Chapter 287: Lost in the Forest

Igor was strong.

Just as Qiu Nuoya and the others took a brief moment to catch their breath after defeating all five orcs, the Orc General let out a roar with a deeply unpleasant resonance.

It was the same kind of orcish war cry Qiu Nuoya had experienced before. The sound traveled through the air as a powerful vibration, making his brain feel as though it were shaking inside his skull.

"Ugh..."

Igor instinctively clutched his head and dropped to one knee. Qiu Nuoya himself was also having trouble hearing, as though his eardrums had been damaged. He stood frozen in place, struggling to make sense of the sounds around him.

The cavern was already dimly lit, and the flames still burning on the bodies of the orcs cast a faint glow throughout the space. Even so, visibility was far from ideal. Being unable to hear properly on top of that was terrifying, and Qiu Nuoya anxiously looked around.

Then he suddenly noticed something.

Viktor, who had been standing beside him just moments ago, was gone.

"Huh? Viktor?"

He thought he heard someone shouting faintly, but the voice was muffled, as though a thick curtain had been draped over the sound. He couldn’t make out the words clearly.

"Viktor!?"

Qiu Nuoya’s call was drowned out by the Orc General’s growl. The sound seemed to declare that Qiu Nuoya was its opponent. Giving up on searching for Viktor for the moment, Qiu Nuoya turned to face the monster.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Igor shaking his head and struggling back to his feet. However, the Orc General wasn’t looking at Igor. Its gaze remained fixed firmly on Qiu Nuoya.

Is this one of those situations where the enemy decides I’m the easiest prey to take down?

When faced with multiple opponents, a common strategy was to eliminate the weakest and easiest target first. But Qiu Nuoya wasn’t about to let himself be defeated that easily.

He pulled his staff from his robe and pointed it at the Orc General.

Normally, Mochi would be beside him, amplifying the power of his magic and giving him an advantage in battle. But Mochi wasn’t here right now. The thought made Qiu Nuoya feel a little uneasy, yet it was already too late to run away.

The Orc General charged straight at him. Igor seemed to notice, but it was probably already too late for him to intervene.

Orcs were weak against fire. Naturally, the Orc General’s weakness was probably fire as well. Qiu Nuoya raised his staff and prepared to chant a spell.

Then he suddenly realized something.

Wait, I can’t use fire magic right now.

It was a split second mistake in judgment.

The charging Orc General was already right in front of him, and Qiu Nuoya’s mind went completely blank.

Memories of everything that had happened since arriving in this world flashed through his mind, like a scene from a life flashing before his eyes.

This is just complete escapism, isn’t it?

Bracing himself for the impact, Qiu Nuoya squeezed his eyes shut.

What would happen if the Orc General grabbed him? What if it sent him flying?

He waited for the blow, but no matter how long he waited, the impact never came.

Cautiously, Qiu Nuoya opened his eyes.

"Huh? What? How...?"

When Qiu Nuoya opened his eyes, the Orc General was nowhere to be seen. He stood frozen in place, gripping his staff tightly, staring at the empty space in front of him.

Well, that was one thing. But something else seemed strange about his surroundings, too.

They had been making their way through a dim underground passage and had encountered their enemies inside a cavern. Yet for some reason, Qiu Nuoya was now standing all alone amid a dense grove of trees.

Blue sky peeked through the gaps between the branches, and he could even hear the peaceful, carefree chirping of birds.

Utterly bewildered, Qiu Nuoya looked around.

Where am I?

"Igor? Viktor? Where are you?"

He called out hesitantly, but neither of them answered. The only sounds were the wind blowing through the trees and the rustling of leaves stirred by the breeze.

Qiu Nuoya had absolutely no idea what was happening, and he couldn’t bring himself to move. Could he have fallen into some kind of enemy trap after all? Moving around carelessly might be dangerous, so he stayed where he was and tried to sense his surroundings.

But there was no sign of any living creatures nearby.

Alone in this incomprehensible situation, Qiu Nuoya had no idea what to do.

Ever since arriving in this world, he had always had someone by his side. Igor and Viktor were always there, of course, and he had constantly traveled with Mochi, his tamed monster. Yet now, he was completely alone.

What should I do...?

He couldn’t decide whether he should leave this spot or stay where he was and wait to see what happened.

Just then, he sensed something rustling in the undergrowth.

He immediately pointed his staff toward the sound and tried to detect whatever was hiding there. Something rustled and wriggled its way out of the grass.

It was a pale green Slime.

"Mochi!"

Qiu Nuoya rushed over and hugged the Slime, letting out a relieved sigh.

"Thank goodness..."

After all, if Mochi was here, then at least Qiu Nuoya wasn’t alone. There was also a good chance that Igor and Viktor were somewhere nearby.

However, that thought lasted only a moment.

Mochi, who was usually so adorable and lively, didn’t respond at all.

A sudden uneasiness crept over Qiu Nuoya, and he called out again.

"Mochi?"

The Slime stretched upward as though waking from a long nap before replying.

[ Is that my name? ]

The voice sounded slightly puzzled.

Qiu Nuoya looked down at the Mochi in his arms and noticed something strange.

This Slime wasn’t wearing a crown.

Oh, no! Did he make another mistake? He had only just mistaken another Slime for Mochi a moment ago, and now it seemed he had done it again.

But Slimes all look exactly the same at first glance.