That night, I sat on my bed, the worn wooden floorboards creaking softly under my weight as I counted the coins I'd earned from selling monster salvage. The pile of metal was small but heavy. Ora and I were already huddled over the details of our next move.
The only light in the room came from a single, sputtering oil lamp, casting long, dancing shadows against the walls, and the pale, thin moonlight filtering through the dusty windowpane. Outside, the night was restless—filled with the rhythmic, hypnotic chirping of crickets and the distant, haunting howl of wolves prowling the dark treeline.
"I think we should reconsider our strategy for this mission before we leave, Ora," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I mean, we don't necessarily have to kill every member of the Black Scorpion to stop the war."
I explained my theory: perhaps they weren't inherently evil. Take Lavender, for example—she was completely naive, terrified of the world around her. If we could intervene and prevent the tragedies that would eventually push them toward crime, we might change history without bloodshed.
"Listen, I don't really care if other beings live or die," Ora replied coldly. "Do what you want, but you must be ready to carry the weight of the responsibility that comes with that decision."
She reminded me that her energy wasn't enough to protect me in a real fight. She was terrified of me getting hurt, especially since she was the one who dragged me into this era. She confessed that if I failed, she wouldn't have the strength to find another way to stop the war.
"Do you think I could kill the Black Scorpion members alone with this tiny, soft body?" she added. "You must stay alive and succeed in your battles, no matter what."
"I know, I know," I joked, trying to lighten the heavy air in the room. "You're just forbidding me from dying because it would be hard for you to finish the mission—and you wouldn't be able to buy milk in the future."
A moment later, she told me we didn't need to stay in the forest any longer. We had to head to our next destination to find the second member.
"Already? But what about my training?" I asked.
"It's a week-long journey to the Basin Province," Ora answered. "You can train while we travel."
I had no choice but to agree. Our mission in Hayem was technically over. I would have to leave the town I grew up in and travel to unknown lands. It was a terrifying thought, but I had to be brave for the next chapter of my life.
We decided to leave the moment the hunter returned with the money from the Goblin King's crown. I lay down, my mind racing with the uncertainty of the road ahead, when a sudden, jarring noise erupted from outside.
The forest, previously quiet, exploded with the frantic howling of monsters. I sat bolt upright, my heart hammering against my ribs.
"Wait... why is it so chaotic out there?"
Ora emerged from the crystal, her face pale, her glow dimmed by anxiety. "Aren! Danger is coming!"
Suddenly, a massive object slammed into the house, tearing through the timber and shattering the wall into a cloud of splinters. By pure luck, I managed to dive through the window just in time, rolling into the damp grass outside.
I circled the house to see what was happening and froze. Standing there, bathed in the moonlight, was a gargantuan tiger, nearly five meters tall. Its fur stood on end, and its eyes burned with a predator's intelligence.
"What is this? Why is there a High-Grade Tiger here?"
Before I could process it, a rain of arrows whistled through the air, cutting through the darkness. A group of men mounted on armored wolves emerged from the treeline, their silhouettes imposing against the woods.
"Kill him!" someone barked.
I immediately drew the Time Sword to deflect the arrows. I didn't recognize these men, and I hesitated to kill them, so I tried to keep my distance. They were stunned when I suddenly vanished from their line of sight and reappeared several yards away.
"How did he dodge that?!"
"Stop!" I shouted, my voice cracking under the pressure. "Who are you? Why are you attacking me?"
"Shut your mouth!" a man screamed in rage. "I know you're the one responsible for the destruction of my trade house!"
I was shocked. I denied the accusation, telling them I was just a hunter. But the men grew even more furious.
"Don't lie to us! You're the one who bought the slave, Lavender!"
My heart sank at the mention of her name. They claimed that Lavender had attacked the trade house, killed all the staff, burned down the mansion, and freed all the slaves.
"You'll pay dearly for what you've done!" the leader roared.
I couldn't believe my ears. Could Lavender—the girl who couldn't even look me in the eye—really have done all that?
The giant tiger lunged again, forcing me to run. Its speed was terrifying, and the ground shook beneath its paws. It was too ferocious for a head-on confrontation.
"What are you doing? Why are you just running?" Ora yelled. "That tiger will catch you if you don't fight back!"
