Chapter 123. Witch of the Black Forest (2)
The group escaped the Black Forest filled with moving trees and malice.
A small river flowed in front of them.
“It is here.”
Although Sten called it a river, in reality, it was no different from a brook, looking crossable by just wetting up to the knees.
However, no one here could easily bring up the words to cross the river, for.
“I feel an evil gaze.”
Hearing Simon’s words, Blanc looked at the dark forest across the river.
Not only Blanc, but the gazes of everyone in the group were gathering in one place.
Toward a giant tree standing tall across the river.
A massive tree soaring fiercely as if to pierce the sky greeted the group.
“Surely there was nothing like that until now…….”
Sten, having confirmed the existence of the giant tree, pointed at it with a finger as if bewildered.
The dwarves of Brotswav who patrolled the Black Forest at intervals of a few months.
Since there was no report about that tree even in the most recent patrol, according to their claim, that tree had grown as if to pierce the sky in just a few months.
It was an event that could not happen in a natural state.
However, listening to Sten’s words, there was something the knights of Cadmus recalled.
The tree that opened its eye at the highest place in Norington.
The tree that split the collapsing sky and created a rift in the world.
Rakshar gulped down saliva thinking of that time and couldn't hide his tension toward the tree visible in front.
“Jerome.”
Blanc, looking at the giant tree with cold eyes, called Jerome once again and checked Ulrich’s Banner.
However.
However, the banner still did not shine.
‘…….’
The eyes of the Night Watchers remained closed.
Blanc turned his head again to look at the tree across the river.
A tree with the exact same appearance as the Void Tree stood leaking ghostly energy.
However, Blanc, a regressor who cut down the Void Tree and a Demon-breaking Knight who handles Evil, could feel it.
That the essence of the giant tree visible in front, although evil, was not of the Void.
‘Then what on earth is that?’
Blanc’s eyes looking at the tree were clouding with confusion and bewilderment.
“Sir Blanc.”
Blanc woke up from his thoughts at Sten’s call.
“What will you do?”
At Sten’s question, Blanc returned to reality.
“……We will go in.”
Although he was speaking looking at Sten, the answer he just gave was also speaking to himself.
If unknown, one just has to verify.
Since the Void was always an existence of the unknown, and the unknown always accompanied fear.
Until Berger pierced through the essence of the Void, humanity couldn't put up a resistance worthy of the name, but from the moment they found out the reality of the Void, the Liberation Front could thrust swords at them even a little.
“We must find out. What led us here.”
Fear of human nature stemming from the unknown.
And the Void transmitted through fear.
To stop those things, he had to find the essence.
Although he couldn't do so in his past life, the current Blanc was different.
Now in front of his eyes existed something that resembled the Void Tree but wasn't the Void Tree.
Perhaps that might become a clue to find the essence of the Void.
“Let’s go.”
Along with splashing water sounds, the warriors of Brotswav and Blanc’s knights crossed the river.
Although they were people who barely escaped the dark forest just a moment ago, they were people who chose to enter the darkness themselves again.
Someone had to do so.
Someone had to burn themselves to make a torch.
Thus, they had to verify the reality of the fear hidden in the darkness called the unknown.
***
The investigation team moved their feet slowly into the forest again, being careful lest a situation like before occurred.
Their target was the giant tree suspicious to anyone’s eyes.
The monsters that crawled into Brotswav recently were clearly influenced by this.
“It is certainly the energy of Evil.”
Tarania and Fabiano also determined that it was the epicenter of Evil emitting from the Black Forest.
A tree resembling the Void Tree scattering Evil instead of the Void.
Looking at it, Blanc felt Tiday’s Brand engraved on his shoulder throbbing.
The young Phoenix, although exhausted, was glaring inside the forest with its eyes open straight.
“These bastards…… if they grab my ankle again…….”
Franz was walking looking down at the ground instead of the front, holding a reagent bottle entirely.
The investigation team approached the tree carefully.
“Count.”
Simon, taking the lead, frowned and stopped.
“What is it?”
Blanc looked around at Simon’s unusual reaction.
“Something is coming.”
Simon quickly placed his palm on the ground.
“It isn't one or two.”
“Everyone prepare for combat.”
Although Blanc’s words were quiet, the personnel of the investigation team accepting them were moving heavily.
From now on, one could know even without Simon who had sensitive senses.
Countless things approaching the investigation team.
The ground harboring blackness was shaking mercilessly.
“Oh no…….”
It was a momentum as if everything in the forest was rushing in.
The Black Forest shook wildly and began to release the dark and evil things it harbored.
“They come.”
Starting with Simon’s words, there were things running fast with rough breathing sounds.
Things black, large, and charging at high speed toward the investigation team.
“Boars?”
Although the forms were distorted hideously, the things rushing at the investigation team were clearly boars.
It wasn't just boars.
Things clearly possessing the forms of beasts but twisted by evil energy were jumping wildly toward the investigation team.
Beasts polluted by evil energy.
The sound of them kicking the ground was shaking the Black Forest which had been quiet.
“Brotswav!”
Sten, confirming the beasts, pressed down his helmet and called the warriors.
“Solidly!”
