They had been traveling for more than three days since rescuing the villagers and helping them restore their village to its original state. Though not perfect, the villagers were truly grateful, giving them food for their journey back to the capital—a long trip that would take time.
Yet, that feeling still hadn't disappeared.
The feeling of being watched by something.
And they couldn't sleep because of it, even though the night had fallen and the moon shone brightly above.
Who else could it be if not him?
The one who kept following them from afar, using glitches to teleport between places without ever being detected, even though they had used magic.
From what he had learned over the past three days, thanks to glitches, magic couldn't detect him at all. He also didn't need food or drink. Though sometimes, he took a bit of their food and drink just to feel something in his mouth—it tasted a little strange.
Probably an effect of not being used to medieval-era food.
All of this made him wonder.
Was he even still human?
Had he completely turned into something else—something beyond explanation, with no way home?
At first, he felt happy. He felt free.
The world no longer restrained him; he could do anything without worrying about the consequences.
But now, he felt empty.
No, not empty.
He felt… He didn't even know what he felt.
Had his heart disappeared because of the glitch?
If only he could tell someone about this. But who? The people he knew were on Earth, and they might have thought he had vanished.
Or...
Maybe they didn't care at all.
Were they ever truly his friends?
He didn't know.
And he didn't really want to know. After all, his life was here now, in this world. A world filled with monsters, magic, and knights. A fantasy world. The kind of world he had always wanted to visit, yet now, it felt ordinary. Just like any other world.
Even though he had seen all kinds of monsters—small ones, giants—none of it excited him. Following the heroes, who, for some reason, kept running into trouble along the way, he had witnessed countless battles. No matter how strong the heroes were, despite being the mightiest of the human race, they constantly faced monsters that put their lives at risk.
Ah, right—races!
He had only observed from afar, but it seemed like there were other races in this world as well.
While watching, he had accidentally spotted a few individuals who appeared to be elves, doing something not far from where the heroes were. They were likely keeping an eye on the heroes, which meant that relations between humans and elves weren't very good.
Could he do something about it?
Of course.
That's why he was heading there now—to listen in on what the elves were planning, to understand why they were hiding like this.
He used a glitch, appearing behind thick bushes, listening closely to the elves, who seemed deep in serious discussion.
Wait—could he even—oh, he could.
Either the elves were speaking the same language, or he could understand all languages because he wasn't truly a part of this world. Both possibilities were absurd, but whatever. Why should he care?
"Are you sure it's them?" one of them asked.
A long-haired blonde elf nodded. "Yes. I saw them in the capital. They are the ones known as the heroes."
A braided-haired elf crossed her arms. "That means they won't be easy opponents. We have to be careful."
Opponents?
So it was true—relations between humans and elves weren't good.
He crept a little closer.
"Are you all certain about this? If we fail, the consequences will be disastrous. Not only will relations between elves and humans worsen, but the heroes will have a reason to attack our race," said a short-haired elf.
No need to describe their faces—they all looked similar. Beautiful, charming, and, of course, sexy. Just like elves. The only way to tell them apart was by their hair, especially from a distance. And since it was already dark, he didn't have the best view of them.
"If not now, then when will we get another chance like this? We've seen it—they're exhausted. The battle in the village must have drained a lot of their energy."
He smirked at that, realizing he was the reason the heroes couldn't sleep peacefully.
"I hope you truly understand what you're doing. Even if this plan succeeds, I hope you're not lying," said the braided-haired elf, gripping her bow, ready to face the heroes.
As they moved, he followed behind, teleporting while keeping his distance. The elves' sharp eyes might spot him if he wasn't careful. He had to keep shifting behind thick bushes or large tree trunks to avoid the bright, flickering glitches that could give away his position—especially in the darkness of night.
Luckily, the moon shone brightly, and the elves seemed too focused to notice their surroundings—or maybe they just didn't care.
When they arrived, the elves stopped on the branches above, watching the heroes sit around a campfire, talking amongst themselves, waiting for the long-haired elf to give the signal.
"What do you all think he is?" one of the heroes asked—a short-haired man in armor, though not as impressive as Aldean's. His weapon was a spear rather than a sword.
Aldean folded his arms, recalling the figure—the one who still haunted his thoughts, the one he couldn't shake from his mind. "I don't know. His voice… it sounds both close and distant at the same time… Like multiple men speaking at once… Like a creature not from this world… I don't know. I've never heard of anything like it before. But one thing's for sure—I'll make him pay for what he did to the villagers," Aldean said, his voice burning with determination.
They fell silent for a moment, memories of the horrifying scene flashing through their minds—nightmares that still haunted them whenever they closed their eyes.
If only they had arrived sooner, maybe they could have saved the villagers. But instead, they had met a tragic end.
"I still have one question I haven't been able to answer," said another member—a large, muscular man wielding a double-bladed axe. "How could a monster of that level be in a village located on the outskirts of the forest?"
Before anyone could respond, an arrow was loosed—Aldean swiftly cut it down, making the elves click their tongues in frustration.
"Why are you attacking us!?" Aldean demanded.
Without a word, the elves leaped down, firing more arrows imbued with magic.
When Aldean slashed them, the magic inside was released, forming a transparent golden barrier that trapped them inside. The elves grinned—their plan had worked.
"Apologies for the warm welcome," said one of the elves, smiling coldly. "But we have to kill you."