When the human brain receives too much information from the outside, yet lacks time to process it, it begins to overload. This happens to many people. And in such moments, everyone wants just one thing — sleep. During sleep, the mind organizes the accumulated data and relieves itself from strain.
That's exactly what happened to me when I took hold of Thorna's core — I began to see his memories.
They were so vivid and clear, without a single blur or distortion. Within mere minutes, I had seen his entire life. Naturally, my brain couldn't handle such a load all at once. But I still remembered almost everything I saw — especially how people died.
Thorna turned out to be a forest creature, one that only hunted at night. That's why he would kill any humans or animals who entered the forest after dark. No wonder there weren't any living animals left in that forest. But among all his memories, what shocked me the most… was that he was a herbivore. Yes, a herbivore. And yet, despite that, he enjoyed killing — especially watching his victims fall into despair and writhe in agony.
After discovering he didn't even need to eat meat, I couldn't help but mutter:
"If you're a herbivore, why act like a cold-blooded carnivore? You could've just lived peacefully munching grass."
But as I continued to watch his memories, I saw his thirst for blood. And it shook me. That desire — it wasn't learned behavior, it was instinct. And because of that, any shred of sympathy I had evaporated instantly. I continued viewing his memories.
All night, Thorna wandered through the forest, murdering victims and collecting their belongings. After traveling a few kilometers, he entered a cave high in the mountains and fell asleep inside, empty-handed. Some time passed, and when he woke up, he looked around.
Since I was watching through his eyes, the sight before me made me freeze in place. Cold sweat ran down my back.
'What… is this?!'
Thorna lived with others — creatures like him. He wasn't alone. He was part of a group. A family. And among them was a creature even more terrifying than the rest — a massive beast about a meter taller than the average Thorna. She was their leader… maybe even their mother.
As I observed their lives, one thing became abundantly clear: they were extremely vengeful. If anyone harmed even a single member of their group, the others would relentlessly pursue revenge.
After seeing that, I came to a decision. I opened my eyes, unable to bear the horrors I had just witnessed. I threw up. My stomach churned, my body trembling from the violent images. After rinsing my mouth with a few gulps of water, the nausea began to subside.
Once I had recovered, I leaned against a tree and sat in silence, reflecting on the memories I had seen.
'I can't run away. Even if I try, they'll catch up to me. And when they do, I'll meet the same fate as their other victims. I have only one option left.'
I stood up with a cold resolve in my voice.
"I know what I need to do now. I have to destroy them."
Running would be suicide. Fighting them? Also suicidal. But at least fighting gave me a chance to survive. All I had to do… was set a trap.
'Judging by what I saw, they sleep during the day and become active at night. The sun has just risen. If I can reach their cave before dusk and set up a trap, I'll have the advantage. I just need to make it in time.'
I glanced at the two oil barrels beside me.
'Good thing I didn't use them all.'
That morning, after forming my plan, I packed everything I needed. Fresh green branches, moist leaves, one full barrel of oil, some rope, and just in case — lots of Gilunus flowers. I wrapped the plants in a sack I had found earlier. If things went wrong and I got injured, they might help me recover.
'I hope it doesn't come to that.'
I tied the barrel to my waist with the rope and set off.
Since they lived in the mountains, I had to travel through the forest — and carrying that heavy barrel made the journey hellish. The rope dug into my shoulder, scraping my skin and drawing blood. Sweat trickled from my forehead and neck, mixing with the wounds and causing a stinging pain.
I had to stop frequently to wash the area with water and chew some Gilunus flowers for relief. But every delay cost me time.
'At this rate, I won't make it.'
Knowing I had to reach the mountain before nightfall, I forced myself to keep moving despite the pain. It was torture.
Eventually, by early afternoon, I reached the base of the mountain. But the cave wasn't here — it was up high. I had to climb.
'No other choice.'
I unstrapped the barrel for a moment and chewed some Gilunus flowers to heal the wounds. Once I felt better, I reattached the barrel and began to climb.
The slope was steep, and the extra weight on my back made the climb even harder. My breath became ragged. My arms trembled.
'Forget Forest Terror. I'd rather get a Climbing or Flying Sephir instead.'
While hanging onto a ledge, I reached into my bag to grab another Gilunus flower — but found nothing.
'I… already used them all?'
Frustrated, I growled:
"Guess I'm going to die now, Rayan."
At that moment, my hand slipped. I lost my grip and started falling.
"No, no, no—!"
Luckily, I caught onto a rock just in time and dangled there.
"Ugh… that was close."
Breathing heavily, I adjusted my grip.
'If I hadn't caught that, I'd be a splatter by now. I have to stay focused.'
I shook my head a couple of times, regaining control. Then I resumed climbing.
As I approached the cave, I glanced up at the sun. About an hour remained before sunset.
'Better hurry.'
Standing at the cave's entrance, I recalled the Forest Terror Sephir and activated my enhanced senses. Without entering, I could sense everything inside.
They were all asleep. Every Thorna.
'Perfect. Everything's going according to plan. Now I just have to execute.'