This place, which has preserved its natural state by refusing human conquest, harbors many secrets yet to be revealed.
The types of secrets are diverse.
From monsters believed to be extinct lurking deep within the forest to remnants of ancient civilizations.
The spot where the Forbidden Mage Solion stands is also one of those remnants of ancient civilizations.
A massive underground chamber located beneath the Great Forest.
"Hmm."
Solion crossed his arms and looked ahead.
The space was quite peculiar.
A vast, empty area, its shape circular, with walls densely covered in murals.
Or rather, not murals.
A kind of script.
However, this script was so ominous that it made those who saw it feel mentally and physically constricted, yet Solion remained completely calm.
He was merely deep in thought.
"Hey, earthworm. How did it go?"
"...Ah, you're here."
Solion snapped out of his reverie as Veloc approached.
"How did it go... It's better if you see it for yourself."
Solion stepped aside, and as he moved, Veloc's view fell on an object—a crystal about two meters tall.
It seemed to be unaffected by gravity, floating about a meter above the ground.
That wasn't the only strange thing.
Sssss— sss...
Inside the crystal, dark smoke swirled. Or rather, a more accurate description would be a spectacle of shadows.
It was the ancient monstrosity, Destrue.
Veloc stared intently at the Destrue writhing inside the crystal.
"Has the seal not been broken yet? What about the liberation ritual? It can't have failed, right?"
"The liberation ritual was successful. It just needs a bit more time."
"...Hmm. I see."
Veloc let out a low hum, disappointed by the delay.
'I thought it would awaken soon.'
It had been several days since they reached the Hamerin Great Forest to find Destrue.
To be honest, finding the ruins wasn't particularly difficult.
Look now.
Rumble... rumble!
The crystal pulsed like a giant's heart, at regular intervals.
Each time the crystal pulsed, Destrue's malevolent aura spread in concentric circles through the Hamerin Great Forest. Finding the center was as easy as breathing for Veloc.
But that wasn't the important part.
Veloc thought about the situation outside the ruins, in the Hamerin Great Forest.
- Kieeee!
- Grrr...
The ancient spirits that awoke with Destrue.
Monsters that had their bodies taken by these cursed souls, turning into mere undead.
It wasn't just a few.
The area around the ruins had already become a complete land of death, and the undead monsters were expanding their territory, seeking living beings.
The area was gradually expanding.
Considering that the power of the dead grows stronger as Destrue's seal weakens, this meant that the time for Destrue to awaken was near.
However.
'Even after performing the liberation ritual, it hasn't awakened yet?'
It was quite an unexpected situation.
Although this was the first time Veloc had seen Destrue directly, the information within the Order was quite extensive.
A rough guess was possible.
Considering the cases of other Destrues in the records, it should have awakened by now...
"Hmm."
"...?"
Solion frowned and looked at Veloc, who suddenly chuckled.
"No, it's just that things seem more interesting than I thought. This is far more entertaining than dealing with someone like Phryzen."
"Phryzen... Hmm. He wasn't as incompetent as you think. The artifact he lost was something the Council of Elders had their eye on."
Solion shrugged at Solion's rebuttal.
"Haha, Solion. Do you really believe the judgment of those old men? Does it make sense? Building a magical realm with an artifact? And if they really thought it was that promising, why did they leave that half-penny bastard alone?"
"That's... "
Solion tightly closed his mouth.
Indeed, that was the case.
"That guy is just... a spare. If he succeeds, great; if not, no big loss. And he wasn't even a proper Forbidden Mage, just a black mage. Trying to build a magical realm... "
It was a harsh statement, but this time, Solion didn't deny it.
Not everyone who learns forbidden magic becomes a Forbidden Mage.
The demonic energy flowing from the magical realm, purifying it and harboring black magic within the body...
Transcendence (脫殼)
The mind must transcend a certain limit.
If we compare it to the levels of mages, it might be similar to the level of an Archmage, but strictly speaking, it's different.
It's a middle stage on the path to Transcendence.
In Salvatium, whether one has achieved Transcendence or not is a significant issue.
"A guy who should be treated like trash... Well, we have work to do, don't we?"
"Work... Ah, the old war mage. Yes, he was there."
During the search for the ruins.
An old war mage they passed by.
Veloc's concealment prevented the war mage from noticing them, but the moment he saw him, a vivid sensation flashed in his mind.
It was...
A chill.
A feeling of seeing a weapon, not a person.
The sense of impending defeat before even engaging in battle was something he hadn't felt since becoming a Forbidden Mage.
"Indeed, he would be a problem. He's probably looking for Destrue, right?"
"Yes, he hasn't pinpointed the location yet, though."
"Hmm."
Solion paused to gather his thoughts and then looked at Veloc.
"I need to set up the liberation ritual. Can you... handle it alone?"
"Handle it alone? Are you kidding?"
Veloc laughed and shook his head.
Though he called himself a mage hunter, facing such a monster alone was almost impossible.
But.
The answer that came from his mouth was quite unexpected.
"Solion, this is a hunt. Know what the easiest way to hunt is?"
Veloc grinned and summoned black magic.
It was a shape transformation.
"Any monster, no matter how powerful..."
The black magic created two large and small monsters, and at that moment, Veloc's hand grabbed the small monster.
"A master can never ignore his own offspring."
Crack—
The small monster lost its form and faded away.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"...You mean using your disciple?"
"Yes, you saw it, right? The old war mage's disciple, who follows him around like a shadow. The old man seems to dote on him."
"Hmm."
Indeed, it sounded reasonable. Reasonable, but...
