I Clearly Asked About the Dark Lord
"I clearly asked you to tell me about the Dark Lord, you know."
It seemed like he was going to tell me about Hayes, but suddenly he veered into the story of the Great Forest burning up. I couldn't figure out why.
"Heh heh... Don't make such a scary face. Just hear me out first."
Crazy bear bastard.
"I know too!! I remember learning about it at the academy!"
Suddenly Rapi raised her hand and jumped in.
"It was an unprecedented massive incident—an elven homeland brimming with life mana, and no one knew how the fire started!"
No one knew? I burned it down alongside Rimhold's lord, Amon Cornen. They must have buried the records.
'Uwaaaah!!! Ancestor, what sin did I commit to get roped into this madman's plan? I'm losing my mind for real!'
Well, Amon griped right up to the bitter end of the plan, so yeah, it tracked.
Spilvena grinned at Rapi.
"Heh heh... So our little Rapi knows the tale too. Well, it's such a colossal event, who'd not know it?"
The druid's maw opened wide once more.
"Rapi, do you know the place now called Shadow Forest was once the Great Forest?"
"Uh... No!? I had no clue."
"The Great Forest was so vast that even after the blaze, the woods endured. Though it's shrunk since those days when it bore that name."
Shadow Forest. Where I'd met that starving orc... and Rapi.
"Anyway, over fifty years back, the Great Forest went up in flames, and the elves vanished. Yet life mana still overflowed there."
"Ooooh!!"
Rapi's eyes sparkled, hooked on the bear's yarn.
"A few years on, the first to clock the Great Forest standing empty? Magical beasts and monsters. They swarmed not just from around Rimhold but everywhere, hungry for that life mana. It poured in like a flood—they dubbed it the First Flood."
"...!? First Flood? You mean there's a second?"
Spilvena nodded, right on cue with her outburst.
"That's right. In that First Flood, hell unfolded—monsters devouring each other nonstop. And at its climax, a colossal snake monster slithered forth."
The blabbermouth bear's tongue wagged without pause.
"Hold up."
I threw up a hand, cutting Spilvena off.
"Hm? What's wrong, Evan? The juicy bits are just starting."
The bear cocked its head.
"Listen, bear. I ain't here for tales of the Great Forest torching or random snake monsters."
What did I care about the Great Forest burning or monster floods? Rimhold had gone from backwater dump to thriving hub—Amon must've held the line somehow. I'd left him gear as payoff; plenty to work with.
What mattered was Hayes, not Rimhold's dusty history.
"What I'm after is word on the Dark Lord, Hayes. Since when's a druid's trap so goddamn loose?"
Hmph—! Spilvena snorted, shaking its head.
"Listen up, you impatient prick. I'll spill it now."
Spilvena hacked a cough and pressed on.
Ahem—!
"Where was I? Right, that snake monster. Records say it wielded Abyss mana, but unverified either way."
The bear's mug twisted at the snake talk.
"That big snake? Pure nightmare fuel. We—my tribe and Count Amon Cornen—repelled the flood together, but that thing? Untouchable."
Spilvena fought with Amon, huh. Small tribe must've hunkered down in Rimhold post-fire.
"Rimhold teetered on oblivion from that beast when the Dark Lord arrived at Shadow Forest."
Finally, Hayes.
Spilvena's face shadowed over.
"She shows, and the rampaging hordes go quiet—slitting their own throats. But that snake? Eyes lit up, charged her straight."
Gulp!
Rapi swallowed hard.
"Wh-what happened to the snake?"
"..."
The bear's fur quivered.
Hayes? Or the snake? Spilvena straight-up dreaded dredging this up.
"Her shadow birthed a massive scythe. Druid senses screamed—it was death's power incarnate."
...Scythe. Scythe of Finality, no doubt. The hidden piece I'd handed Hayes.
"Dark Lord swings it casual-like, and the apocalyptic snake drops dead on the spot. Then blades erupt from her shadow, hacking it to bits."
Blades? New trick I didn't know.
Something Hayes unlocked after I jetted to Earth for R&R?
Clap!
Bear paw smacked applause. Nature mana bloomed, lightening the heavy vibe.
"Anyway! Those snake chunks? Bones still litter Shadow Forest."
Spilvena's gruff tone lifted—unlocked.
That mana burst? Self-soothing, figures.
"Oh, and Rapi—never touch those bones. Dead or not, it belches lethal venom."
"What happens if you do?"
Naive Rapi piped up, hand high.
"Red-rank clan grabbed 'em reckless-like, bolted to high priests. Med bills tanked the whole outfit. Promising bunch—pity."
A gusty sigh from the bear.
"Hieeek—! Never ever... Clan bankrupt? My tuition... Hic!"
Rapi whipped around at warp speed.
"Spilvena, after the Dark Lord smoked the snake?"
I prodded; Spilvena rolled on.
"Ah! Yeah, unfinished business. She wiped it, delved deeper into Shadow Forest. Cue the Second Flood."
"...? She enters, and boom—Second Flood?"
