Chapter 34
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: The Forest's Will
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A fierce battle erupted.
It wasn't because the Morks were strong.
It was because their ambush had been flawless.
*Squelch!*
“Aghhhhhhh!”
A Mork’s sharp claws pierced through armor and dug into flesh.
The soldiers’ screams echoed.
“Surround them! We have the numbers! Shield bearers, pin them down from both sides so they can't move!”
The officers shouted, directing their men.
At their command, the soldiers quickly raised their shields, blocking the Morks’ movements.
Pressed from both sides by the shields, the Morks thrashed wildly.
*Thrust!*
In that opening, the spearmen drove their weapons into the Morks’ bodies.
“Kieeeeeeeeek!”
The impaled Morks flailed their claws, but they couldn't reach the soldiers who had struck them.
And in that moment.
*Fwoosh!*
With the priests’ prayers, holy power spread through the area.
“Kieeeeeeeeeeeek!”
“Kweeeeeeeeeek!”
The holy power began to weaken the Morks.
“Now! Press the attack!”
Their spirits lifted, the soldiers began to take down the Morks one by one.
They had already lost comrades to these creatures.
So, with eyes full of fury, the soldiers swung their swords and spears without mercy.
“Die!”
“Kill them all!”
*Stab! Slice! Splatter!*
“Kweeeek!”
*Thud.*
Soon, the forest was filled with the shouts of soldiers and the screams of Morks.
Before long, the Morks began to fall, one after another.
And after some time had passed.
“Huuu…”
“Hah… hah…! Are they all dead?”
Looking at the annihilated Morks, the soldiers gasped for breath.
The commanders ordered another check, just in case any Morks had survived.
The soldiers made sure of the kills, thrusting their spears into the corpses of the dead Morks.
The battle was then truly over.
“Identify the fallen and treat the wounded immediately.”
It hadn't been a long fight.
But the number of dead and injured was quite high.
It was a tragedy born from a completely unexpected ambush.
*Stomp, stomp.*
Just then, Wilkis, the commander-in-chief of the subjugation force, dismounted and strode toward Tarone.
His eyes gleamed with fury.
His expression twitched as if he were about to unleash a torrent of curses.
Wilkis reached Tarone and struck him squarely across the cheek.
*SMACK!*
“...!”
“Wh-what?!”
It was, if anything, a sudden turn of events.
The nearby members of the Neokalitz Unit scowled at Wilkis.
What kind of outrage was this?
However…
“What in the hell are you people doing? There was no information about this!”
He then looked at the surrounding Neokalitz members and said.
“How do you handle your duties that a situation like this occurs!”
Based on the survey, over fifty soldiers from the subjugation force were dead.
Including the injured, the number was well over a hundred.
Unable to contain his temper, Wilkis glared furiously at the Neokalitz Unit and the Erkal Garrison.
He looked as if he might draw his sword at any moment.
But Tarone looked at Wilkis and spoke calmly.
“Morks are solitary monsters. They don't form packs, nor do they set traps like this.”
“Then how do you explain this!”
“We cannot predict the changes caused by the demonic energy.”
“Is 'we don't know' the end of it? Then you should have scouted ahead! Are you making excuses now after failing to perform your duties properly?”
Wilkis stared at Tarone with murderous eyes.
“I requested the need for reconnaissance, but it was you, Commander, who said we could just push through such insignificant monsters.”
*Glance.*
Tarone looked at the bodies of the fallen soldiers nearby.
There had been casualties not only from the subjugation force but from other units as well.
*Clench.*
Tarone’s fists trembled.
Though they were here in place of punishment, all of these men were like family to him.
Tarone said.
“You are the one who created this situation, Commander.”
“What did you say? You must have a death wish!”
Wilkis roared and gripped the hilt of his sword.
But in that instant.
“That is enough.”
Claire, who had been observing the situation, intervened.
She looked at Wilkis and said.
“Commander. This forest is poisoned by demonic energy. That means the entire forest may possess a will of its own.”
“A will of its own? What does that mean?”
“It’s possible that as a large external force—the subjugation force—entered its domain, the forest recognized us as an enemy.”
“…Is such a thing possible?”
Not only Wilkis, but the other officers couldn't hide their surprise.
If that hypothesis were true.
“It means that from now on, things may happen here that defy common sense.”
“…”
Everyone fell silent at Claire’s words.
It was a statement that signaled the situation had become that much more dangerous.
However…
“Still, that does not absolve them of their fault.”
“Commander, that’s…”
“If you interfere in this matter any further, I will file a formal complaint with the Temple after this subjugation is over.”
Wilkis said, his eyes wide with anger.
The Royal Palace and the Temple maintained a relationship of implicit non-interference.
That was why Wilkis was ending it at this line.
“…I understand.”
As Claire stepped back, Wilkis turned to Tarone and said.
“Your punishment will be decided after the subjugation. From now on, ensure you perform your duties properly. Otherwise, you may not be able to keep your life.”
“…Understood.”
Tarone nodded in response.
At that, Wilkis turned away.
“Quickly recover the bodies of the fallen! Then we will move to another location and prepare to make camp.”
Wilkis looked at Tarone again.
