Chapter 66

Chapter 66. If Trees Could Remember

On a morning with the sun fully risen.

"Huff…."

I patted my full stomach and leaned against the tree trunk.

Chirp, chirp.

Even in the Hamehrn Great Forest, birds exist.

It’s just that with all the ominous rumors and tales of it being a place as dangerous as the Demon Realm, there are also beautiful aspects...

Crack!

"…."

My thoughts halted as I watched a bird on a branch open its beak wide and swallow another bird in one gulp.

Anyway.

The beautiful ecosystem of nature in the Hamehrn Great Forest...

Squish, squish.

...must exist somewhere.

‘...I just haven’t seen it yet.’

Just as I was enjoying the leisurely morning.

"Sir, are you really going to capture the Swamp Overlord?"

"Why, are you going to run away again?"

"Um, hmm! Yesterday, I wasn’t trying to run away; I really had to go to the bathroom…."

Last night.

Our loyal slave... no, Pathfinder Raleigh attempted to escape.

- Um, hmm. Since you’ll be really busy tomorrow, I’ll take the night watch.

Despite the fact that he didn’t need to stay up all night thanks to Obern’s barrier.

- What’s that?

- Ah, hahaha. This is an herb that purifies the mind and body. Burning it in the campfire is very effective.

He even put some suspicious herbs into the campfire.

Of course, the claim that it purifies the mind and body was an obvious lie.

As soon as the smoke started to rise...

- Hmm, suddenly feeling sleepy...

Obern slumped and fell asleep.

- Why are you covering your nose and mouth?

- It doesn’t agree with me...

He had his nose and mouth covered and was holding his breath.

I, too, went along with it.

If you don’t know, you don’t know.

But knowing, I wouldn’t fall for something like a poison or a sleeping incense.

As soon as I closed my eyes, the sound of packing was heard.

And then what did he say?

- Go ahead and laugh your ass off, you bastards. I’m leaving.

How he planned to break through the Hamehrn Great Forest, teeming with monsters, was anyone’s guess.

‘No, he probably thought breaking through that path was better than fighting the Swamp Overlord.’

So, what did I do?

- Do you want to die?

- ...No, sir.

- What?

- I really had to go to the bathroom...

After letting him run a suitable distance, I caught him.

Naturally, beating him like a dog was a given.

This morning, the deep blue bruises on Raleigh’s face were a clear sign of what happened.

Anyway.

"Which tree do you like?"

"…What?"

"Pick a tree you like from these."

Raleigh, who had tilted his head at my words, soon pointed to a tree at a suitable distance.

"That one?"

"Yes."

It was a tree of moderate size.

By outside standards, it was enormous, but by Hamehrn Great Forest standards, it was about average.

"…Why are you doing this?"

"If you run away again, you’ll become the nutrients for that tree."

"…."

"And I’ll look at that tree and think of you. ‘Ah, there was a guy like that back then.’ Of course, if I can remember that tree."

"…I will be loyal."

I left a simple warning for Raleigh and soon got up.

"Ugh."

I had a hearty meal.

My condition is at its best.

Raleigh is...

‘Not part of the main force, so I’ll exclude him.’

While his specialty is pathfinding, he has some experience as a mercenary and can handle a sword to some extent, but he’s not strong enough to be considered part of the main force.

Now, the most important thing is Obern.

"Are you okay?"

"…."

Obern, who had been sitting and practicing his breathing technique, slowly opened his eyes.

It didn’t seem like he was practicing his breathing technique, but rather preparing his mind for the battle ahead.

"Are we going now?"

"Yeah. Ready?"

"I…"

Obern, who had opened his eyes, said:

"…I’m ready."

I nodded at his determined expression.

"Alright, then. Let’s go."

As I declared, Raleigh quickly finished packing.

Obern also gathered his belongings and prepared himself.

As for me, all my stuff is in the subspace.

A short while later.

Back at the swamp.

"Huff, huff…!"

While Raleigh was breathing heavily as if his heart would burst, Obern was biting his lip and looking at me.

"You should stay further back, right?"

"Yes! I understand!"

"Obern, you too."

"…Yes."

Raleigh answered as if he had been waiting and quickly crawled into the bushes.

Obern followed.

I’m the only one going into battle.

Raleigh is not part of the main force.

And Obern...

- Maintaining Overclock requires high concentration. If the Gift is fully awakened, it should be fine, but...

He has the most important role.

Anyway.

"Let’s start."

I said this for the two of them to hear, but I didn’t expect a response.

With those words, I...

Splash!

Immediately entered the swamp.

‘It’s said that it can sense something entering its territory like a ghost, right?’

While the tracking is likely due to the scent I left in the water,

no one knows how it can detect the intrusion so quickly.

But.

‘Hmm, still weak?’

I recalled what Raleigh had said through gritted teeth the day before.

- If it’s chasing other prey, a stronger method is needed.

I took out a small dagger from the subspace.

Slash!

As I cut my palm, crimson liquid dripped onto the murky surface of the swamp.

The change came immediately.

Roar!

The terrifying roar from a distance.

As I felt yesterday, it was enough to make even my hair stand on end.

The excitement before battle, which I hadn’t felt in a long time.

I smiled.

"Welcome, guest."

No, that’s not right.

"Get beaten by the guest."

As I said those words.

Whoosh! Splash!

