Chapter 24: Drifting into Laup Forest
Flinch!
I jolted awake with a start.
It wasn’t because someone shook me or tried to wake me up. It was the approach of several presences that stirred me.
More precisely, several people.
They had entered the range of my sensory awareness.
The assassin’s heightened senses were sharp enough to wake me, even in an unconscious state. Or perhaps this body’s sensory perception was unusually keen?
They were coming directly toward the log that carried me. Though we were deep within the forest, they hadn’t spotted me just yet.
“Ugh...”
The moment I tried to move, a wave of pain surged through me.
Ah, right. My shoulder was broken.
And to make things worse, I was shivering uncontrollably from the cold.
Being exposed to the rain and river for so long had left my body in terrible shape.
I stifled a groan as I untied the cloth that had secured the hilt of my dagger. But my hands wouldn’t respond properly, as if paralyzed. They were swollen and numb, having lost circulation for too long.
‘What do I do?’
If it had been a monster, I would’ve forced myself to move. But judging from their footsteps, these people were human.
Would they help me?
Or were they dangerous?
On second thought, there was no need to wonder. This wasn’t just any place—it was a world ruled by villains. In a place like this, humans were far more dangerous than monsters.
I needed to be prepared. At the very least, I needed a plan.
‘A potion...’
Fortunately, the shaman’s bag I carried had survived the harsh conditions intact. Even waterproof.
Had the bag been enchanted with protective spells? An unexpected stroke of luck.
I found a single potion inside.
There was no time to save it. I gulped it down without hesitation. Warm energy spread through my body, and a sense of drowsy relief followed. The shivering stopped.
But my condition was too severe to recover instantly—it would take a little more time.
After hiding the bag beneath the water, I lay sprawled on the log, pretending to be unconscious.
I gripped a dagger in each hand and kept them hidden under the waterline, ready to strike at any moment. Now all I had to do was wait for them.
Not long after, I heard the sound of rustling followed by voices nearby.
“Boss! There’s someone here!”
“A person? How many?”
“Just one!”
I heard footsteps rushing toward me.
About ten people? There were more than I expected.
And... boss? That didn’t sound reassuring.
“Looks like he floated down the river with the log. What should we do?”
“What do you think? Bring him in. Go.”
I heard the splashing of two people wading into the water.
They were approaching, but I stayed perfectly still, maintaining my act. Pretending to be unconscious was a skill I had mastered.
“What’s the status?”
“There’s a hole in his head. Lost quite a bit of blood.”
“Is he dead?”
“He’s still breathing. Should we kill him?”
“There’s no rush. We can question him first, then kill him.”
This damn world always seems to solve its problems with murder.
How far had I drifted downriver?
I’d been half-unconscious the entire time, so I had no idea where I’d ended up.
Ah, right—I could just ask them.
Suddenly—
Grab!
A rough hand seized the back of my neck. They shoved my face into the water without hesitation, not caring whether I drowned or not.
I acted immediately.
With a lightning-fast motion, I stabbed both of them in the thighs with my daggers.
“Ggaaah!”
The two men screamed in agony as I kicked them over, sending them splashing into the water. They flailed around, choking on mouthfuls of river water.
“Enjoy the taste of it, bastards.”
I raised my head and looked toward the others.
Several men were already drawing their weapons, glaring in my direction.
Though their numbers were large, none of them seemed particularly threatening—except for the one they called boss.
He was the only one here who had learned to wield mana, though even he was only at the level of a mere First Star.
As for me? I never lost to anyone of the same rank. I had quite a few abilities at my disposal.
“Judging by the looks of them, I know exactly what kind of scum they are.”
I’d encountered enough of their type to recognize them instantly.
They were bandits—those same filthy bandits I had seen skulking around when I passed through Laup Forest. Their nasty laughter still echoed in my head sometimes, grinding my nerves to dust just thinking about it.
“W-what the hell!?”
“Wh-who...!”
When I subdued two of their men in the blink of an eye and stood up, their boss scowled and pointed at me. He looked like he was about to shout, “Kill him!” when I moved first.
Swish!
One of my daggers sliced across his throat in an instant.
