Retreat
Having greater numbers was not always an advantage. The same applied to expeditions. With thousands of soldiers marching together, their pace was frustratingly slow.
It couldn't be helped.
The environment of the Demon Realm itself was dangerous and barren, and obstacles constantly appeared to hinder the soldiers' advance.
Poisonous thorn thickets, bottomless swamps, enormous carnivorous plants that devoured even humans…
Whenever such hazards appeared, the vanguard had to eliminate them—or the entire expeditionary force had to detour and find another route. Each time, the pace inevitably slowed.
Roland found the situation thoroughly displeasing.
"Nothing to do but stare at the back of the man in front of me. At this rate, I'll die of boredom."
As usual, Roland grumbled. Until a few days ago, he had carried himself with solemn dignity… but ever since joining the second expedition, his demeanor had noticeably changed.
The Holy Knights paid little attention to the shift. This was, after all, Roland's true personality.
When he sat in the commander's seat, he had maintained gravitas for the sake of appearances. The moment he shed that post, the restraint vanished, and his original nature resurfaced.
"Say, Jin—when do you think we'll finally see action? I'd like to hear your thoughts."
"Hard to say…"
It wasn't an easy question to answer.
Woojin had never traveled with such a vast force before. The creatures of the Demon Realm had likely never seen so many humans either. How would they respond?
After a moment's thought, he replied,
"…For the time being, nothing will happen. The weaker ones have probably fled already. The stronger ones are likely observing."
"So not much different from the first expedition, then. Perhaps this mission will end without much excitement."
Roland clicked his tongue. The demonic beasts had behaved timidly thus far; at this rate, they might reach their destination without serious difficulty.
But Woojin shook his head.
"That won't happen. When the time is right, they'll reveal themselves."
"The right time? And when would that be?"
"When it benefits them. When the expedition's focus falters. When the terrain and timing favor them. That's when they'll hunt."
He was no prophet, so he could not predict exactly when. But the beasts would strike. It would be too tempting to ignore such abundant prey.
Roland tilted his head, clearly skeptical.
"So you're saying… they can employ tactics like humans? That they possess intelligence to that degree?"
"Roland. Demonic beasts are more cunning than humans."
Woojin added with a faint smile,
"You'll understand eventually."
Ten days later.
The expeditionary force was halted. They had encountered a sizable river during their advance.
Roland studied the map.
"There's no river marked here… Has the terrain changed so drastically over time?"
"Seems that way."
The Demon Realm's environment changed rapidly.
Hundreds of years separated the last recorded map of this region and present reality. Thus, scouts had been dispatched to survey and learn the surrounding geography anew.
'During the first expedition, we had the advantage of using paths already cleared. From here on, it won't be so easy.'
They now advanced as if groping through darkness. To succeed, they would have to respond effectively to such variables.
Soon, an order to detour was given. The army marched along the riverbank. After half a day, they discovered a relatively shallow stretch.
'Can we cross there?'
Woojin felt uneasy. What looked easy often concealed danger.
But his thoughts held no sway over the expedition's decisions. To test the crossing, a brave knight stepped into the water.
He advanced without hesitation. The water only reached his lower body, and the current was gentle.
The knight crossed without difficulty. Soon, the order rang out:
"Ford the river!"
The vanguard soldiers waded in. Crossing itself posed no great challenge—the issue was time.
One could not move quickly in water.
The river was wide, and the army numbered in the thousands. It would take considerable time for all to cross.
Already more than an hour had passed. Barely thirty percent had made it across.
"Everyone must cross before sunset! Increase your pace, but maintain order!"
The overseeing knight issued the command. The soldiers hastened—but haste was not always wise.
Splash!!
A soldier slipped on slick moss and fell face-first into the water. Another nearby smirked.
'Clumsy fool.'
His pack had fallen in. Spare clothes and supplies would be soaked. He would surely suffer for it.
But the fallen soldier did not rise. He remained submerged.
"What?"
As confusion flickered across the onlooker's face, a burning sensation seized his ankle. Something had grabbed his leg. He too was dragged beneath the surface.
Soldiers vanished in succession. Only then did the expedition realize what was happening.
"There's something in the water!!"
"Waaah—!"
Panic spread. From the rear ranks forward, screams were swallowed by the river one by one.
