Chapter 34

The next day.

Lektar’s army began to move towards the clearing Oneton had discovered. Of course, this time they didn’t make the mistake of dividing into small units to attack.

Such a foolish act was done solely to deplete Wendigo’s power, not to grind down the warriors’ morale.

‘If it weren’t for Oneton’s insistence, we would have gathered our forces long ago… tsk.’

It wasn’t just Lektar’s imagination that at least a third of the warriors who first entered the forest had been reduced.

Oneton approached Lektar, who was mounted on a large wolf.

Lektar showed obvious discomfort, but Oneton didn’t care at all.

“You’re going too far. Have you forgotten whose power you gained yesterday?”

“When a warrior wears armor made from beast hide, it’s the warrior’s ability, not something to thank the beast for.”

Oneton marveled at Lektar’s shamelessness. He had betrayed quite a few, but it had been a while since he met someone so worth betraying.

“Right, let’s say that.”

“If you’ve come to test my patience again, get lost. I have an army to command.”

“Regrettably, that’s not the reason. I’d like you to increase the army’s speed.”

“… Didn’t you just say you didn’t come to test my patience?”

As Lektar growled, Oneton countered his attitude with an arrogant expression.

“Foolish one. Did you think I told you to increase speed without any reason?”

Lektar flinched, having naturally thought so. Usually, this guy would make all sorts of unreasonable demands, so he thought this was the same…

Oneton looked at him as if he were pathetic and called over an owl circling nearby.

The owl’s eyes were rippling with black energy like Oneton’s fur.

“When I looked around using birds and squirrels, there were no traces. At least the path to the clearing has been confirmed safe.”

“… Is that true?”

“You’re stating the obvious. Unlike you, I always strive for perfection. In other words, I don’t make mistakes.”

For someone who said that, he seemed to have led a mass death of precious wolves by failing to notice Wendigo’s existence…

Lektar decided to let it go this time. At least the information that there was no one around was useful.

“Tell the warriors to increase their speed.”

“Yes!”

As the warriors who received the order hurriedly ran off, Lektar smiled inwardly.

Though the situation wasn’t entirely satisfactory, it was true that a good flow was continuing.

At this rate, even the battle could be won…

Flinch!

Lektar turned his head at the strange feeling from behind. He felt an unsettling gaze.

However, all he could see were the tiresome forest and warriors marching with grim expressions.

Lektar sighed inwardly.

‘… I must be getting too sensitive.’

Believing that everything would return to normal once this fight was over, Lektar turned his head forward.

Blink.

Deep in the forest, eyes that had formed on several trees slowly revealed themselves.

---

‘I’m learning a lot from that wolf bastard.’

Of course, the owner of the eyes on the trees was Wendigo. He wasn’t satisfied with just bringing fog and tormenting the warriors.

In battle, one must know the enemy and know oneself to be victorious.

Instead of flaunting his power, Wendigo acted thoroughly. He spared no effort to learn information about the enemy.

And those efforts didn’t exclude the beasts Oneton controlled.

As soon as Wendigo realized that the beasts roaming the forest were under Oneton’s spell, he figured out their purpose.

The vision-sharing that Oneton had cast on the beasts was truly useful. It literally allowed one to see a thousand miles while sitting still.

When he first succeeded in observing the surroundings through trees, Wendigo couldn’t help but be amazed.

To think such a useful spell existed!

‘That boar and wolf were using such a good thing all by themselves.’

If the boar spirit and Oneton had heard this, they would have cursed in bewilderment.

A spirit’s spell wasn’t something another spirit could just copy at will.

While Oneton’s spell on animals was basically an efficient method using the beast’s innate vitality and mystery as collateral, Wendigo’s method was quite crude.

Pushing mystery into the ground to imbue trees with mystery, then continuously injecting mystery to keep it from dispersing…

In simple terms, it was a method that consumed mystery like crazy. Ordinary spirits didn’t do such things.

When even the mystery consumed in battle was precious, why would one do this just to widen their field of vision!