The blade cut shallowly, just enough to draw blood. A thin line of crimson trickled down his neck.
But the boss didn’t even think to touch the wound. Instead, his eyes widened as he stared at my dagger—more specifically, at the energy radiating from it.
“O... Aura?!”
There are certain beings that even bandits fear above all else—those who can imbue their weapons with aura.
And right now, in their eyes, I was one of those monsters.
Throwing a weapon infused with aura at a distance—such a feat was something only high-ranking monsters could achieve.
A being at the level of a Five-Star.
Such creatures were calamities in human form—disasters that even locking eyes with could spell certain death.
The boss swallowed nervously, slowly lowering the finger he had pointed at me.
His subordinates, though, didn’t take it well.
“Boss! It’s just one guy!”
“They took down our brothers! We have to avenge them!”
“Revenge!”
“Yeah, get him!”
Shut up, you idiots!
The boss shot a panicked glance at his men. But before he could stop them, one of his sub-leaders boldly stepped forward, egged on by the others.
“Hey, I’ve had it with being stuck in this damn forest! Let’s rip this bastard apart—”
Thwack!
The boss struck the sub-leader in the throat with the edge of his hand. The man crumpled, clutching his neck and gasping for air. The boss stomped on him to shut him up completely, glancing nervously back at me.
“Did my warning sound like a joke to you?”
“N-no, sir!”
“Killing all of you would be annoying, so I suggest you behave.”
I slowly raised my dagger, and the boss flinched, backing away. I smiled, channeling energy into the blade.
This time, I infused it with Spiritual Power—the energy of the abyss. Though it was only at a rudimentary First Star level, it was enough to intimidate these ignorant fools.
Wooong—!
“……!”
The blue light gleaming from the dagger was all the proof they needed. They now fully understood that I was not someone they could handle.
The boss and his men began to retreat, step by step.
“Planning to run?”
“……!”
“Think you can escape faster than I can kill you?”
“N-no, sir!”
“Should I bet on it? Because I already know the answer.”
What was the answer, you ask?
Of course—running would be the smarter option.
If they scattered into the forest, I wouldn’t bother chasing them. But the real reason I was so calm was simple: they were weaklings who couldn’t even grasp my true abilities.
I’d bluffed—and it had worked perfectly.
“P-please spare us!”
The boss dropped to his knees, groveling. His men followed suit, dropping down and begging for their lives.
Heh. I suppose even a day like this has its easy moments.
I slowly stood up.
After drinking the recovery potion and resting, I was feeling a bit better. Still, it was best to avoid unnecessary fights.
The two men I had stabbed earlier crawled toward the shore, shivering and groaning in pain.
I glanced at them with mild pity—but only mild. After all, they were bandits.
And I had no mercy for bandits.
I twirled one of my daggers between my fingers and pointed it casually at the boss.
“If you want to live, you better show me some goodwill.”
“...W-what do you mean?”
“Take off everything you’re wearing. All of it. Down to your underwear.”
The boss shivered violently, his face contorting in disbelief.
What kind of bastard demands this from a bandit? That expression said it all.
But there was no room for hesitation. He turned toward his men, shouting urgently.
“Take it off! All of it, now!”
Their confusion was evident, but they didn’t dare defy him. Clothes were torn off and thrown into a pile in front of me.
I sat down on a nearby rock, casually flicking water off my soaked clothes. My shoulder throbbed with pain, and the tips of my fingers trembled from the cold. But I kept my composure—acting weak in front of them would invite trouble.
“Where do you want us to put the stuff?” the boss asked timidly.
“Right here, in front of me. Then all of you—kneel over there.” I pointed toward the riverbank.
The bandits followed his lead, laying their belongings in a messy heap in front of me. One by one, they knelt in a line, their bare shoulders hunched, shivering from the cold.
...What a sight. Gross.
I grimaced at the sight of their half-naked bodies. The stench of wet, unwashed skin was overpowering. Feeling my stomach churn, I waved them toward the river.
“Get in the water—just your heads above the surface.”
The bandits scrambled toward the water without hesitation, plunging in as if their lives depended on it. Only their heads poked out from the surface, bobbing like buoys.
