Chapter 190
Once he was allowed to come along, Wang Chen briefed Seong-Hwi and Leo on the current situation.
“A giant encirclement is surrounding Forestis,” he said.
They were staring at a map on a table—to be more exact, a map of Forestis, which spanned the third to fifth zones. It was as large as South America.
“The allied army of orcs and centaurs is at the southwest, the demons are at the northeast, the angels are at the northwest...” Wang Chen continued to explain. “And that’s the current situation.”
“Have they all entered Forestis?” Seong-Hwi asked.
“Of course. Passively surrounding the forest from the outside won’t get them anything,” Wang Chen said, and Seong-Hwi nodded. Wang Chen continued, “Forestis is extremely complex and dangerous. In the first place, it’s filled with forests, jungles, and swamps—a disadvantageous terrain for humans to traverse.”
“On the other hand, races like the elves, beastfolk, nagas, and insectoids will thrive in such a terrain,” Leo mumbled.
Wang Chen added, “Add the spirits to that, and you have the five major races of Forestis.”
“The five major races?”
“The ones who reside in Forestis, not the outsiders who have surrounded it. In terms of strength, the elves are at the top, the beastfolk, nagas, and insectoids are tied in the middle, and the spirits are the weakest.”
“Sounds about right,” Seong-Hwi mumbled in agreement.
Wang Chen continued, “On top of that, the Chaos monsters in Forestis are also mainly Invasive Chaos of those five races.”
“Makes sense, just like how there are many Bodies near the Capital... Ah!” Leo unconsciously mumbled, but stopped once he saw Wang Chen’s expression crumple.
Leo thought, Come to think of it, eleven of his comrades turned into Bodies right before his eyes.
He remained silent momentarily and said, “I’m sorry.”
“For what? You’ve done nothing to me to be sorry about,” Wang Chen responded as he shook his head, his expression stiff. He continued professionally, “As I was saying, we must be wary of the unfamiliar terrain, the five major races who are enraged that their territory is being invaded, and their Invasive Chaos. At least, that would normally be all we have to worry about.”
Seong-Hwi nodded and remarked, “Right now, Forestis is bustling with wild dogs that are more than willing to tear each other apart to monopolize the contribution points for the quests, Kill Insectum and Lumber the World Tree. It’s clear as day.”
Wang Chen nodded and said, “In other words, anyone we meet in Forestis is an enemy. Not encountering anyone is ideal, but we can’t avoid a battle if we do.”
“Understood. Besides, I’m here to fight, not for leisure,” Leo said with a smile.
Wang Chen stared at him and mumbled, “You shouldn’t underestimate Forestis. Not only that, but Manaus is in the southeast, and that part of the encirclement is composed of... dragons.”
“Dragons?” Leo asked, his smile quickly fading.
However, Seong-Hwi smiled even more widely and reacted, “That’s great.”
“Great? Are you crazy? I was about to suggest we enter from the southwest, where the orc and centaur allied army is,” Wang Chen said as he scanned Seong-Hwi from head to toe with his deeply sunken eyes.
Seong-Hwi shook his head. “That will take too much time. We’ll enter from the southeast.”
Wang Chen hesitated momentarily and asked, “You’d rather encounter dragons than orcs and centaurs?”
“No one we encounter on the way will be an easy foe. Also... I abhor dragons.”
Seong-Hwi was reminded of the blazing Capital from just thinking about dragons.
Wang Chen stayed silent as he wondered, Is it confidence, or arrogance? Whichever it is, he’s not normal. If I had to say, it’s probably madness. He smirked and continued, Madness, huh? I’m no different. I'm going there to die anyway, so what does it matter if it’s orcs or dragons?
“Okay, then. As you’ve said, let’s enter from the southeast,” he said.
“And what after?” Seong-Hwi asked.
“We have to find Insectum’s path as quickly as possible.”
“Insectum’s path?”
Wang Chen placed his finger on the eastern edge of the map and drew a straight line toward the west. “As Konan mentioned, Insectum is currently heading toward Elvenheim, destroying everything in his path.”
“Yes, he described it as a freeway.”
