A wild boar-like beast, its height was almost thrice the size of an average human. The long tusks and body filled with muscle, its sight was enough to cause fear for life in someone. Its fur was a matted brown, stained with dirt and dried blood from previous encounters.
But right now, the same fearful beast was running through the dense forest, passing by trees after trees, not even stopping for a second despite the exhaustion. Its breath came in ragged gasps, its heart pounding against its ribs like a drum.
It was running for its life.
There were already cuts and burns on it, blood were oozing out from some wounds, splattering on ground in dark droplets that stained the purple grass. Each step left a crimson print behind it, a trail of its desperate flight.
It looks back, and sees its predator—a woman with pale ghostly skin and red menace eyes, chasing him without showing any hint of exhaustion. Her movements were fluid and relentless, like a hunter who had all the time in the world.
Despite the small frame, she was just... too scary.
Her presence alone seemed to drain the warmth from the air around her.
She was none other than Esdeath.
BANG!...
She shoots, directly aiming for boar's heart, but out of sheer luck, the wild boar slips a little and the bullet passes by his skin, just giving a small wound on surface. The bullet tears through the air with a whistle, missing its mark by inches.
The wild boar's surviving instinct was kicking in even more. It ran even faster with all its might, its muscles straining to their limits, its lungs burning with each breath.
But then—Esdeath disappears.
And next second, she was just below him, sliding past him. As she did, the pistol gun in her hand turns into a red scythe and slices off his head in one go. The blade gleamed in the dim light, cutting through flesh and bone with sickening ease.
A loud growl comes out of its beheaded mouth.
Esdeath also stops, thinking it's over, but the wild beast's body has already gone too much on natural instinct.
Its body refuses to stop even then and continues to run as fast as it could, a headless horror charging through the forest, driven by sheer momentum and the last vestiges of life.
But then, Maruti also comes out of the bushes and directly rushes towards the beheaded boar. Her eyes were focused, her body coiled like a spring.
BAM!....
Maruti's shoulder collides with the giant wild boar. The boar's body literally floats a bit on air, turning upside down from the force of the impact.
Only then, its struggle finally ends. With few last twitches on his four legs, it stops moving, all the life draining from his body.
"Finally got our food for lunch," Maruti says with a satisfied smile, wiping sweat from her brow.
It had already been one and a half weeks since they spent their night in that cave. With all the time they took to get to here in Terra Divina, plus spend the time here on their journey to river sand of flawless time, they were close to a month already.
Not to forget almost same amount of time will take them to go back. The journey was long, and each day brought new challenges.
With continuing moving forward, they hunted some edible monsters or beasts and ate them after cooking them, making sure to not eat or make bonfire at night. The nights were for rest and vigilance, not for feasting.
They didn't bring any spices with them nor had enough time to waste to actually make a proper meal. So it was just meat and salt and some fruits that they found on their way.
Even this wild boar they hunted was going to be their lunch for today.
One thing was sure—that finding food was quite difficult here. Not because their prey were difficult to kill; even this wild boar was just a Rank C beast, it can't hold a candle to them now. Their strength had grown far beyond such creatures.
But finding them was the main problem. Just because a monster's or beast's rank is high, it doesn't mean their meat will be tasty or can even be eaten. They had to find edible ones, a task that required knowledge and caution.
"Wooh~ Mushrooms..." Maruti spots few mushrooms growing out nearby a tree where boar had died. They were a pale brownish white color, with caps that shimmered slightly in the filtered light.
She quickly picked them out as well. It was time to make their lunch, a small luxury in this harsh land. The mushrooms would add variety to their meal.
Maruti even drags the huge body of the boar on her back with no effort, the muscles in her arms and shoulders barely straining as she hoists the massive creature. She drags it to a suitable place, her feet leaving deep prints in the soft earth.
Meanwhile, Esdeath picked out some stones and tree branches to make a bonfire.
She arranged the wood in a perfect pyramid, leaving just enough space for air to circulate.
Before burning the bonfire, they carefully skinned the boar and cut the piece of meat they wanted to eat and then washed them carefully with water that Esdeath conjured from thin air, her hands glowing faintly as moisture gathered in her palms.
