"Your Majesty."
A voice echoed inside Chen Guang's head in the stillness of the night.
"Mhmm..."
His breathing remained slow and steady, broken only by the occasional snore.
"Your Majesty."
"Mhmmm... five more minutes..."
He rolled over, lips moving lazily before his breathing settled once more.
"Your Majesty, there's danger!!"
The voice turned urgent, ringing loudly inside his head.
"What the hell—"
Chen Guang jolted upright, still half asleep, a thin trail of drool hanging from the corner of his mouth.
"My apologies for waking you, Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty, there's something ahead."
Still blinking away sleep, he peered into the trees.
Beyond the darkness—
Pairs of crimson eyes flickered in and out of view.
His gaze shifted toward Sun Feng.
She was still leaning against the rock wall, breathing peacefully.
He swallowed as the back of his shirt clung to his skin.
"What are those things?"
"Your Majesty, they appear to move on four legs."
A few dry branches snapped.
One pair of eyes locked onto him.
"There are five of them. They seem wary."
"Wary?"
His eyes remained fixed ahead.
The distance between him and those glowing eyes hadn't changed.
The forest fell silent.
Even the wind had stopped.
Thump.
Thump.
A hand rose to his chest.
Every heartbeat echoed clearly in his ears.
"Keep watching them."
He straightened up against the rock wall, never taking his eyes off the forest ahead.
"Your Majesty, they don't seem to dare come any closer."
"What do you mean?"
"They keep lifting a foot, then pulling it back."
Something is making them... afraid?
He fell silent for a moment before turning sharply toward Sun Feng.
Could it be...?
Her breathing remained calm as a gentle breeze stirred a few loose strands of hair.
[TARGET: SUN FENG]
[STRENGTH: 10]
[ENERGY: 925]
"So Energy recovers over time."
He raised a brow, murmured to himself, then looked back toward the forest.
"Your Majesty, they're retreating."
The tension in his body eased a little.
"Keep watching them. If anything dangerous happens, report to me immediately."
"As you command, Your Majesty."
The voice fell silent.
Only the rustling of leaves remained.
Even in her sleep... she's intimidating.
A wry smile crossed his face as he glanced at Sun Feng.
Then his attention returned to the forest.
Could those really... be the wolves...?
His head kept drooping. Each time he nodded off, he forced his eyes open again.
With her here... and the ants standing watch...
His eyelids grew heavier.
The forest before him blurred.
Strength drained from every muscle.
At last, consciousness slipped into darkness.
Somewhere nearby, a few distant howls echoed through the trees.
A dark silhouette flickered between the trunks.
Shhk.
A pained whine rang out.
Then...
The howling stopped.
Only the soft rustle of falling leaves remained.
*****
"Hey. Wake up."
A voice reached Chen Guang's ears.
A few weak rays of sunlight filtered down, making his eyelids twitch.
He rubbed his eyes and stretched.
Yawning, still half-asleep, he turned toward the blurry figure standing before him.
"...It's morning already?"
A light breeze drifted past, drawing a slight shiver from him.
"W-Wait... give me a second."
He sprang to his feet and hurried behind a nearby tree.
A short while later.
"Back already? Here."
Sun Feng tossed him a small tube filled with green liquid.
"What's this...?"
"Mouthwash."
Chen Guang breathed into his hand.
His brow furrowed at once.
"Thanks. I didn't know you were this thoughtful. You even packed mouthwash..."
"You think we're on a camping trip? It's hers."
Sun Feng jerked her chin toward Mei Mei, who was still nodding off nearby.
"Oh... thanks, Mei Mei."
He unscrewed the cap and poured the liquid into his mouth.
A cool, refreshing sensation spread across his palate.
Then—
"Blegh! Why's it so bitter?"
He spat it out at once, muttering under his breath.
Covering his mouth, he let out a slow breath.
At least it smells better.
"Your Majesty."
The familiar voice echoed inside his head.
"What is it?"
"Your Majesty, there is a four-legged creature ahead."
"But it isn't moving, Your Majesty."
Probably one of those wolves... but why isn't it moving?
He kept staring into the forest.
"Just one?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"All right. Keep watching the surroundings."
"As you command, Your Majesty."
The voice faded away, but Chen Guang kept staring into the forest.
"Phones don't work in here?"
He glanced at Mei Mei.
She was frantically tapping at her screen.
"Depends on the Portal. This one probably blocks them."
Sun Feng pulled out her own phone.
Bands of static flickered across the display, accompanied by occasional bursts of harsh crackling.
Chen Guang took out his phone as well.
A long crack stretched across the screen.
"My phone... I just bought it..."
His fingers gently brushed across the shattered glass, as though trying to preserve what little remained.
"Quit fooling around. Got anything else to tell the time?"
Sun Feng shook her head in exasperation.
"I do... wait..."
He raised his left wrist and looked at the worn old watch strapped to it.
