Volume 1 Chapter 35 Quest： Not Just My Brother II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The ‘Eastern Forest’ located in the East End has the character for “east” in its name, but it actually lies in the northeastern part of the wooded area.
The town and streets to the southwest, facing the sea, are warm thanks to the warm currents, but the ‘Eastern Forest’ is cold due to the chilly winds coming down from the northern mountains.
On top of that, it’s covered in the unique humidity of the forest, making it a challenging place for adventurers, as just gathering the necessary gear for winter hunting can lead to losses.
In the midst of such a forest, Kian was moving forward with Serena.
Serena was in front, and Kian was behind her.
At first, they walked along a path used by adventurers, but soon they veered off into an area where they wouldn’t normally go mushroom hunting.
Kian felt beads of sweat forming under his inner layer.
This terrain was definitely not suited for a casual stroll.
Trees crowded around them.
The ground was covered in a layer of leaf litter with a gentle slope.
Large rocks and moss-covered fallen trees jutted out here and there, blocking their way.
”Going into a place like this… didn’t your brother think it was strange?”
Serena grumbled as she jumped over a fallen tree.
Kian placed a hand on the trunk to lift himself up, carefully landing to avoid twisting his ankle.
”He probably didn’t think so. If he had, he would have turned back and fought with guard (big brother).”
”In such a dense place, it wouldn’t be surprising if a monster showed up at any moment. Going in alone is insane. How well did he get tricked?”
Just as Kian was about to respond, he spotted a crow flying in from deeper within the forest.
As he extended his arm, the crow landed on it with a flurry of wings.
”I didn’t find any human corpses, but it seems they found a basket of mushrooms. A backpack is also lying nearby. However, there are several ‘large dragonflies’ buzzing around the area──’Spoon Wings,’ I believe.”
Kian squinted at the message from the crow.
’Spoon Wings’ were dragon-like insects with red compound eyes, trumpet-like protruding mouths, and elongated bodies.
The creature is classified under the category of sub-dragons, as it is not a pure species of the Large Dragonfly.
”How many? You mean there are several?”
”Corvus, do you know the exact number? …Maybe 5. But it’s hard to tell because the forest is so dim.”
”What should we do? Should we just charge in?”
This time, they saw a crow flying up from the lower slope.
The crow landed on Kian’s shoulder and cawed.
”…It seems this mission should have been our first priority.”
”I never thought they would be alive. …According to the crow, there are about 2 ‘Spoon Wings’ flying around the cave as well. We’ll probably have to fight them.”
”Let’s hurry!”
As soon as Serena said this, she lightly jumped off the rock she was standing on, scattering the leaf litter as she slid down the slope.
She moved with such speed that it was as if she were using a sled.
(Tch, that’s reckless.)
Kian inwardly grumbled while placing a hand on the tree trunk.
The enhancement of physical abilities only strengthened muscles and bones.
He couldn’t replicate what she did with a human body, so he carefully hopped down the slope step by step.
He was confident in his mountain climbing skills, but Serena was overwhelmingly faster.
”Corvus, lead her to that human.”
He commanded the crow perched on his shoulder, and it took off, catching up to Serena and flying alongside her.
”Serena, follow it!”
”Okay!”
A loud voice responded.
Kian released another crow into the sky and hurried down the leaf-strewn slope without worrying about appearances.
However, Serena’s figure quickly disappeared from view.
(Is that a deer or something? There’s no way I can catch up.)
’Beastmen have a different body structure than humans.’
”The vampire’s eye technique is useful, but I wish I had regular 4-element magic in times like this. Especially earth magic.”
He swung his makeshift club to clear away thin branches.
Once the path opened up, he would leap down the slope again.
As they continued that cycle, they eventually reached the riverbed at the end of the slope.
A narrow stream flowed gently over the leaf litter, making a soft “plop plop” sound.
It seemed there was a spring somewhere nearby.
(Thanks to this stream, they were able to survive.)
”Kian, be careful. There’s a strong presence ahead.”
”…!”
There was no need for the glasses-wearer to say anything.
Ahead of them, a long shadow about 2 meters in length swiftly passed between the trees, heading towards the stream.
A low buzzing sound, reminiscent of insect wings, mixed with an unpleasant high-pitched “creek creek” echoed through the forest.
Serena, who was leading, crouched down cautiously beneath a pair of shadows.
She had already drawn her sword, holding the blade in a reverse grip and keeping it hidden behind her back in a low stance.
”Gather the other crows. Go!”
In response to her voice, the crows perched on a large rock by the riverbed took off all at once.
