Chapter 31: The Magical Beast, the Raccoon, and the Mysterious Adventure of the Raccoon #2
As I poked my head out of the cave, I was greeted by a thick blanket of dark blue darkness covering the outside world.
“It’s night.”
After fully emerging from the underworld, I lifted my gaze.
Countless stars were embedded in the dark sky.
It looked like someone had spilled milk on a black carpet or tossed white salt across it.
“Beautiful.”
One of the most impressive things about being born into a city and spending most of my life there was the sight of the starry night sky in this world.
Seeing a sky untouched by the destruction of nature, with no worries about ozone layers or global warming—it was quite a refreshing experience.
“Thinking about wandering around at night makes me feel like I’m up to no good.”
I was reminded of my elementary school days, where I had to be home before the evening news started.
After enjoying a delicious dinner at home, I’d either do homework or play games. By around 10 PM, I would drift off to sleep.
For me back then, anything past 10 PM, including late-night broadcasts, was the domain of adults. So, whenever I was dragged out at night by parents or older cousins, I was filled with excitement.
All the neon lights and unfamiliar night air—what was so fascinating about them back then?
Naturally, just a few years later, as a middle school, high school, and college student, I’d grown indifferent to watching the sunrise.
“I can’t believe I’m getting all fluttery about the night air again.”
I smiled to myself in satisfaction.
Mori, who had emerged from the cave, started walking on all fours up ahead.
“━We’ll mostly be hiding near the bushes. It’s daylight, so that’s a no-go, but at night, I can blend in pretty well.”
Thanks to the bright moonlight and starlight, I could see Mori and Leaf quite clearly against the darkness.
However, as they hid close to the bushes, their natural camouflage made them disappear entirely.
I frowned a bit at the contrast between my white fur and their brown coats.
“Brown fur is pretty handy in moments like this.”
It reminded me of my military days when I had to sneak around in trenches during night training.
I used to think combat uniforms were a joke, but I discovered they were remarkably good for blending in during dark nights.
“Still, I’ve got a knack for stealth and movement.”
I, too, crouched down and hid within the bushes. With a rustling sound, sharp twigs pricked my face.
But thankfully, my thick fur wasn’t too inconvenienced.
Mori emerged from the bushes and looked back at me and Leaf.
“━Yeah, it’s hard to see us. We’re well hidden. It’s best to travel like this. The bushes are full of the smells of all sorts of little beasts during the day, so we won’t get caught easily.”
Mori’s explanation felt like I was learning some fundamental survival lessons.
I pondered if there was something more sophisticated and helpful, just as Mori started gesturing at the ground with his front paw, pointing at the trails. Then, in a barely audible whisper, he said softly,
“━Let me tell you where to go next. You see this big beast trail, right? The grass is flattened, and the stones and dirt have compacted—never walk on these broad paths at night. This is the territory of large beasts. If possible, move around where there are no paths. Somewhere no one would ever look, like densely vine-covered areas and thick bushes.”
I eagerly blurted out a question like an enthusiastic student.
“Wait, does that mean it’s dangerous to walk on the big trails because we’ll likely run into strong beasts?”
“Exactly. But unless you want to be dinner for them, there’s no need to take that risk. Just remember: big trails are absolutely off-limits at night. You’ll have a quiz on it later.”
Leaf and I nodded at Mori’s words.
“When I was human, I was told to stick to the big paths at night; here, it’s the exact opposite. If you want to go to heaven, don’t use the wide, luxurious gate but rather the narrow one. Is that it?”
Even though I had declared a challenge to Kublai by scratching a tree, I rationally considered that it might be wiser to wait a while before facing him.
I had been munching away on fruits with the adults lately, gaining experience points, so it wouldn’t be long before I leveled up and got a bit stronger.
My current level was 17, and if I leveled up just three more times, I’d reach level 20, which meant evolution time!
After four evolutions, my power and activity would surely increase, and I felt confident that by then, I could take on Kublai easily.
“I hope I can quickly level up to 20 in the night forest. They say Behemoths have the highest mortality rate just before evolving.”
I recalled Eve’s explanations.
So far, four Behemoths had been created, excluding me.
Their names were Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon. Only Beta and Gamma had successfully evolved, while Delta and Epsilon met their doom just before evolution at the hands of the forest’s master.
Those who only became moderately strong after three evolutions were noted for their particularly fierce natures, inevitably leading to their demise.
Could it be compared to the adolescent age, the ‘stormy years’ for humans?
During that time, some individuals undertake reckless and irresponsible actions without a second thought, after all.
“But they had no real talent. Comparing myself, with seven talents, to them is ridiculous. I’m Alpha, after all!”
With a rather boastful mindset, I let out a growl, “Karruuk!” Just then, Mori, who was walking through the bushes, shushed me, “Shh!”
“━It’s best to keep quiet whenever you can. Unless you’re deliberately trying to lure something. Night creatures generally have keen hearing.”
This raccoon, Mori, seemed to be more cautious and caring than I’d initially thought.
So, I asked him a question.
“Then do we just have to keep running in the night forest? Don’t weak beasts have hunting grounds or camps around here?”
“Weak beasts? Anything wandering around at night are all monstrosities.”
“There must be some weak ones among them. I didn’t come looking for you to sneakily steal flowers in this night forest. I want to master the night paths and become the ruler of this forest.”
“Well, uh… If that’s the case…”
“Is something coming to mind? Spill it!”
“I do have something in mind: the weakest ones in this night forest. But don’t think of them as weak compared to those creatures roaming during the day. They’re nothing like horned rabbits.”
“Okay, got it. So, lead me to where they are.”
“Okay. But I won’t tell you the way twice, so memorize it well.”
Raccoon Rita started weaving between the bushes, heading somewhere. It was quite the twisty path, making it hard to memorize.
