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The Sinking Forest.
Even amidst the freezing winter of the North, its interior was stained with green.
Because the trees were covered layer by layer with leaves resembling pine needles that wouldn’t fall even in winter.
As a result, snow did not pile up inside the Sinking Forest, and blotches of green hung mysteriously in the air.
“So this is the Sinking Forest. It’s the first time I’m seeing it with my own eyes. It’s hard to believe that this place used to be a cliff in the ancient times…”
Allen looked around with his remaining eye, his blonde hair fluttering in the sunlight every time he shook his head.
“Hey, Allen. We haven’t come here to sightsee, so take a proper look around… If you fall into a pit, it’d be too small for me to try save you.”
“I don’t even want you to. I’ll take care of myself, so you just worry about yourself, Aaron. Aren’t you in more danger than me with that heavy body of yours? “
While Aaron was about to fire a rejoinder –
“Be quiet. We’re not here to play around.”
Callius ended the fight.
“Master Callius. Over there…”
At that moment, Rinney, who had climbed up on a tree, called out to Callius.
“There. Orcs over there.”
“I see.”
However, Callius looked at Emily who was also near Rinney.
At those eyes demanding confirmation, Emily glanced at Rinney once and answered.
“It’s blurry, but I can see something moving. Rinney might be right.”
Callius nodded at that. Rinney’s eyes fell on Emily.
The strange bond between the two made Rinney’s brows furrow.
“Location?”
“Northeast.”
“Not bad.”
Callius looked at Bruns, who took something out of his cloth bag as if he’d been waiting.
It was a telescope.
Callius’ form disappeared in an instant and appeared at the top of the tree.
Climbing even higher than Rinney, he observed the Orcs through the telescope.
“So that’s it.”
The Orcs weren’t stupid.
They hadn’t brought the giant beasts who’d tried to brutishly destroy the fortress walls into the Sinking Forest, knowing what a bad idea that would be.
It was convenient to use the giant beasts for moving supplies, but it was inevitable for them to stand out.
‘Those are earth dragons.’
They chose earth dragons to move through the Sinking Forest.
Earth dragons were bipedal reptilian beasts, with strong leg muscles that allowed them to move with quickness and agility.
On their backs they hauled large loads of luggage, presumably the supplies.
‘So they’re thinking of passing through the Sinking Forest using the earth dragons.’
It was a novel way.
Because they have a great sense of balance and can jump around well, they are not affected by the singularity of the Sinking Forest.
It was necessary to use quite a number of earth dragons, but it was a safe and sure way to pass through the forest.
This was a method that suited the Orcs, who were masters of the demonic beasts.
‘If they are using the earth dragons to move, it’s unlikely that enemies are waiting here in ambush.’
For a moment, the taste of the grilled earth dragon that he’d eaten at an inn came to mind. Dismissing those thoughts, Callius came down from the tree and gave orders.
“Get ready.”
The Knights, as if they’d been waiting for his order, took something out of their own bags and started to sprinkle it all around.
It was some kind of a golden powdery substance, but the Knights sprinkled it as carefully as if it were actual gold.
‘What the hell is this…’
Orphin, along with the rest of the Knights, sprinkled the powder according to plan, but could not help but be curious.
Because this powder had been made by grinding a common plant. Moringa[1], also called drumstick tree, grew everywhere even in the barren northern lands, and was treated as a weed.
Callius had ordered this a few days ago.
Meeting with the Knights, he ordered them to pluck out moringa leaves wherever they saw some, and to make it into powder. The Knights had naturally been curious at the command, but they did not ask questions.
Their faith in Callius had been thoroughly strengthened throughout this war in the North.
“Master, we’re done.”
“Good work.”
As he reconfirmed the locations where the powder had been sprinkled, Callius nodded his head.
‘This should be enough.’
Within the Sinking Forest, the ground was made up of sediments accumulated on top of the tangle of tree roots over a long period of time.
And most of the trees in the forest had some peculiar properties, which could not be explained logically, including one specific peculiarity.
