Chapter 14 – A Guarded Company
Chapter 14
A Guarded Company
Date : Unknown (36th day of the Journey)
Hyoren stood motionless before the opened burlap sack.
His mind struggled to process this situation. Thirty-six days of solitude. Thirty-six days of talking to himself. Eating alone. Sleeping alone. Fighting alone.
And now this—an actual person, trussed up like game meat and stuffed into a bag.
The elf's eyes were still covered by the blindfold, but her ears twitched—picking up every sound. She'd heard the battle end. She knew the sack was open. She started squirming against her bonds, her body tensing.
“Mmh..”
The muffled sound snapped him from his stupor. She was gagged too—likely to prevent her from activating skill or magic.
He crouched down, keeping his movements slow and deliberate. His wounded arm throbbed with each motion.
"Wait. You're safe. Don't thrash around… I'm going to free you."
He reached for the blindfold first. The cloth was tied tight, but his fingers found the knot and worked it loose. He pulled the fabric away.
Her large and beautiful emerald eyes widened when she saw him for the first time.
“Wha…” A surprised sound escaped her lips before she could stop it.
She took in his appearance.
"Don't worry."
He kept his voice steady, fighting against the awkwardness of the moment.
"I'm the one who saved you. I'm not going to hurt you. Let me untie these."
Those green eyes narrowed—studying him. But the squirming stopped. She lay still, letting him work at the knots.
The goblins had done a thorough job. The knots were twisted tight—designed to hold, not to be easily undone.
His fingers fumbled with the coarse fiber. Pain shot through his wounded arm each time he pulled. But he worked patiently. Picking. Pulling. Finding the loops.
The first knot gave way. Then another. The rope fell from her upper body, releasing the gag around her mouth.
She spit out the cloth and took a deep breath.
He moved down to her legs, working in silence. The rope around her ankles was simpler—less thorough than the ones on her torso. It fell away quickly.
When the last rope dropped, she sat up in one fluid motion.
Her gaze swept the clearing again. The scattered goblin corpses. The blood-soaked earth. The crude weapons lying abandoned. The bodies of the Goblin Fighters. The Goblin Warrior, still impaled by the broken spear tip.
Then her eyes locked onto him.
Her hand drifted to her hip, where a short sword was sheathed. Her fingers rested on the hilt with practiced ease.
Hyoren saw the gesture. He stepped back, raising his palms.
"Relax... relax. Like I said, I'm not going to do anything."
She said nothing.
Her eyes moved over him slowly. The unkempt hair. The patchwork of animal hides strapped to his body—crude leather armor made from horned rabbit pelts. The dried blood on his skin, some of it his, most of it goblin. The wild look of a man who'd spent over a month alone in the forest.
He must have looked feral.
Does she not understand me?
The thought settled heavy in his chest.
This is another world. Different languages could exist. Of course they could.
His shoulders sagged slightly. After a month of surviving alone—after fighting fifteen goblins to save strangers—the prospect of finally meeting someone only to be separated by a language barrier.
He pushed the thought aside. Even without words, he could try.
He pointed to himself, then placed a hand over his chest.
"Ehm…" he cleared his throat.
"My name is Hyoren. Hyoren Enjou."
He spoke slowly, clearly, making his intentions visible through open gestures.
"Can you understand me?"
The elf's gaze remained sharp, but he noticed the subtle shift—the slight drop of tension in her shoulders.
"Yes."
Her voice was quiet but steady.
"I can understand you."
She rose to her feet in a single, graceful motion. She secured her short sword at her belt, though her hand never strayed far from the hilt. Her posture was ready—not aggressive, but prepared.
She can understand me. I can understand her.
The relief washed through him. Whatever magic had brought him here in another world, at least it had the decency to include a translation. An Universal Translator.
***
After checking the surroundings and confirming it was safe, the elf faced Hyoren again.
"Elise."
She stated her name briefly. Short. Her posture remained guarded, her shoulders tense. But to him, her voice was like the sound of music.
Days of nothing but wind through leaves. Monster snarls. The snap of branches underfoot. His own hoarse voice muttering to itself. He'd nearly forgotten what conversation sounded like. What another person's voice could feel like.
"Nice to meet your, Elise."
He felt a genuine smile spread across his face—the first one in a month—which was not sarcastic smile, laughing at his own absurd situation, or born from satisfaction of leveling up. Just simple—happiness.
But Elise didn't acknowledge it.
