Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Pebbles and Leaves (2)
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Pebble reached out for me in an instant.
But I was faster.
The moment I saw the swirling darkness in his grasp, I activated the [Sun Light] skill. A burst of intense light exploded between Pebble and me, flinging us both out of the carriage. I quickly got to my feet and dashed to the opposite side of the carriage.
“Damn it!”
Pebble had already vanished. He must have used black magic. I slammed my fist into the spot where the grass had withered black.
To make an entire Dark Elf village disappear, and even Darien... It was impossible to think a child could do something like that. What the hell was going on?
To find out, I had to check every Dark Elf village. The fourth village, the fifth, and the sixth... A five-day journey began.
The fourth village had sunk deep into the ground like a sinkhole. The fifth was completely submerged as if flooded. The sixth was utterly destroyed, unrecognizable as if struck by a meteor.
We set up camp at the entrance to the Dark Forest after the sixth village. We needed to replenish our stamina, maintain our weapons, and prepare thoroughly before entering the Dark Forest.
“...This is insane.”
I sat by the campfire, tearing at my hair. The scenes we’d witnessed on the way here didn’t make any sense. Impossible events tangled in my mind, leaving me dizzy.
-Hoo-hooook!
Then, an owl hooted from somewhere. I snapped my head up. Now that we’d reached the Dark Forest, living creatures were appearing. Before it flew away, I used [Song of the Beast]. The owl that had hooted from afar soon landed on my shoulder.
I began writing a letter feverishly. It was to Darien’s parents, the Silvanus couple. I briefly explained Darien’s disappearance and our situation, asking them to inform the Elder Council and assemble soldiers to search the Dark Elf villages.
‘Lucky I can send a messenger bird before entering the Dark Forest.’
I tied the letter to the owl’s leg and released it. Three days? No, maybe two. I hoped it flew diligently.
I gazed at the full moon, lost in thought. What if the villages inside the Dark Forest were also wiped out? Should I go back to the Dream Labyrinth to meet the Queen? But what if I ended up taken by the darkness in the Dream Labyrinth too?
The Queen had told me to find ‘Grizzel.’ To find ‘Grizzel,’ I needed the Dark Elves’ help, but the ones I’d met so far were...
“Haa...”
A sigh was all that came out in this hopeless situation. It had been a while since I felt like this. Overwhelmed by fatigue, I lay down and closed my eyes. I felt Ayla licking my face beside me.
“What should we do...”
I muttered quietly.
“...For now, we have to enter the Dark Forest.”
Huh?
I hadn’t expected a reply. I opened one eye and looked toward the voice. It was Lloyd.
“It’s not good to worry alone, Theodore.”
“...Says the one who’s always lost in thought by himself.”
“Quite the opposite. I’m not thinking at all.”
“Is that so?”
“I know what you’re thinking. You’re worried the Dark Elf villages deeper in the Dark Forest have also been wiped out.”
“Yes, probably. After seeing six villages destroyed, can they hold out in a more dangerous place?”
“The deeper danger of the Dark Forest means the Dark Elves in the last village must be even stronger.”
“...”
“So the chances they’re fine are high too.”
“Maybe.”
“But we’ll only know for sure once we go in.”
Was this his way of cheering me up? What’s with the stone-faced guy? I glanced at Lloyd and chuckled.
“Well, yeah. Thanks for the encouragement.”
“No need to thank me.”
“As thanks, I’ll take first watch tonight.”
Lloyd nodded and returned to his spot. Thanks to him, I felt a bit less worried. I stood up and looked at the moon again.
The Dark Elves loved the moon that pitied and cared for them, and the goddess of mercy, Nemeia. Would she know what happened to the missing Dark Elves?
“Could you give me a hint?”
The moon, scattering its soft light, gave no answer.
* * *
-Roooaaarrr!!!!
The moment we stepped into the Dark Forest, horrifying monsters began appearing. Far beyond goblins—giant slimes, packs of orcs.
“Yaaah!”
The silver lining was that El had gotten much stronger. He could now cleave two goblin heads with one sword swing.
