Chapter 51

Wendigo’s eyes were lurking here and there throughout the forest.

If there was an eye-shaped pattern in the forest, it was Wendigo’s eye. If there was a beast looking suspiciously, that too was Wendigo’s eye.

Wendigo found familiar figures in dozens of images spread out in his mental world.

Those walking through the forest with expressions full of discontent.

The expelled shamans came into view of an owl.

‘I wish they would just leave if possible…’

Of course, that wouldn’t happen.

Wendigo possessed the owl’s body without expecting anything at all.

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The shamans who had failed Wendigo’s meaningful test were twisted inside and irritated.

They might have been less angry if they had known the reason, but they were driven out by Wendigo’s single word without even hearing the reason.

What could he possibly know from those questions to drive them out?

“This is why you can’t deal with spirit bastards.”

“Shh, be quiet. What if the spirit is listening to our conversation?”

“Do you think that makes sense? Think about how long we’ve walked. No matter how suspicious the spirit is, he wouldn’t monitor this far.”

At one shaman’s rebuttal, the others also relaxed. Logically, there was no way a spirit would be monitoring beyond the village.

Even spirits would plant eyes and ears around, shedding tears of blood and paying a great price, only if war or a grand conspiracy was lurking, but this wasn’t such a situation.

The shamans who had pretended to be pitiful and shone their eyes in front of Wendigo took off their masks and revealed their true colors.

Their faces, which had been smooth-talking, were now creased with anger and curses, and their posture was as arrogant as the famous northern chieftains, the Jarls.

“Damn it. I can’t understand on what grounds he drove us out.”

“Gunrod. Do you plan to return without any gain like this?”

As Gunrod, the one-eyed shaman, grumbled while taking out a red tobacco pipe made of rosewood from his pocket, someone with a sly look asked him.

Gunrod looked at him pathetically and lit his pipe. He savored the tobacco smoke and smiled cunningly.

“What a foolish question. A shaman wouldn’t just leave a place that makes him salivate like this.”

“But didn’t you feel it too? He’s quite an experienced spirit. Surely a spirit that has lived at least 300 years, do you think you can trick such a spirit?”

An aged shaman questioned Gunrod with an uneasy expression. It wasn’t particularly for Wendigo’s sake, but out of worry that unnecessary trouble might come to himself.

Gunrod cackled at the old shaman’s timid appearance.

“Ha. Whether it’s 300 or 400 years, what’s important is that he’s a spirit. Spirits are smarter than stupid serfs or tribesmen, but because of that, they’re easily flustered.”

As Gunrod spoke confidently, several among the shamans began to listen to his story attentively, as if intrigued.

If a shaman with no reputation had made such assertions, they might have thought it was bravado, but Gunrod had quite a reputation among shamans.

However, that reputation was closer to notoriety…

Gunrod was a shaman famous for his skill in extorting mystery from spirits through intimidation. He was indeed quite a formidable shaman.

It was impossible without a considerably strong heart to deceive and trap spirits, making them spit out mystery while shuddering.

However, not everyone was enchanted by Gunrod’s reputation. Experienced shamans looked at Gunrod with disapproving eyes.

“A person who deals with spirits looking down on them. Unbelievable.”

“Have you forgotten how you lost your eye? You haven’t learned your lesson even after such a fate.”

“Old men only know how to bow their heads to spirits, unable to act wisely. Spirits are just sons of bitches anyway. What reason is there to act honestly towards such creatures?”

Those who agreed with Gunrod’s opinion and those who were wary of his actions.

The shamans glared at each other, exuding killing intent. It seemed they might come to blows at any moment, but…

“No matter what you say, what’s the use? We have no intention of participating in your plan, so remember that. We’ll act according to our own plans.”

“Fine. Then let’s part ways here. Don’t regret it later. Foolish old men.”

The shamans didn’t want to waste their shamanism on such useless conflicts.

Except for those who decided to join Gunrod’s plan, the shamans glared at them and separated from the group.

Watching the departing shamans, Gunrod clicked his tongue in regret.

‘If those guys had joined, we could have exploited the spirit more easily.’

Gunrod’s method was quite unorthodox. It wouldn’t be strange to face retaliation from spirits if one acted so aggressively.

That’s why Gunrod always operated with several companions. Naturally, the spirit’s anger would be dispersed if the numbers increased, wouldn’t it?

So this time too, he had planned to increase his meat shields, no, companions, but unfortunately, there weren’t that many fools among the shamans.

‘Roughly six?’

Eyes full of greed were just the type of human Gunrod liked. If you gently stirred the greed of such fellows, they would throw themselves into danger on their own.

Gunrod took out a parchment and spread it on the ground. The parchment had the villages he had passed through drawn on it.

“Is that a map?”

“Unfortunately, there are no maps of the end of the world. So I’ve just drawn the villages I’ve passed through for now. Let’s draw the places you’ve passed through as well.”

Gunrod began drawing the map while listening to the shamans’ stories.

How many villages are in which direction, who met whom and where that place is…

The completed map had at least ten villages drawn on it. Gunrod looked at the map with a sinister smile.

“For some reason, it seemed like he had a reason to protect the forest people. You’d agree with this, right?”

