An entire day had passed, and under Arthur's firm leadership, the group finally reached the top of a high hill.
From there, as they cast their eyes into the distance, everyone could see a vast open plain stretching as far as the eye could see. The terrain was wide and relatively flat, and more importantly than anything else, a river wound through the area nearby, reflecting the sunlight like a promise of life.
Arthur observed the landscape in silence for a few seconds, carefully evaluating it.
"The land is open and flat, there's plenty of water, enough fruit, and good prey for hunting," he murmured.
"Very well, everyone. We'll build a city right here. This will be our home from now on."
'At least, I think this is the place Treyni mentioned…' Arthur thought.
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone erupted in joy.
The Jura Forest had always been their home; who, in their right mind, would want to flee when it was possible to live in peace within the forest? In the outside world, beyond the constant scarcity of food and clothing, extreme insecurity reigned.
Humans could attack them at any moment and for any reason, and in the worst-case scenario, they would end up reduced to mere raw materials.
Being able to settle permanently within the Great Forest was, without exaggeration, the best thing that could possibly happen.
It could be said, without a doubt, that Arthur's decision had come at the perfect moment.
Shion clenched her fists tightly, her face lit up with an almost childlike joy, and exclaimed enthusiastically:
"Master Arthur, you must be hungry too! Please rest for a bit. I'll prepare lunch for you right away!"
Shion… preparing lunch… for me?
Arthur's danger radar went off instantly.
A cold sweat began to trickle down his forehead without him even noticing.
This was dangerous. Extremely dangerous.
He absolutely could not allow Shion to cook for him.
"My magicles are… running out…"
Arthur pretended to stagger, taking a misstep, his body suddenly appearing unsteady.
The reaction was immediate.
Seeing that scene, all the majins present were seized with concern—and it was not superficial concern, but genuine.
After all, everyone had witnessed Arthur granting names to several monsters consecutively, something that consumed an absurd amount of magicles.
"Master Arthur!"
"Master, are you all right?!"
Shion and Shuna immediately rushed to Arthur's side.
Felicia and Q-Bee, who couldn't reach him as quickly, were overcome with regret, and their resentment toward Shion and Shuna rose several levels at that very moment.
Watching Shion's deeply worried expression, Arthur laughed inwardly.
His plan had worked perfectly.
"I just need to rest a little," he said as he slowly let himself fall onto the soft grass. "During that time, you can protect me."
As soon as she heard those words, Shion was instantly satisfied. With a radiant smile, she sat down and carefully placed Arthur's head on her lap.
'An unexpected reward,' he thought.
"Yes, my master. Rest assured," she declared firmly. "I won't let anything happen to you!"
"Very well… then I'll leave it to you, Shion," Arthur replied.
"Yes!" Shion answered promptly, full of energy.
Next, Arthur slightly turned his face.
"Benimaru, you'll be in command for now. You still remember what we discussed on the way here, right?"
Benimaru perked up instantly, his posture straightening with determination.
"Yes, I remember all the roles that need to be assigned. I won't fail your trust!" he declared seriously.
Seeing Benimaru's resolute expression, Arthur couldn't help but form a slight smile.
"As for clothing," he continued, "I'll leave that under your command, Shuna. Choose those most suited for this important task and teach them."
"Yes!"
Upon hearing Arthur assign her a direct responsibility, Shuna set aside her usual reserve and smiled brightly.
Seeing that angelic smile, Arthur felt his mood improve almost instantly.
With the tasks distributed, the entire forest quickly turned into a true anthill of activity.
Some went out to hunt, others began felling trees, while several busied themselves transporting materials. It was intense, organized, and almost hypnotic.
An ordinary person would be completely dumbfounded at the sight of such a scene.
The hierarchy among monsters had always been rigid and inflexible, yet now everyone moved in perfect harmony, united around Arthur.
A gentle breeze passed through, tousling Shion's hair and making her appear even more elegant—almost intellectual—and undeniably beautiful.
That was when a powerful and oppressive wave of killing intent descended upon Shion.
She became alert instantly.
"Where!?" she shouted, her eyes scanning the surroundings with ferocity.
At that same moment, Benimaru, Souei, Hakurou, Shuna, and Shion—the closest ones and the most sensitive to it—also reacted.
Correction: rather than merely alert, Shion was furious.
Who would dare choose that very moment to attack them?
But it didn't matter who it was.
The only thing that truly mattered now was protecting their master.
Even if it cost them their lives.
"Where is it coming from?" Benimaru asked, his gaze sweeping the area with heightened focus.
"Come out. I already know where you are." Souei suddenly appeared beside Benimaru and spoke in a low voice, yet one filled with certainty.
Immediately afterward, a woman incredibly similar to Arthur emerged from behind a tree.
