I Have a Task Log

「Two days later.」

THWACK.

Colin opened his eyes, feeling something hit his forehead. He reached out of his sleeping bag and touched the spot. It was just a small pinecone.

Colin rubbed his eyes and looked around.

He was lying beside the roots of a large tree. The poor villagers were scattered nearby, keeping warm with blankets they had brought from home.

Fortunately, the temperature inside the Supreme Forest was relatively constant, and the moss on the ground also provided some insulation. Otherwise, these villagers would never have made it to a safer place.

Just then, a man got up and approached him. "Sir, would you like something to eat?"

"Yes. We’ll eat first, then get back on the road. Same as the last two days," Colin said with a yawn, climbing out of his sleeping bag.

Colin silently packed up his sleeping bag.

Kase and the others also got up and began to pack their gear.

A small sleeping bag next to him rustled, and a moment later, Orelia’s head popped out. She rubbed her drowsy eyes and asked, "Are we leaving, Mr. Colin?"

"We are. Did you sleep well?" Colin replied.

"Of course I did," Orelia said, struggling out of her sleeping bag.

Her Scale Armor scraped against the edge of the bag with a series of CLANGS. The Tiefling slapped her cheeks hard a couple of times, making her already pale-red face flush a deeper shade of red.

’This kid is visibly exhausted,’ Colin thought. ’Then again, so am I.’

For the past two days, they had all been sleeping in their Armor, which was incredibly uncomfortable.

Luckily, the surrounding villagers were doing their best to take care of them. After all, under these circumstances, preserving the energy of Colin and his companions was the same as ensuring their own safety.

A short while later, the men had a campfire going, and the women began preparing food.

Although large-scale food production wasn’t possible within the Supreme Forest, there were plenty of berries, mushrooms, and fruit trees. As long as you knew where to look, you wouldn’t go too hungry.

Besides, even if they found nothing, the Pegasus was still carrying supplies.

Colin sat on the ground, patiently waiting for breakfast.

For the past few days, the group had been following the main road northeast.

They had been walking for two days without seeing the so-called Fog-Locked Rift. If the Pegasus Knight hadn’t assured them they were on the right path, Colin would have thought they were lost.

It just went to show how fast a Pegasus could fly. Half a day of flight covered the same distance it took the group two days to travel on foot.

Of course, traveling with refugees through the Supreme Forest on poor roads meant they couldn’t move very fast. Fortunately, they hadn’t encountered any monsters these past few days, so the group had remained safe so far.

"Sir, this is for you." As he was thinking, a rough hand offered him a bowl of mushroom and apple stew.

"Thanks."

Colin took the food and quickly finished the sour meal.

After breakfast, the group reassembled and set off once more.

Kase, Dorn, and the Pegasus Knight led the way at the front, while Colin and the other two brought up the rear. This way, if any monsters appeared, they could respond immediately to a sudden attack.

The group continued along the forest path for another half a day.

Just as Colin was trudging along with his head down, Kase’s shout came from the front. "We’ve reached the canyon, Colin!"

The Pegasus Knight at the head of the column slowly ascended into the air.

He flew his Pegasus to the rear of the group and called out, "Our rear is completely secure now! Your squad should probably move to the front. That way you can be the first to respond if there’s danger."

"Are there monsters waiting on the other side of the bridge?" Colin asked.

"Many monsters in the Supreme Forest are smarter than normal beasts," the Pegasus Knight replied.

Colin nodded. "Alright, that works."

He then led the other two to the front, joining Kase and the others to lead the way toward the white Living Wood Bridge.

The bridge was wide enough for about two carriages to pass at the same time—not too wide, but not too narrow. The railings on both sides seemed sturdy, and it looked quite safe.

The group continued forward. The Pegasus Knight circled his Pegasus around the bridge, carefully watching over the refugees behind them.

Colin leaned over and glanced down.

Below was indeed the Fog-Locked Rift he’d spotted earlier. A glance revealed only a rolling mist, completely obscuring whatever lay at the bottom of the canyon.

The villagers in front of him seemed especially afraid of the chasm below; they didn’t even dare to touch the railings as they walked.

’There must be something dangerous at the bottom of the canyon,’ Colin thought.

Before he knew it, the group had reached the middle of the bridge.

As he focused on moving forward, Colin suddenly heard a few pathetic whinnies.

Several white feathers drifted down from the sky.

Looking up, he saw the Pegasus in the air, struggling as it shot forward.

The Pegasus Knight yanked hard on the reins, but he couldn’t calm the Pegasus at all. Instead, it dragged him into a thicket of trees ahead.

"An enemy?" Colin drew his weapon and looked ahead.

CRACK! CRACK!

The next moment, the sound of snapping branches reached his ears from behind.

Colin turned his head just in time to see a black Dragon Head burst out of the dense woods.

The dragon’s head had two enormous, downward-curving horns, like those of an ox. Its head was so thin it was practically skin and bones, its murky eyes were sunken deep in their sockets, and sharp fangs protruded from its lips.

The sight alone was enough to send a chill down one’s spine.

’This head is much bigger than the White Dragon’s we saw last time...’ Colin thought.

At the sight of this, the group immediately fell into chaos, and screams erupted one after another.

Dorn muttered under his breath, "Fuck..."

"Dammit, it’s a Black Dragon! Run!" Colin bellowed, his voice overpowering the people’s screams.

Startled by his shout, the refugees snapped out of their stupor and instinctively began running forward with Colin and the others.

"Why do we always run into dragons?" Kase complained as he sprinted ahead.

Colin replied, "Go tell it to the Goddess of Fortune."

Once the group started running, they inevitably scattered.

Even with a dragon chasing them, the weakened refugees couldn’t run very fast.

They had lost their homes and endured several grueling days on the road. They no longer had the stamina to run any faster.

Colin and his companions were also running at different speeds.

Though Dorn was gasping for breath, his short legs made him fall to the very back of the group. Kase simply scooped him up, threw him over his shoulder, and kept charging forward.

Dorn was in no position to complain now. He shouted from Kase’s shoulder, "Hah... Hah... How many times have you guys seen a Giant Dragon? This is fucking insane!"

’I really don’t feel like dealing with you right now,’ Colin thought, gasping for air as he ran.