Chapter 27: Encounter with the Beast
After defeating the creatures in the Dark Forest, Alex began making his way back to the guild. Pleased to have completed his first mission without help—though a bit tired—he walked along the path leading home. However, as he took a careless step, he tripped over something soft and warm.
—"What the hell...?" he muttered, looking down.
It was an enormous tail—thick, pale pink, and seemingly glowing under the moonlight. The air around Alex grew heavy as he lifted his gaze and saw the owner of the tail.
Lying in front of him was a massive lion, three times the size of a normal one. Its fur was a vivid pink, and its imposing body was partially covered with black scales that wrapped around its neck, front legs, and part of its tail. It was sleeping peacefully, its chest rising and falling with slow breaths.
—"This... can't be real…" Alex thought, feeling cold sweat run down his back.
The lion stirred, letting out a yawn that revealed a row of blade-like fangs. Then, it opened its eyes. Alex stepped back, frozen in place.
—"Why did you wake me?" the lion asked in a deep, tired voice, its golden eyes glowing in the dark as they locked onto Alex.
Alex swallowed hard. "A giant pink lion that talks. I definitely shouldn't have left the camp without EMI or Aria."
He forced himself to stay composed, though every instinct screamed at him to run.
—"I… didn't mean to wake you. I was just finishing a mission to take care of some creatures attacking the villagers."
The lion stared at him, studying him in silence—until its stomach let out a loud growl. Alex felt his heart stop. "Is that hunger? Am I about to be eaten?"
Panicking, Alex suddenly remembered he still had some monster meat EMI had hunted days ago. Moving slowly, he pulled out a cloth-wrapped portion and offered it to the lion.
The lion sniffed the meat, then snatched it quickly. As it chewed, its eyes widened in surprise.
—"This… this is delicious. I've never tasted cooked meat before."
A glint of joy sparked in the lion's eyes.
—"Did you prepare this?" it asked.
—"Uh… yeah," Alex lied, not wanting to mention EMI.
—"You're impressive," the lion said, smiling with what seemed to be genuine satisfaction.
Encouraged by the unexpected success, Alex pulled out something else he had bought in the market: a small artifact that, when activated, transformed into a giant soft pillow. He placed it in front of the lion.
—"Maybe this will help you rest better…" he said, trying not to sound nervous.
The lion eyed the pillow, curiously tapped it with a paw, and then tested it. Immediately, its eyes lit up in wonder.
—"This is wonderful. I didn't know things like this existed."
With a contented sigh, the lion lay down on the pillow, visibly relaxed.
—"Thank you, human. You are peculiar… but generous." And with that, it closed its eyes and went back to sleep.
Alex let out a relieved breath, grateful not to have ended up as dinner, and continued on his way back.
---
The Ambush
But the calm didn't last long. As Alex neared the forest's edge, he was ambushed by a larger group of the same creatures he had fought earlier. Surrounded and outnumbered, he activated the offensive rune technique, unleashing explosions that took out several of them.
Despite his effort, the number of enemies kept increasing. Alex backed up until he was pressed against a tree.
—"Looks like… this is where my luck runs out…" he thought, resigned.
Suddenly, a sphere of dark energy flew through the air, striking the creatures and wiping out half of them. Alex looked toward the source of the attack in astonishment.
Emerging from the trees was the giant lion, its body radiating an intimidating presence. Though it looked a bit tired, its eyes were locked onto the remaining enemies.
The creatures tried to flee, but the lion opened its mouth and unleashed a beam of dark energy that morphed into a massive sphere, obliterating them instantly.
Alex stood frozen, unsure whether to thank the lion—or run. The lion turned its golden gaze toward him and spoke:
—"That was for the food… and the pillow."
Without another word, the lion turned and disappeared into the forest.
Alex stood in place for several minutes, trying to process what had just happened. Eventually, he let out a nervous laugh.
—"Maybe… coming out today wasn't such a bad idea after all."
---
As he returned to the guild to report his completed mission, he couldn't help but wonder how EMI and Aria would've reacted if they had seen everything.
—"They'd probably say I should've waited for them…" he said with a smile, imagining their reactions.
The chapter ends with Alex handing in his completed mission, while murmurs begin to spread among the adventurers about the "mysterious stranger" who had suddenly appeared in the guild.