"No. In fact, this is the first time in the two months I’ve been here that something like this has appeared," she said. Her voice was calm, but her face was deeply unsettled.

  Ren’s frown deepened.

  A Salt Sea region.

  A red sky.

  None of the regions Ren had studied in the academy had anything like this.

  There were strange zones in the Land of Origin, of course. Regions with unstable gravity, corrupted forests, and territories ruled by powerful monsters. But nothing he had learned about resembled a place where the sky itself behaved like this.

  Ren could no longer deny it.

  There were only two possibilities.

  The first one was simple.

  The Base in this place belonged to the military and was located in a highly strategic region, or this area contained some special resources, and the Base here was controlled by a Noble family.

  Ren was not stupid. He knew the academy did not teach awakeners about every Base in the Land of Origin. The Bases located in strategic military regions must be kept secret. The same would be true for Bases owned by powerful noble families.

  Long ago, the situation had been even harsher.

  Back then, the location of no Base was revealed to newly summoned awakeners.

  When someone was summoned into the Land of Origin, they had to survive in completely unknown territory and hope to eventually reach a human Base. The reasoning behind that policy was simple. If the location of Bases became public knowledge, other races could learn those locations and attack them.

  Back then, only about thirty percent of awakeners managed to reach a Base alive. Most died before they ever found one.

  However, everything changed after the Fall of Mana.

  When the Corrupted Ones appeared, every race suffered enormous losses. Entire regions were devastated, and the balance between races collapsed.

  Humanity suddenly needed far more awakeners than before. To increase survival rates, the Federation finally revealed the locations of most human Bases to newly summoned awakeners.

  The results were immediate. The survival rate increased from thirty percent to nearly fifty-five percent. It was a huge improvement. They could only implement that policy because every race had been crippled after the Corrupted Ones appeared. No race had enough strength to launch large-scale invasions against humanity.

  Still, Ren knew that not every Base was publicly disclosed. Key military Bases were still secret. Bases belonging to noble families were also hidden. If Ren and Freya had ended up near one of those secret Bases, their situation would actually be good.

  Once they reached the Base, they could explain their situation. Ren could enlist in the military early instead of waiting for compulsory enlistment, or they could pledge loyalty to the noble house controlling the Base.

  Either way, they would prove they had no intention of leaking the Base’s location. That was the first possibility. And it was the good one.

  The second possibility…

  “Where is the Base? You have been here for two months, so you should definitely know where the Base is,” Ren asked, hoping it wasn’t the second possibility.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t been able to find any Base. Not only that….” she bit her lips and added, “I haven’t seen any humans. This is an unexplored region.”

  Ren closed his eyes.

  Fuck.

  The Land of Origin was massive. Even after three hundred years of exploration, humanity had barely scratched the surface.

  Normally, when humans were summoned to the Land of Origin, they appeared somewhere near a human Base. Ren didn’t know the exact mechanism behind it—that knowledge was restricted to military researchers—but somehow the summoning system always placed newly awakened humans within reachable distance of a human Base. The regions surrounding those Bases were called Explored Regions.

  However, there were rare cases—very rare—when an awakener would be summoned in an Unexplored Region. These were territories that humanity had never discovered before. There were no human Bases nearby. No supply points. No portals to return home. Nothing.

  Of course, there was still a possibility that the region contained a Base belonging to another race. But that possibility brought different problems altogether. For one, humans could not use return portals of another race, and vice versa.

  Ren opened his eyes again.

  “Did you meet another race?” he asked.

  Even if they couldn’t use another race’s portal, having a Base nearby would still provide advantages. There would be settlements, markets, resources, weapons, and information. Of course, that assumed the race was not hostile toward humans.

  “No.”

  Freya shook her head slowly. She looked around the silent forest ahead.

  “It’s a complete unexplored region. I haven’t seen a human or a member of any other race.”

  Ren let out a slow breath. He should have felt shocked. He should have felt despair. If this was truly an unexplored region, then the possibility of ever finding a human Base was extremely low. The Land of Origin was simply too big. Even experienced explorers spent decades mapping small areas. For someone like Ren, finding a Base by wandering randomly would not be possible even in a lifetime.

