The sun had dipped low by the time Units 3 and 4 decided to halt for the night. A crude perimeter was set beneath a canopy of towering trees, where shadows seemed to breathe with the wind. The soldiers moved with practiced rhythm—gathering wood, setting up temporary barriers, and distributing rations.
I sat a little apart, Perin curled around my neck like a fuzzy scarf, quietly munching on something he stole from someone's pouch.
I didn't stop him. I had bigger things to think about.
Like how earlier, I punched a beast so hard it evaporated. Or how Om Sai said something felt off in my energy. Or how... that dream still clung to the back of my skull like a whisper I didn't want to hear again.
A log popped in the flames.
"Yo, wild boy," a voice said.
I looked up to see a tall, lean soldier dropping beside me with too much attitude and too much hair gel.
"Name's Riku," he said with a grin. "Fastest scout in Unit 3. Heard you bulldozed three of our guys in village entry trials. Lucky shots?"
Before I could reply, a giant shield slammed into the ground behind Riku, making him jump.
"Quit messing with him," said a huge guy behind the shield, laughing deep and loud. "I'm Goru. If Riku annoys you too much, just throw him at a tree. We all do that sometimes."
"T-That only happened three times!" Riku protested.
"He squealed every time," Goru chuckled.
From across the fire, a girl with sharp eyes and a longbow silently observed me. She didn't speak. Just watched. Like she was trying to solve me.
"That's Tara," Goru whispered. "She says five words per day. If she says six, it means she's stressed."
"Four," Riku corrected. "Five is war."
I didn't know whether to laugh or worry.
A cheerful woman with medic bands around her arm plopped beside Goru. "Miran. I'm the medic. I fix people up so they can go get hurt again. Want food?"
Before I could answer, she shoved a steamed ration bun into my hand.
"And this fluffy guy?" she said, reaching for Perin.
Perin hissed like a small demon.
"Ah—violent. I like him," she giggled.
Across the fire, Unit 4 members settled more quietly. Rava sat polishing his greatsword with a grim expression, watching everyone like a storm looking for a direction to strike. Beside him, a younger rookie with anxious energy clutched his blade.
"I-I'm Kavi!" he said, bowing too low. "You… were very amazing earlier…"
I nodded. He blushed like I'd just approved his entire existence.
A quieter, serious soldier with a long spear glanced at me once before focusing back on cleaning his weapon. His aura was calm, analytical.
"That's Zeke," Goru whispered. "He watches too much. Probably already knows how many times you blink per minute."
Zeke's eye twitched slightly, as if he had, in fact, counted.
Across the fire, Shivani kept quiet, arms crossed, occasionally glancing my way with her usual unreadable look.
Some soldiers murmured nearby.
"He doesn't act like a trained unit… but he's too strong."
"Where did he even train?"
"He fights like a wild animal…"
"Or like someone who didn't learn fear properly…"
I pretended not to hear.
Perin growled at nothing in particular.
Later That Night Shifts for night watch were organized. I wasn't assigned. Probably because they weren't sure if I'd wander off, punch a tree, or sleep in it.
I sat near the fire quietly as Perin curled on my lap. All around, laughter died down. The sky darkened into deep blue.
Somewhere, an owl-like creature shrieked.
The flames crackled.
Tara, watching the forest from her perch on a fallen log, spoke softly.
"…The forest is too still tonight."
That was her sixth word today.
Everyone paused.
Even Riku stopped talking.
I glanced into the dark.
I didn't seeanything unusual.
But I felt it.
Like something was listening.
Watching.
Waiting.
Perin's ears flicked. A low growl rumbled in his tiny throat.
Shivani's voice broke the tension. "Get some rest. We move at sunrise."
Everyone slowly complied. I lay back, using my arms as a pillow, staring at the treetops that swayed silently under moonlight.
Eventually, sleep came.
But not peace.
The Next Morning We set out early, dew still clinging to the grass. As we moved deeper into the forest, the air changed. Heavier. Thicker. Almost humming.
"This is the Astra Zone," Zeke murmured, scanning the surroundings. "Monster core density is higher here. Stay sharp."
Shivani raised a hand. Formation tightened.
Perin on my shoulder remained tense, eyes darting around.
As we trekked further, something invisible brushed against my senses.
A strange pressure.
Like the forest itself was breathing.
"Feels weird…" Goru muttered.
Miran hummed, "It's like the world is whispering."
Riku pretended not to be nervous. He failed.
I tried reaching out with my Echoform sense—trying to feel the presence of the group, anchor to them just in case…
But something warped it.
Like my sense hit a curtain and scattered.
My eyebrows furrowed. Why can't I sense them clearly?
A minute later, we crossed a thick mist bank.
White. Cold. Silent.
Shivani's voice came through faintly, "Stay close in line. Do NOT wander."
I nodded.
I walked.
Five steps.
Ten steps.
Fifteen.
The mist thinned.
I looked around.
The formation was gone.
The voices were gone.
Only the rustle of leaves and chirping of strange insects remained.
I stood alone in an unfamiliar clearing, surrounded by thick, ancient trees. Their roots were twisted unnaturally, like veins in the earth.
Perin stiffened, fur raised.
"...Not good," I said quietly.
He growled back in agreement.
I tried sensing Astra.
Nothing clear.
Echoform energy?
Distorted.
Like everything was being swallowed by something unseen.
A cold breeze brushed my neck.
I exhaled slowly.
"Great…" I muttered. "First mission. First day. And I'm lost in creepy tree hell."
Perin chirped.
I nodded. "Yeah. Let's… not freak out."
Somewhere deeper in the forest, something growled. Not loud. But low. Ancient. Perin immediately hissed toward the sound. I glanced in that direction. "...We're not alone here."