Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: The Four-Armed Knight
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'Why is a druid here?'
The reason I hadn't identified them until now was because of the Krokmen's dark red hide.
The insignia around their necks was too similar to their skin color.
Come to think of it, the Krokmen I'd killed were subtly reverting to a human-like form.
Their spirit possession had worn off, and they were returning to their original shapes.
*Thwack! Crack!*
Dodging a Krokman's attack, I leaped slightly and unleashed a kick.
I used the recoil from my instep striking the creature's abdomen to pivot in the opposite direction.
Just then, another Krokman's maw was right upon me.
*Schlick—!*
"Perfect timing!"
I shoved the Black Dragon Sword into the roof of its mouth and dropped to the ground.
*Whoosh!*
Just in time, a Krokman's tail swept past the crown of my head.
I shot back to my feet and drove my sword deep into the abdomen of the third one that charged me.
*Thrust!*
It was a flawless chain of movements, right to the very end.
'There are quite a few 2nd-rankers. Is there a higher-ranked one nearby?'
Druids usually led dozens of creatures of a lower rank than themselves.
In this situation, it was natural to suspect the presence of a 3rd or 4th-ranker.
Sure enough, an ominous shriek began to echo from beyond the fog.
"Keeeeeeeek!"
But then, the Krokmen's movements suddenly changed.
After relentlessly swarming us, they retreated all at once like a receding tide.
"Huh? Why are they suddenly doing that?"
"No idea. Something big coming?"
Our party reformed into a triangular formation and stared intently into the forest.
But the shriek only grew more distant, with no sign of an impending attack.
"I think they've run away."
"Looks like it."
That final sound and the strange behavior of the 2nd-rank druids.
It was all incredibly suspicious.
But the fog was too thick to risk giving chase.
A single misstep could get us separated and picked off one by one.
"What should we do?"
"Let's just ignore them for now and get back to what we were doing."
"That sounds best."
Adel Richter readily nodded in agreement.
* * *
After the unexpected battle, we slowly followed the tracks of the expedition members.
With visibility so low, the pursuit was bound to be slow.
"By the way, when is this fog going to lift? Isn't it almost noon?"
"You can't expect common sense to apply in the Forest of the Dead."
"True. It's a place corrupted by demonic energy. What part of it would be normal?"
"Exactly. Even druids, who are only supposed to be in the Deser Mountains, are showing up."
"Hmm! Right. That was strange too, wasn't it?"
Adel's comment made me narrow my eyes.
I wasn't even paying attention to the bodies of the expedition members anymore.
There were no more clues to be found there.
'How in the world are druids in the Forest of the Dead? Is that even possible?'
All druids on the continent were under the influence of Brezhnev, one of the Seven Abominations.
After their defeat in the war against the Empire, they never ventured outside the Deser Mountains.
Not unless a special event occurred, like the rebellion of the Physiks Faction.
Furthermore, it was a mystery how a druid force of that size could have slipped past the Empire's surveillance.
But then, a single phrase shot through my mind.
"Wait, the Physiks Faction?"
There had been only one strange incident recently.
The very one we got involved with back in Venderford.
"Could it be that the whole commotion was a diversion to sneak these guys out?"
"Huh?"
Adel, who had been examining the tracks, snapped her head up at my sudden outburst.
It seemed she, too, had realized something.
"For your hypothesis to hold, Sir Ray, there must be a motive. Why would the druids do such a thing?"
"Good point. Are they trying to make this place their base?"
"Perhaps. If that's the reason, we should be able to find the answer soon."
"Hmm. Because their base would have to be somewhere around here?"
"Exactly. And it would also explain the massacre of the expedition members."
Adel Richter and I exchanged theories, nodding in agreement.
It felt like we were finally starting to unravel the mystery.
However, a single comment from behind instantly cooled the rising atmosphere.
"How do you explain the expansion of the Forest of the Dead?"
"...Right. There's that."
What was the reason we came to explore the eastern continent in the first place?
It was because the Forest of the Dead was rapidly expanding.
The mere presence of druids here couldn't explain that phenomenon.
We could only guess at a potential connection.
'Surprisingly sharp.'
I thought all he did was sleep.
As if sensing my gaze, Kamil slightly lifted his chin and said.
"I already knew."
"Knew what?"
"That those things were druids."
"Hey, I knew that too."
"You only figured it out during the fight. Therefore, I win."
What is he even talking about?
I suddenly wondered if this was his real personality.
I turned around with a baffled expression, but Adel just shrugged.
'Ah, right. She's barely ever interacted with Kamil.'
To be honest, our relationship is a bit too ambiguous to call us close, either.
Kamil Felton walked past us with a blank expression and tossed out a comment.
"I see it wasn't funny. It was a joke."
Who tells a joke with a face like that?
Is this guy a complete weirdo?
As I was thinking that, I heard Adel giggling beside me.
"Pfft!"
"You find that funny?"
"No. Your flustered reaction is what's funny, Sir Ray."
"..."
When I looked at her like I'd been had, she burst out laughing even louder.
Right. As long as we had a moment of fun.
I finally let out a small smile and was about to move on.
But it was at that very moment.
*Zap!*
"Hm?"
An ominous sensation shot through my entire body, and I froze in place.
It felt as if all my senses had been struck at once.
This was, without a doubt, killing intent.
