The Sea Moon Mother (3)
“I cannot accept this.”
Inside the sunlit office.
An investigator strongly protested to Sikan Bauer.
He was a rookie who had only recently been appointed as an official investigator of Midtemple.
“Wrapping up the investigation of the Sky Ocean Forest so hastily makes no sense. An anomaly definitely occurred there.”
Sikan Bauer, who was sitting at his desk, silently raised his head. In his hand was the report detailing the incident.
This 'Sky Ocean Forest Emergency Investigation' had been concluded based solely on the unilateral claims of Jacques von Heibrun.
Unable to accept that decision, the rookie had marched straight into the commander's office without hesitation.
“Haaah.”
Sikan Bauer let out a sigh. Setting the report down on the desk, he spoke in a low, quiet voice.
“Your name is Martius, correct? You were also the one who first reported this anomaly.”
“Yes, sir.”
“According to this report... you requested emergency backup from headquarters, claiming there was a high probability that one of the Five Nightmares had appeared in the Sky Ocean Forest.”
“That is correct.”
Martius replied, trying to maintain a calm demeanor.
But Sikan Bauer did not miss the slight tremor in the young man's voice.
For a mere investigator to step forward and protest to the investigation commander—this seemingly insolent act required a tremendous amount of courage.
Sikan Bauer knew this better than anyone. He, too, had once been a passionate rookie.
Thus, rather than scolding him, Sikan chose to guide him gently.
“I understand how you feel, but there is no need to worry. Lord Jacques von Heibrun investigated the Sky Ocean Forest himself.”
“L-Lord Heibrun...?”
“Yes. According to his investigation, there were no issues. He reported that not even a minor anomaly was detected, let alone one of the Five Nightmares.”
A look of bewilderment crossed the rookie's face.
“That can't be! What I saw with my own eyes in the Sky Ocean Forest was...!”
“Martius.”
Sikan Bauer cut him off with absolute finality.
Sensing the sharp edge in the commander's voice, Martius shut his mouth and took a step back.
“Because of your hasty judgment, Lord Heibrun had to leave the Holy City right before the Sacred Trial.”
“……”
“In the meantime, a new Seeker emerged, causing friction between the Reformists and the Traditionalists.”
“……”
“Although it fizzled out to some extent due to the absence of the Traditionalist leader... you are now suspected of colluding with the Reformists.”
Of course, the last statement was slightly exaggerated. The council member who pushed that conspiracy theory was considered a laughingstock even within the Traditionalist faction.
“Surely, you don't intend to make this matter even larger?”
“T-that is……”
But this was more than enough to break the rookie's spirit.
Sikan Bauer intentionally projected an aura suggesting the situation had spiraled out of control, making it feel far more grave to the rookie.
“……”
Sure enough, the defeated Martius could no longer maintain his bold front. The agitation he tried so hard to suppress was clearly visible.
“I assume that is all you have to say.”
“……”
“Then you may leave.”
After hesitating for a long moment, Martius bowed his head deeply and left the room.
“I apologize for causing trouble, Commander.”
With the sound of the door closing, silence enveloped the commander's office once more.
Staring at the firmly shut door, Sikan Bauer let out a dry chuckle. He shook his head.
Rookies these days are certainly bold.
But the smile on his lips quickly stiffened.
For Sikan Bauer also believed that the rookie's claims were not wrong.
I agree with you, Martius. But...
—Lord Gaon will head to the Sky Ocean Forest himself.
...there is no need to worry too much.
Those were the words he had heard from Arwen von Goldheart a few days ago.
Indeed.
That Sword Master was already prepared for everything, just as he always was.
The Five Nightmares.
Evil god worshippers who obtained immortality by contracting with evil gods.
They were, in essence, the antithesis of the Sword Masters.
While they were similar in that they represented the will of a god, one side protected the world, while the other drove it to ruin.
Anyway.
The reason I suddenly brought this up was simple.
The Sky Ocean Forest.
The culprit who corrupted this mystical sanctuary was none other than one of the Five Nightmares.
“……”
Deep inside the forest shrouded in thick fog.
I cautiously moved forward, wrapped in Tristan's Cloak.
The deeper I went into the forest, the darker the dark-red energy became.
The habitat of the Sea Moon Mother, which must have once been clear and transparent, was now stained an eerie blood-red.
Shit.
I muttered a curse under my breath as I slowly scanned my surroundings.
This is way creepier than seeing it on a monitor.
The ancient trees were twisted and contorted as if writhing in agony.
The roots exposed above the ground pulsed like blood vessels.
Right on cue, a hideous roar echoed from afar.
It came from the direction where Adelia and Isaac Berylov were fighting.
Drawn by the sound, something slithered in the dark corners.
