We went deeper and deeper into the forest.
The enormous treetops intertwined above our heads, devouring the sunlight and turning the path into a tunnel of shadows.
Only a few rays managed to pierce through the leaves, drawing golden patches on the ground covered with roots, mud, and damp leaves.
The dirt path stuck to my bare feet. I didn't care.
After having woken up in that place, walking barefoot was probably the least of my problems.
I looked over my shoulder. Goliath walked behind me with an expression of absolute fascination. His eyes roamed over every tree, every plant, and every creature that moved among the bushes, as if it were the first time he had seen a forest in his entire life.
It was hard to believe that that boy had been described by the system as a Titan.
"Goliath..."
"Yes?"
His response was immediate. I stopped and turned toward him.
"You're a paladin, aren't you?"
Goliath smiled. Then he playfully moved his hip, pointing to the sword tied at his waist.
"Yep. A full-fledged paladin!" he replied, raising his thumb. "Hehe."
I nodded. There was something I needed to check.
"Would you let me see your status window?"
Goliath blinked.
"My status window?"
"Since we haven't formed a contract yet, it's impossible for me to see your skills. I want to know exactly what kind of creature you are."
Goliath lowered his head slightly.
"Hmmm..."
His fingers began to fidget with each other.
Finally, Goliath raised his gaze, though he kept nervously playing with his fingers.
"It's just that..."
He paused briefly.
"I wanted to show them to you first during a fight against a monster."
I tilted my head.
"You mean you'd rather demonstrate your skills before showing me your stats?"
"Exactly!"
He smiled proudly.
"But if you really want to see my stats, it doesn't matter."
His head fell again. It was obvious he was discouraged.
I brought a hand to my forehead. "Why did he have to be so dramatic?"
"I suppose... we can find some monster and then..."
I couldn't finish.
Goliath lunged at me. He took both my hands in his with absurd strength, though, surprisingly, he was careful enough not to hurt me.
His eyes were shining.
"Really?!"
He brought a hand to his chest and began to give it little pats.
"Ha, ha! Then you'll witness the great skills of Goliath, the Titan of Gath!"
He unsheathed his sword in one motion. The blade shone under the few rays of sunlight that pierced the foliage. Goliath raised it toward the sky.
"Wild beasts of the forest! Appear before me! Before the man who will bring the end of your lives!"
And he began to advance without even waiting for a response.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha!"
His arrogant laughter faded among the trees. I stood watching him for a few seconds. I let out a sigh.
"...Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?"
I had no choice but to follow him.
As we advanced, I lowered my gaze to my hands.
My skin was still gray, and, from what I had been able to check, my eyes were still amber.
I had no problem with my eyes. But my skin... that could indeed become a problem when we finally reached some civilization. A gray-skinned homunculus would probably draw too much attention.
"I must find some way to change it..."
A cheerful shout interrupted my thoughts.
"Master! I found a worthy rival! Please, come with me!"
I closed my eyes for an instant. That boy was going to be the death of me.
"What the hell did he find now...?"
I ran toward the place where his voice was coming from. As I got closer, I began to hear something else.
CRAAASH.
A tree fell. The creaking of branches being destroyed was heard, followed by a roar that made the ground beneath my feet tremble. And, amid all of that...
Goliath's laughter.
"Not so fast! Ha, ha! Wait until my master arrives to witness our encounter!"
I pushed aside several branches blocking my path. Then a ray of light pierced the foliage.
And I saw it.
I stood completely still.
In front of Goliath was a gigantic creature. Its body was covered in thick white fur that shone with silver tones under the sunlight. An enormous mane surrounded its head, and its paws ended in long black claws, dark as tar. Every time it moved a paw, the ground trembled. Every time it roared, the birds fled from the treetops.
It was enormous. Even from that distance, it could make Goliath look like an ant.
My eyes flew wide open.
"No..."
I immediately recognized the creature.
"No, no, no, no..."
I took a step back and threw myself behind some branches, desperately searching for anything that could serve as cover.
"Shit, shit, shit!"
My face lost all its color. I brought a hand to my mouth to keep a scream from escaping.
That was a Snow Lion. A creature classified as a true calamity among the monsters of the forest. A beast that facing was equivalent to signing your own death sentence.
Even during my time of maximum power... I had never tried to face one.
And now... now that idiot with the appearance of a girl had just decided that one was a worthy rival.
"Master! Master! Why are you hiding?"
Goliath turned his head toward where I was.
"Come! Watch how I finish it in your name!"
I wanted to yell at him, call him stupid and imbecile. I wanted to say every insult I had learned during my long life. But no word left my mouth.
Because the Snow Lion had just roared.
ROOOOOAR!
The sound tore through the forest. The trees trembled. A nearby trunk was ripped out by the roots as if it weighed absolutely nothing and shot several meters away.
I swallowed.
"No. Definitely not."
The beast's roar was heard again.
ROOOOAR!
A tree split. Then another. The ground trembled beneath my feet. I shrank even further behind the branches.
"Come on... finish quickly..."
But then I heard something. A voice that definitely did not belong to the Snow Lion.
"Olé! You were close, but also very far, kitty!"
...
My mind went completely blank. I slowly opened my eyes.
"No. It was impossible. That couldn't be happening."
Goliath was still talking. Goliath was still alive.
"Ha, ha, ha! That was fun!"
I stood motionless.
"Maybe... maybe I was dead. Maybe that was the voice of a ghost. Maybe, for some reason, I still retained my old ability to hear the dead."
"Yes. That had to be it. Because there was no other explanation. No one could survive a Snow Lion. Much less someone like Goliath."
I slowly peeked between the branches.
And what I saw made my brain refuse to process it.
Goliath was standing. Smiling. With his sword resting on his shoulder, as if he had just finished a light training session.
While the Snow Lion... was retreating.
The animal's fur, which had previously shone with silver tones, was now covered in dust and blood. One of its front paws was trembling. Its eyes, which seconds ago had been full of fury, now looked at Goliath with something I recognized immediately.
Fear.
The Snow Lion, a calamity that not even I in my maximum power would have faced, was afraid of a pink-haired boy.
I opened my mouth.
"...What the hell are you?"