The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 75

“Just my luck…”

I gave up on trying to get up and simply lay on the ground. With no energy left and my body completely exhausted, it was pointless to attempt further movement. Fortunately, after quite some time of staying still, I detected no sign of pursuit. Maybe it was too dark for them to track me, or perhaps they deemed losing one person acceptable. Whatever the reason, it worked in my favor.

I finally took a moment to survey my surroundings. The thick forest looked the same in every direction, densely packed with trees. The foliage was so dense that even the sky was barely visible. Although the moon occasionally peeked through, I wasn’t confident I could navigate accurately by its light alone.

‘I need to get out of this forest first… and then find the village where Semeion was staying…’

But would he still be there?

From what I gathered, Semeion had temporarily stayed to catch the Demonic Beast. Now that his task was complete, he might have left the village long ago. If he left a hint of his whereabouts, all the better, but if he departed quietly, finding him would be almost impossible. As these thoughts crossed my mind, a bitter laugh escaped.

‘What is this…’

Why am I in this situation? All the prominent warriors of the clan were all captured, yet here I was, the weakest and most unremarkable, the only one who managed to escape. Was this really happening?

If it weren’t for me, the village’s location would never have been exposed to the Demonic Beasts. The people would not have been so quick to bring in an outsider. The saying ‘one bad apple spoils the barrel’ fits too well. It felt like watching a pathetic comedy.

‘No, get a grip. This is no time for self-pity.’

Swallowing my sigh, I shook my head to clear my mind. What was done was done, and I had to focus on what I could do now. First, I needed to move. After taking a deep breath, I managed to stand up. The aches persisted, but after resting a bit, I felt slightly better than before.

‘But I still don’t know where to go.’

The almost pitch-black forest felt like a void. Without a single guiding light, finding my way seemed impossible. Perhaps waiting in a safe spot until daylight would be wiser, before moving again. That was essentially Kalph’s order. His words during the chaotic escape came back to me. He had told me to run as far as possible and hide. And then…

“He said the forest would help me.”

Swoosh―

Just then, the branches seemed to sway in response. An overwhelming clamor of voices poured in from all directions. Until now, I had mistaken the sounds for mere wind; they were actually the voices of the trees.

―Can you hear us now?

―It’s a relief you’re not seriously hurt. We were so worried when you fell.

―Don’t worry. They haven’t located you yet.

―Just keep walking. We’ll guide you in the right direction.

I took a slow breath, trembling. Why did I think I was all alone? There were so many plants in this forest. They had all been reaching out to me, speaking to me all along.

―Are you okay, noble one?

―Are you still in pain? Can you move?

While I remained in a daze, worried voices mixed in. They seemed to think my silence was due to pain.

“…I’m fine. I can move.”

As I barely managed to respond, the trees swayed their branches in relief.

―Good. Now walk slowly. There’s no need to rush.

―We’ll lead you to a safe place. Just trust us.

“Thank you.”

As I took a step, a branch fell at my feet. It was the perfect size to use as a walking stick.

—It would be better if you used that to support yourself.

I felt a surge of emotion welling up inside me, almost bringing me to tears, so I bit my lip to hold it back. I picked up the branch without hesitation and used it to support myself as I walked on. The darkness still enveloped me, making it hard to see even a step ahead, but I no longer felt lost. I just had to follow the direction the trees were guiding me.

After moving for a while, I arrived at a small burrow formed between the trees. It seemed like it had been made by some animal, but it was currently empty and abandoned.

―You won’t be discovered here.

―We’ll cover the entrance with bushes. You can sleep until morning.

Nodding, I carefully settled down inside the narrow burrow. Once the entrance was covered with bushes, a wave of exhaustion hit me all at once. Although I was urged to sleep, I hadn’t intended to actually do so, yet my eyes kept closing. Eventually, I fell asleep without realizing it.

―Wake up!

“……!”

I jolted awake at the sudden loud voice. I thought I had only dozed off for a moment, but the surroundings were already dimly lit. It seemed dawn was approaching. However, the atmosphere around me was far from normal. There was a palpable tension in the murmuring voices.

“What’s going on? Why are you so agitated?”

—The situation has taken a turn for the worse, noble one.