Unaware of how much his actions defied common sense, Wendigo stood up.

‘They’ll reach here soon.’

It was Wendigo who had lured Lektar towards the clearing in the first place. Naturally, he was prepared to wipe them out here.

To finish those preparations, Wendigo created a large ice stake.

Wendigo raised the stake with one hand and aimed it at the ground…

“Hup!”

He drove the stake into the ground with all his might. Then the mystery imbued in the stake exploded and spread through the ground.

The ice stake, as if it were a totem, dyed the surroundings with Wendigo’s mystery, and Wendigo slowly felt the surrounding plants coming under his control.

This much preparation was enough. He sent a signal to Skadi’s ice necklace after a long time…

[Wendigo-nim! Did you call?]

“… Your reaction is quick.”

Wendigo couldn’t help but admire the astonishing response speed. At this level, it was as if she was constantly focusing her mind on the ice necklace…

Since such madness couldn’t be possible, Wendigo turned off his nerves. What was important now wasn’t such trivial talk.

“They’ll be swarming here soon. Are the warriors and totems ready?”

[Of course! We’ve set up the totems with precisely calculated intervals, so there’s no gap for them to escape!]

“Excellent.”

[Hehe, it’s too early for praise! I was heartbroken seeing you work alone, so I’ve prepared something too. You can look forward to it!]

“……”

Wendigo was about to smile at her energetic declaration but stopped. He recalled the things she had prepared so far.

As the image of her inciting flashed through his mind, Wendigo felt cold sweat running down, even though his body couldn’t produce sweat.

‘Surely she wouldn’t do such a thing. Where would she find humans to incite here.’

While Wendigo acknowledged her excellent oratory skills, he considered that ability within human limits.

Surely she couldn’t incite beasts, could she?

[Wendigo-nim? Has something happened?!]

“No. I was just wondering how to express this emotion. As expected, there’s no one as grateful as Skadi.”

Wendigo regretted his words as soon as he said them. Such words of gratitude had rarely worked out well.

Sure enough.

A scream of joy echoed through the ice necklace. He wanted to cut off the communication right away, but Skadi was one step ahead of Wendigo.

She began to pour out her loyalty and praise for Wendigo like a machine gun. Moreover, since this was directly to his mind, he couldn’t just hear and ignore it.

Wendigo regretted it.

They say praise makes even a whale dance, but he should have done it in moderation!

‘Something to interrupt this conversation… Ah.’

Fortunately, there’s no law saying you just have to die. Wendigo noticed through the trees around that the enemies had arrived nearby.

[Wendigo-nim? Are you listening well to my heartfelt words?]

“I’m sorry. It seems our guests have arrived. Let’s continue this conversation next time.”

Cutting off the connection with Skadi, Wendigo gripped his ice sword and glared at the enemies before him. Who would have thought facing the enemy would become welcome?

Lektar’s army stopped at the edge of the clearing. They had also discovered Wendigo.

Wendigo slowly walked past the debris and revealed himself before them. Just that was enough to start stirring up the Blue Mane tribe’s atmosphere.

Lektar, his face reddening at this shameful sight, drove his wolf forward.

“I am Lektar, chief of the Blue Mane tribe! I say to the forest spirit, if you withdraw even now, we too will no longer attack you!”

“Lektar of the Blue Mane tribe. I remember you.”

At Wendigo’s words, Lektar’s lips twitched. Indeed, when they first met in Oneton’s tent, the impression was quite…

“Aren’t you the fool who offered your tribe to Oneton? It’s truly audacious for someone who betrayed their principles just to gain a bit of power.”

“… As expected of a spirit, your skill at slandering others is impressive. But do you think I’ll fall for such provocation!”

‘Looks like you’ve already fallen for it.’

Unlike his words, the anger felt was too intense. To be so enraged at being mocked as merely a servant…

As Wendigo looked at Lektar pitifully, Oneton stepped forward. He must have come out to help, being on the same side after all.