I knew I couldn't outrun it forever, but fighting a High-Grade beast was easier said than done. I dodged a claw swipe that leveled a nearby tree, the wood splintering behind me. Seeing an opening, I used Time Freeze. Everything went grey and still. I positioned myself and aimed for its neck.
As time resumed, I slashed. But to my horror, the blade only left a shallow scratch. The tiger countered instantly, its massive paw slamming into me. I blocked with my sword, but the force sent me flying through the air, skidding across the dirt until I hit the roots of an old oak.
"The blade won't go through!" I gasped, my lungs burning.
Its hide was too thick, protected by a dense energy barrier. I couldn't use Time Freeze again so soon, and cold, creeping fear began to set in. I turned and sprinted into the woods, the tiger and the mounted men hot on my heels.
Arrows continued to rain down, hidden by the pitch-black night. Only the moonlight offered a glimpse of the jagged, uneven terrain.
"You're in a bad spot," Ora warned. "Take out the archers first!"
"Take them out? You mean kill them?"
I was a warrior, yes, but I had only ever killed bandits and monsters—not town guards or merchants' men.
"If you stay 'kind' now, you'll end up dead!" Ora screamed. "You can't keep using the Time Sword just to dodge. You'll run out of energy and die!"
"I know, but..."
As I wavered, an arrow pierced my shoulder, the impact knocking me to the ground. More arrows followed, forcing me to scramble up and keep running. The pain was agonizing; I could feel the warm, sticky blood soaking my shirt.
I used Time Heal on the go, but the combined drain of the sword's abilities made my vision swim.
"Aren, listen to me! They won't stop until you're dead!"
Gritting my teeth against my own conscience, I slid across the ground and turned to face them. Fifteen archers. I just needed to stop them from firing. I activated Time Freeze, sprinted to their line, and slashed at their bow-arms.
Half of them fell, but I couldn't reach the rest before my time was up. I tried to retreat to regroup, but suddenly, a heavy chain wrapped around my waist and yanked me backward with violent force.
"What now?!"
"This is bad, Aren! The enemy has a Spirit Item too!" Ora warned.
A man stood nearby, a glowing chain hovering around him like a snake. "I don't know how you move so fast," he sneered, "but this is the end."
I hacked at the chain with my sword, but it didn't break. He yanked the link, slamming me into the ground. I realized I couldn't escape the item's reach unless I neutralized the user.
I forced one last Time Freeze. I stood up, lunged, and as time resumed, I slashed across the man's chest. He collapsed, and the chain went limp. I was free, but only for a second—three more arrows thudded into my back and legs.
"Not good..."
The pain was overwhelming. I tried to use Time Heal again, but my knees gave out. I collapsed into the dirt mid-stride. The Time Sword was eating my energy faster than I could replenish it. My body was shaking, my breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps. I wasn't strong enough for this.
Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed over me, blotting out the stars. I looked up just as the giant tiger leaped from the darkness.
It landed squarely on top of me, pinning me to the earth.
The sound of my own bones shattering echoed in the silent forest. The pain was beyond description—a white-hot agony that felt like my internal organs were being crushed into paste. I couldn't move; I was paralyzed.
"AHHHHHHHH!"
I screamed until my throat was raw. Blood began to pool beneath me, soaking the dry leaves. The tiger's razor-sharp claws sank deep into my chest, hooking into my flesh.
"Aren! Aren! Use Rewind! Use it now!" Ora's voice was distant, panicked, ringing in my ears.
I wanted to. I tried. But I had dropped my sword when I fell, and I was pinned beneath a ton of muscle and fur. I didn't even know if I had enough energy left to trigger the spell. I reached out, my fingers trembling, clawing at the dirt, trying to touch the hilt of the sword lying just inches away.
"Just... a little more... please... help me..."
My vision began to blur, the edges turning to static. My mind was spinning with desperation and the cold realization of my own weakness. Was this really how it ended?
"Is this... as far as I go?" I whispered in my mind.
As my fingers finally brushed the cold, unyielding steel of the blade, the tiger leaned down and clamped its massive jaws around my head.
In an instant, my world went black. The pain vanished. Everything I was, and everything I was meant to be, simply ceased to exist.