The sound of the water being violently parted.

Thud! Thud!

The ground seemed to tremble slightly.

As the various sounds echoed, the surroundings were enveloped in silence.

And then, shortly after.

In the distance.

The Swamp Overlord appeared from the swamp after a short while.

I watched for a moment, and when it was close enough, I signaled.

‘Start.’

Immediately, an unknown vitality surged through my body.

As my body was enveloped in a brilliant white light, I clenched my fist.

‘This is...’

Overclock.

Not as powerful as in my previous life, but...

‘It’s been a long time.’

It was a truly long time since I felt this sense of liberation.

* * *

The Swamp Overlord.

Its appearance is not much different from the giants (巨人) seen in ancient records.

A towering body reaching 4 meters.

Bipedal.

Its fists are as hard as iron, capable of shattering massive boulders with a single blow, and its feet are so large that a slight kick can crush an adult male.

However.

The true terror of the Swamp Overlord is not due to its overwhelming physical strength.

According to ancient records, one adventurer described the Swamp Overlord like this:

‘Its eyes are evil eyes (魔眼) that freeze the breath of anyone who looks at them, and its roar disrupts the laws of the world. Its skin is so tough that it can withstand the blade of a brave knight, and its sense of smell is as keen as a hunting dog from hell...’

Putting aside the various flowery descriptions, the most distinctive feature is its eyes.

Evil eyes.

‘Freezes the breath’ is not literal.

It has the power to freeze the magic of anyone who meets its gaze.

The principle is unknown.

It’s just one of the special abilities of the ancient species.

What about its roar?

The roar of this ancient species distorts the mana in the air.

‘Disrupts the laws of the world’

...is what that means.

It’s an existence that can be called a nemesis to mages, but it’s not necessarily weak to knights.

The thick fur covering its body.

The tough skin beneath.

‘Tough enough to withstand the blade of a brave knight...’

Literally, it can withstand the blade of a knight emitting streams of ether.

Impervious to both the magic of mages and the swords of knights.

That is the Swamp Overlord.

Of course, there is a way to defeat it.

Mercenaries have studied the Swamp Overlord for a long time and have devised methods to subdue it.

However...

‘It’s difficult. If the Swamp Overlord doesn’t leave the Swamp of Death, it’s best not to provoke it.’

They simply designated the Swamp of Death as a forbidden area.

Raleigh, who knew the situation better than anyone, swallowed hard.

‘I, it’s starting...’

Obern is now closing his eyes, focusing on maintaining Overclock.

The Swamp Overlord, running across the swamp, looked like a giant from legend.

Its body was 4 meters tall.

With a presence that overshadowed the towering trees, it seemed as if the whole world was being sucked into it.

But what about the one standing before it?

A body less than half its size.

A figure wrapped in a robe.

The physique visible under the robe seemed sturdy, but ultimately, it was still human.

"Sir, Mage! Be careful! If you look into its eyes for more than 3 seconds...!"

Raleigh shouted, realizing too late.

He had warned about the precautions, but in actual combat, fear can paralyze anyone.

Raleigh, who had spent half his life as a Pathfinder in the Hamehrn Great Forest, had seen many such novices.

From promising mages and knights of noble families to apprentices of famous individuals.

Many of them, despite their reputations, froze in terror at the sight of a monster they had never encountered before and met their end in an instant.

"…Ah."

Finally, 3 seconds.

The mage looked straight at the Swamp Overlord, and it was already within reach.

Raleigh became anxious.

‘I, I should run now...’

The Swamp Overlord targets anything that enters its territory.

Raleigh, who hadn’t stepped into the swamp, technically had no reason to worry, but human nature is not so simple.

He just wanted to escape the overwhelming fear in front of him.

But at that moment.

Grrr!

A thin roar sounded, and just as the monstrous hand was about to tear the mage apart.

Sssss...

A mysterious light appeared on the murky surface of the swamp.

The light was intensely red and vivid, spreading like black ink in clear water, expanding its domain.

It seemed to be a form of magic...

‘How...?’

In a short moment, questions flooded Raleigh’s mind.

If the eyes met, no magic should have been possible.

Why could this mage...

‘Ah!’

Raleigh soon realized the situation.

The eyes visible through the mask. No, the eyes were not visible at all.

‘He... had his eyes closed.’

If not frozen in fear, it was an incredible display of courage.

Who in the world could calmly close their eyes in front of the Swamp Overlord?

By the time Raleigh understood.

"Overclock... "

A low voice.

Time seemed to slow down, and everything moved slowly, but the voice was clear in his ears.

"…Thanks to this, I’ve broken through a wall."

At that moment, flames erupted from the swamp.

Boom!

Fierce flames soared from the red light!

It was incomprehensible.

No matter how powerful the magic, it couldn’t completely defy the laws of nature.

Flames rising from water?!

No, it’s possible.

The vivid image of red flames burning alone.

If one has reached the second stage, the stage of complete fire (成火).

Grrrr!

As the sudden flames caused the Swamp Overlord to thrash in pain, the area around Aster burned fiercely like a hell of fire.

"This... isn’t bad."

No, it was even better.

I had various plans to capture the Swamp Overlord.

Breaking through an unexpected wall.

"Maybe I can have a little fun."

A deep smile appeared at the corners of the mouth hidden under the mask.