EPISODE 74

Our group spent a total of thirty-five points. We allocated four points for individual bottles of water and one point for a shared bag of beef jerky. We also bought a potion just in case. As a bonus, we received a small hourglass and a map, though we hadn't purchased them.

"The map is clearly of the forest, but what's the hourglass for?" someone wondered aloud.

"It must be for the time limit," I suggested.

"Ah, right."

When I showed Charles what I had bought, she nearly lost her mind. "Why did you buy a potion?"

"We might need it," I replied calmly.

Charles wailed, her face tearful. "What if I don't make it to the top of this test even after using this? What if I earn fewer reward points than in the first special trial?"

"You always see the worst in everything," I said.

"It's called preparing for the worst!" she shot back.

"You're overdoing it. Let's think positively for once," I countered, tapping the potion lightly. "We don't necessarily have to use it ourselves. What if we encounter another team in the forest and they're badly injured?"

"What? Ah!" Charles clapped her hands. "We can sell the potion, right?"

I nodded. "Exactly. We could get at least double, maybe even triple, what we paid for it."

After all, no matter how valuable the points were, lives were far more precious. In a dire situation, they'd likely give all their points to secure it.

Charles' expression brightened.

At that moment, a group passed by us. Three people walked ahead, while someone trailed behind, struggling under a mountain of baggage. It was Skull, his unassuming frame looking even more pitiful under the weight.

"Hey! Why aren't you keeping up?" one of his teammates barked.

"You can't even handle being a porter?" another sneered.

"B-but... I'm the only one carrying all this..." Skull muttered weakly as his teammates criticized him.

One of them scoffed. "So? Can't handle it?"

"Someone with no points should at least make himself useful."

Skull fell silent, unable to respond to their mocking tones. It wasn't surprising. This wasn't unique to Skull—those who had eagerly sold their points faced similar treatment within their groups.

Evan wore a bitter expression after seeing this scene.

There was nothing we could do about it, though.

"Let's go." I urged, not wanting to linger.

I didn't know what would happen to this overly kind fellow if we left him alone, so I quickened my pace.

Evan nodded, and we finally stepped into the Butterfly Forest, our expressions tense.

***

The Butterfly Forest surrounding the Badnikers' main house was vast enough to be considered a jungle. From the peaks of the distant Jewel Mountains, the estate appeared as a dense expanse of butterflies stretching endlessly toward the horizon.

Given its size, the likelihood of encountering other hero disciples was low, especially since each group entered from a different direction. Still, the possibility of a chance meeting remained, so I kept my guard up.

As we ventured deeper, Charles turned to me and asked, "What kind of monsters live in the Butterfly Forest?"

"I don't know," I replied.

How could I? The Butterfly Forest was strictly off-limits, even to the Badnikers. Beyond its name and general characteristics, I knew as little as anyone else.

Charles sighed in exasperation.

I could almost feel my score plummeting with each passing moment. She had tested me several times, likely due to the weight of the Badniker name, but I had yet to demonstrate any extraordinary talent. I suspected that her disappointment stemmed from her own inflated expectations.

"Should we decide on a formation?" Charles suggested, breaking the silence.

"Formation?" Evan echoed, confused.

"Yes, a battle formation in case we're attacked," Charles explained. "First, tell me what blessings you each have."

"Ah... yes. My blessing—"

Still somewhat dazed, Evan began to answer reflexively, but I cut in, "You start. Tell us your blessing first, then we'll share ours."

Evan shot me a startled glance, realizing what he'd almost done. It was an unspoken rule to keep one's blessing a secret. A blessing defined a hero—it was their identity and their trump card. A vigilant person would even hide it from their family.

When we stared at Charles pointedly, she shrugged and said, "Fine. We don't need to know each other's blessings to decide on a formation."

I chuckled. It wasn't a bad idea, but it carried a hint of insidiousness.

After all, the Rubietas were a family of politicians, and though Charles aspired to be a hero, her upbringing had likely exposed her to many schemes.

Still, I didn't need to be overly wary of her. The way she bickered with Mir revealed her clumsiness.

As Charles suggested, I decided on a rough formation. However, since all four of us were melee fighters, it ended up being a simple one.

"The forest is very dark. I feel like I am going to lose my sense of time," Evan muttered, glancing around.

He wasn't wrong. The Butterfly Forest was dense with towering trees and thick underbrush. Walking beneath them felt like wandering through the dead of night, though I could still see clearly in all directions.

"There are butterflies here!"

"They are everywhere."

"Ah! So that's why it's called the Butterfly Forest. I didn't realize earlier because we were only at the camp."

Butterflies fluttered everywhere, their luminous glow casting a subtle brightness throughout the forest. It created an almost dreamlike atmosphere, more reminiscent of a fairy realm than a den of demonic monsters. In fact, the forest had once been home to black fairies.

