Chapter 19
It hadn't even been a day since buying that horse...!
"What the hell was that?!" Before Miguel's scream even ended, Ian stomped on the ground. He dashed to the carnivorous tree in a single breath, his figure swiftly climbing the branches and disappearing into the dense foliage.
Rustle, crack, snap!
The whole tree shook as if in convulsions, followed by a chilling loud noise. Shortly after, something large fell to the ground under the tree. Then Ian lightly landed through the leaves, picked up the object, and approached. He soon threw the lump in front of the group.
"By Lu Solar...," Philip muttered in shock.
It was the maw that had chewed the horse's head. The half-crushed horse's head was found inside, and a dark red liquid oozed stickily from the severed surface.
"A tree with a maw? What kind of cursed monster is this?"
Ian just shrugged. Monsters mutated by the madness of the Black Wall were often of kinds never seen anywhere else.
Miguel, who had been sitting on the ground staring at the mouth, turned his gaze back to Ian.
"Weren't you saying we'd be fine if we didn't touch it? I almost lost my head there," said Miguel.
"...I thought so too," Ian added, wiping the blood off his face with his palm. "It seems it also reacts to external stimuli like sounds."
"External, what...? Then, does that mean we shouldn't make any noise now?" Miguel asked.
"Better for me. I won't have to listen to you all chatter," Ian casually replied and turned away. He approached the dead horse and picked up a saddlebag. He handed one to Mev.
"Given the circumstances, we'll have to redistribute the load," said Ian.
"Right, okay... yes," Mev replied.
Mev took the bag in her left hand, then quickly switched it to her right before attaching it to her saddle. Ian noticed her rotating her left wrist and tilted his head.
"Is something wrong?" Ian asked.
"Nothing. Don't mind it," Mev responded.
If you say so. Ian shrugged again and suggested, "We should change our formation. Looks like these things will keep appearing."
"Good idea. Let's do that,” said Mev.
"Mev, take the rear. Miguel, go in front of her,” Ian ordered.
Philip, still with a horse, positioned himself behind Ian, while Miguel, now on foot, went in front of Mev. It was a formation to protect both of them.
"Uh, is it okay if I don't lead? I mean, I'm fine with it, but still, I'm supposed to be the guide...," Miguel spoke up awkwardly.
"Just let me know if I take a wrong turn," Ian added, looking at a side path.
"We'll move through the night to get through as quickly as possible. We wouldn't be able to sleep tonight anyway,” said Ian.
Ian had actually wanted to seek out the source of the contamination, but his current quest took precedence, and he had to delay that desire.
It should take no longer than ten days to return. The situation won't dramatically change in that time, thought Ian.
As Ian was about to proceed, Mev suddenly spoke, "Ian."
"Yes?" Ian responded.
"You said it hasn’t been long since the contamination started," said Mev.
"That's right," Ian replied.
"Then, perhaps it's not too difficult to find the root of the contamination now?" Mev asked.
"Are you serious?" Ian turned to look at her as he asked.
Philip, who had a look that said I knew this was coming, caught Ian's eye in the corner of his vision.
"Of course. We can't just pass by and ignore such contamination spreading." Mev continued.
"..."
Ian wondered for a moment whether this was a display of patriotism or a sense of duty as an apostle of Tir En. Either way, it was a significant decision, especially with a family member's life on the line.
Was this also a style of the dark ages? Ian admired internally.
"If that's your wish..." Ian reluctantly nodded.
After all, it was what he had hoped for. With Mev joining, it would only take half a day at most.
"No, wait a minute. What are you all talking about?" Miguel interjected frantically, stepping out from behind Philip and facing Ian.
"Changing our route suddenly? And into this damned forest?” Miguel asked.
"Yes," Ian replied.
"What about... Do you have any idea how many monsters might be there? And why me? I was hired to guide you to the Tomb Forest!" Miguel exclaimed.
"I apologize for the sudden change, Miguel," Mev interjected calmly.
"Eh...?" Miguel blinked in disbelief.
"I'll provide additional compensation later. You won't be harmed or endangered, I promise," said Mev.
Miguel slowly turned around. His murmuring voice followed.
"If that's what you’ve decided... then, well..." Miguel’s voice softened, seemingly touched.
Ah, this fool doesn't know his fate yet. Ian chucked.
"Just hold a torch for us," Ian added.
"So, do we have a way to get there?" Miguel asked.
"There's a way....," Ian replied.
Ian's gaze shifted toward the forest. In that brief moment, a subtle gleam flickered in his eyes. Magical Detection. His unique intuition awoke, making him hypersensitive, like hair standing on end.
A new world unfolded before Ian: contaminated roots spread like veins under the earth, plants and trees internally mutated, and ripples of magical energy pulsated throughout. Ian's gaze, following the core of the contamination like tracing the rings of a tree, pinpointed its center.
