Chapter 36 – Preparation (2)

Velloc had originally planned to go to the Flowing Forest after saving Cara. This was because he planned to strengthen the party’s military power by obtaining the altered stones and various relics there.

That was the same even after the goal of the archdemon arose. No, that was why he had to go there all the more.

In a way, it was a unilateral decision. However, no one in the party opposed Velloc’s opinion. Adel aside, it was because Cara also owed him her life.

Cara stared at the book in her hand and Velloc for a moment, then rested her chin on her hand.

“The Flowing Forest. I’ve heard of it. It’s said to be the former home of the ancient elves, now a land without an owner, and called the grave of lost adventurers.”

“I didn’t know it had such modifiers.”

“Huh? Weren’t you going there knowing everything? With that god’s power or whatever?”

Velloc shook his head.

“No, I don’t know in detail either. Seeing it with one’s eyes and experiencing it in person are different.”

All he knew was that the Flowing Forest was complex like a maze and the locations of the ruins where treasures were hidden.

It was natural. Because this world was too vast and full of life to be represented by a few words of text and a handful of polygons.

“Hmm… So even a monster-like knight isn’t perfect, is that it?”

Rather, at Velloc’s unconfident tone, Cara wore a smile on her lips. It seemed even a man who beat up a hundred ghouls and a spirit-type demon had things he couldn’t help. Well, that was why he was human. He would need a mage’s help.

With rising self-esteem, Cara snickered in a good mood. In response, sparks also crackled. Velloc ignored the witch’s silly laughter with an expressionless face. Then, resting the greatsword that had been leaned against his knee, he began to maintain it.

While wiping off the blood clots stuck to it and applying oil, he also checked the blade. Despite swinging it so much, not a single nick had formed.

A dark energy also wavered. No, it had grown stronger. It was certainly after he had killed the skeletal demon.

Velloc felt uncomfortable for some reason.

‘Is it like some kind of magic sword? The kind that gets stronger by tempering it with demon blood and flesh?’

As Velloc examined the sword, Adel, seeing this, also folded the prayer book she was reading with a snap. She, too, brought her curved sword, shield, and the axe tied to her saddle to begin maintenance.

For a moment, only the sound of the two knights maintaining iron echoed in the clearing. The one who broke that silence was, as expected, Cara.

“Anyway, our next destination is the Flowing Forest. The border pass between the Kingdom and Eastern Arian. The Labyrinth Forest.”

Velloc silently nodded, while Adel put down her weapons and pulled out a map from her bag.

“Since we are near the kingdom’s capital, we just need to head east. In terms of distance, I expect it will take about a week by horse…”

Adel trailed off and looked at Velloc. As long as he had the heavy greatsword, her master could not ride properly.

That meant it would take longer to reach the destination. Cara shrugged her shoulders.

“Well… is there any rush? Even if we killed Astaroth’s subordinate, I don’t think he would send pursuers right away. Just a little slower…”

“It seems you spoke it into existence.”

Cutting off Cara, Velloc stood up.

“Huh?”

Leaving the bewildered two behind, Velloc raised his sword. The knight’s pitch-black eyes peered into the darkness. Beyond the hazy shadows, a reddish flicker was visible. Soon, it stretched wide to the sides. In that moment, Velloc blocked the front of the party and swung his sword in the air.

Clang! Clang!

Several arrows shot like lightning were deflected by his sword. The eyes in the darkness widened roundly. Seeing the arrows fallen on the ground, the witch and Adel also quickly sprang from their seats.

“An ambush!”

“So fast?”

Adel raised her shield and sword. Cara also muttered with her lips. Soon, a translucent force field formed around the party. The arrows shot again bounced off the force field this time.

Velloc, keeping his sword raised, stared in the direction the arrows were shot from. It was deep in the forest, the exact opposite direction of the main road. Soon, along with a click of the tongue saying, “Tsk,” a whistling sound reached his ears.

Awoooo.

A resonant howl filled the forest. It was a ferocious, bizarre sound that immediately silenced the noise of the grass insects, causing even the birds to flutter away.

Soon, along with the sound of trampling the ground, the bushes shook here and there. Since it was heard from all directions, the party kept guard in all directions, centering around the bonfire.

Growl, bark!

Finally, the ambushers that revealed themselves bared their teeth. A beastly smell wafting to their noses and dozens of pairs of bright yellow eyes surrounded the party.

Adel muttered while raising her shield tightly.

“Where did so many wolf cubs come from…”

“It must be the doing of the guy who was shooting arrows earlier. Could it be… a minion of Astaroth? If so, it makes sense. Their size is not ordinary. At that level, they should be considered monsters.”

Cara also spun her staff, glaring at the wolves. Their dagger-like claws and saw-like teeth gleamed in the moonlight.

Each and every one of them was a monster that could easily chew up and eat a human.

The wolves had not lunged yet, but they crouched low as if aiming at prey, waiting for an opportunity.

It was quite a chilling standoff. With just a slight trigger or a single command from the caster controlling them, dozens of monsters would pounce all at once.

Perhaps that was also what the caster controlling the wolves wanted. To continue a tedious standoff like this and gradually corner the party. After draining their mental and physical strength that way, finishing them off with arrows. Perfect.

Velloc felt that the enemy’s plan he estimated was quite plausible. Was this a warrior’s instinct? Or a modern person’s knowledge?

Well, it did not matter either way. Velloc smirked and raised his sword.