‘Most people wouldn’t know…’
For some reason, if you sprinkle moringa powder on the trees in the Sinking Forest, they start to corrode within five minutes, and the fibres gradually decompose and break down after ten minutes.
While the weed was not at all harmful to humans, to the trees of this forest, it was an absolute poison.
What would happen if you sprinkled moringa powder on the roots of the Sinking Forest, where the ground was already weak?
‘It’ll collapse at the slightest impact.’
This setting would be used as a stepping stone to turn the war around when the North begins to crumble, when a middle-class Named finds this out…
‘I can’t help it.’
Since it’s a simpler way to starve out the Orcs, there’s nothing wrong with using it now.
After all, I won’t just stand and watch in the war that will be fought in the future.
“Now it’s just a matter of waiting.”
If you just wait, no matter how many earth dragons the enemy uses, they’re bound to collapse with a slight shock.
Callius smiled at the trap that reminded him of a sinkhole.
“But master, will it really go to plan?”
“Damn it Bruns, don’t jinx it. My plan is perfect. If they deviate from the expected path, we’ll just show ourselves and drive the Orcs back in.”
The Knights had been divided into two groups and were waiting on both sides in ambush for that purpose.
There were no gaps.
“Come.”
That was then –
Tap, tap.
The footsteps of the earth dragons could be heard.
They were also sensitive to smells, so the Knights had even applied strong-scented herbs on their armour and clothes.
An Orc could be seen at their forefront.
Looking around, he signalled the rest that it was okay to come closer.
Behind the Orcs were numerous earth dragons carrying their burdens.
‘Yeah, come a little bit more. Just a little bit more.’
Come a little closer.
A little, a little more.
Just when they were about to reach where the trap had been laid –
Tas.
Somebody else also arrived.
‘… That guy.’
A man wearing a hood came up to the earth dragons and blocked them.
‘No way…’
Callius’ eyes narrowed.
Although the man wore a hood, a splendid blonde mane could be seen beneath it.
And he was holding a spear in his hands.
“Come and meet me. Just because you’re hiding doesn’t mean I don’t know where you are, you know?”
The voice of the hooded man was quite young.
It was a voice that showed considerable spirit, and was full of confidence.
And it was a voice very familiar to Callius.
Bard’s Blessing rekindled his memories as the voice reached him.
When he’d been a monk in the Church. A friend who’d been close to him, and a companion in his trash behaviour.
Unlike other monks, he was the son of a noble family of the same grade as himself, but he was treated differently because of his extraordinary talent.
At that moment, a gust of wind through the forest took off the man’s hood and swayed his brilliant blonde hair.
“Lutheon…”
Callius, who had been hiding in the grass, slowly got up. Slowly, he pulled out the Predator Sword hanging from his waist.
“Callius. Long time no see.”
Lutheon raised his spear, his face an interplay of joy and hatred.
Seeing that spear, Callius gripped the Predator Sword even tighter.
“Lutheon, the renegade.”
The renegade, Lutheon.
Hearing that appellation, Lutheon’s smile twisted even further.
“For some reason, I have to destroy the North. So I’ll ask you a favour.”
Lutheon spoke as if he was talking to an old friend.
“Please die.”
And immediately, his form disappeared.
Callius was momentarily taken aback, but he had no choice but to grit his teeth.
Kaang!!
Because Lutheon, who suddenly appeared in front of him, had stabbed that spear with a dark red blade at him with explosive speed.
He managed to block it, but he couldn’t help but be pushed back.
However, there was no room to fix his posture.
Because Lutheon stabbed once more, aimed at Callius’ chest.
Ttt.
The moment he tried to block the attack with his sword, a pungent smell alerted him, forcing him to pivot away.
And right at that moment –
Kwaaang!!
An explosion, like a bomb detonating, shook the entire forest.
Boom! Boom! Thud!!
Callius, who escaped the explosion, slid across the ground and broke through a few trees before coming to a halt.
His whole body was trembling at the shock he’d received.
“Shit, damn it.”
Spitting out bloody saliva, Callius stood back up.
Thankfully he didn’t block this time and escaped right away. Trying to block that spear again would’ve left him seriously injured.
‘It’s the cloak.’
