After a few moments, the idea of eating the Nasnas by humans started to appeal to Darius, especially as he recalled reading about it in the myths.

"So, how do we kill this thing?" Darius pointed to the struggling creature impaled on his sword, still writhing and fighting as if it were on stimulants, despite the lack of blood leaking from its wounds.

Cedric answered while gesturing to the creature's hand, "Just cut off its hand." He then drew a dagger from his waist and at the same time, Zaleel moved to stand on the creature's hand, keeping it immobilized With his claws.

Cautiously, Cedric approached the Nasnas and swiftly cut off its hand, causing the creature to stop screaming and struggling, gradually slipping into a state of stillness, or rather, a state of death.

Darius approached the Nasnas, getting a closer look at the creature. He knelt down and gently traced his fingers over the mutilated sides of the Nasnas. His limited vision and diminished sense of touch seemed to shield him from any potential disgust he might feel from touching the semi-humanoid body.

Though most of what he saw was a mesh of threads forming the overall shape of the creature and an outer membrane, the structure of this being still shocked him. Perhaps it was the most significant shock he had experienced since arriving in this world, even more jarring than the shock of finding himself inside the armor.The Nasnas doesn't differ much from humans in the structure of its threads, and it was even able to identify internal organs similar to those of humans within its body. However, just like its external appearance, only half of its internal organs were present.

Half a stomach, one kidney, one lung, and so forth. Strangely, despite this anatomy, it doesn't spill bodily fluids as one would expect, as if some unseen force is keeping everything intact.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Darius looked at Cedric, who was busy rearranging his weapons and securing the Nasnas' severed hand in a bag. There seemed to be a purpose for the hand, but Darius decided it wasn't the right time to inquire about it.

Now, he must contemplate the ramifications of this discovery. The existence of the Nasnas in this world, a creature from his original world's folklore, opens up numerous possibilities, the most significant being the presence of other mythical beings.

The mere thought of such monsters and eerie creatures from Arab folklore sends shivers down his spine, and if creatures from other legends also exist, he has no idea how he'll find comfort in sleep.

"Let's move to find a place for you to sleep."

Darius heard the voice in his mind. He glanced at the hand on his shoulder, then at Cedric, who placed the Nasnas' body on his shoulder before giving a signal to proceed. Darius followed behind Cedric, deep in thought, as he dragged the other prey's corpse behind him.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

The more he pondered the situation, the greater his fear of the world grew, but alongside it, another feeling surged within him—a growing sense of curiosity. Despite his increasing dread, he found himself becoming more and more intrigued the more he contemplated the matter.

As Darius pondered all the creatures and phenomena he had read about in his youth – new and extraordinary beings, with novel biology and fantastical environments – he found himself more enchanted by them than by runic letters. The realms of biology and magical systems, all the things that had stimulated his imagination and creativity in his younger years, now surrounded him.

"We can stay here until she wakes up, and then we'll head back to the village since we've got two prey animals," Cedric's voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he looked around at the surrounding environment, finding a tree to rest under as he replied "I helped you catch the firefly, doesn't that ... I don't know, rejected or not suitable in your traditions?"

Cedric paused for a moment before answering, "Normally, a suitor would bring two medium-sized prey animals for marriage, but what I've hunted is a large-sized prey, and that should be sufficient, I suppose... However, the Nasnas isn't what the elders expect from a young man's catch."

Darius noticed the hesitation on the young man's face, as expected from young boy facing an important decision. Finding it somewhat amusing, he suggested, "Do you think there is a middle ground?"He tried to suggest it with a tone leaning towards persuasion, giving the young man more room to think and consider. As they say 'Don't give him ideas, help him reach them,' and it worked when he heard the boy's response, making him happy.

"Hmm, since we have more time due to the early catch, we can give it a try after she wakes up. But if we don't succeed before sunset, we'll return," the boy replied.

Darius felt that Zaleel's gaze became more accepting in a strange way. Or was he just imagining it?

Forget about it for now. It's time for him to depart to the world of sleep calling him.

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"I hate carriages; I prefer horses," muttered Khalid quietly under his breath as he boarded the commercial carriage that he had to endure for several weeks. He sat in a corner, tallying his travel equipment ,

just simple belongings

a little money for the journey, some strips of animal hide, alcohol, and various herbs for medicinal purposes in case he got injured, despite Kelver assuring him that his sword would take care of things. He also added a small dagger and a small amount of dried food. After making sure everything was in order, he wrapped himself in a blanket to keep warm as winter approached and the weather grew colder, which his old body could hardly bear.

He waited a little until the driver mounted, paying him for the trip.

"Are you ready, Sir Khalid?"

"Yes, proceed whenever you wish."

The driver didn't respond but instead urged the horses to move, setting the wheels of the carriage in motion, causing it to shake slightly. The old soldier looked back through the rear of the carriage at the town and, in particular, the imposing castle on the hill, with complex emotions in his eyes.

From this point on, he would officially retire from service as a soldier and warrior to return to his hometown and continue his life as a simple old man among his small family. This idea brought a simple smile to his lips as he calmly took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and opened it to look at it quietly, thinking about the well-being of his lively grandson, his stubborn son, and his kind daughter-in-law.

"Four months... just four months, and I'll be home."