The ashen woods were as pale as burnt coal and its branches twisted into jagged shapes that latched onto their empty crowns. The forest was like death. It was void of life, but it still crept ever so slowly without stopping. The branches punctured its kin, and the roots strangled its brethren.

Rana ventured forth carefully, hesitantly. There was something strange about these trees. She had been in the Boundary Forest before, as sometimes the treacherous and corrupt believed that the remnant of an ancient evil would be their ally and hid within. When that happened, it was simply a matter of whether her magic would find them before the maw of monsters did. In the past, the pale trees were nothing but a location, but now, she felt something more. She felt something she could not explain, and it made her uneasy.

There was also something different within these woods. It was too quiet. These woods were the monster’s cover against the moonless sky, their dwelling, their haven. Even if other monsters deemed her their kind, her intrusion would still at least raise curiosity. Yet here she was, a human figure inside the woods without even a hint of monster hostility.

Then Rana smelled it, the stench of blood. It was powerful and somewhere deep down she wanted to be embraced by it, to consume it. It sickened her. It terrified her. She was able to tell where the blood was spilled and how long had it left the lifeless bodies. The ability was useful and it was illogical to deny who she was, but she still hoped she would not have to answer that one question ever.

Still, another question had been answered. It was humans. They were the sole reason monsters were slain, the truth that they could rely on themselves for their own survival. It was a simple balance. The more monsters in an area, the fewer humans there were. The lack of monsters was a sign humans fought to keep it that way, and they fought because they wanted to survive. It was an absurd thought but it was the only reasonable explanation. There was a human settlement within these woods.

The question then became why a group of humans would build their homes this close to danger, to be constantly under the threat of death. To be close to the riches of Dungeons, the export of exotic monster parts, or the thrill of battle? No. None of them required a settlement to be built within an area only less dangerous than the frontline. The reason was simple and proved the board back at the Guild to be telling the truth.

The slumbering forest has reawakened.

Rana walked for an hour before reaching the sight of carnage. There were dead horses, broken down carts, and bodies missing heads and limbs. No doubt, they were victims of the Crypt Poachers she slain earlier. It was still an unusual sight. The fowls responsible were monsters that did not attack unless their territories were threatened, and not unlike their name, they only dwelt in the aftermath of death. They did not hunt or gave chase unless commanded.

Crypt Poachers were amalgamations, a type of monster that was formed through the bonding of relevant materials with corrupt mana. They were usually raised in abandoned battlefields or gravesites when the contamination of the shattered moon became strong enough within the land. However, there was one exception. Fiends were born from the crimson and in their blood was corruption. Crypt Poachers could be summoned by fiends, and summoned amalgamations carried the will of the summoner and exhibited remnants of whatever they once were. In the case of Crypt Poachers, humans and animals. That was why it was afraid, but it hesitated during their fight earlier.

The situation was becoming troublesome. Church agents, marked ones, roaming monsters, and now, a fiend. There were too many variables, too many risk factors.

Rana tensed. She sensed the frolic of mana and the will that aimed to control it. The marked one was skilled. The hostility in the distance was more playful than hateful, but there was no doubt that she was their target. She pulled down her hood to cover her face, to make sure her zombie features were hidden and waited for the incoming attack.

There was a bright glow in the distance and an explosion burst forward. It was a Fireball, the most basic of fire Spells. Her opponent was testing her. She sidestepped the fiery flames and it exploded behind her, burning the remains of the broken cart and whatever body was within it. In the past, she would’ve ruled out the marked one being a church agent due to its callous attitude towards the dead, but nowadays she couldn’t be sure. Was it coincidence, or was there a deeper purpose for the attack?

“My apologies,” said a voice within the woods followed by the figure of a man. He had rough hair and an even rougher beard. He wore leather armor and pants, but it was clear he was a mage-class marked one. His grin did not smile, and his eyes looked down at her. “Had to make sure you weren’t a monster.”

It was clearly a lie, one meant to dare the other to protest. He knew she won’t. How insufferable. If it weren’t for the fact she needed to keep up the ruse of the assignment, she would’ve already dealt with him how she dealt with those opposing an inquisitor’s task. Not that she was still one. Still, there was merit in seeing his reaction to the unexpected, no matter how minor.

“What if I were a survivor of the attack,” she asked.

“Don’t be a fool,” the man hollered in a fit of laughter. “No mere man could survive monsters without a mark. I do apologize for the aggressive greeting though. I had to make sure our last party member won’t hold us back. Although, I am pretty sure this is not where we were supposed to gather.”

“Was attacked by Crypt Poachers along the way,” she replied, ignoring how he glossed over his reason for being here. “They were aggressive, so I decided to investigate.”

“Well, good thing you did. We had to depart early. The situation has changed.”

“A fiend?”

The man could not hide his surprise and it took him a while to recover. There was a moment he hardened his gaze, but he was able to quickly hide it.

“It make sense you would come to the conclusion since you witnessed this scene of carnage. It is good to know we have someone experienced with us. Regrettably, you are correct. If it was a simple pack of roaming monsters, we didn’t need to hurry. We get paid regardless of the casualty it caused. However, if it was true that a fiend is involved, any minute wasted is one minute closer to whatever scheme they are plotting.”

Rana contemplated what he said. Something did not sound right. However, without further information, she could not conclude what it meant. For now, she would follow and see where it lead.

“Where do we go from here?” she asked.

“I’ll bring you to the others. We were in the middle of planning our next course of action, especially with one party member down, but now that you’re here, we should be able to prepare much easier. Come on.”

The man moved and Rana followed him. She wanted more time to investigate the wreckage and bodies, but it seemed like the opportunity would have to come later.

“The name is Emery by the way. You are?” Emery asked.

“Rana.”

“Well, Rana, a pleasure to meet you.”

Rana wondered why her sister enjoyed teaming up with strangers, and she sort of understood the thrill of meeting someone new. It reminded her of the time she was an inquisitor. She knew that right now, the only thing in her and Emery’s mind was how they would kill the other if they fought.