“Foolish one. How can you call yourself a chief if you fall for such mere provocation.”

‘My thoughts were shallow. He’s no ordinary madman.’

… Even in this situation, to criticize his own side, Oneton was no ordinary being either.

“Wendigo. I acknowledge your power and authority. Indeed, it wouldn’t be strange to declare that you are the spirit ruling this forest.”

“Your tongue is long. What do you want to say?”

“My proposal is not much different from what that fool just suggested. To be honest, is there any reason for us to fight? Wasting precious mystery for mere human lives?”

While proposing a peace negotiation, Oneton controlled and summoned birds of prey. Of course, these weren’t ordinary birds.

They were birds with bones made hard and heavy, beaks strengthened enough to crush rocks. The purpose of these terrifyingly unnatural birds was one:

To plummet from the high sky and crash into Wendigo’s body!

‘I’ll strike him down the moment he lets his guard down.’

As Wendigo slowly approached, Oneton filled with anticipation. He was so excited to see what expression Wendigo would make when caught off guard.

“Peace is a good thing.”

“Yes. So instead of wasting precious mystery to protect useless things, let’s call a truce…”

“But it seems you have no intention of a truce.”

Flinch.

The moment Wendigo’s killing intent burst out, Oneton clicked his tongue and leaped backward.

“Damn it, attack!!!”

The birds circling the sky gathered as if they had become one colony and flew towards Wendigo’s head.

At this sight no different from a meteor falling, the warriors held a glimmer of hope.

Perhaps Wendigo would fall with this single strike?

“Quite a useful spell.”

Of course, no such thing happened.

The ice sword wrapped in cold energy grew larger and larger even as it was swung.

Crack!

By the time the ice sword reached the bird colony, it had grown too large to be called a sword. Most of the birds collided with the blade and became minced meat.

The birds lucky enough to avoid the path weren’t much different. Birds with frozen feathers scattered, unable to control their direction.

Naturally, unable to control their speed, the birds crashed into the ground. As the birds turned to mush without inflicting any proper damage, Oneton clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, just wasted precious mystery. Prepare the next attack…”

“I’ll return what I received.”

“!”

Oneton, about to charge the beasts again, was greatly flustered as the surrounding mystery surged.

An astonishing amount of mystery was gathering around Wendigo’s hand.

For Oneton, who valued his own mystery more than his subordinates, this incomprehensible waste made him look at Wendigo as if staring at something he couldn’t understand.

“This crazy bastard! You’re wasting this much mystery just to protect humans!?”

Oneton exclaimed in shock and quickly charged the beasts. Though he didn’t know what Wendigo was trying to do, he instinctively realized he had to stop it.

However, it was a slightly late reaction. As Wendigo’s arm raised, the ground began to writhe as if alive.

Not only the warriors and Lektar, but even Oneton was busy trying to keep his balance from the shock.

“Oneton! What the hell is happening right now!”

“I don’t know either! Shut up and deploy the warriors…”

“It’s already too late.”

Something emerged, breaking through the quaking ground.

It was the giant arm (巨腕) of a tree giant, made of dozens of trees and hundreds of roots intertwined.

As this enormous figure revealed itself, Oneton forgot his dignity and blankly looked up at the tree giant’s arm, admiring in amazement.

“This… this crazy bastard.”

“What, it’s nothing more than utilizing a technique I learned from you.”

At Wendigo’s sarcasm, Oneton lost his wits. Was he saying that this was the same as what he had done?

If so, Oneton could declare Wendigo the craziest being in the world.

Trees were absolutely not suitable for making such things. While flexible and sturdy, they had no dynamic elements other than growing.

Such an act was something no one would attempt without having as much mystery as a lake.

Even if a spirit could do it, they wouldn’t because the mystery would be too precious!

However, as if such common sense of Oneton’s meant nothing, the giant arm kept growing larger.

“Here’s a gift.”

The tree giant’s mace descended upon the heads of the Blue Mane tribe.