34 — Chapter 34

Ssshhhaa.

I had just finished dinner and stood up when the sky split open, and rain poured down in a sudden torrent.

“Quickly, everyone, into the tents!”

Medsav’s shout rang out, and the merchants scrambled in panic.

In front of me, Horse-face still hadn’t finished eating. He tipped his bowl to his lips, gulping the soup straight down. That had to be his fifth bowl. Sharn, meanwhile, had slipped away right after the meal, vanishing without a word into the tent beside the first wagon.

“Damn it, rain, all of a sudden?”

Horse-face cursed as he bolted toward the tent near the carriage, splashing water everywhere.

The ground here was uneven, dotted with shallow depressions that quickly filled with rainwater.

I picked up my sword and walked toward the tent beside the last wagon, where I had ridden. Circulating my internal energy, I spread a thin barrier across my body to ward off the downpour.

I’d already been drenched enough that no one would suspect.

Inside the tent, the ground was lined with nothing but a thin sheet, soaked through. The space was barely large enough for one person to lie down, and the roof so low I had to hunch my back. The interior was already a puddle of mud and rainwater.

Aside from the two still inside the carriage, none of us would be sleeping comfortably tonight. Few humans could lie in filthy water and call it rest.

Thudthudthud…

The drum of rain against the tent canvas grew heavier.

It wasn’t as bad as the storms in the Demon Realm, but it was fierce enough to drag those memories back. Back then, the rain had been so thick you couldn’t see an inch ahead. Worse, the downpour’s roar drowned out even hearing, leaving only the faint traces of qi to rely on.

And in that kind of storm, even sensing monsters became nearly impossible. I’d only realized they were attacking when they were already upon me, their presence revealed by the strike itself. For months I had lived like that—fighting in blinding sheets of rain.

Still, perhaps because of those days, a night like this felt like nothing.

The Demon Realm itself was an environment where humans could never survive. Stifling air, crushing atmosphere, and nights made restless by prowling beasts.

Compared to that, this was paradise.

“Ah, I just want to go home already!”

A lamenting cry pierced through the storm. Soon other voices joined, echoing from different tents in sympathy.

The tents had been arranged in a ring around the five wagons and the carriage, fifteen in total. We mercenaries and Medsav each had one, while the merchants shared in pairs. One tent even held three.

Beside the central carriage stood a tree, nearly five meters tall, its branches thick with leaves. I remembered it well.

Thudthudthud!

The pounding rain snapped me out of thought. I slid my sword into my subspace and sat so the entrance of the tent remained in view. Dampness soaked into my legs from the ground beneath.

I ignored it and focused on the sight before me—streams of water stabbing down into the earth.

When I concentrated further, each drop came into view, clear and distinct.

Each drop of rain struck the earth, leaving behind the faintest trace before scattering into smaller droplets. Yet even those were quickly swallowed, absorbed into the ground beneath.

…Hm?

A presence was approaching me through the storm. At first it moved fast, but soon its pace slowed. In rain like this, running or walking made little difference.

From the qi around it, I could feel stored mana. Only mercenaries carried mana here.

And of them, only one had so little.

“Knew you’d still be awake. Hahaha.”

Horse-face bent low to step inside my tent, his lanky body making his face seem even longer. Not an illusion, I was sure.

“Look at this mess.”

I spoke quietly, gesturing around us. He glanced at the soaked ground, then back at me with a look that asked permission to sit.

What was the point of asking now, after barging in without a word? He might as well have just sat down. I sighed inwardly and gave him a slight nod.

“Ha, thanks. But really—are you actually twenty?”

He plopped down quickly, ignoring my casual speech, and went straight to the question.

So he still didn’t believe it, even after digging up my records? Perhaps it was because I was listed as A-rank at such a young age. That alone could stir doubt.

But why cling to it this much? Did he have a reason?

I nodded again, this time meeting his eyes with a steady look that asked, why are you so obsessed with this?

He froze for a second, startled just from my gaze. That was all it took?

“H-hahaha. Well, it’s just… how about joining the mercenary band I belong to?”

His laugh turned awkward as he finally revealed his real intention.

So that was it. That explained all the probing questions. Recruiting a high-rank mercenary would boost his group’s standing.

But why press me so hard, especially after I’d been nothing but curt with him? Most mercenaries would’ve bristled at my casual tone. Was he swallowing it just because of my rank?

The benefits must be significant for him. Or so he thought. I shook my head inwardly and spoke flatly.

“Not interested.”

My refusal was immediate, leaving his expression twisted and uncertain. Maybe my answer had been too quick, catching him off guard.

“Ah? R-right. But maybe if you think it over agai—”

“Leave.”

I cut him off before he could drag it out.

His face contorted in anger. To him, I must have looked like some arrogant brat throwing his rank around.

“You little bastard!”

He sprang to his feet, eyes blazing, his right leg drawing back for a kick.

So—was this his real nature, finally surfacing? Or just his temper snapping?

The tent shuddered as his balance faltered.

When Horse-face suddenly lurched upright, the tent leaned dangerously to one side. He wasn’t even fully standing yet, but if he rose all the way, the whole thing would collapse for sure.

I stretched my left leg forward, blocking the path of his right leg so he couldn’t kick at me. Then I spoke in a low voice, lacing it with killing intent.

“Stop it.”

I had driven my inner energy into the words. In his ears, the menace should have been unmistakable.

Horse-face froze. Whether it was the weight of my aura or simply my presence pressing down on him, I couldn’t say. But he couldn’t move. His whole body trembled faintly, and his wide eyes were filled with shock.

To drive him off once and for all, I lowered my voice even further.

“Get out.”

At those final words, he seemed to come to his senses. His body shook violently once, then he stumbled backward, retreating step by step until he disappeared from sight.

I could feel his presence fleeing, moving rapidly away.

I wanted nothing more than to lie down. The muddy ground didn’t bother me; I stretched out and closed my eyes.

The sensation against my back was familiar, almost too familiar.

Thudthudthud…

Rain hammered endlessly in my ears. Now and then, water rolled down the tent’s roof and splashed onto me.

How long had I lain there with my eyes closed?

Something approached. No—many things. At least twenty presences closing in.

I focused, extending my senses.

Was it after I had reached the Realm of Insight that I learned this? Every living being carried a unique qi signature, and with enough concentration, I could even detect subtle differences between members of the same species.

And these signatures… they were not human.