Everlasting Bonds : Innocent Promise

Chapter 9 - Monster Rush

The moment before Arc and Misha dragged.

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"Hah...hah...hah..."

"Roar!"

"Gyaa!"

"Howl!"

A man dressed in thief suit hiding under bushes from horde of monsters.

It's been hours since he's chased.

Normally, he wouldn't in such dangerous place. He just a commoner with little bit mana that love live peacefully in safe city like any ordinary people. But circumstance forced him leave his safe to this dangerous forest.

His life was blight and broken. His wife and daughter escape from him, his family cut ties with him, and his friend abandoned him. The people that had good relation with him leave one by one. That's all because he's a violent scum with alcoholic and gambling addiction.

He's like gambling, but rarely did he ever win, resulting him trapped in huge gambling debt.

At beginning, he was intended to sell his daughter to pay off his debt, but failed as his wife escape with his daughter before he could act. Then he planned to threw the debt to his family, but his family got news about him and cut ties first. Lastly, he desperately tried borrows money from his friends, but refused.

Leaving without a way out, he's tried gambling off his life. To pay his debt, that man venture the dangerous forest near his city. He once heard rumors about secret bountiful treasure kept in the forest. He didn't care if the rumors real or not, as he already set his eyes on the treasure and went on dangerous journey.

His travel proceeds smoothly at first. with his knowledge and experience when he once as hunter, he managed avoiding the monsters and survive in the forest, albeit barely.

But the situation didn't last long.

After week journey in the forest, he was run out of provision and haven't yet find any treasure. He was hungry, dirty, and weakened. His appearance turned worser and worser than the day he was started.

As he about gave up, he encountered a rare monster infant, Holicorn, alone in forest. A very beautiful horse monster. Its white color and holy aura captivate any girl who saw it. Favorite monster pet among high class noblewoman.

Holicorn priced very high in the black market. High enough to leave massive of money even he's pay off the entire debt.

The man's eyes turned mad red in greed as he glaring at monster infant, then captured it.

Doesn't he know Holicorn was the forest leader, and he caught their child.

As the man success capturing Holicorn infant, it's cried loudly. Then two big Holicorns appeared, chase after their child.

The man managed escape from them at first. However, his luck ran out after Holicorns called helper to catch him, destroyed his escape path, leaving him in dead end.

Resulting the man trapped in his current situation.

Now, the man helplessly hiding in the wood with Holicorn infant on his back.

As he's worked his brain out to escape from this precarious situation, he sighted a well-off caravan passed through the forest.

He notices they're caravan of noble. Immediately, the man realized he wouldn't be helped, instead will be punished if he brought swarm of monster toward them.