He said, "I'm fine. It suits you fine as well. Now get some rest. We'll leave first thing in the morning," he added, walking out of the cave.
"Adrian!" I called out to him before he disappeared completely.
He turned around to look at me.
"Where are you off to?"
"I'm going to sleep outside—to keep watch," he said calmly. "You should rest."
"I can help. How about I take the first watch and you sleep? We can switch at midnight," I suggested.
He looked at me as if I had just said something completely unheard of.
"You sure you want to do this? I mean… the forest is dangerous. How are you even going to protect yourself?" he asked with clear concern in his voice.
"Well, I have my own weapon," I replied, reaching into my bag and pulling out a gun. "This thing can kill anything that comes close to me," I added proudly.
He didn't look entirely convinced, but eventually nodded. "Okay. Take the first watch," he said, moving toward the stone bed to sleep.
That action caught me by surprise. I hadn't expected him to agree that quickly. I reached for my bag again, took out my overall, put it on, and stepped outside. The cold breeze hit my face instantly. I took a long, deep breath of the fresh night air. It was crisp and clean—far better than the damp and musty air inside the cave.
Looking up at the sky, I saw two moons surrounded by countless stars, shining bright and illuminating the darkness. The sight was breathtaking.
"The night is calm," I whispered to myself. Only the sound of crickets could be heard. It was peaceful.
I looked around, eventually spotting a flat stone to sit on. I calmly watched my surroundings, alert but relaxed, until suddenly, the air seemed to grow tense. Everything went completely silent. My gut feeling flared up—I sensed something was very wrong.
I stood up quickly, scanning the area, and readied my rifle for defense.
As if on cue, Adrian appeared at the entrance of the cave, clearly sensing the same shift in the air. Without a word, he transformed into his beastly form and charged into the forest ahead, disappearing into the darkness beyond the clearing.
Then, I heard a loud roar—followed by a whimpering sound. A tiger-like creature flew through the air and landed hard in front of me. I rushed over, recognizing Adrian. I cradled his head in my arms.
"Run..." he said weakly.
"What about you? I can't just leave you here!" I shouted, panicked.
Then, a low growl echoed through the trees. I looked up and saw a massive white ball of fur. The hair on its body was pure white—like snow. I couldn't even see its face. I quickly stood between the creature and Adrian, lifting my gun and aiming.
I fired.
It didn't even flinch.
I fired again. Still no effect—not even a scratch. The thing didn't seem hurt in the slightest.
It lunged toward me, claws raised—but Adrian leapt up and sank his teeth into its neck, holding on tightly.
"Tinny!" I shouted.
The small robot appeared instantly.
"Scan that thing! Find out what can kill it! I need a weak spot—anything!"
After a brief pause, Tinny responded. "Its belly fur is soft. There are no scales there to protect it."
Tinny quickly took my gun, upgrading it into a laser beam blaster. I grabbed it and charged forward. Adrian could no longer hold on—he let go.
I slid beneath the creature's body, aimed for its belly, and pulled the trigger. It reacted fast—but not fast enough. The laser bullets struck their target. I unloaded several rounds into it before rolling away.
The creature let out a thunderous roar of pain. It swung its claws at me, but I did a double flip to dodge the attack, then aimed my weapon again and fired continuously without pause.
It gave one final scream of agony before standing still—then collapsed, dead.
I approached it cautiously, touching the body with my gun. To my surprise, it disintegrated into ashes, leaving behind a glowing red crystal.
I bent down, picked up the crystal, and slipped it into my pocket.
Returning to the cave, I found Adrian lying motionless on the ground. I gently held his head in my hands. His beastly form slowly faded, revealing his human self again. His body was bruised and bloodied.
I checked for a pulse—he was still alive, breathing faintly.
He slowly opened his eyes and asked, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I replied. "I killed it. Thank you for helping me. If you hadn't jumped in and bitten its neck, I wouldn't have survived that attack."
He gave me a weak smile before passing out.
I half-dragged and half-carried him back inside the cave. Laying him gently on the stone bed, I called Tinny again and instructed it to handle the first-aid treatment.
I sat down beside him, my mind in turmoil.
That beast... it was huge. Almost indestructible.
With all my training, I've never felt so outmatched. This world is far more dangerous than I imagined—filled with powerful and deadly creatures.
When Tinny was done bandaging Adrian's wounds, I took out the glowing red crystal and asked the bot to analyze it.This crystal had come from the White Beast—it was all that remained after the creature disintegrated. Could this be the source of its power? I held it in my hand, feeling the warmth radiating from within. Its deep, dark red hue shimmered like fire trapped in stone. The appearance was extraordinary—almost identical to a ruby. If I hadn't been in the land of beasts, I might have mistaken it for a precious gemstone. But not now. Not here.
In this world, nothing is ever as it seems.
Animals are unnaturally large, trees tower far higher than back home, and monsters roam freely. Then there are the orcs—creatures capable of controlling their forms. They look like human beings on the surface, but their structure, their essence, is something else entirely. Their "shift" is not just physical—it's instinctive, feral.
I'd like to know more about them, especially the tribe we're heading toward. But Adrian... he's not exactly the talkative type. He speaks only when necessary, his answers short, direct, and emotionless. I can't read him. I don't know what's going on inside his head—whether he truly approves of me, or whether he's setting me up for something. Is he a friend? A guide? Or is this all part of some trap?
He hasn't shown any signs of hostility, but that doesn't mean I can trust him. After all, in this world, trust could be fatal.
Can I rely on him? More importantly, can I rely on myself?
I thought I was strong, capable. But that night, reality slapped me hard—I wasn't even able to protect myself. It's no wonder Adrian seemed skeptical when I insisted on taking the first watch. He probably saw right through my bluff. I thought I was prepared, but I was clearly outmatched.
And then, how did he even know the White Beast was approaching? He was outside the cave when it happened, yet somehow, he leapt into action before I could even sense danger. It's like he was already aware—like he heard something I didn't.
That's when it hit me.
His hearing—could it be just as sharp in his human form as it is when he transforms? If so, then his senses are far beyond anything I can comprehend. And that only deepens the mystery around him.