Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Prologue – The Encounter with the Goddess

Rustle… rustle…

Amidst a lush forest, an extremely noisy sound of bushes shaking was heard, accompanied by hurried footsteps.

It wasn’t just from humans but also from some kind of animal that sped across the ground on claws.

“Uwaaahhnn!”

“Ohhh, ohhh!!”

“Don’t chase me! Even if you catch me, I won’t give it back to you, hehehe♂. Let’s just go our separate ways, okay?”

In a remote mountainous forest, a scene akin to a cat-and-mouse chase unfolded.

To be precise, the main characters were a pack of Gray Wolves and a blond youth who had no choice but to make one of their lone companions his lunch.

The blond youth’s name was Izay.

Izay Alward.

Currently, due to certain reasons, he was embarking on a journey towards the farthest west of the continent.

The current situation was obvious; Izay’s journey had encountered danger as he was being hunted down by a large pack of gray wolves.

Forced to move rapidly through the complex terrain of the jungle, even Izay, who prided himself on his physical prowess, began to pant.

Especially during his escape, not only did he have a leather backpack on his back, but he also tightly gripped a two-meter-long Black Iron Long Spear in his hand.

Such immense physical exertion made Izay increasingly anxious.

In the face of life-and-death crises, almost no one can remain calm.

Especially when there’s a group of wolves behind you wanting to eat you alive.

Being calm would be a ghostly feat!

The fact that he still had the presence of mind to taunt them was merely a form of self-amusement amidst the hardship.

Moreover, they didn’t even understand what he was saying, yet every time he turned around to mock them, the pack chased even more fervently…

‘This way of running forever isn’t going to work. If nothing changes, I’ll definitely die first!’

While leaping over a massive tree root at high speed, Izay’s body soared through the air, with the spear following closely in sync with his arm.

Though cumbersome as additional weight, this spear was invaluable to him—after all, it had been his companion for several months of travel.

Venturing through the monster-infested wilderness meant inevitable encounters with such creatures.

Without a weapon, Izay would be utterly defenseless.

Would he fight monsters bare-handed? Not everyone is Wu Song, especially when monsters attack in groups, much like his current predicament.

‘I need to find a chance to break free from this chase. My stamina is depleting too quickly. Ideally, I should lure these Huskies into another monster’s territory. Once chaos ensues, I might have a chance to escape.’

Izay darted through bush after bush, pondering strategies while fleeing for his life. Growing up under the tutelage of his hunter grandfather, Izay excelled in hunting and survival skills.

He had faced wolf packs before, and always managed to outwit them using his physical prowess and the wisdom passed down by his grandfather.

But the situation now was different… because the foes were different.

‘Gray Wolf Greyhounds’!

A type of ‘Monster’ never seen in his hometown, existing only in the tales of wandering bards’ adventure notes.

Their speed far exceeded that of ordinary wolves.

And right now, Izay was truly playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with them.

Losing meant certain death.

—‘Monsters’.

Since ancient times, these savage creatures emerged from the infamous underground mazes and gradually spread across the surface world.

The closer one gets to the underground maze regions, the higher the chances of encountering monsters, since all monsters originate from these mazes.

Even the weakest monsters, like Goblins or Earth Spirits, pose fatal threats to commoners. Only adventurers blessed by the gods could stand against them with divine favor.

As for the ‘Gray Wolf Greyhounds’ chasing Izay, even low-level adventurers would dread them—not only do they appear in large numbers, but their sheer quantity is overwhelming.

Had Izay not been desperate, he wouldn’t have provoked them. But who could blame him when the lone gray wolf he met wanted to make him its lunch?

An old saying goes, “When a friend comes from afar, bring gifts.” So Izay reciprocated the gesture by seasoning the wolf and turning it into a savory lunch.

And then… well, that was it.

Wolves are vengeful creatures that live in packs. Anyone who harms their kin will face relentless pursuit.

Just like Izay now.

