Reymond and Miguel successfully left the dangerous forest area and finally headed toward the small village. The surroundings had become somewhat calmer, and the village barricades began to appear in the distance. When they reached the village's wooden main gate, Reymond stopped and turned to Miguel.
— I'm going to complete the task I mentioned. I'll be back here in about 2–3 hours. And take back the sword I gave you during the earlier fight, — he said, returning the long iron sword to its owner.
Miguel looked at the sword and, in a tired and completely exhausted tone, waved her hand dismissively:
— I don't need this sword for now anyway. In my current state, I can't fight any monster regardless. I'd rather quickly go inside the village and fill my stomach with something, otherwise I'll die of hunger, — she said, then dragged her delicate and beautiful female body forward and entered through the gate.
Reymond watched her for a moment, then continued on his way to complete his System task. He circled around the village and headed straight toward the north-eastern section with firm, rapid steps.
After about half an hour of intense walking, Reymond reached the north-eastern part of the forest. The scenery here was completely different from what he had imagined: the trees were so thick and dense compared to the eastern side that it felt as if nature had hidden this place from the world itself. At every step, hundreds of trees leaned against one another.
Reymond recalled the words of the soldiers' commander who had given him the task: "A mysterious and dangerous creature has appeared in this part of the forest." He came here to verify its existence and, if necessary, fight it.
The density of the trees was so extreme that even though it was midday, sunlight could not reach the ground. The forest interior was dim like twilight.
— This place is very dense, — Reymond said in surprise, touching the massive tree trunks around him. — I've never seen a forest this dense in my life.
The deeper he went, the darker it became. However, Reymond did not panic. Thanks to his [Stalker] ability, obtained as a reward from his first battle, he possessed night vision and could move in the darkness as if it were daylight, even detecting the smallest movements between the trees.
— It seems like there's nothing here... — he said while scanning the area carefully. His voice echoed strangely through the dense forest. Still, he remained calm and did not lower his guard even for a second.
Reymond advanced further into the forest, but found no suspicious traces, no monsters, and no abnormal signs. Only his footsteps and the rustling of trees in the wind could be heard.
Eventually, finding nothing, he decided to return.
— Because I moved so cautiously and slowly, it probably took about an hour, — Reymond thought as he turned back. — Maybe that commander was mistaken, or the creature moved away before I arrived.
He paused for a few seconds, then looked ahead again, but saw nothing except the dark, deep forest and dense trees. To clear his doubts, he looked left and right as well. The surroundings were silent.
Just as he turned to his left, he suddenly heard a strange wind-like sound behind him, followed by several branches snapping!
He immediately reacted and turned sharply back. His entire body became alert, and he carefully moved toward the source of the sound, gripping his dagger tightly just in case.
Reymond approached a suspicious bush between the trees. He held his breath, slowly reached out, and carefully checked inside and behind it… but there was nothing there.
— Maybe I just imagined it, — he whispered, trying to calm himself. Then he sheathed his dagger, turned around, and began walking back the way he came to leave the forest.
In the end, finding nothing, he left the dense and dark forest behind. The trees became sparse, and he stepped into a wide open area — a beautiful region covered with grass and lush greenery. From here, the grand city walls were clearly visible in the distance.
At that moment, the sky was painted a bright red, indicating that sunset was near. Only half of the sun could be seen behind the massive city walls, casting its final rays.
Reymond stared at the reddish sun for a moment.
— It's almost nightfall. I need to return quickly, — he said, increasing his pace.
As Reymond approached the village again, the silhouettes of houses and flickering lights began to appear under the darkening sky. He arrived at the large wooden gate and looked at Miguel, who was waiting for him.
— You finally arrived, — Miguel said, leaning against the thick wooden pillar of the gate, her arms crossed as she stared at him with a displeased expression.
Because she was still in the female appearance granted by the System, even her simple posture looked elegant and beautiful from the outside. However, her tone of speech, rough voice, and unchanged masculine personality sharply contrasted with that appearance.
— I didn't force you to wait here like that, so don't talk to me in that tone, — Reymond replied, completely ignoring her irritation.
Miguel clicked her tongue in annoyance at his cold attitude and looked down at her blood-stained clothes:
— Whatever. Let's just go. Take me to that city you mentioned, — she said, wanting to escape this place and situation as soon as possible.
Reymond said nothing further. He simply walked forward, passing Miguel without a glance. Miguel adjusted her equipment and followed him silently without further protest.
The forest was now behind them, and night had completely taken over the world. Under the silver moonlight, the members of "Sigma team" — Reymond and Miguel in her female form — walked silently along the wide dirt road leading to the city. Only the chirping of nocturnal insects and distant howls of wild creatures could be heard.
Along the way, Miguel occasionally looked at her delicate hands and the long black hair visible beneath her armor. She still had not gotten used to this condition. As a man, being trapped in such a graceful and delicate body was deeply offensive to her pride. However, she remained silent, walking behind Reymond to avoid causing trouble on this dangerous night road. Reymond, meanwhile, paid no attention to her internal struggle and focused entirely on the dangers ahead.
After about an hour and a half of walking, the majestic city walls finally rose before them. Massive stone barriers stood tall, with guards watching the surroundings using torches on top. The enormous iron gate of the city was closed at night, and two heavily armored guards stood beside it with spears in their hands.
As Reymond and Miguel approached, one of the guards pointed his spear forward, stopping them.
— Halt! Entry into the city at night is forbidden, — the guard said in a harsh voice.
— After nine o'clock at night, entry is strictly prohibited. If you are a registered resident of this city, you may enter by paying a late-entry fee, — the second guard added, bringing his torch closer.
— Yes, I live in this city. How much is the fee? — Reymond asked calmly, avoiding unnecessary complications.
— The night entry fee is 10 iron coins per person, — the guard replied firmly.
Reymond reached into his pocket, took out 10 iron coins from the 85 he had left after breakfast, and handed them over. His wallet now contained 75 iron coins.
After paying, Reymond stepped forward into the city. But as soon as he took a few steps, one of the guards crossed his spear to block Miguel.
— Hey, miss! I said it's 10 coins per person, — the guard said, staring at her briefly, momentarily distracted by her beautiful appearance.
Miguel froze, unsure what to do, and quickly looked at Reymond. She did not have a single coin. Reymond sighed heavily, turned back, and took out another 10 iron coins from his wallet and handed them to the guard. After that, he was left with 7 silver coins and 65 iron coins.
— Tomorrow morning I need to collect the promised reward for this mission. Today has already gotten too late, — Reymond said with a sigh, glancing at his now significantly lighter wallet.
Together with Miguel, he finally entered the city. The streets were dimly lit but still active with people, though far fewer than during the day. They walked through the crowd toward the inn where Reymond was staying.