The mysterious man moved quietly through the forest, his footsteps melting into the damp, shadowed ground. The night air clung to the trees, cool and still.
"To find the mortal, I'll need something that keeps that group busy for a while. But what in this forest can serve that purpose?" he wondered.
"Let's look around for a bit."
He drifted between the trees like a silent breeze, eyes scanning the ground, the bushes, and the shifting darkness.
"Oh? This is…"A faint gleam flashed through his eyes as he made his discovery.
Meanwhile, the killers tore through the forest with restless hunger. They moved like a famished wolf pack, driven by greed and impatience.
Their client was equally tense, demanding reports every few minutes.
"The mortal wasn't careful while escaping. He must have left clues," the leader muttered.
Element bearers could erase their tracks with elemental energy. Mortals could not.
Footprints, handprints, blood—everything remained exposed.
If the mortal hadn't slipped into this dark forest, he would already be dead.
The men regrouped, trading observations, when suddenly—
Roar!
A mud tiger stepped out from the darkness, its growl rumbling through the trees like distant thunder.
It was a magical beast, born from the natural blending of earth and water elements. Its body resembled hardened, wet clay, while its jagged, icy teeth glimmered under the faint moonlight.
Mud tigers rarely attacked unless provoked… or unless someone trespassed into their territory.
The group staggered back.
"Where the hell did that thing come from!?"
"This place shouldn't be near any beast territory! Did we provoke it earlier?"
"Formation! Prepare for a fight!"
The tiger leaped. Earth- and water-infused claw strikes sliced through the air. Forced into a defensive stance, the men struggled to keep up. The dense trees and suffocating darkness dulled their reflexes and narrowed their vision.
But the mud tiger moved with effortless clarity. Its water-like eyes absorbed the moisture around it, honing its senses and reading every motion in its surroundings.
From afar, the mysterious man watched, calm and still. He had been the one who provoked the beast… and guided it straight here.
"Powerful," he murmured with a faint trace of amusement, "but painfully simple."
Though he lacked elemental power, his precision and knowledge eclipsed any mortal's. He had expertly irritated the tiger and exploited its instinctive fear of element bearers to mask his own trail.
This was the chance he needed.
"With them occupied, I can search for the mortal."
Leaving the chaos behind, he slipped away deeper into the forest. With the killers distracted, the woods felt open, almost quiet.
After a short distance, he noticed a knife lying in the dirt. He picked it up, examined the blade, and pocketed it.
"Useful. But before meeting the mortal, I need something else."
He hunted a few rabbits, gathered edible plants, and had just finished when he saw a figure slip into an underground tunnel.
The mortal!
Without making a sound, he followed.
The tunnel led to a cave, dim and echoing slightly with each drip of water. Deeper inside, the mortal sat on a flat rock, breathing unsteadily.
When he saw the mysterious man, he jolted, fear sparking in his eyes.
"Don't worry. I'm a mortal too, just like you," the man said gently, wearing a soft, harmless smile.
"And why should I believe that!? You're one of their helpers! You want to hand me over—don't you!?" the mortal snapped. His voice was shaking between panic and fury.
"Calm down. I live near this forest. I came here to hunt. Then that group of element bearers started fighting and causing chaos. It looked like you were running from them, so I followed to escape too."
The man smiled again—mild, innocent, carefully sincere.
He placed the rabbits and plants on the ground.
"See? I told you—I'm not one of them."
The mortal's suspicion wavered. The sight of the food softened his expression, the tension in his shoulders slowly easing.
"All right… I believe you."He exhaled, exhausted.
"I don't know where to go anymore. If you live nearby… could you take me with you? I'll leave as soon as they stop chasing me."
His tone was defeated, tired, almost pleading.
"I'll take you," the man replied immediately, warm and reassuring.
Relief flickered in the mortal's eyes. He opened his mouth to speak—But the mysterious man leaned closer.
"Your face is red… and you're sweating too much. A fever?"
He raised his left hand and gently touched the mortal's forehead.
"No—it's fine, I don't want to cause you trou—AAH!!"
The knife plunged through the man's left hand and straight into the mortal's skull.
The mortal's eyes widened, frozen in horror. His pupils shrank as he stared at the blade—his blade.It was the knife he had lost during the chase.
The mysterious man looked down at him, face calm, almost serene.
"With this," he said softly, "…I finally obtained knowledge of this world."