Chapter 24
Living Being of this World
Date: Day 23 of Harvestmoon. 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.
The day wore on.
Elise's anxiety had almost completely faded. It was a subtle shift, but noticeable change. The tension on her shoulder since the wolf attack had slowly dissipated. Her stride was easier.
Her ears twitched less frequently. She was still alert. Still cautious. But no longer gripped by fear.
Hyoren scanned the grassland.
The view was monotonous but breathtaking. Waist-high grass stretched endlessly to the horizon. Rippling in the wind like waves on an ocean. Only sparse trees grew here and there. Their twisted branches reaching toward the sky.
The river murmured to their right. A constant companion for them since the forest.
Elise in front of him suddenly stopped. Her hand shot out. Blocking him.
“Stop.”
Hyoren stopped. Confused.
Was there an enemy? He scanned the surrounding area. The grass swayed gently. The wind blew softly. Nothing seemed out of place.
"Is there an enemy, Elise? I didn't see any..."
But before he finished, he finally heard it. A rumbling distant sound—thunder-like—but constant.
Then, after a few moments, he saw it. Dust moving on the horizon. A cloud of brown rising from the grassland. Getting closer and larger.
Hyoren gripped his steel-tipped spear.
"What is that, Elise? Monsters?"
He prepared himself. Ready for combat.
But he saw Elise was relaxed instead. She wasn't even reaching for her bow. Her posture was casual. She smiled slightly.
"Relax, Hyoren. Those are monsters, yes. But as long as we don't attack them and don't get in their way, they will ignore us."
She gestured for him to lower his weapon.
"So put down your spear."
Hyoren hesitated. Then slowly lowered his spear. He remembered a similar monster.
"So it's like Mossback Squirrels?"
Elise crossed her arms and thought for a moment. Then she shook her head.
"Similar. But different. Those monsters are not territorial. They just don't care about others. They only attack those who disturb them."
She turned. Scanned the area. Her eyes swept across the grassland. Trying to guess which direction the monsters were going.
"Hyoren, let's move a bit toward the river."
She pointed towards riverside area.
"They will pass through this area soon. And you definitely don't want to stand in front of them."
They moved to a small hill beside the river. The ground rose slightly. Giving them a better vantage point. They climbed to the top. Scanned the surrounding area.
The rumbling grew louder. The dust cloud grew larger.
After a few moments, he finally saw it. What the rumbling dust actually was.
A group of bovine.
But they were large. Massive. Some were the size of cars. Some even reached small-truck size. Their bodies were covered in thick hide. Their color was mix of brown and gray. Their body was mostly brown, with gray streak on their legs, tails, and fore head.
The smaller ones had straight and small, white horns. The bigger ones had curved and big, red horns. Both type of horns were thick and imposing.
As the monsters started to pass them, Elise began talking. She gestured at the herd.
"Those are Ramtauro, Hyoren. Another monster other than Green Wolves in this grassland."
Hyoren looked at them closely.
Their movement was actually slow and deliberate. Each step was heavy. Plodding the grassland with their heavy legs. But as they moved in a group—around twenty of them—they left dust behind them.
"They are.. Massive."
He swallowed.
"Are you sure they won't attack us, Elise? Those horns look nasty. And the size..."
Elise sat on the grass. Seemed to wait for them to pass.
"Yes. They are peaceful but dangerous at the same time. They will be angry if you attack them or stand in front of them. But they will ignore us if we stay still."
Hyoren sat beside her. Decided to follow her lead and rest a bit.
The ground was warm beneath him. The grass was soft. The wind breeze felt fresh on his sweating body.
He looked at her.
"Their name… Ramtauro… Did they use ramming attacks, Elise?"
Elise took a waterskin from her bag. Drank to quench her thirst. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Yes. Correct. Their charge is famous. It can even break stone walls or house."
She pointed at the larger ones.
"Especially the bigger ones. They use magic to reinforce their head and horn. If you see their horn glowing red, that means something is going to be broken."
She chuckled.
Hyoren shuddered at the thought.
"Even without magic, their horns already look scary, Elise."
