Ran could tell from the first moment that it wasn't going to be easy.
The others didn't talk to him. Didn't even look at him unless it was with contempt. He heard the whispers behind his back, felt the tension in the air when he walked into the guild's meeting hall.
The mercenaries didn't hide their distaste. Maybe because he was a bastard. Maybe because he was an exiled by the family.
He didn't care though.
Geld stood at the front of the room with his arms crossed, flanked by his brother, Kelt. The heavy thud of boots echoed as the rest of the Moonwrath Mercenaries gathered around. It wasn't common for Geld to call a meeting unless there was a mission.
Kelt was the first to speak.
"We've received a mission from the capital registry. It is dangerous and high-tier. The kind you don't usually see assigned to mercenaries like us. Twenty gold on completion."
A few gasps broke out. That was a small fortune for any one of them. But the moment the reward was revealed, the second shoe dropped.
"It's an investigation of Leior Forest."
One of the mercs leaned forward, frowning.
"Why Leior? That place's always been quiet. Full of harmless beasts and animals."
"That's what makes it strange. We've received reports of travelers going missing. Entire caravans and no survivors has been reported. A traveler reached the capital recently, half-mad, speaking of slaughter of his family."
Kelt said showing the reports of the incident.
"The Bloodrune house accepted the mission. So the quest landed on our table. And we're the most capable group available."
A wave of murmuring spread through the room.
Ran didn't move. His heart was beating steadily, but he felt the first ripple of uncertainty. He knew Elior. It was part of the wider territory on the Bloodrunes' outskirts.
A place used for training grounds in his younger days. It was peaceful and almost dull. It was strange to hear such reports out of nowhere.
"If anyone wants to back out, now's the time."
Chairs creaked, breath held but no one stood.
"Good, We leave at noon."
...
The road to Elior was uneventful.
Ran walked near the back of the group, listening. He noted how most of the mercenaries stuck to their cliques. How the same men who sneered at him in the guild hall didn't speak a word now. But their guard was down. He heard their whispers.
"Well I hope we can get some dough with this one."
"I think that as well."
"Fuck, if it turned out to be something we can't handle?"
"Then we run away. There is nothing else to do."
Even Geld looked mildly skeptical, but he didn't voice it. He kept his eyes forward. Kelt occasionally jogged to scout ahead, then returned to give quick updates of birds chirping, minor beasts but no signs of threats were spotted so far. Leior looked... normal.
By mid-afternoon, they had passed the outer ring of the forest. The sun shone through the dense green canopy.
Birds flitted from branch to branch. A pair of deer crossed their path, completely undisturbed. Even the occasional beast they saw like a spiked lizard, a wild boar scurried away at the sound of their footsteps.
Ran narrowed his eyes as if sensing something was wrong.
Kelt jogged up beside Geld again.
"You think this is a bust?"
Geld glanced at him.
"Too early to tell. Stay alert."
Then suddenly chirping stopped. No rustle, no hooves, no wind. Everything went silent. A silence so absolute it pressed against their ears. Geld drew his sword in a smooth motion.
"Form up!"
Everyone scrambled into position. Square formation—four sides protected, center open for command. Ran moved into the left flank, raising his iron sword, legs slightly apart.
His limbs were already tired from the walk, the mana drain eating at his strength like it always did. But he didn't falter.
Then the ground shifted and a ripple passed through the dirt, and something began to emerge from beneath the forest floor like a wraith rising from a grave. The air turned colder. Even the light filtering from the trees seemed to dim.
What emerged from the shadows was a tall, slender man-thing dressed in a tattered black robe that clung to its bony frame. Its limbs were long.
Its face pale, almost corpse-like, with hollow cheeks and a sharp chin. Two bulging eyes stared out from beneath its messy blue hair that splayed like an upside-down umbrella.
A smile curved on its cheeks with a high-pitch. The maniac's laugh echoed throughout the forest.
"Welcome to my slaughterhouse."
The words hung in the air like a curse.
Every mercenary froze. Some gripped their weapons tighter. Others shifted nervously. Ran was on panic as well. His heart was beating loudly. That thing felt extremely dangerous. Was it even human in the first place? It was very grotesque to be called such.
"Identify yourself!"
Geld demanded but the creature kept laughing.
"Are you the one behind the disappearances?"
Kelt asked, trying to sound firm. The thing twisted its head in an unnatural angle, bones cracking like branches.
"Hehehehahahahaaaaaa!!!!"
Kelt visibly felt disgusted seeing the grotesque thing.
Geld raised his blade.
"Everyone, get ready for battle!"
Ran exhaled quietly and lowered his center of gravity, gripping the sword with both hands. His muscles ached. The mana drain felt like lead in his veins. But his eyes were clear.
If this thing was behind the killings, and if it had magic powerful enough to destroy entire caravans... then it was also possible it could kill Ran.
The thing floated forward, his arms stretched.
"Let the slaughter... begin."