Chapter 162
Chapter 162
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: Forest of Delusion (5)
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Half a day had passed since they crossed the root tunnel.
The group finally arrived near the exit.
"......"
"Hek, hek, hek......"
"Huff, whoo......"
The endless march had left the party utterly exhausted. Still, it could have been worse. At the height of the root tunnel's wild growth, it had felt like it might stretch all the way to the ends of the earth.
Kadim turned and shot Ilenia a sidelong glance.
"Quite the long passage. Do root tunnels normally grow this big when they sprout?"
"No...... Whew...... No, even if it grows long, we should have been out in an hour under normal circumstances......"
Thanks to the last meal it had devoured, the root tunnel worm had undergone abnormal overgrowth. Ilenia stole a glance at Kadim's thick forearm, her emotions a tangled mess beyond words. She could still vividly picture that arm severed, its fresh crimson cross-section exposed.
Kadim had drunk the 'Fission Demon's Blood' and cut off his own arm.
The 'Fission Demon's Blood' granted a 'Fission' buff. It sounded like a cheat buff that allowed infinite division and creation of clones just from the name alone, but reality was far less glamorous. Unlike with demons, the severed body parts didn't become independently acting clones—they just turned into endlessly multiplying chunks of flesh.
If nothing else, they could have at least used those chunks as emergency rations, but even that was usually impossible. Flesh under the 'Fission' buff wouldn't break down even when doused in stomach acid; it just kept multiplying. Back in the first playthrough, when supplies ran out in the demon realm, Kadim had tried eating a piece out of desperation and nearly burst his stomach.
But that was a different story if there existed a creature whose stomach grew endlessly based on what it swallowed.
The root tunnel worm fit that condition perfectly. The moment Ilenia explained it to him, Kadim had come up with the idea. And sure enough, when he fed it his multiplying forearm, the worm digested it to expand its gut, then used that expanded gut to digest more arm, achieving near-infinite growth until the flesh buff wore off.
Thanks to that, they traversed an enormous distance through the massively overgrown tunnel, but...... the rest of the party couldn't help worrying. Chopping off your own arm to use as feed wasn't something any sane person would do. Throughout the passage, Ilenia and Duncan had kept stealing anxious glances at Kadim's condition whenever they could.
The man himself, however, had other concerns. Kadim crossed his arms to hide his regenerated left arm and asked in a voice tinged with faint worry.
"If we exit here, we won't get lost, will we, archaeologist? We've come this far— it might be a place no human has ever set foot."
Ilenia pulled herself together and shook her head vigorously in denial.
"N-No, that won't happen! Don't worry! You saw how much material I brought on the Great Forest, right? And it's not just any ordinary stuff! It's not only modern human records—I've compiled everything from the mythic era when elves, dwarves, and dragons lived......"
She looked ready to pull out each document one by one to prove her point if he pressed. Well, they weren't ordinary materials, that much was true. She had stuff from the university and the Forgotten God cult, after all.
Kadim nodded roughly in acceptance. Ilenia urged him to trust her and took the lead.
As they emerged from the exit, a bizarre sight unfolded before them.
"......"
"......Huh."
Kadim and Duncan both stared blankly for a moment.
If they brought along someone with extremely lenient standards for judgment, they might still call it a 'forest.' There were trees, leaves, underbrush, soil, and bugs, after all.
But no normal person would call this sorry state a forest. What forest in the world had tree trunks wobbling like seaweed, bushes shimmering in pale pink, and swarms of flying insects rising from the shade like smoke before scattering?
It felt like stepping into an oil painting by a colorblind artist in a drunken stupor. When Kadim stepped onto what looked like solid ground, it sank like quicksand with a squelch. They had no clue which way to go...... but fortunately, they had a guide. The archaeologist who had pored over more material on the Great Forest than anyone.
She carefully observed the surroundings, then offered this guidance to the lost group.
"......Huh? What? Where...... is this......?"
"......"
"......"
Kadim changed his mind. Maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be so bad to look for the dragon first, like the woman said.
At least then he could feed her to it.
But a guide was still a guide.
Ilenia climbed up a wobbling tree to scan the sky, stuck a rod in a clearing to check the shadows, pulled out strange artifacts and maps to survey the area—after going through the whole process of imposing order on this chaotic place, she finally reached a conclusion.
"W-We...... seem to have skipped right over the central region and ended up in the southern part of the Great Forest."
"......"
The group just blinked at her in silence. Ilenia spread out her map and tapped the bottom.
"Look here. See how the Great Forest sprawls across the bottom of the continent? Our starting point was here, the northernmost entrance to the forest. But our estimated current position is here, the deepest part of the southern forest. So we've already...... crossed more than half the Great Forest."
