C71
The mountain beasts were brutally torn apart and hung on tree branches like laundry. Among them were ferocious carnivorous animals.
The children who arrived late covered their mouths. Not screaming was enough to show that they had done their part as mountain hunters.
“A- Altor. What happened? Is this really the work of a cowbear?"
Martin's voice trembled, and Lumina turned her head away and closed her eyes tightly, as if she couldn't bear to see. Shirone made a decision faster than anyone else.
"Let's go down. This doesn't seem like a problem we can solve."
"No, let's go a little further. I need to know what this is."
“Altor! This is a serious matter!”
"That's why I'm saying let's go! If something like this comes into the mountain, all the prey will leave! Then we'll starve to death!"
"I know, but it's too dangerous. Let's go down to the city and report it."
"Report? Has your head gone weird since you've been hanging out with the nobles? Who do you think would care about the situation of a mountain hunter?"
"Idiot, that's what I'm saying! This is not a trivial incident that can be ignored. Look at those beasts. Can't you see how dangerous the situation we are in right now?”
Martin interrupted.
"Shi- Shirone. Altor. Look over there."
The bushes rustled and shook. Shirone and Altor simultaneously loaded their arrows and aimed in the direction of the sound.
Swoosh. Swoosh.
The shaking leaves heightened the tension. The children each took out their weapons and waited for the mysterious figure to appear. When the slaughterer of the beast finally appeared, Shirone and Altor's arrows went much higher than their original target.
"How, how could this be..."
The voice of Altor, who was defeated by no one in terms of bravery, was engulfed in fear.
"Grrrr."
A monster resembling a wolf over 2 meters tall stared at the children with a twisted posture. Its chest muscles were inflated like balloons, and its waist was slim. Its arms stretched down to its knees, and its hooked, curved nails were as long as a human's little finger. Its knees were bent backward in a double-jointed fashion, and it supported its body with cat-like long paw, looking agile.
Martin barely squeezed out his voice.
"It's, it's a monster."
Evolutionists believe that animals, including humans, were derived from a single ancestral organism. However, monsters were individuals that originated from an entirely different ancestral organism. Therefore, their animal-like features alone were not enough to fully analyze them. They were stronger and more agile than other animals and even possessed intelligence.
'A bipedal wolf-like appearance. It’s Ulk.'
Shirone recalled knowledge he had learned from books. Ulks had a low language ability, but they could express hundreds of emotions through sound, and they had social skills suitable for living in tribes.
With strong nails, quick mobility, and powerful muscles, they were a balanced type of monster. When they formed groups, they were one of the monsters that even monster hunters were reluctant to fight.
'But why did you appear here? I know there are no monsters in this area.'
There was only one immediate possibility that came to mind. The Ulks, who had lost in a tribal war, had migrated and drifted all the way here. As if to prove Shirone's thoughts, there were wounds all over the Ulk's body. The blood of countless beasts was tangled in its fur, making it impossible to guess how much blood it had shed.
The rough breathing sounds of the children awakened Altor's sense of responsibility. As a leader, he had to somehow resolve the situation.
'At any rate, it's a living creature. If I hit it in the head, it will die instantly."
Altor took a deep breath and aimed his arrow. Despite knowing that it was being targeted, the Ulk calmly leaned its hand on the tree and watched its prey. This was evidence that it had reason.
'Die! You dirty bastard!'
Altor's arrow flew like the wind. But the Ulk easily dodged it by slightly turning its head. It then made a sound as if to scoff, scratching its throat.
"Krrr, krrrrr."
Tags:
Infinite Mage (Novel)