Kian splashed through the shallow stream, rushing towards Serena.
”…, …, ……!”
In his right hand, he held a handmade club.
Channeling his magic power, he prepared to execute the basic technique known as ‘Shot.’ He positioned his weapon low, focusing on the shadow of a giant dragonfly hovering in the air.
A white wind swirled around the crude oak club.
The irritating “click click click click” of insects filled the air as a slender body about 2 meters long emerged from the shadows of the leaves.
It had red compound eyes, a trumpet-like mouth, and wings shaped like spoons.
This was a common type of ‘Spoon Wing’ often seen in the area.
”Shh!”
He stepped forward.
His right foot sank into the mud of the stream, splashing water up to his waist.
A white shockwave was released from the club as he swung it upward from a low position.
The strike, aimed at predicting the movement of the ‘Spoon Wing,’ accurately pierced the creature’s wing.
One of its thin, rainbow-colored wings tore off, and a high-pitched scream, like metal being scratched, filled the air.
”Serena!”
He rushed over, channeling magic power into his club once more.
Serena made a motion as if to place her hand on the ground, then suddenly vanished from Kian’s sight.
The black earth erupted upwards.
Did she jump up──?
As he shifted his gaze, he saw Serena climbing up the trunk of a tree.
She kicked off the vertical trunk, which was over ten meters tall, and before her momentum faded, she threw a knife attached to a wire into a branch.
Just as he noticed her legs tense up, the bark shattered and flew apart, and Serena vanished from sight.
By the time he realized she had kicked off the trunk while pulling the wire, Serena was soaring through the air.
She swooped down on another ‘Spoon Wing’ that was hiding in the shadows of the tree, attacking it from above.
She wasn’t aiming for its wings.
Her light blue eyes blurred in the air, leaving a trail behind.
With a dull thud, the longsword she held in reverse grip pierced the monster’s neck.
It was a precise strike that penetrated the gaps in the ‘Spoon Wing’s’ green exoskeleton.
She dragged the creature down with her, crashing to the ground and rolling over the leaf litter.
He heard the sickening crunch of bones breaking.
Covered in mud while grappling with the ‘Spoon Wing,’ Serena quickly rolled to her feet, grabbed 3 knives from her chest, and tossed them carelessly.
They struck the remaining red compound eye and soft throat of the other monster that Kian had shot down, completely stopping its breath.
”Haah.”
Standing up, Serena pulled her longsword free and walked over to the ‘Spoon Wing’ that was twitching on the ground.
She twirled her sword──without a moment to admire the beautiful arc of her blade, she swiftly severed the head of the other monster in one clean stroke.
”I didn’t get my turn.”
”You cut its wings for me. That’s more than enough.”
Serena replied calmly as she carefully wiped the surface of her longsword with a cloth.
She was drenched in blood from head to toe.
Her once-shining silver hair was now unrecognizable.
However, she didn’t seem to care as she quickly tied up the mouth of the ‘Spoon Wing’ lying on the ground.
If she didn’t, the remaining poison would leak out and pose a danger.
”We’ll just collect the heads and deal with the dismemberment later. First, we need to retrieve the survivors who are said to be in a nearby cave.”
”Yeah… I can tell their location by the smell. That way.”
Serena pointed downstream with her longsword.
”Okay, got it.”
”Hold the heads. I’ll tie up the other one’s mouth.”
”Sure.”
”At the very least, I want to bring back the poison glands and liver, and if possible, the rainbow-colored wings too.”
”The wings might fetch a good price from collectors. One of the ones I dropped is damaged, but the one Serena took down has both wings perfectly intact. If we can bring back the wings, you can keep all the money.”
”Really?”
”Of course, since you were the one who took it down. It wouldn’t make sense for me to take any of it. Or do you not want the money?”
”No, I do. I’m a bit short on cash right now, so I’d appreciate anything that can turn into silver coins. Thank you, Kian.”
”I’m just saying the obvious. It’s a bit much for you to be so moved.”
”Yeah, but thank you.”
Serena, with her dog ears drooping slightly, smiled softly.
If she hadn’t been covered in blood, it would have been a lovely sight, but right now, it looked more like a scene from a horror story.
Kian waited for Serena to wrap the monster’s head in cloth before speaking.
”Let’s go. We need to help the man who’s dying in the cave.”
”Okay.”
Nodding, Serena began to walk.
Her silver tail wagged happily.
Kian thought that, rather than reading her emotions from her mostly expressionless face, it was easier to understand her feelings by watching her ears or tail.
* * *
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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