Chapter 372

Words : 2381 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

The forest was quiet. As if all the sounds that had been faintly heard until just now were hallucinations. Let alone the sounds of beasts, even the insects that had been softly chirping were holding their breath. Rudger’s instinct and long experience told him that this was absolutely not a normal situation. This was an omen. An omen that something terrible was about to happen. “Arpa. Do you see anything?” “No. I can’t see anything within a 500m radius from here. Everything has disappeared.” “It’s strange that we should at least see one or two showing their faces, but even that’s not happening right now.” Rudger naturally gripped his staff. Huh? What? Roina, who still hadn’t grasped the situation, continued to look bewildered. From Arpa’s ability to see up to 500m even in this dense forest, to Rudger’s serious demeanor sensing something was wrong. Everything was happening too suddenly for her to process. “Mr. Rudger. Is something about to happen right now?” “Yes. So I made a guess.” “What is it...?” “What do wild beasts fear the most? An external group of 300 people? They would certainly be wary, but fearing them is another matter. It’s strange that they’ve disappeared like a mirage.” “Then there’s something else that the beasts fear?” “Yes. And that would be an apex predator that has long established its territory in this land. Typically, when an apex predator moves, all beasts hold their breath and hide.” Just like now. Roina’s expression grew serious as well. She too had read this strange tension, yet there was still something her mind couldn’t quite comprehend. “But why would such a dangerous being suddenly appear now, after all this time...?” “Didn’t you mention that this time there were ‘particularly’ many people gathered?” “T-Then...” Rudger nodded gravely to the anxious Roina. “Yes. Perhaps it’s precisely because so many have gathered that something that hadn’t shown any reaction until now has started to move.” I hope it’s just needless worry. Kigigigigik───!!! The moment they heard that strange sound mixed with a gust of wind that thought was cleanly erased. “What was that?” “What was that sound just now...?” The orderly moving mages all stopped at once. While animal cries had been constantly heard since entering the forest’s boundary, this one was oddly different. Though they couldn’t be certain exactly what was different, they instinctively felt some kind of unease. The puzzled mages were mostly knowledge seekers who had come for research. In contrast, the combat mages with practical experience reacted differently. “Everyone be on guard! Something’s here!” As expected of those who came here for pay despite the danger, not a single person panicked as they began to watch their surroundings. Naturally, a circular formation was created, with combat mages taking the frontline. -Swish swish. Through the subtle breeze, something brushing against the undergrowth echoed in their ears. Something was there. Something stealthy, fast and very dangerous. However, even when trying to track it with their eyes, the dense trees prevented them from seeing anything clearly. “Scout team!” The fierce-looking mage at the front shouted. With a large scar on his face, he commanded skillfully as if this wasn’t his first time dealing with such situations. “Earth attribute mages, put up walls first! Then reinforce them with metal! This is no ordinary creature!” “Scout team, spread your magical power around!” -Rumble. In an instant, the ground rose to create makeshift walls, and iron was layered on top but the expressions of the mages who cast the spells weren’t very good. “Leader. Those people, they don’t look well.” “It’s because of the environment.” “The environment?” “An environment with little magical power is problematic for casting spells. Conversely, oversaturated magical power isn’t a good environment for casting spells either. This forest has at least 5 times the mana density of the outpost.” Probably to cast spells here, they would need to consume far more mental power and mana than usual. It would feel like suddenly trying to run underwater after walking on land. As if to prove this, the spells cast were quite rough in parts compared to the mages’ skill levels. The commander didn’t show any disappointment at this. Instead, he had multiple mages work together to reinforce the barrier further. “Don’t be afraid! Act as usual! With this many mages present, a mere beast couldn’t possibly...” The mercenary-turned-mage who was shouting while looking at the safely reinforced wall couldn’t finish his sentence because his head that should have spoken those words was already