The chilly morning air brushed against my cheeks.
Sitting on the bench at the village square, last night’s vivid memories came flooding back.
Marianne and Kevin were seated beside me, but unlike usual, no one spoke.
“What in the world happened last night?”
I muttered under my breath, posing an unanswerable query.
My voice felt foreign to me in its lifelessness.
“I still can’t believe it,” Marianne said, nervously fidgeting with the amulet around her neck. Her trembling fingers caught my attention— even the usually composed Marianne was shaken.
“If it wasn’t for that scent… we would have…”
“We would’ve all died,” Kevin added with a sigh. His words cut deep.
Yes.We had no business attempting to handle a troll, being mere C Class adventurers. What a reckless move.
But at the time, we had no choice. We couldn’t just sit by and watch the villagers perish.
“The crops froze over just from the troll’s chill. How much longer could we have held on?”
Unknowingly, I gripped my sword’s handle tightly. The engraved grooves biting into my palm brought some pain.
“If only I was stronger…”
A bitter smile crossed my face. It had been seven years since I defied my family’s wishes and chose the path of an adventurer.
And yet, I remained stuck at C Class.
My younger brother deemed a prodigy had already entered the kingdom’s knighthood…
“Don’t blame yourself.”
Marianne placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, her warmth comforting.
“If it weren’t for you, Bryan, we wouldn’t have even stood a chance against the troll.”
“Yeah, that we managed to withstand it at all was a miracle.”
Kevin nodded in agreement.
Their comforting words brought gratitude but added to the weight in my heart. If only I’d been stronger, I wouldn’t have dragged them into this danger.
Just then, a commotion stirred.
“An A Rank Party has returned!”
“It’s Arthur!”
“We’re safe now!”
Turning my head, I saw the A Rank Party who had left recently on an urgent mission approaching the village.
Sir Arthur’s towering presence with the massive shield on his back remained as impressive as ever. His sharp eyes scanned the village situation instantly, as expected from an A Rank Party leader.
A bow-wielding figure with striking azure hair, a seasoned old wizard with gray-streaked beards named Mr. Alldin, and the formidable female warrior Sir Havell closely followed him.
‘If only we had the same power…’
Seeing Arthur’s form, a familiar sense of powerlessness swept over me. Had we possessed his level of strength, we might have eradicated the trolls last night effortlessly.
Arthur headed straight to the village square.
“What exactly happened last night?”
His sharp voice startled me.
“The northern part of the village is in shambles, and the crops have frozen… it must be the work of the Ice Troll, without a doubt.”
I was once more amazed by his ability to grasp the situation fully with a quick glance.
Indeed, the commander of A Rank adventurers.
It’s probably time we explained the situation.
“Yes, it was two Ice Trolls and a group of Goblins! But…”
“WHAT?! You stopped trolls? A C Class party? That’s preposterous. Even a B Class party finds it hard to deal with Ice Trolls.”
Havell interrupted with a mocking sneer.
Fury instantly bubbled up.
Why must she always behave this way? Since our first meeting, she has disrespected us C Class adventurers, refusing to even listen to us.
“…We didn’t stop them.”
I gritted my teeth and spoke calmly. I would crush her arrogance someday, but now wasn’t the time.
My anger swelled as I clenched my fists harder. I had to control myself.
Sensing my anger, Marianne gently continued.
“We were almost at our limit. Then…”
“A sweet fragrance spread. And then… the moonlight turned… red.”
“Red moonlight?” Mr. Alldin raised his eyebrows. “Even with magic, it’s rare to change the color of moonlight.”
“We thought the same initially, but the entire village witnessed it.”
Marianne’s calm statement made the villagers gather and testify their experiences, each voice mixing with both fear and awe.
Lady Rien stood with perfect posture, listening intently, then finally spoke.
“There must be something indeed. We can’t ignore so many witnesses.”
Mr. Alldin stroked his beard thoughtfully.
“During my fifty-plus years researching magic, I’ve never encountered a phenomenon like this. Fascinating.”