In mere moments, over a dozen soldiers disappeared. Weapons were drawn as the army stared at the water's surface in tense anticipation. The creature that had devoured them would surely appear—
…But the river flowed on with a quiet murmur. No monster emerged. Not even a single drop of blood surfaced.
As though nothing had happened at all.
That fact made it far more terrifying.
**
No one wanted to enter the water again, but thirty percent of the troops had already secured the opposite bank. The rest had no choice but to cross as well.
Yet issuing another direct order to ford the river would shatter morale. A safer alternative was needed.
"Cut down the surrounding trees!"
Duke Edwin's knights shouted the command. Soldiers were handed saws and axes and began felling the Demon Realm's trees.
Woojin scratched his chin as he watched.
'Planning to build rafts?'
There was clearly some intention behind it, but he didn't dwell on it. He would understand once he saw the result.
His attention lay elsewhere.
'Water wraiths.'
The beings that had thrown the army into terror. He wanted to uncover their identity, so he lingered near the riverbank.
He had not witnessed the soldiers vanishing himself. After watching for a long while without incident, he had left to eat dinner with the wolves—only for disaster to strike in that brief window.
'They've had a taste. They'll show themselves again. How do I lure them out…?'
As he pondered, he felt eyes on him. Soldiers in the midst of logging were staring in his direction.
Rumors of water spirits had spread, and most people avoided the river. With him alone prowling the shoreline, it was only natural that attention gathered.
'I'll come back after sunset.'
He wouldn't have to wait long. Since the crossing had already taken hours, night would fall completely within half an hour.
He passed the time chatting idly with Roland.
And then night came.
Without alerting anyone, Woojin slipped out of camp. At the riverbank, he removed his shoes and upper garments, folded them neatly, and set them atop a rock.
Preparation complete. He intended to use his own body as bait.
'A midnight swim.'
There was a certain charm to it.
He drew in a deep breath, filling his lungs, and dove beneath the surface. He scanned his surroundings for traces of the creature.
Something glinted faintly.
He swam closer. It was a soldier's helmet.
'No rust yet. Must belong to one of today's victims.'
If the helmet lay here, other traces should be nearby. He searched carefully—but strangely, there was nothing.
That was unusual.
Demonic beasts were not elegant eaters. After tearing into prey, armor would be shattered and scattered. Fragments should litter the riverbed—yet none were visible.
'Come to think of it… they said no blood surfaced, even though the soldiers sank.'
The picture became clearer.
All that remained was to draw the creatures out. Woojin began diving repeatedly, stirring the water to attract attention. But no matter how many times he tried, there was no response.
'Cautious, aren't they.'
Which made sense. The army had been crossing for hours before the beasts finally acted.
'Let's add some seasoning.'
With that thought, Woojin swam toward a deeper section. His hand moved to his waist. Soon, a dagger rested in his right hand.
He pressed the blade to his palm and sawed it back and forth. Thick skin split open, and blood flowed.
"Come."
He clenched and unclenched his fist, squeezing out more blood. The scent spread through the water—sweet and intoxicating. It awakened the slumbering hunters below.
They came in a swarm.
Long, eel-like bodies cutting through the river. His suspicion was confirmed.
'As expected… water serpent beasts.'
The soldiers had vanished so cleanly because the serpents bit with venomous fangs and swallowed them whole beneath the surface. Tricks always seemed unimpressive once exposed.
But dismissing them would be foolish. The water serpents were massive—anaconda-sized. There were at least twenty.
Crunch—snap!
They lunged, sinking fangs into him in competition. At the same time, their bodies coiled tightly around him, constricting with crushing force meant to suffocate prey and shatter bones.
Woojin sank into the depths. Into pitch-black darkness where no light reached—
…Red lightning erupted.
A silent explosion beneath the water. For a fleeting instant, the riverbed flashed crimson before darkness reclaimed it, as though nothing had happened.
Splash.
Woojin broke the surface and drew in a deep breath. Air filled his lungs; it felt like awakening from a long dream.
'Whew… almost ran out of breath.'
As he steadied himself—
The serpent beasts floated up one by one. Their bodies were charred from within. He had carefully controlled the output so their cores and hides remained intact.
Seeing the result, Woojin smiled in satisfaction.
'Water wraiths—exorcised.'
It had been a while since he'd accomplished something this clean.
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