gone. “Huh?” The mage who had been listening to commands right next to him was dumbfounded by the scene before his eyes. The headless body fell limply to the ground. -Kigigigigik! With an earsplitting bizarre noise, a beast revealed itself atop the wall. It was a tiger-like beast. Its eyes were red, its fur was black, and its tail was sharp and long like a blade. The most striking feature was its face, which was smiling with a mouth split almost to its ears. Its mouth was stretched almost to its ears, and its teeth were sharp and densely packed like a shark’s. Looking at the tiger, Rudger was reminded of a cat from a certain story. That cat which appeared suddenly and disappeared like a mirage, smiling with a mouth split ear to ear. If one were to name this tiger it should be called the Cheshire Tiger. -Kigigigigik! The tiger’s blood-red mouth was holding something. It was the head of the mage who had been giving commands just moments ago. It was unbelievable. Before it even arrived, they had set up barriers, yet it had broken through them so easily and taken the commanding mage’s head in its jaws. Though they might have let their guard down because of the barrier, it was even more shocking that no mage had reacted to seeing it. “It’s Predator class!” “Why did something like that suddenly appear!” “Never mind that, use magic! Kill that thing!” The mages simultaneously fired spells at the Cheshire Tiger. Seeing multiple spells flying towards it, the Cheshire Tiger’s mouth stretched even further into a grin. Then the Cheshire Tiger’s form disappeared like a mirage. First its body became transparent, then only its eyes and mouth remained floating in the air like afterimages before slowly fading away. Immediately after, various spells hit empty air and flew past the wall to explode. “It suddenly disappeared!” Roina was shocked by the unbelievable sight the Cheshire Tiger had shown. Instead of responding to her words, Rudger turned to Arpa. “Did you see it?” “Yes.” “How was it?” “For a moment, the air in the atmosphere was refracted to become transparent. It seemed to disappear, but that was because it moved incredibly fast.” “Air refraction. Was that made possible by wind magic power?” It might be unbelievable that a mere beast could handle magical power, but it was common in the Kasar Basin. This was because all beasts and plants living here contained their own magical power. Of course, specimens that could activate specific attributes and use them for hunting like that weren’t common. “And what’s more troublesome is...” Rudger’s sharp gaze turned elsewhere. After a slight delay, mages’ screams rang out from another location. -Kigigik! “Here! It’s here too!” “It’s here as well! There wasn’t just one!” The number of Cheshire Tigers had increased to three. They didn’t operate alone. -Kigigigigik! At the Cheshire Tigers’ cries echoing from multiple directions, the faint-hearted mages were struck with terror. And the Cheshire Tigers didn’t miss their frightened prey. “Aaaaah! Save me!” Though the young mage cried out with tears, the Cheshire Tiger didn’t heed his words. Just as the Cheshire Tiger’s black mass was about to devour the mage. “Stand back.” The shadow created by the mage falling back writhed and then rose like countless needles, targeting the Cheshire Tiger. The Cheshire Tiger looked at the needles and released powerful magical power throughout its body. -Titititing! An intense whirlwind enveloped the Cheshire Tiger’s body and completely deflected the needle-like spikes. -Whoosh. At that moment, spears made of flame targeted the Cheshire Tiger. It was a powerful attack that couldn’t be blocked by merely wrapping oneself in wind. At that instant, the Cheshire Tiger stepped on empty air with its front paws. Surprisingly, the Cheshire Tiger’s body shot upward, easily avoiding the flame spears. “So it can even do something like that using wind magic.” As his surprise attack failed, Rudger clicked his tongue. The mage who had fallen to the ground stared at Rudger with trembling eyes. “R-Rudger Chelici?” “Hmm?” Rudger glanced at the mage who had called his name. He thought the face looked familiar, and it was that young mage who had picked a fight with him. He thought he had run away in fear after seeing Sempas, but he had joined the expedition team. Though he hadn’t acted with the intention of saving him, to think it would turn out like this. Thinking that fate was truly mysterious, Rudger opened his mouth. “Get out of the way. You’ll only be a hindrance here.” “H-Hindrance...?” The young mage who was about to say he could fight too completely lost his will to fight when he saw the Cheshire Tiger targeting this direction again. The young