All the pioneers in the forest decide on one thing that is to hide. Hide from the terrible monster that has entered the forest.
Being an infant or fully matured doesn't matter. A small disaster is still a disaster..
I look at the tense expressions of Ivara and the white-haired princess and unsheathe my sword.
I turn and look at Rona.
"Hey." I call her, she looks at me."Let's go." I began to walk.
"Where are you going?" Ivara asked.
"Where else to hunt monsters and get credits?"
"Are you insane? Do you want to die? Blue ogres have an excellent sense of smell. He will locate you through the smell of blood."
"It didn't matter."
I say and continue to walk. My response left Ivara in shock.
"You.. you.."
I ignore her and walk away with Rona.
From start to end the princess only looked at Elite without uttering a word till his figure disappeared.
"That hateful bastard from the backwater. Just because he traded a few blows with the princess he thinks he is some sort of big shot." Ivara stomps her foot on the ground and continues scolding. "Does he really think he can fight a blue ogre when he can't even use the Epik?"
After leaving the two behind, Elite and Rona walk in a certain direction. Most of the way Rona kept quiet but now she can't take it anymore.
"Elite, are we really going to keep hunting?" Rona asks with fear and worry. "You heard her right, that monster is too strong, maybe we should just hide."
I stop walking and turn around to meet Rona's eyes. She couldn't do it so she turned her eyes away.
"Just like I said, it doesn't matter. Even if that thing called blue ogre comes, I will deal with it."
Without even looking at her expression I turn around and start walking again.
Rona looks at the broad back and she doesn't understand where his confidence comes from.
She has seen Elite's power firsthand against the princess just now. They were equally matched. No, the princess had the upper hand. But still, it was overwhelming for her.
But the thing is, the red-haired girl called Ivara said even if all of them join their force they can't defeat it.
She must have included the princess too. That girl was with the princess. So she must have had an idea about her strength. And the princess didn't refute her. So she became certain that the blue ogre couldn't be defeated by them.
'He must be confident because the blue ogre is an infant. Perhaps we might have a chance against him.'
She has made many speculations in her mind unbeknownst to Elite. And even if he knew he still wouldn't care.
Rona follows Elite and they begin hunting monsters.
Just like that, another day passed now there are only 12 hours left till the end.
On the previous day, the infant blue ogre was in full rampage. Unlucky pioneers were ripped apart before they could even scream.
The number of pioneers dropped from over 600 to a little over 200. More than 400 pioneers lost their lives on a single day.
On the main hideout of the orcs. The entire place is in ruins. Corpses littered everywhere.
Many of them have holes pierced through their bodies. Most of them are sliced apart by a sword.
Inside the highest hut, the corpse of the orc lord lay headless on his throne. A white-haired girl swings her sword to clean the blood from the blade then unsheaths it.
She doesn't even bother to give it another look. The orc lord died with a single swing of her sword.
As she unsheaths her sword she remembers the golden-haired boy she met yesterday. She has a strong desire in her heart to complete her fight with him but now is not the time.
"Princess, the entire hideout is cleared. What should we do next?"
Ivara enters the hut and asks. The white-haired girl thinks for a second and says.
"This is enough hunting, we are going to wait till the test is over."
Ivara nods. The words of the princess are her command. Inside her mind, she thinks hard and decides to ask a question.
"Princess, do you think the boy from tomorrow is still alive?"
The princess pauses and looks at Ivara.
Feeling the gaze, Ivara trembles as the cold wind touches her body.
"I… I misspoke."
"He is alive."
"What!"
Ivara exclaims in surprise. She had asked the question on a whim but she had no hope the princess would answer her. To her, the answer came as a surprise.
"I said he is alive. I am certain of it."
The certainty in her voice made the heart of Ivara run cold.
Gulp!
She swallowed her saliva nervously.
Somewhere far away in the forest a red-haired boy throws his spear hard as it penetrates through five trees.
"Come out you bitch."
He screams in frustration. From the night of the first day, he has been stalked by that crazy girl who hides in the shadows. She would attack him as long as he lets his guard down slightly.
But the thing that angers him most is that she attacks from the dark, not daring to fight face to face.
Just as he screams, a few poison needles shoot at him. Every needle is targeting a vital part of his body.
He quickly dodges them and rushes to pick up his spear.
"I swear to tear you apart if I ever see you." He screams as he picks up his spear.
In a certain part of the forest Elite drinks fresh water from the river.
"Haa.. that hit the spot. I have done
everything I wanted except one."
I turn my head in a certain direction and say.
"Let's go."
Rona finishes her meal and comes beside Elite.
"Where are we going?" She asks curiously.
I smile "Just follow me you will see." Then I start walking.
Rona has a bad feeling about something but she still follows behind him.
As we walk, a strong smell of blood assaults our noses. The road is full of traces of blood. On the way, there were many corpses. Some were so crushed that it was impossible to identify who they belonged to.
I look at the scene and shake my head.
"That blue thing really has a great sense of smell. Strong enough to smell even fear and anxiety."
I made an assumption by looking at the faces that remain. All of them were afraid. Even when they hid the fear must have remained.
Rona walks with a pale face as the number of bodies increases.
"Are you afraid?" I ask, she is smart. She probably has an inkling of where we are headed.
She nodded lightly. And I laugh.
"Don't you think the test has been going on for a long time. It's time to end it."
"But the test will be over if we wait for half a day more. Is it necessary to do this?"
"Don't worry it will be alright. I am doing it because I am confident. I also don't want to die, you know."
Rona gives Elite a particular look and says in her heart.
'Your actions are saying otherwise.'
After walking for more than three hours. I suddenly feel an ominous presence. Rona behind me holds the corner of my red cloak.
I turn around and her frightened face comes into my view. She too can feel this repulsive energy.
"Don't worry, nothing is going to happen."
Rona is still frightened but Elite's words always give her reassurance.
And with that, we resume our way and soon the back of a five-meter-tall giant monster comes into our view.
He has blue skin and his entire body is packed with dense muscles. His surroundings are filled with corpses.
I can feel from the motion of his body that he is eating something.
He also senses our presence and turns around. His mouth is wide with sharp fangs. The side of his mouth is stained with blood.
He looks incredibly hideous and the most prominent part of his body is the blue horn in the centre of his forehead.
"Small… creature… strong…" The ogre mutters as his eyes look at Elite.
I look at him and understand the situation.
"So that's it. You have sharp instincts. You are using them to avoid the strong ones in the forest hunting the weaker ones."
I was wondering why I hadn't seen this guy even after I began hunting vigorously. I even began to doubt Ivara's words.
'This guy… he is more dangerous than I thought.'
Since he has been avoiding me now I came to find him.
"Small… creature… leave… let… you.. live.."
That ogre tries to warn me but I take a step forward. Behind me, Rona holds my cloak tightly.
"Let go. I will end it in less than ten seconds."
Rona is stunned. In her heart, she is thinking.
'What sort of insanity is this. Can't you see how terrifying that monster is?'
But those words stayed in her heart as she let go of Elite's cloak and stepped back.
"Small.. creatures… die.." The blue ogre shouts at Elite and throws a punch.