Love Letter From The Future

The monsters moved silently. Therefore, there was no sound in the forest.

Thinking about it, it was strange that there was no sound in the forest. Various wild animals, including birds, lived there. It was only natural that there should be some noise.

The fact that the depths of the forest were so quiet right now meant that a predator had appeared, silencing all those lives.

I halted in a clearing of the forest. There was enough space to wield my sword. However, I had no intention of confronting the monsters head-on.

Fighting monsters had no rules or etiquette. It was just a battle of whether to kill or be killed.

I pulled a potion from my pocket. It was a pale gray potion.

It was a gift Emma had given me during our last meeting. It returned to my hands after her father adamantly refused to let me have it, Emma’s masterpiece.

When I opened the lid of the potion bottle, a sharp fragrance wafted out. Just the smell suggested it wouldn’t taste good. But I was already too grown up to fuss about the flavor.

Without hesitation, I poured the potion down my throat. A hot sensation passed through me, similar to drinking liquor. And that warmth gradually spread through my body via my veins.

My heart rate slowly decreased. My breaths became shallower, like those of a corpse that had just met death. I felt a sensation of weightlessness, to the point where I could not even be sure of my own existence.

As a trade-off, my movements became slightly sluggish, but it was bearable. I recalled the last conversation I had with Emma.

Emma predicted that the unique smells of the materials she was to gather would render this potion useless. This meant that the potion could not erase the external smells.

My hand scooped up the damp earth. I sprinkled dirt over my uniform and crushed grass, applying the juice to my body.

It was strange. The sensation of the grass brushing against me, which used to make me nauseous, now seemed perfectly fine as I dirtied myself.

It was not an act befitting a noble. I felt a slight discomfort, but that was enough for now.

I plunged my sword into a tree and instantly leaped onto a branch. Hidden by the leaves, my body was out of sight.

In an ideal state of concealment, there was no scent, breath, or heartbeat detectable.

Like a fisherman waiting for a tide, my eyes dimmed. The world, where even my breath could not be felt, was infinitely calm. Even the slightest stirring felt like thunder.

A faint rustling sound pierced the stillness of the forest. My fingertips stiffened with tension.

I held my breath and observed the clearing through the gaps in the leaves. There, a massive creature with gray fur was moving.

It was a wolf. But its size appeared larger than that of any average adult male. And its pitch-black eyes seemed as if they wouldn’t reflect any light even in the thick darkness.

The only part of its body reflecting light was its grotesquely developed fangs. In my memory, I could not recall any biological group with such a feature.

It was undoubtedly a monster.

The moment that realization struck my mind, my heart, which had lost its drive, began to pound again. Heat filled my breath. A pleasant tension tightened my muscles.

I gripped my sword in reverse and waited.

The gray wolf tilted its head and buried its nose in the ground. My scent was still lingering. However, it seemed to be frustrated, having no idea where it had gone.

The sniffing sound came closer. My heart raced wildly. And at the moment I resolved to move.

The rustling sound of leaves echoed out. The jet-black eyes of the gray wolf immediately raised.

However, in those eyes, a silver line was already shining down.

With a smack, brain matter splattered.

The magically-enhanced blade delivered the force of my descent directly to the monster’s skull. Though its density was insufficient to penetrate the skull, the blade embedded diagonally managed to crack it.

With a howl of agony, thick blood burst forth. The large creature, struck in the brain, thrashed about. Strong, convulsive movements, like waves.

That final struggle was brief. The spark of life gradually extinguished from the monster’s eyes.

The twitching mass of flesh was the last trace of life the monster had left. I gritted my teeth and held the sword in place until that trembling subsided.

Only after all movement had ceased in the monster’s body did I finally rise, letting out a long breath. I retrieved the water bottle that hung at my waist.

My throat was dry. I shook the bottle to replenish my fluids, but only a few drops of water fell.

If I had known it would turn out this way, I should have drunk more cautiously. I murmured in despair.

“…This sucks.”

It was a feeling I had never experienced before. A life writhing within my embrace, gradually losing its life.

My hand holding the bottle trembled slightly. I almost dropped the lid several times while trying to close it.

However, there was no time to reflect on the impressions of my first hunt. The presence of monsters was already closing in.

They must have heard their comrade’s howl. That dying cry echoed throughout the forest, ensuring it was quiet enough. And above all, the smell of blood pierced my nose.

The damp earth, already saturated with humidity, soaked up the blood, squelching with every step I took. It was a good thing for me.

My body was already drenched in the monster’s blood. The wolves would no longer be able to discern my smell.

For now, the choice with the highest chance of survival was to hide here.

I didn’t know how long the potion’s effect would last, but it shouldn’t take long for Professor Derek to realize something was amiss. At most, a few hours.

But if that were the case, the wolves might give up pursuing me. If I chased after revenge for my comrade, and even a single one of the monsters pursued Ceria, it would put her life in danger.

That could not happen. I rolled through the muddy soaked in blood, dirtying myself once more. Then I dragged the monster’s corpse and tossed it into a nearby thicket.

I curled up in the grass beside it. Another short time of patience.

In just a few minutes, a wolf appeared, loping lazily. This couldn’t be the last of them. I could already sense a few more monsters approaching in the vicinity.

