Afterlife... NOT!

Chapter 5

Seth relieved a shaky sigh. He needed to calm down. He knew the forest was dangerous but he still insisted on traveling alone. This was his decision. He shouldn't get cold feet now. He tapped on the dagger he temporarily fixed on his belt just to feel a little more secure. He also checked the small pouch in his right pocket. He continued walking until he reached the huge maple tree around 20 meters away from the meadow. He then brought out his map again. It was indicated on the map that he needed to go northwest after seeing the maple tree. They really should have given him a compass too... However, people like Aurora and Anil were on their team so they simply used incantations to see the direction where they were going. None of them had anything that pointed to directions like a compass. And besides, was a compass even a thing in this world?

They simply told him to follow the height of the sun and also his shadow to make sure he wouldn't get lost. It was easier said than done... Even so, he tried his best to make sure he wouldn't get lost in the dangerous forest. It was still sometime early in the afternoon but he was already starting to feel anxious and restless. He feared the darkness of the night and everything that would come with it. Aurora told him several times not to move too much during the night since he didn't have the help of the sun and his shadow to know the direction and to make sure to climb a tree to reduce the risk of monsters seeing him in his sleep. How the hell was he supposed to sleep on a tree?? But no matter. Everything had a first.

Everything was uneventful up until sunset and he was even able to get some herbs and medicinal plants while he walked. Nonetheless, he shouldn't let his guard down no matter how tranquil and quiet the forest looked. He needed to find a place to rest soon.

He was still walking quietly, trying to discern his shadow with regard to the height of the sun, when he suddenly felt a change in the atmosphere. It's like the air itself had stopped circulating and he suddenly felt the hair on his nape stand on its end. His breath hitched and he felt his heart hammering loudly in his chest since he knew exactly what the feeling meant. Slowly but surely, he heard the faint sound of footsteps on the grass. He slowly turned around to check for any place where he would be able to hide in the meantime. He found some wild thicket not too far away from him and slowly and quietly went near it. It was a wrong move.

No matter how quiet his footsteps were, the forest was a lot quieter. His footsteps made some distinct sounds on the grasses and he was shocked to hear the growl of the creature not too far away from him. Just then, he saw a gigantic wolf step out from the shadows around five or six meters away from him. It seemed to be around two meters tall. Its black fur was thick and its golden eyes glowed as they reflected Seth's terrified expression in their depths. Seth froze on the spot.

He didn't know whether it was wise to move or not. Or rather, he was having a difficult time just trying to breathe. Moving was out of the question. He knew the wolf would attack him either way but at the moment it was still sizing him up. His trembling hand slowly reached for his dagger while his right hand reached for his pouch. To think he would need those bugs only just a few hours after he parted with Amon's team. And he still had two more days' worth of travel. Or make that a week if he was moving this slowly.

The wolf's growl changed as if it had finished checking whether he was prey or foe. It immediately lurched forward for an attack. Seth moved by reflex and covered his face with his arms, the dagger shaking in his trembling fingers. The wolf bit his arm and pushed him down the moist ground, causing him to lose his grip on the dagger as he also fell down. He screamed at the sudden onslaught of pain but he immediately tried to keep his voice down lest he attracted more monsters. The dagger fell a few feet away and he was horror-stricken when he realized that he was totally defenseless without it. He lay on his back while the wolf bit his right arm. He used his left hand to reach for the dagger on the ground and without further ado, immediately thrust it in the wolf's eye. It cried as it released his right arm. Seth felt like his mind had gone blank. Even so, his body still remembered to stand up and run. However, it was all for naught. The wolf was huge and its strides were much larger than his own. Not to mention he was bleeding and the wolf could still definitely faintly smell his blood.