He had no intention of doing as the enemy intended. Taking a large step forward, Velloc walked outside the shield.

Swish!

As if in warning, an arrow flew from the forest. It was much faster and more powerful than that of a crossbow. It had the momentum to pierce even plate armor. However, Velloc’s sword was faster.

The arrows were deflected helplessly this time as well. Watching this from inside the shield, Cara asked.

“What do you plan to do?”

Arrows were flying from afar, and wolves surrounded them in all directions. There was nothing a mage could do. Because if she released the shield spell, they would go straight into the monsters’ bellies right away. Knowing this, Velloc spoke in a loud voice.

“If you don’t want a hole put in your head, just recite your spells well.”

Velloc quickly rushed out. At this, the wolves barked crazily and pounced. Enduring the ringing in his ears, Velloc swung his greatsword.

Slash!

In an instant, four of them were sliced into pieces. Nevertheless, they stepped on the corpses and entrails of their kin and pounced fearlessly. Teeth and claws closed in from the left and right. The bite force of the beasts was not at a level that could be ignored.

Velloc struck them down while holding the greatsword like a shield. Seizing that gap, arrows were shot once again. ‘This bastard?’

Swish!

The spot they flew toward was exquisite, as if targeted. This was difficult to avoid even for Velloc. It couldn’t be helped. Since it wasn’t a vital spot, he intended to take a few hits.

“Lord Velloc!”

In that moment, Adel, who approached from the side, blocked his front and quickly thrust forward her shield. The arrows were deflected this time as well. Velloc immediately shouted toward Adel.

“Duck!”

Adel prostrated herself on the ground, and Velloc spun the greatsword in his hand like a windmill. Veins bulging, the ruthless blade rushed toward the enemies.

The one trying to strike down, the one jumping, and the one charging under the gap of the flying arrows. All of them became a handful of blood clots. At that, a hole was instantly pierced through the encirclement.

Velloc bravely charged through the gap he found. The wolves were annoying, but the real problem was the archer. He did not know when the back of his head might be pierced. First, he had to catch the fellow hiding in the darkness.

“Adel. Take care of the rear.”

“Of course.”

Grrr.

The wolves targeting Velloc’s rear tried to pounce, but Adel quickly blocked them. Her curved sword was swung without rest. The white fur was dyed bright red as it sliced through the flesh. The shield in her hand extended like a massive wall.

Crash!

Yelp!

The beast, whose foreleg was snapped, collapsed while making a mournful sound. Adel, who plunged her sword into the struggling fellow’s heart, caught her breath and looked around.

The clearing was already stained bright red with the blood from the wolves. It was an amount where if one skinned the dead ones and took them to a tanner, he would faint.

Nevertheless, the number of wolves was still large. Perhaps because they saw the blood of their kin, their momentum became even more ferocious.

Watching the situation, Cara shouted loudly.

“Wait! I’ll release the shield and use a spell.”

Adel shook her head.

“No, there is no need for that.”

She tightly gripped the sword and shield in her hands. If she could not overcome even this much on her own, there would be no place for her to stand in the future journey. Moreover, hadn’t she also received the goddess’s holy power just now? Adel recited a passage of the prayer book she had read moments ago.

“I accept your power here and now. Please bestow grace upon me. Bestow the power to condemn those fiends blocking my path.”

It was strange. Although it was just a collection of simple words, as she recited the prayer, courage welled up, and the holy power inside her body began to run wild. Her entire body felt hot, as if burning. The squire’s two eyes were now blazing with a vivid orange light. Adel mumbled the goddess’s name without realizing it.

“Helena.”

Fwoosh!

Then, vivid flames flared up around her body.

Velloc ran without rest, chasing the redly glowing eyes. However, the opponent was no fool. Perhaps not wanting a head-on confrontation with a knight wearing iron armor and wielding a massive greatsword, the ambusher also fled here and there while shooting arrows.

From twigs blocking his vision as if greeting him, dirt floors collapsing occasionally, to cobwebs caught by chance, the chase in the night forest was truly the worst.

‘This… the stew I just ate is about to be completely digested.’ Velloc was reminded of the nightmare in Oker territory once again. Back then, he had to approach the enemy while going through such dog-like suffering. Only to deliver a single sword strike.

‘As expected, I should have played a mage or an archer instead of a knight.’

As he complained inwardly, another arrow flew in.

Swish!

Now that even the light of the bonfire was far away, the arrow shot in the darkness felt much more threatening and fast. Velloc concentrated all his senses. Then, along with his strengthening five senses, the surrounding scene slowed down in an instant.

The sound of the arrow echoed like thunder, and the touch of the grass against his body and even minuscule insects could be felt. Within that space, Velloc raised his sword.

Clang!

Along with sparks, the arrow was deflected. Velloc slowly closed and opened his eyes. The world returned to normal once again. Velloc let out a short sigh. The reason he could dodge those arrows in the forest was precisely because of this technique. But there was also a side effect. Since it was a powerful ability, the consumption of stamina and mental strength was extreme.

What he had to do was simple. Catching the tagger before he exhausted himself. Soon, after the same event repeated several times, Velloc was finally able to confirm the identity of the ambusher.

With the falling moonlight behind him, a fellow perched on a colossal tree looked down at Velloc.

An arrow in his hand, smooth leather armor, and unusually long ears twitched. Meeting the guy’s red eyes, Velloc mumbled.

“A pointy-ears?”