She moved past him, walking a slow circuit through the clearing. She approached the Goblin Warrior's corpse and kicked it with her foot, rolling it onto its back.
She studied the wounds. The gaping hole in its chest where the spear tip had pierced. The cracked horn tip. The scattered blood.
Then she lifted her gaze to the fourteen other bodies scattered across the clearing. The Fighters. The normal goblins.
"You killed them all? Alone?"
Her voice carried a note of disbelief. She looked back at him, her green eyes assessing him.
"This was a warband. Led by a Level 8 Goblin Warrior."
She gestured to the larger corpse.
Her eyes scanned over him again. The crude rabbit-leather clothing. The lean frame. The wild, unkempt hair. The makeshift weapons and tools.
"You look..."
She paused, searching for the right word.
"Weak."
Hyoren let out a breath. He couldn't blame her. He probably looked like a wild man who'd wandered into the forest and somehow survived on luck.
"I had a way. A trump card..."
He lifted his left arm, showing her the gash still seeping through its leaf wrapping. Then he held up the splintered remains of his spear shaft.
"And I ambushed them. But I took hits and my weapon's destroyed."
Elise's eyes fixed on the wound. The blood-soaked leaves. The crude wrapping.
Her brow furrowed.
"You haven't treated that properly? You don't have potions?"
He shook his head.
Without a word, she crossed to the burlap sack she'd been trapped in. She rummaged through it and retrieved a small supplies bag. She returned quickly, pressing two small green bottles into his hands.
"Healing potions. Drink one. Pour the other on your worst wound."
He stared at the bottles in his hands.
Small glass bottles. Filled with liquid that glowed faintly green. His first time seeing actual potions. For thirty days, he'd relied on natural healing. Cleaning his wounds with water.
Only recently had he discovered the healing grass—and that was primitive compared to this.
"Thank you, Elise."
He turned the bottles over in his hands, marveling at them.
"I treated it with healing grass, but the effect is slow."
Her eyes widened slightly as he uncovered the leaf bandage.
The wound was deep and wide. Still trickling blood. The edges were ragged where the sword had pierced through. But then she saw the green paste smeared across the injury. The crushed healing grass he'd applied earlier.
"You… You know and use such primitive methods. And those wild looks..."
Her voice dropped to a murmur.
"Who are you?"
Hyoren didn't catch the muttered question. He was too focused on the potions.
The green liquid glowed slightly in the bottles. The color was exactly the same as the healing grass he used—but more concentrated. More vibrant. As if someone had distilled the essence of a hundred plants into a single bottle.
He uncorked one bottle and brought it to his nose.
The smell was similar to healing grass. Fresh. Grassy. Slightly sweet.
He poured it onto his wound carefully, letting the liquid seep into the gash.
His eyes widened.
He felt magic in the liquid. It sank into his flesh. The sensation was similar to the healing grass paste—but multiplied a hundredfold. His flesh began to knit. Cells reconnecting. Tissue regenerating.
He watched in amazement. The wound was closing. Not over hours. Not overnight. Right now. Right before his eyes.
He uncorked the second bottle and drank it.
The taste was similar to healing grass—refreshing, with a slight grassy undertone. But there was something else. Something richer. More potent.
Then heat flooded through him.
Not painful. Not burning. But potent. The magic spread through his body, converging on his wounds. The deep gash on his arm sealed shut, fresh pink skin forming over the injury. The cuts on his other arms closed. The bruises faded. The aches simply vanished.
He flexed his arm. Rotated his shoulder. Tested his body.
"All my wounds and bruises disappeared. And this sword wound..."
He looked at where the gash had been. Nothing remained but faint pink skin.
In seconds, what would have taken hours or even days had simply healed.
***
Elise watched his wounds heal, her expression unreadable.
Satisfied that he was no longer bleeding to death, she turned her attention to herself.
She checked her leather tunic first. The green fabric was stained with dirt and grime from her time in the sack, but undamaged. No tears. No blood.
She dusted off her short skirt next and patted her leather stockings. She checked her boots on the ground. Everything was still intact.
"We should move."
Her voice was short and concise.
"Before another goblin patrol appears."
She gathered her long silver hair and tied it into a ponytail, getting it out of her face. But as her hand brushed the back of her head, she winced.
“Ouch…”
Hyoren, still feeling the potion's effect, snapped to attention. He stepped toward her.
“What happened Elise?”
"Nothing."
She turned away from him.
"Nothing at all."
