East Road Quest

Chapter 71: Entrance to the Dark Forest

The Tyrant moved when everyone’s gaze was fixed on Ramatus. In truth, there had been a chance to flee earlier, but his belly had been torn open by the horn of a goat, rendering him immobile.

The Tyrant pushed his protruding entrails back into his belly with his forepaws and waited for the wound to heal.

His recovery was astonishingly fast, even to himself. Having never been so gravely injured before, this was his first experience of healing.

Once the Tyrant could move again, his first thought was of revenge against Ruby. However, seeing Goatking shattered so pitifully, he dared not entertain the thought.

“I need not show loyalty to a goat who falls to such a little one.”

Had their skills been equal, the Tyrant would have fought alongside Ramatus like the other beasts of the grasslands. But that was out of the question. He did not wish to end up like the other monsters, annihilated by Ruby’s chains.

“After all, Goatking never deserved to be an emperor. And the only difference between that creature and me is who was born faster. Had I been born first, I would have been the one to receive the power.”

Next, he considered attacking Jade or Sapphire while Ruby was distracted by the fight. But even in combat, Ruby continually checked on Jade and Sapphire’s positions.

Even underground, his actions seemed light, yet his vision was broad enough to hear even a child’s breathing. He would not neglect his ‘master’ while engrossed in battle.

Even if he had managed to break through Ruby’s defense and kill Sapphire or Jade, the Tyrant would have been doomed. There was no need to forsake his chance at survival for revenge, nor was there any reason to.

The Tyrant chose to strive for survival.

As Ruby was about to smash Ramatus’s head with his bare fists, the Tyrant stealthily crawled out of the battlefield, and by the time Ramatus died by Ruby’s hand, he was already running.

“Jade has extinguished the Pig Chief. Could Goatking do the same? No, the fact that he possesses the Light of Extinguishment is what’s important. This information has value for trade. Instead of Goatking, or rather Ramatus, I could become the next emperor of the grasslands!”

The Tyrant ran across the grasslands bathed in morning sunlight. Blood flowed from his belly, head, and mouth, yet he did not stop running.

His original speed, like the wind across the grasslands, was not there. Even running on the hard ground felt as heavy as running in mud.

The wound on his belly had healed, but more time was needed to return to a fully intact body.

“I just need to reach the Dark Forest. If I can make it there, I can survive! The Cowking will take me in.”

“The Tyrant is gone,” said Ruby.

Jade, who was bidding farewell to the Kun tribe hunters, turned around hastily and asked in a low voice, so others wouldn’t hear,

“What do you mean?”

“I checked just in case…,” Ruby pointed to a place filled with the carcasses of beasts.

“…His body is the only one missing.”

“Did he vanish along with Ramatus’s death?”

“The other beasts left corpses. And more importantly, there are signs he fled.”

“Are you certain it’s him?”

“Absolutely!”

Jade was taken aback.

The Tyrant was not just any beast of the grasslands that had run away.

“Why the Tyrant…?”

“Yes, why him!”

Their voices were not loud, but Varsh heard them and approached.

“Does this mean the Tyrant is alive?”

“See for yourself.”

Ruby showed Varsh the bloodstains he had found. The sparse drops led northeast.

“What do you think, with the eyes of a hunter?”

asked Ruby.

“Indeed. Unless there’s another beast as large as the Tyrant, these hoof marks and bloodstains belong to him.”

“I made a mistake. I’ve always fought battles where striking the head meant the end. So I let my guard down when Ramatus died, thinking it was all over.”

Ruby spoke with a frustrated voice.

“If you had seen his belly ripped open by a goat’s horn, spilling his guts, you wouldn’t have thought he could flee.”

At Varsh’s words, Ruby seemed to have an epiphany.

“Right! Anyway, he’s suffered a significant injury. He couldn’t have run away at high speed as before. If we hurry now, we can still catch him.”

“I’ll lead the way!”

Varsh whistled in the direction where Fur was. Fur, who was far away, immediately came galloping on his horse.

Jade waved his hand.

“No, from now on, this is our task. With Ruby here, we can track, and Ruby can handle the injured Tyrant.”

Jade said, looking at Ruby, who shrugged his shoulders.

“What else would you expect?”

Varsh spoke with concern.

“But if he’s heading towards the Dark Forest, how will you track him if he seeks to hide there?”

“To the Dark Forest?”

Jade asked, surprised.

“If I were the Tyrant, I would have done so. Whether he’s aiming for the Dark Forest or just happens to be heading in that direction, a wounded beast naturally…

“Learning to flee into the forest is essential,” said the Angel Chief.

Jade could not refuse Varsh’s proposal and turned to Ruby to ask, “What do you think?”

Ruby shook her head in agreement. “I’m not confident about the Dark Forest either. I barely remember the way… Of course, my lack of confidence doesn’t mean I’m in danger, but rather that I’m unsure about keeping you both safe.”