“Exactly. Using the freeway Insectum made is the fastest way to reach Elvenheim.”
“And gives you a chance to fight Insectum,” Seong-Hwi mumbled and momentarily fell into thought. He nodded in satisfaction and said, “Very good. Let’s go with this plan.”
***
A group of soldiers was marching from the southeast edge of Forestis’s fourth zone. The soldiers wore white armor and helmets made of dragon teeth. They were inferior dragons created from a dragon’s tooth. A slender woman easily over two meters tall led the group.
She shouted, “Ohoho! After all that boasting about being the boss of Clan Dragon’s Teeth, it serves you right, Spartoi! Ohoho!”
Unlike the other inferior dragons, her armor and helmet were crimson, and crimson hair extended under her helmet like a waterfall. A long spear, seemingly made of bones, was on her back. Her name was Agave, the east commander of Clan Dragon’s Teeth.
“You lost Master Selfinus Canhel’s Dragon Heart, bestowed upon you by the almighty Dragon King, Lord Regnator? Ohohoho!”
Agave was in a great mood because Spartoi, the west commander who claimed to be the practical leader of Clan Dragon’s Teeth, had fallen from grace. Spartoi was indeed superior among the commanders of the east, west, south, and north. He had grown his reputation by hunting fairies after Mushua, the free city in the western end of the Mirror World, became the headquarters of the Vindictas Resistance.
“I can’t believe you dropkicked the golden opportunity that came to your feet because you happened to be the west commander by pure luck!”
A small ember set alight from inside her crimson helmet; it was proof that she couldn’t be in a better mood. Agave had to kill several of her subordinates to quell her fury when she heard that Spartoi had been granted a Ranker’s Dragon Heart, but the situation had flipped; she had been given the opportunity this time.
“I’m so glad that Forestis is in the east!” she shouted.
She was the east commander of Clan Dragon’s Teeth, enlisted under the banner of Echion. Clan Dragon’s Teeth existed for the sole purpose of spreading the greatness of the dragons and acting as their errand boys. Many intermediate and superior dragons had come down to Forestis due to recent incidents, and as the east commander, it was her duty to escort them.
“And most of all... Ahhh! My mother, Master Adi Dahak, has come herself!”
Adi Dahak was one of the most superior dragons, sixty-ninth in the world ranking. She was royalty, inheriting the bloodline of the blaze dragons. She was the leader of Clan Incendio, one of the pillars of Echion.
She was the epitome of destruction, whom the Dragon King, Regnator, had sent to clear the two world quests since the Sēmen had prohibited the Ten Lords and Fiends’ participation. Most of all, she was the owner of the tooth that had created Agave.
“Master Adi Dahak! If only... You will call me your daughter... I will do anything!” Agave mumbled as she stopped in her tracks and stared at the forest before her. She looked backward and shouted, “Bring them to me!”
“Yes, ma’am!” one of the inferior dragons shouted and approached her.
He held several ropes as if he were a balloon seller at an amusement park, and tied to the end of each rope was a fairy bawling their eyes out.
“P-please spare me!”
“I don’t want to die!”
“Waaaaah!”
Agave commanded, “Give me two.”
“Yes, ma’am!” the inferior dragon said as he handed her two pieces of rope.
“Ahhh!”
“No! Puuke!”
“Petane!”
The fairies held each other’s hands tightly to prevent being separated, but their efforts were pointless.
“Get a move on!” Agave shouted.
Their tight grips automatically loosened as if Agave had used Dragon Tongue, the dragons’ exclusive ability.
“Ahhh!”
“Nooo!”
Agave grabbed each fairy’s head like an apple and activated her skill.
[Activating Race Skill: Mana Drain.]
“KYAAAAAH!”
“GUUUUURGH!”
Agave absorbed every drop of the two fairies’ mana. Their skin became wrinkled like jujubes, and they experienced extreme pain for roughly thirty seconds until death. The remaining fairies cried as they watched their friends being sucked dry to death.
“Sniff...”
“Puuke... Petane...”
“T-this is too much!”
