Peak Between Two: Mushoku Tensei

-Luciel Greyrat-

Something was approaching.

I immediately turned around, pushing Norn and Aisha behind me.

"Something's coming. Don't move." I spoke in a low, serious tone.

Norn tensed up, while Aisha clung tightly to my clothes.

I focused my gaze into the fog.

And then—

Something massive moved in the distance.

A rough scraping sound echoed through the air, as if something heavy and enormous was slithering across the ground.

I held my breath.

The mist shifted slightly, revealing the monstrous figure lurking within.

A giant serpent—but not just any serpent.

It was an Almond Anaconda.

Its body stretched over ten meters long, covered in silvery scales with dark brown markings resembling ancient, decayed tree bark. Its glowing red eyes locked onto my position, flicking its forked tongue into the air.

I swallowed hard. This is bad.

The Almond Anaconda was one of the top predators in an environment like this. Its sheer strength could crush bones with a single coil.

I quickly turned to Norn and Aisha.

"Move back—slowly. No noise."

Aisha looked like she wanted to protest, but the look in my eyes shut her up immediately.

Norn grabbed Aisha's hand and carefully backed away, making no sound at all.

I remained still, watching the creature closely.

The Almond Anaconda lifted its head slightly, tasting the air.

It knew something was here.

But it wasn't sure where.

I took a deep breath, channeling my mana carefully.

"Alright... if you're looking for prey... I'll make sure it's not them."

I stepped forward.

The serpent's head snapped toward me, its red eyes narrowing as it finally recognized me as a target.

I raised my hand, gathering a massive amount of mana without chanting.

Two magic circles appeared on my palms.

Earth Magic.

I stomped my foot against the ground, drawing minerals from beneath the surface and compressing them into sharpened lances.

"Stone Lance!"

Three rock spears launched toward the Almond Anaconda's head.

BOOM!

The first spear struck its scales, causing sparks as stone clashed against hardened skin. The second spear missed, while the third grazed the side of its neck, leaving a shallow wound.

The Almond Anaconda hissed in rage, its tail whipping violently through the air.

I barely had time to react.

I jumped sideways, narrowly avoiding the massive tail as it smashed into the ground, creating a deep crater where I had been standing.

Damn, my attack wasn't strong enough!

I quickly reassessed my strategy.

If Earth Magic wasn't piercing its scales, I needed something sharper and faster.

I shifted my approach.

This time, I channeled Wind Magic into my palms, forming a transparent energy blade that vibrated at high speed.

"Wind Blade."

I rushed forward.

The Almond Anaconda lunged, its massive jaws opening wide, revealing razor-sharp fangs glistening under the misty light.

I dodged at the last second, rolling to the side.

Then, I swung the wind blade straight at its neck.

Slaaash!

A deep gash tore through its flesh.

Dark green blood sprayed onto the ground.

The serpent let out a screech, its massive body writhing in pain.

I quickly jumped back, avoiding its thrashing tail.

The Almond Anaconda was now severely injured, its movements becoming sluggish as blood poured from the wound.

I couldn't let it recover.

I raised both hands.

"You're a big creature... but that's also your weakness."

I channeled Ice Magic, pouring a huge amount of mana into the spell.

From the air, dozens of ice spears formed, floating in a perfect formation around me.

The serpent hissed, trying to move—but its injuries had slowed it down.

I snapped my fingers.

"Ice Barrage!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The ice spears rained down.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Each spear pierced deep into its flesh.

The Almond Anaconda let out one final, deafening cry before its body collapsed to the ground.

Silence.

I exhaled heavily, feeling the rush of battle fade.

Finally… it was over.

I turned toward Norn and Aisha, who were still hiding behind a large rock.

Their eyes were wide with shock.

I smirked.

"Alright… we've got a big dinner tonight."

Aisha blinked a few times before screaming.

"Big Brother! That's disgusting! Who would eat something like that?!"

I chuckled. "Relax, we'll only take the edible parts."

Norn let out a deep sigh of relief. "I really thought we were going to die…"

I ruffled their hair, smiling reassuringly.