The two points were nearly a handspan apart even on the map. Kadim asked incredulously.
"Does that even make sense? That would mean we jumped hundreds of kilometers in half a day."
"Of course...... it doesn't! But you made it make sense, mercenary! I never imagined the root tunnel worm could grow that much!"
"......"
His sun-bronzed face twisted in a scowl.
He'd only meant to go a decent ways in, not overshoot this badly. Melissa wouldn't have hidden herself this deep in the Great Forest, surely......
"Can't we go back through that tunnel and break out midway, archaeologist? Exit somewhere more reasonable instead of this far."
"Uh...... I wouldn't recommend that. It was fine punching out of the gut because the exit sealed itself, but now that it's open, we don't know what might happen to the root tunnel worm......"
"......Then we should head back to the starting point. Re-enter the forest through another worm."
"Wha—?! M-Master, b-back there again?!"
The news hit like a thunderbolt, making Duncan jump. Back into that damp, creepy worm gut for another half day? He'd rather wander this freakish forest forever.
For different reasons, Ilenia reached a similar verdict.
"Mm, no...... It'd be better not to go back. We've skipped what would have taken months on foot anyway...... and we have a rough idea of direction and position now. The problem is we've ended up somewhere with zero intel, but...... both my goal and yours, mercenary, are way closer from around here than the forest entrance......"
"......"
The warrior's gaze sharpened like a blade. As expected, she knew his goal was Melissa. She even seemed to know her location already.
With her true colors partially revealed, the archaeologist eyed Kadim cautiously and spoke in earnest.
"Mercenary. In my opinion...... what you're after is probably in the forest's central region. But I recommend searching for the 'dragon' somewhere else with me first."
"......"
"I have this feeling that the supreme being from legend will be a huge help to you this time. Once we've tracked it down, I'll guide you straight to your destination......"
Her earnest persuasion continued. Kadim looked down at Ilenia impassively. Her intentions were murky, but her flickering eyes held genuine concern and worry.
However, there was one major obstacle to trusting that vague hunch.
"......So, what's in that bag? We've gone plenty deep into the forest by now."
Ilenia gazed anxiously at the sunlight filtering through the leaves. She worked her lips for a long time, but her final answer was this.
"I'm sorry. It's still...... not the right time to tell you."
"......Then what if I just take it by force?"
"......"
Her muscles tensed as if ready to bolt. Taking it wouldn't be hard, but she wouldn't cooperate as a guide afterward.
Kadim clicked his tongue and made his decision.
"Guide us to the forest's center. If we stray even a little off course, our partnership ends right there."
"......"
Ilenia bit her lower lip until it turned white, then nodded weakly and began leading the way.
Over the past few days, the group's mood had been like walking on thin ice.
This was uncharted wilderness not even recorded in the archaeologist's mountain of documents. The strangely twisted nature defied prediction at every turn. Wariness of the unknown environment, plus the subtle friction from day one, kept a constant tension simmering among them.
Fortunately, the forest started looking more familiar the further they went.
Hardy broadleaf trees began mixing in among the swaying ones. The pale pink underbrush gradually turned to ordinary green. After three days, the freakish woods became a half-and-half blend of bizarre and familiar flora.
The group's tension eased a bit. It was still too early to let their guard down, but things were heading toward the predictable. Duncan, who had always fretted over what might leap from the trees or if the other two would clash again, even found time to savor the humid forest air now and then.
But that's when the real trouble started.
"Whoa, miss? I-Isn't that the root tunnel we came out of?"
"......Pardon?"
Where Duncan pointed was just dense shrubs and vines—no ant hill, let alone a tunnel. Ilenia gave him an baffled look and said there was nothing. Even Kadim backed her up that no tunnel was there, so Duncan tilted his head, admitted he must have been mistaken, and moved on.
But similar incidents kept repeating.
"Uh, m-master, do you see that hole in the ground? It looks just like the one you punched in the worm's gut a few days ago......"
"Th-That one's really the root tunnel, right miss? The ground's shaking just like back then......"
"I-I hear voices! People's screams! Look over there, master! This time we really found a tunnel!"
Duncan's claims grew more confident each time. Kadim's usual persuasions started losing their edge. By the time the rest of the group began eyeing the merchant like he was mad...
A real tunnel appeared.
A massive root tunnel, identical to the first one they'd passed.
Rumble rumble rumblerumble......
Duncan, thrilled, pointed at it excitedly.
"Wh-What did I tell you? You both see it clear as day now, right? Why wouldn't you believe me after all that......"
"Huh? What is this......?"
"......"
It made no sense.