  And yet…

  He did not feel despair.

  Ren looked at the distant forest quietly.

  He had made a promise.

  A promise to his father.

  He would return home.

  His father had said he would travel from Base to Base, searching for Ren. That stubborn old man would not give up easily. If Ren never returned, his father might spend the rest of his life wandering through the Land of Origin.

  Ren refused to let that happen.

  I have a Talent that lets me grow faster than others, and gain lifespan.

  As long as there were enemies to kill, he could grow stronger and extend his life. He could live far longer than a normal human.

  Even if it took ten years. Twenty years. Or even a hundred years.

  Ren slowly clenched his fist.

  “I will return home.”

  His voice was quiet, but there was no hesitation in it.

  No matter how long it took. No matter how far he had to travel. He would find a human Base. And when he did—

  He would go back.

  Ren was ready to do whatever was necessary to fulfill the promise he had made.

  Of course, there was still a possibility that Freya was lying. Ren did not blindly trust people, especially in a place like the Land of Origin. He kept himself open to every possibility. But if she was lying, it would become obvious very soon. If there was a Base nearby, they would inevitably encounter other humans within a day or two. Lying about something like that would not benefit Freya in the long run. So there was a high chance she was telling the truth.

  Ren took a slow breath before speaking again.

  “Let’s go. We should start hunting monsters and leveling up. If we want to return home someday, we first need to be strong enough to deal with anything we might run into.”

  “…you are not scared?” she asked.

  It was clear she had expected a much stronger reaction.

  “Does it matter?” he let out a small smile. “Whether we are in explored region or unexplored region, my goal is still the same. And you should know something. Awakeners who returned from unexplored regions actually exist. All of them are among the strongest people in the Human Federation right now. So if we manage to return from here, we’ll probably be treated like the most talented awakeners in humanity. The Federation will throw resources, training, and money at us.”

  Freya opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it again. She had expected anger, fear, or even despair. This reaction had not been among the possibilities she imagined. After a moment, a faint smile appeared on her face. Having someone like Ren around was… reassuring. Someone who could stay calm and even optimistic in a situation like this would naturally improve the atmosphere of any group.

  “So, where should we go?” he asked.

  Now that he understood the situation better, he also understood Freya’s actions yesterday. If she had told him immediately that they were in an unexplored region, she believed he might have panicked. A newly awakened person in hysteria could easily do something reckless and get both of them killed. That was likely why she avoided the topic in a dangerous area like Salt Sea region. It also explained why Freya had come to the Salt Sea region. In an unexplored region, numbers mattered more than anything else. Having even one extra ally drastically improved survival chances. That meant she had been hoping to find other newly summoned awakeners—

  Wait.

  A thought flashed across his mind.

  How did she know awakeners would be summoned in the Salt Sea region?

  If this was truly an unexplored region, the chance of someone appearing here should be extremely small.

  Ren turned toward her.

  “Hey, how did you know someone would be summoned to—”

  His words stopped abruptly when a sharp snap of a twig echoed from the forest. Both Ren and Freya turned their heads at the same time.

  Behind a cluster of bushes, something moved.

  Through the gaps in the leaves, Ren saw the faint outline of a creature that resembled a gazelle. It stood about as tall as a large deer, but its body was leaner and more muscular. Dark stripes ran across its grey hide, and two long curved horns extended backward from its head. Its legs were thin but powerful, clearly built for speed. The creature had bright yellow eyes. It was staring straight at them.

  For a moment, neither side moved.

  Then the monster realized it had been spotted. It immediately turned and ran.

  “Shit! It might be part of a pack. We need to kill it!” Ren reacted instantly.

  He bolted forward.

  They could not let the monster escape. Ren had only seen it for a second, and he had no idea what kind of monster it was. But if it lived in groups and managed to warn the rest of its pack, things could become extremely dangerous very quickly.

  Freya understood the situation just as quickly. She scooped Ren up like she had done yesterday.

  “Wait, I can run—”

  Ren’s words were cut short by the sudden burst of speed.

  The inertia nearly threw him off balance, and he instinctively grabbed onto Freya’s neck to avoid falling.

  They entered the forest in seconds.

