Chapter 8: A party in the forest (2)

“I, I can’t believe this……”

That was something that should never have happened.

The man who had sought out the forest stared at the scene before him, utterly aghast that such a thing could truly exist.

Bloodstains dyed the blue grass crimson.

This blood had flowed from the corpses of the Minotaurs, who were known as the forest’s guardians.

They were so powerful that a single one required an entire subjugation team to handle.

Moreover, blades were useless against them, and few possessed magic potent enough to affect them.

Originally, the Minotaurs should have captured the adventurer party about two hours prior.

But now, they were completely annihilated.

The man had come, unable to shake off his unease about their delay, only to find his deepest fears realized.

They had been instantly killed by vital strikes, seemingly without even a proper chance to resist.

Even a veteran adventurer would find such a feat challenging.

“Who on earth did this? Could it be that elf…?”

However, there was someone he suspected.

Though the adventurer party had a somewhat known name, most of its members were mere novices who had yet to experience life’s harsh realities.

Their original fate should have been annihilation by the sudden onslaught of Minotaurs, but there was a ‘Forest Elf’ who looked after these greenhorns.

Elves possessed long lifespans.

Consequently, their mental and experiential capacities were on an entirely different plane compared to other races.

They likely knew how to deal with Minotaurs, but this particular elf was an archer, not a mage.

This meant they typically wouldn’t lead the charge, usually serving as scouts or reconnaissance, making them ill-suited for direct combat.

Furthermore, Minotaurs had tough hides that could deflect steel, so a few small arrows would be ineffective unless they struck a vulnerable spot like an eye.

“There’s a magical reaction. Judging by the traces in the forest, it appears to be Graviton-type magic.”

“I see… that’s what it was. That elf. They weren’t just an archer; they could perform the role of a mage as well.”

However, that assumption only held true if one presumed the elf was merely an archer.

The traces remaining here clearly indicated that these Minotaurs had been instantly subdued by powerful magic.

That idiotic dwarf certainly couldn’t wield such potent magic.

The boy was a swordsman, and the other woman was a priestess, leaving only the elf.

The man bit his lip, having drawn his conclusion.

He had been pleased, thinking he had snared a rather high-quality catch this time, but wasn’t it said that beautiful flowers had thorns? He hadn’t anticipated things would get so complicated.

In this situation, he needed to dispose of the Minotaur corpses quickly.

‘If that ‘one’ finds out, things will become even more troublesome.’

–쿵! 쿵! 쿵!

But it seemed it was already too late.

“That sound…!”

At that moment, the forest suddenly began to rumble.

The man was flustered by the unexpected arrival.

―Who is it that has so cruelly slaughtered my kin?

A monster that exhaled breath hotter than flames.

It was the sound of the ‘King’ who ruled this part of the forest.

Soon, a colossal form emerged.

It was 1.5 times larger than a typical Minotaur, and its hide was black instead of red.

It was none other than the ‘Minotaur King’.

He was enraged.

Deeply enraged by the sight of his kin brutally murdered before his very eyes.

“O King of the Forest, this was not my intention.”

―I know… you are humans with whom I have a contract; even a child knows you would not commit such an act.

Indeed.

The King had made a contract with this man.

The terms of the contract were simple: in exchange for the man preventing the Adventurers’ Guild from dispatching subjugation teams to this forest, the King would allow him to borrow some of his subordinates, the other Minotaurs.

The King, already annoyed by the adventurers who frequently sought out this forest, readily accepted the man’s proposal.

And in practice, no adventurers had received requests to clear out the Minotaurs here.

Occasionally, merchants would pass through, leading to clashes with adventurers, but those escorting merchants were typically only 2- to 3-star adventurers at best.

Even if a dozen of them gathered, they were not at a level to contend with Minotaurs.

―But why, then, are my kin… so…

Any who died or were captured during these encounters were ‘disposed of’ by the man without a trace, and the King, pleased with this arrangement, had even come to trust him.

―Oh, what an unpleasant stench… this lingering magical essence. An elf, an elf is mixed in! Those damned rats…!

That was why he was enraged.

―That vile being massacred my kin…! Why did you not tell me, human! I trusted you. If an elf was present, you should have informed me!

He was furious about the man’s failure to disclose the presence of an ‘elf,’ an existence virtually an enemy to the Minotaurs.

“……Calm yourself, O King. If you were to step forward, a subjugation team comprised of knight-class adventurers or higher would surely be dispatched! That is something even I cannot prevent!”

The man argued back.

This King deeply cherished his kin.

That was why he was so enraged.

However, this monster was also an entity that would absolutely avoid his kin being sacrificed due to his own rage.

For a monster, he was quite reasonable and highly intelligent; such was this King, leading him to make a rational judgment.