He stared at the massive creatures.
"So people of this world avoid them?"
Elise shook her head and smiled.
"No, Hyoren. Don't be silly. They are prized. People often hunt them."
His eyes widened.
"Wait. You said they are dangerous! And we should not go near them."
Elise chuckled.
"That's because we are only two people and unprepared."
She gestured at herself and Hyoren.
"Adventurers usually go with multiple members. And they prepare traps or bring magicians with them."
She wiped sweat from her forehead. The day was growing warmer.
The group of bovine started to pass in front of them. Massive bodies plodding through the grass. Unconcerned by the two travelers on the hill.
"See their thick skin? They will make good leather armor. The horn can be processed to make magic tools or magic weapons."
She then gestured at their massive size. Then she licked her lips.
"And Ramtauro meat is a delicacy. For me, I still prefer squirrel. But most humans love Ramtauro meat. It's so juicy. Full of fat. And not gamey at all."
Hyoren nodded slowly.
"I see..."
He processed the information.
"They are dangerous. But can still be hunted safely if we know how to."
He looked at the monsters. Studying them. Their massive bodies. Their thick hide. Their imposing horns.
"Interesting."
There were monsters that were hunted for meat, even though they were dangerous. But the people of this world had adapted. Learned how to hunt them safely.
It was a reminder. Monster in this world was dangerous. But it was also a resource. Everything could be used. Everything could be harvested.
If you knew how.
***
The Ramtauro continued their slow march across the grassland.
Unaware of the two travelers watching them. Unconcerned by their presence. The massive creatures plodded forward. One after another. Their heavy footsteps shook the ground. Dust swirled around them.
Elise started to make whistling sounds—a melody, soft and beautiful—carried by the wind across the grassland. She was trying to relax. Waiting for the Ramtauro to pass.
Hyoren watched the monsters. Listened to her music. The tune was simple but soothing. A folk melody. Something from elf homeland, perhaps.
Then he noticed something.
The Ramtauro came in two sizes. The smaller ones. The bigger ones. And the horns were different too.
"Hey, Elise..." He spoke without turning.
"What's the difference between the two types of Ramtauro? The smaller and bigger ones? Are they male and female?"
Elise stopped whistling. Turned to face him.
"Yeah…" She tilted her head.
"Is it weird? The bigger one is male, and the smaller one is female. Why does it surprise you?"
The reality shocked him.
In most fantasy stories he had read. In the games he had played. Monsters just appeared from thin air. Created from mana manifestation. Summoned from dungeons. Mutated animals. And when they died, they dissolved. Disappeared into particles. Leaving only loot and magic stones.
There was no monster gender. No reproduction. No offspring being made.
But in this world, it was different. He had seen monsters die leaving carcasses. He had to dissect them like normal animals. But he had never paid attention to their differences. Their genitalia. Their gender. This was the first monster he had seen with distinct differences between male and female.
This meant, the monsters didn't appear from thin air. They reproduced.
"I just..."
He paused. Tried to find the words.
"I didn't know, Elise. I assumed, like most fantasy literature from my old world... They just appear? So they don't need gender."
Elise laughed.
"Hahaha..." she held her stomach.
"Silly Hyoren... Hahaha. Your knowledge is so... Weird. Hahaha."
Her laughter was genuine. Uncontrollable. She bent over. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes.
"What do you expect, Elise?" Hyoren pouted.
"This world is alien to me. And I can only rely on my... weird... knowledge."
He crossed his arms. Waited for her to calm down.
After a while, she finally composed herself. Wiped the tears from her eyes. Took a deep breath. Then she smiled.
"Hyoren…. Just like humans, most monsters also have their male and female variants. They can reproduce. That's how they keep repopulating."
Hyoren thought about the goblins he had killed. The ones in the forest. He had never noticed any difference between them.
"Even goblins, Elise?"
She nodded.
"Even goblins. But goblins don't have any differences between male and female. When the female is pregnant, they huddle in their secure camp. Or inside hollowed trunks."
She held up her fingers. Counting.
