"Is he that freak?"

Amidst their disbelief, Fred expressed, "Hey, Kalsie... am I tired that I am seeing this many people in front of me, or there are this many?"

Kalsie responded with a touch of sarcasm, "I guess we both are tired then."

Turning to the rest of the group, Kalsie made a decision. "I will go with Fred and speak with them since they might know something that we don't. You guys rest here and stay alert, don't let your guard down."

"Umm... Can I--"

"Don't complain, Fatty."

"Sigh..."

With nods of understanding, Kalsie and Fred proceeded toward the nearest cluster of twenty or so individuals, determined to unearth some answers amid this enigmatic gathering.

Within the group, every individual bore the unmistakable mark of severe exhaustion. Yet, among them, two figures stood out distinctly.

Kalsie's gaze fell upon a slender yet tall boy with striking silver-white hair and deep, piercing purple eyes. Unlike the rest, this boy did not wear the same weariness on his face and carried himself with an air of self-assuredness.

Sensing Kalsie's gaze, he turned towards him and inquired with a cold tone, "What?"

An immediate impression formed in Kalsie's mind that this person was far from ordinary. His posture and the way he swiftly detected Kalsie's gaze signaled a keen awareness.

However, the boy's attitude prompted a frown from Fred.

While Kalsie remained cautious, he was not inclined towards unnecessary confrontation, especially in their state of exhaustion. Before he could interject, a young girl spoke up, her voice a stark contrast to the gloomy atmosphere around them.

"Hi! I am Sylvie Wilson, and this cold person is my cousin, John Wilson! Ah~! Don't mind this guy, alright~? He has always been like this~."

With long, silver hair and captivating purple eyes, Sylvie's voice carried a soft and carefree tone that seemed untouched by the oppressive surroundings.

'An angel!!' Fred found himself momentarily lost in thought, comparing her to an angel in his mind, given her contrasting personality to John's and her stunning appearance.

"H-Hi! I-I am Fred!" He stuttered, his words betraying his own confusion.

"Hi, Fred!" Sylvie's cheerful response only served to fluster him further.

However, just as he mustered the courage to engage her in conversation, he felt an unmistakable icy intent emanating from John, causing a shiver to run down his spine.

Sylvie couldn't help but giggle at Fred's reaction. Meanwhile, Kalsie cleared his throat and introduced himself, "Hello! My name is Kalsie Crux."

"Oh, ~ aren't you that person who beat your seniors on his first day? Do you need something from us?" Sylvie inquired.

"Y-Yes," Kalsie replied, feeling a touch awkward due to his newfound notoriety. He continued, "We don't want any trouble with your group or anything. As you know, we just came here and didn't know what was going on. So if you guys know something, can you share it with us?"

"I see~!" Sylvie offered to help, while John remained disinterested, turning his attention away from their conversation.

According to Sylvie's explanation, these people were much like Kalsie and his group, thrust into a nightmarish ordeal within the forest and forced to fight for their survival. When some of them had reached the brink of despair, a mysterious figure clad in a black cloak had appeared, offering them refuge in this place.

Naturally, skepticism had run rampant among the captives when the enigmatic figure made his claims.

Some even resorted to threats, suspecting him of being complicit in their abduction. However, their defiance had been swiftly quelled when the man effortlessly defeated them, barehanded and without weapons.

With no other recourse, many had reluctantly followed his lead, seeking refuge in this peculiar place.

"Seriously? We didn't encounter any such person," Kalsie remarked.

"Hmm? Then how did you guys find out about this place?" Sylvie asked, her doubts apparent.

Fred seized the opportunity to chime in, saying, "That's because of me! With these eagle eyes of mine, I spotted this place hidden among the trees!"

"Wow~!! You must have some incredible talent!" Sylvie exclaimed.

"Isn't that obvi-" Fred began with pride, only to once again feel that chilling intent from the aloof individual, causing him to awkwardly finish his sentence, "...suspicious? I mean, for us not to meet that person. Isn't that right, Kalsie?"

Kalsie, feeling somewhat embarrassed by Fred's antics, agreed, "Yeah… I mean, if we were already making our way here, it's possible he didn't see a reason to seek us out."

Clearing his throat, Kalsie shifted the conversation. "Anyways, why haven't you guys moved inside? It's going to get dark very soon."

Kalsie referred to the four buildings standing across the field. Sheltering inside them would ensure safety from the man-eating monsters. Yet, despite the dwindling daylight, no one seemed to be entering the buildings.

Sylvie's expression darkened slightly as she explained, "It's not that we don't want to, but… we can't. Something is preventing us from going there."

Perplexed, Kalsie questioned, "What do you mean?"

She gestured towards a huge group of people in the center of the field, who were attempting to approach the buildings but couldn't seem to take a single step forward. It appeared as if some unseen force blocked their path, leaving them rooted in place.

Kalsie found the situation both strange and unbelievable.

While he didn't want to dismiss Sylvie's claims, there was no obvious reason for her to deceive him. Furthermore, he could witness firsthand the futile efforts of those attempting to advance.

"That's weird and unbelievable at the same time," Fred muttered in agreement.

"Do you want to ask more question?" Sylvie offered to answer any further questions which they might have.

"No. Thank you for telling us—" Before Kalsie could finish his sentence, his body tensed up and snapped to alertness.

'What's this... feeling?'

*Swoosh!*

"!!" In an instant, while alert, he spotted an arrow flying towards him, not even two meters away from his head.

Adrenaline surged through him, and his hand instinctively reached for his sword, drawing it with lightning speed.

His heart pounded in his chest as he fixed his gaze on the approaching arrow without blinking. To him, time seemed to slow as his sword traced a precise arc, intercepting the arrow.

Bang!

The dull sound of impact reverberated in the surroundings, drawing the attention of everyone present.

All of this occurred within a matter of seconds.

"!!" Fred was left in awe at Kalsie's swift defense, and then anger surged within him.

He reached for the arrows at his side and aimed in the direction from which the projectile had come.

"Stand back," John, who had been disinterested until this point, swiftly pulled Sylvie away from Kalsie and stared coldly at the person responsible for the arrow.

"Oh, you blocked it~? Not bad! Not bad!" A voice filled with amusement reached their ears.

"You bastard," Fred spat out as he took aim.

Kalsie narrowed his eyes, focusing his glare on the red-haired individual, and turned to Fred, asking, "Is he that freak?"