As the three left the guild and received their acceptance to subjugate ten orcs in the dark forest, Jin trailed behind the girl, his mind replaying the scene from earlier.
A typical guild troublemaker. Still, the mont lingered and strangely amused.
He shook his head, suppressing a chuckle and looked forward to the girls.
They were absorbed in their own world. Silvia pointed at everything, and her eyes were wide in wonder. Iris calmly followed beside, answering every question with a half-smile, recalling the mories of her first outing with her big sister.
The two were oblivious to the stare that followed them. One man even had to receive a red handprint on his cheek from his partner for staring too long. ’Poor guy’.
Jin and the others entered the south district filled with the spirited shout of n and the clattering noise of armor.
The sound of sword and tal clashed while the scattering straws after being stabbed hundreds of tis filled the training area.
"What kind of place is this?". Silvia tilted her neck and looked toward Iris, who gave her a cramped smile.
"You should ask the lord’s son, not ". Iris said and glanced back at Jin.
"Jin, what is this place?".
Silvia hopped back and stood beside Jin. Iris began to lower her pace and matched their gait, walking together under the sun’s glare.
He glanced to the left, seeing the silver-haired girl giving him a pensive look.
"My father’s territory bordered the Dark Forest — not exactly a calm neighborhood".
"Yes, I’m aware". Silvia nodded and swept her gaze around, watching the knights whose jaws dropped to the ground, watching their groups.
"My father built his district as the first line of defense in case a monster wave occurred." Jin paused and watched the girl nod, "But, we don’t send the knights into battle because a knight’s priority is to protect its citizens. So, we leave that to adventure".
"I see, so the adventurer handles the front lines". Silvia raised her brows and swept her gaze around.
"Yeah, that’s right. As expected from Silvia".
They arrived at the south gate after the long, tedious conversations that seed never to end. However, Jin frowned to see the tension shrouded the place with how many knights guarded it.
"Stop! What business do you have here?".
One of the young knights, holding a long spear that matched his height, raised his palm toward the group.
Iris stepped forward, offered her Adventure card, and showed her necklace, followed by Jin and Silvia behind.
"We are adventurers on a quest to subjugate so Orcs".
The young knight frowned after hearing the word ’Orcs’. He pondered for a second, then said, "Okay, be careful out there".
"Is there anything unusual that has happened. You guys seed more tense and heavily cautious than usual".
Jin stepped forward, facing the guard who tilted his head.
The man shook his head and revealed what happened. "Since you are an Adventurer, I will tell you this. Last night, our patrol saw several orcs at night loitering in the forest maw".
After those words left the knight, Jin and Iris’s face hardened. They exchanged looks with silent nods. Silvia, who noticed the heavy mood floating around the place, gulped her saliva and turned toward the forest.
Jin raised his hand and asked, "Excuse , but have you contacted the lor about this?".
"Yes, we just received the order this morning".
"I see". Jin exhaled and thought about his morning practice with SIlvia, ’So that is why father didn’t take practice with .’
"Um, can we pass the gate? I feel bad for stopping your work".
Iris broke the tension that shrouded the mood, letting the guard scratch his back head and walk away.
"Right, you are permitted to pass, but be careful out there".
After bidding their farewell, Jin and Iris, who turned silent along the way, walked past the vast green plain and arrived before the dark maw.
The sun from the east cast its golden grace on the land, but its light couldn’t even pierce the lush greenery that stretched endlessly in front of them.
A dark forest lood over them, its shadows bare its fang, making the group flinch as they heard a howling whisper inviting them to enter.
"What’s your call, Jin?". Iris asked, and her tone was low. The tension in her eyes mirrored the danger slithering around them like snakes.
"The possible way is to return, knowing our numbers and experience, but...". Jin stared right through the abyss before him.
The darkness covered the entire field, narrowing his sight to a few ters ahead. His erald eyes flashed before he caught a miasma that jolted back toward the deep, wary, as if noticing an uninvited guest.
"First of all, can you guys do sothing about your vision in this darkness?". Jin glanced sideways toward the girls.
Iris nodded and raised her hand to create a swirling wind, "I can if I ask Zephyros for help."
All eyes now focused on Silvia, who murmured to herself, holding the sword hilt.
"Thalassa said I can do it if I use her power."
"Good, then what kind of monster Orc was and what rank do they have?".
Silvia and Iris exchange relieved glances, hearing Jin’s calm deanor, which seed to support their pounded hearts.
"Um, they were a Rare-rank monster, slightly above Goblin!". Iris knitted her brows, recalling the mories in her mind.
Silvia placed a finger on her lips, "They also tend to act in groups, so be careful when you notice one of them, two or three more followed from behind".
"Thank you for the explanation".
After Jin received the information, the girls closed their eyes and gathered mana on their palms before summoning their partner.
"Co, Zephyros".
The wind swirls around them and condenses together into a wolf figure. Its golden eyes glowed brilliantly before it entered Iris’ body.
"Thalassa lent your help."
Silvia tightly clenched her grip on the sword hilt, letting the blue aura coat her figure and settle around her eyes.
Jin nodded, facing the forest entrance with tension gripping his wrist, "Let’s go".
A dimly lit forest was clouded by a thick miasma that covered the entire place. Three pairs of glowing eyes narrowed their gaze to see how deep and gloomy the place was.
With his light step, Iris, who was close to nature as her racial trait, led in front. She occasionally stopped her advance to filter the noise that rang in her ears.
The group advanced slowly as they were teased by the ominous invitation that sapped their life away.
It’s been a while since they entered, but the atmosphere put them in an oppressed state that felt like hours had passed.
A jolt from a snapped branch stopped the group as they turned to the source.
’What is it?’. Jin’s Jade eyes further contracted its retina, allowing him to see farther ahead, ’Wow!? This skill was more practical than I thought’.
On his right side, hidden beneath a tree trunk, there was a tall monster with green skin. It had strong limbs that were encased by muscles.
Red fluid sared the monster’s back; it ca from a beast with a destroyed head on its shoulder.
’An Orc!?’. Jin narrowed his eyes as he saw the monster he was searching for.
Different from the pig-headed monster in stories. The Orc had a pair of tusks that protruded from its lower jaw, a brutish ape-like face and red eyes that glead with intellect.
"I see one Orc". His murmur brought the other two to flinch.
"Where is it?". Iris turned to the back and spoke in a hushed voice.
Jin pointed forward from their place. His brows furrowed together, "There are two, three, ...five of them gathered and carrying their hunt".
Jin gulped and tightly clenched the katana sheath on his left, "It seed they were returning to their settlent. What should we do? Follow it?".
Iris and Silvia accidentally et their gaze and nod in silent understanding after watching the boy spread his lips wide, revealing his white canines.
"After you, Jin". Iris stood on his left with a bow ready in hand.
"We will follow your lead". Silvia drew the blue sword that glinted fiercely under the dim light.
"Okay, let’s go before we lose our target".
The boy walked ahead as the two watched their surroundings, careful not to create a rustling noise when stepping on the grass.
They walked for about a minute in wary, with chill continuously caressing their skins as they followed the Orc’s steps.
’This was!?’.
’Orc footprints?’.
Iris’ eyes narrowed, and so did Silvia. They glanced toward the boy’s back, which could block a tsunami on his own, softening their tightened expression.
They proceed inside, walking deeper into the abyss and eventually arrive at the elevated ground, with a massive hollowed maw gazing back at them in eerie silence.
"This is the place". Jin’s voice carried a heavy premonition as they heard an echo of a groaning monster inside.
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