“Ohoho!” Agave laughed ecstatically as she watched their reactions. She grabbed her spear from her back, twirled it, and took a stance. “I have plenty of fuel, so I can help Mother as much as I want!”
[Activating Race Skill: Blazing Fang.]
She immediately infused the skill with the mana she had taken from the fairies using Mana Drain and thrust the spear forward. Fangs made of flames sprouted from her spear, engulfing the trees of Forestis. Screams echoed throughout the forest, belonging to the Chaos monsters that had pursued the inferior dragons.
Agave placed the spear behind her back again and laughed in satisfaction. “Ohoho! Mother instructed us to eliminate all those who get in our way, whether they be the Chaos or elves!”
Adi Dahak was aiming to defeat Insectum alongside her elite force from Clan Incendio. Agave’s role was to hunt small fry so that Adi Dahak could focus on hunting Insectum.
A subordinate approached from the rear and reported, “Madam Agave! Orcs and centaurs have been sighted from the southwest!”
“Only engage if they get within range. There is no need to go to them first. Since we’re blocking the way, the hasty ones are bound to come to us first. Ohoho!” Agave responded.
Although she had a burning love for Adi Dahak, she wouldn’t let herself lose sight of the mission because of her excessive loyalty. She and her army were occupying the southwest; it was practically a checkpoint to pass if one wanted to approach Insectum from the southeast.
“If I do well on this mission... I may be granted a Dragon Heart!” Agave mumbled, drunk on her fantasy.
Behind her, the cries of the terrified fairies echoed pitifully.
“Sniff...”
“Someone... please help us...”
“Fairy Queen...”
***
Remnant flames, supplied by Draconic Mana, blazed from where Agave and her soldiers passed through. If one looked closely, one could see lizards inside.
“It’s disgusting, right?”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Blegh! I’ve never eaten fire this yucky!”
“It must be because it was made by burning the fairies’ life force.”
Thousands of fire lizards chatted among one another. They were Salamanders, low-grade fire spirits. A white light lingered around the Salamanders, and white flames surged, forming a dress, face, body, and limbs belonging to a woman around 150 centimeters tall.
She said, “Be careful, guys. What if that mean dragon tooth comes back?”
The Salamanders clung to her and babbled.
“Saleana! Saleana! Taste these flames!”
“It’s disgusting!”
She shook her head as she pulled them off her and said, “Don’t eat those dirty things, Salamanders.”
She was Saleana, a super-grade fire spirit.
She stared at the area that the inferior dragons had razed and thought, The dragon tooth in charge is... strong. Not only that, but we share the same element. We might need Master Sallion’s help, or get assistance from the Elestras.
Sallion, the fire spirit monarch, could burn the inferior dragon alive with even more powerful flames, or the Elestras, the super-grade water spirits, could extinguish the inferior dragon’s flames.
But the water spirits aren’t being cooperative... They’re probably reluctant since they’re gauging Master Ellaim’s mood.
Their behavior was understandable since Ellaim, the water spirit monarch, seemed to be the only one who was against giving rise to Elementum. Sallion, alongside the other spirit monarchs, was busy trying to stop Insectum’s charge.
“At this rate, we won’t be able to rescue the fairies,” Saleana mumbled with a pained expression.
She was here under Sallion’s order to rescue the fairies enslaved by the dragons. It was to negotiate with the Vindicta Resistance, since they needed the fairies’ help for the rise of Elementum to succeed.
However, the inferior dragons were much stronger than Saleana had expected. She knew that dragons were a superior race, but the most inferior of them were still stronger than her, a super-grade spirit.
“Is she special in some way? Hmmm... What to do? How can I—huh?” As she was thinking, she sensed something familiar that she should no longer feel. She looked around and stuttered, “T-this energy!”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Saleana! Saleana!”
“Move! Out of the way, guys!” she shouted as she pushed through the crowd of Salamanders, looking around the silent forest and the darkness within.
She had not mistaken it; she could feel a stealthy and chilling presence, and smell the scent of the night.
“How am I feeling... the aura of a dark spirit?”
Have they returned? If that’s the case... I have to check for myself! Saleana shouted inwardly as she vanished along with the white flames.