Published: July 3, 2025
“Travel has become quite easy now.”
“Well, I suppose…”
“It’s a straight road, isn’t it?”
“If they encountered something like that, it’s understandable why the adventurers and knights couldn’t return…”
Ryo shared his thoughts, Nils agreed, Amon stated the facts, and Eto contemplated the tragedies that those who hadn’t returned must have faced.
After the caterpillar had passed, all the trees had been knocked down, creating a straight road.
While monsters like wolves, snakes, and boars moved around the trees, the caterpillar pushed them down and advanced.
As a result, the four of them were able to smoothly approach the World Tree via the path the caterpillar had cleared.
Then, Ryo’s Passive Sonar detected an unusual anomaly compared to before.
“Um, sonar… Ah, according to the magical exploration, there’s something ahead about eight hundred meters away, taller than one kilometer.”
“Huh?”
In response to Ryo's report, Nils asked back with a bewildered tone.
Then, all four of them looked toward the distance of about eight hundred meters.
“Ordinarily…”
“It’s a forest.”
“But over a kilometer tall…?”
“Yeah, I think it’s probably the World Tree…”
Nils said, Amon affirmed it, Eto asked for confirmation, and Ryo answered.
It didn’t look like there was anything there.
“No way… Active Sonar.”
Active Sonar is usually more precise than Passive Sonar.
“Just as I thought! There are probably a large number of rafflesia imposters sticking to the surface of the World Tree!”
“Rafflesia imposters… Those invisible plant-type monsters!”
The three from Room 10 recalled the time they had gone out to search for a crossing point and had been paralyzed by the poison released by that monster.
Moreover, they hadn’t been able to see that plant-type monster until it was frozen in ice.
“Is that thing on the surface of the World Tree?”
“Yes. Most likely, there are thousands or even tens of thousands…”
“Indeed, if that’s the case, it makes sense that they wouldn't be visible.”
“If we get closer, we’ll get paralyzed again, right?”
Nils, Ryo, Eto, and Amon honestly didn’t want to fight.
Ryo's Ice Coffin could indeed contain it, but…
“We’re here to explore, not to fight or resolve anything. After confirming to a certain extent, let’s retreat without engaging.”
Eto made the most realistic suggestion.
Yes, the reason the four of them came was strictly for ‘confirmation.’
They just needed to confirm and report back.
The World Tree exists, but there are many invisible plant-type monsters sticking to it.
However, the situation progressed beyond their expectations.
“Something is falling from the sky.”
As Ryo said this, the three others looked up.
“People?”
“Humanoid monsters?”
“Three coming this way.”
They were humanoid monsters none of Nils, Eto, or Amon had ever seen before.
Three of them landed in front of the four.
They were not human.
Gray all over, faceless, with no eyes, nose, mouth, or ears… Nothing.
It was immediately clear they were monsters.
However, standing at a height of one hundred eighty centimeters, bipedal, with a one-handed sword in its right hand and a small shield in its left.
And as they landed, they immediately assumed a stance, exuding a murderous intent…
“Could it be the rumored shadow stalker? Either way, we have no choice but to fight. I, Amon, and Ryo will engage in close combat. Eto will provide support from the back.”
The moment Nils gave the orders, the three of them charged forward.
Clang.
Clang.
Whoosh.
Duel encounters occurred at three locations.
The shadow stalker was strong.
It was matching blows with Nils and Amon, both B-rank swordsmen.
Of course, it was also fighting Ryo…
“(Abel, is Abel alive?)”
While engaged in the sword fight, Ryo was speaking to Abel through the echo of the soul.
“(Yeah, I’m alive, but I’m a bit busy right now… Huh? You’re fighting a rare one. A shadow stalker. Plus, I’ve never seen one equipped with weapons.)”