mage hurriedly retreated, and with the annoying one gone, Rudger could fully concentrate on the Cheshire Tiger. The Cheshire Tiger too, perhaps instinctively realizing that Rudger was dangerous, didn’t rush in recklessly. -Kigigik. “Not exactly a pleasant cry to hear.” The Cheshire Tiger’s cry, which sounded like metal scraping glass, had something that shook one’s mind. It was because the tiger’s infrasound had become even stronger after being imbued with magical power but it had no effect on Rudger. -Kiiiik. Seeming to realize that its cry wasn’t working, it lowered its stance even further. Though its mouth still bore that split-like smile, it felt quite different from when it was hunting prey earlier. “Should I say thank you or that I’m honored. Though you’re a beast that can’t speak, at least you’re seeing me as an equal predator.” Rudger pointed his staff at the Cheshire Tiger. Though Cheshire Tigers were rampaging in two other places as well, there were excellent mages there too, so they would be subdued before long. So here he only needed to focus on the enemy before him. “Come, kitty.” Though he wasn’t sure if it understood words, he tried taunting it anyway. Though it might not understand the meaning, it seemed to know it was being mocked, as the Cheshire Tiger’s brow furrowed slightly. -Kigigigigik! With a horrible cry, the smiling-faced tiger charged. That appearance had an indescribable grotesqueness that seemed like something from a nightmare. Even someone with nerves of steel would be terrified if they had a Cheshire Tiger right in front of them. “Sorry, but I’ve seen too much until now to be scared of something like that.” Saying this, Rudger lightly stomped his foot as dirt rose from the ground, creating an earthen wall. The Cheshire Tiger, as if mocking this, lightly jumped over the earthen wall. The wind-imbued Cheshire Tiger’s movement was like flying through the sky. At that moment, magic that had been waiting beyond the wall was fired. 3rd Circle Ice Element Magic [Exploding Ice Flower] Ice petals scattered and targeted the Cheshire Tiger from all directions. The Cheshire Tiger that had jumped over the earthen wall tried to avoid them a few more times using the air as footing, but the petals persistently chased after it. The Cheshire Tiger, focused on dodging in mid-air, seemed to judge that avoiding was impossible and wrapped its body in wind. -Titititing! As a powerful wind swirled like a vortex, the ice petals were helplessly deflected. The Cheshire Tiger grinned at Rudger as if to say “How’s that?” But that was the reaction Rudger had been waiting for. [Coordinate Designation Technique] A large fireball was created above the Cheshire Tiger’s head. The Cheshire Tiger belatedly noticed the fireball’s existence and turned around, but it was already too late. Since magic had suddenly appeared in mid-air, there wasn’t even time to react. -Kyaaaak!!! Before it could begin to dodge, the red flames engulfed the Cheshire Tiger’s body. “Though it handles wind magic, it can only use one technique at a time.” After an explosion occurred in mid-air, the Cheshire Tiger fell to the ground trailing black smoke. “If it wraps its body in wind it can’t fly, and to fly it can’t wrap its body in wind.” -Boom. The Cheshire Tiger that had fallen to the ground slowly got up. Though smoke was rising from various parts of its body, it was still alive. Beyond simply handling magic power, its physical abilities seemed to have risen to an unbelievable level. Both its durability and regenerative ability were at a level that couldn’t be seen in normal ecosystems but it didn’t matter. “Leave the teeth. I need to give them as a gift.” “Yes.” Arpa, who suddenly appeared behind the Cheshire Tiger, grabbed its tail with her bare hands. -Kiiik?! Though the Cheshire Tiger tried to resist with its blade-like tail, but surprisingly, Arpa’s bare hands held the blade-like tail without a single scratch. “Yup.” Arpa, still holding the tail, swung the Cheshire Tiger and slammed it into the ground. -Kwang! A dust cloud rose high with a thunderous sound. Spider web-like cracks spread across the ground with the massive impact, and broken stone fragments lightly scattered in the air. From that position, Arpa immediately stomped on the Cheshire Tiger’s head with his leg. -Crack! No matter how excellent its regenerative abilities were, there was no way to survive when its head was completely crushed. -Ki, kiiik. At the very end, just before death, the Cheshire Tiger stared at Rudger with resentful eyes. “When did I ever say I would fight fairly one-on-one?” The Cheshire Tiger’s body soon went limp.

Chapter 372

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