'So that was about it.. -Bryson

''And when checking the map this morning before leaving, I was able to see, that if I go through the forest it should take a maximum of 1 day of travel, while if I go the normal route around the mountain, it would take 5 days to arrive at Sojuara. -Deliveryman

'' So all that was left was to confirm whether this trail was really where I wanted it or not. -Deliveryman

''Were you planning to go through the forest from the beginning then? -Brayden

Anyway, that's what I'm saying, I'm going to go there, and if I see the lost girl there I can bring her back. -Deliveryman

''It's still very dangerous! I haven't been to this forest for over 2 years! -Dylan

''You said yourself that you don't choose dangerous places! -Bryson

The Delivery Man smiles and starts to laugh.

'' Hahaha, yeah, but if I go around the mountain I'll go through 2 forests, and one of them is very dense, so obviously I'll go for the shorter one and which seems to be safer. -Deliveryman

Then the couple of villagers stand up with a more hopeful look on their faces, and all the villagers approach the Deliverator, along with Dylan and Brayden.

But the Delivery Man shakes his head at them, and looks sadly at them.

'' Look, it's like I said, I'm not going to look for her, understand? I really won't, it's too risky and I could end up dead, and I value my life above all else. -Deliveryman

''As I said, what I can do is look around where I'm going, if there's any sign of her, and if I notice any sign of her and if by chance I don't notice that there's a sign of a monster, I can consider going after her. -Deliveryman

Everyone gets a little down again, but they understand when looking at Brayden that nothing can be done on their part and that their only alternative is the one the Deliverator is offering.

' ' So I'll do it this way, if I find any traces of her and I don't see any traces of a monster I will try to bring her back if possible, if I find any traces of a monster or worse a monster I will abandon her no matter the hypothesis or situation. -Deliveryman

Everyone is a bit apprehensive but seems to understand the situation.

''Very well, I will exemplify the situation in detail so that there is no doubt, okay? -Deliveryman

Everyone nods their heads in the affirmative.

[Well, even though most of it is a repetition of what I already said, come on, it's better than having someone blame me later if the worst happens, and I end up having to come back with bad news.]

The Deliverator sighs.

''Okay, if I find a monster how will you know? In this case we have several very simple modes, if I find a trace or sign of a monster on the trail to the city even before I notice any sign of the girl, I will go back or forward to the city depending on which is closer. -Deliveryman

The Delivery Man sighs, looking down a little.

''And that's not all, even in case I find some trace of the girl, but at the same time I find some monster sign, I will either turn back at once or move forward to the city depending on which one is closer. close in the same way. -Deliveryman

''Then the only chance I end up getting back with the girl alive...or dead... -Deliveryman

The Delivery Man looks down and turns his face a little to the side. But he continues.

' ' It's just that, I find some trace of her, without any sign of a monster. And if I arrive in the city of Sojuara without finding any trace of the girl... Or worse, find some monster and end up killed by it, I won't have returned to this village even after 2 days have passed, so you can consider any of the 2 hypotheses and you don't have to worry about me okay? -Deliveryman

He gives a smile while making a rather sad face while still looking down and taking the face already with a serious expression.

'' I explained as detailed as possible, but still, does anyone have any questions about this? -Deliveryman

The villagers nod their heads and he smiles.

-I'll just get my things at Lord Brayden's house and I'll be right away.

Saying this, the Deliverator already runs into the house.

In a little while he returns, and looks at everyone.

[It would take me a whole day to walk, but leaving around 5 am I would leave the part of the forest still in the sun with time to spare.. Now just running all the way to do this, but.. To see if there is any trace of the Girl, I'll have to get going, but that's okay, I've made it clear that I'm not taking any chances for a second, and I've been through forests at night several times, so it's not a big deal. -Deliveryman

Now some villagers seem to feel a bit guilty about all the statements the Deliverator said, and they got some sad expressions.

''Well then that's it, it's not midday yet, and I'm going as soon as possible because I want to enjoy as much sun as possible, so see you later or until next time, hope you guys are lucky, for me to find her. -Deliveryman

''We will! -Deliveryman

''Good luck for you too! -Lord Brayden

''Good luck! -Dylan

''Good luck Courier! -Bryson

''Thanks!! -Deliveryman

The Courier turns and runs towards the mountain forest.

