/
Upon arriving at the boundary of the “Forest of Silence,” we had to wait there for another full day.
“Why don’t we just head straight into the forest?”
Andras and Locus answered my question one after the other.
“We need to secure as much time as possible. It’s best to depart at dawn when the sun rises.”
“If there is no sun, then the real trouble begins.”
Kroc, who was standing next to me, nodded in agreement with their words. I could fully sense how cautious they were of the Forest of Silence from their answers.
I gazed at the Forest of Silence and lost myself in thought. From a distance, it appeared like a normal forest…
The forest was so still that it even seemed serene. I was a bit curious about why they were so vigilant.
The group set up camp using a large rock nearby as a windbreak.
And I prepared a hearty meal with plenty of portable convenience food brought from the farm.
“Ummm… “
In particular, Terzan showed interest in the convenience food products brought from the other world. When I finished making a pretty decent meal with just boiling water, she burst into admiration.
And when she received her share and tasted it for herself, her blurry eyes immediately brightened.
“Did you make this too?”
“These are convenience products?”
“Convenience products you made.”
“No, I bought them with money.”
“Can I buy them? I’ll prepare enough money and buy it.”
She grabbed my arm and asked to buy the products. Of course, these were hard to come by in the Demon world, so I replied with an embarrassed face.
“It would be difficult for Terzan to purchase them directly. Instead, I’ll give you everything I have left.”
“Umm…”
Terzan showed an uncertain reaction when I said that I would just give her the rest. It seemed like she really wanted to get her hands on these convenience products.
She tasted the food again and expressed her regret.
“If I had these, I wouldn’t have to eat Lia’s food…”
“Ah, Sister Terzan?!”
“Hehehe.”
“Ahem, ahem!”
When Terzan suddenly mentioned Lia’s cooking, Lia was greatly embarrassed and blushed, while the rest of the group had to desperately hold back their laughter.
I, too, had to restrain my laughter.
Locus, who couldn’t manage his expression until the end, had to endure Lia’s cold stare throughout the rest of the meal.
Mealtime ended with a little commotion. As soon as the meal was cleared up, the party prepared to go to bed earlier than usual. Since we had to wake up before sunrise the next day, everyone went to bed early.
The first light of dawn had barely crept over the horizon, casting a soft glow over the landscape.
As the party slowly stirred from their slumber, I too roused myself from my sleeping bag, stretching my cramped limbs and rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
The familiar routine of our travels had made the discomforts of camping more bearable, and I had slept soundly through the night.
Lia offered me a cup of steaming tea, which I gratefully accepted before we set off into the forest.
“Sihyeon, you have to be on alert from now on. Please stay in the line as much as possible in the event of an unexpected situation.”
“Stay next to me. No matter what happens, I’ll protect you until the end.”
Andras and Lia took it upon themselves to warn me about the dangers that might lie ahead, their concern for my safety almost paternal.
I smiled, thinking it was perhaps a bit excessive, but I took their advice to heart nonetheless.
“Don’t worry… all you have to do is follow us.”
“Kroc and I will take care of the back, so don’t worry.”
…….
Terzan lead the way from the front, while Locus and Kroc were in charge of the rear.
The arrayed party slowly followed Terzan into the forest.
The surroundings became increasingly full of endless forest landscapes.
Obviously, even though the sun began to rise, the view inside the forest was blurred as if it were still night.
– Kree… – Kree… -Kree… -Kree…
As we walked deeper into the forest, the quiet became almost oppressive. The only sound that disturbed the stillness was the soft padding of our footsteps on the forest floor.
The usual chirping of birds and buzzing of insects was conspicuously absent, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease creeping up my spine.
The trees grew thicker around us, obscuring the sunlight and making it difficult to get a sense of time. It felt as though we had been walking for hours, though in reality it was likely only minutes.
Suddenly, Terzan’s voice rang out, startling me from my thoughts.
SLAP!
“Wake up!”
I felt a burning sensation on my cheek and looked around, disoriented.
“What?”
Terzan winked at my feet instead of answering. It was then that I realized I had lost my bearings and was heading in the wrong direction.
“Uh.”
I felt a chill in my spine when I realized that I had lost my mind for a moment. Andras patted me on the shoulder and relieved my surprise.
“It’s a symptom that I experienced a lot when I first came here. I’ve been there before.”
“Hmm. Why didn’t you tell me in advance?”
