Kael and the beautiful nun continued walking deeper into the forest. The sounds of humans were no longer heard, and there were no monsters around. After a long walk, the nun sighed and said,
"Let's rest for a bit, please."
Kael responded, "Alright," and sat down on a log. The nun, on the other hand, threw herself onto the grass.
Surrounded by towering trees, the sounds of birds echoed through the air. For a brief moment, Kael felt like he was back in the forests of Aetwa, and a slight smile appeared on his face. However, this peaceful moment was interrupted by the unsettling noise of flying pink creatures with sickle-shaped wings.
Kael gritted his teeth and shouted, "Damn it! Is there no peace at all?"
The nun looked at him with concern. Kael, who was usually calm, frightened her with his anger. With a slightly trembling voice, she said,
"Kael, we can't stay here... There are too many of them, and we can't defeat them."
Kael paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and drew his sword, closing his eyes. He started slaying the creatures that leaped at him one by one. Within a few minutes, the area became a bloodbath. Kael, however, was almost unscathed. It wasn't even a real fight. But a question lingered in his mind: Why was it so easy?
Out of the twenty creatures, only six had attacked him, while the rest had fled. He couldn't understand why.
The nun, filled with fear, said, "We need to leave immediately! Or we'll die."
Kael was about to ask, "Why?" when the ground shook. A giant centipede emerged from between the tree roots. Its shiny black shell resembled red, and it had sharp pincers. The pungent odor emanating from it made Kael uneasy.
They couldn't fight this creature.
Kael yelled, "Run!" and started running with the nun.
However, the centipede wasn't there for them—it was killing other creatures in the forest. After a while, Kael and the nun reached an area filled with the bodies of dead monsters. But there were no people, nor any sign of a strong monster.
The nun, covered in mud and exhausted, said, "We need to rest."
Kael replied, "You're right... I also need to wash up. Wait for me, the waterfall is just ahead. I'll be back soon," and he walked off.
Loneliness by the Waterfall
After Kael washed himself in the icy waters of the waterfall, he felt relieved. He momentarily forgot the nightmare-like days he had been through. He got dressed, stretched, and then set off to return to the nun.
When he arrived at the meeting point, he looked around. But no one was there except him.
Kael chuckled and said, "Funny joke, ahahaha… Nun? You can come out now."
However, he received no answer.
Kael's smile slowly faded from his face. "Nun?" he called out again, his voice now more serious and worried.
Just then, a familiar voice was heard.
"Hey Kael, would you like to talk?"