"Monsters hunkered there panicked, fled outward."
Spilvena wagged a claw like a finger at Rapi's Q.
Druid paws doubling as digits, got it.
"Second wasn't First-level bad, though. Critters trapped in/out by fear of her."
"Ooh..!"
Spilvena chortled soft at Rapi's cheer.
"Those Floods drew mercs, adventurers galore. Monster loot boomed Rimhold into what it is."
"..."
Spilvena's Rimhold saga wrapped.
Whatever—Hayes intel secured. She was in the old Great Forest, now Shadow Forest.
"Dark Lord's trail ends there? Still lurking in Shadow Forest?"
"Heh heh heh—!"
Spilvena barked a nasty guffaw.
"Thirsty for more? Heh. Forest burned, sure—but Shadow Forest sprawls wide."
True—two days lost wandering it on my Adenia return.
But this bear, stringing me along...
"Next deet's yours if you back Rapi on her quest?"
"..."
Thud!
Axe out, mana-wreathed, slammed desk-deep.
"Yo, druid—ever lost a fang?"
"—! Evan! Easy..! Guildmaster too!!"
Rapi shot up, reining me in.
"Krahahahaha—! Glower away! Want it bad? Earn it via quest! Hand freebies to a Red-rank beast-slayer? Heh heh heh."
Slimy druid prick. Bear hide, raccoon brain.
Guildmaster seat took more than brawn.
"Tch! Fine. Baby-sit Rapi's quest, that it?"
"Wow...! Guildmaster! Thank you!!!"
"..."
Thank me, Rapi? Spilvena doting 'cause Ariel's pup, duh.
Guild head openly favoritism-ing like this—cool?
"Evan, snag a medal downstairs. Drop my name—freebie. Norm's 20 gold for rookies."
Spilvena preened.
Druid yakking coin, classy.
"Rapi'll drag annoyances, though. Cut her slack."
"Annoyances?"
"Yup. Lowlifes hassle her. Brains avoid archmage disciples—but trash don't."
"..."
Babysitting gig now.
Rapi shot an awkward grin, finger-scratching cheek.
"Ugh—! Evan!? Hurts—!"
I ruffled the kid mage's noggin light.
"Spilvena—honor it. Rapi, downstairs."
"Countin' on ya. Safety first, Evan—!"
"Evan—! Head hurts—!"
Bear-paw escorted, we hit floor one with Rapi.
"Oh! Down at last..! Greetings, Rapi!"
The hell?
Party of adventurers mobbed us on descent.
"Rapi, join our crew! Per deal—whole clan's Blue-rank now!"
"...Y-yes..? But that's.."
Scouts swarmed Rapi instant-downstairs. Spilvena called it—predators.
Shake these pests? Club 'em bear-style?
Ssssk—!
A lone snake slithered deep in Shadow Forest.
Hunting the thickest life mana vein, it stumbled on this spot by luck.
Life mana flooded it endless might. Each gulp bulked its body, swelled its power.
The fresh head mused: Linger here, and forest hegemony's mine—!
Kwaaaaang—!
Lightning speared Shadow Forest.
Dark-green bolt lingered, pulsing relentless.
Death's gleam, gorging life mana.
It scoured the woods' brimming life mana.
Kieeeek—! Pajijijik—!!
Sky and soil wailed.
Flash—space splintered like glass shards.
Each dark-green flicker, death mana surged tidal from within.
Death mana devoured the life mana saturating Shadow Forest.
Life-crooning greens perished; death blooms sprouted, shrieking.
- Piiiik—!!
Death flowers' cries felled sky-circling birds.
Splat—
Snake, survivor, gulped bird husks.
Lightning's wake slew another head, yet it clung stubborn.
Still in the game. Devouring fresh fowl, gaze locked on bolt.
From death-choked dark-green heart, a silhouette emerged.
Snow-white tresses eye-pale, heterochromic elf—gold and pink gaze.
Hayes, the Dark Lord.
She stepped free; world-rending lightning winked out.
Death mana severed, life mana rebounded, smothering death.
Shrieking death blooms withered.
Fallen birds stirred, revived.
Pffft—!
Melted, adhered snake head burst.
From rent, a devoured bird rocketed free.
Half-liquefied, yet thriving.
Life-death grotesquery; snake exulted.
Gulp these forces—not mere forest lord, but species zenith—!
Crack—!
Hayes snapped toward noise.
Armored knight greatsword-plunged the snake.
- My liege, have you returned?
Hayes' vassal, the Death Knight, dropped to knee.
- How fared this Netherworld foray?
"..."
- My apologies, liege.
Hayes' hush deepened the knight's kneel.
She averted eyes to leafy vault above.
Gaze gone, Death Knight crumbled.
Misted to fog, vacuumed into her shadow.
"Cough—!"
Hand to lips—black blood smeared.
Fifty years companion vanished.
Hayes scoured Netherworld daily, relentless.
Consequence?
Death's wielder, Dark Lord—ironically withering unto death.
"...Evan. I miss you."