“Hmm… Certainly, the forest people showed deep loyalty to him. Clearly, he must have some connection with the forest people.”

From the start, most of Wendigo’s questions were about whether they intended to harm the forest people and himself.

There must be a reason he needs to protect the forest and its people.

“What we need to do is stage a show of force against him. Attack villages simultaneously to annoy the spirit bastard.”

“Wait a moment. Isn’t this plan too dangerous? This is… directly charging at him, isn’t it?”

As a particularly young shaman expressed reluctance, other shamans also cast suspicious glances at Gunrod.

It was a matter where they might not only lose all their capital but possibly their lives as well.

Gunrod smirked and refuted the young shaman’s argument.

“Don’t worry. What we need to do is not to turn the villages into ruins, but just to make them suffer enough.”

Gunrod took out an incense burner from his bosom. The incense burner was glowing ominously, emitting dull smoke.

An incense burner made using the mystery of a spirit called the Poison-Drinking Snake.

“For example, if we use the shamanism cast on this incense burner, a village can be instantly…”

“I thought the smell was foul. Your plan is equally despicable.”

“!”

As an alien voice was heard, the shamans quickly took out their tools and guarded their surroundings.

Gunrod brandished a whip made from the braided hair of a woman burned to death and shouted.

“For someone hiding and watching secretly, you have a lot to say about being despicable. Show yourself!”

“Look up.”

The shamans reflexively raised their heads. There was an owl emitting blue eye-light…

Flinch.

“Dodge!”

Gunrod screamed in panic as he felt a chill down his spine and an inexplicable anxiety arose.

Should we say this was befitting of a shaman who was known as trash even among notorious shamans?

The shamans who sensed danger hastily cast shamanism to protect their bodies.

The soul contained in bear skin made their skin tough, and talismans made of diamond raised shields of surrounding rocks.

It was all useless.

Crack!

“You idiots! I said dodge, not block!”

“Fuck! What roots… Aaargh!!!”

Roots that sprang from the ground became spears and axes, striking down the enemies.

The bear skin was torn by spear blades, spilling blood, and the rock shields were shattered by fierce axe blows.

With their defensive measures gone, the shamans breathed their last, impaled by roots without a chance to properly resist.

“Gather behind me!”

Gunrod called the shamans and fiercely wielded his whip.

The grief of the woman burned at the stake manifested as raging flames, burning the roots and forest.

Gunrod looked around, searching for Wendigo’s figure. To cast such a loud shamanism, he must be nearby.

However, Wendigo’s figure was nowhere to be found. Enraged, Gunrod glared in all directions and ordered the shamans.

“Fire or whatever, it doesn’t matter. Destroy the forest!”

“Gunrod. We didn’t know the spirit bastard would resist this fiercely! Shouldn’t we ask for forgiveness now… Urk!?”

Gunrod grabbed the shaman’s collar and growled, glaring with a fierce gaze.

“You fool. Don’t you understand yet that he never intended to let us live! Shut up and attack the surroundings!”

“Damn, I shouldn’t have gotten involved in this!”

As the shamans realized their lives were truly in danger, they each used their shamanism.

A giant rock bear appeared, and a lightning-imbued mace flashed…

“It’s nothing but futile struggling.”

“!?”

Along with Wendigo’s voice coming from somewhere, a terrible cold wave swept through the forest.

Gunrod resisted the cold piercing to his bones and blocked the wind with his arm. Of course, he couldn’t block all the wind with one arm, but at least he could gain enough leeway to open his eyes.

“This is insane…”

Gunrod cursed in panic. He couldn’t believe the scene before his eyes.

Frost-covered trees and ground that were unbelievably on fire just moments ago, and the air that had grown cold and still.

The only reason the shamans could realize this was reality was thanks to their skin being torn by the cold wave that had swept over them.

The pain from their wounds proved that this wasn’t an illusion.

The owl that had been looking down serenely from the sky landed on a tree with a loud cry.

The shamans contorted their faces fiercely and roared.

“You damn spirit. Don’t expect us to reconcile with you after this. No matter what happens, this forest…”

“You talk too much. Are you a fraud rather than a shaman? Your skills are lowly, yet your greed is worse than a spirit’s.”

“You dog..!?”

Bang!

A spear flying from somewhere pierced through the shaman who was about to burst out cursing with bloodshot eyes at the insulting criticism.

The shamans moved their gaze along the trajectory of the spear.

There stood the Wendigo they had seen.

The shamans glared at Wendigo with eyes full of venom. Though the distance was quite far, if they were determined to chase, they could surely pursue…

“Wa-Wait. What’s that over there?”

“What? Where do we have time to look elsewhere… Huh?”

The shamans blinked at the unbelievable sight. Another Wendigo had appeared beside Wendigo.

But that was just the beginning.

One Wendigo appeared beside Wendigo, and another Wendigo beside that one…

As about six Wendigos revealed themselves, the blood of the shamans that had been boiling with anger froze cold.

After a moment of silence.

“Ru-Run!!!”

As the shamans who had lost their fighting spirit turned their backs, the Wendigos began chasing them with blood-curdling roars.