TLBP 37

CHAPTER 37……………………………………

—Huh?

I frowned as I looked at the letters floating before my eyes.

【Achievement ‘¿¹¾à´ãÚ!’ has been cleared.】
【As a reward, the skill 《Frenzy》 has been acquired.】

It felt clearly different from the messages that had appeared until now.

That bizarre language looked as if a computer system had suddenly run into an error.

I was just starting to get used to text popping up like a game system, too.

Yet faced with this sudden string of grotesque symbols, my shoulders trembled uneasily.

‘What on earth is this? It seems like I cleared an achievement and gained a skill, at least.’

Judging from what had happened so far, I could roughly guess that much.

To understand the situation more clearly, I called up the other status text.

Species: Demonic Beast lv.10
Strength: 33
Agility: 31
Endurance: 33
Skills: 《Omnivore》 《Sturdy Claws》 《Low Frequency》 《Stealth Movement》 《Courtship Dance》 《Interbreeding》 《Frenzy》

‘The skill was added properly. Was it just corrupted text?’

No matter how much I thought about it, there was no clear answer.

The word Frenzy looked particularly ominous.

I had no idea what kind of skill it was.

Was it something useful for going berserk?

“Is it something bad after all?”

Witch Eve was looking at me with worried eyes.

I wiped the green bodily fluid smeared around my mouth after dropping away from the Dueoksini.

—What is that thing? It looked like it was targeting you.

“So you protected me while I was unconscious. That was close. I’ve let my guard down lately since interesting things keep happening.”

Witch Eve placed her hand on the Dueoksini’s head. The strange, enormous head soon crumbled like powder and scattered away.

“This is the fate of beasts. It shows clearly what happens when someone unqualified obtains the fruit of the World Tree.”

There was a trace of bitterness in Eve’s voice.

—Why was it targeting you?

“I don’t know. Perhaps it was drawn to a similar aura. After all, I too am losing my power and falling into ruin.”

Eve looked down at her palm.

The hole in her hand squirmed and slowly closed.

—Are you saying you’ll become a monster like that too?

“Who knows. I’m not certain, but it probably wouldn’t be like that. Still, there’s no need to worry for now. Thanks to you, I’ve been able to replenish high-quality mana.”

Witch Eve roughly ruffled my head.

“Whatever happens, it’s not something you need to concern yourself with. But there is one thing I want to tell you. If you see creatures like that in the forest, run away. Their blood and flesh contaminate a beast’s mind. Unless it’s a powerful beast like Yan-Meat, you won’t be able to endure it.”

—Mental contamination…

I tried to recall what had happened.

After my vision went completely black in the middle of fighting the Dueoksini, like a film being cut, I remembered nothing at all.

‘It’s like a really strong drug.’

It didn’t feel good.

I decided it would be best to avoid Dueoksini if I ever saw them again.

Avoiding something because it’s scary and avoiding it because it’s filthy are two very different things.

‘And it tasted like absolute garbage.’

A bitter, unpleasant sensation lingered in my mouth.

Since coming to this world, I’d eaten all sorts of things, but among them, the Dueoksini’s body was unquestionably the worst.

When I left the witch’s house, the Mist Forest outside was already sinking into a reddish sunset.

After this hour, weak and harmless beasts returned to their nests, while monstrous creatures began pushing their claws out into the world.

‘I should head back.’

Whether it was because the magpie I’d eaten hadn’t digested properly, or because the Dueoksini I’d eaten while unconscious was sitting badly, my stomach felt terribly bloated.

I decided to return to Leaf’s tree house.

Having a place to return to made me feel stable and reassured, as if a pillar had been set up in one corner of my heart.

‘I wonder if Leaf picked some fruit.’

As I walked lightly along the forest path—now fairly familiar—toward the large grove where Leaf’s home was, I sensed a strange rustling presence beside me.

‘What is it?’

Since dangerous creatures could appear after sunset, I stayed on high alert.

After some more rustling, a brown mass burst out of the bushes.

‘A pig?’

With striped brown fur and a thick, massive body, it could only be called a pig.

Its tusks were unusually long, but I assumed that was just a characteristic of forest beasts here.

—Hey, what are you?

I spoke to the pig.

“Eek!”

The brown boar flinched in surprise when it saw me and fidgeted nervously.

Despite its large size, it seemed to be quite timid.

More rustling sounds continued beside the boar.

Soon, two more pigs similar to the first emerged from the bushes.

‘Should I hunt one? It’d be good to have food for tomorrow.’

Someone once said to prepare for war in times of peace.

Surely, the wise ones are those who prepare for hunger when they are full.

‘They came right to me—hunting them would be polite.’

Standing on all fours, I bristled my fur. Startled by my threat, the pig group stirred noisily.

“Hey, do something…! I told you we shouldn’t come this way!”

“Don’t make a fuss.”

“They might be gentle beasts.”

The pigs whispered among themselves, holding what seemed like a hushed discussion.

Judging by the fact that they could talk, they were clearly intelligent.

