...First, I need to move.
I had to get farther away from the direction the bear had come flying from.
I still did not know who the master of this forest was, but I did know it was something I could not fight.
Blink. Blink.
Since I did not know where exactly that bear had flown in from, I could not be certain which of these black dots was the forest’s master.
It’s probably one of those five dots...
Either way, putting some distance between us was my top priority right now.
Tap!
*
[01:03:13]
Three minutes until the Flame of the Apocalypse stopped.
After returning to the cliff from before I had headed down to the water, another thirty minutes had passed as I watched the wall of fire while checking the map.
My makeshift mask was almost dry.
Even hidden among the trees, the ash blowing in stung my eyes and nose.
Thuuuum—!!
"Kuaaaaaah!!"
"..."
At the sound, I lowered my gaze and checked the map.
Blink. Blink.
The forest’s monsters and animals were rapidly dwindling as well.
Even by a rough calculation, there were less than half as many as when I had first received the mapping.
In just four hours, more than half the living creatures in this enormous forest had vanished.
Some had surely burned in the Flame of the Apocalypse, but the shrinking space combined with the berserk state was probably the main reason.
Every time the dots meet, one side disappears.
Thuuuum—!!
Even aside from the forest’s master, whose savage roars caused tremors, they were fighting amongst themselves and destroying each other.
Less than thirty percent of the original land remained.
Zoomed out, the map showed hundreds of living creatures crammed into one area.
Is that fire going to stay where it is? Or will it disappear?
If it was going to disappear entirely, then maybe running to the outskirts would not be a bad idea.
Rather than needlessly encountering other enemies in such a confined space, it might be better to wait until things had thinned out somewhat.
Blink.
Though that depends on the final event.
I looked at the map, then rose from my crouch.
Gripping my steel sword, I glared at the beast approaching me.
"Kuhuuuk...!!"
"...Déjà vu?"
It was an enormous boar, roughly the size of the one I had seen on the tenth floor of the Tower of Trials.
"Sorry, but this is my territory."
Like the bear, this one was covered in scars.
Perhaps it had been attacked by the forest’s master too. It snorted harshly as it glared at me, and I took a quiet breath.
At first, just looking one in the eye made my whole body shake.
On the tenth floor, I had desperately struggled to flee for my life. Now, fighting it was the first thing on my mind.
Swish—
Keeping my eyes on it, I slowly shifted my position.
Toward the edge of the cliff. I intended to knock the thing over when it charged at me.
Tap!
I smiled faintly at the boar, its eyes completely wild.
It feels like just yesterday that I was running away screaming after looking back at one.
"Kuhiiiiik—!!"
Flash!
Unlike back then, I can nail the timing fucking perfectly now.
I narrowed my eyes as red light gathered in a circle.
Thud! Thuuum—!
As it rushed at me, I clenched my sword tightly.
I was exhausted compared to when I had just reached the fiftieth floor of the Tower of Trials, but—
"Hup—!!"
Slash—!!
A thing like you does not scare me much anymore.
I cut cleanly through its flank.
With perfect parry timing, I stepped to the side.
Drip.
Retrieving the sword that had passed through its body as smoothly as water, I performed the flashy sword-flick to shake off blood that I had seen so often in anime.
Craaaash—!!
Listening to it plummet helplessly off the cliff, I raised my head.
[1:00:02]
The third event was ending.
...It isn’t disappearing.
After checking the timer, I immediately looked toward the towering wall of fire in the distance.
I could not tell whether the survival area had stopped shrinking.
The duration stated on the wiki had ended, but the fire remained.
Was it meant to prevent us from escaping outward?
Ding!
Already?
I had expected the final event to appear with thirty minutes left, then begin after the full ten hours had passed.
But as soon as the third event ended, the wiki notification sounded, and I immediately checked my phone.
[Tower of Tr$ials]
-#@`#!th Run, Floor 5% Gu&de: Temporary [Real-Time Mapping] activated.
Until the final event, [Forest Master], occurs: [30:00]
[Forest Master]
- An ‘exit’ will be created in a designated area.
- Behemoth, the Incarnation of Earth, will commence indiscriminate slaughter.
[Warning]
- Combat with Behemoth is impossible. Survival probability: 0%.
- If you fail to escape within the time limit, the exit will be permanently sealed.
- If you fail to escape within the time limit, [Mark of the Prey] will be reapplied.
- If you fail to escape within the time limit, [Flame of the Apocalypse] will reactivate.
"...A glitch at a time like this too?"
I frowned at the garbled first line.
Was Behemoth itself some kind of anomaly?
I did not know. All the other events had been perfectly normal.
I had no idea why it was happening now, but I read through the event details first.
The final event was simple.
Avoid it, run, and escape.
If I did not escape within the time limit, I would definitely die.
It said combat with Behemoth itself was impossible.
I don’t know whether it means it’s impossible with my skills, or impossible period...
"Kahaaaaaah!!!"
