Heavy and rapid tapping sounds produced by my steps ring loudly in my ears.

  Haaahh…

  Haahh..

  haah..

  No matter how fast I run, I don't think it's at all possible to reach the mansion before the attack does. Unfortunately, that is inevitable. However, I gave her my hometown’s protective charm the last time we met, so at the very least, I should still be able to secure her safety after the charm's barrier activation.

  I catch my breath for a few seconds before continuing my sprint towards a friend's home, which is currently targeted by the Holy Temple of Goldrake town. I've been running towards this big mansion in the middle of the forest for a while and with much haste, I could feel my whole body dripping with sweat. What I can't feel currently are my two legs...

  As I get closer to the mansion, I notice that the sun is at its zenith now.

  ...They've launched it.

  I duck my head to save myself and as expected, I sense a wave of scorching heat from a high-intensity light ray sears through the air, sweeping over me with incredible speed, leaving an ear-piercing screech in its wake.

  I pick myself back up and bear witness to the big mansion in the distance suddenly being consumed from the bottom up by a pillar of light that towers over everything in its vicinity for a brief moment before dissipating completely, seemingly taking most of the mansion with it.

  Then, a high-pitched scream of despair echoes throughout the forest loudly, breaking me out of my trance and signaling me to hurry toward whatever remains of the mansion.

  My feet begin to move again.

  The forest is quiet. Too quiet. It was as if the animals that were here just the previous day weren't even here in the first place.

  Suddenly, my senses gnaw at my thought, as the sound of frantic but light footsteps coming towards me follows. A young girl was shuffling in my direction, her black hair fluttering unruly, with her eyes cast down on the ground. I stop my movement deliberately, causing her to collide with me shortly, but I hold on to her just in time to prevent her from collapsing. Just then, she suddenly starts to struggle away almost immediately with a great force.

  “Sharle, it’s me,” I say to the panicked girl.

  "Shi...on..?" She whispers my name before losing all consciousness.

  "Let's get you somewhere safe first." I take off my cloak and use it to cover her body and face.

  Let's see. Goldrake town is not an option, they were the one to attack Sharle’s home to begin with. Other than that, I could also use the abandoned building formerly used by the Church, but that's going to be a long journey on foot. I doubt going into human settlements would be a good idea either-..hm?

  My chain of thought is suddenly broken by the collective sound of heavy footsteps closing in.

  Judging by the time of arrival and number, it must be the mercenaries. If memory serves, the Holy Temple sought out at least five people for the commission they posted on the guild hall this morning. Better move before the clean-up party gets closer.

  ". . .hup!"

  I move my backpack to the front, putting Sharle on my back to carry her better. Without wasting another second, I rush away from the scene.

  Still, having no viable option on where we could safely stay means we’d have to wander for a while, which isn’t ideal for a girl Sharle’s age.

  I sigh, before cutting my breath short when I suddenly hear the rustle of the bush behind me. I turn around in order to face Sharle away from the unknown threat and back away slowly. Sure enough, there is something in that bush. All of the animals in the forest should’ve ran away after sensing the concentration of light energy being gathered in Goldrake, but I have no time to confirm this. Either way, I’m not taking the risk.

  After taking a few steps back while constantly shifting my eyes between the bush and behind me, I start to increase my pace towards the opposite of the bush once I feel like I'm far enough from it.

  However, just when I thought I could finally relax a bit, I can hear some people talking to the left of where I am. It’s just one thing after the other.

  Sneaking along the shadows of the trees, I could almost hear the mercenaries talk from where I am. Should I listen in? It’s risky but, having no prior knowledge of how this group operates may be dangerous all the same. I decide to slither along the closest coverage and eavesdrop the conversation at a relatively safe distance.

  "...-ay..ment.." Seems like they're discussing payment.

  "This job-...-a lot.."

  "Aye, no kiddi-...even.."

  . . .Nothing. Hmm, unfortunate. Staying around any longer might prove dangerous. Let’s-

  "..-put...ear-..rap.."

  ! ! !

  SNAP! — My body quickly froze in place right before I made another step.

  "Huh? Something has been caught? I'm checking it out!" One of the mercenaries tells the other.

  That noise comes from a little further back, around where I was previously. And where that moving bush was. No doubt, this is…

  I look around my surroundings, mainly the ground area, and see multiple small lights reflecting brightly beneath the grasses. I can vaguely see bear traps scattered around the area, hidden beneath the tall grasses. That could’ve cost me a leg or two.

  I silently release a sigh of relief and wipe the sweat off my brow.

  If it's a bear trap that they're using then I could probably use it to create distraction. I doubt it would catch the legs of the mercenaries themselves, but at the very least it can serve as a saving grace.

  I focus my sight on the ground around me, counting at least around twenty bear traps hidden beneath the tall grass, placed approximately close to each other.