“See? If we had started when we first discussed it, we would be halfway there by now!” Varsh exclaimed.

Approaching Hur, Varsh quickly explained the situation in the Kun language, then turned back to Jade and said, “While I acknowledge Ruby’s skills, there is no one in this meadow who can track faster and more accurately than our hunters. If he has gone into the Dark Forest, at the very least we can guide you to the entrance. Besides, I have a duty to confirm his end. We cannot continue to live with this unease.”

Jade didn’t have time to ponder for long. As Varsh said, it was better to hurry than to waste time discussing.

“Then, I’ll entrust you with the guidance.”

The pursuit continued throughout the day, past the morning.

Running through the hilly meadows at midday was physically demanding, though not as harsh as the desert’s scorching sun. Given the circumstances, Jade couldn’t even suggest taking a rest.

The two hunters were invaluable in following the tyrant’s trail of blood. Whenever the bloodstains disappeared, Hur or Varsh quickly found the next spot.

“Are you better at tracking than me?” Ruby admitted, adding, “Of course, I’m talking about tracking footprints. If I put all my effort into smelling, I could find them faster.”

Jade and Saph rode their horses, following the two hunters, while Ruby continued to run on foot, refusing to ride. Yet, even with hands behind his back, he was as fast as the horses.

“The tyrant’s blood trail is now heading straight for the entrance of the Dark Forest,” Hur said, looking back.

“The Kun hunters know the entrance to the Dark Forest, then? It’s true,” Jade remarked.

“Not everyone knows. Only some hunters are aware,” Varsh replied.

Ruby added, “The symbiotic relationship between the Dark Forest elves and the Kun nomads dates back to Baltian. Baltian learned strategy from the elves, and the elves learned horsemanship from Baltian. It was easy to understand each other, sharing a culture that values trees.”

Varsh, surprised, asked, “How do you know such a story?”

“I just remembered it,” Ruby replied.

“Remembered?”

“Yes, there’s such a thing. Saph would be very interested in hearing my stories. Hahaha.”

Ruby looked back at Saph proudly, but Saph just tilted his head in confusion.

‘Being able to act like that towards someone who just showed tears is an enviable trait,’ Jade thought, smiling involuntarily. However, as the forest filled with giant trees drew near, his smile faded.

“This is the Dark Forest.”

“Indeed. It seems the tyrant has entered the Dark Forest,” Varsh said with a solemn determination.

Despite his resolve to follow, Varsh hesitated upon facing the forest.

“You can still turn back now,” Ruby offered considerately, but it sounded more like a challenge.

Varsh immediately spurred his horse towards the forest. “This is not yet the entrance. We must go deeper.”

The four horses and Ruby entered the forest simultaneously.

Jade reflexively looked back to check the path. They had only taken a few steps, but the meadow was already out of sight.

“I still smell that stench,” Saph whispered.

“Stench?” Jade, momentarily distracted by the forest, didn’t understand what Saph meant.

“Oh, nothing. Never mind.”

Jade decided to ask later and focused on riding. More precisely, he concentrated on not falling off the horse.

The entrance to the Dark Forest was indistinguishable from any ordinary forest, except for the slightly denser trees. But as they went deeper, the trees became thicker, and their height and girth increased.

The refreshing sunlight filtering through the leaves turned ominous about half a mile in, and the humidity rose to the point where droplets formed at the tip of the nose, even without fog.

The horses could no longer advance.

“It’s as if the forest rejects the touch of humans,” Jade commented.

Dismounting, Varsh replied, “This is still the ‘entrance,’ which is why it’s like this. If we had taken a non-entrance path, it would be almost like climbing a mountain. From here, we must walk.”

Jade also dismounted and asked, “Have we already passed the entrance? I didn’t see anything resembling an entrance on the way here. It’s a foolish thought, but I expected some symbol marking the entrance.”

“The entrance is not distinguishable by our eyes. It’s known only through feeling and experience,” Varsh continued, his voice tense.

“Of course, we’ve already passed the entrance. If we had taken any other path, all sense of direction would be useless, and it would be difficult to find our way even with the sun or constellations. We think it’s due to hallucinations caused by pollen from the plants, but we don’t know the details.”

Jade looked down at the ground. The tree roots filled the uneven terrain, leaving hardly any clear path. The concept of a ‘path’ that Varsh spoke of was not easily understood by Jade.

Jade looked up at the sky, deep in thought.

In days long past, General Scipio of Rome had marched into the Dark Forest, vowing to bring the entire western continent under Rome’s dominion. Though he failed, one could not help but respect such determination upon seeing this terrain.

The reason why this forest was called ‘Dark’ became apparent. The trees, towering to dizzying heights, obscured the sky so thoroughly that sunlight failed to reach the ground. Without the sun in sight, it was hard to distinguish directions. A mere glance at the sky, and upon looking down, one might forget which way they were headed.