"This is what makes monster different from us humans. Most monster pregnancies are quick. And they grow quickly from baby to adult."
She paused.
"Goblins, for example, are one of the fastest. They are only pregnant for about two weeks. And from baby to adult goblin, it only takes them another two weeks. They reproduce so quickly."
Hyoren nodded slowly, processing the information.
"I see. This is the reason goblins are a menace? They reproduce so quickly?"
"Yes.. Correct..." Elise nodded.
"Other than goblins, weaker creatures like horned rabbits or Mossback Squirrels also reproduce quickly."
She gestured at the passing Ramtauro.
"But for Ramtauro, it will be longer. Though I don't exactly remember the pregnancy and growing time."
She tapped her chin.
"But basically, the stronger the monster, the slower and harder for them to reproduce."
Hyoren put his hand on his chin. Thinking.
The Ramtauro were starting to leave the area. Moving further away. Leaving a trail of dust behind them. The rumbling sound grew fainter. The massive shapes grew smaller.
"Or maybe..." He spoke slowly.
"Because they are stronger. And harder to be killed. They don't need to reproduce as often?"
Elise stood up. Dusted her short skirt and leather stockings. Brushing off grass and earth.
"Oh, right! I remember reading something about that. Some scholars also theorize like that. The strongest monsters, like dragons, don't even leave offspring for centuries."
She smiled at him.
"You really think like them, Hyoren."
Hyoren also stood. Adjusted his bag. Gripped his spear.
"Well…" He shrugged.
"I used to be a university student. They are like scholars in my world."
Elise adjusted her quiver. Slung her bow over her shoulder. Then started walking. The dust left by the Ramtauro had already settled.
Hyoren followed her. Walked beside her. The grassland stretched before them. Endless green rippling in the wind.
"So, how about other monsters, Elise? Like Mistdart. Or plant-like monsters like Tanglers or Dreamblooms?"
Elise glanced to her side. Thought for a moment.
"I'm not exactly sure how…" She admitted.
"But they should reproduce too. They seem to not have male or female differences, though."
Hyoren thought.
If all monsters reproduced and didn't appear from thin air. Then maybe it should be similar to his old world. The connection was there. Animal-like monsters reproduced. Humanoid ones reproduced. So plants or insect should too.
Maybe it was like normal plants. Using seeds. Pollen. Something similar.
And the Mistdarts? Maybe they laid eggs to hatch. And the Cinder-maw ants. If they had a colony, there should be a Queen Ant too. Which would be hatching eggs.
The more he learned about this world, the more connections he found. It wasn't just a game world with arbitrary rules. It was a living ecosystem. With life cycle and reproduction.
Seeing Hyoren so deep in thought, Elise chuckled and glanced back.
"Fufu... Hey, Hyoren!" she called back.
"If you're lost in thought like that, I'm going to leave you behind, you know."
Hyoren finally snapped from his thoughts. Realized he had slowed down. He hurried to catch up to Elise.
"Sorry... sorry, Elise."
She smiled. Shook her head.
“It’s fine. Just follow me ok? You can think to your heart content.”
They walked again. Moving through the grassland. The dual suns climbed higher. The wind blew gently. The grass swayed around them.
***
Hyoren walked in silence.
Following Elise's lead. Trying not to fall behind. His mind was still full of thoughts about this world's monster ecology.
Elise let him be.
She led from the front. Whistling a similar melody as before. Her stride was relaxed. The tension from the morning had completely faded. She was back to her yesterday self.
The grassland stretched endlessly around them. The wind rippled through the grass. Waves upon waves of green grass.
Hyoren thought about monster reproduction—differences between male and female—different ways for them to reproduce.
Then his thoughts shifted.
He saw Elise in front of him. An Elf. Not Human. A different race. A fantasy race.
He was curious. Were there other races in this world of Kresneger? Were there dwarves or beastkin? Or pixies? Dragonkin? And there was the Demon race too, despite Elise saying they came from another world. Were there Angel races? Servants of Holy Gods? Counterparts to the Demon God?
