I rode Shien at a steady pace, having managed to escape from the Wyvern. Along the way, I encountered several wolf-like monsters and goblins, but either Shien outran them or I kicked them aside. Of course, I couldn't avoid every battle. At one point, a bear-like monster with icicle-like protrusions on its back stood blocking the path. For creatures like that, I somehow managed to bring them down by utilizing my power and defense as a Dullahan. There were moments when I almost got pinned down, but an effectiv dash from Shien saved me each time. It was the same when we fled from the Wyvern. Shien compensated for my lack of horsemanship skills, guiding me as we ran. If I had been more competent, we probably could have gone even faster. I really had to rely on Shien for help. I needed to pull myself together. Although we had only spent about half a day together, I felt like we had already formed a deep bond that transcended time. As we continued on, scattering monsters left and right, the sun finally began to set. The forest, originally full of tall trees and long shadows, quickly grew into dimmer. The crimson sunset faded, giving way to a dark sky. As a Dullahan, I had no trouble seeing the landscape as clearly as daylight even in the darkness. However, I still hadn't found any traces of human settlements or people. The only sounds were those of monsters and beasts. Nocturnal creatures began to roam freely, as if declaring this was their time. I started to wonder if humans even existed in this world. Such negative thoughts surfaced, but I endured by reminding myself it was only the first day. "Giiiii!" As Shien galloped along, a goblin suddenly leapt out from a side path. Fortunately, it aimed for me, so I simply delivered a powerful kick to its face with my right foot. "Gyauu!?" The goblin spewed green liquid and tumbled back dramatically. These attacks had been happening one after another for a while now. I could easily handle a single stray goblin, but it would be dangerous if I got surrounded by creatures like that bear from earlier. If I at least had a weapon, I thought. Even an amateur fighter like me could manage somehow with my strength and physical abilities... But there was no use wishing for things I didn't have. Even though we undead don't need food, water, or sleep, and we don't feel fatigue, I decided that it was too dangerous to proceed further with so many monsters around. Thus I started to look for a place to hide. After kicking my way through about eight goblins in a group, along with another bear-like creature and an armadillo-looking monster, I finally found a cave with a gaping entrance. I was getting sick of these legit battles with monsters at this point. Even though my body didn't know fatigue, I wasn't a soulless machine. My heart was still that of Sousuke Kubinashi, a human. Being on guard wore down my spirit, and seeing blood darkened my mood. Sitting for long periods made me bored, making me want to do something else. Because I retained a human mind and heart, these feelings were even stronger. Needing to rest my mind, I headed for a cave without hesitation. After dismounting from Shien, I checked inside the cave and found it surprisingly small. There was an oddly shaped skull lying in the corner, but it wasn't human. A complex mixture of relief and disappointment bubbled up inside of me at that sight. I was glad there were no monsters inside the cave. If a large group of goblins had been living here, it would have undoubtedly turned into a bloody battle. Crushing goblins felt disgusting. It was like popping a large water balloon and breaking wooden branches at the same time. It was just gross, but I'd gotten used to it by now. The skull I found seemed quite old, suggesting this place wasn't currently a monster's lair. Having confirmed it was safe, I invited Shien into the cave. "You did well today," I said, combing through his mane and stroking his body as if to show my appreciation. I carefully removed the twigs and wood chips that had gotten stuck to him. "Neigh!" Shien let out a satisfied whinny as I lay down on the ground. The purple flames flickering beneath Shien's hooves and the faint moonlight filtering in created a soothing atmosphere. There was complete silence in the cave. Since I didn't need to breathe, the only sound was the metallic clanking when I moved. Occasionally, I heard bestial noises that were probably monsters fighting each other, but I ignored them, imagining them to be simply neighborhood cats quarreling. I could faintly feel the cold sensation of the ground. This made me wonder about my body's resistance to heat and cold, though I could guess it was probably higher than a human's in both cases. With thoughts like these, I spent a sleepless night in this other world. ◆ "Oh! It's dawn!" I had spent a sleepless night playing with Shien and gazing at the night sky. But before I knew it the sun was already rising.

