Chapter 60

"Ultimately, it's Nerg, isn't it..."

The muttered words were heard by no one.

The ruin that Reshid told me about was, as expected, near Nerg, nestled alone in the forest. A tunnel shaped like an entrance to an underground railway extended downward, filled with darkness. The surroundings were covered with trees, much like the safe house that Gustav had prepared for me before. Whether this was intentional or natural, it was unlikely that anyone would wander in by chance.

When I placed my hand on the stone slab that formed the tunnel, it crumbled into pieces, perhaps due to years of weathering. The darkness inside seemed to reject intruders, blocking out light and making it impossible to see even a step ahead.

I threw a nearby pebble inside, and it rolled with a clattering sound. The echo suggested a corridor rather than a square space.

"Shall I go in?"

I muttered to myself, as if convincing myself. I floated a light orb a little distance away and walked in.

"Many people have entered the entrance area, so the main traps have been disabled. But..."

"There are some left to prevent wild animals from entering, you know..."

As Reshid had informed me, several white skeletons were scattered in the corridor. Rats, dogs, and even creatures whose living forms were hard to imagine, lay scattered. There was no stench or signs of decay, but the scene was still eerie, unlike the forest where everything would quickly be buried.

I advanced, using magic to detect the surroundings. Thanks to this, I wasn't afraid of switch traps on the floor or walls, as I could see the internal structures clearly. In fact, the light orb wasn't even necessary, but it was a matter of comfort.

"The surface seems to be stone..."

The walls were covered with something that looked like stone, but the interior appeared to be made of metal. I couldn't identify the type of metal, but it was thick.

My spread magic detected a reaction. At that moment, something shiny flew toward me.

"Oh, no...!"

I narrowly dodged it, and it embedded itself in the wall, stopping as it sank into the stone.

It was a small arrow-like object, another trap.

"Even if it's not your concern, there are traps that react to magic. They can also work in conjunction with physical traps, so be careful even if it seems harmless."

I couldn't overestimate my magic. As I looked at the embedded arrow, I thought this. Cold sweat trickled down my cheek. One wrong step, and I could end up like the skeletons lying around. With a magical barrier, I wouldn't be harmed if hit, but I still needed to be cautious.

I clenched my fist and tightened my guard.

"The main problem inside the ruins is the traps, but sometimes there are even more troublesome things."

"Things that can enter without triggering traps or ignore them if they do."

In other words, there might be monsters.

As he said, I detected a living presence on the other side of the wall. It wasn't human. If it was a monster, it would have detected my magic as well.

It was moving.

I hoped it would hide or run away, but the monster was coming toward me.

In the forest, monsters are the strong ones. Running away was not an option.

I had no intention of running either.

A fight was inevitable.

I had no intention of facing it head-on.

I formed several fireballs on the other side of the wall and launched them at the monster.

"ROAR!"

A roar echoed through the corridor. Normally, even a monster would be burned to the bone by this power. This would end its life.

Trying to dodge would be futile.

It would be impossible to avoid a saturated attack.

Sooner or later, it would stop moving, even without rushing.

I was thinking a bit optimistically.

"ROAR!"

The roar continued. It still had that much energy left.

As it roared, the monster's magic power inside intensified.

It was enduring and coming toward me.

Unconsciously, I glanced at the entrance deeper inside.

It was fine. There was still a distance, and I would burn it before it reached me.

The next moment, the monster took an astonishing action.

It crouched and jumped straight toward the wall.

Was it a last-ditch effort?

But I soon realized it was different. No, I knew.

A loud thud echoed.

Dust flew. It seemed to have overpowered the opposite wall, creating a large crater, and the fox stopped.

It had broken through the wall and come to my side.

"......!"

I quickly braced myself.

The moment I saw its form, my legs trembled.

I felt fear.

My body stiffened.

It was a large fox. Not as big as a large dog, but about the size of a lion or tiger from my previous life.

It had fish-like fins on its back, which made it look strange.

But that wasn't the reason for my fear. What was it?

It had severe burns. Its fur was singed, its skin peeled, and its burned muscles were exposed.

That was to be expected. I had done it.

But that wasn't the reason. I was used to seeing such damaged corpses.

I was afraid.

Was it fear of overwhelming power?

No, I didn't feel any overwhelming pressure. I didn't sense any danger.

I was afraid.

I slapped my own cheek and took a deep breath.

The fox opened its mouth, and seeing its fangs made my whole body tremble.

I was afraid.

I wanted to run away immediately.

This fear was different from the fear of demons or ghosts. I couldn't stop my body from retreating.

I took another deep breath, clenched my fist again, and braced myself, glaring at the fox.

Wiping the cold sweat, I flicked my hand, and droplets flew.

Don't stop thinking. This fear is abnormal.

Yes, it's abnormal. I hadn't seen its strength or any strange behavior.

I didn't think there was any basis for such a fear as a living being.

Yet, I felt fear. The cause was clearly this fox.

But it wasn't ordinary fear.

My vision widened.

I realized this and came to a sudden realization.

It wasn't ordinary fear. Then, the answer was simple.

The fear still lingered. My hands were shaking.

It wasn't ordinary fear. Then, I could deal with it.

Really, first experiences are interesting. My face felt tense, and I touched my cheek.

I was unconsciously smiling.