We walked for about an hour, and the initial tension we felt upon entering the forest had largely faded.

Charles frowned as she scanned our surroundings. "Isn't everyone a bit too relaxed? It wouldn't be surprising if a demonic monster appeared—"

"Stop," I said.

"How dare you order me around?" she shot back, taking another step—only to collapse.

"Kieek!" Her scream was unique.

"W-what is this?" she stammered.

"A swamp," I replied.

"Who doesn't know that?" she snapped.

"Your tone is a bit disrespectful. It's not easy to get out on your own, is it?" I remarked, watching as she slowly sank.

I crouched in front of her and tilted my head. "Do you want my help?"

"Ha!" Charles' expression immediately changed, and she suddenly extended her arm.

At that moment, something whitish shot from her palm and struck a tree.

Is that a blessing? I wondered.

I couldn't tell what type it was, but it seemed soul-related.

The white substance contracted, and Charles, who had been sinking into the swamp, freed herself effortlessly.

I applauded the unexpected feat, but Charles merely glared at me and snorted.

***

It had been about three hours since we entered the forest. We pressed forward without encountering any demonic monsters. No matter how notorious a forbidden area was, tension would inevitably wane when nothing happened.

Mir was even yawning. It was understandable since she couldn't sleep at night.

Though I maintained my vigilance, boredom crept in.

"What should we take back?" I muttered, glancing around.

To my surprise, Charles responded, "The rarest items, of course."

"But can we even identify what's rare?" I asked.

Valuing items wasn't straightforward. If it were, the profession of an appraiser wouldn't exist.

"Wouldn't it be better to kill a strong monster? The stronger the monster, the better the materials," Charles suggested.

"Bah. That's a foolish idea," Mir interjected.

"What?"

The impact of a statement varied with its speaker. Charles looked stunned, as if Mir's bluntness had struck a nerve. "You're calling me foolish, you pea-sized giant?"

"You are foolish if you know nothing about hunting! Strong monsters don't always yield usable materials. To obtain quality resources, you need precision from the moment you engage. Beginners like us can't manage that."

She had a point. For instance, using blades would ruin high-quality animal fur.

Judging by her tone, Mir clearly had hunting experience.

"It doesn't have to be a monster," I said. "The Butterfly Forest is the Badnikers' territory, but much of it remains unexplored. If we're lucky, we might find an elixir—"

I stopped abruptly.

"What's wrong all of a sudden?" Charles asked.

"There's a monster nearby," I said.

"Where?" Charles looked around and said, "I can't see it."

"It's here."

"Here?"

"Never mind. Suppress your aura and follow me slowly," I instructed.

Charles looked skeptical but followed my instructions anyway, her lower lip jutting out in a pout.

We moved forward for a few minutes in the direction I had indicated until we came across a stream. There, we spotted a monster—a spider, the size of a bear.

"What should we do?" I asked, seeking the group's opinions first. "It doesn't seem to have noticed us, so we could just walk by. I doubt it will yield any precious materials."

Charles pondered briefly before replying, "I don't think there are any other monsters around. Let's fight. It's a good chance to practice our coordination."

Her reasoning made sense. Given our skills, taking down a single spider shouldn't be too difficult.

"Alright," I said. "Let's stick to the formation we decided on earlier."

"Okay."

The formation was simple. Mir would take the front, drawing the spider's attention, while the rest of us looked for opportunities to attack. Admittedly, our group wasn't well-balanced, which had led to this extreme setup. Mir's role was crucial.

I noticed Mir gripping her weapon, her face tense with nerves.

"Mir, can you do it?" I inquired.

"Yes," she replied, though her voice wavered. "I'll try."

"I won't expect too much," Charles added with a hint of sarcasm. "Just try to draw its attention."

Mir stood up without responding to Charles' jab. With a loud cry, she lunged at the spider.

Well, it wouldn't be a trauma if she could shake it off that easily. Still, she did her part and pulled the spider's focus. Its fangs twitched, and it let out a piercing screech in return.

"Let's go," I said.

"Ah, yes."

"Hah..."

We also joined the battle.

I didn't actively engage. Instead, I feigned attacks with the Seven Sins Sword, observing the others as I moved.

Mir swung her sledgehammer recklessly, launching into an all-out offensive that disregarded both the opponent and her own safety. Her giant heritage was the only reason she avoided fatal injury.

Meanwhile, Charles fought exceptionally well. She wielded a mace and clearly had experience dealing with monsters. Her movements were measured and effective.

Evan too—Huh?

I was surprised to find Evan in a far more precarious state than I had expected. He was the one I trusted the most, so his struggle was unexpected. Did he lack experience in actual combat?

Why is he having such a hard time? I wondered.

I watched him closely and soon figured out why. Evan wasn't using Raven at all.