If Mr. Alldin doesn’t know, what could it be?
Yesterday’s event, as Marianne put it, surely wasn’t holy power. It had felt… perilous, dangerous, yet simultaneously mysterious.
“There is a need for an investigation.”
Master Arthur decided firmly.
“Perhaps this is a new threat emerging in the Shia Kalt Mountains.”
An opportunity!
“We will go as well.”
I stepped forward and declared.
“As direct witnesses of yesterday’s events…”
In truth, this was an excuse. If I go with the A Ranked Party, maybe I could elevate my skills…
Such thoughts dominated my mind.
“Very well.”
Surprisingly, Master Arthur accepted quickly.
“We will require your testimonies.”
My heart raced. My first adventure with an A Ranked Party. Could this be the opportunity I’ve been waiting for?
Could I finally break free from this stagnant C Rank?
Our party and Master Arthur’s began ascending the Shia Kalt Mountain Range together.
Normally, the climb would have been nerve-wracking, but the mountain trail was eerily quiet.
“This is strange.”
Master Arthur furrowed his brow.
“At this altitude, we should have encountered at least a group of War Wolves by now.”
He was right. Normally, we’d come across at least three to four War Wolves at this elevation. But today, while traveling with the A Ranked Party, there was no opportunity to showcase my skills.
At Master Arthur’s gesture, Lady Rien stepped forward to check the area.
“There are no footprints either. Usually, the ground would be littered with monster tracks by now…”
Lady Rien’s keen observation was indeed impressive. Though I often traverse this path, I hadn’t thought to notice the absence of tracks.
“Just as if all the monsters have vanished. Could they have followed yesterday’s scent and not returned?”
Marianne’s words sent a chill down my spine. Did yesterday’s scent draw all the monsters of this vast mountain range?
“Hold your ground.” Havell gripped her greatsword tightly, looking disdainfully at us. “You C Class adventurers especially. You wouldn’t know how dangerous this silence can be.”
‘What do you know…’
I barely managed to bite back the retort. Still undermining us after we’ve come so far together? Someday, I’ll repay her arrogance in full. My fists clenched but I had to endure it now.
“Havell!” Master Arthur’s firm voice rang out. “They are our comrades. Show respect regardless of rank.”
Havell bit her lip and turned away. Even she dared not contradict Master Arthur’s words.
‘Thank you, Master Arthur.’
Yet, it was puzzling. Why would someone as wise as Master Arthur team up with such a haughty woman? Undoubtedly, she must be A Class in terms of skill, but her nature can only harm team solidarity…
Mr. Alldin, walking while examining things with his staff, finally spoke.
“It’s strange too that there are absolutely no traces. Normally, monsters mark their territory.”
Following his words, I examined the surroundings. It was bizarre indeed. Generally, I should’ve spotted scratches on the trees or marks on the rocks by now…
“Come to think of it, none of the trolls or goblins that attacked the village have come back either.”
Kevin was correct. Where had all these monsters gone?
Involuntarily, I tightened my grip on my sword.
“Something… Something is happening.”
As we climbed higher, the unusual silence persisted.
Typically fraught with danger, this mountain trail was as peaceful as a park stroll. And yet, this tranquility was unsettling.
“Stop.” Lady Rien suddenly halted.
“That smell…”
My heart nearly stopped as the familiar fragrance reached my nose. Sweet, even deadly, it flowed down the mountain.
“This smell…” Marianne’s eyes widened. “It’s yesterday’s scent!”
The memories of yesterday flooded back. The moment we couldn’t repel the troll’s attack, the critical instant when we were about to fall, the fragrance suddenly spread…
The beasts had been hypnotized, following that scent…
Master Arthur hastily raised his shield.
“Everyone, prepare yourselves.”
As we climbed higher, a horrifying scene unfolded.
Numerous monster carcasses lay tangled on the snow-covered ground. Wolves, trolls, goblins, wyverns, chimeras—a countless number of dead beasts lay sprawled out.