He wanted to know more about this world. He needed to know. He didn't want to be clueless when they reached civilization.
He called out to Elise.
“Hey, Elise..."
He quickened his pace.
"I have a few questions. It's about you. And about the races of humanity in this world."
Elise slowed down her stride. Glanced back over her shoulder and smiled.
"Another question, Hyoren? Ask away."
He caught up to her.
"I have knowledge from my old world. But I'm afraid my knowledge is wrong... or incomplete. My knowledge already proved to be wrong about monster gender and reproduction."
Elise nodded. Her expression patient and encouraging.
"How many races are in this world, Elise? You are an Elf, right? And I'm Human. So are there other races?"
Elise slowed down her stride further. Turned to face him. Walking sideways.
"Yes. In this world of Kresneger, there are four races constituting humanity. The intelligent races. The ones which have built civilizations."
She pointed at Hyoren.
"First. Human."
She pointed at herself.
"Second. Elf."
She gestured broadly at the world around them.
"Then there are Dwarves and Beastkin."
She turned back around. Continued her stride. Facing front again. Whistling some melody again.
Hyoren followed Elise's lead. Thinking about the four races.
So there were no angels or such. Just four races. Human. Elf. Dwarf. Beastkin.
But were there differences between their lifespans and ages?
He remembered her age. Forty-two years old. And yet she appeared young. No wrinkles. Her skin was smooth.
He was curious how she still didn't show her age. Was it an elven trait? A classic trope? In fantasy, elves were often depicted as immortal. Or living for thousands of years.
Or did people of this world just age differently?
He tried to choose his words carefully. Because this would touch Elise on a personal level.
"Sorry if this offends you, but… As I remember correctly, your guild card shows you are 42 years old?"
She saw the seriousness in his words. In his face. It was like he was about to ask something important.
She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. I'm 42 years old. Why? It's not something that's going to offend me."
Hyoren took a deep breath.
"Actually, on my old world, being in your 40s is considered old. An old hag."
He cringed at his own words. But continued.
"And from fantasy literature I've read, elves have very long lifespans compared to humans. Almost immortal."
He looked at her.
"Is that the case here too?"
Elise stopped in her tracks. Then she chuckled.
"Fufufu..." her laughter was genuine. Uncontrollable. She then shook her head.
"I thought you were going to ask some kind of dangerous question."
She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
"You are really weird. An old hag? Me? This is your second weird question today. Fufufu."
Elise exhaled. Calming down her laughter. She wiped another tear from her eye.
She started walking again. Hyoren followed closely beside her.
"No, Hyoren. For people of this world, I'm still young... very young."
She gestured at herself.
"I'm not even reaching a quarter of my supposed lifespan. And no. I'm definitely not immortal. I will age. When the time comes. But not soon."
She looked up at the horizon. Looking far into the distance. Before glancing at Hyoren again.
"All races in this world come of age at 20. Then we slowly age until we reach 100 to 150 years."
She turned to him with a mischievous smile.
"That's when you can say I become 'old hag.' Fufu."
She suppressed her laugh, then spread her hands.
"All races in this world don't have different lifespans. Everyone will live through 150 to 200 years."
She shrugged.
"Most don't make it to the end of their lifespan, of course. Disease. Sickness. Killed by monsters. Or in war. But if they manage, usually they can reach that age."
Hyoren nodded and processed the information.
Different from the usual fantasy trope. In most stories, elves lived for thousands of years. Dwarves for hundreds. Humans for barely a century. But in this world, all four races had similar lifespans.
Hyoren remembered Elise lesson before. The Aethell was fair. So Aethell, as energy for every living things, also gave similar lifespan to every race. So there won’t be unfairness.
Elise cut through the tall grass in front of her. Hyoren helped with his spear. Clearing a path. They found the river again. The riverside was free from grass. Easier to traverse.
They continued their journey. The river sounds accompanied beside them again. Hyoren asked again.
"I see. So what's the difference between the four races, Elise?"
Elise turned around.
She walked backward again, facing Hyoren. The easy path made it simple—no obstacles or tall grass to trip her.