Some areas were as dark as caves, especially considering it was evening, and the light was scarce.

They tied all their horses together in one place and began to walk. Poe and Baltian led the way, followed by Jade and Anna, with Ricardo guarding the rear.

Jade walked briskly, not wanting to fall behind.

“The path is treacherous; tracking must be difficult, right?” Jade asked, concerned.

“No, on the contrary, the tracks have become clearer. It seems that the demon knew about the entrance to the forest as well,” Baltian pointed out, indicating the hoofprints on the ground.

Indeed, with a bit of focus, even Jade could spot the freshly broken branches and trampled bushes.

“From here, the path isn’t straight, is it?” Jade observed.

“Right. There’s been some wandering. As if searching for something. Or perhaps being chased by something,” Poe remarked.

“If it’s being chased, it’s probably by you,” Jade teased.

“Well,” Poe replied, his voice unusually uncertain. Baltian started to speak but stopped. Anna then spoke up.

“Why did the tyrant flee into the Dark Forest? Was it merely to hide?”

“Earlier, I sensed someone of a higher rank than Lamatus. The tyrant must have come seeking help from that someone,” Jade replied, then turned to Poe, who was ahead.

“So, these erratic tracks, are they from searching for a demon to aid him?”

“Perhaps,” Poe evaded the question again.

Baltian stopped and started repeatedly, then said, “I think it’s avoiding another being.”

“Another being?” Jade inquired, narrowing his eyes.

“I’m also worried if we’re allowed to enter the forest without permission. We only come here to chase prey, take a detour, or trade officially with the elves. Honestly, I’m not sure if we should be here for this purpose,” Baltian confessed.

“A guardian, you mean… like a sentinel?” Anna asked.

“A sentinel of the Dark Forest? Anna, haven’t you heard about it from Father Daniel?”

“That’s new to me.”

As they walked, they came upon a clearing where the number of trees suddenly diminished, revealing a grassy area.

Poe strode confidently into the clearing. The tall grass reached his waist, almost completely covering Jade’s lower half.

Hesitant to enter the grass, Baltian drew his sword, saying, “I’ll lead the way.”

As Baltian began to clear a path with his sword, Poe shook his head.

“There’s no time for that. Just follow the path I took. The ground is firm, and there’s little danger. What are you afraid of?”

Baltian nodded and sheathed his sword.

“Poe is right. It’s only about a hundred steps.”

“Let’s do that. It’s not the path that’s daunting; it’s a personal fear… that’s all,” Baltian admitted, following Poe with Jade and Anna close behind.

“What fear is that?” Anna asked, her face showing no fear.

Anna always looked expressionless, but now her tone was clearly unafraid.

“I once went on a picnic from the cathedral when I was young,” Jade began slowly.

“It was supposed to be a spiritual exercise to hear the word of God, but for us young acolytes, it was just an escape from the stifling cathedral. But then, a friend running through such thickets stepped on a large snake, which bit his ankle. Thankfully, it wasn’t venomous, so he didn’t die, but the sight of the snake coiling tightly around his lower body… even thinking about it now…”

Jade shuddered, unable to finish the story.

“Was it bigger than this one?” Poe kicked up the grass where it was hidden, and a snake twice the size of the one Jade had seen in his youth flew up with Poe’s kick.

Jade gasped and froze in place. The snake, having been tossed into the air, fell back into the thicket and disappeared.

“Where… where did the snake go?” Jade asked.

“It’s gone,” Poe replied.

“Where to?”

“Somewhere.”

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

“Ha, come on, hurry up and follow. The rest of the—”

Ruby emerged from the thicket and said, “You’ve arrived.”

She then teased Jade, who was looking around frantically and clumsily scrambling out of the bushes.

“It’s really funny. You put on such a brave front against the demon goat, which is a thousand times scarier than that snake?”

“Quiet!”

Jade, annoyed, walked past Ruby. Then Ruby grabbed him by the nape of the neck to stop him.

In front of the grass field was a pond. Surrounded by various mosses and grasses grown up to knee height, Jade would have fallen into the pond without Ruby’s intervention.

Jade sat down, panting.

Barsh, who was following behind, exclaimed in surprise.

“The Dark Forest is not just a place with trees. You also need to be careful of such terrains.”

Jade dusted off his backside and stood up to ask.

“Is there anything else we need to be cautious about? Any precautions we should know in advance?”

“It’s unlikely, but should you encounter the forest elves, please do not provoke them.”

“Elves… If we do meet them, how should we respond?”

“It would be beneficial to know the language of the elves, but even if you don’t, do not panic. They do not disdain humans for not knowing their language, nor do they try to communicate. Just…”

Barsh was speaking when he parted the bushes to turn towards the pond and froze.

Ruby, Jade, Saph, and Hurr, who were following, also stopped.

There stood the elves, beside the pond.