The clearing remained silent, save for the crackle of the fire and the faint hiss of fat dripping onto the coals. Pieces of what used to be monstrous beasts lay scattered across the edge of the field—dismembered, vaporized, as if torn apart by the will of nature itself.
The three adventurers stood frozen.
Their breaths came in short gasps, not from exertion anymore, but from the weight of what they had just witnessed.
Elric, the loudest of the three, was the first to speak. His voice wavered. "What… what just happened? Who the hell is this guy?"
Tenn didn't answer, too stunned to form a coherent thought. His eyes were locked on Ray—the seemingly ordinary man who had turned five rampaging monsters into meat confetti with a flick of his wrist.
Only Mira, the red-haired girl with the short sword strapped to her back, managed to regain composure. She stepped forward and gave a small bow.
"Thank you… for saving us," she said, her tone sincere. "And… I'm sorry. We tried to use you as bait to escape. That was cowardly of us."
Ray remained seated, holding a wooden skewer of roasted boar. He didn't look up.
"Not the first time someone's tried that," he said between bites. "You're lucky I hadn't eaten yet."
Mira bowed deeper. "Still. We owe you."
Elric leaned closer to Tenn and whispered, "I bet those monsters were already wounded or something. This guy doesn't even have an aura."
But Tenn didn't reply. He had seen it clearly—there were no chants, no visible energy, not even a weapon drawn. Just a casual wave of the hand. If that wasn't true power, he didn't know what was.
Ray turned slightly, eyeing Mira. "Want some boar?"
She blinked. "Huh? Uh… sure."
He tore off a chunk of meat with his hand and handed it to her. She took it gingerly, eyes flicking toward the fire where Kael sat on the ground, sulking and hungry. The little robot beside him was busy scrubbing stones with a manual brush, grumbling softly to itself.
Ray finally asked, "So. What were you three doing in a monster-infested forest like this?"
Mira answered between careful bites. "We… took a mission from the Adventurer's Guild. It was supposed to be a simple herb collection. The reward was twenty silver."
Ray's chewing slowed. "Twenty silver."
Elric spoke up, still defensive. "We didn't know this place was that dangerous! The quest sheet said it was a green zone!"
Tenn nodded. "We're new. Just started two weeks ago."
Ray raised an eyebrow. "So you risked your lives for pocket change?"
Mira lowered her gaze. "We needed the money. Our village barely made it through winter. Some of us haven't eaten properly in days."
The fire snapped louder as grease flared. Ray said nothing for a while.
His eyes drifted toward the forest, expression unreadable. "Beginner-level mission, and yet they send you to a ridge bordering beast territory. Either someone's incompetent… or someone set you up."
That thought landed like a hammer.
The three adventurers stiffened, faces paling in unison.
"Someone set us up?" Mira whispered. "Why would they?"
Ray didn't answer immediately. He tossed another strip of meat to Kael without looking. Kael caught it, surprised. His stomach growled audibly.
"Some people enjoy cleaning up weaklings who won't survive long anyway," Ray muttered. "A test. Or a message. Or just simple amusement."
The little robot stopped scrubbing and turned toward the adventurers. "This region is known to be unstable. Low-tier guild offices often falsify mission difficulties to attract desperate applicants. Low survival rates drive up fear. Fear raises guild contract prices."
Ray shot it a look. "Enough analysis."
"Yes, Master." It went back to scrubbing.
The wind shifted, carrying the scent of roasted boar across the glade. Mira looked up at Ray, a question lingering on her lips.
Ray glanced at the three again. "So what's next? Run back home? Keep taking garbage quests until you eventually die out here?"
Elric looked uncomfortable. Tenn bit his lip.
Mira didn't answer.
Ray leaned back slightly. "You're weak. Naive. This world doesn't coddle the fragile. No one will protect you if you don't get strong enough to protect yourself."
Mira nodded slowly. "We know that now."
Ray nodded toward the trees. "Go back to the village. Rest. Reevaluate. Next time, don't come unprepared."
Mira stood and bowed again. "Thank you… really. If there's ever a way to repay you—"
Ray waved her off. "If you want to repay me, don't get killed doing something stupid."
The three of them turned, walking off slowly into the trees, shaken but alive. As their footsteps faded into the distance, Kael looked at Ray.
"You helped them. You didn't have to."
Ray stared into the fire. "I didn't do it for them."
Kael blinked. "Then for who?"
"I just didn't want my lunch interrupted again."
The robot floated nearby. "Master Ray, permission to finish scrubbing the tiles tomorrow?"
"No."
It sighed.
Kael stood and stretched. "So… about that backyard?"
"Still your job."
He grinned. "I figured."
Ray looked out toward the sky, eyes narrowing.
Something in the air had changed. He could feel it. Faint, distant… but a presence was stirring.
The peaceful days wouldn't last forever.
But for now, the boar was hot, the sky was clear, and the fire crackled warmly beside him.