She opened her hand. Held up three fingers.
"Basically three things, Hyoren."
She ticked them off.
"Their physical characteristics. Their capabilities. And culture."
She gestured broadly. Encompassing the world around them.
"For culture, they vary greatly. Four races. Different cultures, traditions, and ways of life."
She tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"To put it simply… Like we elves, we love nature and forests. The dwarves love their cave homes. Beastkin love running in the wilds."
She paused.
"Humans... their culture is the most diverse one.”
She continued.
“I can't really explain in detail about culture of the four race. But that's the gist."
She turned around and faced front again, jumped over small stream feeding the river.
Hyoren followed. Jumped over the stream.
"I see. That's right. Culture is hard to explain. I really need to experience it myself to know the difference."
He looked at her.
"So what about the traits, Elise?"
A splash of water made their heads turn.
A couple of Red Pike Fish jumped in the river. Their scales flashed red in the sunlight. They splashed back into the water.
They turned to the front again. Elise pointed at her own pointed ear. Showing it to Hyoren beside her. She touched the tip of her ear.
"Then physical traits."
She pulled her ear slightly.
"Elves have pointed ears. We're also usually the tallest out of the four races."
She lowered her hand.
"I'm at the shorter side. But I still stand 175cm."
She paused.
"Well, of course there are some short elves too. But they are rare. Most stand at 180cm to 200cm."
She then gestured with her hands around her waist. Indicating height.
"Then Dwarves. They're the shortest. About 120cm to 140cm?"
She pulled her ears down. Mimicking.
"They have long ears too, but not pointed like ours."
Elise glanced at him again. Seeing if he understand.
“I see. About Dwarf. Did they got beard? Even the Female one?”
Elise chuckled.
“Fufu. Is it from your weird literature again? No of course not. Well… of course male have beard, all race do, male dwarf just like to grow them long. But Female dwarf definitely not having a beard. Their face is smooth.”
Hyoren nodded. He really need to stop assuming based on his jumbled knowledge. Beastkin next. Are they similar to Fantasy trope. Or this world Beastkin got different trait?
“Okay Elise, how about Beastkin? What are their trait?
She stopped a bit. Then slapped her own buttocks. And gestured a movement of a tail coming from behind.
She walked again casually
Hyoren blushed a bit as she did that gesture. But coughed to hide it.
"Beastkin. Their height is average. But they have tails coming from their back and fluffy ears on top of their head."
She held up a finger.
"Also, Beastkin have multiple sub-races with different traits. They call them 'Clans.' For example, Lion-clan and Cat-clan."
She glanced at Hyoren, and raised her finger to him.
"Humans. Well. You are human."
She shrugged.
"Humans are also diverse. Some of their skin is dark. Some fair. Different heights across the board too."
Hyoren held his hand on his chin. Thinking.
The physical traits of each race were as expected. A classical trope. Unlike their lifespans. The only thing he didn’t expect is female dwarf beard.
He caught up with Elise in front of him again.
"About capabilities. Do you mean what they're good at? Like I guess... Elves are good at Wind Magic?"
Elise glanced a bit to her side, and smiled at him. Amused.
As always, his knowledge was jumbled. He knew something he shouldn't know.
"That's correct. We Elves are good at wind and water magic. Humans like you are good at light and dark magic. Dwarves are blessed with fire and earth magic."
She paused. Gauging Hyoren's reaction.
"What about Beastkin, Elise? All six elements of Aethell are already divided evenly. What are they good at?"
He paused.
"Don't tell me they are not good at anything. And can't use magic?"
Elise smiled widely.
"That's wrong, silly Hyoren..."
She shook her head.
"Beastkin can learn skills faster than other races. They still can use magic, of course. But most of them go down the path of the warrior. Using their physical capabilities instead of magic."
Hyoren nodded multiple times. Understanding all the info she gave.
"Thanks, Elise." He exhaled. "Now I won't get surprised if I see other races in the city. And embarrass myself."
Elise chuckled. Smiled.
"Good." She nodded. "That was my intention."
