We could proceed smoothly until the entrance of the Krates Mountain Range.
The problem lies ahead.
I unleashed my horse and looked towards the village I had passed last, then gazed up at the towering mountain range with an indiscernible end.
'It's ridiculously high.'
I couldn't see the end at all.
It was almost unbelievable that such a mountain actually existed.
Its size was so enormous that it would appear gigantic even from the town of Merteon, which was a two-day journey away.
'In the game, I could easily find my way there....'
It seemed like it would take quite some time.
With determination, I started climbing the mountain.
Even though I was still at the beginning, the mountain path quickly became treacherous.
'Besides that, it's so quiet here.'
I wondered if it was originally such a quiet place.
In fact, I had been curious as to why I hadn't encountered a single monster while coming to the mountain range.
As Krates Mountain Range was notorious for being infested with all kinds of monsters, demons, and rare beasts due to its rarely traveled paths, it was strange not to have encountered anything in the past two days.
'It's strange.'
Krates Mountain Range was one of the dangerous places to avoid because even with a little wandering, you would inevitably encounter monsters.
Is reality different from the game?
At that moment, something strange caught my senses.
'A trap.'
It was a simple trap.
But it was a trap that an ordinary person would fall for without even noticing.
Something resembling a thin thread caught my eye near my ankle.
To be honest, if it weren't for the caution I maintained in the Krates Mountain Range, I would have touched it without hesitation, mistaking it for something in a neighborhood mountain.
But who set it up?
There are no people who would come to a place like this, so it doesn't seem like it was aimed at humans; rather, it seems to be targeting monsters or beasts....
'A hunter?'
Could there be hunters in the Krates Mountain Range?
I couldn't think of any specific individuals.
In the first place, the only person I could think of living in a place like this was the eccentric Deschren.
In that case, did Deschren set it up?
Unbeknownst to me, I decided not to scratch and create unnecessary scars.
Carefully crossing the thread, I ventured deeper into the steep mountains.
.
.
.
.
A person was struggling through the steep mountains, trying to escape from something.
The human like figure resembled a mixture of human and animal, specifically resembling a leopard.
As a Mat'ahar, a feline-human hybrid, the person was exploring the Krates Mountain Range in search of the cause behind the recent spate of disappearances.
With already five people missing, the seriousness of the situation was not lost on the village chief, who had selected a few young individuals for the mission, and he was one of them.
However, shortly after receiving the mission from the chief and embarking on the exploration, the situation took a turn for the worse.
'What the hell are those monsters! How could they appear in this area?'
Suddenly, insect-like monsters appeared and began attacking him without any apparent reason.
As a Mat'ahar, he had no fear in combat, but with the increasing number of monsters, retreat was the only option.
Crack!
Swoosh!
Insects flying through the air spat acid, and creatures with six legs chased Inyeong with their grotesque appearance.
And the biggest reason he thought of for needing to escape was a bipedal insect-like monster that spread its wings and flew gracefully, pursuing him.
"Squeak!"
No matter how hard he tried to shake them off, they were too fast in their pursuit.
They relentlessly pursued him, resembling a hunting pack, and he was aware of this fact to some extent.
'I can't run away. Then, maybe...!'
In a hurry, he swiftly changed direction and used sharp claws to tear apart the head of the bug chasing behind.
Crack!
Soon, the fighting between him and the approaching insects began, and he was more concerned about the safety of the village than his own demise.
'Are these creatures the cause of the missing villagers?'
It would be agonizing to die without revealing this fact.
Burning his own body, he managed to take down numerous enemies, but the most formidable opponent, the insect-like monster in its flying form, watched his struggle from above.
"Come on! Even if I perish, I'll make you my companion on the journey to the underworld!"
He roared loudly, rallying their courage, and rushed towards the insect.
However, the insect, with its agile and unexpected movements, toyed with him while flying at high speed.
Thud!
"Groan!"
The speed of the insect was not just fast, it carried a terrifying destructive power.
With its solid body, the insect used its speed to ram him with its torso, causing a tremendous noise.
Despite his determination, he was futilely scattered in the air, blood spraying, and crashed onto the ground.
'It's overwhelming.'
