<CHAPTER 46>

Where Are You Going, You Should Play With Me

As the uneasy feeling she had forgotten for a while resurfaced, Evelyn swallowed dryly.

While she hesitated, unable to act, Dahlia spoke in a newly bright voice.

“It’s here. I’m sure it’s here.”

“Then… let’s look a little more before going back.”

Forcing away her suspicions, Evelyn resumed searching for the tanzanite necklace.

She illuminated the surroundings with a mana flashlight and searched thoroughly, but once again, she couldn’t find it.

“Dahlia, are you sure you lost it here?”

Unable to hide her anxiety, Evelyn asked in a slightly trembling voice.

However, no answer came from Dahlia.

“Dahlia…?”

She hurriedly shone the light around, but Dahlia was nowhere to be seen.

Sensing that something was wrong, Evelyn decided to quickly return to the forest entrance.

Just as she was about to take a step—

Kwoong—

A sudden roar echoed, and a creature she had never seen before revealed itself.

‘What… is that?’

A beast covered in snake-like scales with a long tail.

In other words, the grotesque and chilling creature was—

‘A Lizard Man.’

A Lizard Man was not an ordinary beast of the forest, but a high-ranking monster.

As the unimaginable sight unfolded before her, Evelyn’s heart began to pound violently.

How could such a monster exist in a forest owned by the imperial family?

Her senses felt as though they were being consumed by fear.

Though the situation made no sense, she instinctively understood one thing.

If she didn’t escape now, her life could be in danger.

Evelyn quickly turned off the mana flashlight.

Then she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness and cautiously observed the monster.

At that moment, the Lizard Man slammed its powerful tail down, causing the ground to shake.

Kwang—

With trembling legs, Evelyn barely managed to hide behind a large tree.

She planned to seize an opportunity to escape, but she still couldn’t relax.

There was no telling when the Lizard Man might notice her.

Perhaps it was her imagination, but the monster seemed to be searching for someone.

‘It’s not looking for me… is it?’

Clutching her pounding heart, she quietly observed its movements.

But suddenly, the monster that had been there just moments ago disappeared without a trace.

Where did it go?

As she scanned the darkness to find it—

Rustle—

The sound of leaves shaking came from very close by.

‘No way…’

The ominous sound sent a chill down her spine.

Forcing her short breaths into longer ones, Evelyn slowly lifted her stiff neck.

Then she saw it.

The Lizard Man, perched on the tree, was staring straight at her with its pale eyes.

‘W-What do I do…?’

Locking eyes with the monster, her entire body broke out in goosebumps.

The Lizard Man’s eyes curved into a strange smile as it watched her.

[Found you.]

Its voice spread through the air, radiating an overwhelming presence.

‘Did it just… speak?’

Evelyn’s lips trembled at the eerie and unsettling voice.

She had heard that some high-ranking monsters possessed intelligence and could speak human language.

But having never encountered one before, her blood ran cold.

Moreover, for some reason, it felt like the Lizard Man had been searching specifically for her.

How did it know?

Though everything was full of questions, survival came first.

She had to think of a way to escape the forest.

‘Think, Evelyn.’

Biting her lip, she suddenly recalled the teleportation scroll she had received from Viaron earlier that morning.

She had kept it in her inner pocket, assuming she wouldn’t need it during the hunting festival.

‘Maybe… I still have a chance.’

Rather than dying helplessly, it was better to try something.

Taking a deep breath, she hid her tension and spoke cautiously.

“Hey… you understand me, right?”

[Kiik, kiik. Kik.]

The Lizard Man flicked its long tongue and laughed grotesquely.

‘Disgusting.’

Determined not to be killed, Evelyn decided to draw its interest.

“Do you want to play hide-and-seek with me?”

[Hide… seek?]

The Lizard Man tilted its head at a ninety-degree angle and stared at her with wide, distorted eyes.

Its unnaturally moving pupils seemed to be reading her thoughts.

The forest was filled with a dreadful and unpleasant aura, and the fear wrapping around her was vivid.

Clenching her trembling hands, Evelyn forced a smile.

“I’ll be ‘it.’ While I count to ten, you hide!”

She planned to escape the forest while it hid.

Perhaps intrigued by the idea, the monster jumped in place excitedly.

[Good. I hide.]

“Then I’ll start counting.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the Lizard Man vanished instantly.

‘I… did it.’

Evelyn felt relieved to be out of its sight.

But she couldn’t waste time, so she quickly pulled out the teleportation scroll from her pocket.

She believed that tearing it would take her to a desired location.

However, for some reason, the paper—now damp and tough like leather—would not tear no matter how hard she tried.

“This can’t be… no way…”

Though she didn’t want to believe it, Evelyn realized she had been tricked by the Lizard Man.

Perhaps from the beginning, the monster had targeted her and set up a barrier to trap her.

As even her small hope shattered, her face turned pale.

Overwhelmed by despair like crashing waves, she wiped her face with cold hands.

If she couldn’t escape the barrier, she would have to hide until a search party arrived.

With trembling legs, Evelyn moved toward a place to avoid the monster’s gaze.

‘I’ll hide there first.’

She crouched among the bushes and covered her mouth with both hands to suppress her breathing.

Even the slightest sound of wind made her flinch as her heart pounded wildly.

‘Please… just pass by…’

Curling into herself, she trembled, hoping the monster wouldn’t find her.

But it seemed fate was not on her side.

Kwoong—

The familiar rumbling sound echoed nearby.

Had it already come this close?

As she bit the inside of her cheek—

The Lizard Man tore through the bushes in an instant with its sharp claws and smiled as if amused.

[Where are you going? You should play with me.]

“Aaaah!”

Terrified, Evelyn screamed and ran forward blindly.

But unfortunately, she tripped over a rock she hadn’t seen and fell.

Collapsing to the ground, she clutched her twisted ankle, her eyelashes trembling.

As she swallowed her groan of pain, the Lizard Man approached, flicking its tongue.

“D-Don’t come closer!”

Despite her desperate cry, the monster laughed mockingly.

Realizing there was nothing more she could do, her eyes gradually dimmed.

At the brink of death, she closed her eyes in resignation—

Crack—

The barrier set by the Lizard Man began to fracture.

Sensing a familiar flow of mana from somewhere, Evelyn slowly opened her eyes.

‘Aksion…?’

Soon, a man stepped into the barrier and stared at her.

“Evelyn, you…”