Chapter 34: The Green Forest , The Deepest Part(2)

Avalli arrived in pitch-black darkness. The first thing she noticed was the change in the air. Without hesitation, she used ‘magic’ to restore her vision.

She was still in a forest. Whether it was still within the Great Forest or somewhere else, she couldn’t tell, but the trees around her were of a kind she had never seen before.

And she soon understood the strange quality of the air she had sensed in the darkness.

‘…Blood.’

There were many broken and uprooted trees. And near these signs of destruction, without exception, were dried, reddish stains.

It wasn’t human blood. If it were, it would have required a massacre of hundreds, if not thousands.

She guessed the source of the bloodstains was demonic beasts.

Had someone summoned demonic beasts to this location and killed them? Or had the summoned demonic beasts fought amongst themselves?

The first possibility seemed unlikely, given the widespread destruction. The second was also doubtful, as there were no corpses.

Then what was it?

Despite her confidence in using Spatial magic, fear crept into her heart.

Courage wasn’t always proportional to strength. That’s why even among ordinary people, ‘heroes’ sometimes emerged.

The memory of being thrown into the Great Forest resurfaced. She had thought she had overcome that trauma, but it seemed to have returned with a vengeance.

Avalli’s limbs began to tremble. She had started this—

‘…Let’s assess the situation first.’

—and she hated being caught up in something terrifying without understanding it, even more so if it affected the vulnerable villagers of Asha.

Avalli gritted her teeth and climbed a nearby tree, using a technique she remembered from a ninja manga she had read as a child. By channeling mana evenly to her feet, she could defy gravity and run up the vertical surface.

“…Wow.”

Reaching the top, Avalli gasped softly. The moon, even brighter than from Asha Village, illuminated the forest canopy.

The beautiful sight calmed her slightly.

She focused, trying to determine her location. Unlike three months ago when she had been abruptly dropped into this world, she now had a fixed point of reference:

The clone she had created as a disguise in Asha Village. Her ‘magic’ maintained a connection as long as they were in the same world. She couldn’t determine the exact distance, but she could sense the direction.

“Further east.”

The direction to her clone hadn’t changed. It was still to the west, in Asha Village, which meant Avalli was still within the Great Forest.

And she was right. She was even further east than where she had first landed, in the deepest part of the Great Forest. To be more precise, it was the area bordering the eastern edge of the forest. As she scanned her surroundings, her gaze naturally drifted eastward—

“…There’s something there.”

She spotted something distinctly out of place. A massive silhouette, seemingly formed from dozens, hundreds, perhaps thousands of trees fused together, its sheer size distorting perspective. And near that silhouette, she saw a faint flicker of light.

If it wasn’t a forest fire, it meant someone was there.

She didn’t hesitate. Avalli leaped from treetop to treetop, racing eastward.

At the top of the World Tree.

A priestess, having purified herself, carefully approached the sacred spring located at the very center of the summit. With each step, her pointed ears, peeking out from her golden hair, were visible.

Anyone seeing her would immediately recall a mythical race from children’s stories.

Elves. The guardians of the forest.

This long-eared race, known for their pride and disdain for other races, surprisingly knelt respectfully upon reaching the edge of the spring. Pressing her forehead to the ground, the elven priestess spoke.

“Lady Sylvain.”

There was no reply. But a faint tremor in the water told her that her words had reached the transcendent being within the spring.

“The darkness approaches once again.”

It had been three months since the darkness in the east had begun its invasion, breaking centuries of silence. The elves were desperately defending their sacred land. Despite the clear difference in power, their lines hadn’t been broken.

Because the transcendent being protected the World Tree.

“They’re relentless. They could at least take a break on the night of the full moon.”

Sylvain approached the priestess, her voice languid. Emerging from the spring, water dripping from her form, she spoke in a drowsy tone.

“I’ll be counting on you again.”
“Yes, Lady Sylvain.”

As soon as she heard the command, the priestess stood and respectfully began attending to Sylvain. Her flawless, perfectly proportioned body was like a sculpture. Her long, pure white hair, like freshly fallen snow, clung to her skin.

This was one of the reasons the elves, who revered beauty, loved their leader, Sylvain.

“You are as radiant as ever, Lady Sylvain.”
“Don’t be creepy. Or are you planning to subtly fondle my breasts while showering me with empty compliments again?”
“N…No! I would never!”

The priestess, caught red-handed, shook her head vehemently. Sylvain chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand, a playful glint in her eyes.

“You’re welcome to touch me anytime. Just not right now.”
“B…But, Lady Sylvain, I have no intention of—”
“Do you… dislike touching me? I wouldn’t mind indulging you.”
“No, it’s not that!”

The priestess exclaimed, forgetting the sanctity of the place.

“There. Honesty is so refreshing. Heehee, I rely on you so much, it wouldn’t be a problem.”
“I…I…”

As the priestess stammered, flustered, Sylvain whispered,

“Just say ‘thank you’.”
“…Thank you.”
“Come to my chambers when the sun rises. Heehee… I have something to look forward to tonight.”

The priestess blushed crimson at Sylvain’s suggestive tone. Despite her embarrassment, she dutifully finished attending to Sylvain, dressing her and then bowing deeply before retreating.

“…Sigh.”

Only after the priestess was gone did Sylvain sigh softly, the earlier playfulness vanishing from her face, replaced by anxiety.

‘This is a disaster.’

The balance of the Four Quarters had crumbled.

Those who were supposed to guard the North and West had long since fallen. It was fortunate that the stoic guardian of the South was still holding on… but two weren’t enough. She had even summoned the demonic beasts of the center to the front lines, but it was a temporary measure.

The enemy’s attacks weren’t that threatening yet, but Sylvain estimated they had ten years at most. Within ten years, the cradle of humanity would once again be engulfed in war.

“What are those three sisters doing?”

Sylvain grumbled, then turned her attention to her duties.

The relentless nightly attacks… if she didn’t participate, countless elves would die. She had grown fond of this race over the long years, and she couldn’t bear to see them suffer any longer. Just as she silently prayed for a peaceful night—

She sensed something approaching the World Tree at incredible speed.

“…From the west?”

And it wasn’t coming from the east, but from the west.

Enemy? Ally?

Sylvain hadn’t allowed a single enemy force past her defenses, so it was likely an ally.

It was impossible for a mortal human to move at that speed. Perhaps it was an angel sent by the Goddess, or one of her old acquaintances. Relieved that she could finally send word to the center, Sylvain sighed inwardly—

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaak!”

—just as the intruder plummeted into the sacred spring with a shriek.

Splash.
Sylvain stared at the churning water, dumbfounded.

From what she had glimpsed before the impact, the intruder wasn’t an angel. Nor was it one of the few individuals capable of traversing the Great Forest alone.

Then who was it?

“E…Excuse me.”

A silver-haired girl, drenched from head to toe, spoke.

“Could you… help me?”

She flailed her arms and legs desperately, trying not to sink.