“If you had intervened, the Adventurers’ Guild would certainly not have stood by. That is why I concealed it. O King, do you not immediately try to kill any elf you see!”

That was why he had made the contract.

“If that were to happen, a subjugation team would surely be dispatched by the Adventurers’ Guild, and your kin would be sacrificed. I purposely did not inform you to prevent that!”

He had judged it the best method to prevent the sacrifice of the King’s kin.

―Grrr… Yes, I understand. It was my mistake for not comprehending your foresight. Forgive me.

Only then did he seem to calm, bowing his head deeply.

“It is alright, O King. I will ensure vengeance for your kin. So wait, and be patient. …Just as you are now. I will surely capture that elf and allow you your revenge.”

The King listened to the man’s words and nodded.

Then, moving his massive body, he vanished among the trees.

The King’s entrance had been grand, but his departure was quiet.

“Phew, that was a close call (TL Note: A Korean idiom, ‘sibnyeongamsu,’ meaning to feel as if one’s lifespan has been shortened by ten years due to extreme fright or relief.)”

With the monster’s presence completely gone, the man finally let out a sigh of relief.

He had hidden his subordinates in the bushes in case of any unforeseen circumstances, but he had indeed been terrified.

The Minotaur King, that monster, was a powerful being capable of causing natural disasters even alone.

To truly subdue that King by force, it would be impossible unless a 6-star adventurer appeared.

He was a monster capable of devastating several cities on his own.

“That is the Minotaur King… It’s my first time seeing him in person, and he’s truly astonishing. And to think he can converse with humans, it makes me doubt if he’s truly a monster.”

His subordinates regarded the King with awe.

At the same time, they were also amazed by their boss, the man.

Wasn’t this man effortlessly ‘using’ such a powerful being as the Minotaur King?

This man was a s*ave merchant.

Using these Minotaurs, he plundered adventurers’ goods and captured beautiful women to turn into slaves, accumulating vast profits and building a formidable force.

He already wielded power comparable to many nobles, renowned as a prominent s*ave merchant in the black market.

“And you are even on friendly terms with such a monster king; you are truly incredible.”

“Hahahaha, indeed… Anyway, chase them! The elf is a high-quality product, so we must capture them. They fetch a high price, so losing them here would be a huge loss!”

The man laughed.

Soon, not only would he acquire a rare commodity—an ‘elf’—but there were also some decent bonuses accompanying them.

Moreover, that foolish monster had once again acted precisely as he intended, so while it was a shame to have lost them here, they couldn’t have gone far.

“But our opponent is an elf mage. The damage to us would be quite significant…”

If the monster couldn’t do it, then they, despite the hassle, would have to step in. However, their target elf was a mage.

And a skilled one at that, capable of subduing Minotaurs. No matter how fierce and swift the man’s subordinates were, a direct confrontation would incur substantial losses.

“Do not worry; if it’s a mage, I welcome it. I acquired something quite useful from the black market recently.”

“That necklace…?”

“It’s a restraint that seals mana. With this, no matter how skilled a mage they are, they’ll be nothing more than a frail elf.”

But the man had no worries.

While elf magic was certainly troublesome, the man had just obtained a ‘magical artifact’ that was extremely lethal to mages, making this seem like a prime opportunity.

“…Furthermore, this has a track record of even nullifying the power of a ‘High Elf’.”

This referred to an incident six months prior.

A beautiful elf had appeared in the black market.

An elf with a delicate appearance like a goddess and exquisite silver hair—it was a High Elf, the kind only heard of in rumors.

That High Elf had been auctioned for an astronomical price.

It was said to be enough to buy dozens of castles, purchased by some wealthy noble for ‘certain’ purposes.

Presumably, they intended to bring a high elf, with their powerful abilities and arrogant personality, to their bed and do various things.

It was rumored that such slaves were currently in vogue among wealthy nobles, leading to a surge in demand.

Curious how a High Elf was captured, the man had inquired with the merchant who brought the s*ave. He was told that a magic tool personally crafted by the Dwarf King was used to subdue the High Elf while they were off guard.

Unlike ordinary elves, High Elves relied heavily on their magical abilities, and their physical capabilities were no different from those of an average human woman.

In other words, if their magic was sealed, they were of no consequence.

“Hahahaha, someday, I too shall capture a High Elf.”

Thus, the man had made inquiries everywhere to find an identical magical artifact and finally obtained one.

In the man’s hand was a dazzling golden necklace.

****

After dinner, I decided to bathe alone.

The moon-lit sky was beautiful.

In the Twilight Forest, only the sun existed; once night fell, complete darkness descended, making it impossible to see even an inch ahead, like the depths of the ocean.

Perhaps because of this, the sky here felt unfamiliar to me.

