Chapter 43
"Ugh... this is completely fucked?"
"Try to use more polite language."
"Well, 'completely fucked’ seems pretty accurate here,” Rei grumbled while sifting through the windmill's ruins.
We lifted pieces of the collapsed building, hoping to find survivors or important items. Unfortunately, there was nothing noteworthy.
It seemed they had removed all maintenance personnel and useful items before destroying it.
"Still, the person responsible should be easy to track."
"Really?"
"They left plenty of traces. Like scents and footprints.”
"I can't see any."
I glanced at Leaf, wondering if she could see something.
Understanding my glance, Leaf quickly shook her head.
Since it was just the three of us, she let her hood down, and her bright, long hair swayed, releasing something like a fresh forest scent.
It was surprisingly addictive.
There was something refreshing about it.
"Leaf, don't shake your head. The scents are mixing."
"Oh, r-really? Is it strong?"
At Rei's words, Leaf hurriedly grabbed her hair, brought it to her nose, and wrinkled it.
"It's a nice smell, but strangely strong. That person, Number 7, was it? Other Elves aren't like that."
Number 7.
Elowen Starweaver was the only pure-blooded Elf among our classmates.
Perhaps because of this, Leaf, who seemed uncomfortable around Elowen, let out an awkward "Ah, haha..."
"Come to think of it, I barely noticed it when you wore your hood. Is that a magic item?"
"Yes, it only erases traces and maintains temperature and humidity."
"Isn't it interesting?" Leaf said, fluttering the hooded robe she was wearing.
"So you've been wearing it all day. Keeping the good stuff to yourself."
Rei poked Leaf's sides repeatedly, acting indignant.
Making strange sounds that could've been either pain or ticklishness, Leaf fled behind me to escape Rei's devilish hands.
"Rei, that's enough. We need to start tracking."
"Mmph. I know."
There were no bodies.
Which meant the people who were here were likely taken somewhere.
Our purpose changed from a simple meeting to a search and rescue.
We moved in formation: Rei-me-Leaf.
Rei, our guide, occasionally crouched to check footprints or twitched her nostrils to catch scents.
"Rei."
When I called out, Rei, who was examining the ground, responded with hand signals, signaling that it was to just speak.
"Can you tell what kind of attackers they were?"
Rei stood up as she answered, "Sort of? Probably Bugbears."
"Bugbears?" Leaf questioned with confusion.
I felt the same way.
Bugbears occupied the middle of the First Floor’s food chain. They were like an upgraded version of goblins.
Some say they were genealogically related to goblins, but their appearance and specs were closer to that of orcs.
Since orcs were classified as an intelligent species in this world, Bugbears had taken their position as monsters.
Though they were mid-level predators on the First Floor, Bugbears' actual position was somewhat higher.
This was due to their pack behavior.
Bugbear groups, ranging from four or five to dozens, use their numbers as an advantage and could sometimes even hunt upper-level predators of the First Floor, making them quite threatening.
As a result, Bugbears were the creatures that First Floor Explorers encountered most often, killed most often, and died to most often.
However, that was only true for Novice rank Explorers or those who had just advanced to Regular, who mainly operated on the First Floor. A proper Regular rank Explorer shouldn't fall to Bugbears.
A large pack might make a direct confrontation difficult.
But even then, escaping with one’s life shouldn't be hard.
"A supervisor taken down by mere Bugbears?"
"I find it strange, too, but I don't see any other traces."
Following the trail with our doubts, we reached the end of the prairie and came to a forest.
"A forest..."
Rei heightened her vigilance, carefully scanning the surroundings.
Forests were surprisingly rare in the First Floor’s terrace-like terrain.
Moreover, on the First Floor, forests themselves could sometimes be massive traps.
"This couldn't be that, could it?"
The existence of Amalgamated Man-Eating Forests—where the entire forest was alive and devoured humans.
"If it's an Amalgamated Man-Eating Forest, everything would make sense?"
An amalgamated forest where all trees were connected by a single root system.
Becoming carnivorous to obtain lacking nutrients, it became a monster infused with the Abyss' mysteries.
Even Regular Explorers faced certain death if they entered.
One of the First Floor’s apex predators, where even Senior Explorers couldn't guarantee survival.
Thinking about it being Chromatic Fiend level somewhat explained how a supervisor could be taken down.