Above all, the existence of those wings became an insurmountable barrier for Mat'ahar.
"Damn it..."
Around the fallen Mat'ahar, small insects that were still lingering gathered.
Having suffered a massive shock that left them unable to lift a finger, Mat'ahar had no strength to resist.
As Mat'ahar accepted their impending death and closed their eyes, an unexpected sound reached their ears.
Thud! Swoosh!
Slowly opening their eyes, Mat'ahar saw a masked man smashing the insects in the vicinity.
'What is this guy again?'
.
.
.
.
After searching the Krates Mountain Range for three days, I was able to discover the place where the sleeping giant was located, which was my goal.
However, along with that, a problem arose.
'Why are there no beasts or monsters around here?'
I could also find a village of different species on the land, including the place where the giant was sleeping.
From the distance, I observed that they were Mat'ahar, probably drying out the seeds of the monsters that existed in the vicinity to protect their village.
'I don't remember there being a village here in the game.'
To progress the story enough in the game to climb the Krates Mountain Range, it would take at least a year or two, so it implies that the village disappeared during that time.
'But that's not the issue now.'
In the Empire, the treatment of different species was not favorable.
The main reason being the suppression policy towards different species by the current Emperor, which caused the different species within the Empire to be hostile towards humans.
'So, they probably live in such a remote place to avoid unnecessary encounters with humans.'
Now, the question was how to break through the village and reach the hidden place where the hidden piece was located....
There seemed to be no way to enter without getting noticed.
Especially with the heightened senses of the different species, especially the werewolves, there was no solution.
Reluctantly considering giving up and going to Deschren, I noticed that the atmosphere in the village was not normal.
It emitted a serious atmosphere, as if something had happened, but I couldn't figure out what it was from a distance.
I couldn't determine what it was, but I decided it was time to retreat for now.
It wasn't an urgent matter to fight the entire village and obtain the Hidden Piece. Since the village was going to disappear in a few years according to my knowledge, I could come back then without any problem.
So, giving up on the Hidden Piece, while on my way to where Deschren was staying...
Crash!
I heard the sound of a fight coming from somewhere.
'Monsters?'
Were the monsters fighting for territory among themselves?
I should avoid it and go back.
However, I soon discovered traces of something and had no choice but to stop.
'This is...'
Remnants of broken insects were scattered all over the place.
While there were various monsters in the Krates Mountain Range, I had encountered this type of monster somewhere other than the Krates Mountain Range.
'Roach Sorcerer Lanox.'
He was a black mage affiliated with the Assembly.
To be precise, Lanox could be called a summoner as he was famous for controlling the bugs he personally raised.
Especially, some of the unique creatures he raised could rival even a single Aura Master in power when combined.
'What on earth brought him all the way to this dangerous place?'
If he came from the Assembly, it could be related to wicked deeds.
If that was the case, I couldn't leave it be.
I immediately summoned Nickel and Timur.
Then, I received a mask from Nickel and transformed my appearance.
Still, I had to hide my true form just in case.
After that, with Timur's sense of smell, I quickly discovered the scene where a battle was taking place.
There, a Mat'ahar was fighting against the insects, but they were in a precarious situation, being attacked by the bipedal insect-like monster.
'So, he already created that creature.'
The insect-like monster was exceptionally strong.
I didn't know how many he had created, but seeing one of them already roaming around indicated the danger.
Anyway, now that the situation had turned like this, I had to rescue the Mat'ahar first and see.
Even if they were hostile towards humans, I couldn't let it go to the extent of endangering a life in need.
First, to avoid any misunderstandings, I put Nickel and Timur away.
Then, I began dealing with the "lackeys" swarming the Mat'ahar.
Crack!
'This feeling...'
As the boundaries between my heart and my mana disappeared, the mana unified into one, and a black blade emerged from my sword, exuding a sinister aura.
The power output felt much stronger than before, and as I swung the sword, the insects that came into contact with it began to shatter.
'A slightly more destructive feeling.'
It didn't seem bad at all.
Instead, I should take this opportunity to loosen up a bit more.
The insects, confused by my sudden intrusion, left me alone as they reluctantly approached the Mat'ahar, giving me the chance to get closer to them.
