No one could imagine the sheer joy that came with this day. Finally, the cursed rituals were coming to an end.
Thirty consecutive days of facing those hideous beasts. Thirty days of living on the edge of death.
May the creator of these rituals burn in hell for eternity. To what extent must one's cruelty reach to invent something as loathsome as this?
Unlike usual, the muscle aches and the heavy lethargy that usually greeted my attempts to wake up were nowhere to be found.
In fact, my body felt flooded with strength, growing more energised with every passing second.
My fingers brushed against the side of the bed, meeting nothing but empty sheets. A quick turn followed to check for my wife's presence.
In the spot where Sera usually slept, nothing remained but a single white sheet of paper resting on the mattress.
A letter? Who would leave a note like this on the bed?
Curiosity led my hand to reach for it. After unfolding the parchment carefully, the writing inside became instantly recognisable. It took only half the page to grasp the situation.
Sera expressed her regrets for not being there today, explaining that she had left to attend to some private business of her own.
A strange sensation washed over me—a nagging feeling that something was fundamentally wrong.
She wasn't the type of person to vanish without a word, without a warning, or even a subtle hint of her plans.
That feeling was pushed aside for the moment. Stepping out of bed with newfound lightness, I made my way toward the bathroom.
After a quick routine of emptying my stomach and cleaning up, I stepped under a stream of cold water.
The morning wash had been the only bright spot of my month. Yet today, it failed to provide the usual sense of relief and invigoration.
Half an hour later.
Sitting comfortably in the carriage proved impossible. An unsettling sensation gnawed at my insides.
A voice in the back of my mind whispered that today wouldn't be easy, and it was a voice I found myself believing.
A strange tremor began to shake my frame, as if a massive problem were looming on the horizon.
Involuntarily, my grip tightened on my weapon until my knuckles turned white. My eyes scanned every corner of the street, watching for even the slightest hint of movement.
Everything needed was already stored within my spatial bracelet. Today of all days, the preparation had been exhaustive, bracing for a gruelling ordeal.
Time crawled by.
Finally, the carriage pulled up to the teleportation plaza.
After disembarking and securing the horse to a nearby tree, I stepped into the plaza.
Fortune was on my side; there was no need to use my family name. Four people were already waiting, making me the fifth.
Almost immediately, the side door swung open, and the "Lazy Man" stepped out.
Throughout the entire month, I had never seen this man looking so alert. Every other time we met, he had been sluggish, barely able to drag his feet.
The five of us moved toward the centre of the teleportation circle. Not a single woman was in sight—just five men.
One was an elder whose hair had been completely taken over by grey. The other three were young.
It didn't take long before the world blurred, and I found myself standing within the foggy layer.
The moment my boots hit the forest floor, my guard went up. Alertness was pushed to the absolute limit. Every snap of a twig or rustle of a leaf drew my focus.
My heart hammered against my ribs with a force that refused to settle. Even a few gulps of cold water did nothing to calm the storm. Every step deeper into the woods seemed to add a new weight to my chest.
Yet, the expected ambush never came. The first hour passed in silence.
By the second hour, I managed to hunt a beast that possessed the face of a sheep but the segmented, horrifying body of a centipede.
The creature wasn't particularly powerful—just eerie and unsettling to look at.
Despite the weak opponent, my guard stayed at its peak throughout the brief struggle, watching for any hidden traps or surprises.
The constant vigilance was exhausting. More than that, the lack of a real threat began to breed a sense of restless frustration.
Without hesitation, the carcass was tossed into the storage bracelet, and my path was set toward the exit.
Despite my cautious, deliberate pace, no threat emerged during the trek back. This only served to heighten the paranoia.
Step by step, the transition through the fog occurred, and still... nothing.
I suddenly found myself standing in the centre of the teleportation circle. Roughly thirty people were gathered in the plaza, surrounding the platform.
Their eyes were locked on me, filled with looks of sheer, overwhelming shock.
Without a sound, I summoned a long spear into my right hand and a medium-length dagger into my left.
My eyes locked onto the closest person—a massive man with a sharp jawline and a well-groomed beard. I stood ready to kill at the first hint of an attack.
The moment the crowd noticed my weapons being drawn, the chatter died instantly.
The entire plaza fell into a heavy, suffocating silence. Everyone shifted into a state of high alert, their gazes fixed on me with a mixture of caution and profound confusion.
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the square turned into a scene charged with impending violence.