The World Is Mine For The Taking

Chapter 1470: Chapter 209 - Demon Who Lurks At Night (3)

We had already finished preparing everything we needed for the journey ahead.

Since it was going to take roughly two weeks before we reached the next town, we made sure to stock up on a large amount of food before leaving. It was simply the sensible thing to do. A journey that long wasn’t something you wanted to approach carelessly, especially when there would be long stretches of wilderness between settlements.

Of course, we could always hunt demonic beasts and use their meat as food if necessary. That option existed, and it wasn’t as though either of us would starve because of a lack of resources. Even so, relying entirely on that wasn’t exactly a good plan.

There was always a chance that we wouldn’t encounter enough demonic beasts during the trip. There was also the possibility that we wouldn’t come across any suitable ones for food. Depending completely on luck for something as important as supplies was usually a bad idea.

Because of that, it was better to prepare properly from the beginning.

"The preparations are done, and we’ve packed plenty of food. Shall we start the journey?" I asked.

Foriel nodded without hesitation.

"Let’s go."

After that, we climbed onto the carriage and officially began our journey toward the next town.

The carriage steadily rolled forward across the vast landscape.

It was being pulled by two large steeds, although calling them normal steeds felt slightly inaccurate. The more I looked at them, the stranger they appeared. They had large turtle-like shells covering their backs, giving them a rather unusual appearance.

Honestly, if someone told me they were a cross between a horse, a turtle, and a camel, I probably wouldn’t have argued.

The shells especially made them resemble camels more than anything else.

Still, appearances weren’t everything.

They were clearly built for travel.

Judging from their sturdy bodies and the way they moved across the terrain without difficulty, they seemed capable of handling almost any environment. Rocky paths, dry plains, uneven roads, and rough ground probably wouldn’t slow them down very much.

That alone made them excellent animals for long-distance travel.

As the carriage continued forward, I unfolded the map and examined it again.

Foriel hadn’t been exaggerating.

The next town was genuinely far away.

Looking at the map made it even more obvious. The settlements in this region were spaced incredibly far apart from one another. Vast areas of empty land separated each town, making travel much longer than it initially appeared.

The nearest settlement was still a considerable distance away.

Just judging from the spacing marked on the map, it was easy to understand why the journey would take around two weeks.

While I was looking at the map, Foriel remained seated inside the carriage.

"It seems things might be a little easier for us for now, Mr. Faust," she said.

I glanced toward her.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, we’ve already left town, and so far we haven’t encountered any demonic beasts. If none have appeared yet, then our travels might be relatively smooth for a while."

I considered her words.

There was some logic behind that.

If she was saying it, then it was probably worth paying attention to.

Foriel’s senses were generally reliable when it came to demonic beasts.

"Perhaps you’re right," I said.

The carriage continued moving forward.

Hours passed.

Gradually, darkness began spreading across the horizon.

Even though we had spent a good amount of time traveling, it honestly didn’t feel like we had moved very far. The scenery around us barely changed.

Dry land stretched endlessly in every direction.

Every time I looked outside the carriage, I saw the same thing.

More dry land.

Then even more dry land.

If the landscape had any hobbies, repeating itself was definitely one of them.

There were no forests nearby.

There was no rivers and no mountains.

Nothing particularly memorable.

Just an endless sea of barren terrain extending toward the horizon.

Eventually, I let out a quiet breath.

"Let’s stop here for now," I said. "I suppose we can continue tomorrow."

Foriel nodded.

"That sounds like a good idea."

She looked toward the darkening horizon before continuing.

"Demonic beasts become much more active at night. Stopping here would probably be the safest option. Besides, we’ve already covered a decent amount of distance today, so I think this makes for a good stopping point."

"I agree."

The sky was steadily growing darker.

Although it still felt a little early, the sun was already descending toward the horizon.

Orange light stretched across the landscape while long shadows slowly formed around us.

Soon afterward, we began preparing dinner.

Foriel handled the cooking.

She seemed surprisingly experienced with it.

Watching her work made it obvious that this wasn’t something she had only learned recently. Her movements were calm, efficient, and familiar, as though she had done this countless times before.

Meanwhile, I focused on setting up the campfire and preparing the campsite.

Once everything was ready, the cooking began.

The meat sizzled loudly over the flames.

Oil dripped from the food and landed on the fire below, causing bursts of crackling sounds to rise from the burning wood.

The smell quickly spread through the surrounding area.

It was rich, savory, and incredibly appetizing.

The aroma drifting through the air was strong enough that it naturally drew attention.

Even if someone wasn’t hungry before smelling it, they probably would be afterward.

Foriel quietly continued cooking while wearing a small smile. freewёbnoνel.com

The expression didn’t escape my notice.

Looking at her, I had a fairly good idea what she was thinking about.

She was still hoping that I would eventually accept her request.

That much was obvious.

Unfortunately for her, it wasn’t going to be an easy decision.

Because of that, I chose not to bring the subject up.

The silence between us continued for a while.

The only sounds were the crackling of the fire and the occasional sizzling from the food.

Eventually, Foriel spoke.

"Mr. Faust."

I looked toward her.

"What is it?"

She stared into the campfire for a moment before speaking.

"It’s going to be a long night, isn’t it?"

I already understood what she meant.

"Yes," I replied. "It certainly will be."

Foriel possessed the ability to sense nearby demonic beasts.

According to her senses, there weren’t merely a handful of them in the area.

There were many.

Far more than usual.

A large number of demonic beasts had already noticed our presence.

However, none of them had attacked yet.

Apparently, they could sense the danger I posed.

Rather than charging recklessly toward us, they were waiting.

They seemed to be gathering together while waiting for additional demonic beasts to arrive.

Only after their numbers increased would they attempt to challenge me.

It was surprisingly cautious behavior.

Then again, creatures usually learned quickly when something stronger appeared nearby.

"You can stay inside the carriage if you want," I said.

Foriel immediately shook her head.

"Well, I don’t think that’ll be necessary. I want to watch how you deal with them, Mr. Faust."

I honestly didn’t understand her fascination with things like this.

Watching monsters get cut down wasn’t exactly what most people considered entertainment.

Still, everyone had their own interests.

Foriel’s just happened to be a little unusual.

At this point, I had stopped questioning it.

Without saying anything further, I extended my hand.

A moment later, Ayuru appeared.

The familiar weapon materialized instantly.

I wrapped my fingers around the hilt and tightened my grip.

The weight felt comfortable in my hand.

Like an extension of my own body.

The demonic beasts were already approaching.

Their presence could be felt throughout the darkness beyond the campsite.

The night had only just begun.

Taking a step forward, I prepared myself.

Then, without wasting another second, I burst into motion.

My body shot forward across the dark landscape.

Ayuru remained firmly in my grasp as I accelerated toward the incoming demonic beasts and immediately began eliminating them.