"I am Vigor Fitzfire, and this is my niece, Clara Fitzfire. Now it's your turn to answer my question!" Vigor said firmly.
Aaron hesitated for a moment, glancing around to search for an escape route.
"Aaron Deo. No, I don't know them," he answered briefly.
"Oh... alright, next question then—why are you training in this forest? And what clan are you from? I've never heard of a clan with the name 'Deo,'" Vigor fired off questions relentlessly.
"Um... I don't know. I'm not from any clan. And why do you keep calling me an Archon?" Aaron asked, curious about the strange title.
"Huh? Kid, don't play dumb with me, especially not with a lie like that. Even people living deep in the forests of this continent know what an Archon is!" Vigor said, clearly not buying Aaron's ignorance.
And to be fair, that was a reasonable response. After all, everyone on this continent knew of the powerful clans that had existed for thousands of years, and those with exceptional talent from these clans were known as Archons.
"Unless you've been living underground, that might explain it. But there's no way an ordinary person could defeat a King-level Gorilla monster!" Vigor added.
Aaron, fed up with the nonsense and frustrated by how little he knew, responded:
"Huff... I honestly don't know what you're talking about, sir. I never killed any gorilla monster. I'm just a regular hunter who happened to pass by. I got curious and went near the corpse, but... I don't know why I suddenly ended up here."
Aaron tried to end the entire misunderstanding with that explanation, even if he had to hide a few truths.
"Hmm, that makes more sense. There's no way someone who doesn't even know what an Archon is could defeat a King-level monster," Vigor muttered aloud, his voice heard clearly by everyone.
"Sorry, everyone. It seems this was all just a misunderstanding. Please forgive me and my uncle for wasting your time," Clara said, breaking the tension in the air.
The young woman felt guilty for her uncle's overwhelming presence, which had caused a scene without considering the possibility of his own mistake.
"We've been in this forest for too long, Uncle. Besides, we already got what I needed, and we should return soon. But if you want to stay... maybe Grandfather—" Clara spoke with a meaningful look in her eyes.
The moment he heard that Vigor felt cold sweat run down his back. Without hesitation, he said, "Alright, let's go, dear."
He quickly wrapped his arm around Clara, and just before flying off with her, he gave the group one last glance—then soared into the sky, disappearing into the clouds.
"Huh. They're arrogant—coming and going as they please!" Trion commented bitterly after Vigor and Clara left.
"Well, that's what it's like when you have power. The world only respects the strong," Fred replied.
"So... where are you from, kid? Did you come into this forest alone?" Theodor asked, redirecting everyone's attention to Aaron.
"I was actually with a friend... but I don't know what happened to him after I passed out," Aaron answered with a sad look.
He had truly come with Patrick, his beloved dog, who was more like a brother to him. Still, he remained hopeful—perhaps Patrick was with Ziva, the tiger monster.
"Pfft... Did you hear that, Theodor? Hahaha... looks like you've brought back a burden, not a savior," Trion laughed, his earlier frustration with Vigor momentarily forgotten after hearing Aaron's story.
In truth, he was also glad for other reasons. First, Aaron wasn't dangerous. Second, at least Theodor, their leader, had found a bit of relief before they all faced death.
Ignoring Trion's remark, Theodor turned back to Aaron:
"So, where are you headed, kid? If you don't have anywhere to go, you're welcome to come to our settlement," he said kindly.
To be honest, Aaron had no idea where to go. Everything in this world was unfamiliar to him.
"I don't know, sir. I'm lost. If it's alright with you, I'd like to come with you," Aaron said politely to the man, offering him a way out of the Forbidden Forest.
After that, everyone was prepared to leave. Aaron packed all his belongings back into his storage ring.
Throughout the journey, Aaron continued to study his virtual screen, using the time to understand more about his abilities.
But to his disappointment, Aaron found no new rewards after leveling up twice. Based on what people on Earth had said, the Zenit System should give a reward for every level gained, so why had he only received one at level one?
After several hours of walking, Aaron and the five hunters finally exited the forest and arrived at a settlement.
The place looked ancient—or more accurately, like something from a bygone era. Some buildings were made of stone covered in packed earth, while others were entirely wooden with thatched roofs of dried leaves.
As soon as Aaron and the hunters arrived, they were greeted by a crowd of children playing in a field on the edge of the settlement.
"Hey, look! Theodor and the others are back!"
"Wow! How was your hunt this time, Uncle?"
"Uncle, did you bring any medicine?"
"Uncle..."
Theodor and his group were bombarded with questions, leaving him speechless in the face of their failure.
Forcing a cheerful smile, Theodor said, "Hahaha... of course!"
"Let's hope a miracle finds us," he added in a murmur.
After that difficult moment, they all decided to return to their homes and rest. Aaron, who didn't know anyone in the settlement, simply followed Theodo, who invited him to stay in his modest wooden house.
"This is my home, kid. You can rest upstairs after cleaning yourself up," Theodor said, showing Aaron the room and facilities he could use.
"Thank you, Mr. Theodor," Aaron said sincerely.
"Hahaha, no need to be so formal. This is the least I can do to help. But... you may need to leave soon. I don't mean to chase you away—but it's for your good," Theodor said, starting with a laugh but ending on a more somber note.
Aaron didn't mind. He had already planned to leave as soon as he fully recovered, to find Patrick as quickly as possible.