In that unenviable situation, Sota came up with a quick idea born of long experience in driving horses and transport carts.
'If this doesn't work, this is the end of us...'
Sota pulled the horse's reins with all the strength he possessed, gritting his teeth and closing his hesitant eyes. He then yanked the rope toward the right, away from the cliff. However, the force of his pull was not enough to redirect the exhausted horse. He had no choice but to scream, thinking of uttering his final words in that moment.
"I just want to be of some use!!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt the rope become light. He sensed a rapid rotation and an immediate change in the cart's direction. Once he opened his eyes, he found Takeshi standing before him, leaning over and gripping the rope with him—to the point that even the horse realized who was responsible for pulling it that way.
Sota had forgotten that Takeshi was standing right beside him, so he felt embarrassed by his previous words and his weakness in even guiding a weak, exhausted horse. Nevertheless, his plan began to bear fruit.
Due to the rapid change in direction, the crowded monsters could not keep up with the sudden shift. More than half of those in the lead fell from that massive cliff. This was due to their large numbers; if those in the front tried to stop or change their direction, those behind them pushed them directly over.
Despite this, some of them managed to cling on with their sharp, decaying claws and began to slowly climb back up. As for the rest who fell, they ended up either dead or landing on trees or bushes, their bodies covered in wounds from which blue blood seeped. Even so, they continued to move forward, attempting to ascend the high slope.
These monsters were a mystery that humans had not yet been able to solve. What was the cause of their distorted, demonic shape? Why did they have such an intense craving and preference for human flesh over all other meats? What was the reason they woke at night or in the presence of a nearby fire? And why did they appear on earth in the first place?
There were countless questions, which had been answered with ridiculous theories in bedtime stories or in school textbooks that students read, filling them with misinformation. Simply put, this world hid mysterious things that humans had not yet untangled.
At the top of the high slope, the cart had already managed to return to the previous path. Despite this, the remaining monsters that had not fallen were not far behind them. Takeshi and Sota gained the advantage in their escape due to the sudden turn, creating a larger distance between them and the monsters, which were moving at roughly the same speed.
Since the fastest monsters—those that outpaced the cart—were in the lead and ended up falling off the cliff, the remaining monsters were left behind at the same speed as the cart, trying to hunt the humans riding it.
'Stupid monsters...'
Takeshi thought, staring at the remaining swarm of distant monsters as they tried to catch up. He quickly turned toward Sota, who could barely maintain consciousness, and said:
"I'm sorry for being reckless. Your reaction was the reason for our survival. Thank you."
"Man, let my heart rest first, then praise me later..."
Sota sighed in relief, leaned back in his cabin, and said:
"As soon as we descend from this height, we will reach an area clear of trees. This means there are two possibilities. The good one is that the monsters stop chasing us because of the moonlight hitting that area directly..."
Takeshi finished the sentence for him.
"Or those monsters continue chasing us to eat us..."
Sota turned toward him quickly and shouted:
"Don't say such a horrible thing!! Even so, that is the second and worst possibility..."
As soon as he finished shouting, he lowered his head slightly and said in a despairing voice:
"I am the cause of all this. I was the one who guaranteed these evil monsters wouldn't be in this region..."
Takeshi took a quick glance at the distant monsters and asked:
"Merchant, how do you know all this information?"
"I told you, I've passed through this place about five times, so I know the road well—"
"I mean your information about the Rivarg monsters. You said you've only seen one, but seeing one wouldn't be enough for what you know."
"From school, man! True, I didn't finish it, but I did gain some information, like how they don't wake during the day and other ridiculous facts, as I used to think... Now, I wish I had finished school so I could know at least one way to survive this massive number of monsters chasing us!"
Takeshi didn't know that schools taught these things. He, too, had left school very early. Furthermore, in every class he attended, he hadn't focused at all and gave the school no attention. Takeshi had a basic level of experience with these monsters, as he had met them face-to-face a few times. But for some reason, those monsters never approached his region during the last five years before his sword was stolen.
This was also occupying his thoughts; however, he had to clear his mind and focus on their current situation. As soon as Takeshi turned back toward the distant monsters, he felt they were gradually getting closer.
'Are they speeding up?'
Rather, the cart's speed was decreasing. Takeshi noticed this after a few quick moments, and it didn't take long for Sota to notice as well.
"Damn it!! There's no other choice!"
Takeshi went inside the cart and reached for the remaining pile of hay, picking up a large portion of it to throw it away. But Sota's voice stopped him at the last second.
"Stop, Takeshi! I traveled all this way just to sell this damned pile of hay! Please stop and calm your nerves; there must be another plan."
There was no other solution; their speed was slowing, and ahead of them lay another slope and a road on its edge to take them down from this high elevation. Takeshi didn't want to argue with Sota about whether to throw the hay or not. After all, this cart and the hay both belonged to Sota, and he had the right to determine their fate.
Moreover, Takeshi was fully aware that this shiny yellow hay was Sota's only source of livelihood—his final hope to support his mother, who had lost her mind, and to achieve his goal of finding his father. But once they reached the end of the slope, they would have to turn, which might reduce their speed, especially since the road was prominent and not exactly on the edge of the slope but close to it.
In other words, as soon as they tried to turn, those monsters would pounce on the cart without mercy. Takeshi gritted his teeth as he thought of a solution to overcome the second cursed situation they were in.
"Do you have a sturdy, long rope?!"
Takeshi asked without moving his eyes away from the monsters lurking behind them, until Sota answered.
"There's one under the hay, but what are you going to do!?"
Without answering, Takeshi rummaged through the hay looking for the rope, which was hidden in the corner under a separate pile of golden hay. The rope wasn't as sturdy as he wanted, but it would serve the purpose. Its length was also suitable for what Takeshi was thinking.
Takeshi moved slightly to the back of the cart, pulled his bag, opened it, and drew a sharp dagger that Orphen had gifted him days before his departure.
'I hope this works...'
He tied the rope tightly to the dagger's handle, then held the entire rope, gripping its other end. He threw the dagger onto the brittle floor of the cart and pulled it hard to ensure the rope was well-secured.
'This will do...'
He quickly stood at the back of the cart and delivered a swift punch to its roof, completely shattering the section near him. The sound of the breaking wood reached Sota's ears.
"What are you doing!?"
"Take my share of that money the old man from the village gave us and fix the cart with it."
"Then why didn't you just throw the hay from the start and pay for it later..."
Simply because Takeshi's current plan was much better than throwing light hay at predatory monsters to speed up the cart. Breaking the roof gave Takeshi the freedom to stand inside the cart and execute his plan instead of standing on the edge and losing his balance. It also made the cart slightly faster.
At first, Sota thought Takeshi's plan was to throw the worn-out piece of the wooden roof at the monsters, but it was useless; as the piece of wood hit the ground, the monsters bypassed it as if it were nothing.
Takeshi's real plan was about to begin. He raised the hand holding the rope firmly, staring at the monsters with a sharp gaze, and said to Sota:
"Get ready, Sota, for the turn!"
Sota gripped the horse's reins tightly while anticipating the moment they would reach the end of the slope, saying:
"Do you have a plan?"
Takeshi pulled his hand and torso back, preparing to throw the rope connected to the dagger, saying:
"Yes, I have a plan!"