Originally, it would have been no surprise if even his entire back got charred by that explosion, but the Cloak of Twilight had blocked the heat a little.
If he hadn’t smelled that pungent smell similar to gunpowder, he wouldn’t have thought of it.
“The Explosive Spear, Ames.”
A spear that was considered to have the strongest power even among the highest-grade spears.
Ames.
The owner of the Explosive Spear, Ames –
Was Lutheon von Ruydren.
Aka Lutheon the renegade.
“I didn’t know you would show up.”
I knew that Krasion was connected to the Empire, but I never expected Lutheon to come out.
It’s because he originally appeared long after the main quest started.
‘Is this also my influence?’
But now was not the time to think about that.
Right now.
“What are you thinking of, idiot Jervain!”
Kwaang!!
He had to block Lutheon’s spear again.
“Master Callius!!”
Ududuk!
Once again, avoiding Lutheon’s spear, Callius rolled on the ground.
“Don’t interfere! You guys deal with the Orcs! Take the supplies!”
“Do you think I’ll let you do that?!”
A spear that could be said to be among the top three in power. On top of that, Lutheon’s own ability couldn’t be underestimated either.
A genius with a natural ability in swordsmanship since his days as a monk, he turned to the Empire and acquired a powerful spear and excellent spearmanship.
Lutheon of today was a heavy opponent.
A large part of that was the Explosive Spear, Ames.
Ames, which possessed an incredible unique ability, able to finish off an opponent with just one strike of its blade.
Explosion.
How do you deal with the spear capable of that?
It’s no different than fighting a bomb full of gunpowder!
Callius rolled over the floor once more to avoid the next explosion coming from that spear.
Kwaaang!
“Callius. You, a noble among nobles, are rolling on the ground. Have things changed so much?”
“Shut up, Lutheon. You, who betrayed Carpe and the Order to get that spear, are even worse.”
Things are not going well.
There are too many variables.
Lutheon suddenly appeared.
And with his appearance, Callius’ body has started remembering memories that are not mine.
Memories of bygone days keep making my head throb.
‘Callius. I envy you.’
Lutheon in my memory. The image overlaps with him now running fiercely towards me.
‘You just do what you want.’
Those sad eyes under the moonlight.
His eyes today look like those of a completely different person.
“Callius!!”
The red blade of Ames, the Explosive Spear, swept in like crazy, again aiming at Callius’ neck.
‘Dangerous.’
Right now, Callius had no way to deal with Lutheon.
Although their weapons had the same rank in name, one was a half-finished sword and the other was a top-notch spear.
The two weapons were not in the same league.
The Predator Sword – Loas was a long way off from even matching Bernard’s Thunderbolt Sword.
‘One way, yes.’
It was true that the two of them weren’t evenly matched right now.
However, Callius had created a variable that his enemy didn’t know of yet.
That was then –
“Where are you looking, Callius!”
Soon the red light flashed and the explosion was imminent again.
Callius avoided the tip by the span of a finger and caught the haft tightly with his hand, pulling the spear toward him.
“You idiot!”
However, Lutheon’s spear was about to explode again.
At this rate, Callius’ hand would get caught in the explosion and be destroyed.
“Did you think I wouldn’t be able to explode if I got too close?”
Lutheon’s lips twisted, and the Explosive Spear again flashed red. The moment when another explosion was about to occur –
Kugung!
A huge vibration made Lutheon’s eyes widen.
“What…!”
The ground on which he was standing began to crumble.
Lutheon was startled, and Callius’ lips curved in dark satisfaction.
“Callius, you!!”
The ground collapsed, and the earth dragons as well as the Orcs were caught up in it.
Lutheon tried to escape, but Callius, who’d been bleeding yet held the spear tightly in his grasp, would never allow it.
“Do you want to die together?!”
Callius answered Lutheon’s cry with bloodstained lips.
“This is my victory, Lutheon.”
Soon, both Callius and Lutheon disappeared into the abyssal depths.
Editor’s Notes:
[1] 모링가 (Moringa), called drumstick tree or horseradish tree, common in the Indian subcontinent.