Finally, they burn the bonfire. The flames crackled to life, casting dancing shadows across their faces and the surrounding forest. Esdeath cuts the meat into small pieces, and then sticks a pointy stick into the meat chunks with mushroom between them and lets the heat cook it. She turns the skewers methodically, ensuring even cooking.
Meanwhile, Maruti was just too impatient to do all that shit. She just grabs the meat and puts her hand in the bonfire, cooking both meat and her hand.
But the normal fire was just too weak to burn her skin. She waited a few seconds as the meat properly cooked, the smell of it making her stomach rumble. Then pulls her hand back, casually chewing the cooked meat with an indifferent face, as if this was the most normal thing in the world.
Both Esdeath and Maruti knew that they had almost covered the distance. This might be their last meal in Terra Divina, and soon they'll arrive at the river sand of flawless time. The thought brought a mix of relief and anticipation.
Although one thing was quite weird—they didn't encounter any human at all.
It seems that after Caster's party was wiped out and didn't return back, they already suspected that they were dead and didn't stop for them. The slave traders were likely cautious, unwilling to risk more lives for uncertain rewards.
Or maybe they were dead as well?
It was also a possibility they couldn't dismiss.
Not like Esdeath cared. It would even be more good if she doesn't encounter any human or demon in river sand of flawless time. Fewer complications meant fewer obstacles to her goals.
As they continue to eat, Maruti just kept glancing at Esdeath from time to time but unable to say anything. Her expression was thoughtful, as if wrestling with some question.
Esdeath notices it as well. She raises one eyebrow, asking, "Got something on your mind?"
Maruti was about to shake her head but then hesitates and says, "About your shit history lesson, you ended it with Happy Ending, but what about Hanuman? Didn't he born for the sole reason that if Seraphine's children cause any destruction, then he'll stop them?"
"If it was a happy ending then what about him? Wasn't his birth completely pointless?" Maruti asks, her eyes searching Esdeath's face for answers.
"Well, he sure did some remarkable things. Swallowing sun, roaming in the universe freely, ripping apart mountains with one hand, Making name for himself... Enjoying his life to the fullest and..." Esdeath was saying but then pauses, her expression distant.
"And?" Maruti says, her eyes narrowing slightly, sensing there was more to the story.
Esdeath was silent for a few moments and then gave an awkward smile, a rare expression on her usually composed face.
"And then he realized that the problem he needed to resolve isn't going to come, so he self detonated by turning himself into a statue and made itself crack and fall apart. In short, died," she finishes, her voice flat and matter-of-fact.
Maruti: "..."
Maruti just glares at Esdeath with a disappointed look, her brow furrowed in frustration.
"What's with that glare? That's what I know," Esdeath protests immediately, her defensive tone a clear indication of her discomfort with the topic.
Maruti then sighs, "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked in the first place. FLF is surely a shit game with shit story," she mutters, shaking her head.
Without saying anything else, she continues to eat her remaining meat, at least the full belly surely strengthened her mood. The food was good, even without spices.
"By the way, I wanted to ask something as well," Esdeath says out of nowhere, changing the subject abruptly.
"What is it?" Maruti replies, her mouth still half-full of meat.
"You got any idea when Lilith is going to give you that piece of fate Essence stone?" she asks, her expression curious.
Maruti and Lilith had made an agreement that Lilith will provide a piece of fate Essence stones, almost 1000 years' worth longevity essence stones and guidance and resources to reach S rank.
In return, she'll have to always be ready to satisfy her daughter, Kailith's sexual urges. .
Maruti shook her head, "She said she'll give after she finds a Rank A contract Essence stone and signs an official oath with me. So there was no point in explaining any of its uses either," she answers truthfully, her expression neutral.
But with a pause, Maruti asks, "But why? You don't know?"
"Of course not. It's not easy to use fate. The hero had done it, making himself fated to kill the demon king. But it seems even he didn't do it right, since demon king was only defeated, not killed," Esdeath replies with a sigh, her expression thoughtful.