"Those are the eyes of someone who's seen horror," Dylan murmured, staring at the woman hanging in front of them. "She's probably lost her mind after witnessing whatever atrocities go on in this place."
Maggie looked at her without emotion. "Doesn't matter. I don't care. If she's no use to us, we move on."
Dylan didn't look away. The woman's smile gave him chills. It wasn't a grimace of pain, nor was it mocking. It was… something else.
"You sure this is a good idea?" he asked Maggie, still keeping his eyes on the woman.
"I told you, I don't care." She shrugged. "If she's no use, we leave her."
The woman blinked slowly. Her smile didn't falter.
"Save me." Her voice was hoarse, barely a whisper. "Take me with you…"
Dylan felt his hand tighten around the grip of his weapon.
"Oh yeah? And what do we get out of dragging an injured woman around? You'll just slow us down."
The woman struggled to breathe, fighting the pain. Her lips parted again, and she murmured:
"…I can be useful. I know the way, and I can give you crucial information to get out of here."
Dylan's expression shifted instantly. His gaze hardened as he turned to his superior.
She had hit a nerve—but she had also raised a dilemma.
This woman was a civilized being of this world, which meant she probably had valuable intel. Yet she had been tied up here, offered as bait to a creature. There had to be a reason for that.
She was injured. If they had to run, she could slow them down.
And more importantly… it meant sharing their rations. They barely had enough to survive, just the two of them. Hunger might kill them before the monsters in this forest ever got the chance.
Dylan clenched his jaw and locked eyes with the woman.
"How do we know you're not lying?"
The woman suppressed her smile. Her expression hardened slightly.
"See for yourself," she whispered. "I'm already dead. Or rather… marked for death. I wouldn't dare lie if I'm asking to be saved."
Her tone was calm, with no trace of pleading. Just cold resignation.
Dylan exchanged a glance with Maggie.
He didn't like this. Not one bit.
The silent look he gave her clearly asked:
What do we do?
His commander didn't reply. She simply raised her axe and began to cut through one of the branches holding the woman up.
The tremors didn't elicit a single groan from the captive. She remained oddly calm, her eyes fixed not on Maggie, but on Dylan's weapon.
"The sounds I heard earlier… that was you, wasn't it?" she asked, finally raising her eyes to Dylan's dark face.
He frowned, caught off guard by the question.
"…Yeah."
She slowly shook her head, as if confirming a silent thought.
"Those things make a lot of noise… but that's what drew the Hystrix's attention. It's the only reason I'm still alive."
A shiver ran down Dylan's spine.
The Hystrix.
The name rang a bell.
His eyes widened as a sudden realization hit him like a punch to the gut. Then, he let out a bitter laugh, almost mocking himself.
Hystrix cristata…
The scientific name for the porcupine.
Even if this one was nothing like the ones from his world, it probably had abilities he was familiar with.
"Commander… we're dealing with a more dangerous version of an animal we know well… a porcupine."
Maggie paused, her axe lodged halfway into the wood. She glanced at Dylan, then at the chained woman, and sighed.
"A porcupine, huh?" Her tone was neutral, skeptical.
"Not just any porcupine," Dylan clarified, folding his arms. "If they call it Hystrix, it's for a reason. This thing is bigger, faster—and its quills are probably a deadly weapon."
Maggie snorted, amused. "Fantastic. A giant hedgehog with deadly spikes." She drove her axe deeper, freeing one of the captive's bindings.
The woman, still hanging, gave a faint smile.
"It's not just the quills…" she murmured.
Dylan frowned.
"Explain."
She continued:
"It's a simple low-rank demonic beast, but with its assets and intelligence, even the fiercest predators avoid it."
Dylan nodded. "We saw it take down a creature made entirely of bones with ease… and from a distance, no less."
The woman slowly moved the fingers of her freed hand. "The Hystrix has internal propulsion abilities and a fluid that enhances its shots. Before firing, it arches its back and launches its spines at incredible speeds—faster than the eye can see."
Dylan clenched his jaw. "Quasi-invisible projectiles… great."
"Its quills are like bones—tough and deadly. Getting hit is the last thing you want. Because…"
"…they dig in deeper the more you try to pull them out." Dylan finished the sentence for her.
A smile played on her lips. "Exactly. But other than that, it's nothing special. Just a low-rank beast."
Maggie chopped through the last restraint, and the woman collapsed heavily onto the ground. She winced but didn't complain, slowly flexing her fingers to regain some mobility.
Dylan watched her for a moment before returning to the main issue.
"So, let me get this straight. We've got a demonic porcupine that fires bone-hard spines with surgical precision at speeds we can't even see. And we're in its territory."
Maggie whistled through her teeth. "Starting to see why they tied you up here like bait."
The woman gave a tired smile. "Let's just say I had a slight… disagreement with my former companions."
Dylan stared at her, trying to read between the lines. He didn't like this. Not one bit.
"And why should we trust you?" he asked, arms crossed.
She gently shrugged, a shadow of amusement in her eyes.
"You don't really have a choice."
Maggie and Dylan exchanged another look.
She had a point.