I wake up to an alarm.

　The time is exactly noon.

　Looking over at the monkey family, two of the young monkeys are playing around in the plaza, but the adult monkey has vanished. Perhaps it went out to gather food.

　If those monkeys would just disappear, I could slip away during the gap—but that seems unlikely.

　Otherwise, I have no choice but to attempt escape at midnight, under the cover of darkness.

　Fighting the monkey isn’t an option. Even if I could defeat the young ones with a magic scroll or two, the parent would surely go into a frenzy, hunting down the culprit with bloodshot eyes—sure to lead to a living hell.

　There’s also the simple fact that I don’t want to kill an animal.

“Maybe I should practice spirit magic…?”

　In the end, that’s all I can do.

There's a level of proficiency with techniques, and currently it's like this.

Shadow Spirit Arts

First-Rank Technique Formula

- Manifestation of Darkness 【DARK MIST】 Proficiency 89

- Vision of Darkness 【NIGHT VISION】 Proficiency 15

- Transformation into Darkness 【SHADOW RUNNER】 Proficiency 0

I walked around using the technique until dawn yesterday, so I think it's improved a bit.

Practice is good, but using it in real situations probably raises proficiency faster.

Another new technique has also emerged.

It seems to be a method of creating a humanoid figure made of shadow... essentially, using a shadow as a decoy to run.

"Decoy...! This could be useful...!"

　

I want to try out this new technique right away.

I've already confirmed that using techniques inside the barrier isn't a problem.

"Shadow Runner!"

In response to the technique, darkness slowly emerged from the void, taking shape into a human form.

Perhaps due to low skill level, the runner was not an athlete but merely the shadow of a small child.

Though shaped like a human, it lacked depth.

It dashed forward in a straight line—yet upon touching the thin barrier of the barrier, the shadow instantly dispersed and vanished. It was impossible to penetrate the spirit magic beyond the barrier, so this outcome was unavoidable.

A mere shadow running—nothing more, not even a convincing scare tactic.

Yet it seemed excellent as a decoy. At the very least, it could prove useful for escaping this forest.

That clue had truly been vital.

"Alright, let's practice!"

The situation was tough, but it wasn't too late to give up yet.

◇◆◆◆◇

The barrier stone's effect will expire at 5:30 PM.

The current time is 5:00 PM.

For the past five hours, I've been practicing the technique, and it's shown significant progress.

【Dark Spirit Arts】

First-tier spell

· Shadow Sight 【Night Vision】 Mastery Level 17

· Shadow Form 【Shadow Runner】 Mastery Level 30

Second-tier spell

· Shadow Manifestation 【Dark Mist】 Mastery Level 22

Mastery of Dark Mist has reached its maximum. Upgraded to the second tier.

This tier likely functions like a level system per technique, advancing to the next level each time mastery reaches 100.

Night Vision is ineffective during broad daylight and barely gains mastery, so I haven't used it—partly because its priority is low.

"Dark Mist!"

Responding to my voice, darkness emerged from the void, devouring the light.

Thanks to the rank-up effect, the Dark Mist has become much denser than before. The darkness now extends across the entire barrier area—unlike how it was in the beginning. The speed at which it manifests has also significantly increased.

With this, I might just be able to slip out unnoticed by the apes.

"…But it's not as dark as I expected."

Is it a seasonal thing? Even at 5 PM, the sky remains quite bright—far from the kind of twilight one would expect.

As for the ape parents, the large ape has returned with a huge bundle of food, signaling dinner time.

Focused entirely on their meal, they might overlook my presence—possible, but unlikely.

Even a young monkey can run more than three times faster than me. A full-grown ape might be ten times faster. There's no way I can outsmart them.

"Should I wait until night...?"

I decided to play it safe.

It's not a bad idea to make a single attempt here, but I can't be sure it won't raise their alertness unnecessarily.

Even though my remaining points are few, when else should I use them if not now?

I spent one point to exchange the barrier stone, and at the moment the remaining time dropped to one minute, I broke it. Barrier stones can be reused. The remaining time became twelve hours and one minute.

I continued practicing spirit magic until deep into the night.

◇◆◆◆◇

"Good... The sky's cloudy and the moon isn't out—this should work, shouldn't it...?"

It was exactly 2 a.m.

The very hour when even grass and trees are asleep—the third watch of the night.