I crouched down and began rifling through the pile of belongings, inspecting each item carefully. Most of it was junk—worn-out clothes, rusty weapons, useless trinkets.
Then something caught my eye.
Jackpot.
A small, cloudy bottle filled with a suspicious liquid. It was clearly a potion, though the murky appearance suggested it wasn’t high quality. Still, in my current state, anything was better than nothing. I tucked it away, grateful for the find.
Beside it was something even more intriguing: several wooden tubes bundled together with thin ropes. I picked one up and gave it a closer look. Inside the tube was a tiny metal dart—its tip stained with a faint purple hue.
A poison?
And there were multiple vials filled with the same violet liquid lying next to the darts. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what they were used for.
Testing it was simple enough.
I uncorked one of the vials and tossed it into the water, right where the bandits were hiding.
At first, they stared at the bottle in confusion. Then, when they saw what it was, their faces twisted with horror.
“Bethel’s Poison!”
“Move, you idiots! Get away from it!”
“Out! Get out now!”
They thrashed like madmen, scrambling to escape the contaminated water. The moment the purple liquid spread into the water, the bandits leapt out, panicking as if death itself was nipping at their heels.
Just as I suspected—the liquid was highly toxic.
But something odd caught my attention.
While the other bandits ran for their lives, the boss remained calmly in the water, staring at me with a weirdly proud expression. It was as if he was silently asking, Did I do well? Aren’t you impressed?
I resisted the urge to stab him on the spot.
Instead, I grabbed one of the bandits who had been lurking near the back—the one who had been referred to as the deputy leader earlier. The moment he met my gaze, his face turned pale, and he prostrated himself at my feet.
“P-please, spare me!”
Good. The bluff’s working better than I expected.
Then again, a Five-Star ranked warrior was a walking nightmare for anyone—especially bandits. Their reaction made perfect sense, even if it was based on a lie.
“So, what exactly is this poison?” I asked, holding up one of the vials.
“T-that’s Bethel’s Poison! It’s extracted from the toxic plants found in the heart of Laup Forest. Once it enters the bloodstream, it slows the victim’s heart, eventually leading to paralysis or death, depending on the dosage.”
“Hmm. So you coat the darts with this and shoot them through those tubes?”
“Y-yes! That’s correct!”
What a bunch of goblin wannabes.
Poison darts and blowpipes were usually a goblin tactic. These guys must have picked up the method to gain an edge in the forest. And honestly? It was a smart choice.
This weapon would be especially dangerous in the dense, unpredictable terrain of Laup Forest.
“What about the antidote?” I asked.
The deputy shook his head furiously. “There is no antidote!”
“No antidote?”
His panic deepened as I narrowed my eyes. “I-it’s not necessary! Anyone who can use mana is immune to it. A simple recovery potion will neutralize the effects, so there was no need for us to carry antidotes.”
Ah. That explained why the boss had stayed so calm. Since he could use mana, the poison wouldn’t affect him.
Hah. That selfish bastard.
If he knew the poison wouldn’t hurt him, why didn’t he warn the others? He just sat there, letting his men scramble for their lives. Typical.
I realized I hadn’t asked the most important question yet: Where exactly am I? The chaos with the bandits had momentarily distracted me, but I needed answers.
“You said this is Laup Forest, right?”
The deputy nodded frantically. “Y-yes! It is Laup Forest!”
“…What?”
“L-Laup Forest… sir…”
I stared at him in disbelief.
No way. Not this place.
Laup Forest—the same forest where that lunatic mage, Dominic Huaton, was rumored to reside.
For a moment, everything I had gone through flashed through my mind.
I had risked everything to escape the watchful eyes of Crux, willingly throwing myself into Kamel Blazer’s den. Then, to survive Kamel’s grasp, I had fought tooth and nail, leaping from the cliffs of Nelitori Gorge with nothing but sheer desperation.
And now… the place I ended up in was Laup Forest?
This fucking place?!
A wave of bitter frustration surged through me.
“…Shit.”
Once again, I couldn’t hold back the curse.
A deep sense of dread settled over me, gnawing at my gut.
Because Laup Forest wasn’t just dangerous—it was a death trap wrapped in nightmares.