“It’s not the kind of risk you can prepare for. You don’t feel the danger unless you experience it yourself. You probably didn’t feel strange at all until Terzan called you, right?”
I nodded, now more aware of the risks of the forest.
“We’re not afraid of this place just because it’s one of the most dangerous places in the Demon world. It’s just a lot worse than it looks.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll be a little more careful,”
“It’s alright. As I mentioned earlier it’s a symptom that everyone goes through at first,”
“Even if one sense becomes dull, the rest of the senses cannot function properly,” Terzan said, looking at my face that became visibly embarrassed.
“What?” I asked, even more confused
“Don’t rely too much on your senses. Take this silence as it is.”
“As it is?” I repeated, unsure of what she meant.
“Yes… so that you can survive without being swayed by silence,” Terzan said cryptically before returning to the front of the line.
I felt like I knew a little about how to behave in this awful place.
I pondered her words, trying to make sense of them. “Just take it as it is,” I repeated to myself, determined to heed her advice.
As we marched deeper into the forest, I struggled to keep up with the rest of the party. Terzan led the way, her steps sure and confident, despite the lack of any discernible path. I couldn’t help but wonder how she managed to know where to go.
“How can Terzan know the way in this dense forest?” I asked Lia, who was walking beside me.
“I don’t know how Sister Terzan knows the way either,” she admitted. “I just assume it’s the ability of the Shadow Clan.”
“The Shadow Clan… why do they live in such a dangerous place?” I wondered aloud.
“Well…”
Before Lia could answer, Terzan suddenly stopped walking, causing the rest of us to do the same.
‘What?! Did she hear what Lia and I were talking about?’
I was anxious as if I had been caught by the teacher while chatting during class, but Terzan didn’t care about me at all, instead scanning the surrounding area with sharp eyes..
After scanning her surroundings, she murmured softly, “It’s coming.”
“……?”
I was the only one who failed to comprehend her mumble. The rest of the party quickly geared up for battle and became alert to their surroundings. Realizing the situation a little late, I hastily retrieved my weapon while Andras and Lia maintained a careful stance, raising the tension.
Swoosh swoosh
Despite everyone being on edge and vigilant, the enemy’s threats were not easily detectable. Only a faint rustling of wind could be heard hovering about.
With bated breath, we awaited the moment. Suddenly, a flash of light illuminated the dim darkness, followed by a sharp wave of sound riding on the small breeze.
CHARENG
Kroc was the first to react and attacked with his sword, causing something sharp to fall to the ground and lose its strength. As if this was a signal, a sharp wave of sound began to pour in from all sides.
Woosh Woosh Woosh
Chareng! Chareng!
Kroc deftly wielded his sword, blocking all enemy attacks. His movements were so unrealistically swift that it was as if one could feel the afterimage of that large lump. Locus hurled blue daggers one by one, with Kroc’s defense serving as the front line.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
With every disappearance of the dagger into the darkness, a strange scream followed.
Andras used an artifact to erect a shield around us, blocking the attack, while Lia defended me and remained on guard for a surprise attack from the enemy.
As for Terzan…
Woosh… Wooosh!
She quickly moved up a tall tree and began to massacre the enemy. If Kroc’s movements were unrealistically agile, Terzan’s movements were nearly impossible to follow with the naked eye.
When her form became blurred, a painful scream would arise from the area shortly after.
Woosh Woosh Woosh.
– Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
A series of enemies falling from the top of the tree looked like a troop of monkeys. Their sharp fingernails, claws, tails, and needles were hazardous. Perhaps these stingers were thrown out into the darkness.
The screams in the forest eventually faded away. When silence returned, Terzan appeared beside us with her signature ghostly movement and inquired breathlessly, “Who got hurt?”
Silence was the only response.
“Anyone dead?”
Silence continued.
“Alright.”
As no one replied, she nodded with a slightly proud expression.
Observing Terzan like this, I realized with my entire being that something more dangerous than this treacherous forest was among us.
After confirming that there were no more enemies nearby, the party prepared to move out once more.
During a brief inspection of the weapons used in battle, Terzan mumbled again, “They’re already here.”
“Another enemy?” I asked.
Terzan shook her head at the anxious party.
“Stay put… If you move, you’ll get hurt.”
“What? That’s…” I started to say, but countless shadows rose around us before I could finish my sentence.