High Elf's Forest (2)
“M... Master... get away...”
With those final words, Garba fell completely asleep.
The high elves ignored her collapsed form and clustered around Sung-tae, pressing drinks on him relentlessly.
“That's weird. Why won't you drink?”
“Is the scent not enough? Here, brave hero. Take me instead.”
One high elf pressed her body against Sung-tae's. Up close, an overpowering floral fragrance wafted from her— not the smell of flowers, but her own scent.
“...I do like elves. Fantasy romance and all that. But you know...”
“Is something wrong?”
Sung-tae waved his hand dismissively. The high elves clinging to him flew off like flies.
He scooped up the fallen Garba and clenched his fist tight.
“I don't want to get tangled up with you while abandoning my comrade. More than that, I don't like what you're doing. Elves are supposed to be noble.”
Sung-tae's fist shattered the ground. The shockwave rippled outward, blasting away the remaining high elves.
“You're not elves!”
The shockwave didn't stop there—it devoured everything. The upturned earth surged like a tsunami over the hills, and the wind turned from gas to razor-sharp blades, piercing all in its path.
As the hill crumbled, the world adorned in beauty revealed its true face.
“So it was all an illusion after all.”
Not a hallucination, but an illusion—a phenomenon that physically conjured a mirage-like world, without tampering with nerves or mind.
“This is more like it.”
With the curtain of illusion lifted, the original eerie forest emerged. The high elves who'd flown off now glared with beastly eyes.
Their beautiful forms were gone. Their brittle blonde hair felt lifeless; twisted limbs propelled them on all fours like animals. Maggots writhed in rotten faces, devouring eyeballs, and cherry lips were no more—bare teeth grinned out.
[Grrr...]
High undead monsters that retained some of their living strength and intelligence. They were ghouls.
Heads twisted 360 degrees in impossible directions, they chattered teeth like shivering in cold, voices horrific.
“Mother's power doesn't work. What an odd one.”
“Even a hero shouldn't resist this power?”
“Ugh. Gross.”
Zombies were repulsive, but ghouls were grotesque. Like the possessed in The Exorcist, their twisted forms instinctively repulsed him.
But with Garba still unconscious over his shoulder, Sung-tae steeled himself for battle.
“First off, thanks. Garba's smile was really pretty.”
[Kirik?]
Was the form shown in the illusion their true living appearance? Now as monsters, it was lost.
“So as thanks, I'll liberate you all.”
Sung-tae kicked off the ground, charging the high elf ghouls. Their speed failed to react; they froze.
As they finally registered his disappearance, Sung-tae crushed their waists like cockroaches.
“One-shotting them is clean and efficient.”
Ghouls were undead that regenerated from weak attacks. But Sung-tae's strikes bisected them and shockwaves shredded flesh beyond repair.
They vanished without screams. One might expect flight in fear, but the ghouls' eyes flashed as they lunged at Sung-tae.
“Loyalty to Mother.”
“Mother...”
“Who's this Mother anyway?”
Their queen, maybe? It nagged him, but only murderous ghouls filled his sight.
Sung-tae shook ghoul remains from his feet.
“Come on, all at once.”
＊＊＊
“Whew. Brutal.”
After the one-sided slaughter—like stomping bugs—Sung-tae fanned the air, wrinkling his nose.
Corpse-like, yet they left not rotting flesh but cloying floral scent.
“Ghouls smelling like flowers? Camouflage, huh.”
Illusions fooled the eyes only. Unable to hide smell, they disguised it as flowers.
They'd shoved bodies close, insisting on the scent—likely how they knocked Garba out. Or was it the drinks?
Sung-tae scanned for cups, but his earlier rampage had pulverized them.
I'm tough, but Garba's strong too. Putting her to sleep like that—magic? Or insane poison?
He laid Garba in a safe spot, waiting ages for her to wake. She didn't.
“She's not dead, right?”
A faint snore reassured him. Steady breaths meant deep sleep.
“Garba, wake up. Hey!”
He shook her shoulders wildly—no dice. Her two king slimes jiggled violently instead.
“...Wake up, Garba.”