"Were they lured by Bugbear tactics?"
"The footprints look more like walking than being dragged though."
While Rei and I were sharing opinions and having a serious discussion about whether this forest was an amalgamated man-eating one or not, something happened.
The moment we took our eyes off her, Leaf, who was at the rear, passed us and placed her hand on a tree at the forest's edge.
"H-hey, Leaf!"
Rei shouted in alarm, but Leaf calmly put on her hood and gracefully entered the forest.
"It's okay. It's just a normal forest. However, we should hurry. The trees say something strange is happening inside."
After saying that, Leaf strode forward.
As if she knew the way through the forest better than Rei did.
Rei and I, who had been watching dumbfounded, looked at each other before rushing after her.
"W-wait! I should be in front!"
"Stay with us, Leaf."
§
Jake, an Explorer directly under the Exploration Union and the supervisor for Edge Windmill in this exam, seriously wondered if he was dreaming as he watched the scene unfolding before him.
But the throbbing throughout his body and the burning pain from arrow wounds clearly proved he was still in reality.
What is that...?
Looking back, this whole situation was hard to comprehend.
Jake's Explorer rank was Senior.
He wasn’t at the level where he would be threatened by something on the First Floor.
While it might be possible for a Senior who had been away from the front lines for long and whose skills had deteriorated, Jake wasn't such a case.
Despite approaching forty, Jake still hadn't given up his dreams as an Explorer and continued striving.
He had even participated in a Fourth Floor expedition this year, aiming to be promoted to Expert rank.
For such a Jake to end up like this could be called an anomaly.
However, seeing the scene before him, even his current state might be understandable.
Even with his life hanging by a thread, Jake hadn't abandoned his investigative spirit.
Whether there was hope or not didn't matter.
Before his eyes, one of the Abyss' mysteries was being unveiled.
As an Explorer, and as someone who dreamed of and made adventure their profession, he had a duty to witness it.
Jake focused on reality.
He kept his eyes wide open to not miss a moment, forcibly awakening his fear-paralyzed brain to record everything he saw today in its folds.
Where Jake had been taken.
A ritual was being performed in the Bugbears' den within the forest.
The focal point of a fairly large Bugbear pack of about twenty.
A shaman, said to be extremely rare among Bugbears, chanted incantations while the Bugbears uniformly crouched in worship.
It was worship.
What received the Bugbears' worship on the altar was something that had been a Bugbear.
What had subdued Jake, a Senior Explorer, had transformed into a completely different creature, leaving only traces indicating it had been a Bugbear.
Six fingers and toes like a Bugbear.
If not for the stubby Bugbear tail, could anyone have guessed it had been a Bugbear?
Unlike normal Bugbears averaging around 170cm, slightly shorter than humans, this one stood about 2m tall.
Its muscles, compressed to the point of bursting, displayed their power even through the fur covering them.
Even its skeletal structure was markedly different from Bugbears.
The enlarged frame had become more human-like, unlike Bugbears, who retained traces of quadrupedal movement.
It was evolution.
An abnormal, explosive evolution occurred in a single generation.
A being that might become king of the First Floor Bugbears was showing Jake its monumental birth and growth.
Jake sensed the worship ceremony was entering its final stage.
He couldn't help but know.
The Bugbears, who had been repeatedly bowing, suddenly buried their heads, and it turned its fierce gaze toward him.
Would he now be torn apart as a victory sacrifice?
Maybe even eaten alive.
His subordinates who were captured with him had already fainted from fear or were squeezing their eyes shut.
Only Jake faced his approaching death head-on.
A death worthy of an Explorer.
He had accepted his fate.
Captured and with his abilities sealed by the Bugbear shaman, his chances of escape were virtually zero.
It was the moment Jake steeled himself to remain dignified until the end, taking comfort in being the first to witness this mystery of the Abyss that no one else knew about.
SHRIEEEEK-BOOM!!
A super-high-pressure water stream from somewhere instantly demolished the Bugbears' den.
Red droplets of blood swirled into the transparent water stream, creating a mysterious color.
Jake strained his eyes and forced his voice through his dry throat.
"A rescue team? Already? To arrive this fast, they must be Expert level at the very least..."
Jake's shocked speculation was suddenly denied by someone who appeared without warning.
"No."
And they stated their purpose without hesitation.
"I'm just here to get my confirmation stamp."