Chapter 72

(2)

4.

A letter from Noa written in a cute font.

Ulan gulped nervously as he skimmed through the substantial amount of text. Then he fixed his gaze on the very first line at the top.

The letter began like this.

“The fact that Ulan is opening this means that you are probably being attacked by Abyss Worshippers right now, right? The forest must have twisted into a maze, and you might even be separated from Delia.”

Chills ran down his spine at how accurate it was.

Ulan couldn’t help but admire Noa’s letter, which perfectly predicted the current situation. Yep, this girl’s foresight is the real deal.

“Let’s get to the point. First, I’ll tell you what to watch out for. The first thing you need to deal with is the Abyss Worshippers who summon illusions by sacrificing human fingers.”

Speaking of illusions, he had just encountered them.

Illusions that had appeared in the guise of Delia. Of course, they had all been blown away into smoke by Ulan’s fist.

“These illusions created by forbidden magic have the power to perfectly replicate the appearance of their target after eavesdropping on their memories. However, the essence doesn’t change, so there’s an easy way to verify it.”

Just inflict a wound on the skin.

If it’s a real human, blood will pour out of the wound, while if it’s an illusion, ash-gray smoke will seep out.

Right after discovering this fact.

Ulan’s eyes widened.

“There was a much easier way.”

No need to swing his fists anymore.

Satisfied with this new method of distinction, Ulan thought he would try it out when he met Delia later.

“Next, just in case you get separated from Delia, I’ll note down what you should do. The surest method is to use the talisman I gave you.”

Ah, right. There was a talisman!

Only then did he recall the talisman he received from Noa.

A talisman inscribed with a blue enchantment. But suspiciously, nothing happened.

Did she somehow anticipate this situation?

The next part of the letter detailed the reason.

“If the talisman doesn’t activate, that means you’re more than 3 kilometers away from Delia. That’s the effective range of the Tracking Techniques.

So if the talisman is out of order, move directly in the opposite direction from the place where you originally parted ways. You should definitely find Delia along the way.”

The original direction he intended to go was east, where the base was. So, that meant he should head west.

Just as he was confirming his destination.

Drip!

Blood suddenly trickled from his nose.

A slight dizziness accompanied it.

It seemed the overload was about to hit him. But the letter wasn’t over yet. Regaining his composure, Ulan took a deep breath and looked back at the letter.

“Lastly, I’ll tell you about the maze in the forest. This too is due to the forbidden magic of the Abyss Worshippers. It distorts space, altering the structure of the entire forest.”

He had already sensed something odd about the forest.

He felt a considerable sense of alienation even when he returned to the spot where he had pushed Delia after dealing with Candira.

Wiping his nose, Ulan read the remaining few lines.

“There are two solutions to this. The first is to find and dispel the magic circles set up all over the forest, and the second is to track down and eliminate the worshipper who created the maze.”

The latter seemed much simpler.

It meant that if he just smashed the head of the worshipper who made the maze, everything would be resolved. Noa had likely thought the same.

“I bet Ulan will choose the latter, right? So, take a good look around the densely wooded areas. I don’t know the exact location, but from what I saw in a dream, it was hiding somewhere among the trees.”

A place densely filled with trees. He definitely remembered that.

Just then, Ulan’s eyes lit up.

“That’s the end of what I foresaw. So, I hope you come back safely.”

Finally, the letter came to an end.

At the same moment, a sudden, intense headache struck.

The overload hit him late. Feeling dizzy, Ulan stumbled where he stood. Luckily, it wasn’t to the point of fainting.

“Phew.”

After taking a moment to breathe, he regained his calm.

Leaning against a tree, Ulan grasped the letter tightly and smiled.

“…Noa is indeed a prophet.”

Had he read one or two more sentences, he probably would have lost his mind.

The fact that the letter ended just before he could be overwhelmed made him think that perhaps she anticipated this too.

A little later, after recovering,

Ulan recalled the content of the letter.

‘To summarize…’

He should head west while carefully observing areas with many trees, and also find the hiding Abyss Worshipper to smash their head, which would resolve all problems.

It wasn’t a hard task.

As soon as he figured out what to do, he instantly got moving. Just as he was about to step out,

“…Wait a second.”