Shake. He knew it wouldn't work, but persisted.
“Garba?”
Shake.
“Get up already?”
Shake. After many shakes—thoroughly enjoyed—Sung-tae cleared his throat, gently laying her down.
“Ahem. That was just to wake you. No other intentions... Huh?”
Fog cleared? Something beyond the forest appeared: a black wall. Steep cliff stretching endlessly left and right, sky-high.
“Huge.”
Following it up, Sung-tae saw spiderweb-like branches blotting the sky.
Forest was dark 'cause of this.
“Wait, that's...”
He leaped skyward, inspecting the web-like black wall up close. Nearing the sky revealed its truth.
“Tree branches?”
Not a wall—thick, black, rugged-barked tree. Approaching, branches quivered, vibrating air. Gray dust fell.
“Pollen?”
Ashen powder rained from sky. For a tree foe, surely pollen. The forest fog's source.
“Branches... so maybe...”
Twisting midair, Sung-tae eyed the black cliff. From above, its end appeared: rounded cylindrical trunk. Vast beyond mountains, surreal.
Sung-tae muttered his guess.
“World Tree?”
＊＊＊
World Tree: sacred tree revered as god by elves in novels and comics. Mysterious powers bless forests, enrich soil; sometimes wield magic.
“That's what a World Tree's supposed to be.”
Sung-tae's knowledge from Earth; he knew nothing of this world's version.
“At least not like that.”
Despite different worlds, no sanctity emanated from the distant behemoth. Just a monstrous tree, unholy.
If that's standard, it'd be “Tree Monster,” not World Tree.
“Hmm.”
Pollen poured from sky-dominating branches, fogging the forest.
Not ordinary pollen? Maybe why Garba slept—and acted odd?
“Pollen turns to fog, trapping folks in illusions?”
Sung-tae's guess hit true. Hallucinations failed on him, but physical illusions—like holograms—did not. Pollen created them.
Absorbed via breath, pollen's mana spread, hypnotizing. Fully consumed? Eternal sleep.
“Creepy.”
Sleepers on ghoul hills—what did they do? Imagining chilled Sung-tae.
“Scrolls don't even work.”
Pollen? He tried return scroll with Garba—no Demon King Castle.
Run out first, then scroll? “Nah. Gepelt's a mage, but if pollen knocked her out, magic might not fix it.”
One answer: confront the culprit. Did the monster tree have ego? Check first.
“Gotta get closer.”
Garba on shoulder, ominous dread fueling him, Sung-tae rocketed toward the World Tree. Fearing she'd never wake.
“You shall not approach Mother...”
“Block him...”
Ghouls reappeared, impeding. Human-like now, in tattered armor, broken swords.
Sung-tae recalled Garba's tale.
“The human army she mentioned?”
Missing army in forest? Their “Mother” the World Tree?
“Mother, Mother. Mommy's boys. Quit whining.”
No need to fight these. Speed past.
Ghouls hurled bodies; they shattered like flies hit by cannonballs.
Rotting flesh and guts stuck to precious armor—ignored. Priority: Garba.
“Block him! Intruder! Intruder!”
“You shall not reach Mother!”
Growing ghoul army. Past human forces, now undead remnants. Around 10,000.
10,000 ghouls mobilized.
“Such a hassle.”
“Block him!”
Flies can't kill humans, no matter numbers. Ghouls couldn't stop Sung-tae, but he paused.
He was fine, but Garba? Unconscious, vulnerable to stray hits.
Eliminate them. Hassle, but safety first.
“Quit being annoying...”
Kicked ground, leaped sky. Shockwave erased nearby ghouls. Landed, stomped earth hard.
“Scatter!”
Forest-shaking blast. Meteor crater formed; ghouls inside vaporized.
“This way!”
Grasshopper hops toward World Tree. Each leap erased hundreds.
Subway speed. Yet colossal tree, warping perspective, seemed distant.
“How much farther?”
“No need to worry about that.”
“!?”
Air grew heavy. Sensing danger, Sung-tae dodged. Where he stood, gravity spiked dozens-fold, crushing everything.
“Magic?”
