Sota did not yet understand the reason for Takeshi's sudden panic and demand, but he did as Takeshi asked, pushing the exhausted horse to its absolute limit. Due to the cart and its heavy load, coupled with the horse's fatigue, the speed at which they traveled was not enough to escape the swarm of Rivarg monsters surging toward them.
Takeshi could not fathom the reason for their sudden appearance, especially since Sota had told him that Rivarg monsters did not gather in this region, and that the moonlight should have suppressed their movement.
So, what was the reason for their activity?
If Rivarg monsters were sleeping in such conditions and were disturbed in some way, they would wake from their slumber, and their ferocity would skyrocket as their eyes turned red. This was what Takeshi suspected, but who could have caused an entire swarm of these savage beasts to wake?
He did not know the answer, but he was fully aware that they were in grave danger—they were as good as dead if they stopped for even a single second. Takeshi moved from his spot, grabbing some hay in his hand and, without a second thought, threw it out of the cart to gradually increase the horse's speed.
"What are you doing!?"
Sota noticed him, still failing to understand the reason for Takeshi's reaction or his previous request, but the answer appeared the moment he turned around.
"These..."
The source of those nauseating sounds appeared: dozens of Rivarg monsters with blood-red eyes, eager for the hunt, staring directly at their prey. Their speed was nearly equal to that of the cart; in fact, some of them were faster, slowly closing the gap.
'Damn it! If I were alone, I might have handled this...'
After cursing his luck, he moved to the edge of the cart, braced his hand against the roof, and stood up, raising his other clenched fist high, prepared for any incoming attack. Suddenly, one of the faster monsters leaped toward the cart—specifically toward Takeshi standing at the rear. Fortunately for Takeshi, the monsters were jumping and attacking without thought, which allowed him to land a direct punch in the center of the reckless beast's face.
However, his strikes were not lethal; if he delivered a punch with his maximum power, his hand gripping the cart might slip, and he would end up falling among a swarm of monsters eager to feast on his flesh.
'To hell with this!'
Another monster leaped toward Takeshi, but it ended up on the ground only to be trampled by its own kind, becoming the last in line. But another monster leaped directly at him, succeeding in wounding Takeshi's arm with its decaying claws, leaving a long gash that ran down Takeshi's entire forearm.
'Damn it!'
In a critical moment of pain, the monster struck again with its sharp claw toward the wound on Takeshi's forearm, piercing it so that the beast hung from Takeshi's arm. Takeshi had no other choice; he let go of the cart's edge with his other hand and delivered a swift punch that dislodged the monster from his arm and threw it away.
But because Takeshi let go, he lost his balance, and his torso lurched forward toward the savage Rivarg monsters. In such a situation, anyone would have wished for a quick, painless death rather than seeing themselves being eaten.
'I will not die here!'
Takeshi's fighting spirit did not flicker, and his hope remained steadfast despite the high probability of his death. In the blink of an eye, Takeshi pivoted with his feet, which had not yet left the edge of the cart, threw them inside, and clung to the floor, his head hitting the moving ground hard.
As soon as he raised his eyes, he saw a massive number of Rivarg monsters heading toward him; moreover, the sound of another swarm of Rivarg monsters from his right pierced his ears.
'Why is this happening...'
Before he could react further, a Rivarg monster lunged with its bared, yellowish teeth. At the right moment, Takeshi lifted his body just before the monster's fangs could sink into him. He jumped inside the cart onto the pile of hay and shouted loudly at Sota:
"Turn left! There is another swarm on our right!"
The young merchant did not follow Takeshi's order and said hesitantly:
"I can't! There are thick trees on this side, and there's a rugged slope ahead of us and to our left. We must turn right!"
Just as he finished speaking, another swarm emerged from the darkness on their right, heading toward them. The first thing the monsters focused on was Sota. These damned beasts had a great preference for humans over all other creatures and animals.
Without warning, the largest monster from the right swarm—the one with the reddest eyes—leaped toward Sota. The moment Sota saw the situation he was in, he screamed in terror at the fate he saw before him:
"I don't want to die! I have a long life and many goals to achieve!!"
But the monster was not one to listen to his words or be moved by them; they were beasts built on merciless killing to satisfy their excessive appetite. Before the claws of the charging beast could reach Sota's face, Takeshi grabbed the bag of food given to them by Aaron, Eve's father, aimed it at the Rivarg monster, and threw it with all his might.
BOOM!!
The bag hit it directly, scattering the vegetables, fruits, and delicious food within. Thanks to the impact, the monster was sent flying back, crashing into the solid trees, which shattered over its head and crushed it without pity. Nevertheless, the flood of monsters did not stop.
Every solution that entered Takeshi's mind vanished because of a fatal flaw. Among the solutions he proposed to himself was using "Emission," one of the pillars of aura usage, which would allow him to release his aura as Orphen had done and strike terror into the monsters' stony hearts. However, his aura and his experience with it were incomparable to Orphen's aura and long-standing expertise.
'What was the point of his training then!!'
As for Sota, he was thinking of all the ways he might die today, trying to prepare himself so he wouldn't die of a heart attack from extreme fear, placing a sliver of hope in Takeshi and what he would do next. If only he hadn't trusted him.
"I'm sorry, Sota!"
Takeshi said as he moved out of the cart toward the driver's cabin. Before Sota could ask why he was apologizing, Takeshi grabbed the reins on his behalf and, without a thought, pulled them hard to the left—so hard it nearly choked the horse, which veered off the road toward the left.
"Damn it, Takeshi, what are you doing!!"
Takeshi did not answer Sota's question, which seemed both logical and stupid at the same time. The cart was headed directly toward the left side, which was full of tall, solid trees, and at the end of that direction lay a steep slope, much like a mountain cliff—making it a logical question. However, if they had continued their path, the monsters would have surrounded them from all directions, making survival impossible—making it a stupid question.
The risk Takeshi had just taken was the only remaining option. The cart slipped between the tall trees, bouncing over hidden rocks to the point where its wheels began to wear down and gradually shatter. The horse, Sota, and Takeshi could barely see the path thanks to the pale white moonlight. Fortunately, the moon was out and the sky was clear of clouds, so the remaining moonlight was not obscured.
Sota gritted his teeth, trying to hold back the tears in his eyes, and screamed:
"There is no hope, we are going to die! The cliff is right in front of us!!"
All he could think about was the death that awaited him.
And indeed, his words were true. Meters ahead of them was the cliff. If they went down it at their current speed, the cart would be destroyed immediately, making them an even easier meal for those fierce, desolate monsters. Only moments remained before the exhausted horse's hooves and the surfaces of the worn-out wheels reached the towering cliff. But in those moments, Sota managed to pull himself together and think of a solution to the dire problem they were in.