At Sten’s call, the dwarves rushing out to the front of the formation lifted their battle axes like shields and solidified the formation firmly.
Blanc and the knights stood behind them and quietly wrapped Aura around their bodies.
“Do not retreat!”
Although the boars rushed at the dwarves brandishing hideously extended tusks.
“Hyaaaap!”
The dwarves rooted themselves solidly and received the boars’ charge without an inch of shaking, like rocks that had stood there since long ago.
Because of that, the boars, unable to kill their overflowing speed, stepped on the dwarves’ axes and leaped into the void.
Waiting for them, whose breakthrough power had died infinitely, was a group of knights.
“Strike!”
The knights, holding their respective weapons, emitted Aura toward the boars floating in a defenseless state.
Grrrr…….
Rakshar gripped his claws, grabbed the neck of a black-dyed boar, and split it fiercely.
Although they were things possessing harder skin than other boars, they were not more than the Death Worm that appeared in Tunnel 47.
The black boar scattering intestines with its abdomen torn instantly by Rakshar’s blow.
Blanc’s knights began to cut down the things rushing in mercilessly using the dwarves clumped solidly as a barrier.
That appearance was like a small sailboat going against dark waves.
However, the ones swinging swords now were not weak like a sailboat.
They were people equipped with the ability and qualification to go against the waves sufficiently.
‘……?’
The dwarves blocking the waves of monsters using axes as shields and Blanc’s knights splitting those waves were feeling something strange even while swinging swords.
Beasts stained by Evil were brushing past them.
‘They are passing us?’
The movement of the polluted beasts was like a stream of water.
Although they collided with the investigation team’s formation which was like a solidly embedded rock, soon they ignored them and were just running forward.
The investigation team, having confirmed the beasts running blindly toward where the tree was without engaging them, stopped attacking for a moment and observed the situation.
The black wave of beasts passed the group and was moving toward the giant tree soaring high in the middle of the Black Forest.
Although no one could open their mouth at that bizarre spectacle.
“……Count.”
The loyal and steady knight Jerome broke the silence and thrust his bag at Blanc.
Even amidst the urgent and dizzying situation, he did not forget the order Blanc gave him.
“The banner is shining.”
In the bag Jerome handed over.
The banner which wasn't shining earlier was shining faintly, revealing its existence.
The Void was near.
“……We follow them.”
The Regressor’s eyes shone fiercely having confirmed the existence of the Void in the forest where the fierce wave passed and only silence remained.
Although the forest became a mess due to the movement of countless herds of beasts, a straight path toward the tree was created thanks to it.
However, even though a path easy to move on was created, the knights moved as quietly as possible, trying not to make a presence.
“The screams of monsters are getting closer.”
It was because terrible crying sounds enough to want to block ears were heard as they approached the tree resembling the Void Tree.
“There seem to be people.”
As per Simon’s report, there were sounds coming along with the screams of beasts.
Sounds of weaponry.
Although there were no shouts or yells, the unique sounds created by swords and armor were heard clearly by the ears of knights who lived with them.
As they approached the tree, as they approached that sound, the path became more of a mess due to clotted blood and carcasses of beasts.
“Just what did they strike with to…….”
Sten was horrified to see the carcasses scattered on the floor.
Because terrible carcasses looking as if torn apart by overwhelming power lined the surroundings.
“Quietly.”
Blanc approached forward quietly feeling the existence of something evil and void stimulating his senses.
Beyond the hill in front of the group, the energy of Evil was surging along with the screams of animals about to be torn.
“…….”
And behind Blanc, Ulrich’s Banner was emitting blue light, announcing the existence regarding the Void.
“Prepare.”
Simon and Rakshar, noticing what Blanc meant, quickly tied the banner to a pole and prepared for the coming battle.
There were things visible in the eyes of Blanc who climbed up to the hill carefully.
He saw black beasts gathered under the tree resembling the Void Tree and knights smashing them to create a path.
“I cannot figure out what on earth is going on.”
Blanc was falling into confusion.
Looking only at the visible spectacle, it looked like the movement of noble knights executing evil Ma, but Blanc who returned crossing time could know.
Knights advancing toward a woman wearing a black veil while slicing beasts silently wearing thick armor.
The fact that their eyes hidden inside helmets were dyed pitch black and were void.
Ones who could no longer contain anything in their eyes were moving, cutting down black beasts.
And the woman wearing a black veil was controlling the beasts and blocking them.
Behind the Dark Wizard who was certain to have spread Evil in Baltimere stood a fiercely soaring tree resembling the Void Tree.
Void, Evil, Tree.
The Regressor’s pupils looking at things not permitted in this world were moving confusedly.
Should I step in, or not?
If I step in, toward which side should I lift my sword?
Everything was confusing.
Blanc lifted his head to look up at the night sky.
The only Regressor of this era searching for stars in the night sky with an anxious heart.
However, the star that always guided him to the right path was not here.
“Is there only me…….”
Blanc lowered his head and looked at them.
“Everyone raise your swords.”
Now he had to choose himself.
The Regressor walked into the battlefield where darkness and darkness collided.
The step he was walking now was a place no one had gone so far, and its end faced the truth unknown until now.
The Regressor who had followed stars until now had to become a shining star himself and illuminate those following him now.