  The gazelle-like monster had already disappeared among the trees, and there was no time to carefully search for tracks. Freya immediately picked a direction where the bushes were still swaying slightly, likely because the creature had just passed through them. She dashed forward. Branches whipped past them as she ran.

  Ren leaned closer and spoke in a lower voice.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Do you have other weapons besides that saw-sword? I remember you said you left your armor and most of your equipment behind before entering the Salt Sea region.”

  “I do. But we need to deal with this first!” Freya replied quickly.

  “Then don’t join this fight. Let me handle the monster,” Ren said.

  The saw-sword had been useful in the Salt Sea because it could stun creatures there. But inside a normal forest, it would not have that effect. Worse, the loud noise of the spinning blade could attract other monsters.

  Freya nodded.

  The monster came back into view ahead of them.

  Ren was once again reminded that Freya was completely insane. She was technically a mechanic class, yet she had invested an absurd amount of Stat points into physical stats. Even while carrying him, she was rapidly closing the distance.

  Ren raised his hand and began charging his spell. Two Water Bullets formed beside him. He held them in place for ten seconds, increasing their damage by thirty percent. Then he fired. The monster suddenly shifted direction, running diagonally as if it had eyes on the back of its head. Both Water Bullets missed and slammed into a nearby tree trunk.

  Ren quickly fired more shots, but each one was dodged.

  “It has fast reactions. We need to get closer if I want to land a hit,” Ren said, raising his voice slightly.

  His voice was loud enough for Freya to hear over the rushing wind but still quiet enough that nearby monsters would not notice them.

  Freya increased her speed.

  Unfortunately, the forest limited how fast she could move. The gazelle-like creature was clearly adapted to this terrain. It zigzagged between trees and leaped over roots and rocks with effortless agility, making it difficult for them to close the gap.

  Ren clenched his teeth.

  Fuck.

  There was a real possibility they were already approaching the monster’s group. The creature might also be alone, but Ren was not willing to gamble on that. This was his first time seeing this species, so he had no idea about its behavior.

  “Let me down. We’ll pincer it,” Ren said.

  “You can’t run fast enough to catch it—”

  “Just do it,” Ren interrupted.

  Freya slowed slightly. She was about to stop and lower him properly, but Ren jumped off before she could.

  The moment his feet touched the ground, he activated Wind Wrap. Wind coiled around his body. His speed exploded forward. Ren ran beside her.

  Freya stared at him in shock for a brief moment. His speed was far too fast for someone who had been summoned just yesterday.

  “What did you—”

  “Pincer attack!” Ren shouted as he changed direction and ran deeper into the forest.

  Freya quickly snapped out of her surprise.

  What kind of beast ability is that? she wondered briefly.

  But there was no time to think about it.

  Ren moved through the forest, trying to circle around and appear ahead of the monster.

  Meanwhile, Freya continued chasing it from behind.

  At first the creature kept glancing back, clearly wary of Ren’s attacks. Freya knew she needed to distract it, and divert it's attention away from Ren.

  Without carrying Ren, Freya could fully focus on her movement. Her control became even smoother. She closed the distance quickly, jumping over the obstacles. At one point her hand nearly brushed against the monster’s tail.

  The sudden proximity frightened the monster, and its attention completely locked onto Freya. It did not realize it was being guided slightly toward the left. Toward the place where Ren was waiting.

  A few seconds later, Ren burst out from behind a bush directly in front of the creature.

  The monster panicked. It tried to change direction.

  Ren did not give it the chance. A fully charged Water Bullet shot forward.

  The projectile slammed directly into the creature’s head. The impact exploded instantly. The monster’s body collapsed mid-run and slid across the forest floor.

  A notification appeared in Ren’s vision.

  [Level 8 Striped Gazelle killed]

  [845 days lifespan gained.]

  [812 EXP gained.]

  Ren quickly jumped aside just before the monster’s body rammed into him. Even though the Striped Gazelle had died instantly, the momentum from its final sprint carried the corpse several meters forward before it hit a tree trunk and came to a stop.

  Ren steadied himself and let out a slow breath.

