[IYFILWATIP] Chapter 35

In response to Kirona's protest, the man let out a derisive laugh.

"Yeah, you know it well. In the East, it's kill or be killed. You should know that by now after living here for about a year." 

"How do you know that?" 

"I wouldn't abduct someone without information." 

Kirona fell silent as the dust-covered harpe blade brushed against her cheek, its sharp edge grazing her skin. The man sighed, looking utterly exhausted. 

"Listen carefully, noble lady. Since you're so curious, I'll answer just this once. I'm a mercenary, and I need money. A wealthy client happens to want you. If you follow me quietly, I have no intention of hurting you. A living body fetches a higher price than a dead one. But if you keep making noise and annoying me... I'm starting to think I could just as easily deliver you dead." 

"......" 

"Besides, you've seen it yourself—the kind of monsters that live here. If we keep squabbling here, both you and I will end up as snake food." 

"......" 

"Let's not make this harder than it needs to be. Save your clever tricks for after we get out of the forest. You understand?" 

The smell of metal reached her nose, making her veins instinctively shrink back under her skin. Kirona reluctantly nodded. 

The man sheathed the harpe, securing it to his waist, and untied Kirona from the tree. Though her arms were still bound, she could finally breathe more easily. Kirona coughed a few times, glaring at him as she did. 

The man ignored her, grabbed the rope binding her, and tugged it again. 

"Get up. Stop complaining." 

Kirona did as she was told—not because she was afraid of his threat, which she still didn’t believe, but because she agreed that they needed to get out of the forest as quickly as possible. 

The terrifying image of the basilisk was still fresh in her mind. She had thought she had grown used to the disgusting monsters since arriving in the East, but that was arrogance. 

After witnessing Count Rohatyn's hunting party being swallowed whole by the snake’s maw, she could understand why the mercenaries, including Marlon, had abandoned her and fled. 

Did they manage to escape? Marlon was the only one among them who truly knew the way out. And did this man know the way when he kidnapped her? Had he come here solely to abduct her? 

Questions swirled in her mind. After hesitating for a moment, Kirona asked with a doubtful expression. 

"Do you even know how to get out of this forest?" 

"I do. I've been here seven times." 

"And with the basilisk around?" 

"I hadn't seen that snake before, but it doesn't change anything. There are plenty of other dangers here, and every time I enter, it's always a life-or-death situation." 

"But if you've been here seven times, that means you've escaped seven times too. You must be pretty good, huh?" 

It was a question laced with sarcasm, implying that he had risked his life for money seven times. And that was precisely her intent. But instead of getting angry, the man responded coolly. 

"In this place, survival isn't about skill. Anyone can die here if their luck runs out." 

"......" 

"But of course, if you stay still and don’t move, your luck might just run out faster." 

He gazed up at the sky with a complicated expression. Kirona followed his gaze and suddenly realised how much time had passed. 

The sun was setting. In the distance, the cries of monsters echoed faintly. The shadows of the trees swayed eerily under the moonlight. A bluish darkness enveloped them as the gently rustling leaves and the wind-blown grass played a haunting melody. 

Night was beginning to fall in the forest. 

Kirona stopped resisting and started walking. The man was right. Finding a place to spend the night was more important than arguing. 

This was the land of monsters, the farthest edge of the world, a forsaken territory. 

Those who stayed still would die. If you wanted to live, you had to keep moving. 

* * * 

Wandering around Nabimi Forest at night was sheer madness. The best course of action was to move quickly and get out within a day, but if that wasn’t possible, the only option was to make a fire and camp. 

Of course, that didn’t mean you could sleep comfortably. Nocturnal monsters were sensitive to light and movement, so staying still by the fire was safer than wandering in the dark. 

Jade, exhausted, managed to gather enough strength to start a campfire. He collected dry branches and piled them neatly, then gutted a captured monster bird to extract a firestone. 

He secured the firestone with both feet and selected a sturdy rock to strike it. The red, translucent firestone shattered, sparking a fire that quickly ignited the piled wood. 

As the flames flickered, the face of the girl he had captured was illuminated. At the same time, Jade thought to himself. 

--I’m screwed.