This cat-and-mouse chase continued until something unexpected happened.

“ROOOAAAARRRR!!!!!!!”

A roar echoing throughout the forest reached Izay’s ears. This sudden roar lit up his eyes.

This was it!

The opportunity he’d been waiting for to shake off the wolf pack!

Rejoicing internally, Izay gracefully leapt through the forest and bushes, showcasing surprising agility for his slim frame, accelerating rapidly.

Anyone with half a brain could tell that this roar came from a powerful creature, exactly what Izay needed.

Unlike the legendary underground mazes, monsters residing in the wild rarely coexist peacefully due to territorial instincts. Encounters between different types of monsters often lead to conflict.

By luring the wolf pack towards this creature, Izay would have a chance to escape and lose the persistent wolves.

Afterward, he’d need to find a place to wash away and confuse his scent, ensuring they wouldn’t track him again.

However, in his excitement, Izay failed to notice the undertone of anguish in the roar.

It sounded like a wounded creature crying out in mortal peril.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest:

“ROOOAAAARRRR!!!!!!!”

“Fire at will! You lot, keep it grounded! Don’t let it escape into the sky!”

“Aye!”

The voice of a goddess belonging to the ‘Hunting’ faction rang out, her subordinates—all young women—obeying orders like seasoned warriors.

In this vast forest stretching endlessly, arrows rained down upon the ferociously roaring Flying Dragon.

This was a dragon hunt.

All twenty members of the team were female, predominantly Elves among the various demi-humans.

Dressed in light armor for mobility, they wielded bows as their primary weapons, each piece of equipment adorned with the crescent moon and bow insignia representing their faction.

With hawk-like precision, the girls aimed and pierced the dragon’s wing membranes, stripping it of its flight capability.

Unable to fly, the dragon stumbled close to the ground, its injuries only fueling its ferocity.

Its roar echoed with predatory intent as it staggered deeper into the dense forest.

At that exact moment, the boy crossed through a waist-high thicket and came face-to-face with the charging dragon…

“HUMAN!?!”

The faction’s hunters exchanged looks of astonishment.

They couldn’t fathom why a human would be active in this deep forest teeming with monsters.

And to suddenly appear in such a situation felt bizarre, like seeing someone suddenly dart out onto a busy street while driving.

“Young man, get out of the way!”

Almost instantly upon spotting the boy, the goddess with teal hair warned him, swiftly drawing an arrow from her quiver and firing it in an instant.

She prayed silently that her arrow would slay the dragon before it harmed the boy.

Regardless of the circumstances, she would spare no effort to save him. Such was the pure-hearted nature of a goddess.

Seeing the monstrous beast mere steps away, Izay’s face froze in shock, his breath momentarily halted.

He came here to run for his life, not to throw it away!

Was this universe really out to get him?

There was no time to think; the dragon lunged at him with bloodshot eyes.

It couldn’t harm the archers behind it, but dragging a human down with it in death seemed fitting!

Its gaping jaws exuded a chilling aura of imminent death, making everything around Izay seem to slow down. His vision turned grayscale.

This surreal sensation lasted only a fleeting moment. As reality snapped back, survival instincts took over, overriding all emotions. His body acted on autopilot.

“AAAAAAHHHHHH——”

The Black Iron Long Spear, which Izay had clutched tightly throughout his escape, swept forward in a fierce arc, piercing the dragon’s neck just before its fangs reached him, deeply embedding itself into its throat.

A brief pause followed, then the goddess’s arrow struck home.

The arrow traced a graceful curve, hitting the dragon’s head as it roared in agony from the fatal wound. A jet of black vapor erupted from its skull before its body abruptly froze, collapsing into a chunk of black crystal.

With the sudden loss of his target, Izay, who had put all his weight into the spear, lost control and tumbled forward.

The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was the looming trunk of a massive tree…

Before darkness claimed him, Izay glimpsed a dazzling blue light at the edge of his vision.