Something suddenly came to mind.

A much easier way than Noa’s advice.

There was no need to find the Abyss Worshipper; simply eliminating the maze could be done effectively.

Ulan muttered softly.

“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to just chop down all the trees?”

The reason for wandering in the forest was partly due to the distorted space, but the dense trees were also a culprit.

So if he completely wiped out the trees, making the area flat like a plain, the maze would essentially disappear.

“Then the Worshippers will lose their hiding places too.”

In a tree-less forest, using Tracking Techniques would also be easier. In other words, if he wiped out all the trees, everything would be resolved.

After thinking this through,

Ulan grinned.

“Alright, let’s do that.”

It was truly a clear-cut solution.

Thinking back on it himself, it was a brilliant idea. Perhaps due to his recent diligent reading, he felt like his mind had become sharper.

Ulan, having found a much simpler and clearer solution than the learned advice of Noa, immediately set his plan into action.

Thud! Boom! Crack!

Trees fell in the blink of an eye.

This signaled the start of his furious logging.

5.

Around the same time.

Two women were walking through the dark forest.

They were Delia and Professor Stella.

Originally, their intention was to escape the forest, return to the Academy, and request support.

‘But…’

A problem had arisen.

Quite some time had passed, yet the forest showed no signs of ending. Realizing this, Stella muttered with frustration.

“Doesn’t the path feel a bit off?”

“Not just a bit, it’s definitely strange.”

Delia corrected her words, her expression quite tense. She could sense all the mana flows. Thus, she was aware of the current circumstances surrounding them.

‘The space is all twisted.’

Just like when she last parted ways with Ulan.

The traces of Space Expansion Magic were unmistakable. It was undoubtedly the work of the Abyss Worshippers.

‘Noa Darshen said so.’

Their aim was to abduct students.

Moreover, to make it easier to abduct, it would be simpler for them to scatter rather than stay together.

That way, they’d be able to pick off individuals without much hassle. Having concluded this assumption, Delia’s expression darkened.

‘…I miss Ulan.’

A large palm that would pat her head.

His unwavering calm, unshakable like a rock. Being behind him felt like being protected by a castle wall.

If she were with Ulan, she wouldn’t be this anxious. They say you realize the importance of someone only after you part with them, and that’s exactly what she felt.

As she sighed in her frustration, all of a sudden.

Whoooooooooooosh!

The mana in front of them surged wildly.

A prelude to the distortion of space. Recognizing this, Delia quickly reached out.

“Professor, back away!”

“What?”

Stella responded with a confused expression.

There was no need to ask for a reason.

The moment Delia pulled her arm, the space right before their eyes twisted loudly.

Crick! Whooooooosh!

The space twisted, like surging rapids.

Then, the scenery in front of them changed.

More accurately, it would be right to say that the place they were in changed. In the blink of an eye, the transformed scenery left both of them wide-eyed.

“…?!”

It was an unexpected sight no one could have predicted.

A monster flower, colossal as a building, had pierced its tendrils into a bleeding human body and was sucking out its blood.

A truly shocking scene.

At that moment, sensing the presence of the two women, the blood-sucking woman reached her hand out.

“P-P-Please, help me.”

A plea filled with instinctual survival instinct.

Looking closely, Delia recognized a familiar face.

It was none other than Kamila, an agent of the Special Operations Division. As Stella widened her eyes at recognizing Kamila, the latter spoke again.

“Please, don’t leave me…”

Her voice was fading quickly.

Just then, a horrific sound echoed.

Crack! Thud!

It was the sound of Kamila’s head being severed.

The tendrils of the monster flower had twisted her neck cleanly off.

After separating the head, the monster flower plunges its tendril into the severed area, continuing to suck away bodily fluids until Kamila’s body was left a withered husk.

“Ah, ugh…”

Perhaps it was due to witnessing such a shocking sight?

Delia froze in place.

Meanwhile, at that moment, the monster flower, having finished its meal, tossed the remaining body aside.

It seemed this wasn’t enough for it, as it began to move to find its next prey.

And it found it right away.

“Delia!”

With tendrils flying towards her.

Stella swiftly pulled Delia towards her.