“Hey, Leaf. Are you keeping note of the way we’re going?”
At my question, Leaf nodded.
“I’m trying to, but why?”
“Because I can’t remember a thing.”
It was unavoidable that everything looked the same in the nighttime forest—trees and rocks all blended into one. But with Leaf keeping track, my worries lessened considerably.
“I’m glad I kept this guy around.”
I recalled the first moment I met Leaf.
I’d seriously considered whether to eat him as an emergency food supply, but now, I couldn’t help but think how helpful he’d become. Without him, I might have found myself lonely and bored in the forest.
“Sure, he sometimes talks too much, and his curiosity can be annoying, but…”
Lost in those thoughts, Mori suddenly halted.
“Shh. Don’t even breathe.”
Mori froze like a rock hidden in the bushes. Calmly, I held my breath and activated my stealth skill.
Soon enough, a four-legged beast, covered in luscious golden fur, sashayed past the trail beyond the bushes, wagging its tail.
Its size was reminiscent of a Siberian tiger, but it looked more like Mao with a slim torso and a fluffy tail that contrasted greatly.
“Four tails? And what are those on its feet?”
Its white claws were burning with green flames, glowing like will-o’-the-wisps.
“What a striking creature!”
Its long snout and pointy ears suggested it was a canine—a fox, perhaps? I recalled that the East was the land of wolves and foxes.
Striding elegantly, it disappeared into the depths of the bushes. As the sound of it crunching through the underbrush faded away, Mori slowly released the breath he had been holding.
“Phew, that was close. That’s Samihou, Ishtar. As strong as Kublai, but he’s not interested in expanding his territory, nor in aiming for the position of forest lord. He’s far scarier because you can’t predict what he’ll do. He tends to pop up unpredictably without any established path.”
Leaf and I, too, exhaled a breath we had been holding.
“We- we nearly died!”
Leaf couldn’t stop trembling even after Ishtar the golden fox had vanished.
I stared into the underbrush where that Ishtar had disappeared, casually tossing a question towards Mori.
“Does that one have talents? You know, the ones Mother World Tree bestows upon beasts.”
Mori answered without hesitation.
“Of course! It has the ability called ‘Accumulation.’ It can store nutrients and power in its tail. Did you see those four tails? They are filled with about 400 years’ worth of nutrients. There’s a rumor that it grows one tail every hundred years, but I can’t confirm if that’s true.”
Mori’s explanation brought to mind the legends of the Kumiho. I recalled that the magical fox would grow a tail every hundred years until eventually having nine.
“Storing nutrients, huh.”
I thought back to Yan-Mite’s tail I had tasted. The flavor was inexplicable; it was like a drug.
The tail of that Ishtar, stocked with hundreds of years of nutrients, would surely be incredibly delicious.
“A strong contender like Kublai or Ishtar? I must commit this to memory.”
I firmly etched the image and name of the golden fox into my mind.
*
Mori certainly had no intention of rushing, moving at a slow, measured pace.
Whenever he sensed something, he’d hide in the bushes, then, as it disappeared, he would move again, as if resembling a spy in a spy story.
“Exploring at night is fun! My heart is racing.”
Not long ago, he had quivered in fear at the sight of the golden fox, but now, as he trailed behind Mori, his lips were pulled back in a grin.
“Honestly, this is more boring than I expected.”
I was hoping this little infiltration would end soon.
Contrary to the warnings I’d heard about the dangers of the forest at night, this shadowy woodland was surprisingly quiet, with hardly any movement.
“Is it because I’m searching for paths free of danger? Or does the Eastern Forest simply have this kind of atmosphere?”
Occasionally, the Three-Eyed Wolves would bark, racing around outside the bushes.
They looked like patrol dogs, checking the areas around them before springing back to where they came from.
“They’re keeping watch over their territory all night long. Dozens of them are doing this throughout the forest.”
Mori’s explanation made me realize that even in the beast world, there’s a pretty sophisticated structure in place. Wolves, by nature, live in packs, so they must have their peculiar culture.
“If you get caught by them, you better run with everything you’ve got until dawn. Climbing up trees is also a good escape plan. The wolves under Kublai shouldn’t be much of a threat, but if it leads to a ruckus with a whole pack gathering, I can’t guarantee what’ll happen.”
Leaf chimed in after Mori’s explanation.
“It’s best not to get caught.”
“Exactly. Wolves are the strongest in this forest. Avoid confrontation whenever possible.”
Mori gave a firm warning and then waddled deeper into the bushes again.
I called out to him from behind.
“So, how long until we arrive? Who are we up against?”
“Shh—almost there. Just over there.”
Mori peered through a hole in the bushes, sticking just his eyes out. Leaf and I followed suit, poking our heads through to see what lay beyond.
“Grr…”
“Caw!”
Under the moonlight, I spotted two three-eyed wolves with ash-gray and black tufts of fur swirling about.
“Wolves? I thought we weren’t supposed to face wolves?”
I couldn’t help but laugh, finding the situation absurd. Mori, however, continued with a serious explanation.
“Tartar wolves are the most dangerous creatures in this Eastern Forest. But ironically, they are also the most fragile. Those are deserters from their packs. Individuals, rather than a group, aren’t that strong. They still have wolf-like strength, but…”
“Aah, so that’s the deal.”
I recalled the very first four-legged beast I had slain since coming to this forest—the three-eyed wolf.
That guy had roamed into my territory from the south all alone, trying to hunt me. Now that I think back, he must have been running away, having strayed from his pack.
“Alright, wolves it is.”
I began to stealthily unveil myself from the bushes.
“What are you doing?” Leaf asked, bewildered.
I flashed my sharp fangs in a grin.
“Doing what I do best.”