  Freya reached him a moment later. She grabbed his arm and helped him stand properly. Her breathing was heavy. She had barely rested since the night before, and despite that she had pushed her body to its limit again while running through the forest. Even so, she was smiling.

  “That was nice. If I had been alone, chasing that thing would’ve been a nightmare. It’s fast, and the forest gives it too many ways to escape,” she said while catching her breath.

  Ren nodded while adjusting his footing. He was breathing harder as well. The Wind Wrap spell had pushed his speed far beyond what his body was used to. His muscles could keep up thanks to the spell’s assistance, but his mind still processed movement at his original pace. Because of that, he had nearly rammed into trees more than once during the chase.

  Thinking about it now, he could still feel the rush of adrenaline from those moments. The near misses had been dangerous, but they also brought a strange sense of exhilaration. The entire chase had been fast, chaotic, and unpredictable. And unlike yesterday, he no longer felt the nauseating gaze of the [thing] in the center of the Salt Sea pressing against his mind. Without that oppressive presence lingering in the background, the fight felt different. For the first time since arriving in this world, Ren felt like he could fully focus on the hunt. The feeling was awesome.

  He glanced once more at the fallen Striped Gazelle before turning back to Freya.

  “Let’s move quickly. If there are more of them nearby, they might come investigate,” he said.

  “Wait a moment. Let me take its tendons. I can use them to make a bow for you,” she said.

  She crouched beside the corpse and began working before Ren could reply. Her movements were quick and practiced, as if she had done this many times before.

  Ren watched her for a moment before deciding not to interrupt. Although magic was his main weapon, there was no reason to ignore other tools. A bow would allow him to attack enemies from range without constantly spending lifespan. If he combined archery with his spells, he would gain far more flexibility in combat. For example, Wind Wrap spell would make his arrows fast.

  While Freya worked, Ren turned his attention inward and checked his Talent.

  [Talent: Heir of Demonic Magic]

  [Description: You are the last heir of the Empire of Demonic Magic.]

  [Effect: You can absorb a portion of Lifespan, and 10 times the normal EXP amount from your target upon killing them. You can use Lifespan to replace Mana and fuel your Spells with Lifespan.]

  [Total Lifespan: 70 years, 127 days]

  Ren frowned slightly. Yesterday his total lifespan had been around eighty-five years. Now it had dropped to seventy. Mana Zone was the reason.

  I need to keep hunting monsters. Otherwise I won’t be able to use Mana Zone for long, Ren thought quietly.

  The ability was powerful, but the cost quickly climbed.

  Mana Zone consumed one day of lifespan for every second it remained active. That meant keeping it active for one hour would cost roughly ten years of lifespan. If he wanted to maintain it for an entire day, the total cost would climb to nearly two hundred and forty years. He could not sustain something like that yet.

  Ren had been activating and deactivating the ability carefully in order to conserve lifespan, but even with that precaution the cost was still enormous.

  He quickly ran some numbers in his head.

  Hunting the Level 8 Striped Gazelle had given him roughly two years of lifespan. If he could hunt six monsters of similar level within an hour, the lifespan gained would roughly balance the cost of Mana Zone and the spells he used during combat.

  It was possible to do that.

  With Freya helping him, hunting creatures of this level would not be too difficult as long as they avoided attracting large groups or stronger monsters.

  “I’m done. Let’s go.”

  Freya stood up and returned to him.

  She had already removed the monster Core and several long tendons from the Striped Gazelle’s legs. Both were carefully stored inside her satchel. After that she took out a small pouch from within the bag and opened it. Inside was a fine white powder. She sprinkled some of it onto her hands and rubbed them together. The dried blood that had stained her skin slid off almost instantly.

  Ren watched with curiosity.

  “I’ve been wondering. What is that?” he asked while pointing at the powder.

  Freya shook the excess powder from her fingers before answering.

  “It’s made from a certain type of tree bark. I grind it into powder. About a month ago I noticed some monsters rubbing their bodies against certain trees in this forest. After watching them for a while, I realized the bark dust helped remove blood and scent.”

  She brushed her hands once more.

  “It’s been extremely useful. I don’t have to worry about monsters tracking me through smell.”

  Ren nodded slowly. That made sense. Small survival tricks like this could make a big difference when living in dangerous wilderness.

