The sun is starting to set in the west. Pen, fun, and www.biquge.info

Through the gaps between the trees, you can see the glow of the royal city of Ergonda in the setting sun.

Now I have a spear in my left hand and a round shield in my right hand.

I was walking alone through the forest covered with autumn leaves.

Yes, it was the fiery red forest in front of the royal city of El Gonda.

A place where beasts of prey, and prey, live.

The words that Mespier had said a few hours ago rang in my head again.

"The First Part of the Trial, Pure Killing"

"Before the sun shines on my throne tomorrow at noon, take the fruits of your hunt and come back here"

Suddenly, Mespier's sarcastic smile popped out of my memory.

As Mespier turned sideways to return to his throne, he glared at me with disdainful silver-white eyes.

"You can climb the tree and pick some fruit like the furry kids."

"You can also look for some wild vegetables like the weak old people who are not fit to go to the battlefield, and come back"

"Or, like other valiant elves your age, come back with the meat you hunted."

Mespier, with such irony, don't I have to choose the prey that I can handle?

But it takes luck to catch such prey.

Some professional hunters may also wander the woods for three days and three nights without finding anything at all.

In short, the first step of my trial was greatly influenced by luck.

Moreover, Mespier made a mocking emphasis on me.

"Don't think it's safe in the forest next to the royal castle"

"I'm not going to send fighters to a turkey farm to hunt"

"Any forest covered with autumn leaves is a sign of the presence of fierce beasts"

I looked up, and although the bark of the redwood tree was grayish-brown, all the leaves were as red as flames.

It's like blood.

The effect is even more intimidating in the setting sun.

Fortunately, I grew up in the countryside, and although I am not a hunter, at least I have wandered around the ravines.

Knowing what to eat and how to avoid ferocious beasts still has a slight idea.

But.

The theme of trials still strikes me as a little subtle.

There are many movies and novels where the protagonist has to go through such a trial when he integrates into an ancient tribe.

The purpose is mostly to allow those who participate in the trials to prove their qualities and strength, and to become a respected member of the tribe.

This practice comes from the shamanic teachings of being close to nature.

Everything in the world has a soul, whether it's a sheep or a deer that gives you food, or a fierce lion or tiger that feeds on you.

Their lives come from nature, just like our own, so equal treatment, respect, and fear must be observed.

Shamanism in the broad sense is very common, and it is also found in our country.

But according to Mespier, the purpose of this trial is much simpler and more straightforward.

"Fill the stomach of the whole family"

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but tilt my chin and make a helpless hey smile.

Although Mespier's statement is a bit popular, it seems to project the truth of the world behind it.

When I asked Mespier, the so-called pure killing, is it to control one's emotions and allow oneself to integrate into nature.

Like a lion that only kills when he's hungry?

Mespier's answer surprised me even more.

"We are part of the world's circulation, and everything we do is a product of the laws of nature"

"Claiming to be in harmony with nature, as if you have transcended nature, is the ultimate in arrogance."

"So, it doesn't matter if you want to taunt your prey, get angry with it, or hate it"

"In the end, you just have to be the one who lives to gnaw on the meat of your prey, and that's it"

"Just a little"

Maispear explained to me with an extremely solemn look.

"Can't use magic"

"Magic is something that exists apart from nature"

"It is something that collects and uses the torrent of the world to violate the laws and laws"

"Therefore, if you can't cast magic, you can't use magic to fight against them."

"That's not fair, so it's not clean"

Then Mespier led me out of the throne hall and into a domed palace.

He took a spear and a round shield from the wall at the door and handed them to me.

"Your prey won't wear armor, so you can't wear it either"

"But because they may have teeth and claws"

"So you can have spears and shields"

The Elven King Maispil.

Seems to be a guy who values fairness very much.

I have to admit that he gave me a very nasty feeling though.

But his character was infectious.

That......

When Mespier was asking me if I would like to say hello to Elle before I went.

I shook my head.

Then I picked up my spear and shield and turned and walked up the ladder.

It's almost as if he's holding a breath with Mespier.

After that, I was not so embarrassed to say.

I walked and walked until half an hour ago, when I came down the stone staircase into the clouds.

The sun was already setting in the west, and it was already dusk.

After walking so far, hungry and tired, the key is to be extremely thirsty.

Saying......

I remember passing through this forest from the flying boat and seeing a lot of small rivers coming.

Oh!

Good luck.

The sound of running water.

I've been walking through the forest for half an hour, and judging from the distance of the royal city I just saw, I'm probably already a little deeper into the forest.

Following the sound of the water, I came to a small river.

The water, although clear, does not have that feeling of purity.

No, not the purity of the white-crowned tree canyon to be exact.

The leaves and branches of this forest are rotten, so they have a slight smell of rot.

But despite this, the taste of this water is comparable to that of tap water in the human world.

Rustle -

There was a slight movement.

I stood up and stood still in place.

After a while, a rabbit emerged from under a pile of leaves in the forest not far away.

Huh?