"I told you—I won't let anything hurt you."

We laughed softly, shaking off the lingering tension from the battle. But I knew we couldn't stay here.

This place was too dangerous to set up camp.

So, without wasting time, we continued walking—hoping to find a way out of this fog-covered forest.

However…

There was one major problem.

Without the sun, I had lost all sense of direction.

I let out a deep sigh. "Haah... If only I had a more advanced navigation tool."

Aisha and Norn gave me puzzled looks. Their innocent expressions made it clear that they had no idea what I was talking about.

Of course, they wouldn't understand.

They weren't from a modern world where advanced navigation tools like GPS or digital compasses existed.

"Why is Big Brother saying weird things again?" Aisha muttered, frowning.

"I don't know," Norn added, looking just as confused.

I smiled faintly. "Never mind, it's nothing you need to worry about."

We continued walking through the mist, aimless yet hopeful.

Half an hour had passed since the battle with the Almond Anaconda.

And then—I felt it again.

Something was approaching.

But this time… it wasn't a monster.

I stopped walking, my senses immediately going on high alert.

A silhouette emerged through the thick fog.

Humanoid.

My eyes narrowed, trying to make out the vague figure that was slowly coming into view.

My heart pounded faster.

A person!

I almost called out to them—almost.

But then—

I froze.

Because as soon as the figure stepped out of the mist, I noticed something alarming.

A gemstone embedded in the forehead.

Dark green wavy hair.

I held my breath. Supred Tribe.

A Living Legend Stands Before Me

The Supred Tribe.

A name that had been engraved in history as a symbol of fear and destruction.

Once, they were warriors who fought under the banner of Demon God Laplace in the Great War that shook the world.

They were known as ruthless killers, bloodthirsty soldiers who slaughtered even their own allies.

Their legend had been passed down through generations—told as horror stories to children and warnings among adults.

Even Aisha and Norn had heard these stories.

I could see Aisha trembling slightly, while Norn clenched her fists, trying to stay composed.

I swallowed hard, keeping my expression neutral, even as my mind raced to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Meanwhile, the Supred man watched us with sharp, piercing eyes, like an eagle surveying its prey.

Our gazes met, and then—

He spoke.

His deep, commanding voice echoed through the mist.

But—

I didn't understand a word.

The Demon Language.

Damn it. I knew nothing about that language.

I remained silent, trying to assess the situation.

Despite the man's intense gaze, I didn't feel killing intent from him.

Strangely enough…

I had the gut feeling that he simply wanted to talk.

I took a deep breath.

Fine. I'd try to communicate.

I slowly raised both hands, showing that I was unarmed and had no hostile intentions.

The Supred man observed me closely, his expression serious.

Then, I gestured toward Aisha and Norn, then at myself.

After that, I mimicked the motion of walking and shrugged, trying to convey that we were lost.

The man's eyes narrowed slightly, then he crossed his arms over his chest.

He seemed to be thinking.

Aisha tugged at my shirt. "Big Brother… he's not attacking us, but is he dangerous?" she whispered.

I didn't answer right away, keeping my focus on the Supred man.

Then, after a few moments—

He let out a deep sigh and spoke again.

But this time—

He used the Human Language.

"Are you lost?"

My eyes widened in surprise.

He can speak the human tongue?!

I quickly nodded. "Yes. We got trapped in this fog and don't know the way out."

The man's gaze swept over the three of us before he finally replied—

"I can guide you out of the Misty Forest."

I frowned.

"Why would you help us?" I asked, still keeping my guard up.

The man fell silent for a moment before answering.

"Because I am not your enemy."

I stared into his eyes, searching for any trace of deception.

But—

There was none.

His voice was calm and honest—without any signs of falsehood.

Aisha still hid behind me, while Norn remained wary, watching the man carefully.

I let out a long breath.

Fine.

I slowly extended my hand.

"My name is Luciel. These are my younger sisters, Norn and Aisha."

The Supred man looked at my hand for a moment.

Then—

He reached out and shook my hand firmly.

"Ruijerd Supardia."