The beasts moved away from wherever the white fur passed.

  Noah watched the creatures scattered throughout the forest retreat at the sight of the wolf carrying him in its jaws. Perhaps out of respect, or fear. He couldn't tell. Their features trembled, that was certain, but it was a different reaction than the one they had shown when the Demon Lion King decided to act. They didn’t bother to run or freeze; they simply kept away from its path.

  Is he the leader of this region? No... the others were like him, so much so that I can't tell them apart. According to the system, the truly strong one is on par with that monstrous lion, so he must be just as frightening. But...

  The diverse beasts disappeared, leaving space for only a large pack that filled the entire area, over rocks, trees, and resting on the hills. The lake at the center was surrounded by beasts that could kill him with a single blow and, of course, ignored him.

  Why did he bring me to this place...?

  After placing Noah a little ahead of the lake area, the wolf departed. Some of the others watched him with curiosity, but did nothing more. What should he do? He couldn't understand. Sit and wait? But wait for what? The tremors that followed provided his answer.

  None of the wolves stood up, so perhaps this was already expected, normal. Small reactions to the steps of the leader whose shadow appeared above the trees.

  Can this still be called a wolf...?

  Size was not the only thing that set him apart from the others. As beautiful as the night sky, the glow in the surrounding wolves' eyes radiated from this one's entire body. His eyes seemed to be able to read Noah's soul completely.

  — You really survived, human. No..., you did more than just survive, I see.

  — You "see"...? Sir, I... could you tell me why you brought me here?

  Despite the firm voice he used, Noah considered kneeling to make a better impression, but he couldn't. His legs weren't even trembling, much less able to move at his will.

  — Your courage is impressive... — the wolf laid down, creating a strong wind that kicked up dust — You don't need to worry, I don't intend to hurt you. Actually, I just wanted to ask you something before you leave.

  — For me...? I don't—

  — Yes, you, the one who accepted the last request of that dying snake.

  Was he listening to everything that happened that day...?

  — There's no need to feel forced to accept, that's not my intention. If you don't want to hear me out, just say so and you may leave. Otherwise, I promise to guide you safely out of this forest.

  So if I don't accept, I can't leave safely, is that it...? Noah supposed. Or does it just mean they won't interfere, so the other creatures can do whatever they want with me?

  He looked at the silent, thoughtful wolf.

  In that case, from the beginning, what kept the beasts away from the cave all this time wasn't the lingering presence of the half-dragon..., but rather, him? That means what he's after is something very important, for him to spend that much time on it... So why entrust something so important to a stranger?

  —...If I am able to help, I'll do my best.

  — I see. — the wolf studied him with a look — What I’m going to ask you to do is not simple or easy, and not quick. It will probably take a considerable amount of time, and maybe you'll never even come close. If you succeed, I will no longer be here, and you won’t either, so only when we meet again in the future will you be able to deliver it to me...

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  With a distant and somewhat hopeful look, the wolf gazed at the moon.

  — What I want is a moonlight pill. You may not know how difficult this task is yet, so I say that you may abandon it if you find yourself at an impasse in the future.

  Noah nodded, a little confused. He didn’t know anything about alchemy and therefore was unaware of the difficulty mentioned. After the conversation ended, one of the wolves stood and, once more, he was grabbed by the jaws.

  — All right, let me give you some advice before you leave: get out of here as fast as you can... soon it will no longer be possible.

  Huh? But isn't that exactly what I'm trying to do—?!

  Like the wind, the beast sped off, running with steps that touched nothing if not the air itself. They soared over trees, looking down at the forest creatures, and soon they were far above all of them. To the north, which was the direction they traveled, Noah saw the Demon Lion sleeping like a mountain, while to the southeast, the peak of night seemed to have arrived earlier in a certain place. He thought it was just another cluster of strange mountains in such a ridiculous forest, yet the enormous purple eyes that stared at him from beneath black feathers made him realize it wasn't that.

  What is that..?!

  Lightning coursed through his body just from making eye contact. It was insane. An utterly colossal creature. The obvious reason why the beasts hadn’t tried to flee in that direction.

  With a brief movement of its wings, the monstrosity went back to sleep.

  Good thing I didn't try to go that way... Compared to that, maybe I should consider that wolf a good friend.

  When he tried to look forward again, a crack appeared ahead, splitting a great mountain in two. That wasn't there when they’d gone into the sky; entering, the forest was no longer beneath his feet. It now appeared as a small point in the distance.

  How fast is this? I only got distracted for a second...

  The wolf moved away from the crevice and flew over the mountain, leaving Noah on the other side. As quickly as he had brought him there, he vanished in a leap.

  — Thank you...?

  Curious, Noah tried to approach the chasm that stretched beyond what he could estimate, but he couldn't. His body refused to move closer. He soon realized that might have been why the wolf had to carry him away. If even creatures as strong as those were forced to retreat, let alone him, who couldn't even use his own strength.

  — Which direction is the nearest city?

  [Northwest, a little over 20,000 kilometers away from here.]

  — A little over...? It'll take me more than 100 days to go that far. Or can I run all the way?

  [As long as you don't use Qi, you should only end up with some aches afterward. So yes, you can.]

  — And if I use Qi...?

  The system didn't reply.

  — Forget it. — sighing, Noah started running, leaving the chasm behind.

  His speed was impressive even without using energy to enhance it further. He wondered if he could still consider himself human at this point. Maybe in this world, but never in his old world.

  Having to rely on the system’s instructions bothered him somewhat, so much so that he wondered if it had something like a map. Noah stopped when the interface actually appeared before his eyes, showing the city marked far away. He was irritated, he could’ve used it in the labyrinth, but then understood why the system hadn’t revealed it earlier. If he’d known about it, he probably would have avoided the places the phoenix was in. Maybe he would have gone to the spring, but only because he knew there would be water there. After all, his top priority was to get out of that place as quickly as possible.

  There were no roads anywhere, indicating the lack of human passage through these lands. Noah had to dodge some beasts that were clearly weaker compared to those he had already seen, since he wouldn't be able to defend himself even if that were the case. However, when he failed to get away from the creatures before they acted, there was no attack. It took him a while to understand, but he realized that perhaps his clothing was the reason.

  — Besides the saliva from those wolves, there must be some of their fur here too, could that be why? — he guessed.

  From then on, his concern regarding the nearby beasts diminished considerably. It didn’t disappear, but it wasn't something that kept him on alert most of the time.

  After three sunrises seen while constantly moving and a rainy afternoon, Noah fell onto his seat.

  Is this what you call a "city"? He smiled. At the very least, it’s odd, I’d say.

  There was nothing ahead but a huge hole that stretched too far for him to estimate with a glance. No place for debris, The image ahead flickered. With no memories or consequences, the crater faded into nonexistence. The city rose in the background, as he descended from the hill where he was.

  — Aaaah... This was more exhausting than I expected.

  After catching his breath, he resumed walking. Each step brought a strange, uncomfortable sensation in his core, which soon passed. Just moments from the immense wall, Noah felt as if his vision had been affected, bent and then restored.

  Did I use some Qi without noticing...? That’s uncomfortable.

  [...]