"Wait a—"
The very instant I sensed an enemy attack and tried to call out to Kamil Felton, who had walked ahead.
*Twang—! Whoooosh!*
A subtle shockwave traveled through the air, followed by a ferocious sound of something tearing through it.
'Dammit! Where is it?'
I drew the Black Dragon Sword and scanned my surroundings, but I couldn't see a thing.
The fog was simply too thick.
But then, a spatial distortion appeared in one part of the forest, and something dark gray shot out.
The long, thick, spear-shaped object flew toward Kamil at incredible speed.
"Look out!"
Sensing something was wrong, I yelled out urgently.
Kamil Felton spun around reflexively, raising his aura to strike down the spearhead.
But deflecting a spear even larger than a ballista bolt was no easy task.
*K-K-K-K-KRAK!*
"Guuuuuh!"
Unable to withstand the immense force behind the spear, Kamil was pushed back relentlessly.
Soon, he disappeared completely from sight.
*CRUUUMBLE!*
A moment later, the sound of several large trees toppling echoed, and then the Forest of the Dead fell silent.
"Wh-what was that..."
Adel Richter stared in bewilderment in the direction Kamil Felton had vanished.
But this was no time to stand around.
*Snatch!*
"Kyaa!"
I wrapped my right arm around her waist and threw myself backward.
An instant later, a terrifying blast of wind swept through the spot where we had just been standing.
*CRASH! THUUUD!*
With a deafening noise, a massive gray blade slammed into the ground.
Adel, who witnessed the scene from mid-air, couldn't even breathe properly.
I could feel her whole body tense up with extreme nervousness.
"Hup!"
*Screeeech!*
I scraped my feet against the ground to slow down and quickly looked back.
*Thud! Thump!*
Soon, with a heavy vibration, the fog cleared, revealing the true form of our attacker.
"Ah... Th-that's!"
Adel let out a low groan, her face filled with terror.
The identity of their opponent was completely unexpected.
The creature that had blown away the fog with its sheer pressure was a knight on horseback.
It stood roughly five meters tall with gray skin.
Its four arms, attached to its torso, respectively held a spear, a sword, a blade, and a mace.
I stared at the creature and muttered under my breath.
"The Four-Armed Knight, Tetra Manus."
Tetra Manus was one of the four guardians of the Giant Sovereign, Injet.
"I heard it was a creature that stayed still, deep within the Forest of the Dead..."
"That's right. There was even a theory that it was a type of gargoyle. Seeing it move around freely, it seems that's not the case."
"In any case, this isn't a good situation. It's targeting us."
"Do you think the druids fled earlier because of the Four-Armed Knight's approach?"
"It's not impossible. By the way, can you get down now? You've been holding on for quite a while."
"Ah!"
Startled, she unwrapped her arms and legs.
It seemed she had been clinging to me without realizing it.
Given the situation, her flushed face quickly returned to its normal color.
The blood had drained from it due to fear.
"It was only because I was so surprised, so please don't get the wrong idea."
"Go check on Kamil. I'll take care of this thing."
"Ah, alright."
The intelligent Adel was well aware that she would only be a hindrance.
She stumbled as she moved cautiously in the direction Kamil Felton had been flung.
*Rumble!*
At that, the Four-Armed Knight's head turned toward Adel Richter.
It seemed to prioritize and act upon moving targets.
'I can't let Adel get attacked. Then I wouldn't be able to admire her beautiful face, would I?'
His thought process was a bit strange, but the conclusion—protecting his companion—was the same.
Raising the Black Dragon Sword, I began to walk forward with deliberately exaggerated steps.
Sure enough, the Four-Armed Knight's gaze shifted to me.
It immediately moved its lower-left arm and launched a terrifying thrust.
Seeing the black energy coiling around the blade, it looked like it was about to use some incredible technique.
*Swiiish!*
The tip of the sword shot forward with such speed that I couldn't even think of dodging.
I had no choice but to meet it head-on with the Black Dragon Sword, heavily imbued with aura.
*CLAAAAANG!*
An immense shockwave erupted, sending my body skidding backward.
Just like Kamil Felton when he had taken the thrown spear.
*Screeeeee!*
"Grhhh..."
The difference this time was that I had withstood the Four-Armed Knight's attack.
Two long furrows were carved into the ground, but at least I wasn't flung deeper into the forest.
Even though I'd blocked the attack, the situation was grim.
*Drip! Drip!*
Crimson blood trickled down the blade of my sword and dripped onto the ground.
The impact had been so unimaginably powerful that the skin of my palms had split open and was now bleeding.
Moreover, the aftershock still lingered, making my entire body throb.
The moment I clashed with it head-on, I realized one thing.
'This is going to be tough.'
I had a feeling this place would become my grave if I didn't go all out.
Glancing in the direction Adel had gone, I stared at the Four-Armed Knight and muttered softly.
"Hah! So you're finally making me get serious."
*Crack! Pop!*
At the same time, an eerie sound like breaking bones could be heard.
It was the sound of my facial bones and muscles snapping back into place as I released the Seven-Joint Face-Changing Technique.
My brown hair also returned to its original black.
As if I were gradually being consumed by darkness.
Finally, my eyes flashing with a cold, blue light, I spoke.
"Now that you've seen my true form, don't even think about leaving here alive."