“This… It can’t be…”
In seven years of adventurer life, I’d never encountered such a sight before. So many monster corpses piled up? Including wyverns and chimeras, both A-ranked beasts?
“This is…” Havell gripped her greatsword tightly. “All these monsters at once…”
For the first time, wavering was heard in Havell’s voice. There’s no doubt about it— a battle of this scale would even challenge an S-class adventurer party.
“There’s no blood.” Mr. Alldin pointed toward the closest corpse with his staff. “It’s as if all fluids have been thoroughly drained.”
That’s when I realized. Despite so many carcasses lying there, there wasn’t a single drop of blood staining the snow.
“Is it a demon? Or perhaps a black mage?”
Although I’ve never heard rumors of such beings in the Shia Kalt Mountains…
Sharing the same thought, Lady Rien spoke.
“Is this the work of a demon or a black mage?”
“No,” Mr. Alldin corrected, pointing his staff at the nearest corpse. “It’s signs of monsters fighting each other.”
On closer inspection, the form of each wound varied. Marks from sharp objects piercing, hits from hard objects, bite marks from small mouths… However, all lacked any evidence of blood.
“Look…”
Lady Rien’s breathing quickened.
“Over there…”
Beyond the mountain ridge, dark shadows writhed. Numerous insect-like monsters had gathered. Hyperborean Ants, Blizzard Hornets, Frost Hoppers, Icicl Arañas—every species of insect-monsters that could be found in the Shia Kalt Mountains were present in one spot.
“Could they be… Could they be responsible for all these corpses?”
The wounds on the bodies matched the appearance of these insects. Could these tiny insects have orchestrated such a mass slaughter?
“We should retreat!”
Master Arthur shouted.
I urgently drew my sword, preparing to retreat. But could we truly escape from this number of insect-monsters?
“Wait.” Mr. Alldin raised his staff to stop Master Arthur. “They’re not attacking us.”
Indeed, as Mr. Alldin said, the insect monsters didn’t move but only watched us. However, their eyes were lethal, holding a restrained aggression as if suppressing a basic instinct.
“Look there.”
Marianne pointed at the sky.
Iceflies had already surrounded us, transparent wings fluttering, beckoning us to follow with their gestures.
Just as I was about to obediently move my feet under a hypnotic spell, Lady Rien’s cry woke me up.
“Wait!”
Lady Rien pulled back her bowstring toward the butterflies.
“We should leave. This could be a trap…”
However, before Lady Rien could finish her sentence, hundreds of compound eyes from the insect monsters around us shone with killing intent.
‘This… Is this really the energy of insects?’
My knees trembled. The aura from even one insect monster was stronger than a troll. And hundreds of them here…
“Seems we have no choice.”
Master Arthur sighed.
He was right. We couldn’t possibly face this many monsters. Even the kingdom’s knights couldn’t withstand such a quantity.
We slowly moved into the crowd of insect monsters under the guidance of the Iceflies, the sweet scent growing stronger.
“There…” Marianne suddenly stopped, voice trembling. “There…”
Following her gaze, a breathtaking sight appeared before me. In the circle formed by the insects, a single flower bloomed.
Its blood-red petals shone like rubies, black stems smooth like marble, and purple stamens swaying like a serpent’s tongue. Every movement released a sweet fragrance into the air.
Dozens of black roots buried into the ground, supporting the flower like a throne. It was as if… the vast insect army was under the command of this flower.
‘Could it be… This flower is the being from yesterday?’
At that moment, Marianne shakily grasped her amulet.
“This… This is surely Michel’s blessing.”
“What!?” “Are you sure?” “This can’t be…”
Everyone questioned her incredulously, me included. A monster receiving divine blessing? It was absurd.
“It’s faint, but unmistakable.” Reverence filled Marianne’s voice. “I sense Michel’s divine power from this flower.”
Marianne’s word was trustworthy. Raised in the Light Temple, her ability to sense divine power was even acknowledged by the Holy Mother.
Yet, at that moment, the air grew heavier.