I originally thought that the creatures in the elven world would be very different from the human world, but as a result, there were species that I was familiar with.

However, this thing is a bit off the table for me.

Even if I could catch it before it burrowed into its burrow, or catch it with a trap, the prey would be too small for Mespil's demanding attitude.

"Run, Bunny, you're lucky"

I spoke to the little thing, and its ears were pointed at me alertly, as if to see if I was a dangerous predator.

Not having time to fool around with this little thing, I grabbed my spear and shield and began to walk along the river.

Headwaters.

This unexpected gain led me to find a strategy.

Wander around the vast forest in a random circle, instead of looking along the river.

Look for the traces left by animals that came to drink.

The only trouble is that even in summer, in another hour, the forest will be completely dark.

Not to mention hunting, it can be difficult to even save your life without using magic.

Gremlin......

I was shocked.

Although I didn't hear Elle's voice clearly in my heart, I did have the feeling that Elle had just called me.

The little guy finally can't stand it anymore, it seems to be using telepathy.

Didn't Mespier explain to Elle what I was going to do?

Or was it because Mespier told Elle what I was going to do that she used telepathy?

Now, this feeling of being alone in the forest makes me regret it a little.

Regret not saying hello to Ellie before leaving.

Just like when I went out desperately a few times, I didn't say hello to Liu Xiao.

"Nothing can stop you from taking risks."

Liu Xiao's words suddenly surfaced from my memory.

Whew――

I took a deep breath.

Liu Xiao, who is worthy of being a hero who has been regarded as a genius, even if she is not by my side, just her words encourage me and cheer me up.

Yes, nothing can stop me now, I'm going on an adventure.

Before it went dark, the strategy finally paid off.

There are four petal footprints, and there is more than one, the big one is the size of a peach, and the small one is only the size of a walnut.

Deer, and deer with fawns.

There are three or four of them, to say the least.

It is impossible for them to move long distances in a short period of time, so they are ideal hunting objects.

There was a rush of excitement in my heart.

It was the second most exciting moment of my life since I heard Mespier say he was going to give me a name.

Although Mespier's assessment of this trial was only 'filling the stomach'.

But for me, whether it is facing fear, or fighting loneliness, or exercising wisdom, it is only in this trial that I realize it.

Probably, these things are really not enough to mention the elf king who seems to be omnipotent.

But for me, it was the first time in my life that I had gained such a valuable experience.

I raised my shield, grabbed my spear in my left hand, and bent down to quicken my pace.

I felt the wind rushing under my feet, as if possessed by some ancient spirit, and even every time I stepped on it, there was not the slightest movement.

Under the protection of night, I felt like a predator with fangs and claws.

It seemed as if my eyes were able to shine and see where I landed in the dim forest.

It seemed as if my whole body was wrapped in strong muscles, covered in supple fur, and there was no resistance as I walked through the trees.

I don't know how long I chased it, but both the forest and the night sky were covered in a thick black that could not be pierced.

The darkness before dawn.

I don't have much time left.

Although the human body does not have much physical energy, the magic in this world replenishes my energy all the time.

Sniff~

Suddenly, an unsmelled stench of some animal came into my nose.

I quickly slowed down and allowed myself to move slowly and silently.

downwind.

Luck was great.

In this black-and-red forest, in this world of magic.

I felt all my senses expanding.

It's a great feeling!

Rustling, tapping......

Gradually, several dark figures flashed through the trees.

Like a ghost.

But I now know that my prey is at hand!

I moved my arm a little, and my left hand, which was holding the spear, was ready to go.

Continue to press down and make noises, and move forward silently.

Little by little from behind them.

The faint rustle of leaves among the trees and the cooing of birds obscured my steps.

The downwind of good fortune hid my scent.

I raised my left hand and gripped my spear like a beast with its mouth wide open and its fangs bared.

The moment a larger deer lowered its head to nibble on something, I felt an electric current flow through my head.

Instinct tells me that my chance has come!

Flutter -

Without any shouting, without any anger, but with a sense of excitement that was about to burst the heart, he rushed out.

Ahh

Ay!?

Not far from me, no, less than two meters below me, a dark shadow popped out of the bushes.

At the same time, there was a roar that shook my bones.

I immediately stomped on the ground and brought myself to a stop.

And the black shadow seemed to be disturbed by my presence, and instead of rushing forward, it landed in front of me with a bang.

The deer let out a scream and immediately scattered and ran away.

But I don't have time to bother with them anymore.

I only felt a stuffy heat on my back, and all the nerves in my head suddenly tensed.

A faint starlight shone down from the treetops, shining on this dark shadow.

Just crawling on his body is more than a meter tall.

Broad shoulders, strong limbs, streamlined waist.

A stout tail wagged vigorously, as if expressing extreme anger at my sudden appearance.

The yellowish-gray fur was dotted with white spots, a pair of bronze eyes looked like two pale green light bulbs, and two saber-like fangs reflected a cold white light.

A ...... Saber-toothed tiger ......