"A watch? What's it say—"
Sun Feng stepped closer.
She leaned in.
"..."
The second hand was spinning—
Backward.
Every time it completed a full circle, it slipped back to the previous number.
"Hmm... looks like watches don't work either."
Arms folded, Sun Feng stared thoughtfully at the dial.
"Does time even matter in here?"
Chen Guang asked.
"During one of my previous expeditions, everyone had to synchronize their watches."
"That organized, huh?"
"But under the current circumstances... I don't think it matters much anymore."
With that, she walked deeper between the trees.
"Where are you—"
"Face the other way."
Chen Guang's face turned bright red.
He quickly spun around and hurried over to sit beside Mei Mei.
"You've got paper and a pencil, right? Mind if I borrow them?"
Still rubbing sleep from her eyes, Mei Mei searched through her bag before handing him a notebook and a pencil.
"Hm? What are you doing?"
Sun Feng returned, surprise creeping into her voice when she saw Chen Guang sprawled on the ground, busily scribbling away.
"Huh? Drawing a map of this Portal."
The notebook lay open on the ground.
A lopsided circle occupied the center of the page.
Inside it were two smaller circles labeled Forest and Lake.
Sun Feng and Mei Mei stared silently at the sketch.
"What? It's just a rough layout..."
"That's terrible."
Mei Mei frowned.
"My kindergarten drawings were better. How old are you, anyway?"
Sun Feng turned toward him.
Her face practically had 'I can't believe this' written all over it.
"Twenty-seven."
Chen Guang gave a helpless smile.
"Same age as me."
Why are you sighing?
Watching Sun Feng let out a long breath, Chen Guang felt the corner of his mouth twitch.
"All right. So this is the forest, and the lake is right beside it?"
Mei Mei asked as she picked up the pencil.
"Yeah. That's right."
The moment the pencil touched the page, vivid images bloomed to life.
A ring of rocky terrain formed around the map.
"We probably entered somewhere around here."
Sun Feng pointed to a spot along the left side of the rocky ring.
Mei Mei placed a tiny dot there.
At once, the image of a cave appeared.
"That's incredibly lifelike... Is this—"
"My ability."
She gave Chen Guang a small nod before continuing to draw.
"Right, we followed this path down to the edge of the forest."
"Where the ants chewed you up?"
"...Can we not bring that up?"
Chen Guang forced a laugh as a tiny stick figure with an ant clinging to it appeared where the rocky terrain met the forest.
"I think that's also where we ran into the giant troll."
He pointed at the swaying trees, then traced his finger downward to a spot almost beside the ant.
The bald head of a monster with two enormous tusks emerged.
"I only saw its tusks."
"So did we."
After a brief silence, Sun Feng looked toward the lake below, where rippling waves moved across its surface.
"The lake's practically connected to the forest. No wonder the troll attacked that flying snake."
At the center of the lake, a winged serpent materialized.
"Oh, right... I've been meaning to ask."
Chen Guang's voice trembled slightly.
"When you two splashed water on me... that wasn't water from the lake, was it?"
The memory of those lifeless faces beneath the water flashed through his mind, sending another chill down his spine.
"As if we'd go through all that trouble. We collected rainwater."
Sun Feng's answer made him breathe a sigh of relief.
His gaze returned to the notebook, where every image moved as though it were alive.
No wonder she's a D-rank Vanguard.
"If it weren't for you, we'd never have made a map like this."
The words slipped out before he realized it.
"I-It's nothing..."
Mei Mei's ears turned bright red as she lowered her head even further.
"This is where we are now."
Sun Feng pointed to the right side of the page.
A tiny cave appeared there.
"We came from here..."
Her finger traced their route—from the cave, around the forest's edge, along the lakeshore, back through the forest, and finally to their current position.
"The route's pretty winding, but we've crossed the forest."
Her gaze swept across every moving detail.
"From what we saw on the mountainside, our destination should be... here."
She pointed toward the center of the forest, slightly higher up.
Three question marks appeared where her fingertip rested.
"The map's still pretty rough, but at least we've got a general picture now."
She picked up the notebook and studied it quietly.
"I'll... do my best to help complete it."
Chen Guang spoke up.
"Good. I'm counting on you."
Sun Feng handed the notebook back to Mei Mei before giving Chen Guang a light pat on the shoulder.
"Get ready. We're moving out."
She slipped on her jacket and slung her backpack over one shoulder.
"U-Um... just give me a minute."
Mei Mei hurried behind a cluster of trees.
Sun Feng shot Chen Guang a sharp glare.
He immediately turned his whole body away and began whistling awkwardly.
*****
"Why's the ground so soft? It wasn't like this yesterday."
Chen Guang gripped his knife, driving it deep into tree trunks as he walked to steady himself.
Every step left a footprint in the soggy earth.
"Probably because the rain's been soaking into the ground."