At least I understood clearly that I had to run from the forest’s master making that sound.
*
Crrrack...!!
"...Ha. The event hasn’t even started yet."
I let out a hollow laugh as a thick, towering tree collapsed limply.
"Tch."
There was no need to ask who had done it. It had to be Behemoth.
Clicking my tongue at the bear split in half at my feet, I wondered if Behemoth had gotten it too.
Blink. Blink.
One minute until the event began.
I had searched diligently through every place where an exit might be, but I had not found one.
It would probably appear the moment the event started.
For now, all I could do was hope it showed up on the wiki’s map.
[00:30:00]
Ding!
[An exit has been created in the center of the forest.]
[Behemoth’s location will be recorded on [Real-Time Mapping].]
Right in the center, huh.
Was that an obvious outcome?
I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again as I read the added text in the wiki guide.
The wall of fire was still blazing along the outskirts, so if they wanted to make this difficult, they would place it in the center.
Swish—
If there was one saving grace, it was that the exit’s location was marked on the map.
On top of that, the wiki even told me Behemoth’s position, making things feel at least a little easier.
That thing is fucking huge.
Behemoth’s marker on the map.
It was so enormous that it was not even comparable to the dots representing the other monsters and animals.
Unlike everything else, Behemoth was marked with an X instead of a circle. I let out a hollow laugh and lifted my gaze.
Both Behemoth and the exit are that way.
Thirty minutes itself was not much of a problem.
It would take around twenty minutes to reach the center. The real problem was avoiding that thing and getting into the exit.
Kraaaash—!!
"Kuwoooooo!!"
Another tree fell.
Dust sparkled high in the moonlit night sky.
"Kiiiiiik!!!"
The beasts that had failed to escape the forest’s master were letting out shrill screams.
Blink. Blink.
Creatures that had fought whenever they encountered each other were now fleeing Behemoth like mad.
"Haa... Fuck. It’ll work out somehow."
At least I had the wiki.
Just being able to pinpoint its location and the exit’s location was plenty of a guide.
Dash—!!
I sprinted at full speed toward the center of the forest.
Checking the positions of nearby monsters and beasts on the map, I ran in the direction least likely to bring me into contact with them.
"Kik, kik...!!"
Of course, there were situations where I could not avoid them anyway—
"Trash mobs, get out of my way—!!"
Slash—!!
After taking down a bear cub and a massive boar, something at this level was no real problem for me.
A monkey that had leaped down from a tree collapsed without even getting off a single attack.
I frowned as the group watching it—whether they were its companions or family—hurriedly fled.
Dash!
I did not have time for a chase. Nor did I intend to waste magic finishing them off.
Save as many magic stones as possible.
I intended to use every magic stone I had left on Behemoth.
I had not even seen it yet, but the wiki had declared survival impossible.
I was going to throw everything I had at it with lightning.
Let’s see just how impressive you really are.
Watching the creature and the exit draw closer, little by little, I ran on while forcing myself to ignore my pounding heart.
*
[00:14:06]
Rumble...!!
The tremors in the ground were on an entirely different level from before.
It was not a mere vibration. It felt as if the earth itself were screaming.
Giant trees that looked dozens of meters tall were toppling over like toys.
"Kuwoooooooo—!!!"
This is fucking terrifying.
The ghosts I had seen in the Tower of Mindscape? The monsters that had attacked me?
They were all complete amateurs by comparison. Behemoth, which I had not even encountered yet, was dozens of times more terrifying.
I did not know what it was doing, but the fact that a living creature was causing an earthquake on this scale was even more horrifying.
Blink. Blink.
Both Behemoth and the exit were quite close now.
I would run into them in one minute, two at the most.
Since the [Forest Master] event began, Behemoth had continuously moved around within a set range.
I did not know why, or why it kept knocking down trees, but simply knowing it had a pattern was enough.
I just have to run when it moves away from my direction.
Even if it spotted me just before I reached the exit, I could buy myself a few moments with magic stones.
Rustle—
With that in mind, I pushed through the forest toward its center for a while.
[00:11:48]
"...Ha, fuck."
Crrrack...!!
Standing before the exit I had barely reached, I finally understood why the trees had kept falling.
A cave, blinking on the map as the exit.
And a gigantic living creature circling around it, uprooting trees one by one.
A hulking monster that appeared to be around five meters tall was clearing its ‘line of sight.’
As though it instinctively knew this was the exit, it was making sure it could spot anyone who tried to approach.
Now I get why the wiki said combat was impossible.
A house-sized monster walking on two legs.
Muscles of an absurd, unnatural degree exposed all over its body.
Starting from the horn protruding from its forehead, sharp bristles ran down its back all the way to its tail.
Red eyes befitting the name [Forest Master], and claws the size of my sword—the same claws that must have carved the marks into the bear and boar.
...Now I understand why the objective was survival.
How was that supposed to be the Incarnation of Earth?
It was a disaster itself.
[00:09:58]
Less than ten minutes remained.