While actively stopping the creatures, I used Mana Detect to find the black mage.
'Have you given them orders and are not present here?'
I couldn't sense any presence.
Perhaps the bipedal monster was commanding them.
After defeating most of the lackeys and looking at the distant insect, for some reason, it started to retreat.
I hesitated for a moment whether I should chase after it, but it was a pity to abandon the rescued Mat'ahar lying there.
Besides, it had the confidence to pursue me at any time.
For now, I had to save this person and find a way into the village.
"Who are you?"
As I approached, the Mat'ahar asked with a guarded expression.
I took out a potion from my pouch and handed it to them.
"It's a healing potion. If you want to survive, drink it."
"Do you think I would trust your words? Are you in cahoots with those monsters?"
Annoying. I didn't feel like bothering with persuading them.
In the end, I smacked their chin with the back of my hand, causing them to faint.
Then, I forcibly made them drink the potion.
For someone who wouldn't listen, force was the cure.
Is this the right thing to say in a situation like this?
Anyway, after giving them the set of three potions, I roughly shouldered them and walked in the direction of the Mat'ahar's village.
By the time I reached the Mat'ahar village, a group of Mat'ahar surrounded me, being highly alert.
"You, human! How did you get here?"
"It's Mat'ahar! Release Mat'ahar right now!"
Amidst the chattering Mat'ahar, I cautiously released the Mat'ahar known as Mat'ahar.
It was about time for them to wake up.
As expected, Mat'ahar woke up just as I predicted.
"Uh... Kamuru? Jokoham?"
The awakened Mat'ahar called out the names of the Mat'ahar standing in front of them with a bewildered expression.
Then, they noticed me standing behind them and became startled, attempting to stand up but stumbling.
"You, human! What did you do to Mat'ahar?"
One of them, either Kamuru or Jokoham, shouted at me.
The Mat'ahar had a sharp and high-pitched voice, making it unpleasant to listen to.
Meanwhile, Mat'ahar slowly examined their own body and then looked up at me with puzzled eyes.
"Did you save me?"
I nodded as Mat'ahar gestured toward the surrounding Mat'ahar.
"This human is the one who saved me. And more importantly, I have urgent news to deliver to the village chief."
The expressions of the Mat'ahar became puzzled at Mat'ahar's words.
However, they still remained cautious, a trait likely developed from their encounters with humans.
"For now, I'll bring the village chief here."
Someone dashed toward the village, and time passed in a tense atmosphere.
Although I was calm and observing the situation, the tension was unique to them.
It was bothersome, and I didn't want to kill innocent people, but if it came down to a fight, I was confident I could handle them.
It would be impossible alone, but I had Nickel and Tirmur with me.
Soon, the Mat'ahar who ran to the village returned with an elderly Mat'ahar.
"Are you the human who saved Mat'ahar?"
I nodded without saying a word.
The village chief then asked Mat'ahar to explain the situation.
Mat'ahar briefly conveyed the situation they witnessed to the village chief.
"Insect-like monsters... and suddenly, there was a human."
It seemed like they were suspicious of me, but I genuinely knew nothing about it.
"I was looking for a certain location. I have no connection to those creatures."
"What location? What are you referring to in a situation like this?"
"There's a place I'm looking for on a secluded cliff in your village. Frankly, I couldn't have imagined there would be a village here."
"A cliff?"
I nodded and pointed at Mat'ahar.
"As you can see, I saved this person. I don't ask for much. Just let me go to that cliff quietly."
"I'm sorry, but it seems difficult to let an outsider into the village at the moment. As you can see, monsters suddenly appeared, and we already have five missing people in our village. In this situation, we cannot risk bringing in an outsider. We are truly grateful for saving Mat'ahar, but please understand the village chief's position."
"Then how about this?"
I proposed to the village chief.
"I will capture the master of those monsters. It seems that the missing people are most likely victims of the black mage controlling those creatures. I will take care of it."
It was Lanox I intended to capture anyway.
It didn't matter if I showed some reluctance here.
"Really? If that's the case, not only will you be allowed into the village, but we will treat you as an honored guest. In return, please take our village warriors with you."
"Then let's start searching right away."