We were finally outside the west gates of the Bestia Kingdom. The heavy doors closed behind us with a deep rumble, leaving only the open road ahead. Then I tapped something in front of me, and my Player Status popped up on the screen.
I clicked on the map icon beside my Player Status and traced the route with my finger. The map lines showed many places—swamps, rivers, and forests—all leading us westward. Our destination was clear: the Ashen Forest, a dark woodland on the far edge of the western part of the kingdom.
Claude groaned loudly as we started walking.
"So… we'll be walking all the way to Ashen Forest? That's still so far!" he complained, dragging his feet.
Dahlia gave him a little smile.
"Come on. This is just like what we see in online games, right? Adventurers always travel long distances to complete quests before slaying many monsters."
She clapped her hands together and encouraged us.
"So keep it up, guys!"
I shook my head. "Yeah, but games and real life are really different…" My voice dropped a little as I added, "I still don't know how we'll ever get out of this game."
Dahlia's eyes turned serious for a moment.
"We can get out," she said firmly. "But we'll have to defeat the Abyssal Lord. That's the rule in every game, right? Beat the final boss to win."
Claude sighed dramatically and plopped down on the grass.
"Ugh… can we at least rest for a while?"
Dahlia nodded. "Alright, just a short break."
We all sat down on the green grass.
Then I tapped something in front of me, and my Player Status popped up on the screen. I leaned back and opened my Inventory. With a small click, my Inventory popped up in front of me. Inside, there were only a few items:
[Inventory]
▶ Quest Note
▶ Sandwich (1×)
I remembered the kind maids back at the Red Mansion. Before we left, they had packed us some sandwiches for the road. At least they hadn't let us go on an empty stomach.
Curious, I tapped on the Sandwich. The digital glow of the item flickered, and suddenly, a fresh sandwich wrapped neatly in cloth appeared right in my hands. The smell of warm bread and roasted meat filled the air.
I clicked on the Beast icon in my Player Status, and with a flicker of light, I summoned my beast.
Raya appeared by my side, her fiery feathers glowing softly. She looked around curiously, tilting her head and sniffing the air. I reached out and gently patted her fiery-feathered head.
I broke off half of my sandwich and fed it to her. She chirped happily and nibbled at it with delicate, careful bites.
Seeing this, Claude and Dahlia summoned their own beasts. Each of them fed their beasts, and soon the three of us were surrounded by these magical creatures.
Just as we were getting used to our beasts, a creaking sound broke the calm. On the road ahead, a wagon slowly appeared. An old man stood in front of it, guiding the horses and adjusting the ropes.
Dahlia stepped forward and gave him a polite bow.
"Good morning, kind sir," she greeted warmly.
The old man looked down at us with a raised eyebrow.
"And where might you be headed?" he asked, his voice cautious.
"We're heading to the Ashen Forest, sir," Dahlia said confidently.
The man's expression changed to concern.
"Now, what kind of person goes somewhere dangerous like that? Dark monsters are known to lurk in that area," he warned.
Claude straightened up, puffing out his chest.
"Oh, don't worry! We're Beast Masters, sir. We slay monsters," he said proudly.
The old man studied us for a long moment, then nodded slowly.
"Alright… just be careful. Mind if I take you there?" he offered.
"Of course!" Claude exclaimed. He quickly climbed into the wagon, followed by his manta ray, which floated in the air beside him.It was the same size as my phoenix, its body gliding gracefully as it hovered.
"Come on, guys!" Claude called, waving us to join him.
We gathered our beasts and climbed onto the wagon carefully. Raya flapped her wings lightly and landed on my lap as the wagon started rolling along the road.
I patted Dahlia's orca, which was floating in front of us. It was bigger than our beasts, about the size of an average human.
"It's a male, by the way," Dahlia said.
"Of course. You named him Orcarius, right?" I asked.
And so, our journey to the Ashen Forest began.
---
"Thank you!" we called out, waving at the kind old man who had given us a ride. He smiled and tipped his hat before continuing down the road.
"Here it is, guys," I said, nervous bubbling in my voice.
After a long journey along the dusty road, we finally arrived at our destination. In the distance, the Kingdom of Bestia lay far ahead of us.
[System Notice!]
(Current Location: Edge of Ashen Forest)
We stepped into the Ashen Forest. A shiver ran down my spine. The forest was dark and eerie, and the air buzzed with insects. Compared to Lumen Forest in the north, which was bright, lively, and full of green leaves, this place felt… dead. Not a single bird song greeted us—only strange rustling sounds and the occasional snap of a twig underfoot.
[You have now entered Ashen Forest]
I shivered, thinking about the monsters that might be hiding in the shadows. What kind of creatures lived here?
In the deeper part of the forest, creepy sounds echoed all around—rustling leaves, distant hoots, and the low cries of unknown birds.
"Guys!" Claude suddenly shouted.
"Over here!" he called again, waving us toward him.
We hurried over to see what had caught his attention. On the ground, slimy trails glimmered.
Then, we heard a louder rustling from a nearby bush.
Suddenly, the bush shook violently, and out spilled a group of slimy, wiggling creatures—slimes! They bounced and squished as they moved toward us.
"Looks like we found the first challenge of the Ashen Forest," I muttered.
[!] Monster Classification [!]
[Monster: Slime]
[Rank: E-Class]
Slimes are always on alert and attack immediately when anyone enters their territory. They are colorful blobs made entirely of acid. They have no eyes or mouth, but it can sense body heat and vibrations in the ground.
Special Trait: [Acid Body] – The slime's entire body is coated in sticky, harmful acid. It will slam its body into enemies, burning their skin with acid.
‹ Slime ›
HP: 45/45
The slimes launched their bodies at us.
We leapt into the air with force, calling our beasts to our sides. They responded in perfect unison.
"Raya!" I shouted, raising my hand. My phoenix responded instantly. Its fiery feathers blazed brighter, wings spread wide as it soared toward me. Flames licked the air as its body twisted and shimmered, and with a brilliant burst, its wings and tail transformed into a glowing spear tip. The rest of the spear materialized in my hands, humming with the heat of Raya's fire.
"Orcarius!" Dahlia called out to her beast. The orca beside her leapt as if water surrounded it, its black-and-white body glistening. Waves of water spiraled around it as it swirled gracefully around Dahlia. Its body began to coil and compress, while its tail fin twisted and solidified into the sharp tip of a gleaming trident. Dahlia raised her hand, and the trident materialized perfectly in her grasp.
"Manta!" Claude shouted. His manta ray beast swooped in gracefully, gliding through the air with a trail of icy mist swirling behind it. The cold air sparkled with frost as it spun around Claude. Slowly, the beast's body shimmered and shrank, its wing-like fins folded with a snap, narrowing into razor-sharp edges tipped, while its long tail elongated into a flexible, deadly whip coiled with frozen energy.
Whoosh!
Splsh!
Swish!
The spear, trident, and whip sliced through the air as we swung our weapons in unison.
We hovered in midair for a moment, then landed back on the ground, weapons at the ready.
"It's slaying time!" Claude shouted, his eyes gleaming with excitement.