Into the Sage's Forest (4)
“Fuck…”
After boldly charging into the forest and looping back to the same spot six times over about four hours, I had no choice but to admit I was lost.
Right at the entrance, there had been a well-paved path—probably made by the villagers—that let me advance easily.
But as I pushed deeper, the trail faded away, and before I knew it, the dense trees had me spinning in circles, my mind entranced.
Is this place enchanted or something?
Of course, I knew full well there was no magic at play here.
There wasn't a trace of unnatural mana flow—the kind you couldn't hide no matter how hard you tried.
Still, coming back to the same place despite taking different routes each time? It was enough to make you suspect some intruder-repelling spell.
Back here again…
The words “Battōjutsu Supreme” I'd carved into a tree two hours ago caught my eye again, and I let out a heavy sigh.
This made seven returns already. Swallowing the curse that nearly flew out of my throat, I started toward another direction—then stopped.
Stay calm and act wisely here.
Charging ahead thoughtlessly would just loop me back or get me more lost.
I needed to conserve energy for the fight with Marang, so I had to resolve this as efficiently and smartly as possible.
With that in mind, I placed my hand on the katana hilt at my waist and drew toward the front.
“Battōjutsu!!!”
Battōjutsu: Vacuum Slash.
The razor-sharp sword aura shot forward with the draw, slicing through thick trees like paper and whipping up a massive gust.
The most efficient, wisest way to handle this? Use the most efficient swordsmanship, obviously.
Isn't it said that Battōjutsu solves most problems in this world?
For the rare few it can't, an even stronger Battōjutsu does the trick.
As the Vacuum Slash sheared trees with crisp snaps, birds perched atop them panicked and fled skyward.
I advanced straight along the new path it carved.
Now there was only one way forward—no getting lost, no circling back.
I kept pioneering with Vacuum Slash, pressing on until dusk began to fall, when I finally halted the draws.
…This won't end at this rate.
I still had plenty of aura left, but I'd lose the daylight before finding Marang.
Facing a beast rivaling a young dragon—not some mere monster—while fatigued and in the dark felt too risky.
I needed to blaze a trail while minimizing stamina and aura drain and secure a light source.
This isn't my favorite, but…
I hated resorting to this method unless I had to, but it seemed time to break out my ace.
Hand back on the hilt, I hesitated a moment before steeling myself and staring ahead.
The target was straight front, same as before—but no draw just yet.
“Battō…!!!”
I geared up to cleave every tree in sight, then swallowed tears and sheathed the katana again.
Draw and sheath.
Repeat at eye-blurring speed, and soon the scabbard glowed red-hot, like it'd been thrust into a forge.
Ugh…! Pure hell.
Even for Battōjutsu, giving up a draw right there and resheathing?!
Unable to draw at will felt like someone else controlled my Battōjutsu.
A world where I couldn't Battōjutsu freely? Unthinkable horror.
All for the sake of Battōjutsu…!!
When friction from a draw converts to kinetic energy, it generates heat—what folks call frictional heat.
This technique weaponized that heat, but at a horrific cost: enduring hundreds, thousands of aborted draws.
Cancelling a draw to resheath, over and over? Agony. I'd avoided it whenever possible.
But for even better Battōjutsu, wasn't this suffering worth it?!
“Gaaahhh!!!”
I bellowed a scream-like kiai and unleashed all the pent-up draws forward with full force.
Battōjutsu: Blazing Inferno [Rank: B+]
A technique that maximizes frictional heat from drawing the sword with aura, loading it onto the outgoing sword aura. That's right—not some kinetic energy nonsense, but pure frictional heat.
Among all Battōjutsu techniques so far, this one's the most wasteful of stamina and aura. Should never have been born.
“I'll fucking kill you!!!”
The sudden intruder twisted my face into a scowl as I glared at it.
“Should never have been born”? No such thing as a Battōjutsu like that.
Even with flaws, it's a one-of-a-kind gem.
To prove it, I fired another Blazing Inferno at the roaring blaze.
The flames, spreading like plague to nearby trees, surged fiercer with fresh heat.
Like a sun had crashed down—the crimson inferno poured off massive heat. I grinned in satisfaction.
“Hahahaha!! Burn! Burn!! Burn like the comment section of that NTR Drift novel!!!”
Who could call Blazing Inferno useless after seeing this?
Even that trash author must be reflecting on their folly right now.
Thinking about it, I should've done this from the start.
Makes a path, provides light, and hey—might even draw out Marang defending its master's sleeping woods.
As I admired the blaze raging to consume the whole Sage's Forest—
-Boom!!
The ground shuddered with a deep rumble, like an earthquake.
Earthquake? Out of nowhere…?
Nature didn't time itself to people or situations, sure—but this timing was too suspicious.
Not an earthquake from some huge beast? No matching presences nearby.
Resheathing, I watched warily. Then the anomaly hit.
-Rumble-roar!!
Centered on the burning trees, the earth bulged like a volcano crater.
Magma? I eyed the swelling mound—out came not lava, but soil.
Like a whale spouting, dirt surged up and smothered the flames on the trees.
Endless soil doused the fire until its fury ebbed, leaving only charred black trunks.
“What the hell?”
I blurted in disbelief, and an unfamiliar voice replied from behind.
“That's my line.”
Quicker than shock at being flanked so easily, I whipped around to face the speaker.
A tree?
A small sprout had appeared where none was before, growing at insane speed into an ancient trunk—complete with an elderly face.
A spirit?
Fused with nature, no wonder I hadn't sensed it.
Recalling the earth spirit that announced Pier's death, I figured this was that one from the tales—Marga.
“You who defile the land where the Sage slumbers. Why make such a racket?”
No outright hostility, but the stiff tone wasn't friendly either.
Hand steady on my hilt for any contingency, I replied to the spirit.
“…Why the racket?”
“Indeed. This is the Sage's resting place. No place to soil with base desires.”
Base desires irked me, but I ignored it and pressed on.
“There's a wolf here called Marang, right? Came to hunt it.”
“……Foolish words. Robo guards its master, nothing more. It poses no threat unless you approach.”
Robo? That Marang's name?
Whatever—just a beast soon to die. Filed it away and continued.
“Not here to kill a threat. Here to kill for the gains.”
“Gains…?”
I roughly explained my reason, and he wrinkled his wooden face.
“…In 200 years, I've seen many fools, but none like you.”
“Heard that plenty. Used to it.”
“……I see. No ill words, then. I'll open the path to the village. Take it and go. I want no blood staining the Sage's land.”
“…Whose blood? Yours? Or that mutt Robo?”
With those words, a vicious tension crackled between me and this nameless spirit.
The air thick enough for either of us to strike first without warning—then the spirit sighed and backed down.
“…No use talking. Your mind's set. Then go. Go and die.”
With that, the tree-body rotted away at the speed it'd grown.
Look behind you.
His voice echoed through the entire forest.
Hesitating a beat, I turned—and the charred trees parted left and right, revealing an eerily desolate path.
At the end of that path lies Robo. Go and behold—the power of the Wolf King who stood guard at Pier's side with me.