She started walking backward again. Facing Hyoren. Her eyes twinkled with mischief.
"I don't want to get dragged to the knight barracks because my companion decided he needs to touch a Beastkin's ears or tail to check them without their consent."
She laughed.
"Fufufu."
Hyoren's face flushed.
"I wouldn't do that!"
Elise tried to stop her laugh. Her hand covering her mouth.
"You seem like the type..." she teased.
"Curious about everything. Wanting to touch everything. Experiment with anything."
Hyoren's face grew even redder. He tried to deny Elise's accusation. But it was weak. Elise knew he might do that. Because he was always curious.
"I am not!"
Elise finally turned forward again. Walking properly. Still holding her laugh.
"Fufufu. Whatever you say."
Hyoren followed Elise. But his face was still flushed. He tried to remove his embarrassment with gritted teeth. Gripping his spear tightly.
***
Elise walked in front of him. Beside the riverside. The river murmured softly. A constant companion. The river was clear.
There was an animal trail following the river. Making their current walk easy. No tall grass to push through. No uneven terrain to navigate.
Hyoren looked up at the sky. The dual suns had already left their zenith. The afternoon light stretched before them.
Talking about the races made Hyoren's mind wander to another piece of incomplete information about this world.
He remembered Elise mentioning Akela was in the human kingdom. And her guild card showed Silverwood Enclaves, which seemed to be another nation.
He turned toward her and called out
"Elise. Talking about four races makes me curious about something too. Are there nations in this world? I remember you mentioned Altaria Kingdom too."
Elise glanced at him and smiled.
"Yes…" she nodded.
"There are four major nations in this world. They're all bound to the Aethellgard Concord."
She looked at him.
"You remember about Aethellgard Concord, right?"
Hyoren nodded. Remembering last night's talk by the campfire.
"It's an alliance to combat the Demon Army. They formed 1024 years ago. And the name of the current era too."
Elise wiped sweat from her forehead. The afternoon heat had grown. Even the autumn wind breeze couldn't fully cool them.
She turned her face to him. Patted his shoulder. Smiled widely.
"You're a diligent student. You remembered it all! Your teacher is happy!"
She gestured grandly.
"So. The four major nations."
She ticked off her fingers.
"Kingdom of Altaria, the human kingdom."
One finger.
"Silverwood Enclaves, the elven free states."
Two fingers.
"Citadel of Khor'Menduun, the dwarven empire."
Three fingers.
"And lastly, the Theriarchic Union, the united front of multiple beastkind clans."
Four fingers.
"Four nations. United against the Demon Army."
Hyoren processed the information.
“So. The four nations were not at peace before Demon Army appeared Elise?”
It made sense. An existential threat would force anyone to put aside their differences. It was a classic trope. A common enemy that bound former rivals together.
"Yes. The Demon Army ironically united mankind. Before Aethellgard Concord was signed 1024 years ago, the four nations were always going to war with each other."
She gestured vaguely with her arms. Painting a picture of conflict. Battles. Bloodshed.
"Nowadays, the four nations are always peaceful. Borders between nations are never manned anymore. There is no war going on."
Hyoren crossed his arms.
“So, currently, the past hatred already dissolving huh… that was interesting. But… so.. Human. 1000 years is long time. Even if the lifespan in this world is long.”
She stopped walking. Her voice dropped an octave.
"Well yeah… But, of course there are small skirmishes between minor territories. Fighting over resources. Squabbles between nobles."
She shrugged.
"But generally, the alliance is at peace."
She continued her stride. Hyoren followed.
The river flowed beside them. The grassland stretched endlessly. The wind carried the scent of grass and water.
Hyoren thought about what she said.
It was a fragile peace. Held together by the shadow of a greater evil. The Demon Army. The looming invasion. The threat that would come in four years.
It was better than nothing. But he knew from history—both from Earth and from fantasy literature—that such alliances rarely lasted without a common enemy to keep them together.
What would happen when the Demon Army was defeated? Would the peace hold? Or would old rivalries resurface?
He didn't know. And he hoped he wouldn't have to find out.