  The two of them began walking again, heading toward the location where Freya had hidden her weapons and armor. As they moved deeper into the forest, Ren noticed that Freya seemed slightly distracted. Her eyes kept scanning the surrounding trees, and a faint frown had appeared on her face.

  “Is there a problem?” Ren asked.

  “This place is changing,” she said slowly. “Until recently, monsters never came this close to the forest area near the Salt Sea. It’s strange that a Striped Gazelle appeared here.”

  “Maybe it has something to do with the red sky,” he said.

  “That’s what I’m thinking too.”

  Neither of them understood what was happening in this region. However, both had the same uneasy feeling that whatever changes were occurring would not lead to anything good.

  They continued forward in silence. Earlier they had sprinted through the forest while chasing the Striped Gazelle. Now they moved slowly and cautiously. Ren kept his senses alert while Freya carefully checked the ground and the trees around them.

  After several minutes, they stopped in front of a massive tree. The trunk was enormous. Even several adults joining hands would struggle to wrap their arms around it completely. About four meters above the ground there was a hollow opening in the bark.

  Freya pointed at it.

  “That’s where I hid my gear.”

  She bent her knees and jumped upward, easily grabbing the edge of the hollow. With a quick pull she lifted herself high enough to peer inside.

  “Huh?”

  A confused sound escaped her lips. She leaned further in, looking around inside the hollow for several seconds before dropping back to the ground.

  When she landed, her expression had changed completely.

  “My weapons, armor and everything else is gone.”

  “…what?”

  “They’re gone,” Freya repeated quietly.

  She immediately began searching the ground around the tree. It did not take long to notice the signs. Broken twigs. Disturbed soil. Flattened patches of grass. Someone—or something—had definitely been here.

  Ren crouched beside her while examining the ground. They followed the trail for several minutes. At first the tracks were easy to follow, but after about five minutes they simply stopped. There were no footprints, no broken branches. Nothing. It was as if the thief had vanished into thin air.

  Freya stood still for a moment, her lips pressed into a thin line.

  Ren understood why this was a problem.

  Freya’s saw-sword worked well inside the Salt Sea because the vibrations could stun the creatures there. But outside the salt region the weapon was more of a liability. The loud noise produced by the spinning blade would easily attract other monsters.

  That was why she had prepared proper armor and weapons for forest combat. And now those were gone.

  “Let’s keep looking around. Maybe we’ll find some clue about whoever took them,” Ren said after a moment.

  Freya nodded and the two of them began searching the nearby area. They checked bushes, tree trunks, and patches of disturbed soil, but nothing useful appeared.

  Ren glanced upward toward the forest canopy.

  The branches above were extremely thick and tangled together. Only small pieces of the sky could be seen between the leaves. A bird-type monster would have difficulty flying through such a dense canopy.

  At the same time, the branches were thick enough to support climbing animals. Maybe the thief was some kind of monkey or sloth-type creature.

  Ren kept both possibilities in mind while continuing to search. He was about to say something when Freya suddenly grabbed his wrist. She pulled him down into the bushes and crouched.

  Ren immediately followed her lead.

  Freya raised a finger to her ear. Ren understood her signal. She had heard something.

  They stayed completely still. After several seconds, Ren felt it too.

  A faint vibration passed through the ground. Then his Mana Zone detected multiple life signatures approaching rapidly.

  Ren’s eyes narrowed slightly. A large group of Striped Gazelles was moving through the forest.

  Freya slowly parted the bushes and peeked outside. Ren did the same. A massive herd of gazelle-like monsters thundered through the trees. Their hooves struck the ground in rapid rhythm as they moved together like a flowing wave of muscle and horns. If Ren and Freya had been caught in the open, they would have been trampled instantly.

  They remained perfectly still until the herd passed. The sound of hooves gradually faded into the distance. Only then did Freya relax slightly.

  “That was close. We were chased by a large group of monsters yesterday, and it almost happened again today,” she said with a bitter smile.

  “Yeah—”

  His voice stopped halfway.

  Two more shapes appeared in the distance.

