170. the truth of the case
The deeper we went into the demonic forest, the more stuffy air continued to rise from the inside.
Hayoon, who had been grumbling since getting off the back, must have found it difficult to speak carelessly, and from a certain point on, she kept her mouth shut and silently followed me.
Turning my head slightly to check her complexion, I realized that Hayun would eventually faint from exhaustion if I continued on like this.
“I can’t, get up.”
So he turned his back to her again, but Ha-yun refused.
“No, I’m not going to be able to adjust to just being carried on by you.”
“When I see you, you fall before you get used to it. There is a place to rest near here, so just stick with it.”
“……Sorry.”
Hayun leaned on her back as if she had almost collapsed. I felt a strange trembling from her light weight, so I ran quickly.
‘You only need to go to the village of witches.’
The village of witches in the heart of the forest wasn’t that far away, so we could get there right away if we really ran.
Of course, the witches who noticed me running to their village rushed out and prepared to defend and intercept.
After checking her face from afar, she quickly brought the Great Witch.
“It’s been a long time.”
It may not have been a very welcoming face, but she had no choice but to welcome me. Unless you want the town to be destroyed.
“I took a break and came back. Give this child a place to rest.”
“……Follow me.”
She was a great witch with a slightly frown on her forehead as if it was uncomfortable seeing me asking for it too naturally, but in the end she turned around without being able to resist.
When he entered the forest to annihilate the fighting dogs, it was possible to treat them with a clear order.
“There was a child who was just trying to find you.”
The archwitch speaks bitterly. I wondered what she was talking about, but when I saw the girl lying in the hospital room she guided me to, I was able to figure it out.
“Adrina?”
“uh? Daniel? Hayoon?”
Adriana, who is lying in the hospital room reading a book, jumps up in surprise. He carefully lays Ha-yoon, who has lost consciousness and makes only faint breathing, on the bed, and looks at Adriana.
“Didn’t you go to the land of beasts with Eris?”
“……right. In fact, I was going to visit you as soon as my body recovers, but it went well.”
Adrina covered the book and put it at the end of the bed. Hayun’s condition was being looked after by the Archwitch, so we naturally started talking.
“We went to the land of beasts after chasing Horan, the last survivor of dog fighting. Originally, I should have arrived and finished the work right away.”
“Did you?”
“First of all, Horan’s family was a problem. She must have been the eldest daughter of the Ho clan. Thanks to that, it took me a while to fight against the Ho clan.”
hmm?
Did the leader of the fighting dog mean this when he told Horan to run away because he has a place to go?
Among the beasts, the Ho clan were famous for their warlike nature.
I’ll win in the end though.
No matter how great the clan was, if the names of this side were listed, there was no choice but to give up.
“Anyway, we went all the way to the last lab, and we met a rather… radical being there.”
a violent existence?
Adriana trembled as if she was afraid to even say it in her arms. Adriana, who needed a moment to calm herself, took a deep breath and continued.
“The existence called the emperor of ancient witch beasts, Coolika, was there.”
“What?”
My voice rose without my knowledge. Even the arch witch who was taking care of Hayoon looked at me in surprise.
But I didn’t have time to worry about that.
“Kulika appeared in the Land of Beasts? Aren’t you mistaken?”
I also thought that Kulika appeared in Nirva, but it wasn’t. Adrina wondered if she was mistaken about something, but she shook her head.
“No, they have definitely come to the land of the beasts. He destroyed the dogfighter’s lab there, and he killed Horan.”
“……”
The fact that Coolica came out meant that something that shouldn’t have leaked out had been taken out.
In terms of fighting dogs, since there were so many records of using things from the Pandemonium Forest, it made sense if you think about how Coolika moved.
‘Especially playing around with Arianne’s flowers crossed the line.’
A predator that eats up all the mana around it. Seeing that Ariane’s flower was copied, transplanted into her hand and used, it must have been strange for Coolica to remain still.
Wait a minute.
“No way… did you fight?”
What about Coolica?
Even for me, if I had to judge the win rate, it would be less than 50%. Did you fight against an ancient beast that exudes fighting spirit that you wouldn’t even think of fighting normally?
I wanted you to say no, but Adrina helplessly trampled on my wish.
“Yeah… we fought.”
Then I was terrified.
“Eris! What about Eris?”
No matter how much Eris is the watchman of Yggdrasil, Kulika is an outsider. If Eris was in her previous life, she lived in the forest of the Demon Realm and grew up by leaps and bounds.
Even so, Coolica was a monster that could not be dealt with.
Even more so, it would be difficult for Eris, who had lived only in Yggdrasil, to endure for a short while.