Her voice lowered, and she muttered something under her breath.
"This club strikes from the goblins that knocked me down still give me pain sometimes. But I should hold it."
He didn't catch the murmured words, but he saw the tension in her shoulders. The way she touch carefully the back of her head.
He wanted to ask. To help.
But the look in her eyes stopped him. She was guarded. Wary. The wall between them was still high. Pushing too hard would only make that wall higher.
"Okay…"
He stepped back.
"We'll move. But let me do something first. I don't have a weapon."
He gestured to the broken spear shaft lying on the ground. The horned-rabbit tip was still buried in the Goblin Warrior's chest. Even if he retrieved it, it was cracked and useless.
"It's suicide venturing through this dangerous forest without a weapon."
Elise studied him for a moment. Then she walked over to where the Goblin Warrior's short sword had fallen. She picked it up, examined the blade briefly, and handed it to him.
“Use this. This is good weapon. Made from steel.”
He took the sword from her hands.
The blade was about thirty centimeters long. When the Goblin Warrior had wielded it, it had looked like a short sword. In his hands it was more like a dagger—a long dagger—but a dagger nonetheless.
He examined the weapon. The steel was dark and sharp. The edge had been maintained. No rust. No chips. It was a proper weapon. Not the crude scrap metal the Fighters had carried.
But he wasn't trained to use a dagger. His skills were built around the spear. Reach. Swing. Thrusting.
"Wait a minute, Elise."
He turned the blade over in his hands.
"I'm not confident without a spear. Let me do something."
Elise scanned the clearing. Her eyes moved through the trees, checking for threats. Finding none, she nodded.
"Okay. But keep it quick."
Hyoren moved to the scattered goblin corpses. Most of them had carried crude clubs or sticks. He searched through the debris until he found what he was looking for on one of goblin corpse.
A straight, smooth stick. About two meters long. Sturdy. Smooth.
He grabbed a length of creeping vine rope from his bag and set to work.
He positioned the steel dagger at the tip of the branch. Wrapped the rope around the connection point. Tied it tight. Wrapped it again.
When he finished, he tested the balance.
The weight of the steel dagger tip gave the weapon a good feel. The sharpness was far superior to the horned-rabbit bone. The durability was undeniable.
"Definitely an upgrade to my horn tip."
He swung the makeshift spear.
"Perfect."
But as he checked the connection again. He realized, he rope held, but it wasn't ideal.
"This connection is a bit worrying."
He pressed his thumb against the binding.
"For now, the rope secured it enough. But I need to reinforce it later."
As Hyoren worked on his spear, Elise attended to her own preparations.
She checked her bow first. The wood was intact. The string was taut. No damage from her capture.
She drew her short sword next. The blade still sharp and smooth. She put it back on the sheath. Securely in her belt.
She counted the arrows in her quiver. Low but good enough. She needed to retrieve every arrow back to last. She then slung her bag over her shoulder.
Then she moved through the clearing. Corpse to corpse. Her fingers found the magic stones embedded in the goblins' chest. She extracted them, wiping the blood on the creatures' loin-cloths.
When she finished, she approached Hyoren and held out her hand.
In her palm sat a small pile of magic stones.
"Here."
She pressed them into his hands.
"The spoils. Don't forget."
He looked at the stones, then at her.
"Thank you, Elise."
She nodded once. Then she turned and started walking.
"Let's go. Don't slow me down. And follow my lead."
Her voice was sharp and commanding.
"I want to leave this Shadowden Collective territory as fast as possible."
A new term caught his ears.
"Shadowden Collective?"
He quickened his pace to catch up.
"What's that?"
She didn't bother to turn. Just kept walking.
"Sssh. No more questions. Just follow me."
He wanted to press. To ask more. The name sounded ominous. Important. Something he should know about.
But her shoulders were tense. Her bow was in her hand. Her eyes scanned the forest ahead.
He resigned himself to silence. He secured the four flint daggers in his belt. Slung his bag over his shoulder. Gripped his new makeshift spear. And he followed her into the forest.
***
Hyoren followed Elise's lead.
She moved through the forest without hesitation. Her steps were quick but deliberate, each of her step finding solid ground. She never stepped on fallen branches. Never cracked dry leaves.
From time to time, she glanced back over her shoulder. Silent. Checking if he was keeping up.
He mimicked her steps. Placing his feet where she placed hers. His Forest Walker skill helped him move quietly—helped him sense the terrain, avoid the noisy patches, find the firm paths. But even with the skill, he couldn't match her natural grace.