―You need to leave this place immediately.

“What do you mean? What happened?”

―They’ve set the forest on fire.

“…What?”

The unexpected situation left me stunned. It seemed the Demonic Beasts, having failed to find me overnight, decided to burn the forest down. They were even artificially creating wind, causing the flames to spread rapidly.

Stepping out of the burrow, the situation became clearer. In front of me, a red glow flickered ominously. Even from a distance, the brightness indicated that the fire was quite large. The voices of the trees grew more frantic.

—Hurry! At this rate, the flames will catch up to you!

—Get out before you’re trapped in the smoke!

“What about you? Are you going to be okay?”

—We can’t help it.

“……!”

The calm reply made me hold my breath unconsciously. As if anticipating my reaction, the trees spoke more cheerfully.

―Don’t worry about us. Our seeds have been planted well.

―That’s right. You just need to focus on getting out safely.

I knew. Plants couldn’t move from their spots. Even if they foresaw the approaching flames, they had no way to escape. It was an expected answer. Yet, I felt suffocated. However, now was not the time for despair.

―Go quickly!

Clenching my teeth, I ran desperately. The swelling in my leg had mostly subsided overnight. Even so, it wasn’t enough for me to run at full speed. No matter how much I pushed myself, my limping slowed me down. Meanwhile, the heat from behind grew stronger. The voices guiding me started to diminish one by one.

I wiped the moisture running down my cheeks, unsure whether it was sweat or tears. Why was this happening to me again? Just yesterday, everything was so peaceful. I had finally met them. I had thought I had found the world I loved. It was hard to believe that everything had turned upside down in a single day.

And it seemed my time was running out. The speed at which the flames spread was unimaginably fast. When I came to my senses, I found myself in the midst of a blazing forest. All I could see was a deep, fiery red in every direction.

―Please, escape…

With a crack and a thud! I blankly watched a tree collapse before my eyes, struggling to utter those last words. I clenched my fist tightly and exhaled a long sigh. I felt sorry for those who had tried so hard until the end, but there was no escape visible anywhere. My best option was to search for a spot where the flames were weaker.

The thick smell of smoke made my head spin. I covered my nose with my arm and tried to hold my breath, but it was in vain. Every breath felt like I was inhaling heat and ash all at once. Just as I was overcome with a fit of coughing.

Thump―

My heartbeat echoed loudly. It felt as if my insides were resonating, a sensation I had experienced before. When I touched my skin, it was burning hot. I had no idea when it had started, but I knew what it meant. The awakening was beginning again.

Amidst all of this, the awakening was happening again—just my luck.

A bitter smile crossed my face. Indeed, this chance should have been given to someone else. Surely, anyone else wouldn’t have botched it all so miserably.

As dizziness grew, my strength slowly ebbed away. I couldn’t tell if this was a symptom of the awakening or a result of inhaling too much smoke. But what did it matter what the cause was? The end result would be the same—I would die here.

Staring at the smoke-filled sky, my vision blurred as I slowly closed my eyes. Once I lost consciousness, everything would be over. At least I would be meeting my end alongside those who tried to protect me, making it not such a pitiful death. In a way, I almost felt a sense of relief.

However, what I had envisioned was different from what fate had in store. Suddenly, I felt something cold splash against my cheek. Amid my daze, I lifted my hand to wipe my face. A clear, non-viscous liquid clung to my fingertips.

‘Water…?’

It felt like a hallucination, but it wasn’t. What began as a single droplet soon multiplied. The number of raindrops hitting my face increased rapidly until it felt like a downpour.

It was raining. Rain was falling.

I slowly exhaled the breath I had been holding. This wasn’t just a passing shower. It was as if someone was deliberately dousing the area to extinguish the fire. How could it possibly rain so heavily at a time like this? What kind of coincidence is this?

As the heat from the flames consuming the forest rapidly cooled, humidity filled the air. Once the fire was somewhat contained, the rain began to lessen significantly. It was hard to believe this was a mere coincidence.

Even so, I couldn’t muster the strength to rise. Lying there, soaked to the skin, I remained still. Soon, I sensed someone approaching, accompanied by the splashing sound of water underfoot.