“I didn’t die because I was recognized by Coolica, but my injuries are serious.”
“……”
Complex emotions welled up inside me as I clenched my fists. Anger at Eris being hurt. At the same time, I felt relieved that I did not die in a confrontation with a strong man like Coolika.
‘Yes, I fought with Coolika, but it’s a miracle that I didn’t die.’
Eris, who had never experienced the Demon Realm Forest, was recognized by him. I couldn’t even imagine how much effort and effort she must have made.
“great job.”
I pat Adrina’s shoulder. She felt a sense of responsibility as a witch’s representative for the incident caused by the fighting dogs and accompanied her.
But that wouldn’t have been a reason to risk his life to fight Kulika.
Still, she fought.
I was grateful for that alone.
“…After all, I think it’s a waste of a stallion.”
“What?”
“No, no.”
I think I just heard something you shouldn’t be in.
Adrina coughed and started explaining what happened again.
“That’s how we lost. Everyone was horribly injured, and we had no choice but to watch Kulika destroy the lab and leave.”
It was like saying that the way to restore my sister to normal was cut off, so I felt dejected.
But the story is not over.
“But here, the Ho clan, who were chasing Horan just like us, came to visit us. That was where the misunderstanding began. They thought we killed Horan and immediately arrested him.”
“……”
“Fortunately, Jaguar, the Beast King’s assistant, was not executed on the spot, but now Eris-sama, Hashim Bellok, and Jaguar are all imprisoned in the Land of Beasts.”
Adriana slowly points to the wooden ring she is wearing.
“All the witches were able to warp to the village because of the ring the Archwitch gave them, so I was the only one who escaped before being arrested. I was just about to tell you this news…”
“I stopped. Adrina is not in a condition to move right now.”
The Archwitch intervenes and snatches Adrina’s horse.
I wished I knew right away, but when I saw Adrina with a bandage on my body, I thought that the archwitch’s judgment was correct, so I couldn’t say anything.
“Sorry, Daniel. Knowing about Coolica, I should have spoken a little harsher.”
No, Adriana did nothing wrong.
No matter what she said, Eris would probably fight. For the sake of the young elf and my older sister who have been tolerated.
“It must have been a lot of heartache.”
After stroking Adrina’s hair once to comfort her, I had no choice but to think for a while.
In my heart, I wanted to set out to save Eris right away, but first I had to solve the problem I was facing.
I asked the Archwitch.
“Something strange has been happening deep inside the forest lately?”
“……What are you talking about?”
“Don’t even think about pretending. Because I already know everything.”
Not only did I know it, but I also experienced it myself. Another Nirva appeared in the forest of the demon realm.
“It’s Sharqal. It is a magical city created by him.”
The archwitch confides as if complaining. It seems that she was also in the midst of investigating this matter for a long time.
“I went and had a conversation with myself. Because I am the only one among the witches who can have a private conversation with Sharkal.”
If you’re as strong as the Archwitch, will Sharkarl recognize it?
I nodded, urging him to continue talking.
“He was under investigation. After making Adrina like that, Kulika, who came back, was doing activities with someone.”
“together?”
Is that kulika?
Come to think of it, Sharcal also told me that he was a ‘servant of Kulika’.
“It seems that Sharqal was also curious about what Kulika was thinking. Because it was one of the pillars supporting the forest of the Demon Realm together. They say he kidnapped one of the two people who were traveling with Coolica, just in case he changed.”
“Well?”
I felt like something was going on slowly. And that was confirmed by the archwitch’s explanation.
“I was reading the experiences and memories of the person I had kidnapped. That city is part of that process.”
“Ahh!”
I finally understood.
Why did Nirva appear in the demonic forest?
Why were Hayoon’s parents, who had already died, still there, and the number of fired minions poured out.
Was there a fake time shaman?
Because it was the city in Haven Wren’s memory.
That is why Nirva was taking the same shape, and there were people who shouldn’t have been there.
The sense of accomplishment that I had solved a difficult problem was about to rise, but a terrible and dizzying hypothesis came to mind, sticking my head out of a corner.
‘But why was Hevan Ren going with Kulika?’
Has it also entered the Forest of the Demon World?
The Forest of Demon Realm was not a place where you could simply come to gather a lot of strong people. Especially to the depths of the forest where Kulika lives.
If you have a Sherpa like me or have no experience…
“no way.”
there was.
A person who has the same memories of the forest as I do, even though Hebben Ren serves like a fanatic.
A woman who so easily obtained the essence of the demonic forest that I had obtained while rolling my body.
Because her memory and mine were exchanged.
“Is the priestess of time alive?”