  With an idea in mind, I focus my Mana on to my fingertip. Within seconds, it glows a white light indicating a glow of pure energy. Due to the restriction put around weaving back at home, my untrained body is incapable of using many complex binds, but I believe this will do.

  Using pure Mana, I materialize Bound Threads from the tips of my fingers, and after estimating the distance between the bear traps in my head, I shoot the Threads towards the bear trap in front of me and manipulate it to tie around the bear trap from some sides. After a gentle tug to make sure it’s tied tightly, I yank my hand back to send the bear trap overhead, into the direction of the other bear traps behind me, and once it's in the air, I cut off the Mana forming the thread; effectively dismantling the thread in the process. With a little calculation that I've done prior, I managed to hit it into one other bear trap way behind me.

  Clack!

  Clack! Snap!

  Snap! Clack! Snap! Snap!

  Loud sounds of snapping can be heard in the distance behind my location, alerting the two mercenaries in the area. Seeing as their attention was diverted, I promptly use my Bound Thread to tie Sharle to me and silently sprint from the scene as quickly as I could, while the sound of ensuing chaos can still mask my footsteps.

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  With the mercenaries distracted, I settle into a small cave to catch my breath.

  Since they're only tasked to look for any survivor, they'd probably return after they found no one around the parameters. And if luck favors us, they’d leave immediately for easy Pieces.

  "Reporting, I did not find anything on my end."

  ...! — I quickly sink myself deeper into the cave’s darkness as a sudden high-pitched voice rings loudly nearby.

  "Something is happening at the other side but the other guys are checking on them." A man with a nonchalant voice says, followed by a yawn.

  "Alright. Just to make sure, we should look around here more. We can't let any survivor walk away alive." The other, a feminine but strict voice, issues an order to the other two.

  "Yes, ma'am!" The other two respond in unison.

  Seems like the rest of them are here…Along with what seems to be the leader.

  Out of nowhere, I feel a physical pressure around my body, making me glance back. But Sharle’s still out cold. Her arms tighten around me. I breathe a sigh of relief and begin to carefully come out from the cave and navigate us to the edge of the forest, my fingers glow constantly, flinging rocks and branches around me using my Threads as distractions while taking advantage of the tall trees and its shadows around me to conceal my movement.

  My fingers would firmly press against every tree I pass by as I observe the mercenaries’ location from a distance, taking account of the mercenaries' blind spot to pass them by during the right timing.

  All of a sudden, Sharle’s legs start to thrash around, creating some ruckus behind me.

  "Who's there?! Show yourself!"

  With haste, I rush to a specific tree in mind and hide behind it, as the mercenaries follow, not too far behind.

  I close my eyes and sharpen my senses. They’re coming.

  Tap tap

  Tap tap

  Tap tap

  Tap

  The sound of approaching footsteps stops altogether. I could feel their presence right behind me, only separated by the protection of a wooden log. After a short delay, the footsteps split two ways, slowly but surely approaching closer from both sides.

  Fortunately, the trap preparation has been completed.

  I cross my arms and bring them both closer to my chest in a quick motion, before clenching my both of palms tightly. In that moment, ten translucent Threads show themselves connected to my fingers, gradually glowing white as it becomes more visible. The loose Bound Threads that I've planted on the trees around the area contract and tighten in a short amount of time, pulling all of my fingers with great force and threatening to spread it open.

  “WOAH!” — Two loud and heavy thuds can be heard from both sides as the ground briefly vibrates. On both corners of my eyes are two mercenaries on the ground, tangled and tied up by my Threads. They scream and wail as they struggle against their bindings.

  I tie the Threads together in place, holding up the entire set up of the Mana webs around me. A crossbow with a bolt loaded and a quarterstaff lies a short distance away from the mercenaries.

  I grab the quarterstaff for self-defense, and without having any moment to pause, I can sense the air change on my right. One other person; possibly the leader, moves towards me quickly.

  "Haa!" A feminine voice shouts from my side.

  Anticipating the incoming strike overhead, I step to the side just in time to dodge the strike before using her forward momentum towards me to thrust the head of the quarterstaff hard against her, precisely targeting the bottom of the rib cage.

  "Ugh..!” She staggers backward, dropping her blade. “A-a kid?!" The leader groans in pain with her eyes wide on me. "What's…a kid doing here…in the Forest of Blood?" She struggles to breathe.

  "Helping a friend," I say, snatching the blade from the ground using my Threads.

  She stares at the pointy end of her blade, now aimed towards her, then back to me, narrowing her eyes. "...That friend a vampire?"

  "I wonder."

  "Tch, you…got me good. It seems like…you’re no ordinary kid either. Haghh…what with all the bindings and stuff. Not to mention that white hair..must be one of them Weavers."

  "I have no intention of causing trouble." I lower the weapon, "Instead, how about a deal?"

  "A deal?” She finally straightens herself up and laughs. “Haha! What's a kid even gonna offer?"