They hadn't wandered in a circle. This was hundreds of kilometers from the start. Yet the grandly swollen entrance, the toppled dead tree shoved aside, the cracks and stray roots at the edges—it matched the tunnel at the forest's threshold perfectly.
Duncan jumped for joy at having his innocence vindicated, while Ilenia gaped blankly. She snapped out of it and stepped forward, saying she'd check what was going on. The group's attention fixed entirely on the suddenly appeared tunnel for a while.
Kadim glanced at it briefly, then turned his gaze elsewhere.
To Duncan, who had stubbornly insisted a nonexistent tunnel was there.
"......Duncan, I've got a favor to ask."
"Y-Yes! What is it, master? Just say the word!"
"Just pass out for a bit."
"......Pardon? What do you mean...... Gahk!!"
Thick fingers pressed his carotid. Duncan's face drained white, and in mere seconds, his head lolled forward limply. Ilenia jumped, eyes wide like a rabbit's.
Contrary to fears, Kadim hadn't lost his mind and attacked an ally. He turned back to the tunnel.
Gurgle, gurglegurgle......
The moment Duncan passed out, the tunnel collapsed and vanished completely.
Not a coincidence, as expected...... Kadim's expression hardened. Ilenia seemed to dimly grasp something too.
"Mercenary, don't tell me this forest......"
"Yeah, probably something like that."
"......"
"A place where if someone mistakes an illusion for reality and believes it, it gradually gains substance until it becomes real."
Ilenia's eyes widened in shock.
Violent ripples stirred in her yellow irises.
It wasn't disbelief in Kadim's words. She was used to mysteries and miracles. And this was the Great Forest, brimming with the uncanny—illusions manifesting as reality wasn't all that shocking.
The cause of her shock was something else. The berserker standing before her right now.
From Duncan's case, these illusions seemed born from unpleasant memories. Yet this warrior who slew great demons carried an ocean of blood-soaked horrors within him. Enough to casually sever his own arm.
If that blood ever overflowed and invaded reality...... a mere giant tunnel wouldn't be the end of it.
Kadim was aware of it too. His temples throbbed.
It wasn't hopeless. He could accept 'Atala's Divine Tool' to dispel the debuff or use 'Akulanos's Tattoo' to devour the mystery, neutralizing any immediate threats.
But neither was perfect. The divine tool built up side effects, and the tattoo had a 24-hour cooldown. Plus, if the mania worsened into full hallucinations, he might lose all reason......
Kadim sighed and hoisted the unconscious Duncan over his shoulder.
"We've stumbled into a real pain. Let's get out as fast as we can. At least it's a relief that the illusions vanish when the fool imagining them drops......"
"......"
"......Archaeologist, keep this in mind. If I ever call an illusion real, subdue me like this merchant immediately."
Ilenia bit her lip needlessly. She prayed it never came to that and hurried her steps.
But what actually happened was the exact opposite of their worries.
"Haa, haa...... Mercenary, sorry, but...... could we head to the shade for a bit? The sun's so hot here...... the sandstorm's bad too...... I need to wet my throat and rest......"
"......"
Before long, Ilenia started complaining of heat and thirst like they were lost in a parched wasteland.
It was obviously an illusion. This was dense broadleaf shade where sunlight barely penetrated. Kadim repeated what he'd said dozens of times before.
"......Get a grip, archaeologist. This isn't a wasteland—it's the Great Forest. The sun, the sandstorm— all illusions."
"Ah, aaah...... Y-You're right! S-Sorry, mercenary. I let my guard down again......"
It wasn't just a momentary lapse. Her clothes were soaked in sweat, her skin sunburned red—proof the illusion was becoming reality as she believed it.
Ilenia pinched her thigh and slapped her cheeks. Then she looked at Kadim curiously.
"By the way, don't you see any illusions, mercenary? You look the same as always......"
"No, I see them. Things keep lunging at me since a bit ago."
"Huh? R-Really? But how are you so fine? Doesn't it feel like you're really getting attacked?"
"......Not really."
Kadim eyed the nearby bushes. Demonic energy wafted up, and demons poured out.
- I'll rip out your heart and eat it, you worm! Kehehehe......
Bam—crack!
- ......Kehek!
But the demons couldn't muster any power.
A casual punch shattered their skulls. A light kick pulverized their leg bones. They weren't strong to begin with, and recognizing them as fakes only weakened them further. Eventually, Kadim ignored them outright, and they crumpled against his body like rotten tofu.
It was ridiculous. Kadim wanted to ask in turn.
"How do you lot fall for such crude phantoms?"
"......"
Compared to the vicious hallucinations of his mania, these were too easy to see through.