Becoming The Strongest Using My Would-You-Rather System!-Chapter 47 - The Hill

Theo stared at the footprints in the mud for a moment.

’These are fresh,’ he thought. ’It must’ve been the rustling we just heard.’

There were two sets of footprints, one heading to the river and one going back from there.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and began following the ones leading toward the riverside.

The footprints stopped right at the edge, then turned back again.

’They stop here... and then go right back?’ he thought, frowning. ’Did something just come here for water then?’

His gaze lingered on the ground for a few seconds.

’I guess... it could’ve been a goblin that looted shoes or something?’

Just as he was about to turn, a faint flash of light reflected out of the water.

Theo halted, his eyes locking onto it immediately.

That’s when he noticed it.

’Glass?’

There were glass shards in the water, right where the footprints came to an end.

He stayed still, just staring at it as his mind raced.

’This is way too much of a coincidence.’

A deep frown appeared on his face as he started adding everything up.

The unnatural piles of corpses, the strange puncture wounds, the sudden outbreak of aggressive creatures... and now this?

’Why would someone throw glass in a river?’ he thought. ’And why would someone want to hide in a dungeon?’

He clenched his fist as the answer became clearer and clearer.

’No...’ he thought. ’That doesn’t make sense.’

But everything lined up far too cleanly.

Theo’s expression slowly hardened.

’Could... a human be spreading this disease?’

He paused for a moment, the strange uncomfortable feeling in his chest finally clearing up as if he’d found his answer.

’But how... and why would they even do it?’ he thought, his brows furrowing. ’Many people could die from something like this.’

Suddenly, a faint rustling sounded behind him.

Theo snapped out of his thoughts, spinning around with his spear ready.

’’Hey!’’ Owen shouted, dropping his bag and raising his hands.

Letting out a short breath, Theo lowered his spear.

’’Don’t sneak up on people like that,’’ he said, shaking his head.

Owen frowned, grabbing his bag again.

"You’re the one who wandered off alone," he shot back.

Branches rustled as Iris pushed through the bushes, Emma right behind her.

"What happened?" Iris asked, her gaze moving between the two before settling on Theo.

Theo turned slightly and pointed at the ground.

’’Come look.’’

The others exchanged a glance before stepping closer.

Their eyes quickly landed on the ground first.

’’Footprints?’’ Emma muttered, crouching down slightly. ’’From human shoes?’’

Owen frowned, glancing around. ’’Weren’t we supposed to be the only hunters in here?’’

Everyone fell silent for a moment, all eyes falling on Iris.

’’Yes...’’ she responded, her voice low. ’’We were.’’

That sentence made them all pause briefly.

Theo stepped aside slightly, nodding toward the water next.

Owen followed his gaze, then leaned forward a bit.

’’...What’s that?’’ he muttered, crouching down.

He reached out toward the water.

Theo reacted instantly, pulling Owen away from the water.

’’Don’t touch the water,’’ he said immediately. ’’We don’t know what’s in there.’’

Owen blinked in confusion for a moment, then the realization finally set in.

Emma straightened slowly, her eyes still fixed on the water.

"If that glass is from a vial," she said, thinking out loud, "whatever was inside would’ve spread through the river."

’’And anything drinking from it...’’

Theo nodded once.

He explained his theory, starting from the corpses all the way until now.

By the time he finished, all of them wore dark expressions on their faces.

’’Whoever did this is still in the dungeon.’’ Iris said slowly.

Owen’s head moved, going back and forth between the river and the footprints leading back into the forest.

"...So what now?" he asked.

Iris didn’t hesitate, her voice cold.

’’We should follow the footsteps.’’

Owen frowned immediately, tightening his grip on his weapon.

"Wouldn’t it be better to report this first?" he said. "If this is really some crazy maniac spreading a disease, it isn’t something we can handle."

Emma shook her head before anyone else could respond.

"We could," she said, her tone calm but firm. "But by the time anyone gets here, it’ll be too late."

She gestured toward the water.

"If the perpetrator keeps spreading whatever was in that vial in rivers and piles of corpses, the creatures will keep getting infected, and if that happens..."

She didn’t finish the sentence.

Everyone understood where it would lead.

’’She’s right. We can’t risk a dungeon break when we have the chance to stop it,’’ Theo said, his gaze shifting to the footprints. ’’Plus—’’

’’This is the first real clue we’ve found. If we go back now, these prints will definitely disappear.’’

A brief silence fell after he finished speaking.

Finally, Owen let out a sigh as he looked at the forest.

’’Yeah,’’ he muttered. ’’You’re right.’’

Theo nodded once, smiling for a brief moment.

’’Let’s go then,’’ he said, his expression serious again.

Without wasting another second, he stepped forward, following the trail back into the forest.

The others quickly followed after him, each holding their own weapon tightly.

’If I was the perpetrator, I would’ve attacked while half of us were still asleep,’ Theo thought, his mind churning. ’But he didn’t. Either he isn’t confident in his strength or was simply not aware of us.’

He kept his eyes on the tracks as he ran, following them closely.

But as they got further and further away from the river, the wet mud slowly started disappearing along with the footprints.

Just as he was about to say something, Iris’s voice rang out beside him.

’’So far the footsteps have gone in a single direction,’’ she said. ’’Just continue in a straight line from here!’’

Theo nodded once, looking back in front of him.

The forest around them was quiet, way too quiet and empty for a dungeon.

They should’ve run into a pack of creatures by now, not to mention a few weaker creatures.

But there weren’t any around.

That’s when the piles of corpses shot into his mind again.

’Did the perpetrator use all the creatures from this area for those?’ he thought, glancing around. ’It would make the most sense.’

His gaze lingered on the empty forest for a moment longer, then shifted forward again.

If the creatures from one specific area had all been killed, then whoever was responsible was likely staying around there the most.

’’We’re getting close,’’ he muttered.

As they moved forward, the trees began to thin out until a small open area appeared in front of them. A small lake lay in the clearing, with a hill right behind it.

Theo and the others slowed down, their eyes scanning the place.

A pile of corpses lay near the base of the hill, stacked on top of each other, bones and torn flesh exposed.

’’...This has to be it then,’’ Iris said slowly.

Just then, Theo raised his hand, his eyes widening.

Everyone fell silent instantly.

A figure appeared beside the hill, dragging a corpse behind him.

The body scraped across the ground, leaving a bloody trail as he approached the pile.

With a big hurl, he tossed it on top—

Then turned and disappeared behind the hill again.

Theo’s grip tightened around his spear.

’’That’s him.’’