had no way to counter.
The stone had come from somewhere in that direction, but he could not see anyone there now. The wolf had died because it had not been prepared for the attack.
Perhaps he could have dodged it if he had noticed it coming.
At least he would have known the direction of the attack.
But what if the attacker could throw another stone? What if the next one struck him instead?
Hari crouched behind the shrub, trying to decide what to do.
"Should I risk my life, or stay here without moving?"
He did not know whether the mysterious attacker was friendly. The stone had saved him, but that did not necessarily mean he was safe. Whoever had killed the wolf might be watching him now.
He was still thinking through his options when he felt something grab his shoulder.
Hari's heart nearly stopped.
He had been so focused on the direction of the attack that someone had approached him without his noticing. He felt as though his life were slipping away all over again.
Slowly, he turned his head.
What he saw was a little girl, perhaps ten years old, staring at him with curious eyes.
Her clothes were torn in several places. The exposed parts of her body were covered with scratches, and there were traces of blood on her skin. The damage looked as though she had suffered while moving through the forest, brushing against thorns and rough vegetation.
She did not look like a dangerous attacker.
She looked like a lost child.
"Uncle, are you okay? I saw a bad doggy jump at you. Did I throw a stone at it? Is it dead? My mother told me not to throw stones, so please don't tell her."
Hari stared at her.
For several seconds, his mind struggled to process what she had said.
At last, there is a settlement here. I can go there with the help of this girl. My mission will be finished, and I can become a divine employee.
He almost smiled with relief.
Hmm... Did I miss something else?
Then the rest of her words sank in.
"Wait. What did you say? Did... did you kill this wolf?"
The little girl immediately looked worried.
"I'm sorry, Uncle. Don't tell my mother... I thought it was a bad doggy. Please don't tell my mother."
Hari looked from the girl to the dead wolf, then back to the girl.
She had killed the creature that had nearly ended his life.
A stone had pierced the wolf's head, and this little girl had apparently thrown it. She was standing in front of him with scratched skin and torn clothes, worried not about what she had done to a dangerous predator but about whether her mother would find out.
Hari didn't know how to react.
Should he thank her first? Should he comfort her? Should he tell her that killing the wolf had saved his life?
He hesitated.
After a few moments, his pride as an adult won out over his desire to express his gratitude. He decided not to thank her immediately.
Instead, he tried to negotiate.
"Little girl, if you tell me your lovely name, I will consider not telling your mom."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Joan... My name is Joan. Now don't tell my mom, okay? Pinky promise."
"Pinky promise."
Hari nodded solemnly, as though they had just concluded a serious agreement.
The girl seemed satisfied with the arrangement. She looked at him for a moment, then asked another question.
"Uncle, are you going to get water too? Can you bring me too? Mom didn't bring Joan. Joan wants to go too."
Hari frowned.
"Did you leave your house alone?"
"Joan need to see Mom, so Joan left. Joan's foot is small, so Joan didn't reach Mom. Joan walked a lot of time. Joan becomes tired. Uncle, please bring me along."
Hari listened to her explanation.
It slowly became clear that Joan had probably lost her way. In her mind, the reason she could not reach her mother was simple: her feet were too small, and she had not walked far enough.
The innocent logic might have been funny under different circumstances. But Joan was alone in a dangerous forest, with scratched skin, torn clothes, and no clear idea of where she was.
Hari could not simply leave her there.
"Do you know where your village is?" he asked.
Joan pointed in one direction.
"That way."
"No, that's where I came from."
She pointed in another direction.
"Then this way."
"No, that's where the river is."
Joan paused.
"Then... maybe..."
Hari waited, hoping she might remember something useful.
"I will find myself," Joan said at last. "If you see a familiar place, please tell."
"Okay..."
Hari sighed inwardly. He had hoped that the little girl could lead him straight to a settlement, but she seemed just as lost as he was.
Still, her presence changed everything. He was no longer alone in the forest, and he had finally met another human being.
He reasoned that if people from the village came to the river to collect water, there would likely be a path connecting the river to their settlement. He only needed to follow the riverbank and look for a trail leading into the forest.
The possibility of finding other people filled him with relief.
He had spent twenty days without meeting another human being. At first, he had focused entirely on survival, but the longer he remained alone, the more unsettling the silence became. Now, with Joan beside him, the thought of reaching a village felt more real than ever.
He wanted to get there as quickly as possible.
Hari picked Joan up and began walking faster.
She was small enough for him to carry, and he didn't want to waste time wandering around while she was lost. He kept following the riverside, watching for any sign of a path.
About half an hour later, he spotted one.
A narrow trail led away from the river and disappeared into the forest.
Hari stopped and looked at Joan.
"Is this the way to your village?"
"Uncle, please let me down first. If John saw me like this, he would definitely make fun of me and call me Baby Joan."
Hari lowered her to the ground.
Joan immediately began running along the trail, gesturing for him to follow.
Hari watched her for a moment. Despite her frightened state and the long walk through the forest, she was eager to keep moving. She had not openly admitted how terrified she must have been while lost, but her behaviour suggested that she wanted to reach familiar surroundings as quickly as possible.
He followed her.
The path wound through the trees, and after a few minutes of running, Hari finally saw it.
A small village.
For a moment, he could hardly believe his eyes.
After days of wandering through the rainforest, enduring hunger and thirst, fighting dangerous creatures, and wondering whether he would ever encounter another human being, he had finally found a settlement.
Relief flooded through him.
Human beings! At last!
Hari broke into a run, eager to reach the village. His mission required him to find a human settlement within thirty days, and he had spent twenty days surviving alone in the wilderness. Now he had finally found what he had been searching for.
He was so excited that he barely noticed anything else around him.
Then—
"BUMP!"
Something struck the back of his head.
Hari staggered.
His vision blurred, and the village began to tilt before his eyes. He tried to understand what had happened, but his thoughts were already slipping away.
His consciousness faded.
And everything went dark.