Confused by the question of where such a monstrous arrow had originated, Kyle slowly rose to his feet, while Na-Ri wasted no time in summoning her blade.

'There's no reveal… no direction at all…'

He noted that after the first shot there had been no follow-up, even minutes later. The arrow had missed its mark, and yet the assailant had not revealed themselves, nor was there any discernible direction to pursue.

When it had come, he couldn't tell whether it had been loosed from behind a tree or even from the sky. All he knew was that it had appeared directly before them, yet nothing stood there. If anyone had been hiding nearby, Orion's shadow would surely have detected it and given warning. But no…

Orion scowled.

"…What manner of arrow is this?"

Adela examined the shaft where it had embedded itself in the ground behind them. It looked nothing like human craftsmanship, but rather something fashioned from the remains of a beast and shrouded in an unnatural black fog.

Orion reached out towards it, only for the beautiful stranger to stop his hand sharply.

"Why would you attempt to touch that?" she demanded with a frown.

The handsome youth replied:

"I am merely curious, as everyone here is. This hardly appears to have been fired by a human, in case you are unaware."

Kyle arched a brow and scowled.

"What if it is also from an Item? At the very least, such things are not of human manufacture, nor do they conform to human craftsmanship, much like this…"

He halted for a moment, scrutinising their surroundings. Of the same mind, Orion sent his shadow to encircle the area, yet it returned with nothing.

"There is no discernible creature or person in sight or anywhere nearby. Nor did it appear as though they were ever present… perhaps the arrow simply manifested out of nowhere…?"

…Had the shooter vanished into thin air?

Could it have been a mere warning shot?

Or was it possible the Red Cult had set their sights on them once more?

They all remained tense, uncertain whether to press forward. Naturally, they had not yet reached even half the distance to their intended destination, so there was no conclusive way to assert that the other faction was involved, nor to determine which group's territory had been infringed upon. Moreover, they had deliberately slowed their pace, both to conserve stamina and to avoid colliding with some perilous, mutated beast.

The arrow was long and black, and its shaft was twisted as if fire had scorched it. Barbs jutted from the head at sharp angles, while faint red lines ran across its surface like veins. Honestly, from appearance alone, one could discern the damage it could inflict.

On the ground where it had struck, it created a small crater. If the striker was truly a hunter as well, then there was a possibility someone was on their trail.

This might be one of the many reasons that some perished on their way to the Citadel, apart from the beasts. At least, since they had arrived on the island, they had encountered no environmental hazard of any sort.

Kyle glanced at Na-Ri with a speculative look. He was attempting to ascertain what she intended as the next move. In his train of thought, he had little more than the notion that they should prepare for a counterattack soon.

This was perhaps a warning shot, yet the next might well be a killing shot, and had they not noticed the arrow in time, one of them would be dead now. He was the only one with a safe hook, which at this point he truly never wished to use again.

It seemed far better to defend his life than to squander it repeatedly merely because a particular Item of his endowed him with an undead-like ability.

'Tsk. She's going to have us continue, of course.'

Kyle's gaze tightened the moment he saw Na-Ri's expression shift from alarm to a composed cool.

Shortly, she said:

"Let's continue moving. If there is a thorn upon us that truly desires our death, I believe it is better we hasten a little before night overtakes us again."

Orion's face turned bitter at her words. She never seemed to care how dangerous this assailant might be, yet she was correct in urging them onward. Adela offered no objection; she merely nodded.

It was evident the new pursuer had only just begun shadowing them, for whoever it was had ample opportunity a day ago or two, when they had all fallen. Adela, too, would have taken a rest, even if involuntarily. No matter how much they ranked up and grew stronger, they remained human, bound by the laws of nature, subject to their limits of stamina and the pangs of hunger.

In addition, though they had not bathed for about a week and several days, they bore no trace of bodily odour. The only scent clinging to them was that of the beasts they had slain, or their own blood in particular.

***

Some time later, they continued their journey on full alert. Even Orion's shadow scout could no longer be relied upon, for it too had its limitations. All they could do was remain armed and ready for battle.

With nothing to say, the party chose to remain silent throughout the march. For the worse, it was better that way.

It was not long before the shadow encountered a... canyon? There was a canyon on the island?

The canyon yawned wide and deep, like a jagged wound carved into the earth. Sheer walls of stone plunged into darkness. Spanning the gap was a wooden bridge, fashioned from planks lashed together with rope. It swayed in the wind with a slow, rhythmic creak.

Beyond, the land was stripped of trees, bearing only scattered cliffs and knuckled ridges of stone, with small mountains and winding paths etched through the rock.

The sheer expanse unsettled them. If the island carried such terrain, then its scale was far greater than they had imagined.

Adela's lips pressed thin as her gaze swept the opposite side.

"He made no mention of this. Are you certain we are not lost…?"

Orven had said nothing of this, nor had the map on the wall marked such a landmark. She voiced the thought sharply, and Kyle agreed with a curt nod, though Na-Ri remained silent, her eyes fixed on the barren expanse.

All of a sudden, Orion chuckled and awkwardly said:

"From Scouty's perspective, it is certain we are still on the right path, but… this is a different route, a shorter cut."

Kyle then glanced at the shadow, which lingered at the edge of the bridge. He could only wonder how intelligent this living being truly was, and how it knew such things without Orven ever telling them or charting it out. It was almost like an omniscient compass, yet one with its flaws, which he could clearly see.

At the very edge where it stood lay the same beast-mark they had witnessed in the induced lucid dream within the Dark Spires. A faint trace of it was here as well.

Kyle's eyes contracted in instant terror.

"Uh? That's the same mark, isn't it?"

He glanced at the others, who had also noticed it, their reactions mirroring his own.

Terrified, he shakily uttered:

"…Something is definitely not sitting right."

"No. That's not it." Orion cut through their train of thought. It was not the mark itself, but rather a far fainter impression of the damage left by the monstrous arrow that had been shot towards them. And from its faintness, one could tell it was not even three days old.

Moving closer to the cliff of the canyon, they saw countless skulls and shattered bones, with dried blood staining every corner below. Some remains were even fresh, proving that survivors had recently passed through here — only to be slain by something.

…Something was killing the survivors, and this particular entity, whatever it was, was either near invisible or fast enough to evade all sight.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.