A strange noise interrupts my contemplation of the moon. I pay attention to it and realize it’s a monster. I grab my things and look for an escape route. Then I pay attention to its movements, sounds, speed, anything that helps me identify it.

There are two types of monsters. The ones faster than you, and the ones many times faster than you. Humans suck at running. We’re outmatched by most creatures of comparable size. But we’re smarter.

This monster is a three-legged one. If I run down the slope, it’ll lose its balance and I can escape. Though one always has to conserve energy and try to walk away without being noticed. It’s normal for monsters to be near each other.

I walk with fast mini-steps to deceive the monster, and once I’m too far from it, I run as fast as I can.

I stop running but don’t let my guard down. The worst you can do is relax after escaping one monster.

Monsters are the only mystery we can’t decipher. We don’t know how they sustain themselves. Some say they survive by eating humans, and probably that’s the case. We overcame our weaknesses and continue to defeat them and negate their food. And their population is decreasing. But some argue that theory is wrong ‘cause they have captured monsters and never fed them, and those monsters are still alive.

We don’t know the origin of monsters or their biology. But we know that they only attack humans. At one point, I met a person who believed the kingdoms removed the Gods’ existence from our culture as a countermeasure. He thought Gods despised us, but got their power from us, so they made monsters for us to fear and pray to the Gods. If we killed the Gods by stopping praying to them, then that could explain the monsters’ decrease in population.

I don’t believe it, though. I think we created monsters. I’m sure of it, but I can’t explain it.

You probably think adventurers are incompetent if I could become one, or think they’re not amazing. But my fighting skills impressed them. I don’t like and don’t want to fight, but I’m good at it. Just like Hala was good at becoming the moon and protecting us.

But even if my only value is excelling at sex and fighting, I think I have a purpose in this world. If I didn’t think so, I wouldn’t be here.

What that may be? I don’t know.

I continue walking in this damn place for a week. I’m so tired. No food in three days and no sleep in two days. Each time I close my eyes, I feel like someone is staring at me. If a monster is hunting me, the best is to get out of the forest as soon as possible. Doing my necessities has been a challenge too.

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I climb the highest tree to know my location and see how much I need to travel. I see mountains in the distance. Everything else is trees and more trees.

It’s good humans ease their lives as much as they can; if I go to the mountains, it’s possible to find a town. We like to build on remarkable places.

I’m on my way when I hear people screaming for help. I turn around and run in the opposite direction, but I see monsters approaching. I run towards the left, trying to escape the encirclement, but more monsters block my path, leaving me no option but to go towards the people screaming. I don’t want to listen to it, but if I take the risk and arrive with monsters following me, I could die.

“No! Someone, save me!”

“Let go of my sister, bastards!”

What are they doing? I can hear a little girl screaming and a boy fighting too.

When I arrive at the scene, I see a man having sex with the girl while another two pin the boy on the ground. The girl has a swollen eye and is bleeding from her nose.

I want to keep going and let them die to buy time for me to escape, but I just can’t let kids suffer. It’s beyond me why it pains me so much seeing a kid hurt. But with the monsters coming, I can avoid fighting them.

“You! Stop that. Monsters are coming to this place.”

“Mm? Who are you?”

“That doesn’t matter, hurry.”

“Help me!”

“As if we’re so stupid as to believe that.”

“Big sister, save my sister, please!”

The men get alarmed and face me. One of them lets go of the boy and grabs a club while the one having sex with the girl takes his dick out and grabs an ax. I take out my saber while thinking about how to pick the girl and release the boy before running away.

“We don’t have time for this. I’m serious about the monsters and I don’t care about you.”

I see the girl’s eye opening wide and her brother hanging his head down. As long as they’re not in danger of dying, I won’t fight for them. I also don’t fight when my life is at risk. But time is running out.

I rush at the men, intending to exchange a couple of blows with them before passing them and grabbing the girl. I do a feint and hit the fingers and arm of the man with the ax. Then I rush towards the girl and grab her hand before running with her to a better spot. I turn around and attack the man with the club. I divert his attack and cut his arms.

“Ahh! Bitch!”

“Run. Let go of him and escape. I’m trying to save your lives.”

“Gruooo!”

It’s too late.

I sheathe my saber and grab the girl’s hand before running away. I’m sorry for the others, but I won’t fight and I don’t want to see them die. I ignore the screams and continue dragging the girl with me.

“Brother!”

I look back and see her brother running towards us, but a monster is about to catch up with him. I stop and let go of her. I face the monster and block its attacks before running again. We continue like that until we’re surrounded.