The tendrils just barely brushed past her cheek. It was too soon to feel safe. More tendrils, thicker and faster, aimed at Delia.

“Get back! This is my…!”

And then, just like that.

Stella vanished from her sight.

It wasn’t just her. The hideous monster flower had also completely disappeared.

It was a familiar occurrence.

“Again, the space is…”

Twisting and changing the location.

Delia felt her legs give way.

She plopped down on the ground, staring blankly at the air with a half-lost expression.

A little while later.

Thick tears streamed down her face.

“Ugh, uh, ugh…”

Tears from the shock.

It was understandable.

It was her first time witnessing someone die right before her eyes.

At just seventeen, such a scene was a nightmare in its purest form.

She desperately wanted to wake up from this horrid nightmare.

But Delia wasn’t even permitted to cry freely.

“So, we finally meet.”

A suddenly audible unfamiliar voice.

At the same time, a chill ran through her. The voice was so unsettling, it felt like nails scraping against metal. She instinctively turned her head.

A wizard wearing a ash-gray hood.

As soon as she caught a glimpse of the face beyond the hood.

“…!?”

A silent scream erupted from her.

The trembling golden eyes were too horrifying to behold.

The skin was pale like a corpse.

Where the eyeballs should be, there were only empty sockets, and dangling from its neck were what looked like human eyeballs. The moment she observed this much, Delia instinctively recognized the wizard’s identity.

“…Abyss, Worshipper.”

“How unexpected. I didn’t think you’d know us.”

The wizard chuckled as if amused.

Delia instinctively took a step back. Meanwhile, the wizard neither approached nor retreated, simply gazing at her.

“Regardless, I’m glad to meet you,”

he said in a calm voice.

Stretching out his hand, as if asking for a handshake.

“A girl blessed by the love of mana.”

With a smile that twisted with greed at the corners of his mouth.

6.

The one blessed by the love of mana.

After pinpointing a clear target, the group of Abyss Worshippers split into two.

First, the search team looking for their target.

Second, the support team assisting them.

Unlike the uncomplicated search team, the Support Worshippers had quite a few tasks.

Twisting space to turn the forest into a maze, creating illusions to confuse the prey, and also commanding Abyssal Monsters to take out any interveners.

While hiding deep in the forest and faithfully focusing on their tasks, a large man stomped in, panting.

“C-C-Crisis! There’s a crisis!”

The heavily built man stuttered as he spoke.

‘Duode,’ the wizard, was flailing around in a panic. The other two worshippers naturally turned to look at Duode.

“What’s going on?”

“Did Candira get taken out?”

“Y-Yeah!”

Duode nodded vigorously.

He shouted as if flustered.

“Five of them went down!”

“What? Already that many?”

The skinny guy across from him was taken aback.

Collecting human fingers, he was a worshipper named ‘Desem.’ The third strongest within the group and the one responsible for creating illusions.

“Incredible. I haven’t seen anyone capable of taking down Candira here.”

The last of the three was an elderly man.

Known as ‘Nonus.’ The oldest of the Abyss Worshippers, he primarily used magic to distort space.

After a moment, Nonus kicked a corpse lying on the ground with his foot.

“Just looking at these special ops kids shows they are only intermediate mages after all. Who exactly managed to take out Candira?”

Three men and women lay crushed beyond recognition.

They were the agents of the Special Operations Division.

They had fallen without being able to mount any resistance. It was hardly surprising because all three worshippers in the support team were high-ranking mages.

Meanwhile, silence enveloped the surroundings.

There was no one to answer Nonus’s question. Feeling the awkwardness in the silence, Nonus cleared his throat and shifted the topic.

“Ahem! By the way, where is the one blessed by the love of mana now?”

“Wait a sec. Let me take a look.”

This was something they could answer.

Desem spread his palm and covered his left eye.

This allowed him to share visions with the clones roaming the forest. After a considerable time had passed, Desem finally spoke.

“Found her. Apparently, they just met.”

“Have they secured her?”

“No, just in a standoff. It looks like they’re trying to initiate a conversation.”

The moment the word ‘conversation’ finished.

Duode grimaced.

“Stop wasting time and just kidnap her already!”

“They’re probably planning to verify her,” Desem replied.