It had been quite a while since I'd seen a sunrise. Even on New Year's Day, I'd just lazily watched games and anime at home. What a surprise it was. I recalled that I had checked how late it was a few times during my all nighter. I swung my arms widely, jumped, and hopped around. Just some general morning exercise before I mounted Shien. Well, it was about time I got out of this forest. I didn't want to spend another night here like I just had. Still i could not fully shake off my doubts that if I, a monster, went down to a human village, I might cause a big incident. But maybe there also existed demi-humans and such in this world. They might even readily accept a Dullahan who's just missing a head. "...As if that would happen," I muttered to myself. Anyway, I wanted to check what kind of living beings existed in this world besides monsters and animals, if they had a culture, and if there was room for negotiation. For now it would be best to observe from afar without making contact right away. Once I made up my mind, I knew I had to get out of this monster-infested forest as quickly as possible. Today, I'd make the most of my undead powers that kept me from feeling fatigue and go full speed ahead! Well, I wouldn't be the one running, but still. "Let's go, Shien! Full speed ahead!" I called out energetically as I mounted Shien. "Neigh!" Shien reared up on his hind legs, whinnying. It startled me at first, but I decided to let him do as he pleased since we had time. This was probably his way of psyching himself up. With me on his back, Shien took off at a gallop as the sun rose. ◆ I rode Shien for quite a while after sunrise. The sun had climbed high in the sky, and it was probably around noon by now. Unlike last night, the forest was now enveloped in a peaceful atmosphere. The scent of earth and lush greenery wafted through the air, though I didn't have a nose to smell it with. It seemed like encounters with monsters had become rare, and I noticed an increase in herbivores like rabbits and deer. Somehow, the surrounding atmosphere had changed, giving me a sense that we had entered a different area. The last decisive factor was the ground itself. Lo and behold! At last! I found what appeared to be human footprints. And not just one or two, but tracks from human shoes and sandals. If we followed these, we should be able to reach a settlement, village, or town. I would cry if I reached a house only to find that the footprints belonged to some bizarre creature with human legs and an octopus-like body. Really, I would. I wanted to become human so badly... no, I mean, I wanted to see humans. And I wanted to confirm what kind of world this was. With my heart pounding, I continued on with Shien. A meeting with otherworldly people was near! From this point onward, I slowed Shien's pace and continued following the footprints. Even though there might be human-like creatures around, it would be dangerous to gallop at full speed. On the contrary, I had to avoid being discovered as much as possible. My plan was to find them first, observe, and then make a judgment. As I swayed on Shien's back, I observed my surroundings. The density of the trees around us, as well as their average height, had decreased. The path had widened considerably, enough for about three adults to walk side by side with their arms spread out. I could see many felled trees, likely cleared by someone developing the area. From atop Shien's back, I had a good view of the surroundings, but so far I hadn't heard any human voices or seen any figures. "Humans, where are you humans?" I wanted to shout, but instead I mumbled quietly to myself. "Oh?" As we followed the footprints further and further, a solitary wooden structure that looked like a house came into view. Well, not literally into my view, since I don't have eyes. "Ooh! A house! A wooden house!" I couldn't help but let out an excited voice. I think you can understand.

It was the first time since coming to this world that I had found a house, evidence that people lived here. I stopped Shien and looked around. There didn't seem to be any human figures in sight. There was just this one house in the middle of the forest. I stared intently at the house, but couldn't see anyone. There were no sounds either. Was anyone really living here? Looking at it again, it was quite an old house, but not exactly abandoned. Interestingly, the footprints didn't end at the house, but continued along the path to the left. This place seemed to be where two paths merged. If I followed the footprints, would I find some kind of settlement? However, I was curious about the house right in front of me. Being isolated, it would be easier to observe anyone that was around. In a place with many people, there would be a greater risk of me being discovered. "Hmm... well, let's try approaching this house for now," I decided after pondering for a bit. I got off Shien and walked on my own feet. Even as I got closer, I still could not make out any sound. The house had a deserted aura around it. I had Shien wait behind the house so I could escape at full speed if necessary. Then I circled around the house, trying not to miss any information as I observed. But there wasn't much to learn. I could only tell that someone had lived here from the sickles, jars, and cloth I found in the back. They appeared quite old as well. Then I went to the front of the house, knocked on the door, and quickly hid around back. I felt like I was playing ding-dong-ditch. ............... As expected, it seemed no one was home. Once I realized that, there was nothing to be afraid of. I walked right up and opened the door as if it were my own house. It was dim inside, without a single light on. I could only make out a few everyday items like what looked like bowls, some kind of kitchen counter, and a frying pan. Everything seemed to have been unused for a long time however, covered in a thick layer of dust. I rummaged through the room, carelessly opening drawers and thoroughly examining everything I could find, wondering if there might be anything else of interest. While feeling a bit like a burglar, I tried to convince myself that this was necessary to learn more about this world. "What's this?" As I was looking at a shelf in the back, something caught my eye. I instinctively picked it up to examine it closer. It was a plate mail armor, more grayish than silver in color. Still more silver than the color of my own armor though. Probably due to its age, the color had dulled and peeled, with scratches visible here and there. On the lower shelf, I could see various pieces of armor like greaves and elbow guards. On the upper shelf sat a helmet with a face guard. I was in the process of picking it up to examine it when, "Hey, you there, what are you doing?"