Chapter 113 - 112: Cabin in the Woods

Chapter 113: Chapter 112: Cabin in the Woods

The Dragon Fang Squad continued its journey through the Gray Mist Forest.

Over the past few days, Bruce had been slowly familiarizing himself with the effects of Shadow Escape.

He would occasionally disappear into the shadows of the trees along the path, only to silently reappear on the other side of the party, enjoying himself immensely.

And ever since he’d put on the Sleepy Knight’s Wristband, although he slept like a log every night, his power and stamina had definitely improved by a great deal the next day.

Before setting out this morning, Hesia had run a simple test—the little guy could actually drag a rock weighing nearly fifty kilograms.

His Power hadn’t been low to begin with—he could previously drag a rock of about thirty kilograms. Now, with his increased Power combined with his uncanny Stealth abilities... Hesia figured he could easily take care of a few Kobolds or goblins by himself.

This inevitably made him think of the contract between a Ranger and a beast, which had been brought up by the campfire a few days prior.

That was the day they had killed the Scout Hunter.

Hulk had mentioned that if the hunter had been smaller, it could have been captured and raised to be a fine animal companion for a Ranger.

Apparently, a Ranger can sign a contract with an animal, which not only grants the animal companion a certain enhancement, but also allows the Ranger to gain a boost to some of their own Attributes from their companion.

’If I could sign that kind of contract with Bruce, wouldn’t we both get an Attribute bonus?’

’Bruce is an animal, after all.’

Unfortunately, he had asked Laila if she had learned this Contract Magic.

Laila had shaken her head. She didn’t know that Contract Magic; she’d heard it was a technique that could only be mastered after becoming a Professional.

However, the topic seemed to stir some memories for her.

...

"So, you just gave up on that Giant Spider?" Hesia asked, a hint of regret in his voice.

Laila nonchalantly kicked aside a slick, wet leaf at her feet. "Yes. It ate far too much."

"It was cute when it was just a little thing, a fluffy ball of fur," she continued, her voice unconsciously growing softer. "Who knew the damn thing would grow so big? I never planned on having it fight for me; I just happened to find it."

"Besides... it was a struggle just to feed myself back then, so I had to let it go."

She shot a sidelong glance at Belte beside her, her sharp-tongued demeanor returning. "It’s not like my life got any better after I let it go. See? One expensive creature left, and another one who’s just as much of a drain showed up."

"I wonder how that ’little thing’ is doing now," Laila’s voice grew quiet again, almost as if she were talking to herself.

She stared into the thick mist ahead, her normally sharp eyes now somewhat unfocused. Her fingers unconsciously caressed the smooth body of her bow, as if she were stroking some long-lost little creature.

"A Giant Spider, huh? That really is a shame," Hulk’s voice drifted from the front of the group.

"There was a Ranger in my first adventuring party who wouldn’t shut up about wanting a Giant Spider after seeing someone else ride one. But we were all broke as dirt back then, so he couldn’t afford it. Later, we stumbled upon a nest while on a job. You can imagine how that turned out for a bunch of newbies. We couldn’t beat the mother spider; we almost became their dinner." He shook his head, a lingering fear in his eyes. "That mother was nearly two meters tall. Never mind its Power—the real issue was how unbelievably agile it was in the forest."

"By the time our strength had improved and we went back, the whole nest of Giant Spiders had already been cleared out by someone else."

The group continued to venture deeper into the Gray Mist Forest, chatting as they walked.

The surrounding fog was no longer a thin veil; it had condensed into a tangible curtain, pressing down heavily on everything. A few steps away, all that remained were blurry silhouettes.

Hulk had to stop frequently, turning to carefully examine the trunks of the massive oak trees beside him.

"Are you navigating by the moss on the trunks?" Hesia asked curiously.

Hulk nodded, pointing to a patch of velvety, grayish-green moss on the trunk. "Mhm. The trees in the Gray Mist Forest grow this specific type of moss. The moss on the side facing the very center of the forest is always exceptionally thick and lush."

He then casually brushed aside the sparser moss on the reverse side, showing Hesia the dark bark underneath.

The group huddled closer together.

In this environment, letting even a small distance open up between them meant a companion’s figure could be silently erased by the fog.

Although their pace had slowed considerably, they were thankfully not far from the wooden cabin specified in the commission.

After pressing on for about three more hours, the fog ahead finally began to dissipate, revealing a small, solitary cabin before them.

It was a rather exquisitely built cabin, seeming somewhat out of place amidst the desolate surroundings.

The clearing in front of the house contained no bushes or flowers, but rather a meticulously tended spice garden, planted with many peculiar plants Hesia couldn’t name.

...

"Captain, looks like no one’s home," Belte said to Hulk upon returning from circling the cabin.

Hulk tied the reins of the two Land Birds to a nearby tree and took a careful look at the spice garden.

"This is the meeting place the client specified. It looks like he must live here. We’ll rest for a while and wait."

After walking for so long in the fog with their nerves on high alert, they certainly needed to rest.

Belte let out a long breath, leaned unceremoniously against the base of the cabin’s wall, and started dozing off almost immediately.

Laila, meanwhile, warily scanned their surroundings. Only after confirming there were no immediate threats did she find a dry rock to sit on, but her hand never left her bow.

Of course, there were two who seemed to know no fatigue.

Zoya and Bruce, each employing their own skills of concealment, vanished from sight in the blink of an eye, perhaps off to play a game of hide-and-seek.

Hesia paid them no mind; for him, rest time could also be used to practice Magic.

He remained focused on maintaining his Mage’s Hand.

For the past few days on the road, he had been holding his Black Ebony Staff with Mage’s Hand to hone his control over the spell.

「About half an hour later.」

[Mage’s Hand Proficiency +1, Level 2 (0/20)]

[You have mastered the skill: Mage’s Hand Level 2]

[Wisdom +1]

Just then, a RUSTLING sound broke the silence of the woods.

A tall, slender figure appeared in the white mist nearby.

The mist was hazy, making him difficult to see clearly, but his movements possessed a relaxed yet precise elegance.

As he slowly approached, Hesia finally got a clear look at his face.

He was a somewhat gaunt middle-aged man with a pale face. His long eyebrows gave him a rather gloomy appearance.

He was covered by a heavily worn, dark ink-green traveling cloak, its hem stained with dried mud and some unidentifiable dark smudges.

Under the cloak was form-fitting Leather Armor of the same color, covered in fine scratches that chronicled his past battles.

At his waist hung two blades, one long and one short. The hilts where his hands would grip were worn smooth, testament to their being old companions that had served him for many years.