He watched her as they walked. The way she avoided bushes and branches and how she slide between trees effortlessly. And the way her body ducked hanging vines.
Either she got higher level Forest Walker. Or it’s elven trait. She moved like she was gliding through the forest.
The thought stayed with him as they traveled.
She hadn't said a word since telling him to follow. Her focus was entirely on the path ahead. He also kept his mouth shut and followed her.
After a while, Elise suddenly stopped.
She dropped into a crouch, slipping behind a fallen log. He followed immediately, pressing himself against the rotting wood beside her.
He peeked over the log.
A small trail wound through the trees ahead. On it, eight goblins marched in loose formation. Five normal ones. Three Fighters.
"Goblin patrol," he muttered.
"Five normal and three Fighters."
Elise glanced at him acknowledging his observation. There were eight goblin walking through the small trail. Her expression remained neutral, but he caught the slight nod.
"Right."
She nocked an arrow to her bowstring.
"Just let me handle this. Don't distract me."
He tightened his grip on his makeshift spear.
"No, Elise. Let me help too."
She paused. Her eyes moved to his spear. To his stance. To the determination on his face.
She remembered. He'd taken down a warband of fifteen goblins. Alone. Wounded and weaponless at the end, but alive.
"Fine."
She drew the bowstring back.
"But don't blame me if you get hit by a stray arrow because you moved carelessly."
A wry smile formed on his lips.
"Understood."
He gripped his spear. The new steel dagger tip pointed forward. Ready to claim its first victim.
Elise pulled two arrows from her quiver. She held them both between her fingers, nocking them simultaneously on the bowstring. The tips glowed faintly.
"Double Shot."
Hyoren heard her activate her skill.
At the same moment, he charged.
He saw the arrows fly. Two streaks of light, cutting through the air. They struck two goblins simultaneously—one in the chest, one in the throat. Both creatures dropped with a thud.
The patrol erupted into chaos.
The remaining six goblins spun toward the source of the attack. They snarled and raised their weapons, charging toward them.
Wow. She effortlessly hit them from that distance.
Before Hyoren reached the goblins patrol, Elise released again. Another arrow flew. Another goblin fell, arrow struck through the eye.
I need to pick up my slack.
He glanced back, checking where she was aiming. The next arrow was pointed at the left flank. He adjusted his course and charged the right.
"Piercing Thrust."
The words left his mouth. His spear tip glowed.
The magic surged and he propelled forward, crossing the distance in an instant. The steel dagger tip punched through a Goblin Fighter's chest.
He yanked the spear free. With the same motion, he swung the blade in a wide arc. It slashed across the throat of another Fighter on his right. Blood sprayed from the wide gash on its torso.
The creature stumbled but didn't fall. It raised its rusty sword—he jumped backward. The blade cut through empty air.
He counterattacked. His spear found its mark in the creature's heart.
He pulled his spear free and scanned the area.
The remaining Fighter lay dead with an arrow jutting from its forehead. The last two normal goblins had fallen with arrows in their eyes and chests.
Silence settled over the trail. Eight goblins corpses.
Hyoren let out a breath.
"Good work, Elise."
He lowered his spear.
"You made this fight easy."
"Hmph."
She lowered her bow.
"Like I said, I could have handled this amount by myself."
She stepped over the log and moved among the corpses, retrieving her arrows. She wiped each one clean on the goblins' crude clothing before returning it to her quiver.
As she worked, she muttered under her breath.
"But you actually can handle yourself too. Good spatial awareness. Never went for goblins I was already aiming at."
Her voice was too low for Hyoren to hear clearly. He thought he caught fragments, but the words were lost in the forest sounds.
He moved among the corpses as well, harvesting the magic stones. When he finished, he walked over to Elise and held out his hand.
"These magic stones are from the goblins you killed, Elise."
He separated them from his own.
"You should take them."
She glanced at the stones, then at him.
"Just keep them for now. I'm not stingy enough to separate loot after each battle."
He pocketed the stones. The pouch was getting heavier now.
He looked up to find Elise already moving.
"Let's go. We're not out of danger yet."
She didn't look back. He followed her lead again.
Eight goblins. A patrol number that would have forced him to focus. To be careful.
Now it was just... culling. Almost easy.
Because now he had company. A wary company, yes. One that barely spoke. One that kept its distance. But still.
Company.
A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he followed her through the trees.