"Them?" Wolfton asked.
"Yes. We were first attacked by a Mystic Beast category monster. It killed one of us and left the rest wounded. Tch." Jake explained, a deep frown crossing his face.
"We didn't even provoke it, let alone go near its den on purpose. It just attacked us for no reason."
"A Mystic Beast?! What did it look like?" Wolfton asked, his hopes rising. He immediately theorized that the beast could be the Blue Beast.
"It was a giant canid with strange tattoos all over its body. The creature seemed to have gone berserk for some reason," Jake replied.
Wolfton's hope died as quickly as it rose. Blue Beasts were feline in appearance and typically blue in color. He dismissed the idea at once, this was probably another Mystic Beast roaming the area.
"After barely surviving the beast's assault and losing a party member, that's when they showed up," Jake continued grimly. "The weird-looking elves."
"Huh? The people who attacked you and caused this monster massacre were elves? That's odd. I thought they loved nature and were all about protecting its balance. Why would they do this?" Wolfton muttered under his breath but it was audible for Jake to hear.
"They're not elves. They look like elves, but they're something else entirely. A whole new race, completely different from the twelve we know."
Wolfton's eyes widened. A new race? Completely different from the ones already known? Raven, who lurked under the shroud of darkness atop a tree branch, listened in silence, just as perplexed.
In Heaters, there were twelve known races: nine in Kaimaji, two in Turfstik, and one ocean-dwelling race.
In Kaimaji, there were: Dwarves, Elves, Fairies, Goblins, Gorgons, Nekomatas, Kobolds, Orcs, and Wizards.
In Turfstik, the Stickmen and the Turfs.
And in the ocean, the Merfolk.
The idea of a thirteenth race was both mesmerizing and terrifying. Did this mean their world was far larger than anyone had ever imagined?
Raven and Wolfton shared the same thought:
"So there's a land out there we've yet to discover, but its people have already found us," Wolfton murmured, dazed.
It begged too many questions. Why were they attacking indiscriminately? How long had they known about the existing races? Did the leaders already know of their existence and hide it?
"Probably," Jake growled. "But I don't care. I seek vengeance. If not for our healer, we'd all be dead." His tone turned hard, snapping Wolfton out of his thoughts.
"First, I'll find those new race bastards. Then I'll hunt down that Mystic Beast and kill it. Even if I die doing it, I don't care, I will avenge my people."
Wolfton watched him quietly, a melancholy weight on his face. He could feel Jake's hatred, it burned hot and raw. There was no talking him out of it. He was consumed by vengeance.
Raven, hidden in the shadows, understood him. He was the same. His own strength was born from vengeance, from the desire to stop the Archmage and prevent another massacre like that fateful day.
Without dwelling further, Raven picked up a small pebble and engraved something into it with a thin iron tendril. Then, with precision, he hurled it toward Wolfton.
The pebble struck Wolfton on the head. He winced, rubbing the sore spot before glaring into the darkness. He knew it was Raven's way of getting his attention.
Looking down, he noticed faint markings on the pebble. Picking it up, he squinted at the awkwardly etched letters. Though incomplete, the message was clear enough:
"Stay."
Deadpan, Wolfton sighed and tossed the pebble aside. Raven wanted him to keep pretending he'd been separated from the group, while he continued observing from the shadows.
"Tch," he hissed under his breath. "Erm… mind if I join your group until I find my party?" he asked.
"Of course, you can," Jake replied. "Your team's probably looking for you too. Feel at home."
Wolfton was bewildered by Jake's sudden mood swing, from rage to warmth in seconds.
'That abrupt change be scary', he thought, giving him a nervous side-eye.
"I'll stay on guard with you. It's the least I can do to show gratitude."
"Nonsense," Jake said with a hearty laugh. "You must've been wandering a while, judging from your cautious hesitation up on that tree earlier. You've clearly had your share of this forest's weirdness. You must be tired. Eat all you want, there's plenty where that came from."
Wolfton gave him a deadpan look. Jake's casual disregard for the eerie environment baffled him, but he had to admit, the man's senses were sharp enough to detect him earlier.
Deciding to make himself comfortable, Wolfton grabbed one of the enormous roasted monster hams. It nearly threw off his balance, but he managed to hold it steady.
He couldn't fathom the hulk's appetite, just looking at the food's size made him doubt he could even finish half of it.
Not wasting time, he bit into the roasted flesh. His taste buds tingled; the savory flavor melted across his tongue. He shuddered in pleasure and satisfaction.
"Oh my," he muttered. "Raven and the rest are really missing out.