Over two weeks have passed since I killed the monster near the Lamia camp. That was still the only time I had encountered a "proper" monster.
I had, however, passed multiple villages - some small, some larger - but they had all been burnt to the ground or ransacked by invading armies.
Every time I entered, I looked for survivors, but as with that first village, there were never any.
I also would always check the immediate area for any signs of the Lamia army, but as time passed, my chances grew worse as they pushed deeper into Lionia each day, farther from me.
Every time the sun set, it felt like I was falling behind my goal of getting stronger, and that was the most frustrating thing of all.
At least I practiced using presence suppression while hunting for food. A few small animals and monsters were all I caught, and while it seemed to be the nourishment I needed, I unfortunately hadn't got any stronger yet from the kills.
It was now a few hours past midday. The sun's heat had reached its peak; its rays beat down on me. The leaves had continued to turn yellow and slowly fall from the trees, so I thought the hot weather was over, but today was an exception.
My legs had slowly grown sore from miles and miles of endless travel, so I decided to find a larger, shaded tree to rest under.
It didn't take long until I spotted a tall spruce tree peeking in the distance, its green needles unchanging despite the season.
"Huh?" I thought, squinting. Now, with the tree's base in view, I saw hints of red in its shadow.
Instinctively, I activated presence suppression and quickened my pace, dropping to all fours for stealth.
"Ten… thirteen… fifteen," I counted. About twenty Lamia soldiers were sitting together. I prepared for a potential fight, scanning them, but it quickly became clear something wasn't right.
There was no one in leaders' attire, in fact they all wore the same red and white uniform. And there also weren't any tents or equipment nearby.
"Did they get separated from the rest of their army?" I guessed. "Or maybe they were a scouting unit?" I shook my head. "No, too many people for that to be the case."
I stayed on high alert, glancing around for a leader who could be nearby-the moment I was caught off guard and sliced in the back by the captain returning to my mind.
I frowned, keeping low as I got within earshot and breathed a sigh of relief; no one seemed ready to stab me in the back this time.
A man, slightly taller and better built than the rest, who seemed to be in his late thirties, was pacing back and forth. He had a few grey streaks at the edges of his black hair. He seemed to be in deep thought, and his face showed a mix of nervousness, anger, and determination.
"Okay, I've decided what we're going to do," he said, breaking the silence and turning to face the rest of the men.
"Oh yeah? And what's your great plan?" One of the seated soldiers asked in a pained voice. I noticed some of them were injured.
"At nightfall, we… launch an attack on Lionia's base in the woods," he said, sounding like he was second-guessing himself.
A chorus of "What!?'s" and other angry objections rang out from the group.
"We already almost died fighting them once! They killed half of our unit, and our captain… and now, Sevan, you WANT to go fight them again!?!" one soldier spoke above the rest, challenging him with a look of disbelief.
"Not fight! We ambush them while they're asleep," Sevan argued. There were hesitant murmurs. "I can kill their leader in one blow if he's sleeping, and then with the advantage of surprise, we can win!" His eyes held a half-desperate, half-crazed look.
Sevan added, "If we go back to Lamia now, we will face humiliation and be stripped of almost everything we own… and that's if we're lucky."
The soldiers' faces began to turn pale with the realization of their situation.
"Fine," the soldier who objected to it said. "I guess it's our only choice, then. We'll follow you tonight." No one else said anything.
I continued to stay low with presence suppression active. "So… what should I do now?"
It wouldn't be hard for me to attack now and wipe them out. Realistically, it was probably the best choice…
But they were going to attack a Lionia camp tonight, which meant two things. First, Lionia troops had finally reached the border. Second, this could be a chance for me to see them if I followed the Lamia soldiers.
Hmm. "I could ambush them right before they launch their ambush… and then I can get a good look at the Lionia camp!"
Grinning slightly, I thought, "Yeah, that's a good idea. Okay... ambushing an ambush it is."
Later, after waiting patiently, the sun set, and the soldiers began their march. Keeping my distance, I followed. After crossing dry fields and stony plains, we reached a forest wall.
As they entered through an overgrown but distinct path, they began to light torches-one of the few things they had left after their defeat-to guide their way.
I began to feel a bit fatigued as I followed. "Well, I have been using presence suppression for a long time. I suppose it's a good time to find out that I can't just use it endlessly." I was still confident I could maintain it until we reached the camp.
Half an hour passed uneventfully, broken only by the crunching of dry leaves underfoot and an occasional cough.
Eventually, Sevan stopped and quietly said, "Put the lights out. We're close now." Everyone followed his order.
They couldn't see clearly now and slowly kept to the path, but I could see just fine. Leaving the trail, I ran past unnoticed, weaving between trees and quickly spotting the blue Lionian tents in the distance.
"Okay, there it is. Now I just need to find the best spot." I looked back at the soldiers, measuring the distance between me, them, and the Lionian camp. I moved to the midpoint and waited behind some bushes.
As their quiet steps neared, I got ready and picked up a large stone.
"We're almost there," Sevan said as he walked past me. I deactivated presence suppression and deliberately brushed my scales against the bushes to draw their attention.
Instantly, their footsteps froze as they glanced around nervously. "W-what was that?" one of the soldiers asked.
"It's... it's nothing. Let's keep going," Sevan answered, fear leaking into his voice.
Reactivating presence suppression, I climbed up a tree just ahead of them, my claws digging into the soft bark. Standing on a large branch, I waited until they were just about to pass underneath.