  Ren’s eyes narrowed immediately. Two Striped Gazelles were approaching from the same direction the herd had come from. They were clearly part of the group but had fallen far behind. He instantly crouched lower and pulled Freya back into the bushes.

  Freya noticed the sudden change in his expression and followed his movement without asking questions. Both of them hid quietly while Ren focused his senses.

  From their current angle he could no longer see the monsters clearly. However, that did not matter much. A moment later they entered the range of his Mana Zone. The two life signatures’ body appeared clearly in his mind.

  They’re injured, he noticed.

  Their movements were slower and uneven. From the way they moved, it was obvious they were in bad condition.

  Ren carefully peeked through a gap in the bushes and confirmed his suspicion. Both gazelles had deep cuts across their bodies. The wounds looked clean rather than torn, which meant they were not caused by claws or teeth.

  Those are sword wounds.

  Ren gestured toward Freya. He silently signaled that they would attack.

  Freya raised her hand slightly and gestured back, asking how many enemies there were. Since they had hidden quickly, she had not gotten a clear view of the monsters like before.

  Ren raised two fingers.

  Freya nodded in understanding.

  The injured gazelles were moving slowly, so Ren carefully shifted his position and moved ahead while staying hidden among the bushes. He moved in a wide arc, making sure he would intercept their path.

  Freya waited several seconds to give him time. Then she suddenly dashed out of the bushes.

  The two gazelles immediately noticed her presence. Despite their injuries they reacted quickly and began running, instinctively trying to escape. However, the path ahead of them passed right beside an unremarkable bush. The moment they reached it, two Water Bullets shot out. Both spells struck their legs. The impact snapped the bones instantly. The gazelles collapsed with painful cries, unable to run any further.

  Freya reached them almost immediately. She swung her sword in two clean arcs, finishing them without activating the saw mechanism.

  Ren stayed where he was and watched. Since they were sharing the experience anyway, there was no reason for him to waste additional lifespan finishing the monsters himself.

  A moment later, the notifications appeared in his vision.

  [Level 7 Striped Gazelle killed]

  [789 days lifespan gained.]

  [699 EXP gained.]

  [Level 8 Striped Gazelle killed]

  [811 days lifespan gained.]

  [845 EXP gained.]

  Freya crouched beside the corpses and examined the wounds more closely. Her expression slowly grew serious.

  “…these injuries were definitely made by a sword,” she muttered.

  Ren walked closer and looked down at the bodies.

  “Your sword?” he asked.

  “Yes, it was likely my sword. I’ve never seen any other person in this region. As far as I know, I’m the only one who uses these weapons here,” she said.

  They both turned their heads and looked toward the direction where the main herd had come from. Somewhere in that direction, something had attacked the gazelles.

  “Do you think the herd was running from whoever stole your weapons?” he asked.

  “I do think the weapon used for these injuries was mine, but I doubt these monsters were running from the thief. If the thief was someone strong enough to make an entire herd of Striped Gazelles run away in terror, they wouldn’t need to steal my weapons.”

  She hesitated slightly before continuing.

  “And when I saw their herd earlier… their body language didn’t look like they were running from a monster.”

  “What do you mean?” Ren looked at her with confusion.

  “It looked more like migration. I’m pretty sure that’s what their body language was showing.”

  “…?”

  His face clearly showed that he had no idea what she was talking about.

  Freya noticed the expression and explained,

  “Martial arts are languages. Because of that, martial artists learn to read movement patterns and body expressions very carefully. After training for years, you start recognizing intent through motion."

  She gestured toward the direction the herd had gone.

  “Monsters also communicate through body movement. It’s not exactly the same, but you can sometimes understand what they’re doing.”

  Martial arts are languages. Those exact words echoed in Ren’s mind. He had heard them before from his father. Back then Ren had been curious and asked about it at the academy. The professors had dismissed the idea immediately. They told him Martial Arts were Domains and not languages. Even online, Ren had never found anyone explaining Martial Arts that way. Yet Ren trusted his father more than anyone else. If his father said something like that, there had to be a reason. And now Freya was saying the same thing.

  Ren did not even focus on the part where she casually called herself a Martial Artist. Instead, he asked, “Who told you that Martial Arts are languages?”