Their journey continued through the dense foliage of Quill Forest. Sunlight barely pierced through the thick canopy above. The air was humid, filled with the scent of wet earth, creating the distinct atmosphere of a primeval woodland.
As they walked, Darwin suddenly heard a faint barking sound in his mind. It was the voice of Ciel, the undead wolf he had stored in his necromancy space. Although Ciel couldn't speak, Darwin could feel its emotions—and right now, Ciel was bored.
"Hang in there, Ciel," Darwin said with a small smile.
"The forest is too cramped. You won't be able to run freely here. I'll let you out when we reach open ground."
The barking quieted. Ciel understood... and waited.
Suddenly, Liriel raised her hand in a halt signal.
"...Darwin. Stop."
Darwin immediately tensed. "What is it?"
Liriel narrowed her eyes, catching a faint sound through the trees. Heavy breathing. Large footsteps. And a strong, pungent odor.
"Creatures… large humanoids. Heavy footsteps… More than one…"
She hadn't even finished her sentence when a massive shadow leapt from the underbrush.
"GRAAAAAHH!!"
Orcs. Over two meters tall, with dark green skin and muscular builds, wearing rough leather armor. They wielded axes, clubs, and other crudely made weapons, roaring as they charged.
Darwin grinned. "Finally, a warm-up!"
He drew his twin daggers, his body glowing faintly blue—the effect of his [Speed] skill.
Liriel took position behind him, raising her bow.
"I'll support from the back. Don't do anything reckless."
"Got it." Darwin winked before dashing forward like a blur, leaving a trail of wind in his wake.
One orc lifted its axe high. But before it could swing, Darwin was already beneath it.
"Dual Slash!"
Two arcing slashes cut upward—severing the orc's legs at the knees, followed by a quick thrust into its neck. Green blood sprayed as the creature collapsed without a sound.
Another group of orcs charged, but glowing blue arrows flew from behind.
CRACK!!
The arrow pierced through three orcs in a line, exploding on impact with magical energy, tearing through their armor and bodies alike.
Liriel calmly drew another arrow, her face composed. Her bow glowed faintly with runic enchantments.
"Arrow Chain: Tracking Pierce."
Several arrows danced through the air, curving mid-flight to hunt orcs trying to dodge. One struck a heart, another exploded, flinging an orc into a tree.
"Amazing…" Darwin muttered as he moved swiftly, exploiting the chaos.
Four orcs closed in on him. Darwin smirked.
"Time to use this…"
[Intimidation]
A circle of dark violet energy burst outward from Darwin's body.
The orcs halted mid-step, trembling violently. Their eyes widened in terror, and some began to retreat.
Darwin vanished.
[Stealth] activated.
"Die."
His daggers spun at high speed, becoming a whirlwind of death. Orcs were sliced apart like paper, their green blood splattering across the forest floor.
But suddenly—one orc broke away, charging at Liriel from the side!
Liriel saw it coming. No time to draw her bow.
"…Hmph."
She snapped her fingers, drew a dagger from her thigh, and leapt toward the orc.
"Dance of Moon Blade."
Three moves. Three fatal strikes.
First, to the wrist—disarming the orc. Second, to the leg—bringing it down. Third, to the neck—ending it cleanly with a graceful, silent slash.
Darwin turned, catching a glimpse of Liriel standing over the corpse. Her battle gear was slightly torn, her eyes cold and sharp, exuding a deadly aura.
"…Liriel… you…"
"What?" she raised an eyebrow.
"You're seriously badass."
Liriel scoffed with a small smile.
"Of course I am."
The battle was over.
Around a dozen orcs lay dead. The ground and trees were smeared with thick green blood.
Darwin and Liriel began collecting the orc cores one by one.
Liriel examined one briefly.
"Orc cores like these can be sold at the Adventurer's Guild. Alchemists use them, or they're used as fuel for magical forges, sometimes even to craft power-enhancing weapons."
Darwin stuffed a few into his inventory. "Nice."
Zero's voice echoed in Darwin's mind.
Darwin could only laugh inwardly.
After collecting all the cores and cleaning up, Darwin and Liriel continued their journey through the thinning Quill Forest. As they went further, the trees grew sparser, allowing sunlight to pierce through more freely, warming their sweat- and blood-dampened bodies.
