"They're here..."

Seven hours later, the wolves were still prowling around the vicinity.

Though my figure should be invisible inside the barrier, perhaps they've awakened to the taste of human flesh after having sampled a bit of my meat, or maybe they've always had their base here.

Either way, I'll need to brace myself.

I use one crystal to gather information about the wolves.

[Ring Pill Ookami: Normal Form] A wolf species distributed across the entire Ring Pill Continent. They travel in packs and sometimes hunt large monsters. While their primary diet consists of small animals, they have become increasingly omnivorous and also eat fruits and berries. Packs typically consist of eight to twenty individuals, though occasionally they may exceed fifty. When an individual transforms into a monster, it ultimately kills its own pack before being slain by another monster. Rarely, it becomes a predator that eradicates entire groups. The individual in question is in its normal form. Spirit Stone drop rate: Water 20%, Pure 80%.

"It showed up back when the Great Ape was around too, but what exactly does 'monster' mean...?"

Since the explanation assumes knowledge of this mysterious term, it's hard to grasp—but essentially, it's just a wolf.

There's no specific description saying "large," so that must be the typical size. In fact, considering there are creatures over four meters tall resembling apes, a wolf that's just a bit large might actually fall within the "normal" range.

I stood up and surveyed the surroundings within the barrier's range.

"……It's not visible within sight."

I need to retrieve the barrier stone I dropped. It was exchanged for one point, the equivalent of a tiger's cub, and should be nearby.

Although the barrier stone's effect is still active, I won't go outside, but I must decide how to proceed.

　

The time I activated the barrier stone was 8 a.m.

It's a mystery how long I've been unconscious, but I do remember walking until dawn. That means I must have passed out in the early morning and been attacked before eight o'clock. Maybe the wolves came looking for breakfast.

And now it's past three in the afternoon.

The ward stone remains effective for twelve hours, so I should be safe until eight tonight.

"Will I be able to escape once night falls...?"

It's hard to believe the wolves slept during the day like I did. They can't possibly be active twenty-four hours a day, and they'd surely return to their den once darkness falls.

When they attacked me, the wolves didn't enter the darkness fog, so I should be okay... I hope.

That "hint" should still be valid.

As long as time allows, I spent my time practicing shadow spirit magic.

By using Darkness Fog within the barrier, and focusing on Shadow Runner and Shade Shift since there was no sign of the "Great Spirit of Darkness" appearing again, I felt safer.

As time passed, dusk fell, and as expected, the wolves vanished somewhere else.

◇◆◆◆◇

At 8 PM.

After the barrier dissolved, I searched the area for an hour and found the lost barrier stone. Cloaked once more in darkness, I began walking again.

Apparently, few creatures move about at night, so I made steady progress.

Every few hours, I encountered colonies of coral sponges, so I never lacked food.

With the right skills, I might be able to hunt larger creatures like squirrels or birds, but that’s beyond me right now. Still, I can’t afford to complain—this is no time for luxury.

Since then, viewers have consistently remained at around 600 million daily.

It's an unbelievable number. Can that really be possible?

I'm just walking through the darkness, taking advantage of it. Even though I've encountered monsters, they were only a giant ape and a wolf. And I didn't even fight them—just stayed confined within the barrier.

I couldn't possibly imagine having anything that could attract 600 million viewers.

The only explanation I can think of is that people are entertained by the sudden appearance of a dying transferee, or perhaps they're cheering on the transferee desperately struggling to survive.

　

What about the other transferees? There's simply too little information available about them.

We've already achieved over 2 billion cumulative viewers.

There are over a thousand transferees. The number one person can see is limited.

In other words, no matter how you look at it, I must be among the top… definitely someone being watched closely.

"There are people watching me right now, through the screen…"

The idea of being seen by six hundred million people felt unreal.

Well, that’s natural, really.

I’ve been so focused on surviving that I’ve mostly avoided thinking about it.

But now, walking alone at night like this, it’s impossible not to wonder.

　

"I wonder… what are they all doing now…"

I think about my parents and my two younger sisters.

Are they nervously watching me right now, hoping I’ll be okay?

In the end, I’m still alive.

Just not dying isn't really filial piety... I know that's a pointless thing to say, but given that I couldn't even say "I'm off," and ended up here, the only filial act I can possibly do is simply not dying.

It was a bright night under the moon.

Though slightly crescent, the moon still gently illuminated the night forest.

I found a spot a little brighter and stopped.

I have no idea how this is being broadcast.

There's no sign of any camera at all.

Maybe it's being filmed from far above, with an ultra-telephoto lens.

Whether this voice will reach anyone is uncertain.

But I wanted to say it anyway.

"...Dad, Mom, Serika, Karen. I don't even understand myself why this happened... but I'm still alive. I came here like an accident, and I don't know if I can go back... but I'd really like to survive and return.

I'm sending this message into the void, overwhelmed by this unfamiliar experience.

There were so many things I wanted to tell you—about how we almost died together with Nanami, about the culprit—but I don't know how to convey them in a one-sided message like this.

Nanami should be here too, so let's find each other and regroup... I don't know what comes after that, but I think we'll manage somehow, so please don't worry. Right now, it might take some time to get out of the forest, but I'm fine. The checkpoints are still there, and moving at night seems safe enough, so we'll be okay.

I'm just putting on a brave front.

"If I thought my parents and sisters were watching me, I couldn’t just keep whining.

I really wanted to cry.

Knowing I was speaking to family—this fact was triggering my deepest vulnerability.

I didn’t understand Nanami at all.

Maybe she had just died and remained that way.

Maybe Uncle and Aunt had been killed by that man too.

I didn’t know anything about the other transmigrants.

Maybe everyone else was dead, and that’s why everyone was watching me.

I didn’t even understand this world.

It might just be a dead world of ruined cities.

Here in this forest, I was overwhelmed by the fear that I was truly alone in this other world.

Maybe that was why.

I hadn’t even thought about the one who killed me and Nanami.

I didn't understand anything. I had no way of knowing.

All I could do was send one-sided messages to my family.

"I don't even know if this message is reaching anyone... I don't understand why everyone is looking at me... But since there are so many viewers, I get crystals and honestly... it's helping me out, so thank you. …………Thank you."

I didn't even know what I was saying myself.

I'm the kind of person you'd call a "dark nerd," and I'm not good at speaking to large crowds.

I struggle with expressing my opinions or talking about myself.

Suddenly, tears welled up, and I used Darkness Fog, blending into the shadows.

I'm not alone.

Believing that gave me the will to keep going.