Soon, bizarre creatures that looked like they belonged in the lightless depths of the deep sea began to crawl out.
Ugh...
True to the nature of a dark fantasy game, every single one of them looked grotesque.
Eels with multiple heads, and deep-sea fish whose organs were clearly visible beneath their translucent flesh.
Of course, they hadn't been born this hideous.
They had simply been warped by the corruption of the Sea Moon Mother.
The monsters passed by without noticing my presence.
That was only natural. There was no way a holy relic-grade item would be detected by mere trash mobs.
But...
Even Tristan's Cloak, which seemed incredibly broken, wasn't omnipotent.
Especially in a situation like this.
[Item: The stealth effect of 'Tristan's Cloak' has been deactivated.]
“……”
Along with the notification window appearing before my eyes, the cloak lost its effect.
The holy relic that had hidden my presence until now was reduced to a mundane piece of outerwear.
I must be getting close to that domain.
I took off the useless cloak and laid it down on the forest floor.
Taking a few more steps forward, a wide-open lake unfolded before my eyes.
“……”
The trees surrounding the lake had warped so grotesquely that they could no longer be called trees.
Their bark was mushy like melted skin, and their trunks were covered in talismans inscribed with bizarre characters.
As I took a cautious step, the sound of water rippled beneath my feet.
The surface of the water was as still as a mirror.
My feet touched the water, but my body did not sink. It was thanks to a mysterious buoyancy supporting me from the surface.
The lake rippled with every step I took. Quiet ripples spread across the water's edge in the wake of my footsteps.
And……
[You have entered the domain of an evil god.]
……At some point, the air changed.
The terrible stench of decay that had filled the forest earlier was completely gone.
Instead, it was so crisp and clean that my lungs felt purified with every breath I took.
An alien sensation, as if I had stepped into a completely different world.
[Some of your 'Authorities' are restricted.]
Yes.
This was the domain of an evil god.
A distorted space beyond the reach of the ancient god, Elder.
That was precisely why Tristan's Cloak, imbued with an Authority, had lost its effect.
……Of course, it wasn't just holy relics that lost their power.
[Authority Skill: 'Ritardando Jin' has been sealed.]
[Authority Skill: 'Immortal Slayer' has been sealed.]
A sense of lethargy washed over my body.
Through the messages floating before my eyes, I realized that my Authority skills had been sealed.
But there was no need to worry. I had already prepared for this exact scenario.
[The power dwelling within the 'Easter Egg' resists the 'domain of the evil god'.]
The rainbow-colored egg tucked inside my inner pocket began to glow brightly.
At the same time, the strength that had drained away flowed back into my body.
[Authority Skill: 'Ritardando Jin' has been unsealed.]
[Authority Skill: 'Immortal Slayer' has been unsealed.]
Seriously, what a broken item.
A faint chuckle escaped my lips.
The small egg gifted by the Lord of Life and Earth repelled even the energy of the evil god with its own inherent life force.
Thinking about it again, receiving the Easter Egg as a reward during my meeting with the Saintess was an absolute stroke of luck.
By the way...
I furrowed my brow.
...This barrier is damn well-made.
Was it because of my elevated Perception stat?
I could feel the thick energy of the evil god permeating this space even more intensely.
Normally, no matter how meticulously designed a "Domain" was, it couldn't seal a player's Authority skills.
After all, Authorities were blessings directly bestowed by the Great Ones.
To seal such divine power required a force of equal magnitude.
Especially if it wasn't a mere "debuff" that temporarily weakened the Authority, but a complete "seal" that suppressed it entirely.
...A barrier of this caliber isn't something just anyone can create.
It was a technique that could only be deployed by a being who had lived for hundreds of years, obsessively honing this single field of expertise for all that time.
Then again, considering the identity of the "bastard" who created this domain, a barrier of this level was only to be expected.
“Hello.”
I paused.
Right on cue, the voice of the culprit behind all of this echoed.
I turned my gaze toward the source of the voice.
Just like with Camilo von Taribas, the first thing that caught my eye was a level window filled with heavy static.
A woman was slowly walking toward me from the center of the lake.
Yellow talismans were plastered all over her forehead, and the vermilion glow of her eyes flashing between them gleamed menacingly.
Her long black hair swayed slowly as if submerged in water, and her ritual robes, made of dark silk, looked faded from the passage of time.
“Hehe.”
A gloomy yet eerie smile hung on her lips.
“You arrived earlier than I thought.”
“……”
“I've wanted to meet you for a while, but I didn't expect us to cross paths so soon.”
One of the Five Nightmares, a master of necromancy and illusion, and a ruler who manipulated the shells of the dead like puppets.
The Jiangshi Queen.
Doricco Shiro.
She giggled, fiddling with the talisman stuck to her forehead.
“Anyway! Nice to meet you!”