“Verify?”

“To check if she is indeed the one blessed by mana. That’s how we can receive blessings from the Abyss.”

The fact that there’s someone blessed by mana in this forest stemmed solely from a memory stored in Ramil’s brain.

Thus, it was deemed necessary to verify if the target truly was the one blessed by mana.

As soon as Desem finished his explanation, Duode suddenly started stomping his feet in excitement.

“If it’s certain, I’ll take her tongue! Is that okay? Tell me it’s okay! Hurry!”

“That seems fine. After all, what the Abyss desires is the blessing and the existence itself tied to the offering.”

“Oh, is that really so?”

“Quint said so, so it must be true.”

Quint was the leader of the group of worshippers.

A figure known for hanging human eyeballs around his neck. He was the most powerful among the six and the only one close to being a High Mage.

“Well then, I’m quite excited. I’ve always wondered what the heart of the one blessed by mana would taste like.”

“I’m curious as well. If we could create clones with the fingers of such a being, we wouldn’t even be able to fathom how strong they would be.”

Nonus and Desem chuckled sinisterly.

They appeared eager to secure their prey as soon as possible and claim body parts.

As they silently shared their wicked laughter,

“Ssh! Ssh! Quiet!”

Duode suddenly hissed.

Lying flat on the ground, he pressed his ear to the dirt. The odd behavior puzzled the other two.

“What’s happening?”

“Didn’t you hear that? A sound just now?”

“Hmm? Sound, you say?”

“It was like… the sound of a tree falling…”

Just as Duode finished speaking,

BOOM!

A loud thunderous sound resonated from a distance.

Followed by a tremor beneath their feet. It truly sounded like a tree was collapsing.

“Could it be that Candira did this?”

“Ah, no. Candira doesn’t attack trees. Only humans.”

Duode shook his head.

Then why was there such a sound?

While the worshippers were pondering this,

“Hmm, I see something nearby,”

Nonus pointed forward.

To the east of the forest. It was just around the area where the sound had come from. Desem and Duode narrowed their eyes, focusing on the direction Nonus indicated.

And then, at that moment.

WHACK! CRACK! BOOM!

Another uproar erupted.

Simultaneously, all their eyes went wide.

This time, they definitely saw it.

A gigantic tree crashing down.

But that wasn’t all they witnessed.

“Wait, what else is there…?”

It was Desem, the one with the sharpest vision among them.

His eyes widened in disbelief as he took in the sight of a man, shirtless, repeatedly hacking down trees with an axe.

“…A lumberjack?”

The appearance of someone so out of place, in a forest full of monsters and illusions, left Desem utterly bewildered.

“What on earth is a lumberjack doing in a place like this…?”

Just as that thought crossed his mind.

Out of the blue, the lumberjack stopped chopping.

He turned his head and looked in their direction. From beyond the dark forest, a pair of crimson eyes glimmered.

The moment their gazes met.

Chills ran through every part of his body.

‘I-I need to run!’

He didn’t know why. He didn’t need to.

It was a warning from his instincts, honed from surviving countless dangers. Following what felt wise, he took a step back.

And just as he blinked,

“…Huh?”

The lumberjack they had seen just a moment ago had vanished without a trace. What? Where did he go?

With surprise flickering in his mind, he blinked again.

The presence of the lumberjack was felt once more.

Just a few steps away from him.

SMACK! CRUNCH!

Then came the ominous sound.

It was like something being smashed under the blow of an axe. Reflexively, at the source of the sound, Desem’s eyes went wide in disbelief.

“…!?”

What he saw reflected in Desem’s eyes.

It was the head of his stutter-prone comrade, Duode, being cleaved in half.

That wasn’t all.

The sharp axe went through his head and bisected Duode’s entire torso.

SMACK! CRACK!

The massive body split apart like overripe fruit.

An unimaginable raw power.

The assailant was Ulan, the lumberjack they had seen in the distance just a moment ago.

“So chopping down the trees was the right choice after all.”

That’s how quickly he found his prey.

Ulan muttered briefly, his eyes glinting fiercely. The look of a predator who had just caught sight of its hidden prey.

Chapter 20. So, you are indeed a prophet.