Ch.236236. Forced Breakthrough (1)

As soon as the discussion ended, actions followed quickly. Or rather, they had to proceed quickly.

Beyond the barrier of Edelin, the High Elf and Grand Elder of the Great Forest, death was surging. That death had put everyone here on high alert. All we could do was struggle desperately to survive.

‘Those who remain to protect the Great Forest must never lower their guard, as combat could break out at any moment.’

Following the Grand Elder’s command.

Those who weren’t part of the group searching for the ancestors’ legacy remained in the city, heightening their vigilance and focusing intently on their duty to guard against the evil forces that might attack at any moment.

Even the spirits, who rarely show clear killing intent or hostility unless they’re truly malevolent beings, were now displaying intense wariness and murderous intent toward whatever existed beyond the barrier—something I’d never seen despite my many dungeon excursions.

This confirmed that this place would indeed become the fierce battleground that the oldest elf had prophesied.

And unlike them.

“Everyone must be ready by now.”

The Grand Elder spoke with dignity at the very front.

I, one of those following behind her, was quietly muttering curses with a crumpled expression.

“Shit…”

How could I not curse?

To obtain this legacy or whatever, we had to go beyond that barrier.

‘How is this any different from walking into a minefield on the front lines?’

Though I’d already made up my mind to some extent, it was impossible not to feel utterly miserable.

I had changed into armor given to me by the Grand Elder, which was even sturdier than what the County of Sianella had gifted me…

But it was obvious that this metal and leather wouldn’t be able to purify the Magia that had deeply penetrated the air beyond.

Even though elves who served the great tree and wielded something similar to Divine Power would be participating, I couldn’t believe they would completely purify the Magia and poison emitted by the poison demons.

‘Looks like I’m in for even more suffering than before.’

Since this situation was escalating far beyond the previous subjugation team where I lost consciousness with a hole in my leg.

My face couldn’t relax even if I wanted it to.

As I maintained my sour expression, my master Sione Sianella, who had been standing quietly beside me, tapped my shoulder and asked:

“By the way, Ray.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“What does that ‘shit’ word mean?”

“Excuse me…?”

“Well, you always mutter that when you look exhausted, so I was a bit curious—”

While I was racking my brain for an appropriate answer to this sudden question:

“That word is something you whisper when things are difficult, meaning things will gradually get better—”

Tania, who had been summoned earlier and was looking around, sidled up next to me and whispered in Korean loud enough for me to hear:

“You little shit.”

“…?”

“I’m telling you something really good.”

“…”

“Right?”

I could only keep my mouth shut, forgetting the response I was about to give Sione.

Making me feel embarrassed like that. People need to curse a little to get by. They say you always learn swear words first in a foreign language.

As I remained silent with an even sourer expression, Elvis approached and added his own comment:

“…Even though I agree with noona, I’m on dad’s side!”

You too, Chang-sik, just stay quiet.

* * *

The lightened mood didn’t last long.

Before we knew it, Sione, myself, and even the capricious spirits had been assimilated into the severe atmosphere around us, swept up in the torrent of emotions. The brief conversation about a curse word ended weakly.

It was then.

The captain of Edelin’s royal guard, who had been standing at the front line watching the soldiers preparing for departure, shouted:

“Report!”

The strong woman’s cry.

“The proud High Elf Royal Guard of the Great Forest! Twenty members ordered to deploy! All ready for departure!”

At this, the elves with emblems of a woman’s face resembling Edelin engraved on their breastplates and pauldrons—they stomped their feet in unison and let out a battle cry.

‘Those elves…’

Precise movements. Concise shouts. They possessed a magnificence incomparable to Ianette’s inferior pointy-ears or the somewhat unhinged forest guardians of Chelnis or Arielt.

‘These must be elves carefully selected and trained by the High Elf. They can’t even be compared to the mediocre ones.’

Their presence alone gave me a sense of security incomparable to the previous subjugation team.

But they weren’t the only ones who would traverse this hell with us.

“Airine Ianette and her thirty loyal followers! All ready for departure!”

Having lost the prestige and pride contained in her name due to the downfall of her mother and family.

As soon as the Great Forest fell into this state, her family’s armory and treasury full of wealth were completely stripped to supplement the insufficient military funds, labeled as “criminal assets.”

Airine Ianette.

