Ahead lay a forest filled with tall trees, their roots tangled together like a natural maze. Only a little sunlight got through the thick canopy, casting a faint light on the plants and dry leaves covering the ground. The distant sounds of cicadas and insects made the quiet feel even heavier.
A thin white mist floated just above the ground, hiding the path like a veil. Sometimes it thickened, then thinned again, almost as if it were alive.
"We should leave some marks so we don't get lost" Mia said calmly, though her eyes showed she was still alert.
Elric nodded and broke off some branches at intervals along the path they had taken. Even though he was starting to get used to the forest because of his role, the mystery of the place kept him from relaxing. He hadn't forgotten the rules he had to follow as a Hunter.
Suddenly… A low growl echoed through the trees.
"Look!" Mia shouted, alarmed.
Through the mist, the shape of a beast slowly came into view. It was a large wolf with dull gray fur, looking wild and messy. Its yellow eyes glowed fiercely, and sharp teeth stuck out over its lips.
Startled, Mia fired her gun without hesitation.
The shot rang out through the forest. The bullet zipped through the air and hit the wolf's skull right away. Bright red blood splattered, and the wolf collapsed silently.
"One shot and it's down…?" Mia whispered, shocked.
Elric stayed still, his eyes scanning the fog around them. He felt like something was watching.
Soon, he spotted something that didn't belong in the forest. A faintly glowing golden tree appeared. Its light was soft, like a tiny firefly against the thick mist.
It had to be the tree mentioned in the rules.
He realized this place held dangers. But not at noon, he thought.
He only had two bullets left, and he didn't know what the rules would force them to do next. If hunting had to be done at both noon and midnight, their bullets would run out quickly.
And if the bullets were gone, they wouldn't be able to follow the rules anymore…
He didn't know exactly what would happen then, but something told him it wouldn't be good.
Mia's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Elric! Another wolf is here!"
Elric rushed toward the sound and found another big wolf staring at them with hungry eyes.
Though he had never used a gun before, his hand moved on its own. He raised the revolver, aimed, and fired without hesitating.
The gunshot echoed again. The bullet hit the wolf's skull, and it fell silent on the ground.
"Should we keep hunting?" Mia asked, unsure.
Elric frowned. "The rules don't say clearly… but if we only got two bullets each, it probably means just one hunt per person."
Mia nodded, and Elric walked over to check the wolf's body.
It lay still, warm blood slowly leaking from a wound on its forehead. The eyes were wide open, like it didn't understand how it had died. He had never hunted wild animals before, but something about this wolf felt off.
What bothered him most was…
The bullet was missing.
He parted the wound with his fingers, but there was no sign of the bullet that should have been stuck in the skull. It had disappeared completely.
That thought made his stomach drop.
This situation was even stranger than he had thought.
After hunting, they dragged the wolf's body out of the forest slowly, walking backward as the rules demanded.
When they reached the forest's edge, Mia sighed with relief.
"At last… we're out."
Elric didn't say anything. He just nodded slightly and looked back at the strange forest.
From the outside, it seemed like any other forest. But inside, the mist filled the air with something hidden.
It was probably natural mist, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was covering up something else.
…
Back at the village entrance, a group of people had gathered. The earlier group of hunters who'd seemed scared was nowhere to be seen.
"They probably ran off," Mia said with a serious look, clearly thinking hard.
"Hopefully," Elric replied quietly, though he was worried about a worse possibility.
As they drew closer, the people turned to greet them. There was a quick exchange of introductions.
"Hello, I'm Elric, and this is Mia."
The others nodded. A girl at the front spoke up.
"My name's Ira. This is Isabella, and that's Arnor. The rest are just npc."
Elric glanced around. About a few dozen people, none carrying weapons.
"What roles did you get?" Mia asked curiously.
Their faces tightened before Ira answered.
"Explorers. We go out to scout the forest."
That clicked something in Elric's mind, but the full picture wasn't clear yet.
"This village is really strange. Just the gun situation alone…" Elric muttered. "It's a tiny village, but hunters have eight guns each? Who's selling guns to them?"
"So you got the Hunter role?"
Elric and Mia nodded. The Hunter and Explorer roles seemed connected somehow.
"We just came back from exploring and found this…" Ira pointed forward.
Elric and Mia looked, and their hearts sank.
Another stone slab stood there. It looked like the one they'd seen before but hadn't been there when they left.
[Starlight Village, Rules for Villagers]
1.After sunset, do not light fires or use any open light.
2.At midnight, the church in the village center is the only safe place.
3.If you hear three knocks on the door at night, never open it.
4.Don't stay overnight in any empty house.
5.The bell will ring at 1:00 a.m.
6.If you see a shadow moving in a narrow alley, don't follow it.
7.If you meet a villager at night, always ask for their number first.
After reading, Elric clenched his fists and took a deep breath, feeling the weight of it all.
"So these are more rules…"
The mood grew heavy. Everyone felt the danger lurking in the stone's words.
"So besides our roles, we have to follow the village's rules."
He stared at the slab sharply.
"When did you leave the village?" he asked.
"The rules said to leave at 11:00, so we left then."
"And at that time you—"
Before Elric could finish, Arnor interrupted.
"We didn't see any rules. What about you?"
"Neither did we," Mia said, then looked at Elric, who was deep in thought.
The feeling was like a blade pressing against their throats…
Elric took a steady breath and focused. This was proof that staying calm was key. Even if he followed the rules this time, nothing meant they'd be safe forever.
...But if he didn't follow them, death seemed certain.
And that didn't even count the fact he only had two bullets. When midnight came, they'd be gone, and maybe he wouldn't be able to hunt anymore.
More importantly, how do they clear this Narrative?
The only suspicious thing right now was the mist.
He made up his mind. Next time he went hunting, he would investigate the mist.
After the hunters and explorers returned, their roles seemed done. Some started talking about sharing these rules with others who hadn't left the village.
Elric, worn out from thinking so much, planned to go home and rest.
But on his way, something caught his eye.
A church.
It stood not far away, clearly different from the other worn-down houses.
Its walls were made of clean white stone, the oak door finely carved. The stained-glass windows caught the setting sun, casting holy-colored light patterns.
…Too fancy for a village like this.
Elric quickly decided. Since the rules mentioned the church, it had to mean something important.
He wasn't going to miss this chance.
He headed straight toward the church.