Before long, they reached a path that appeared to be well-trodden—whether by humans, wild beasts, or merchant caravans. Faint tracks of wheels and footprints marked the hardened earth.
Darwin stopped and took a deep breath.
"Well, I guess now's a good time…"
He raised his hand, activating his necromancy storage. A thin, bluish-black mist appeared, and from within it emerged a large wolf…
Ciel.
As soon as she appeared, Ciel wagged her tail excitedly and trotted over to Darwin in wide strides. Without hesitation, she leaped up and began licking Darwin's face and body with unrestrained enthusiasm, causing the young man to stumble back, laughing in panic.
"Hey! C-Ciel, that's enough! Don't—Ahaha! Gods, the slobber! Hahaha!"
Liriel could only gape for a moment. "W-Wait… That's… the wolf we fought earlier, isn't it?"
Still half-collapsed, Darwin chuckled and wiped his damp face. "Yup. I used my necromancy skill… and now she's my familiar."
Liriel approached cautiously, eyes sparkling with curiosity. "You… made her your familiar? That's amazing. Can I… touch her?"
Darwin nodded as he stood up. "Sure. She's tame. Ciel, this is Liriel, my friend."
Ciel turned toward Liriel and sat obediently, tail swishing in a friendly gesture.
Liriel slowly reached out and stroked her fur. "…Cold… But soft…"
But before she could say more, Ciel suddenly licked her cheek with her long tongue. Saliva smeared across her cheek, hair, and even part of her neck.
"Uwaaah?! H-Hyaaah! Hahaha—stop it, stop! Ahahaha!"
Darwin couldn't hold back his laughter and burst out laughing.
Ciel then turned and started licking Darwin again, soaking his upper clothes. This time, even Liriel joined in the laughter.
After the laughter faded and they cleaned up as best they could, Darwin patted Ciel's shoulder.
"Alright, time to move. We'll ride Ciel all the way to the Kingdom of Torain."
Liriel looked surprised. "I've… never ridden an animal before."
"Well, there's no better time to learn than now."
They mounted Ciel's back—Darwin in front to steer, with Liriel behind him. When Darwin gave a short whistle, Ciel flicked her ears and immediately took off running!
"W-WHOA!!" Liriel instinctively hugged Darwin tightly from behind, her face flushed with nervousness.
"C-Ciel! Slow down a bit! This isn't a race!!" Darwin shouted in a panic.
But Ciel seemed far too excited, tongue out, dashing like an arrow, weaving through trees, rocks, and roots with agile grace.
Though they were panicked at first, within a few minutes, the wind rushing past and the quickly changing scenery made Liriel laugh out loud again.
"This… is kind of fun!" she said, still holding on tightly.
Darwin could only chuckle, trying to maintain balance while saying, "At this rate, we'll reach Torain before nightfall!"
After some time, the journey settled into a calmer rhythm. Only the sound of Ciel's footsteps and the wind accompanied them.
Darwin broke the silence, his voice calm but serious.
"Liriel… about necromancy… Is it… banned here?"
Liriel didn't answer right away. Her eyes wandered toward the forest, which was slowly giving way to open grassland.
"…Yes. On this continent, necromancy is forbidden in most kingdoms."
Darwin glanced back slightly. "Why?"
Liriel sighed. "There was once a cult. They used necromancy to raise the dead, attacking villages and building an undead army. It caused massive chaos. Many cities were destroyed… ever since then, necromancers have been seen as a threat."
Darwin went quiet for a moment before asking softly, "So… I'll be branded a criminal?"
Liriel gently shook her head. "In your case… I don't think so. Ciel isn't like normal undead. She's sentient. Not rotting. Harmless to the innocent. People might be suspicious… but as long as you don't misuse your powers, no one will come after you."
Darwin looked somewhat relieved, though his mind was still filled with unease. He gazed at Ciel as she ran, his expression serious yet soft.
"Well, if anyone tries to stop us, we'll just beat 'em up."
Liriel smiled. "Such a barbaric way of thinking, Darwin."
They continued their journey, holding tight to Ciel's back as she raced toward the horizon—toward the city that would soon appear in the distance.