“Ugh…”
An overwhelming aura emanated from the flower, making even breathing difficult. This was a first for me. It was as if an entire mountain was pressing on my shoulders. Both Kevin and Marianne paled.
“Thi… This…”
Seeing the trembling hands gripping Master Arthur’s shield, I doubted my eyes. The leader of the A Class adventurers trembling? It was unbelievable.
“S-Class monster… No, even stronger than that…”
Havell’s greatsword rattled. Fear flickered across her usually arrogant face, giving me some grim satisfaction. But there was no time to revel in it.
Neither Lady Rien nor Mr. Alldin could utter a word, only shedding cold sweat. Fifty years of knowledge and experience gathered by Mr. Alldin seemed useless in this instant.
‘Could something like this exist?’
Watching the admired A Class adventurers being overwhelmed like this was oddly surreal, almost like a nightmare.
At that moment, one of the flower’s black roots slowly rose, its tip pointing towards the glowing golden nectar at the flower’s center.
“This is…”
The honey glistened under the moonlight, resembling liquid jewels. Sweet fragrance wafted in the air, causing saliva to gather in our mouths involuntarily. But an instinctive repulsion also arose. This was certainly poison, or something more terrifying…
“Let’s not…” Mr. Alldin shook his head slowly. “If we ingest monster bodily fluids, it leads to… death or worst case, brainwashing…”“According to ancient records, most people ingesting monster fluids…”
Before Mr. Alldin could finish his sentence, the surrounding insect monsters moved synchronously. Their sharp claws, venomous stingers, and fangs pointed directly at us.
‘So this is… how it ends.’
When I left home with dreams of being an adventurer, I’d never imagined this kind of fate. But curiously, rather than fear, what dominated was a sense of frustration. After lingering at C Rank for seven years, it would end this way, huh?
“Seems like we have no choice.”
Marianne clenched her amulet tightly with shaking hands.
Arthur sighed deeply.
“I’ll try it first. If I…”
“No.” Suddenly Marianne stepped forward. “I will eat it. May Michel’s blessing protect us…”
‘Ah, that’s why.’
I finally understood Marianne’s intention then. She said she sensed Michel in this flower. If so, the honey might contain…
With trembling hands, Marianne prayed momentarily then put the honey into her mouth.
Her eyes widened instantly. The fear and tension on her face disappeared like mist, transforming into an expression of heavenly bliss as if she had seen the light of heaven.
“T-this…”
Her shaking voice no longer carried any trace of fear.
One by one, the others also tasted the honey. Wrinkles disappeared from Mr. Alldin’s face, and a smile bloomed on Lady Rien’s previously tense lips. Even Havell’s arrogant demeanor softened.
Finally, it was my turn.
The golden honey on the root tip caught my gaze.A taste of death?Or something else…
‘After all, we have no choice.’The moment the honey touched my tongue,My senses seemed to fly away.
It was more than just sweetness. It was a flavor I had never experienced before. No, maybe it was a taste that shouldn’t exist in this world.
It was sweet yet refreshing, soft yet intense. The moment it touched my tongue, senses throughout my whole body awakened. Even the honey apples from childhood and the exquisite desserts from the royal banquet couldn’t compare to this.
‘Could something like this… even exist…’
Just as I was about to fall into ecstasy, a strong will pierced through my mind.
‘Speak!’
It wasn’t spoken words but a direct touch between hearts, like someone’s heartfelt desire…
‘Tell me…!’
That’s when I realized. This flower was… trying to learn how to speak!
“This is…” Lady Rien looked at the flower in shock. “It has consciousness. And a very distinct one…”
“Trying to… Learn how to talk?”
Kevin murmured.
Mr. Alldin stroked his beard.
“A monster trying to learn language… unprecedented.”
“But how…” My words slipped out unintentionally. “How do you teach language to a flower?”
Arthur was lost in thought for a while.
“If we wish to return alive, we must find a way.”
Everyone looked at each other. Before us now lay a completely new challenge—an unprecedented event in history, the odd situation of teaching language to a monster.