Walking at the rear, Sun Feng kept scanning the surroundings.
Chen Guang clicked his tongue as patches of earth sank beneath his feet.
If I remember correctly... that troll was a swamp troll? If that's true, then this area...
He glanced back at Mei Mei, who was breathing heavily.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine. The ground's just hard to walk on."
Mei Mei waved a hand and shook her head.
"How are you moving around so easily?"
Chen Guang let out a helpless laugh.
Sun Feng's expression hadn't changed in the slightest.
"Training."
That was all she said before resuming her watch.
"Figures—"
"Wait. Stop for a second."
Sun Feng cut him off and quickly slipped past the two of them.
"What's wr—"
"Mmgh!!"
Both Chen Guang and Mei Mei clamped their hands over their noses.
They followed behind Sun Feng with caution.
"What is that smell?"
"It's familiar somehow. Like the smell of something that's..."
Sun Feng raised a hand, signaling them to stop.
Then she quickly covered her own nose.
"W-What... is that?"
Mei Mei cried out, her face twisting.
Ahead of them lay a massive four-legged creature, motionless on the ground.
Its body was covered in brown fur streaked with patches of moss.
Beneath it, black fluid had dried into the earth.
A constant buzzing filled the air.
"Looks like some kind of giant wolf... but the fur's different."
Sun Feng stopped before the carcass, eyes fixed on it while keeping her nose covered.
"Let's say it is a wolf, but..."
"...Where's its head?"
Chen Guang felt his scalp tighten.
"The wound looks like it was made by claws, or talons."
"And whatever did it was incredibly sharp."
Sun Feng crouched for a closer look.
Is this... what the ants were talking about? The one that wasn't moving?
Chen Guang fell silent for a moment before sweeping his gaze across the area.
Those black stains on the trees...
"Is that blood?"
Mei Mei suddenly pointed toward a nearby tree.
A dark stain marked the trunk, as though someone had splashed liquid across it.
Sun Feng stepped over and touched the stain.
"It is blood. And it's already dried."
"The other trees, they have them too."
Mei Mei pointed toward the trees opposite them.
Long, sticky black streaks clung to trunk after trunk.
"Wait, if there's this much blood..."
Chen Guang stared at the corpse, hands trembling.
"Then more than one of them was killed."
Sun Feng finished his sentence.
The three exchanged uneasy looks.
"We need to leave. I've got a bad feeling about this."
Chen Guang looked at the other two.
They both nodded.
"Fire Ants. Report."
"At your command, Your Majesty."
"What is this place called? Are there any dangerous monsters around here?"
"Please give us a moment, Your Majesty."
Silence followed, broken only by the wind whispering through the trees.
"Your Majesty, you are entering the swamp."
"This was once the territory of the four-legged ones."
"But recently—"
The voice cut out.
"Recently what?"
"You... Maje... it... blade... sharp..."
"What? Hey! Answer me!"
Like a phone losing signal, all that remained was harsh static echoing inside his head.
"Damn it... What were they trying to say?"
Chen Guang braced himself against a nearby tree, breathing hard.
"Something wrong?"
Sun Feng's voice made him flinch.
"This is the swamp. It used to belong to those wolves."
He jerked his chin toward the headless corpse.
"But something with a sharp blade killed them."
"'Sharp blade?' What does that even mean? Can you be more specific?"
"I wish I could. I've lost contact with the insects."
Sun Feng continued surveying the surroundings.
Mei Mei stepped closer.
"So, what do we do now?"
"We keep heading for our destination. Mei Mei, update the map."
Sun Feng gave her shoulder a gentle pat.
Mei Mei nodded and opened the notebook.
A wolf marked with a large X appeared near their last resting point.
"Sharp blade..."
Chen Guang slowly looked around again.
"Hey, do tree trunks normally have marks like that?"
He pointed at the trunk beside him, covered in countless crisscrossing lines.
"Those are cuts."
Sun Feng examined them closely.
"They're small, but incredibly clean."
"Judging by their condition, they were made recently."
Silence lingered.
"Standing here isn't going to solve anything. Let's move."
Chen Guang finally broke the silence.
"Our objective hasn't changed."
Sun Feng nodded.
"Army ants. Can you hear me?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"We await your orders."
"Spread out. Search the swamp. Report anything unusual immediately."
"If we encounter danger, should we report that as well, Your Majesty?"
"Yes. Report any danger immediately."
"As you command, Your Majesty."
The voices faded.
"For now, let's get away from this place."
He looked toward Sun Feng and Mei Mei.
They exchanged a glance before nodding.
Then the three of them quickly moved on.
The moment they disappeared into the forest, a breeze swept through the trees.
Fresh slashes appeared across the trunks.
Clear sap trickled from each cut.
Shhk.
The wolf's limbs fell away from its body.
Another gust drifted through.
And then...
They were gone.