Chương 82: Chapter 82: Pebbles and Leaves Part 2
Pebble reached out his hand to me in an instant.
But I was quicker.
As soon as I saw the swirling darkness in his grasp, I used the [Sunlight] skill in an instant. A burst of intense light exploded between Pebble and me, and we were both flung out of the carriage. I quickly got to my feet and ran to the opposite side of the carriage.
"Damn it!"
Pebble was already gone. He must have used dark magic. I pounded my fist into the ground where the grass had died black.
To have made all the dark elves in the village disappear, and even Darion… it didn't seem like something a child could do. What on earth was happening?
To find out, I had to visit the entire dark elf villages. The fourth village, the fifth village, and even the sixth village… And just like that, the five-day journey began.
The fourth village was sunk deep into the ground as if a sinkhole had opened beneath it. The fifth was submerged as if flooded. The sixth looked as though it had been struck by a meteorite and was destroyed beyond recognition.
We set up camp at the entrance to the Dark Forest near the sixth village. We had to prepare thoroughly before entering the Dark Forest. We needed to replenish our strength and repair our weapons.
"…This is madness."
I sat in front of the campfire and tore my hair out. It was because I couldn't understand the situations I had witnessed on the way here. I was in a daze, as things that were impossible to even "guess" were tangled up in my head.
-Hooooooo!
At that moment, I heard the hooting of an owl from somewhere. I quickly lifted my head. Having reached the Dark Forest, it seemed I was finally in the presence of other living creatures. Before the creature could get away, I used the [Beast's Song] skill. Soon after, the owl that had been calling from a distance landed on my shoulder.
I began to write a letter in earnest. It was addressed to Darion's parents, the Sylvanus couple. I briefly explained Darion's disappearance and our situation and asked them to inform the elders so they could organize soldiers to search the dark elf villages.
It's fortunate I can send a message before entering the Dark Forest.
I tied the letter to the owl's leg and sent it off. Would it arrive in three days? No, perhaps in two. I hoped the creature would fly diligently.
I was lost in thought as I looked at the moon, bright and clear in the sky. What if the village in the Dark Forest was also destroyed? Would I have to enter the Labyrinth of Dreams again to meet the Queen? What if the darkness of the Labyrinth of Dreams overtook me as well?
The queen had told me to find "Grizel" In order to find "Grisel," I needed the help of the dark elves, but so far, the dark elves I had encountered…
"Haah…"
A sigh was all that could escape in this desperate situation. It had been a long time since I had felt this way. Overwhelmed by fatigue, I simply lay down and closed my eyes. I felt Ayla licking my face.
"What should I do…"
I muttered quietly to myself.
"…First, we need to enter the Dark Forest."
Huh?
I hadn't expected a response. I opened one eye and looked toward the source of the voice. It was Lloyd.
"It's not good to think alone, Theodore."
"…Coming from someone who's always lost in thought."
"On the contrary, I am not thinking about anything."
"Is that so?"
"I know what you're thinking about. You're worried whether the dark elf village deep in the Dark Forest have also been wiped out as well."
"Yes, that's probably it. Having seen all the other villages obliterated, the inside of the Dark Forest is even more dangerous. Can they really have survived?"
"Because the deeper parts of the Dark Forest are more dangerous, the dark elves of the last village are likely to be tougher."
"..."
"So, there's a higher chance they are still safe."
"That might be true."
"We can only know for sure if we go there ourselves."
Is this supposed to be encouraging? What's gotten into this stoic man? I glanced at Lloyd and chuckled lightly.
"Well, that might be. Thank you for the consolation."
"There's no need for thanks."
"As a token of my gratitude, I'll take the first watch tonight."
Lloyd nodded his head and then returned to his place. Anyway, I was somewhat relieved by his words and rose from my seat before gazing at the moon once more.
The dark elves cherished the moon and the Goddess of Mercy, Nemeya, who looked upon them with pity and care. I wonder if she knew what had become of the dark elves who had disappeared.
"Could you give me a hint?"
The moon, which was casting a gentle glow, remained silent.
-Ughhhhhhh!!!
As soon as we stepped into the Dark Forest, terrifying monsters began to reveal themselves. From weak goblins to huge slimes and bands of orcs.
"Yaaaah!!!"
Perhaps the most comforting fact was how much stronger El had become. She now had the skill to cleave two goblin heads with a single swing of her sword.
While El dealt with the goblins and Lloyd took on the orcs, I was shooting arrows at a giant slime.
