Please Kill Me - Chapter 56
– Why did you ask this?
Leonid asked that, but there wasn’t any grand reason. She simply became curious when she heard he had lost his parents too.
The thought that she shared something in common with him, despite looking like he had been brilliant since birth and the exact opposite of her, amazed her.
She wondered if he had ever lived a life like hers.
To want nothing to wish for, a life where she wants nothing more than death.
She felt relieved knowing he had more in his life to care about than just her. Even if she turned away from him, he wouldn’t end up like her.
So, she hoped his lack of understanding about her would last forever, even to her death.
She had lived a life where self-pity was considered a luxury and she had never sought understanding from anyone.
‘I wish that you would never understand me.’
Yekaterina opened the window quietly and left.
Soon after, the sound of horse hooves faded away towards the back gate of Rostislav.
* * *
Drap, drap, drap.
The sound of hooves crossed the fog-draped forest in the morning. She had set off at dawn, and now, the sun was significantly higher in the sky.
‘I’m glad it wasn’t as perilous.’
Yekaterina thought.
The capital of the Ethiel Empire had a relatively warm climate, it quickly gave way to forests outside its bounds of the capital. These forests connect to the imperial hunting grounds, making this path the only way to enter without going through the imperial palace.
Fortunately, Yekaterina was well-versed in the geography of this area. She had traveled extensively on Sergei’s orders, and she frequented these woods for hunting.
Under normal circumstances, imperial guards and hunting grounds keeper would manage the hunting grounds. However, with the monster appearing and the military mobilized, it was unlikely the hunting grounds would be closely guarded.
‘As expected.’
She thought as she reached the boundary of the hunting grounds. Yekaterina lightly tugged at the horse’s reins.
There were only markers indicating the boundary. The forest itself was silent. There wasn’t even one patrolling guard.
‘I was worried I might encounter a horde of monsters on the way.’
Lower-grade monsters never roam alone. Weak individuals tend to move in groups. Their presence wouldn’t be a threat to her but could be dangerous for her horse. The horse could get spooked or injured, complicating her journey.
That was what she was most worried about. Fortunately, luck was on her side, and aside from a couple of encounters with middle grade monsters, she arrived without any significant incidents.
Yekaterina dismounted and scooped up a handful of clean snow. The first handful was rubbed on her robe to clean off any marks from fighting monsters, and the second she put in her mouth. Her mind was refreshed with the cool sensation .
Then, she led her horse to a stream, gave it water and sugar cubes, and tied it to a nearby tree.
The sound of running streams and the rustling of the wild animals came everywhere. The forest was so full of life and peaceful.
Anyone unaware would never imagine monsters lurking nearby. However, Yekaterina knew what was lurking within these woods. She does and she knows what she has to do.
She picked up a stone from the stream, moved away from her horse, and threw it into a bush. The rabbit that was hiding behind it, jumped out. At the same time, she drew a small dagger about the size of her two fingers and threw it.
Squeak, the rabbit was struck with the dagger and its eyes turned red.
The scent of blood quieted the previously vibrant forest. Creatures that were bustling about vanished, replaced by unsettling growls as shadows began to emerge from their hiding places.
Yekaterina observed them silently, drawing the dagger she was carrying on her thigh.
It was time for monster hunting.
Monsters are born from the remnants of magic in the world. They are categorized into grades by their abilities, sizes, and appearances. They were known to dislike light, which reduces their activity and aggression during the day.
The categorization of monsters is broad and varied, ranging from class to traits. With two main classifications: parasitic and corporeal.
The classification is relatively straightforward. It was based on whether the monster has a physical form or not.
Those with a physical form fall under the corporeal category, while those without are considered parasitic.
Most monsters belong to the parasitic type, often living in symbiosis with carnivorous animals without a physical form of their own.
Like all monsters, they dislike light, so during the day, they reside within their host’s shadow, and at night, they take over the host’s body to hunt other living creatures, thereby increasing their size. If not dealt with early on, they can spread and eventually consume entire forests.
‘The problem was that they could be difficult to catch within the day.’
The only way to deal with parasitic monsters was to kill their hosts while they reside within. However, during the day, since the monster lives in the host’s shadow, killing the host does not affect the monster.
