After hearing all those things, Maxwell wrote everything down in his book for future reference—and also because he was bored out of his mind. Although he already knew some of the information, most of it was completely new to him, making him eager to absorb every detail.
"First and foremost, I should draft a safe plan to reduce risks and make the journey easier. Once I get there, I'll choose a relatively easy task and get the hell out of this damned place."
His expression darkened.
"He still didn't even tell me how to leave this place."
Maxwell's face flushed red with anger. His fists clenched tightly, teeth grinding as he cursed the mysterious voice with everything he had.
"Damn it… it's all my fault."
If only he had asked the second time the voice appeared, this wouldn't have happened. Curling up into a ball, Maxwell rested his legs against his chest and slowly drifted off to sleep, lamenting the day he found himself trapped in this forsaken place.
Maxwell woke up feeling refreshed.
He got out of bed, washed his face, and stepped outside to do his morning run and exercises. One had to remain physically fit to survive in a forest as dangerous as this.
After finishing, he returned to take his bath.
Entering his room, Maxwell removed his clothes and folded his wings neatly before stepping into the shower. As the warm water flowed over him, a strange sense of déjà vu washed through his mind.
He remembered the dream he had.
A dream where he was a human—dragged to a strange place against his will.
"What a strange dream," Maxwell mused. "How could I, a proud member of the Snow Hawk Tribe, dream of being a human?"
His eyes narrowed in disgust.
"This alone is an insult to the strong and noble hawk people. For such an offense, I shall punish myself by skipping breakfast and lunch, using that time to train in martial arts instead."
"Yes… that is the least I can do."
Having made up his mind, Maxwell resolved to work harder—so that he would never again dream of being a filthy human.
He turned off the water, applied soap all over his body, then turned the shower back on. As the water rushed down, washing the soap away, it flowed over his right hand—
And pain exploded.
Maxwell looked down to see blood streaming freely from his palm.
The world blurred for a split second.
But that was enough.
Enough for him to see a looming figure standing over him in a cold, dark, empty cave.
"Wait… Father?"
"What is Father doing in that cave?"
"That's the same cave from my dream… isn't it?"
"What's going on? I don't understand—this injury… it's the same one from the dream!"
Clarity slowly returned to Maxwell's eyes as he focused on the dark silhouette before him. He couldn't make out its full form—only two glowing blue eyes staring straight into his soul, dragging him deeper into the vivid nightmare.
The moment the figure noticed clarity returning to Maxwell's gaze, it let out a shrill cry and lunged forward.
Its sharp beak glinted red as it shot toward Maxwell's head, intending to crush it into a bloody paste in a single strike.
Maxwell didn't run.
He didn't dodge.
He calmly assessed the situation.
As the beak closed in, Maxwell suddenly sat upright. His left hand shot out, grabbing the sword lying beside him, and he thrust it forward.
The creature halted mid-attack. Continuing forward would only drive its beak into the stone floor, so it raised its talons instead, blocking the sword.
Seeing this, Maxwell redirected his blade to the left, narrowly avoiding the talons. A direct clash would have been suicide—he stood no chance in a contest of strength.
Missing its prey again, the creature let out an enraged cry and took off, intending to crush Maxwell with its sheer weight.
But luck favored Maxwell.
They were inside a cave.
The creature slammed into the ceiling mid-flight, crashing down violently onto the ground.
Seizing the opportunity, Maxwell sprinted to the side and waited. The instant the creature fell, he rushed forward and drove his sword into its neck, twisting the blade to inflict as much damage as possible.
Knowing its end was near, the creature lunged at Maxwell in desperation, aiming to drag him down in mutual destruction.
Maxwell turned and ran.
But how could he outrun such a monstrous abomination?
It caught up in seconds, slashing with its devastating talons. Maxwell turned just in time, raising his sword to block—
And was sent flying into the cave wall.
Everything went black.
Maxwell had no idea how long he was unconscious.
When he finally woke up, his entire body screamed in agony. As he tried to move, a horrible scraping sound echoed—broken bones grinding against each other.
"Crap… crap… what the hell happened?"
He struggled to recall anything clearly. All he remembered was being in a cave… and fighting something.
A feathered abomination.
"…A feathered abomination!."
His eyes snapped open.
Maxwell's gaze swept across the cave frantically, searching for the creature. It didn't take long. The cave was small, and the massive body lay near the entrance, its talons stretched toward him—as if it had tried to crawl closer before dying.
Now that it was daytime, and he was no longer fighting for his life, Maxwell finally got a clear look at it.
The creature was humanoid, its entire body covered in thick fur. Nearly three meters tall, it possessed a terrifying beak over a foot long. Thick black wings sprouted from its back, dotted with candle-like eyes.
It had human-like arms ending in razor-sharp talons, and two powerful hawk-like legs.
Noticing the numerous wounds marring its body, Maxwell frowned.
"These weren't from me…," he muttered. "It must've been injured before."
He swallowed.
"Even in this state, it was terrifying. Just how monstrous would it be without these wounds?"
"I was… lucky."
The mysterious voice's words echoed in his mind.
Even luck is a skill.
"Tch. I don't believe that crap one bit," Maxwell muttered.
"…Is this thing even edible?"
He tried to stand.
Pain exploded through his body.
Looking himself over, Maxwell's heart sank.
At least three broken ribs.
Fractures in his arms and legs. A deep gash across his right arm.
"So this is it, huh…?"
"Well… it was a good run."
"At least I accomplished something before the end."
Maxwell looked at the monster one last time, bitterness in his eyes. He closed them, resigning himself to fate.
Then—
A strange sound echoed from behind the small rock inside the cave.