Not over. Gravity pursued like alive.
Sung-tae evaded repeatedly. He was safe, but Garba? Protecting while fighting—exhausting.
Scanned for caster.
“Foolish human. Worship Her—the Mother of all earth, source of life. Our Mother!”
“Kekeke! Idiot! You can't escape!”
Sinister voices afar. Sharp air-slashing attacks flew at Sung-tae.
Twisted to shield Garba. Hit his armor—faded with mere scratch.
“Black Oriharcon indeed! I suspected... Ignis, that brat!”
“Wrong.”
“Another Demon King joins. Mother will be pleased.”
Demon Kings are punching bags around here.
Sinister voices materialized: skeleton in mage robes, another in silver armor.
“Another Demon King. Pity.”
Silver-armored skeleton spoke. Pristine armor gleamed silver, yet dark aura lingered—like a rain cloud in blue sky.
“Better Demon King than hero.”
Robed skeleton added. Dragon-embroidered robe looked new, like the armor.
“Different from the others.”
Other ghouls spoke crudely; these fluent. Sung-tae sensed not ordinary undead—correctly.
“Even a Demon King can't pass further.”
“Even a hero can't pass further.”
Anyone versed in lore would gape at them.
“Become Mother's sustenance, like us.”
＊＊＊
Kukulza. Name alone terrified continent's humans—a Demon King.
Unlike others relying on brute force, he fancied other races' magic.
Inferior, but magic intrigues.
His unparalleled mana plus others' magic? Even basic archmage outclassed elites.
Demon King wielding that? No ordinary hero matched.
Be my test subjects.
Yet he pressed on, experimenting endlessly on continent life to boost his magic.
Was heaven fair? His era birthed the strongest hero...
“Let there be light.”
Lux Sky.
Most heroes ordinary folk. Sometimes adventurers, knights, mages chosen.
Lux was exceptional: top holy knight pre-hero.
“God granted this power to enact heaven's will. I shall travel the world, eradicating evil.”
Speculation: Lux matched heroes pre-ascension. Mastered light, surpassed knights in body and blade.
Top-spec chosen by heaven—what power?
“Evil Demon King! Receive God's judgment!”
Lux's debut: subjugating Kukulza, amid high expectations.
Kukulza saw experiment chance, met battle.
“Not suitable here.”
Lux worried: collateral from their clash. Unprecedented power would reshape terrain.
Lured to Ruined High Elf Forest.
“Where do you flee?!”
Forest infamous to both, yet fearless: strongest hero ever, first Demon King mastering all magic.
“Follow if you dare!”
“Fine. As you wish...”
Lux lured; Kukulza pursued. Never seen again.
Forest became forbidden from then.
＊＊＊
“Kuhahaha!!! Another Demon King joins us! He's fire incarnate. Must kill before Mother!”
Kukulza's booming laugh shook forest. Mana flowed, forming complex ultimate magic circle—hours for archmages.
“Mother fears no evil flames. Capture alive.”
Lux drew radiant sword: temple's pinnacle relic, soul-slayer of wicked. Glória, Sword of Light.
Ironic undead wielding it—no one to point out.
“Both look strong.”
“I am the unparalleled Demon King. Regret coming here.”
“I am Mother's sacred sword and hero. You will meet Mother now.”
“Demon King and hero, huh.”
Just skeletons to him.
Staring, Sung-tae spotted black orb hurtling—black hole sucking all.
“Hahaha!!! Lux, too late. I'll kill him first!”
Gravity magic for archmages, annihilation beyond even them. Kukulza's fusion.
“Leave the corpse.”
“Luck decides if corpse remains.”
“You guys seem fun.”
Unaware of identities, but no mere undead. Garba's missing hero and Demon King?
Vague, but close to truth.
“If I weren't busy, I'd play along, observe.”
“How dare you before me...”
Kukulza silenced. Magic toward Sung-tae vanished. His upper body followed.
Upper body gone.
Lux froze at fallen comrade. Impossible halted thought.
“How?!”
Lux snapped back, yelling. Sung-tae replied—first faint anger, low voice.
“I'm kinda busy?”