While El handled the goblins and Lloyd the orcs, I shot arrows at the giant slime.
‘Arrows at a slime?!’ It sounds ridiculous, but my arrows were bound with carefully selected seeds. Giant Kudzu Vine, Void Tillandsia, even Night Scandipsus. All plants that thrive in toxic environments with purifying properties.
After firing eight arrows into the giant slime, I used [Blessing of the Forest]. Inside the giant slime’s body—mixed with Dark Forest mud and unknown mucus—the plants began to grow. The Giant Kudzu Vine’s roots formed the core, Night Scandipsus leaves sprouting between them. The slime’s mucus started evaporating. It was being ‘eaten’ by the plants. Once the Void Tillandsia grew too, the toxic fumes nearly vanished. Now, the giant slime wasn’t a poisonous mucus monster anymore—it was closer to a living purifying plant ball. A topiary, maybe?
-Thud!
The writhing giant slime collapsed onto the orc pack. Five or six orcs died crushed underneath. Thanks, buddy.
Lloyd finished the remaining orcs and helped El and Ayla with the goblins. Meanwhile, I climbed a nearby tree and picked fruit for the group. Star apples. Named for their yellow color and star shape. They tasted just like apples.
I used [Forest’s Gift] on the star apples. A skill that infuses fruit with nutrition—using it restored stamina simply, providing satiety and making movement easier.
“Phew. Good work, everyone. Let’s take a breather and eat these.”
I handed out two each and leaned against the tree. Crunch, crunch, crunch—the sound of everyone munching filled the air.
“Isn’t running into monsters every hour too much?”
“This is the Dark Forest.”
Lloyd said flatly.
“I know, but so many appearing so often is ridiculous. No monster etiquette, no etiquette.”
They never attack each other, only people—only people. I grumbled and bit into a star apple.
That’s when it happened.
-Swoooosh!!!
-Thunk!
“...!”
An arrow flew from somewhere and hit the star apple in my hand dead center. Crazy, I almost lost my head...
-Gulp.
“Gah, hack, kehack!”
A chunk of apple went straight down my throat, making me cough embarrassingly. Hack! Cough! Cough! I coughed nonstop before calming down and scanning around. Lloyd and El were already searching for the arrow’s origin.
“Who’s there! Show yourself!”
El shouted toward the dark forest. Would that work?
“Hahaha.”
...It did.
I looked up at the tree where the laughter came from. Not far.
“You dare eat the forest’s fruit without permission, so I gave a warning.”
The one who appeared was a Dark Elf.
“You...!”
More relief than anger at first. I’d been fretting if the villages deeper in were wiped out too. I wanted to bind him with vines and interrogate him from one to ten, but that’d backfire. I spoke calmly to him.
“A warning? Strange words. Are you claiming to be the forest’s owner?”
“That’s...”
He seemed flustered, so I pressed on.
“The true master of the Dark Forest is the forest goddess Lynshaka!”
“...”
“And I am her child, a ‘Druid.’”
“...”
“The goddess wouldn’t be angry if I tasted some fruit.”
Would a goddess rage over a few star apples from the Dark Forest? I smiled confidently at him. Realizing my words held no flaw, he said nothing.
“Let me introduce myself properly. I’m Theodore, a human Druid.”
“Theodore?”
“Yes, Theodore. That’s my name.”
“First time hearing it.”
“Of course. It’s my first time in Lüset.”
“Hmph. Humans who come to Lüset are no different from pigs and dogs, they say.”
He sneered at me. Trying to provoke me on purpose. I stayed calm.
“I’m different. The reason I came here is...”
“...”
To save your queen—saying that might be dangerous. I didn’t know him yet. I thought up a suitable excuse.
“...I came here to test my limits.”
“Limits?”
“Yes. I came to the Dark Forest to test my limits.”
Belligerent Dark Elves would buy that. I glared at him with my sharpest look.
“...”
Did my glare work?
He leaped lightly down from the tree.
Now I could see him clearly.
“Then you’ve come to the right place.”
A Dark Elf woman with pitch-black skin like jet, silver hair like moonlight, and sparkling amber eyes bared her teeth in a grin.