"Is this really necessary?" I thought, questioning my own intent. "It's too late now, I guess, and this will make attacking safer, I suppose…"
I threw the rock behind them. It landed with a loud, shocking thud. They twisted to face the sound, their faces now pale.
As they stared into the darkness, I simply let go. My descent was a blur in the gloom. I hit the earth with a heavy, wet CRUNCH as my claws tore into the soil and roots.
They spun back around, their faces growing more fearful before they had even laid eyes on me. My frame, over eight feet tall, towered over them; my claws at my side, ready.
I bared my fangs and my violet eyes shone in the darkness. Their own eyes were wide, both from fear and from struggling to see.
"A-a monster!" one soldier said with terror in his voice.
"No, it's a dragon!" another said, seeing me more clearly.
"I don't care what it is, I'm not dying here!" a third yelled, already backing away.
"No!" Sevan spoke up. "We fight now." He looked back at the rest of the men. "Or I'll kill you myself!"
I could tell; he meant what he said, and they clearly believed him.
Their swords were barely clear of their sheaths when I struck. I met the first blade with my claws. The steel exploded into a dozen fragments, and my strike tore through the shocked expression on his face.
Another soldier beside him swung wildly at me, but I slipped aside and cut into him with a single backhanded slash.
"Surround it!" Sevan ordered. Ten of them, the tips of their swords trembling, closed in. I dropped low, coiling my body like a spring. The world became a smear of dark trees and pale, terrified faces. My tail, that was closer to a bladed, weighted weapon, cut through the circle cleanly.
The ten men collapsed in a perfect circle around me, the sound of their bodies hitting the forest floor almost simultaneously.
A surge of energy rose through me; I had gotten stronger and grown a few inches again. The exhaustion in my muscles washed away and I felt refreshed.
Ten men in one blow... "Were they really that weak? Or am I just that strong now?" I wondered.
As I stood, their quiet, suffocated attempts at breathing before death unnerved me.
"Run, we need to run!" one of the soldiers shouted.
Sevan hesitated before turning to run and yelling, "Come on then!"
They followed closely behind. I dug my claws into the ground, took in a breath, and roared loud enough to wake the Lionian camp, before dashing forward after them.
I was nearly on them in an instant. One of the soldiers fell behind, tripping on a tree root. I passed him, instantly killing him as my claws sliced through his back, and another flare of energy hit me.
This time it felt different - the sensation settled in my wings. I felt the membranes tighten, and the bones lengthen slightly.
The rest of the chase blurred into snapping twigs, panicked breaths, and the wet thud of my claws finding their mark.
In less than twenty seconds, I had picked the rest off one by one until only Sevan was left. As I came within striking distance, he turned to look at me.
Anger and malice enveloped his voice as he said, "This wasn't supposed to happen!" He spun and hurled his sword like a dagger at me in one final, vain struggle.
I felt the blade's wind as it sailed past my head. My claws shot out, enveloping his face. His muffled cry was cut short as I slammed his head into the ground. The sharp, final crack carried through the quiet forest. He stopped moving.
"Well… that was faster than I'd expected," I thought, breathing heavily to catch my breath.
I turned to the Lionian camp. Fires had been lit, and I heard voices coming my way.
I blinked. "Right! I should probably hide, huh?" I reactivated presence suppression and slipped back into the forest, crouching behind the bushes.
A dozen or so Lionian soldiers-a few holding metal, oil-burning lanterns-and their captain ran up. The light from the lanterns cast eerie shadows on the fresh Lamian bodies.
The regular soldiers froze, but the captain, a younger man maybe in his late twenties, began scanning the forest line. I ducked my head. He had achieved Mana Transcendence for sure, and I felt nervous as his gaze swept my way.
But his gaze slid past as he said, "They must have been coming to ambush us, but it looks like something got to them first."
The soldiers looked uneasy. I felt a little bad; I wanted to see their camp and to show them that they were about to be attacked. Now they would probably be worried that there was a ruthless monster hiding in this forest...
Ugh, I hated to admit it, but they were partly right.
"Any idea what that roar was, exactly?" A soldier asked.
The captain responded, "Besides a monster, no. There are too many to narrow it down, and I didn't recognize that roar." He thought for a moment, then said, "We'll keep guard throughout the night, but try not to worry too much. I don't think we'll be attacked."
While they continued talking, I slipped away toward their main camp. About forty had stayed behind. Some were still sleepy-eyed, but all were up and talking.
"Well, I wasn't expecting that we'd run into another monster so soon, even if indirectly," one of them said, his face tired but serious.
"Huh, what do you mean by 'another' monster?" Another soldier asked. She was shorter, with long brown hair.
"I mean, the Lamia soldiers we fought were monsters. They had already destroyed multiple villages before we defeated them." He clenched his fists. "I wish that we hadn't let any of them get away," he added, anger in his voice.
"Yeah, but it's not like we could stop all of them from running, and I doubt they'll ever fight another battle after that defeat," she replied confidently.
"I hope you're right," was his only reply.
Hearing their words, I knew I'd done the right thing. Like they said, they weren't soldiers, but monsters hiding in human uniforms.
I looked down at my claws, still slick with blood. Then again, maybe I was a monster too. I'd just killed twenty men... But by doing so I had saved many in the process, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.
"Well, I guess I should probably find somewhere to sleep now..." I let out a small laugh. It felt odd to have such casual thoughts after a day like today.