Her long golden hair flowed like strands of pure gold, reflecting the light at the slightest movement, cascading down almost to the ground. Each step made her hair ripple gently, as if it were alive. Her eyes, a deep, sharp crimson, observed everyone before her with a palpable mix of contempt and restrained anger.
Her slender, perfectly defined body exuded strength and elegance in equal measure. There were no excesses, nor any fragility; every curve seemed sculpted for combat. Her fair skin contrasted sharply with strange crimson patterns engraved across her abdomen and torso.
She wore golden armor, molded to protect without ever concealing her overwhelming presence. The golden plates gleamed with almost excessive refinement, adorned with red and black details that amplified her intimidating aura. A deep red cloak descended down her back, swaying gently with each step she took.
Every movement conveyed the crushing sensation that the world around her belonged to her by right. There was no hesitation in her posture, no haste in her gestures—only absolute certainty of her superiority.
Everyone stiffened at the same instant upon seeing the woman's appearance and, almost unconsciously, their gazes turned toward Arthur.
Without any hesitation, Benimaru conjured a sphere of black flames and hurled it directly at the woman.
"Hell Flare!"
The woman was immediately engulfed by a sphere of black flames at an absurd temperature, capable of reducing anything to ashes in the blink of an eye.
'Hell Flare? Since when does Benimaru have that?' Arthur wondered, confused.
Unfortunately, Hell Flare seemed to have no effect at all.
Calmly, the woman simply walked out of the sphere of flames, as if passing through harmless mist.
She was completely unharmed.
"That's impossible…" Benimaru was stunned.
He knew very well that the explosion caused by his black flames was enough to obliterate any ordinary enemy without leaving a trace. And yet, it hadn't caused even a scratch on that woman.
"Your Hell Flare was already quite powerful at that time. It's no wonder he named you," the woman commented casually.
"Shut up!" Benimaru roared. "Who gave you the right to speak so lightly about my master?!"
Furious, he immediately conjured two more Hell Flares and fired them at her without hesitation.
This time, however, the woman did not remain still.
"Gluttony…"
She extended one of her hands, and a strange black vortex appeared before her, spinning unnaturally and devouring the two spheres of flame as if they were nothing.
[Notice]
[Unique Skill: Gluttony has been acquired]
'Got a skill for free,' Arthur thought.
Before Benimaru could even process what had happened, the woman vanished from her position.
In the next instant, she was already in front of him, a sword materialized in her hand, ready to pierce straight through him.
Clang Clang Clang~
A rapid, deafening sequence of metallic sounds echoed throughout the area.
"Young Master, your combat experience is still far too weak to fight this woman," Hakurou said, now positioned in front of Benimaru, assuming a classic draw stance as he intercepted the blows.
It was impossible to deny: Hakurou's sword moved at an astonishing speed, nearly invisible to the naked eye.
At the same time, Souei abruptly reappeared and wrapped the woman's body with countless threads.
"Arcane Thread Shackles."
Even so, the woman's face remained completely expressionless.
With a dry sound of cords snapping, all the threads binding her broke apart in a single instant.
Souei vanished again immediately afterward, retreating into the shadows while waiting for another opportunity to strike.
"It can't be…" An idea began to form in his mind, as he already sensed who that woman might be.
"Shion, Shuna, go help Benimaru and Hakurou," he ordered, calmly rising from Shion's thighs.
"Master, but—" Shion hesitated.
"You may go," Arthur interrupted calmly. "Since you evolved into Onis, you haven't had an opponent strong enough to test your powers yet. This is the perfect opportunity."
"Yes!"
"Understood!"
Though somewhat worried, Shion and Shuna immediately obeyed Arthur's orders and entered the battle.
To them, their master's word was absolute.
Even so, their fighting styles were completely different.
For Shion, there was no need for any elaborate strategy.
All she needed to do was attack.
Wielding a two-handed sword she had received from Arthur, Shion charged straight at the woman.
"Die!" she roared, swinging the blade with crushing force.
Before her strike could reach its target, Shion felt something completely block her attack.
"How is this possible…?"
She could barely believe what she was seeing.
Golden chains had emerged from portals, crossing in front of the woman and blocking her sword with absolute firmness.
Arthur was certain his suspicions were correct the moment he saw those chains.
It was impossible to replicate that.
After becoming an Oni, Shion had grown dozens of times stronger.
And yet, she couldn't break through mere chains?
In the next instant, the woman advanced and struck Shion in the stomach with a powerful punch, sending her flying.
At the same time, the woman felt her eyelids suddenly grow heavy, as if sleep were about to overtake her.
She turned her head and saw Shuna, who covered her mouth with the sleeve of her clothes while casting spells with her other hand.
But in the very next second, she had no time to react before being struck by a combined attack from Benimaru, Hakurou, Shion, and Souei.
(End of chapter)
I just made a major update to the first twenty chapters; there are some very important things that were missing that have been added. If you'd like, go check them out.