"...But returning along this path after finishing the job is a separate matter,” said Ian.
"Don't worry about that. I'll take responsibility." Miguel smiled, his facial scar twitching.
Ian turned his head, surprised by the reply.
"If I can't find my way in a forest, I can't call myself a hunter. It's nothing,” said Miguel.
Ian chuckled inwardly at Miguel's simplicity.
"That alone will be worth your keep." Smirking, Ian set off into the ominous forest.
The group's speed inevitably slowed. There was no defined path, and the trees, grass, and vines became increasingly dense. Proving Ian's guidance was correct, carnivorous trees blocked their way. However, they weren't much of a threat. Ian deliberately ran into the tree's attack range. The carnivorous trees' maws aimed precisely at his head each time.
Crack!
However, they were easily defeated. Knowing they aimed only for the head, all Ian needed was to time his sword strike correctly. The story would have been different with mature specimens. But these were only partially mutated, allowing him to split their maws with such responses.
Yet, despite Ian's efforts, the group's tension never eased. Night had fallen and the darkness in the forest became denser. Philip and Miguel each held a torch, but they barely pushed back the darkness. Ian could navigate the dark with little trouble, but not the others.
"There's not even a sound of insects..." Miguel muttered, waving his torch around.
"You'll soon miss this silence," Ian replied nonchalantly.
"Please, be careful with your words. Don't you know bad things happen when you speak of them?" Miguel spat out in disgust.
"That's why I said it," Ian replied.
"Eh...?" said Miguel.
"We're bound to encounter them eventually," said Ian.
"But naturally, we'd want to delay that as long as possible—" Miguel responded.
Swoosh!
The sound of the wind swallowed Miguel's voice, sweeping past them. The sound made Miguel and even Philip freeze. There was the sound, but no actual wind.
"...That's why people believe in omens," said Ian.
Slowing his pace, Ian drew his sword.
Swish.
The sound of the wind rose again, and this time, it was accompanied by more than just noise.
The grass and trees illuminated by the torches began to stir.
Crack, rustle, snap!
Following this, the ground and tree stumps erupted in various places.
"Damn... this is insane..." Miguel gasped in horror.
Miguel had expected at most half-decayed goblins and kobolds, but what emerged was far more grotesque. These creatures were twisted beyond recognition, entwined in roots and vines, with eyes and head grotesquely disfigured, some even sprouting strange mushrooms. Although they were not much taller than Miguel's waist, their appearance was all the more sinister for it.
"These are ghouls... right?" Philip uttered in disbelief.
"Either way, they're dead. These are more like cordyceps, though." Ian snorted.
"Cordy-what?" Philip asked.
"Just keep moving. Don’t stop," said Ian.
With that, Ian lunged forward. He dashed up to the nearest infected gremlin and slashed with his sword.
Crack!
The gremlin's head split open, precisely at the point where it connected to the root system of the plants. The body, losing its host, collapsed to the ground. The roots writhed on the floor like tentacles, severed from their host.
Rustle.
It was right after that when other parasitic plants began to shake violently. The host’s movements changed instantly.
Screech! Screech!
They all turned toward Ian and started charging like beasts.
Swish.
Ian cut down another host and rolled on the ground, disappearing into the darkness beyond the torchlight's reach.
Scream!
The hosts, covered in writhing plants, followed after him.
"Oh, Lu Solar...," Miguel murmured blankly as he stared into the darkness filled with wind sounds, impact noises, and slicing sounds.
"This is no time to be lost in thought, Miguel." Mev snapped him back to reality. She had drawn her sword and extended the reins to him.
"Follow Ian's instructions and move. Slowly," Mev instructed.
"That way? Then, what about you...?" Miguel asked blankly, as Mev turned away from him.
"I'll take the rear. Otherwise, we'll be completely surrounded," said Mev.
Miguel's eyes widened as he naturally turned his gaze to the rear and sides.
In the writhing darkness and the sound of the wind, Philip took the lead, spurred on by his own shout. "Stop standing around stupidly! Didn't you hear him? Come on!"
"...Damn it." Miguel, after a moment's hesitation, followed Philip's lead.
Philip's advance wasn't swift, but Miguel didn't urge him on. The eerie cries and wind sounds were disorienting, and the sight ahead was grotesque. They saw decomposing gremlin and goblin corpses, remnants of plants and vines that fed on them, and even the severed maws of carnivorous trees. Navigating through this nightmarish landscape using these gruesome markers, Philip's courage was evident.
"May Lu Solar watch over this mortal with her brilliant light..." Even as Philip’s voice quivered ceaselessly with prayers, there was bravery in it.
Suddenly, Miguel's eyes widened. A pile of vines that seemed lifeless twitched as Philip approached.
