Chapter 134: Quiet.

Chapter 134: Chapter 134: Quiet.

Chapter 134: Quiet.

He continued climbing in this manner, jumping from branch to branch with movements that would have been difficult for an ordinary human to perform, until the branches beneath his feet grew thick enough to support his weight without bending too much.

Finally, Osborne made one last leap and reached the top of a large tree, where he settled onto a sturdy branch near the crown and looked out over the forest.

From his elevated position, he could see the endless stretch of treetops extending toward the distant horizon, with the setting sun casting golden light across the landscape as the last traces of daylight slowly faded from the sky.

For a moment, he forgot about the missing woman and the reason he had come all this way, allowing himself to enjoy the sight of the sun sinking beyond the distant hills while a cool breeze passed through the leaves around him.

Even after everything that had happened since his transmigration, he had to admit that there were moments when this world could be surprisingly beautiful.

---

Under the cover of night.

Within the dark forest.

Two men walked through the woods, one of them holding an oil torch that provided just enough light for them to see the path ahead, while the other kept his hands tucked into his pockets.

"Honestly, I don’t understand why we have to keep walking around this place when nobody in their right mind would come looking for trouble in the middle of the night," the man without the torch grumbled, kicking aside a small branch that had fallen across their path.

"Quit complaining and do your job, because if the boss catches us slacking off again, we’ll be lucky if all we get is another beating," the man holding the torch replied, glancing around the trees as he continued walking.

"Easy for you to say when you’re the one holding the torch, while I’m the one who has to keep watching out for every little thing moving in the dark."

"Then perhaps you should stop talking and start watching where you’re going."

The other man clicked his tongue in annoyance, but he eventually stopped complaining and followed his companion deeper into the forest.

All of a sudden, the men stopped in their tracks when they felt something tightening around their feet. Thick roots suddenly burst out of the ground and wrapped themselves around their legs.

"What the hell is—"

The man holding the torch barely managed to open his mouth before a shadow emerged from behind him, striking him across the back of his neck with enough force to send him collapsing to the ground.

At almost the same moment, his companion received a heavy blow to the head, his eyes rolling backward as he lost consciousness without even getting a proper look at his attacker.

The roots then loosened and withdrew into the ground, leaving both men lying motionless among the fallen leaves while their torch rolled across the dirt, its flame flickering dangerously close to a patch of dry grass.

Osborne stomped out the torch, then glanced down at the two unconscious men.

After making sure that the area was clear, Osborne turned toward the direction in which the men had come from, then continued moving forward under the cover of night.

---

Osborne stood next to a tree. Several meters ahead of him, a large wooden wall stretched across the forest, blocking his view of whatever lay beyond it.

He squinted slightly as he examined the structure, since he hadn’t expected to find an encampment this far into the woods, especially one with a wall large enough to keep outsiders from looking inside.

’So this is where they’ve been hiding.’

Osborne carefully approached the wooden wall, keeping his movements quiet as he examined its height and the surrounding area.

He pondered a convenient way to see what was happening on the other side without exposing himself.

The wall was tall enough that he couldn’t simply look over it. There were no trees nearby to offer support.

[Mud Wall]

A mud wall gradually rose from beneath his feet, carrying him higher and higher until his head was the only part of his body peeking over the large wooden wall.

From his elevated position, Osborne finally gained a clear view of the encampment, and he carefully examined the area while making sure that none of the men below had noticed his presence.

The camp was larger than he had expected, with several wooden structures scattered across the clearing and a few makeshift shelters positioned near the edges of the encampment, while a large campfire burned near the centre and provided light for the men gathered around it.

Some of them were lying beside the fire, apparently resting after a long day, while others wandered aimlessly between the shelters, occasionally stopping to speak with their companions or check the equipment scattered around the camp.

At first glance, the men didn’t seem particularly organised, but their numbers suggested that charging into the encampment without a plan wasn’t bright, especially since he had no idea how strong each of them were.

While taking a look around, he saw something that piqued his interest.

A group of cages had been placed near the wooden wall, their iron bars reflecting the light from the campfire, and there appeared to be several creatures locked inside them.

Osborne narrowed his eyes as he studied the cages. Most of the beasts within resembled demonic beasts.

’Looks like they’ve been busy...’ He didn’t expect to see so many demonic beasts in one spot.

He had already seen plenty of unusual creatures since arriving in this world, but the sight of so many different demonic beasts being kept in cages made him wonder what the bandits intended to do with them.

Were they planning to sell the creatures to someone, or were they collecting them for another purpose?

Whatever the answer might be, it was clear that this encampment wasn’t simply a place where ordinary bandits gathered to rob passing travellers, and Osborne became increasingly interested in finding out what was happening here.

However, among all the creatures locked inside the cages, two in particular caught his attention.