“Find a suitable place for a campsite, quickly.”
“…Yes, sir.”
After Tarone replied, Wilkis turned and left.
Once he was gone, the remaining members of the Neokalitz Unit were silent.
“…Fucking hell, this is bullshit.”
“Son of a bitch. He’s the one who told us not to scout, and now he’s throwing a fit.”
Their anger boiled over.
But they couldn't protest.
For Wilkis, having them executed on the spot would be no problem at all.
He was a nobleman.
They were just convicts serving in the military in place of a prison sentence.
“…Huuu. Hurry and recover our comrades’ bodies. And Aaron, take the fast ones and scout for a campsite.”
“Understood.”
It was an unjust situation, but they couldn't just stand around.
The unit members quickly began to move.
“Let’s get moving, too.”
Dianal said to Demian.
Demian turned his head to look at the dead soldiers.
A bitter expression.
His eyes were filled with sorrow as he looked at them.
“…”
So many had fallen on the very first day.
And there were casualties among the Neokalitz Unit as well.
A senior who had been laughing and joking in the barracks, another who had shouted about making a bet—they were dead now.
“…Damn it.”
Demian bit his lip hard.
A bitter taste filled his mouth.
“You okay?”
“…No.”
Demian let out a small sigh at Kyle’s question. But…
“Let’s get moving.”
“Right.”
Demian used the herbs he had to treat the wounded.
In the meantime, the scouting party that had gone to find a campsite returned.
“There’s a good spot just a little further from here.”
“We move immediately! Hurry!”
Once the campsite was decided, the officers of the subjugation force shouted commands to the soldiers.
If they stayed here, the smell of blood would attract other monsters.
Besides, the sun was setting.
They needed to move to the campsite quickly and set up their tents.
The subjugation force moved swiftly toward the new location.
*Thump! Thump!*
Everyone hurried to erect their tents.
With so many people, they needed a lot of materials, but there was no shortage of trees.
“…What the hell is with that guy?”
“Didn’t they say this was his first unit?”
The tents were the type where a central wooden pole was erected, and a thick cloth was pulled taut and fixed in four directions.
They weren't sturdy, but their advantage was that they could be set up quickly, making them useful in times like these.
And yet.
“Did that bastard practice setting up tents before he came here?”
The other unit members exclaimed in admiration as they watched Demian finish his tent with incredible speed.
“Huu, Kyle. Use what you just learned and go help the other seniors.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll help you, sir.”
Not content with finishing his own tent, Demian went around to where the other seniors were and helped them.
Thanks to Demian's skill, the unit members were able to follow his instructions and set up their tents quickly.
Before long, the tents were all up.
And so, the night of the first day of the subjugation passed.
***
*Ssssssk.*
In a place where a dark light faintly glowed.
*Rustle!*
With that light, a sprouting bud grew several times its size in an instant, black spots appearing on its leaves.
And the eyes of the nearby animals and monsters turned red and began to gleam.
Hundreds, no, thousands of monsters.
Like a swarm of ants on a lump of sugar, the number of monsters gathered around ‘it’ was disgustingly large.
And soon…
—*Kill… Kill…*
A single command was issued into the monsters’ minds.
—*Kill the humans who have invaded this place…!*
“Kieeeeeeeeeeeek!”
“Kuaaaaaaaaargh!”
With tremendous roars, the thousands of gathered monsters began to move somewhere.
Their purpose was singular.
To purge the humans who had trespassed on their home.
And in the spot the monsters had just vacated.
The thing at the center pulsed, emitting a brilliant light.
***
Fortunately, there were no other attacks during the night.
Waking with the morning dew, Demian wiped his armor and weapon with a dry cloth.
They were slightly damp from the humidity.
“Polishing your gear first thing after waking up?”
“You should too. The grip could be slippery, so pay special attention to it.”
“Thanks.”
Kyle caught the cloth Demian tossed him, sat down, and began to check his equipment.
He might grumble all the time, but he was good about doing things like this when told.
Demian let out a small smile watching him and headed outside the tent.
“Hmm…”
There didn't seem to be any particular problems.
A scan of the surroundings revealed no other presence.
However.
‘My body… feels heavy.’
It wasn't that he had slept poorly.
That left only one possible explanation.
He had to assume that the demonic energy poisoning the entire forest was having an effect.
If that was true, it meant the soldiers’ conditions might not improve as time went on.
Moreover…
‘It’ll get worse the deeper we go.’
He guessed that ‘it,’ the source of the demonic energy, was likely located somewhere in the very center of the forest.
In that case, the most important thing for the subjugation force right now was one thing.
‘Getting the direction right will be crucial…’
Wasting time in the wrong place could lead to one dangerous situation after another.
As the battles repeated, the number of wounded would increase.
‘And we’ll become more and more poisoned by the demonic energy.’
They had to move to the center of the forest as quickly as possible.
*Glance.*
Demian’s gaze shifted to the officers’ tents in the center of the camp.
It seemed they were busy with a meeting since early morning…
“They’d better make the right decision.”
Demian just muttered to himself and began to stretch.
However…
“…You want to circle around the outskirts?”
Commander Wilkis’s decision was proceeding in a different direction.