"Uh, ahhhh?!" The vines quickly entangled Philip's legs. As the horse neighed and Philip screamed, falling over,
Thump!
"Get off! Damn you!" Miguel rushed in, smacking the vines with his torch.
Miguel indiscriminately hit both the vines and Philip's entangled legs. Remarkably, it worked. The vines started thrashing wildly as the fire touched them.
"Get off! Now! You bastard!" Miguel continued to strike relentlessly.
"Ahh, ahh! Ahhh!" Philip's screams intensified, more from the beating than the vines.
"Stop! Ahh! It’s gone! It is gone!" The beating continued for a moment even after the vine released its grip, only stopping when Philip shouted desperately.
Breathing heavily, Miguel muttered, "Deserves that, stupid plant... trying to mess with us." Miguel’s voice carried a strange sense of satisfaction.
"Are you okay?" Miguel looked at Philip, who was sprawled and unable to move, and then added.
"Do I look okay?" said Philip.
"You don't seem to be injured. That's fortunate." Miguel grinned and extended his hand.
Philip stared at it for a moment, then grabbed it begrudgingly, his face grimacing.
"It was to save you, understand that," Miguel added casually.
"Seemed more like you were trying to kill me...," said Philip.
Ignoring Philip's comment, Miguel burnt the remaining vines.
"If you have any oil, bring it out. These things burn well," Miguel added.
Philip quickly rummaged through his saddlebag and started moving. Miguel followed close by. Both held the reins under one arm while carrying oil pouches and torches in their hands.
"...You really area mercenary, huh?" said Philip.
"What, you thought I wasn't until now?" Miguel snorted at Philip's sudden realization.
"Well... you're quite different from our mercenary," Philip replied.
"Damn it. It's unfair to compare anyone to him." Miguel chuckled, looking ahead at the endless array of corpses.
"How many do you think can handle such a situation alone? Overflowing in the borderlands, are they?" said Miguel.
"Indeed... it's different there." Philip closed his mouth, not saying more.
Despite the numerous corpses, the sounds of the wind, impacts, and cries still echoed around them. They advanced, occasionally burning still-moving parasitic plants.
Crack! Crunch!
Ian's figure, striking down host heads, faintly appeared from under a tree stump.
"Sigh..." Straightening up, Ian turned toward Miguel and Philip.
Ian was covered in rotten blood and pieces of innards. Annoyance was evident on his face as he wiped the blood splatters. For a moment, Miguel thought Ian looked more like a monster.
"Hey, sir, over there!" Miguel shouted, pointing. Ian immediately moved.
Squeal—!
A gremlin entangled in vines, charging toward Ian, got its head split in one strike.
Crack! Snap!
Ian's sword broke while cutting through the gremlin's neck. He threw the half-remaining blade at another approaching goblin and reached for his waist. Miraculously, a new sword appeared in his hand.
Am I seeing things? As Miguel blinked in confusion, Ian had already dispatched the goblin and straightened up.
"Such a waste of resources..." Ian muttered something incomprehensible and turned his head.
Only then did Miguel realize that Ian was looking not at them but behind.
"...It's finally happening." Following Ian's gaze, Miguel's eyes widened.
Beyond the darkness, a blue light was rising. The light quickly intensified, illuminating the forest like daylight, revealing a figure in full armor engulfed in holy light.
Thanks to the light, Miguel was finally able to see the real nature of the swarming monsters.
"Damn... this is insane...,” Miguel murmured.
A tremendous number, well over a hundred. Gremlins and goblins, once masters of the forest, had all become hosts for the parasitic plants, now rushing toward new potential hosts.
Flash!
Mev swung her sword toward them.
Whoosh!
A blue trail swept through the forest. Dozens of charging hosts were sliced in half.
"Good heavens...." Miguel's mouth dropped open at the overwhelming scene, but Ian just clicked his tongue.
"Should have used that sooner," said Ian.
His voice lacked any tension. It was natural. With Mev using her holy power, the number of hosts was meaningless. Ian could have done the same with magic, but he needed to conserve it for the source of the contamination.
Already overworking. Time to clean up the leftovers..., thought Ian.
Just then, the blue light flickered.
"...?" Ian's brows furrowed as he turned his gaze toward Mev.
Her holy power was flickering strangely as if she was struggling. Just as he noticed her faltering...
Whoosh!
Mev crouched low and swung her sword widely once again. The trajectory of her blade, tracing a half-moon arc, sliced through the approaching hosts in another wave. However, Ian's attention was not on the hosts. His gaze remained fixed on Mev's flickering holy power, erratic like a broken fluorescent light. Then, in the next moment.
"Cough...!" Mev, who had been rigid, suddenly spat blood through her face visor and collapsed.
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