The sound of Wood's water arrow piercing through flesh echoed in the darkness. Zenith, still on edge, moved forward, intending to inspect what had attacked them just moments ago.
But before she could take another step, Wood pulled her back abruptly. As he did, an arrow whizzed through the air, narrowly missing Zenith's hair. The arrow had been aimed right where she had been standing only moments ago.
"Zenith, be careful. I sensed there was more than just one of them!" Wood warned her in a serious tone.
The enemy hiding in the shadows wasn't giving up. The faint twang of a bowstring followed as the figure prepared to fire another arrow. At a distance, archers had a significant advantage over mages. While arrows lacked the sheer power of magic, they didn't require the time-consuming chanting that magic spells did. An archer could strike well before a mage had finished chanting their spell.
Wood could have cast a silent spell to counter the threat. He had mastered magic that didn't require chanting. But instead, he made a different decision. He ordered Zenith to stay back and protect Norn and Aisha, then dashed straight into the darkness alone.
The reason for his choice was simple. Wood didn't know where they had been transported to. In an unknown environment, it was critical to conserve as much magical energy as possible. Without any supplies and a safe place to rest, magical energy couldn't be replenished easily, unlike physical stamina, which could be restored with rest. If any of them got injured, Wood wanted to ensure he had enough magical energy to heal them.
That's why, instead of using magic to attack from a distance, Wood decided to rush in and take the risk himself. Zenith, a skilled mage, lacked the physical ability to fight in close combat without magic. If they were going to take down these enemies without depleting their magic reserves, Wood knew he had to be the one to do it.
He couldn't identify the enemies lurking in the dark, but his keen senses allowed him to judge their strength based on their presence alone. After a few tense moments of silence, the sound of Wood's fists hitting flesh reverberated through the dark. Zenith watched anxiously, her face etched with worry. She kept her eyes fixed on the spot where Wood had disappeared.
But she didn't have to worry for long. Just a few moments later, Wood emerged from the shadows, dragging two lifeless bodies behind him.
"These are the ones who attacked us earlier," Wood said as he dropped the corpses in front of Zenith.
The two bodies were humanoid in appearance, but their skin was an unnatural, pitch-black color, and their faces were grotesque, almost as if they had been cursed.
"What… what are these things?" Zenith asked, stepping closer to examine the bodies. "They look like elves, but elves are supposed to be beautiful, not… this." She stared at the sharp, pointed ears of the creatures, recalling the elven race she had encountered in her adventuring days. But there was no way these beings could be elves. Elves were known for their striking beauty. These creatures, on the other hand, were hideous.
"Well, you're not entirely wrong. These things were once elves. More specifically, they're dark druids—elves who have been cursed and fallen into darkness," Wood explained, his voice steady. "They retain their druidic abilities, which makes them naturally skilled archers and proficient in magic. If I'm correct, they're native to the Demon Continent."
The Demon Continent. Just hearing those words made Zenith's face pale. Even during her time as an S-Class adventurer, she had only heard stories of the Demon Continent. She had never been there herself. It was said to be an incredibly harsh land, far from their own continent. Traveling across the dangerous expanse to return home would be a near-impossible task.
"So… we've really been transported to the Demon Continent…" Zenith muttered, fear creeping into her voice.
"That's what it looks like. But it might be even worse than that," Wood continued. "Dark druids typically live in forests, but look around. Does this place look anything like a forest to you?"
Wood inspected the bodies of the two dark druids more closely. One of them had been killed by Zenith's water arrow, while the other had fallen to Wood's powerful strike to the heart. Upon closer examination, Wood noticed something unusual: their eyes. The eyes of these druids were mere slits, far smaller than what he'd expect from their kind.
Wood considered two possibilities. Either these dark druids had undergone some sort of mutation, or they had adapted to their environment over time, leading to the atrophy of their eyes. If it was the latter, it meant that these creatures had spent so long in darkness that their eyes had begun to evolve—or rather, devolve.
But neither possibility was particularly reassuring. If it was mutation, then there was likely a powerful force or source of corruption nearby. And if it was the latter, they might not be on the Demon Continent at all. They could be somewhere even more dangerous.
Wood's mind raced. If they were only on the Demon Continent, he could rely on the knowledge he had gained from his studies to navigate the land and make their way home. The journey would be difficult, but it wasn't impossible. However, if they were in some entirely unknown place, all of his knowledge would be useless. And that was far more unsettling.
If it were just him, Wood was confident in his ability to adapt and survive. But he wasn't alone. Zenith, and more importantly, his two young sisters, had no means of defending themselves. The thought of keeping them safe in an unfamiliar, dangerous land made Wood's heart tighten with anxiety.
As he scanned the area, Wood noticed a staff on one of the dark druids' bodies. It wasn't a great weapon, but it was better than nothing. When they had gone to the market, Wood hadn't brought his sword or staff. Thankfully, Zenith always carried her staff with her.
Wood waved the staff lightly, conjuring a small fireball to illuminate the area around them. As the firelight flickered, it revealed more of their surroundings. They were inside some sort of cave, but it didn't seem natural. The walls were lined with ancient stone bricks, and there were crumbling staircases leading deeper into the darkness.
"This isn't just a cave," Wood muttered, looking around. "It's a labyrinth."
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 380+ at p@treon.com/Betek and change @ to a