Following behind them, she was fiercely staring straight ahead with eyes determined to sacrifice herself to clear a path for me, Sione, and Edelin, the king of this Great Forest.

“Next—!”

The guard captain introduced the remaining elves who had pledged to sacrifice their lives to open a path for us.

When all introductions were finished, Edelin, who had been listening quietly, nodded gently.

“It seems everyone is ready—”

Speaking almost in a whisper, Edelin began walking slowly toward Sione and me.

As if no one dared block her path, the elves naturally stepped aside to create a path for her. The High Elf walked regally along this path created for her until she reached us.

She raised the corners of her lips slightly, delicately.

“I ask that both heroes never stray from my side, no matter what happens.”

“Understood…!”

The moment our master gave her stiff reply to the High Elf’s words.

Edelin, with an even deeper smile, turned around abruptly and shouted:

“From now on, we will pass beyond the barrier to recover the legacy of the southern forest!”

“Ha!”

Woooong—

The sound of horns announcing the departure echoed throughout the city, which had already been fortified for war.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As the vibrations of the thick drums became a wave that began to resonate with my heartbeat.

We moved forward with heavy steps out of the city.

After walking for some time.

When we reached the edge of the barrier, we paused briefly to catch our breath.

“…We’re entering.”

With Edelin’s signal, we finally began stepping outside the barrier one by one.

I reluctantly joined the flow, and.

The moment my foot touched the ground outside the barrier.

“…Kugh!”

I couldn’t help but make an unsightly sound.

“Hey, Park Shinwoo!”

“Dad!”

Ignoring the spirits who slapped my cheeks telling me to pull myself together.

This weak body of mine was indeed too frail to withstand such dense poisonous energy and Magia.

The sensation of viscous poison filling my lungs with each breath. And the primal revulsion caused by the Magia was unparalleled in how it ate away at one’s mind.

“…Ray!”

Since Sione naturally had an incredibly strong immunity to demons.

Not only was I making an expression like I was about to die from the strain, but Tania, Elvis, and even short-legged Orna were slapping my cheeks with all their might.

Flustered by how much I was struggling compared to her, Sione hurriedly checked my condition.

“Ray, Ray. Are you okay?”

“…I apologize. I’ll pull myself together soon.”

If it’s just this much.

Even if I can’t completely overcome this revulsion, circulating my mana should help alleviate it somewhat.

As my complexion improved slightly, Sione finally seemed relieved and stroked her chest.

“We should be careful. It’s not just you—”

Sione rolled her sky-blue eyes.

Her pupils captured the reactions of various pointy-eared folk. Their expressions were even more rigid than before leaving the barrier.

Only the High Elf remained serene, beyond merely experienced, withstanding the Magia’s infiltration.

“It seems the Magia is strong enough that almost everyone needs to circulate mana to drive it away.”

Even some of her royal guards were twitching their eyebrows, apparently feeling the sting of the poison permeating the Magia.

Thanks to the ability in her blood, our master had a Magia purifier in her nose, but the rest of us would inevitably suffer continuous additional mana loss from the Magia mixed in the air.

Since only we would suffer from delays:

“We shall advance quickly!”

Following Edelin’s command, her royal guard surrounded her, with Airine Ianette’s forces forming an outer wall to protect her.

We hurried southward. Toward the place where the ancestors’ legacy was said to remain.

However, our bold advance eventually faltered at the appearance of an obstacle.

“Ray, don’t go any further.”

As Sione immediately extended her hand to block my path.

Edelin, who was right in front of us, nodded at her action.

“As expected of my friend’s descendant.”

Shing—!

Edelin drew a small dagger hidden in her bosom.

As her small blade left its sheath and the white blade began to gleam, a fierce aura erupted from her royal guard.

“It seems we won’t be able to proceed quietly from here on. We should break through at full speed from now on.”

As if not to be outdone, shadows began to flicker ahead of us. They were the dead yet living, a collection of beings worse than those who were alive yet dead.

Monsters of grotesque form, showing their decaying bodies or already rotted flesh that had fallen off, lunged at the nearest elf as if they had been waiting for this moment.

Just before that attack reached the elf and the confrontation began:

“Everyone—”

A low command in the forest that had become a battlefield.

“Sacrifice your lives to clear a path for me and the heroes.”

Using the elves as sacrifices, the desperate breakthrough began.