Rio’s expression turned sharp as her detection range picked up on the approaching presence. She turned toward its direction, clearly preparing for whatever was coming.

Even if we were floating above the forest, I couldn’t rule out the possibility that whatever this was had ranged attacks.

But then—

"What the...?"

Around 500 meters away, a beast’s presence began to rise—literally. It left the ground, moving upwards. The tallest trees here were about 100 meters, and we were hovering an additional 20 meters above that.

Then I saw it—a wolf-like beast emerging from the treetops, running on thin air as though solid ground stretched before it.

"Why is it running in the air?!"

Rio’s shout mirrored my thoughts, but her shock allowed me to stay slightly more composed. Some kind of air-walking skill? I needed to figure out how that worked later.

For now, though, I couldn’t get over its size. It looked massive, even from this distance.

"No time for questions. Let’s go with the bait plan!"

"Got it!"

As the wolf approached at breakneck speed, its silver-blue fur glinting under the sunlight, I readied myself. Once it closed the distance to about 100 meters, I summoned a Great Dragon carcass from my spatial storage and hurled it directly into the wolf’s open maw.

"—Grrrr...!?"

The beast chomped down instinctively on the dragon, which was easily over 15 meters long.

"Now’s our chance! Let’s go!"

We bolted eastward, pushing our flight speed to the max.

"Man, what was that thing...?"

"I have no idea, but it scared the hell out of me..."

We had flown straight until we reached the grasslands on the eastern edge of the forest. Now, as the sun began to set, we’d set up camp for the night.

Near the forest’s exit, we’d passed by what looked like a lumberyard, though it was abandoned at the time. After seeing some guards patrolling the nearby road, we quickly moved on and chose a secluded area for our makeshift camp.

"Do you think that wolf was an evolved version of a Silver Wolf?"

"Most likely. It wasn’t just bigger—it had a name when I identified it. Sky Wolves."

"Sky Wolves?!"

Rio’s eyes widened.

"You apraised it during all that chaos?"

Apparently, that surprised her more than the name itself.

"The village’s name, Fenrir, makes me wonder if there’s any connection to Sky Wolves. But it doesn’t feel quite the same, does it?"

"No, I don’t think so. Silver Wolves were everywhere in the forest. That kind of population density probably means their upper-tier variants show up relatively frequently."

"So you’re saying Fenrir—unseen for over two centuries—might be an even rarer, higher-tier species?"

"That’s my guess."

If Fenrir truly existed, it was probably a once-in-a-lifetime encounter, even rarer than an upper-tier species like Sky Wolves.

As for the dragon I’d used as bait, it was a Great Dragon, one of the many lizard-like monsters living in the depths of the Demonic Forest. Though not as strong as the Earth Dragon, it was still a formidable creature, with a body length of at least ten meters.

The Sky Wolves must’ve stood five meters tall at the shoulder, making the dragon a substantial meal. Hopefully, that would keep it occupied for a while.

"What about that tower, though? What do you think it was?"

"It felt like something out of a fantasy novel."

"Yeah, like the chasm at the border or even this world’s magic. It really drives home how different this place is from Japan."

The mysteries of this world seemed endless. As we talked, the night deepened, and we eventually settled in for a quiet evening.

"So this is Raven, the Craftsman’s City, huh?"

The following morning, just before noon, we arrived at Raven after crossing the grasslands and a river.

The city was surrounded by tall stone walls, and its proximity to both the Fenrir Forest and a nearby mining area explained its reputation. Wagons carrying logs and ore moved along well-maintained roads leading into the city.

"This place looks promising," I remarked, admiring the industrious vibe.

As soon as we passed through the gates, Rio took charge.

"Let’s find a place to stay first."

I was tempted to wander into one of the many workshops lining the streets, but Rio grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the adventurer’s guild instead.

The guild, located just east of the central plaza, was a sturdy three-story stone building. Inside, Rio asked the receptionist for lodging recommendations.

"You're looking for a place with good food and a bath, correct? Let me see..."

The receptionist pulled out a list.

"For affordable accommodations, there’s the Horse’s Horn Inn in the southern district. If you’re looking for something more upscale, try the Snake’s Shin Inn in the northern district."

"Horses don’t have horns, and snakes don’t have shins..." I muttered.

Rio ignored me and said, "We’ll try the Snake’s Shin Inn. Thanks for the recommendation."

As we turned to leave, I caught snippets of murmured complaints from nearby adventurers.

"Tch, look at those kids heading for a high-class inn. They must be some noble brats..."

All I could do was pray that this wasn’t the start of another headache.