Unfortunately, I don't believe in luck but in chance, for me luck is just a word I use for chance, if you're really going to depend on luck or faith for something, everyone will die the same way, it was like that for everyone I saw dying in front of me until now.. So..]

' ' I hope you're still alive and that I end up finding you by luck, right? -Deliveryman

In the forest, the Deliverator looks around while moving as fast as possible.

''Hm... This trail leaves no footprints, its land is very firm and dry, that makes things difficult, in the past did they really go through here a lot? Enough to leave the trail dirt packed in like a road. -Deliveryman

[Which only leaves me with the option of looking for broken branches, crushed, uprooted, or moved plants.. Which is way more work.] -Deliverer

''I'm not a damn tracker! If I find her... I'll definitely collect a reward from them! -Deliveryman

He shakes his head.

''I don't think I can get anything from them.. -Deliverer

[Hmmm…] -Deliverer

''But maybe I can get it from Lord Brayden, eh? -Deliveryman

After this time thinking to himself, he walks back along the trail, while looking for tracks.

He keeps looking.

Searching the surroundings as he walks.

''There's something strange. -Deliveryman

[And it's not the fact that I haven't found any traces of her so far.] -Deliverer

He puts his hand to his face thoughtfully.

[I've been walking through the woods for hours now, and I don't see any animals through the trees or bushes, that in itself isn't that unusual, but..] -Deliverer

''I don't hear anything.. -Deliverer

He looks around and up into the trees.

''I don't hear any bird noises, not hearing any birds chirping is very strange.. -Delivery man

[This is very strange, this is the first time I have seen this happen. -Deliveryman

[Should I go back?] -Deliverer

[No, no, I can already see the top of the mountain.] -Deliverer

[And from what I was told after seeing the top of the mountain, it's just another 3 hours of walking.] -Delivery guy

[So, 1 I'm already a long way from the village, 2 I still have some more sunny weather, 3 I haven't seen any monster tracks so far although I can't get the animals out of my head if I try to go back now would be much riskier, 4 when the sun is going down I can run the rest of the trail to sleep outside the forest in the open air, I'm sorry for the village people, but there's nothing I can do.] -Deliverer

The Deliverator continues his search for tracks, as the Sun continues to go down.

He goes looking bush by bush, looking from tree to tree.

Time goes by.

And he continues to maintain that pace.

Until he looks at the Sun again.

''I still have some time.. But should I just put this aside and run out of the forest? -Deliveryman

[Damn, I shouldn't have said I'd do that.] -Deliverer

'' So let's go. -Deliveryman

Then he returns once more to look for the girl's traces.

Again, time passes.

Until.

''I thought!''

He picks up a bush, some fur.

''That is, animal fur.. -Delivery man

[And it appears to be lamb.] -Deliverer

[More damn! His trail goes straight into the woods.] -Deliverer

[It's stupid and I shouldn't, I really shouldn't.] -Delivery guy

''So what do I do? -Deliveryman

The Courier looks around, crouches down near the grass and looks near the trees ahead.

''There really aren't any traces of monsters around here, just that goat. -Deliveryman

'' And worse, in the grass there are the girl's footprints too. -Deliveryman

[Hmm.. Strange as it may be, it's not impossible, I've been through some forests where animals ran away and never came back because of the poison or because of the smell the monster left there. But it still showed at least a few birds every now and then, and the weaker it was, the more animals appeared. And the stronger it was, not even monsters appeared there.] -Deliverer

[In those cases, we almost didn't smell or smell anything, which led us to the conclusion that animals were more sensitive to these smells.] -Delivery guy

''So assuming... Just assuming it's the same case.. -Deliverer

[Here, could a poison or smell strong enough to scare away animals and monsters have been left somewhere in this forest?] -Deliverer

''Okay then.

The Delivery Man nods in agreement.

'' I think I can follow the trail of the 2, but very, very calmly and very carefully. -Deliveryman

''Both on the ground and in the trees, I don't want to get caught in some spider's web. -Deliveryman

So the Deliverator follows the trail as carefully as possible.

Watching both above and below, looking at the grass and trees as closely as possible to avoid missing anything.

He keeps this pace while walking for some time.

''AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH -Woman's Voice

Upon hearing this cry he ran and ducked behind a bush.

[Damn, I got desperate with that scream because I was so close, and I ended up running towards him, and worse without looking at the surroundings, in fact I should have already run in the opposite direction.] -Deliverer

He hears the sound of something being chewed.

''Well, who knew I would have such a good dinner tonight? -Weird male voice

The Deliverator looks from the side of the bush where 2 bushes meet and his face would be more hidden and then he sees, the goat was dead nearby and the woman he was looking for was raised by something, feeling bitten and her flesh being torn and devoured.. His eyes are widened to the point that they almost come out of his face.

' ' I was eating a poor lamb that got lost, and look what we have here? A young woman who came looking for him? Really the humans here are the best. -Weird male voice

The Deliverator was seeing that strange figure with his eyes for the first time, a humanoid body very similar to that of humans, but since he was on his back he could notice few differences, such as the size, head and arms, especially the arms that had curved blades in them looking like a praying mantis.

By taking a good look at that figure from the back feeding on the girl's body, he returns to his starting position.

[What the fuck? What the hell is this? This is no ordinary monster!] -Deliverer

While he was thinking that, the Deliverator had both hands on his face covering his nose and mouth, even close you couldn't hear the air coming out of his nose, but you could see his desperate face.

[It's a rational monster! A monster that evolved? Hardly in this region! So a smart monster! And even worse a talking monster!!!] -Deliverer

While the Deliverator was lost in thought, he listened to the monster chewing on the woman's flesh.

[Then what is he? A demon? An Ayakashi? A Youkai? More on this continent? In this country? Why come so far? No, no none of that matters, what the hell am I doing here wasting time? I have to get out of here as quickly as possible and without him noticing me.] -Deliverer

To the Delivery Man who was standing there thinking, it seemed like an eternity had passed, but not even 1 minute had passed yet.

He starts moving slowly from there and turns back the way he came from, and when he's about to take the first step, he looks down at the ground.

'' Wow, it was close, if I hadn't looked I would have stepped on a branch. Good thing I'm always looking at the ground in forests. -Deliveryman

He steps over the branch and starts walking slowly. And it slowly moves from there without any problems.

Step by step he distances himself from that horrible scene.

[Soon I'll hit the trail, and then I'll run like I've never run in my life.] -Deliverer

[That.. I never want to see a monster like that in mine again..] -Deliverer

Before he could finish speaking, his vision changes from angle to horizontal and he is quickly approaching the tree that is a little ahead of him, until he collides with it and falls to the ground.

The Deliverator didn't understand what just happened, but what had happened was that as he was walking the monster suddenly appeared behind him and slashed him with one of its blades in his abdomen and the impact of the cut threw him against the tree.

' 'Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!! Today is my lucky day in? It's my birthday? Fuck!! So much food coming to me without me even having to go after it!! Today yes in?! - Talking Monster

Here the monster was different, it looked fully human if not for the blades on its arms.

''But well, I always erase all my tracks! How did this woman end up finding me and now you too?.. Ah.. Of course!! The goat's tracks, I didn't worry about her, so the woman followed her tracks, and you hers and the woman's, of course, of course, it makes sense, next time I'll stick to those details too, after all like that I will always have food available. - Talking Monster

'' Now you're a separate case... Isn't it? - Talking Monster

The monster approaches the Courier lying in a pool of blood.

''Hmmmmmmmmmmm! Fuck! I really wasn't wrong!! Do you really smell different!? But what the fuck is this? You smell like a lot of different monsters on you, so I almost let it go thinking it was some monster passing by!! - Talking Monster

' ' Fuckkkkk!!! Then I remembered that I killed all the monsters in the region!! So there was no way to be one and if it was me, I would have to impose respect like I did with others and kill him too! But in the end it seems that it was your clothes that are impregnated with their scent, so much so that I can't even smell your human scent, it seems that you wore this clothes with that horrible smell for so long that it impregnated you, better, don't worry I'll rip it off you before I eat it so I don't spoil the taste, anyway, bad luck for you and lucky for me that I'm going to have dessert!!! Uhaa! - Talking Monster

The monster celebrates the achievement by raising one of its arms in the air as it walks away from the Courier towards the woman.