Even with night vision, the dense darkness dominating the surroundings is unnervingly thick.

But right now, everything is to my advantage.

Having practiced spirit magic repeatedly, I've advanced to the next level.

"Darkness Fog"

I now invoke the revised Third-Rank Technique, Dark Mist, now called "Darkness Fog."

Instantly, darkness erupts, saturating the interior of the barrier completely.

My form is entirely concealed, making it impossible for any opponent relying solely on sight to detect me.

"My spirit magic has come quite far, hasn't it?"

【Spirit Magic: Darkness】

First-Rank Technique

· Darkness Sight 【Night Vision】 Mastery Level 38

· Darkness Form 【Shadow Runner】 Mastery Level 64

Third-Rank Technique

・Dark Fog

— Level 2. For some reason, using techniques felt easier inside the barrier, as if the mental load was lower, so I ended up using it continuously without even showing signs of passing out.

My rank and proficiency have both increased, gradually making me better at using it.

"I’ve prepared new barrier stones too... Let’s go...!"

Remaining points: 7.

It’s getting seriously low now, but surprisingly, I’ve gained one point during spirit magic practice. Apparently, I’m the first among all transmigrants to achieve 'Spirit Magic Level 3.'

The other transmigrants should definitely be training hard in spirit magic too...

Perhaps being alone in the forest after a random teleportation truly changes the urgency. Of course, it's possible that "Spirit's Favor" is actively working. I’m aware I’m using spells too continuously—almost unnaturally so.

Still, without any comparison, it's just a possibility.

Either way, the "First Time" series grants crystals and points, which is helpful. For instance, defeating that monkey would count as a "First Monster Defeated" achievement, even if I can't actually defeat it.

The monkeys sleep huddled together, embracing like parents and children.

Probably, there are no natural predators in this forest. Their sleeping posture is completely defenseless.

That’s my chance to escape.

I had complete confidence in that.

The barrier has three and a half hours left.

But I must escape before dawn.

"Darkness Fog"

— I layered it on further. Deep within the darkness, an even deeper darkness filled the interior of the barrier.

"Good..."

I moved carefully, without making a sound, to the edge of the three-meter radius barrier and dispelled it.

The barrier's film melted away and vanished, and the darkness I had summoned began to spread, consuming everything around me.

From a distance, it might have appeared as an unnatural concentration of darkness.

The apes hadn't noticed.

Yet, a strange, unsettling presence lingered—prickling at my skin.

This was the same sensation I'd felt ever since arriving in this world.

On this moonless night, it felt dense, as if someone were standing right beside me.

But I couldn't afford to dwell on such mysterious presences.

I advanced one step at a time, moving carefully without making a sound.

Fortunately, the apes showed no sign of waking.

The moon was absent, and the night was already pitch black.

———— fuh… hehe… hehe…

Something, a voice, seemed to echo.

The apes were asleep.

Yet from somewhere, a girl’s laughter.

Was it a new kind of monster?

I continued forward with caution, scanning my surroundings.

Even though I was already using Night Vision, I couldn’t see very far.

I could barely make out the shapes of apes sleeping fifty meters ahead.

Kusuku…

Hehe…

(Again… What is this voice…?)

The voice sounded as if it came from impossibly far away—or as if it were right beside my ear.

It sounded like children laughing from afar, or whispers of secrets in one’s ear.

Hehe... hehehe...

The voice grew clearer and clearer.

At first, it was just an indistinct, meaningless sound—ungraspable and incomprehensible—but as it drew nearer, something resembling intent began to emerge.

The voice was laughing directly at me—

that was the only certainty I had.

I ignored the voice and hurried forward.

I had to create distance at all costs.

"Darkness Fog"

It was a night of profound darkness.

Not because there was no moonlight, but because the darkness itself existed there, palpable and complete. In the depths of the blackened space, it was as if an endless, bottomless surface stretched out to the horizon.

If I hadn't had dark vision, I wouldn't have been able to take even a single step forward.

The voice came without pause, reaching my ears.

It sounded like a girl, like a boy, like an old woman, like an infant.

It was as if the radio's voice were carried through the air from afar.

— Strangely, I felt no fear.

If it had been the growl of a monster or a distant howl, I might have been terrified, but the voice sounded like a human voice.