Arrows at a slime?! It might sound foolish, but tied to the arrows were seeds I had carefully selected. They included the giant arrowroot vine, the Void Tillandsia, and the Night Scandipsus. These were plants that thrived even in toxic environments and possessed purifying powers.
After shooting eight arrows into the giant slime, I used [Blessing of the Forest]. Plants began to grow inside the giant slime's body, which was a mixture of dark forest mud and unknown slime. The roots of the giant arrowroot vine formed the core, and the leaves of the Night Scandipsus appeared between them, causing the slime to gradually evaporate as it was "eaten" by the plants. As the Void Tillandsia grew, the toxicity of the giant slime was almost completely neutralized. The giant slime was no longer a poisonous slime monster, but rather a living ball of purifying plants. Hmm, should I call it a topiary now?
Kuuwoong!
The giant slime was trying to struggle somehow but it just collapsed on top of a group of orcs. Thanks to this, about half a dozen orcs were crushed and killed in one fell swoop. Thanks for that, you brute.
Having dealt with the remaining orcs, Lloyd went to help El and Ayla, who were fighting the goblins. Meanwhile, I climbed a nearby tree and picked some fruit for the group to eat. Star apples. This fruit was named so because it was yellow in color and resembled a star. The taste was exactly like an apple though.
I used the [Blessing of the Forest] skill on the star apples. This skill enriched the fruit with nutrients, making it easy to restore health and feel full, which made it easier to keep moving.
"Phew. You all worked hard. Let's take a moment to breathe and eat some of these."
I handed out two star apples each and then leaned back against the tree. Crunch, crunch, crunch, the sound of vigorously chewing star apples filled the air.
"Don't you think it's too much to meet monsters every hour?"
"Well, it's the Dark Forest after all."
Lloyd spoke in an indifferent tone.
"No, I know, but it's a bit much how often all these bastards show up at once. There's no decency, no decency at all."
They never attack each other, just people, always people. I grumbled as I took a bite of a star apple.
That's when it happened.
-Swiiiiiiiish!!!
-Thwack!
"…!"
A sudden arrow flew from somewhere and struck right into the star apple I was holding. Ugh, a slight misstep and it could have been my head flying off…
-Gulp.
"Cough, ack, hack!"
A piece of apple went through the wrong pipe, causing an ugly fit of coughing. Cough! Cough! Cough! I coughed incessantly until I finally calmed down and looked around. Lloyd and El were already scouring the area and trying to pinpoint where the arrow had come from.
"Show yourself!"
El shouted towards the dark forest. Would that really make them come out?
"Hahaha."
…Apparently, it would.
I looked up at the tree where the laughter was coming from, which was not too far away.
"I only issued a warning for daring to covet the fruits of the forest without permission."
The figure that revealed itself was a dark elf.
"You are…!"
More than feeling angry, I was actually relieved. And for good reason. I had been anxiously wondering what would happen if even the last village deep within the Dark Forest had been completely destroyed as well. Though I wanted to tie him up with vines and interrogate him from one to ten, I knew that would only backfire. So, I spoke to him calmly.
"Warning? That's a strange thing to say. Are you claiming to be the master of the forest?"
"That …"
Seeing him all flustered like that, I didn't miss my chance to counter.
"The true master of the Dark Forest is the forest goddess, Lynshaka!"
"..."
"And I am a 'Druid' her offspring."
"..."
"There's no reason for her to be upset just because I tasted some fruit."
Would a being as divine as the goddess get angry over a few star apples from the Dark Forest? I looked at him with a confident smile. Realizing there was no flaw in my argument, he was unable to say anything.
"Let me continue my introduction. I am Theodore, a human Druid."
"Theodore?"
"Yes, Theodore. That's my name."
"I've never heard that before."
"That makes sense. It's my first time coming to Lysette."
"Hmph. I've heard that humans who wander into Lysette are no different from pigs and dogs."
He looked at me with a mocking smile. He was clearly trying to provoke me. I responded calmly.
"I am different. The reason I came here is…"
It might be dangerous to say that I came to save your queen. I didn't know enough about him yet. I thought of a vague excuse.
"…I came here to test my limits."
"Limits?"
"Yes. I wanted to test my limits, which is why I ventured into the Dark Forest."
This statement would likely appeal to the war-like dark elves. I put on my most stern look and glared at him.
Did my intense gaze make an impression?
With a light gesture, he jumped down from the tree.
Then I could finally see him clearly.
"If that's the case, you've come to the right place."
A dark elf woman with pitch-black skin, moonlit silver hair, and sparkling amber eyes smiled through bared teeth.
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