"Will that work? He's an old war mage. You know what kind of people they are, right?"
"I know, of course. Why wouldn't I?"
While black mages are often called monsters with human faces and beastly hearts, in some ways, old war mages are similar.
Disciples? They would send their disciples to their deaths for victory.
But.
"That's an old story. Solion, do you know how many old war mage heads I have in my pocket dimension? Trust me."
"Hmm. Alright, let's say that's true."
Even though Veloc was all about personal interest, he wouldn't risk his own life. So, his words were trustworthy.
But.
"Even if what you say is true, will the opportunity present itself easily? If the disciple is so cherished, he won't be left alone."
"Hehe, there are ways."
Veloc recited the information he had gathered while patrolling near the Fourth Base Camp.
Though he couldn't get close due to the old war mage, mercenaries regularly scouted the Hamerin Great Forest.
"He seems to be calling for reinforcements."
"...Reinforcements?"
"Yes. The disciple and a Pathfinder left the forest. They've been gone for a while. So..."
"You plan to catch them when they return?"
"Exactly."
"Will that work? The reinforcements called by such a powerful mage won't be ordinary."
Veloc shrugged.
"We have reinforcements too, right? Even if they're just trash."
"Black mages... Will they be of any help?"
Solion tilted his head.
Salvatium sent a few black mages for this mission, but since they hadn't achieved Transcendence, they weren't significant forces.
"It depends on how you use them."
"...Tsk."
Seeing Veloc's grin, it seemed he wouldn't listen to any advice.
Solion shook his head and waved his hand, as if saying, "Do as you please."
"Alright, do as you please. But if there's any delay in the mission..."
"You don't have to worry. I'm afraid of the Council of Elders, not you."
Veloc disappeared shortly after.
Solion watched Veloc blend into the shadows for a moment before turning his gaze.
'He's not a fool...'
He won't mess things up.
If he does, the Council of Elders won't let it go.
'If that's the case... I'm no exception.'
Solion turned his gaze to the crystal where Destrue was sealed.
It was only a matter of time.
Would Veloc stop the old war mage, or would the old war mage reach the ancient ruins and prevent Destrue's liberation?
* * *
Meanwhile, at that time.
In the city of Greentown, adjacent to the Hamerin Great Forest.
A supply city that grew large due to the flow of materials from the Hamerin Great Forest, a single mage was entering.
The mage's appearance was quite peculiar.
Even in the bright sunlight, his hair, tinged with ash, had a gloomy hue, and his stature was small for an adult.
That wasn't all.
His face was hidden behind a mask with a black background and a white border.
His appearance was suspicious, but the passersby didn't recognize him as a mage.
He hadn't hidden his presence.
It was just that...
"Hey, hey! Hurry up! We need to leave by tonight at the latest!"
"Boss! We don't have enough wagons! We can't load more!"
"Then load the expensive items first!"
They were just focused on their tasks.
This scene was happening all over Greentown, and the mysterious mage stopped walking after a short while.
"Hey."
"...Who are you?"
At the mysterious mage's call, a worker who was just moving a box turned around.
His eyes immediately showed a wary look.
Why wouldn't they?
Greentown.
A place where all kinds of people gathered, dreaming of quick riches from the Hamerin Great Forest, but such a suspicious figure was rare.
"I'm not suspicious. I just don't like showing my face, so understand, okay?"
"...Hmm."
If not showing his face isn't suspicious, what is?
The worker was curious about the mage's standard of "suspicious," but he soon dismissed his doubts.
Apart from his appearance, his voice and tone didn't seem threatening.
Just...
'He seems a bit rude.'
How many mages are actually polite?
It wasn't that unusual.
"Well, I might not be able to tell you much, but I'll ask anyway."
"What's going on in this town? Why is it so chaotic... I mean, why is it so noisy?"
The worker narrowed his eyes and looked the mage up and down.
"Is this your first time here? Even so, it's strange. Haven't you heard the rumors?"
"Rumors?"
"You really don't know anything. The Great Forest has been quite restless lately. Monsters are popping up more frequently. I heard a monster wave might happen... for the first time in decades, apparently."
"Then..."
"Preparations for evacuation. Whether a real wave will happen or not is uncertain, but if it does, Greentown won't be safe. The damn empire doesn't know what to do. They just collect taxes, and when something happens, they watch from the other side of the river."
The worker grumbled with a sullen face and then looked at the mage.
"I don't know why you're here, but be careful. Even the adventurers who were inside are coming out now. Something big must be happening inside..."
"Ah, one more question."
Just as the worker was about to turn away, the mage called him back.
"...?"
"I need to find an inn called 'Sun of the Pasture.' The city is bigger than I thought."
"Oh, that place... Follow this road straight to the square. You should be able to see it from there. Got it?"
"More or less."
The worker nodded at the mage's confirmation.
At that moment, a furious shout came from a distance.
"Hey! Hans! What are you doing? Stop dilly-dallying!"
"Ah, I'm coming right away!"
The worker named Hans was startled and hurried his steps.
But before he left,
He paused for a moment and added a word.
"Don't ignore what I just said. I don't know how great mages are, but... they don't have a good reputation."
With that, the worker hurried away.
The mage silently watched his retreating back for a moment.
After a while,
'Hmm. A monster wave, huh.'
He recalled the worker's words.
'The situation does seem to be getting urgent...'
Tsk, this mission is going to be quite troublesome.
Aster clicked his tongue and walked slowly.
The destination was the inn in the square.
Sun of the Pasture.
There, a guide who would lead him to the Hamerin Great Forest and to Destrue awaited.