Yet, it was also something I longed for.

‘The sky isn’t much different from Earth, where I used to live.’

No, differences did exist.

It wasn’t just that the starlight was bright because the area was a plain; certain things that should be visible among the stars were absent.

The constellations people commonly spoke of were nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps that was natural. This world wasn’t the one I lived in; it was the world of a game called Novel Online.

Even that was just my speculation, but for now, it was easier to think of it that way.

“A fragrance, then…”

I took out a small perfume bottle.

The priest had given it to me, suggesting I use it if I was going to wash.

Having desperately needed things like soap or shampoo, I gratefully accepted it, but now that I held it, I wasn’t sure how to use it.

If it were simply a spray, I might understand, but how was I supposed to use a fragrant liquid contained in a glass bottle?

“Haa, I have no idea.”

As someone who was originally male, of course I wouldn’t know such things.

I ultimately decided to wash my body with only water.

So, this stream flowed down from that mountain. Even though it was dark, I could tell at a glance that the water was clean.

It must be due to the absence of pollutants.

There were no factories here discharging wastewater like in modern times.

While not as pristine as the Twilight Forest, this place also boasted water quality clean enough to drink directly.

‘……It feels good to immerse myself.’

Bathing was truly wonderful.

When I surrendered my body to the flowing water, it felt as though all my worldly worries and concerns were simply washed away.

In fact, I rather enjoyed bathing.

It allowed me to cleanse away the accumulated stresses of life, much like washing away impurities.

It had also greatly helped me maintain my sanity while enduring my time in the Tower of Exile; I even liked the bathtub carved from the Guardian’s remains.

…Though it reverted to its original state within a day.

‘What would happen if I simply surrendered to the current like this?’

Normally, unless I was pulled out midway, I would undoubtedly drift all the way to the sea.

‘That doesn’t seem right.’

I submerged my entire head in the water.

Surprisingly, this body could even breathe underwater.

I wasn’t sure if demons were truly that versatile, but perhaps it was because I had learned, even if I didn’t know how to consciously use, related magic.

‘I needed it to explore the ruins submerged in the sea.’

Even now, when I closed my eyes, it vividly came back to me.

The mysterious ruins submerged in the sea, where a box containing the ‘Book of Prophecy’ left by a Transcendent of Time was kept.

To reach those ruins, it was usually simple to receive aid from a Water Spirit or Wind Spirit through a spirit contract.

However, as a demon, that option wasn’t available to me.

Thus, I had to find another way to enter the water, and I struggled quite a bit to find and learn magic related to underwater breathing from ancient texts…

…

Wait, wasn’t that a story from the game?

Just now, it felt as if I had experienced those events myself, so vividly did they resurface.

Certainly, there was such a quest in the game, and demon players had a penalty of not being able to use spirits, so they had to proceed through a slightly more troublesome method…

But that was just a game.

There was no way I could remember it so vividly.

“What on earth was I remembering?”

As I emerged from the water, a brief headache flared.

It didn’t last long.

It wasn’t simply because I had been in the cold water for too long.

I had genuinely seen a strange hallucination.

And a very nostalgic one at that…

It felt as if I had experienced a hallucination of past memories, much like one would yearn for their home, family, or hometown.

“How foolish.”

Then, I looked towards the dense trees.

“Huk……!”

And then, my eyes met with ‘them’.

Was it because my mind was preoccupied with that hallucination? I hadn’t noticed the pervert spying on me.

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice if you hid there?”

At the same time, I scooped a little water into my hand and threw it.

–콰앙!

The rock where they had been hiding shattered.

Water, though lacking a fixed shape, can transform into a formidable weapon capable of cutting even steel and diamonds if enough pressure is applied.

“Tch…”

But I missed them.

I thought I had thrown it accurately enough to make evasion impossible, but they escaped using an unexpected method.

“Come to think of it, there was this too.”

A torn piece of paper lay on the ground.

[Item – Consumable]

[Magic Scroll]

[Teleportation magic is inscribed. Upon use, it teleports you to a designated coordinate.]

[Already used.]

It was what was commonly known as a one-time use magic circle.

As soon as I noticed them, they tore this scroll, teleporting to some distant, hard-to-pursue location.

Since the paper was torn, tracking was impossible. Although the destination could be known before use, it had just been used, making pursuit difficult even with Cyan’s power.

“……I saw their face. Next time we meet, I’ll pluck out those eyeballs alive.”

I couldn’t help but let them escape, but I had seen their face.

Next time we met, I planned to pluck out their eyeballs and feed them to monsters.

No, perhaps it would be better to crush their crotch first.

“You can look forward to it….”

I muttered to myself.

While doing that quest, I should also look for the one who spied on me.