  "Your job only requires you to check if there are any survivors, correct? Pretend you never saw us here and I will give you the exact amount of pieces the Holy Temple posted for this commission. You get what that means, right?"

  "You're saying you’re doubling my pay for this commission, is that it? And how can I believe you even have the money?"

  "You don’t have to believe me. Believe your own eyes." I rummage through my backpack to find a pouch of Grails Pieces and pull it out. "The exact amount. Had to work several commissions to earn it. You could double-check the amount with me here once we've made a deal. So?" I ask her while holding up the pouch.

  "I can't understand why someone'd cover for a vampire, but well, ain't my problem. We're taking the Pieces, boy."

  "It’s a deal, then. As an extra, I'll also be returning these to you-”

  "No. You keep 'em. With the Grails we’ll get in this commission alone, we can buy better stuff anyway."

  "Very well." I toss the money pouch to the leader of the mercenaries. She catches the pouch with one hand and opens it up to quickly count it. Seemingly satisfied with what she's seeing, she calls for all of her comrades to gather.

  "Ravens!" She roars out what sounds like her group’s nickname. Before long, all four of them start coming to our location. With a snap of my fingers, I release the two from their bindings as they shuffles towards their leader shortly. The other two immediately aim their sights at me as soon as they see me, failing to see the remaining Threads around the area and tripping on them.

  "Stop fooling around, c'mon 'round!" The two who got tripped on my Threads seemingly try their hardest to cover up their embarrassment as they slowly gather around their leader.

  "Everyone's here. Alright. Now put down your weapon, this boy's not an enemy. I've made a deal with this boy so we all pretend we never nothin’. Capisce?"

  "Huh? Captain, will that be okay?"

  "B-but, Captain. My weapon!"

  "Okay, Quiet down. This boy gave us the same amount of Pieces as what the Holy Temple will give us when we're done with this mission. Y’all catching my drift?"

  "Double the Pieces!" one of them shouts.

  "Heh, that's right. We'll just buy better weapons with this big payout today!"

  "Ya-hooo!" all of them cheer in unison, seemingly forgetting that I was their foes before.

  "Well then, s'pose I should say 'Pleasure doing business with you'? haha! Take care, kid! Don't let the vampire bite ya dry." As the leader is done saying her piece, she turns away from us. However, she stops midway and turns back around.

  “Oh, right. Here. You’ll need this.” She displaces the scabbard of her blade and throws them to the ground in front of me. Before I get to say anything, she and her group are already heading in the direction of the town, some of them start picking back up the bear trap that they've set down. Prompting me to breathe a genuine sigh of relief.

  Now that the main threat is gone, we can rest easy for a while.

  I grab the scabbard and the crossbow from the ground. After putting the sword in the scabbard and unloading the crossbow, I briefly re-arrange the inside of my backpack to accommodate the new weapons. For the quarterstaff…I suppose I can only carry them by hand for now.

  All right, everything is good. I should be able to use the blade to gather wood for a fire. Time to revisit all of the hardwood trees I’ve marked with the Threads. There’s bound to be some good campfire materials near them.

  I start going to the closest tree in my memory to collect dry woods, branches, and leaves around the vicinity to burn. And with the blade I got from the mercenaries, it did not take me long to accumulate a good number of flammable materials to use. I tie them together using my Bound Thread into a bundle and proceed to tie it on to the quarterstaff to carry it easier.

  Let’s see…I went to secure Sharle in a rush today that I haven’t had the chance to restock my items. I should probably enter a settlement soon to trade, but..

  I look over to the unconscious Sharle and sigh.

  Well, for now, I should just continue towards the edge of the forest.

  Carrying everything myself, I slowly make my way to the edge of the forest as fatigue slowly sets in. I slow myself down considerably as I finally see the end of the towering trees in front of me.

  I look up at the orange sky and gently put Sharle down on the ground, leaning her back against a tree. While Sharle has been unconscious, I haven't got a wink of sleep since the morning. And not to mention, all that running around…

  I yawn and stretch my body, before shivering from the sheer coldness from the temperature drop. As if taking the sign, I put all of the wood I had, as well as the materials to fuel the fire, on the ground and started constructing the campfire a little far from any nearby tree.

  I fold my ring finger and pinky down and rest them against the heel of my palm. At the same time, I joined my middle finger and thumb together, concentrating my Mana on each end.

  Snap! — A brief spark of fire flashes from where my thumb and middle finger were connected. Immediately after the snap, my thumb touches my index finger and a small fire lit up at the tip of my index finger. I quickly spread the fire onto the unlit campfire and shortly after, the fire starts to engulf the woods whole.

  Satisfied with my work, I sit myself down close to Sharle while preparing to sleep.

  ...Sharle Veronica...

  We made a promise to each other the last time we met but I never expected us to reunite under these circumstances. I’ll think about what we'll do going forward tomorrow. For now, I need to rest.