At least five. Wolves are beasts that naturally live in packs. Even if they became monsters, their essence didn’t change.

It required a high density of magic to become a monster, so even the largest pack of wolves likely wouldn’t number in the dozens. But I should prepare for at least ten.

The fortunate thing was that my heart settled again upon seeing the monsters before me.

The shock of my first hunt hadn’t fully subsided yet. Still, all I felt now was the subtle tension of a hunter about to engage in the hunt.

There was no need to question why.

My eyes adjusted to the route. Before the wolves got any closer, I needed to take care of that one.

The wolf that appeared in the clearing looked a little flustered. With all that blood staining me, it was only natural. Like its comrade, it began to bury its nose in the ground and sniff.

It slowly approached along the path marked by the blood. As it came closer, my breaths became increasingly shallow.

It didn’t take long for the wolf to find the corpse of its comrade. Even though I had tossed it into the tallest grass, the monster was too huge to be completely hidden.

Cautiously, the wolf approached its comrade’s body. Its alertness resembled that of a careful scout.

It was an excellent posture, but the opponent was at fault. No matter how wary it was, there was no way it could detect me after I drank the potion.

I gripped the sword’s hilt with both hands. The monster’s hide was tough, so stabbing it would be more advantageous. I could transfer maximum force to a narrow surface.

The wolf came right up to me. The unique stench of canids wafted strongly. It still hadn’t noticed me.

And then, with a thrust, I unleashed a strike like a flash of light.

Since I had thrust from a crouching position, I couldn’t muster the full force. However, it was enough to pierce the unguarded flank of the wolf.

A high-pitched scream echoed loudly. I gritted my teeth and forcefully sliced through the monster’s tough hide.

With a ripping sound, blood and guts began to spill out. The unpleasant odor of its insides pierced my nose. I felt as if my sense of smell was going numb.

Thus, I failed to notice.

With a snap, a sharp pain pierced my forearm.

“Grr, ugh…!”

I forced myself to swallow a scream. I didn’t care if the wolves discovered my location, but I must not reveal my existence.

I had to remain an unknown enemy. Ignoring the wolf’s biting strength upon my forearm, I dragged the knife all the way down.

Guts spilled out, and the wolf’s life came to an end. Even as the monster forced itself to curl up one last time, the eyes that had bitten my arm glimmered with venom.

Seeing that gaze made me chuckle in disbelief.

“Why start a fight first, you son of a bitch…”

With a smack, I struck its nose with the hilt of my sword, causing the wolf’s mouth to hang open weakly. Its once dark eyes were now blank and unfocused.

It was dead. I could feel not even a breath from the wolf. I swayed, tightly gripping my bitten forearm.

It hurt. It felt as if its grotesque fangs had pierced through muscle and reached the bone. I fumbled through my pocket to find some cloth. Then I wrapped it around the wound to stop the bleeding.

If I couldn’t properly disinfect the wound, there was a risk of a secondary infection. However, I had no time for such treatment now.

Perhaps because I had already lost a good amount of blood, my mind became hazy. A dizzying sensation overtook me, yet the magic flowing within my body became more vibrant.

It was incomprehensible. Even with my head not functioning properly, my instincts drove me to hide and wait for the wolves.

Like a seasoned hunter.

After doing so several times, when the clearing was cluttered with the corpses of wolves, my range of motion began to narrow.

My sword found another victim. The wolf, pierced through its nape, stared at me with wide eyes, as if unable to believe what was happening.

It certainly didn’t know I was hiding among the bodies of its dead comrades.

Another hefty creature collapsed harmlessly to the ground. At that moment, I had to catch my breath, gasping heavily.

My body was stiff. I couldn’t exert myself properly. The bleeding from my forearm had stopped, but injuries were accumulating while facing the wolves.

Where was Ceria?

Had she reached Professor Derek by now? Surely she wouldn’t miss a single monster; with such a strong scent of blood in the air, there couldn’t be any that would bypass this area.

I hoped that was the case. That was my best hope.

I felt a bitter taste in my breath. The limits were nearing. It was around then that I heard a growling sound.

Two wolves walked into the clearing. As creatures that acted in groups, it was only natural. However, the problem was that until now, I had attempted to take them out one by one.

There had been instances of more than two approaching, but back then, I had been in hiding.

But now I couldn’t conceal myself, and my body was reaching its limit.

Had I acted recklessly? I leaned on my sword like a cane, thinking so. However, there was no point in regretting it; it was already too late.

My golden eyes glared at the wolves with hostility. My blood-soaked hair obscured my view, but it didn’t matter.

The two wolves flinched as they met my gaze. It was only natural. There were already eight wolf corpses sprawled across the clearing.

I had accomplished this all by myself. Even the beasts could instinctively grasp that I was not a trivial opponent.

Taking a deep breath, my senses sharpened as my consciousness grew more blurry. Magic pulsed within me, coursing through every inch of my body.

When my body regained even a slight degree of vitality.

“…Come at me, you bastards.”

I aimed my sword with bravado, grinning in a show of bravado.

Soon, the two wolves charged at me like lightning. The battle was not over yet.

*

Ceria limped to Professor Derek about an hour after she had set out.

---