‘They’re pigs, so there should be plenty of meat. They must be tasty.’

Still, I was well aware of how dangerous wild boars could be.

I’d heard that being charged by one felt like getting hit by a car.

If they rushed me and gored me with their sharp tusks, my belly could be ripped wide open.

I decided it would be better to strike first before they could charge.

—Grrrk!

I let out a threatening growl and lunged at the smallest of the boars.

Targeting the weakest one in the group had always proven to be the most effective tactic.

“Aaah!”

The pig screamed and fell backward.

I bit into its hide and shook it violently—then realized something was wrong.

‘This isn’t flesh?’

Even though I bit down hard, the sensation in my mouth felt completely off.

It was like tearing at a scarecrow or a curtain.

As I ripped the hide open, my eyes met brown pupils inside, and I froze in shock.

—What the hell…?

When the pigskin came off, something curled up tightly inside was revealed.

With eyes, nose, and mouth, drenched in sweat—

A human. Undeniably human.

“D-damn it, we’re busted. I told you we should move at night!”

“Night is full of even more dangerous things!”

“Be quiet.”

The ‘pigs’ started shouting noisily at one another.

Only then did I realize they weren’t pigs at all, but humans wearing animal hides.

“At this point, we capture it. Don’t cause a scene—let’s withdraw quickly.”

The pig-skinned figures stood up.

Their massive frames and thick limbs, hidden beneath the hides, became visible.

They wore ornaments and armor made from animal bones and leather.

When the man threw off the hide covering his head like a hood, a terrifying weapon appeared on his back.

‘A sword…?’

The man looked about twice my size, nearly two meters tall.

From his hand, a blade of similar size traced a crescent as it was drawn out.

Calling it a sword felt wrong—it was more like a massive pillar or a mace made of iron plates.

Nearby, the others who removed their hides held daggers and bows.

The dual-dagger wielder scratched the back of his head.

“So what kind of beast is this? Think the Count will be satisfied if we bring it back?”

“I don’t know.”

The man with the greatsword pointed it at me coldly.

The archer added,

“If even the captain doesn’t know, it must be extremely rare. And look at that smooth white fur… It should fetch a good price.”

My head spun from the sudden turn of events.

One thing was certain: if I didn’t run, I would die.

—Tch.

I immediately turned tail and fled.

“T-that bastard’s running!”

“We have to catch it!”

An arrow flew past, grazing my side.

It was shot from an incredibly strong bow, slicing loudly through the air.

My fur stood on end as chills ran through my body.

Thinking back to how I once wondered what I should do if I met humans after coming to this world—it felt laughable now.

‘I’m being hunted!’

I ran with everything I had.

“Look at it! It’s zigzagging and running in a spiral—aim properly!”

“It’s unusually smart for a beast! It’s hard to hit!”

The humans’ voices gradually grew more distant.

It seemed my evasive movement skills from countless FPS games were actually helping.

If I just kept running like this, I’d be fine.

Just as I thought that—

Whoosh—CRASH!

Something enormous flew in and blocked my path.

It was the sword the giant man had been holding.

If I’d been even one step slower, my head would have been split open.

“If you’re a hunter, don’t make such a fuss over a single animal.”

The man’s shadow loomed darkly over me as I collapsed.

Perhaps because of the backlight, his blue eyes glinted menacingly.

With a firm grip, he grabbed the back of my neck and lifted me up.

“It has spines.”

He treated my sharp spines as casually as toothpicks.

Against his calloused palm, they were completely useless.

“As expected of the captain. So the rumors about hunting a dragon in the south weren’t lies?”

The archer, now beside him, praised him.

“Look at this thing—keeps baring its fangs. Pretty vicious. It looks cute, but there’s no way it’d make a pet.”

The dual-dagger man laughed teasingly.

“Most animals from the Demon Realm are like this. Especially the beasts of the Great Forest—they’re never tamed by humans.”

“But that’s exactly what some nobles like. Rich people’s hobbies, honestly… Let’s see…”

The archer fearlessly touched my lower belly.

I froze, too flustered to say anything.

“There, there. Be good.”

Looking closer, the archer wasn’t a man but a woman with short hair.

Her sharp looks must have fooled me.

“Wow, the fur is so soft. When you look closely, it’s actually pretty gentle and cute.”

“Really? Let me try too.”

The dual-dagger man reached out toward me.

—Grrrrk!

I snarled fiercely and struggled, trying to bite his hand.

“Shit! That startled me. Why does this thing only act like this toward me?”

“Maybe it’s a male. Eric, you wouldn’t like another man touching your body either, would you?”

“Of course not.”

As they laughed among themselves, I desperately searched for a way out.

I slashed hard at the arm holding my neck with my claws.

“Ugh!?”

The man was more startled than I expected and let go, almost throwing me to the ground.

‘Now’s my chance!’

Rolling on the ground, I quickly regained my footing and bolted into the forest like an arrow.

‘Humans…! Real humans…!’