Leaving behind the beast's carcass for other horrors to devour, probably, Neo followed after Stella in silence while sinking deep into his thoughts, recalling everything that happened moments ago.
And after several minutes of pondering, he realized two things.
The very first thing was about his Legacy. Now that he had time to think over everything that occurred without the need to fear getting killed, he seemed to find something spectacularly strange about his Legacy.
The swirling darkness...
Until now, he believed it was just a border, a boundary for his senses beyond where he couldn't see, feel, or hear at all. But it seemed it was not the case. Or at least, not entirely.
It turned out that the that it was much more than the simple manifestation of his senses' limits. It was much, much more than that!
While it, indeed, obstructed his vision as well as his other senses, it also granted him a secret ability, a power to "sense" beforehand if things or beings wished to enter his range. Just like how it happened when Stella entered it!
As for the second thing he realized, it was perhaps more important than his discovery of his Legacy. It was about himself, or to be more precise, his current strength.
Zen was right. He not only was weak, slow, and fragile but also had zero experience in combat except for how to run away. It was hard to accept it, but if it wouldn't have been for Stella, his corpse would have been on the menu for dinner for that horror quite a long time ago!
Plus, only now did he realize just how much of a hindrance was his limited vision. Although it was great he discovered a secret trait of it as mentioned, still, like this, even an amateur archer from outside his range could claim his life with ease much less a dreadful nightmare like that Ice-Claw Panther with the ability to get close without him even noticing!
Naturally, realizing this fact together with just how pathetically weak he was, he also understood what he had to do to never encounter such a situation ever again, which was to... Hide somewhere safe until he was not strong enough to wander the wilderness alone!
And that somewhere was exactly Stella's Shelter!
Yes!
That way he could slowly get used to this world and learn how his System actually worked, all that without risking his life needlessly! What's more, he could also help people within the Shelter with what he was truly good at and possibly gain something in return!
It was indeed a splendid idea!
"While I have to agree that it is actually a good plan, for starters, I'm still against the idea to spend a lot of time with that huntress."
Upon hearing Zen talking, Neo just shook his head and sighed silently.
'As I said earlier, you are just too paranoid. If she had any ill intention toward me she would have done something already."
"..."
This time Zen remained silent, unknown what he was truly thinking. As for Neo, he kept walking behind Stella in silence.
And exactly after what felt like an eternity, they finally arrived at a river with a wooden bridge built above it.
"We have arrived."
Watching as Stella halted her steps before the bridge that led the path to the other side over the river, where a large and rather tall wooden wall was erected, Neo stopped also and tensed a little.
Those eyes... They were truly terrifying to look into, especially from this close-up!
As Neo and Stella stared at each other in complete silence, suddenly the wooden gates at the other end of the bridge moved and opened, revealing two figures, two males, each of them wearing a somewhat similar set of clothes as the huntress.
Coats skillfully sewn together from the fur of slain beasts as well as gloves and boots made out of leather.
Both of them had a great and well-built frame, on the right side of their waists swords hung in their scabbards while on their wide backs, a quiver full of arrows and a bow were attached.
However, the most notable trait they both possessed, except for the massive beard and eerily similar faces, were their eyes. Just like Stella, they too possessed crimson eyes for some reason!
...And they too were filled with sharp coldness and caution, as if they have seen and lived through things one wished not to.
"Urgh... I have a bad feeling about this..."
Neo ignored Zen's groaning and instead glanced at Stella questioningly.
Feeling his gaze, Stella gestured to him to stay still and shifted her attention to the two men.
"Dax... Max... If the two of you are here it means my father is also back. Good. Call him, I need him here."
"Haha, it's always good to see you come home safe too, Stella. Isn't that right, Dax?"
Dax, the muscular man on Max's side nodded before he turned his gaze at Neo, looking him up and down with curiosity.
"That is right, my brother. It is indeed a blessing to see her shining beauty once again, especially after her great trial. Though, to be honest, I am more interested in the one she brought back with her."
Neo flinched scarcely seeing how both men's eyes fell on him, feeling as if he was stared at by not two humans but two wolves instead! He could even notice a hint of hostility and... Hunger? in their eyes.
"Yeah, you should run while you still can."
'Shut it already.' Neo hissed silently and looked at Stella.
Although he didn't like the current situation he was in and particularly the way those two looked at him, he at least understood and was confident Stella was on his side.
And to prove he was right, the petite huntress took a step to the side, standing between him and the two with a face as cold as ice!
"I said, call my father here... Now."
The smile on Max's face vanished upon hearing the tone with which Stella spoke, however, just as he was ready to say something a deep voice filled with various emotions rolled through the forest.
"My dear daughter, so you are finally back! Oh, how much I have missed you!"
Neo, just like everyone else turned his head toward the gates from where the voice came from, but not even a second after his gaze fell on the face of the man who just talked, both his legs turned weak, almost causing him to fall right then and there!
"...W-What is he doing here!?"