I had to come up with a plan quickly.
Behemoth would soon come clear the trees where I was hiding too.
The more time passed, the farther the exit would get.
Turning around now and moving up to the cliff...
The landing would hurt, but I could head straight to the cave entrance.
"...Rejected."
No. That would not work.
If I fell wrong from that cliff, I would not be able to move a single step.
It might snatch me out of the air while I was falling. If it caught me midair, there really would be no next move.
Fuck, is a head-on charge really my only option?
The exit was only around sixty meters away.
Normally, that was a distance I could cover in seconds.
The thought kept filling my mind that if I sprinted at full speed when that giant monster faced the other way, I could make it.
The only thing holding me back was the wiki’s warning: ‘Survival probability: 0%.’
That thing was uprooting trees to eliminate blind spots. Would it really fail to notice me running in from behind?
Thump...!
...It’s coming this way.
Having cleared enough trees on the other side, it approached in a semicircle.
I edged back slightly so it would not spot me, then watched it uproot the trees.
"Kuhuuuk...!!"
Crrrack...!!
It wrapped its arms around a tree, caught its breath, and tore it out by the roots.
I could not even guess how much it weighed, yet it uprooted and threw it aside with absurd ease.
Rumble—!!
Thump! Thump!!
After uprooting several trees on my side, it turned its head to look back toward the other side.
I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them as it headed on again in another semicircle.
I have to run.
The exit was getting farther and farther away.
In the end, my only option was to run, prepared to die.
Clink—
I slipped my hand into my pocket and gripped the magic stones.
I had to throw them all at it and make it stop for three seconds... even one second.
I had no intention of taking it down. If I could just reach that cave alive, I won.
[00:07:36]
Gulp.
The moment it wrapped its arms around a tree on the opposite side again and was about to pull it free—
Now...!!
Clenching my teeth hard enough to break them, I sprinted full speed toward the exit.
Rustle—!!
"...!!"
It stopped in the middle of throwing the tree.
It casually tossed the tree it was holding aside, then turned its head.
One second.
Roughly sixty meters to the exit.
The instant it spotted me, its red eyes widened.
Its dark gray skin glistened in the moonlight.
"Kuwoooooo—!!"
Two seconds.
Roughly fifty meters to the exit.
[Water Rain]...!!
The moment it turned its body, I threw the mid-grade magic stone I had been holding.
I pictured it striking directly at its face.
I had realized earlier that the image I envisioned was important.
Unlike before, a heavy rain immediately poured down over its face.
Three seconds.
Roughly forty meters to the exit.
Thump—!!
As it tried to approach, shaking the ground, I threw every remaining magic stone at its face.
All of them as [Chain Lightning], intending to stop it for even one second.
Crackzzzt—!!
Bzzzt...!!
I kept moving my feet as I watched lightning, loud enough to hurt my ears, form in the air and fly toward it.
Four seconds.
Roughly thirty meters to the exit.
Thump—!!
Ignoring the magic entirely, it took another step.
Each step brought it several meters closer.
Seeing the spells strike directly into the rain falling over its face, I prayed inwardly.
Please, wiki...!!
Please make it stop for even one second. One second was enough.
Five seconds.
Roughly twenty meters to the exit.
Crackzzzzzt!!!!
Blue bolts of lightning danced wildly across its upper body, from the raindrops splashing off its face.
High-voltage current powerful enough to kill ordinary monsters—or most animals—on the spot coiled around its body.
It should have. It absolutely should have.
Clench...
Fuck, does it have magic resistance or something...!!
My eyes widened as it lowered its body and tensed its toes without being affected in the slightest.
Six seconds.
Roughly ten meters to the exit.
I lowered my head. I averted my gaze.
To get there even a tiny bit faster—even one millionth of a second faster.
Without caring what it was doing, I ran as though my life depended on it.
Looking only ahead, feeling the cave’s shadow cover my body—
Shadow...?
Seven seconds.
Roughly one meter to the exit.
Trip.
Perhaps because I panicked at the shadow cast over my head, my foot caught.
My body pitched forward as though I had been thrown.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
The pounding of my heart rang in my ears.
I could not think of anything. Not that I had to survive, not that I had to move.
As my body flew through the air, the entire world moved as slowly as if time had stopped.
Thud—!!
My airborne body landed across the cave entrance.
It felt as though I had flown for a long time, yet I did not feel any pain at all.
Just as the faint thought that I had survived began to rise—
Crunch!!
"Ah..."
Something sharp hooked around my leg, which was still outside the cave.
Whoooosh—!!
In an instant, my body was pulled out of the cave.
Flying easily through the air and flipping upside down, I came face-to-face with red eyes.
Its enormous mouth, seeming to wear a grin, split wide open.
I let out a hollow laugh at the dark red blood of other monsters and beasts still inside it.
Was this how I died?
Really like this—far too easily, compared to everything I had worked for until now.
"You motherfu—"
Crunch!
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