Perhaps, too, because in this lonely, solitary journey, I felt as though someone was beside me.

The distance between me and the monkey steadily increased—100 meters, then 200 meters.

"Darkness Fog"

It was then, during the incantation of what must have been the

th spirit spell.The darkness around trembled, as if alive, stirring with a restless pulse.

The air pulsed, and deeper darkness emerged from within, spreading relentlessly across the ground, tree trunks, branches, leaves, and even the sky itself.

(W-what... is this...?)

The voice I'd been hearing had vanished without a sound.

Worse still, not a single sound remained—no wind, no insects, nothing at all.

I pulled the barrier stone from my pocket and held it ready.

A monster was approaching...?

No, that couldn't be right. It hadn't made any footsteps like that—

Was it not even a living thing...?

The darkness had taken form. There was no other way to describe it.

Right after I cast my spell, something emerged from within the darkness.

I couldn't make out anything around me. The darkness surrounding me was so thick it rendered night vision useless—just an all-consuming blackness.

Ghosts aren't vague things like that.

Somewhere—

either impossibly far away, or perhaps just inches from my shoulder—

—Hmm, you smell delicious.

I clearly heard those words right by my ear.

The sensation of something with real weight, a solid mass of darkness, gently brushing against my very life force.

Every hair on my body stood on end, and I reflexively shattered the barrier stone.

—Hmm, curious power…

—The closer I try to approach, the farther it seems to recede.

At that moment, I finally saw the source of the voice.

A dark, indistinct silhouette of utter blackness.

In the darkness, it was outlined by an even deeper shadow.

The silhouette of a girl with long hair drifting in the air.

Fortunately, it couldn’t enter the barrier, yet it floated aimlessly, circling around me.

"W-who the hell are you?"

I managed to ask, somehow.

I couldn’t tell who or what it was. To me, it was clearly a dangerous presence… I think.

But if it can understand words, maybe we could still reach some kind of understanding.

— Don’t you recognize me?

— You were so desperate for me just a moment ago. You loved me, didn’t you?

— I love you too. Now, undo this spell—let us become one.

It’s hopeless.

The one called the embodiment of darkness spoke words as floaty and light as her movements. Her words were passionate, yet devoid of any real heat, flat and emotionless.

One thing was clear—she was not on my side.

And instinctively, I understood that fighting her would be pointless.

Still, she couldn't enter the barrier, lingering aimlessly around its edges.

Unlike the monkey, this creature could see through the barrier.

That meant it couldn't vanish anywhere—she was always there, watching.

I was finished.

I never expected that, just when I thought I’d escaped the monkey, I’d run into something so inexplicable—clearly, I’d underestimated the danger level of this forest.

—Come now, come now, hurry and undo this spell. My beloved…

——Let us become one before the sunrise.

——You've called me so many times, haven't you? Ah, so this is what it means to be loved... And yet, you're so distant...

Drifting gently through the air, the embodiment of darkness weaving words.

It sounded as if it were speaking directly to me, yet it was more like a whisper to itself, a strange, otherworldly voice.

(But wait—'sunrise,' you said. As the embodiment of darkness, could it vanish at dawn?)

It was possible.

In fact, I hoped it was true.

　

I could only sit there, trembling at the sound, frozen in place.

There was nothing I could do.

I felt as though my excessive practice of spirit magic had summoned this voice.

According to her perception, though, it seemed I had called her.

The only possibility that came to mind was the dark spirit magic.

(Apparently, spirit magic involves drawing power from spirits...)

Either way, there was nothing left to do but wait for the sunrise.

Fortunately, the barrier stone still had plenty of time left—until around 2:30 PM.

Without hesitation, I waited for the morning light.

The dark master floated aimlessly around me, but around 3:30, something changed.

—What a pity. Truly a pity, my dear. I wanted us to become one.

—But since this is at least our final meeting, I should give you something, shouldn't I?

—Just wait a little longer. I’ll know exactly what you desire.

—I’m looking forward to seeing you again...

The voice faded away into nothingness.

I let out a sigh of relief, but soon the embodiment of darkness reappeared.

The sound of something being dropped heavily onto the ground.

And this time, the voice vanished completely, as if erased.

Gradually, the sounds of insects and the rustling of trees returned to the forest, now once again under the sway of silence, and only then did I finally realize that my life had been saved, sensing once more the presence of life.