Chapter 89: The Deep Forest’s Heart

This was the magical creature that occasionally surged above the flooded forest to snatch flying magical beasts. As expected from my initial sighting, its size surpassed any magical creature I had encountered before, easily comparable to an entire building. The gate from which these creatures emerged was equally massive, uniquely situated on the ground and nearly the size of a lake.

Sagyeol clicked his tongue, standing before it.

“I truly didn’t expect there to be two of them,” he mused. “It’ll take at least a week just to dissect them and extract their magic stones.”

During the arduous journey to this point, the caliber of magical creatures appearing had escalated sharply, prompting all B-rank hunters to return to Grisha. In their stead, the A-rank hunters, who had initially joined the assault team, now found themselves unexpectedly relegated to the post-processing unit, their faces utterly drained of color.

“Let’s go back,” Yeowon suggested, displaying a rare surge of enthusiasm. Those who had been about to propose a short break exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions soured. They looked to Lee Hyun-su, silently pleading for him to intervene.

‘What the hell? What?’

His face gaunt, the usually temperamental man glared at the assembly with a chilling intensity. The hunters fell silent, their opinions instantly aligning.

The forced march resumed without reprieve. Surprisingly, the complaints gradually diminished.

Whenever someone sustained an injury or accumulated fatigue severe enough to impede combat, they were either moved to the rear or sent back to the city. Moreover, with the two individuals bearing the highest combat fatigue fighting at the very forefront, it became difficult for anyone else to voice further objections.

This was especially true for the S-ranks. Despite the variations in their individual power, they were still of the same rank. Gritting their teeth, they pushed themselves, striving to contribute to the subjugation in any way they could.

Thus passed a week. Unexpectedly, the hunters found themselves experiencing a profound sense of disillusionment.

“Honestly, I don’t think I’m normal,” Jaehyeon remarked, pointing forward with his chin as he rested in the rear due to a thigh injury.

“But seeing *that* makes me feel like I might just fall within the normal range after all.”

“……”

The scene Jaehyeon indicated with ‘that’ was where Sagyeol was running wild. For the first time in a while, lower-ranked magical creatures had appeared. The problem, however, was their sheer number; there were simply too many.

These were human-sized creatures with centipede bodies and ant heads, easily numbering in the hundreds. Furthermore, ‘low-ranked’ merely meant they were low-ranked for the deep forest; each one was at least an A-rank.

Neigh!

Snort!

Rephtha, for the first time in a long while, was thrilled. In the Demon Realm, where the law of the jungle applied more directly than anywhere else, they had lived as tyrants. This meant they had crushed and devoured weaker opponents, and outrun stronger ones with their swift hooves.

Having been forced to tremble in a corner ever since entering the deep forest, their stress had accumulated significantly.

Under normal circumstances in the Demon Realm, the ant centipedes were creatures one would flee from without a second thought. Their strength lay in numbers and solidarity. They roamed in groups of hundreds, and if even one was attacked and killed, the entire swarm would relentlessly pursue the killer.

Yet, Rephtha fearlessly charged into the horde, crushing heads with its hooves. It had a reason to be so confident.

Crackle!

Crunch!

Ice, surging like a wave, instantly froze the creatures. Through the gaps, a black shadow streaked past like a comb. All that remained were grotesque ice sculptures with neatly shattered heads.

Jaehyeon spoke with a sense of futility.

“While others enjoy amusement parks or popular spots, those two are tearing apart magical creatures on their date.”

“……”

There were differing opinions. Yoon Hye-ri clicked her tongue, her tone a mix of admiration and exasperation.

“Love truly is mighty, isn’t it?”

Sagyeol preferred to beat magical creatures bare-handed. His reason? He enjoyed the ‘feel’ of it. Everyone who heard this reacted similarly to Yoon Hye-ri.

‘It’s not like he’s fishing.’

‘He’s insane. Absolutely insane.’

Sagyeol didn’t give a damn. Steadfastly, he walked his own path, and now, from the rear, he demonstrated the essence of magic manipulation. His gaze, dripping with affection, followed Yeowon as the latter surged forward, as if winged by Sagyeol’s support.

“…Perhaps I should try dating too.”

“T-t-team leader?”

“Dating? Are you serious?!”

The team members, who had been collecting ant antennae as part of the post-processing effort, were aghast. Yoon Hye-ri, the only S-rank working as combat support, smiled brightly.

“Reason.”

The challenge in her hand resonated with a deep hum. The implicit threat that she would separate their heads from their bodies if a proper reason wasn’t given was palpable.

“My words slipped out because I thought the team leader would be too good for anyone, no matter who the partner was!”

“Despite knowing my own shortcomings, I dared to confess. My apologies!”

Contrary to their initial shocked reactions, their answers were sharp and precise. Yoon Hye-ri narrowed her eyes but said nothing more. Even though things were stable, they were still in combat. Unexpected situations could arise anywhere.

“I’ll deal with you later.”

Yoon Hye-ri spotted a slight disruption in the formation and dashed towards it. Her team members collectively sighed in relief, clutching their chests.

Lee Hyun-su, who had formed a perimeter by crushing the edges with gravity, watched it all unfold without a flicker of emotion.

“It’s a good thing reporters can’t enter the flooded forest,” he muttered.

While eyewitness accounts were unavoidable, they could never fully convey the sense of ‘utter madness’ he was witnessing. The hunter who overheard his murmur remained silent but deeply agreed.

Meanwhile, Yeowon moved instinctively, lost in thought. As they delved deeper into the core, he began to see increasingly familiar creatures.

From the Dragonia he had encountered just recently to the ant centipedes they were now facing.

‘These are the ones that lived in the forest.’

He could physically feel that his territory was truly close. And with it, Lee Myeong-hwan’s mansion.

Screech!

Squawk!

The sun began to set as the immediate area was largely cleared. Sagyeol clicked his tongue, remarking that at this rate, it would have been better if a dinosaur-like creature had reappeared. He wasn’t wrong. The ambiguously strong creatures, with their overwhelming numbers, simply consumed more time.

‘And these types don’t even use the method of emitting magic energy.’

Confident in their collective strength, they roamed without establishing nests. Regardless, they were tricky opponents.

Fortunately, after that, they encountered S-rank magical creatures of comparable strength. As they genuinely entered the deep forest, the concentration of magic energy significantly thinned. The black walls also diminished. The flooded forest frequently opened up into clear areas, eliminating the need for Yeowon to venture into the Black Mist alone to resolve situations.

The subjugation team permeated deeper and deeper. The hunters still joked and played, but their eyes were resolute. Everyone had a premonition: the end was truly near.

A few days later, the reconnaissance team returned to the newly established base camp.

“What we saw… seems to be the very heart of the deep forest,” Yu Seong, the leader of the reconnaissance team, reported, his expression grim.

“You’ll probably need to see it for yourselves.”

Yeowon and Sagyeol exchanged glances. Without hesitation, they mounted Rephtha’s back. Rephtha, unusually, snorted, its sleek, muscular back tensed. Yeowon perceived the fear emanating from Rephtha.

For a creature that was practically a tyrant, such a reaction was astonishing. Involuntarily, he lifted his eyes to gaze into the deep forest. The impulse he had completely forgotten suddenly intensified.

No, he hadn’t forgotten. It was closer to having assimilated so thoroughly that he hadn’t noticed. A voice, like a sigh, mingled with the wind brushing past his ears.

‘Here it is.’

‘Yes, this is it.’

‘Come here…’

“Yeowon!”

Yeowon snapped back to attention. Sagyeol, having checked his complexion, hardened his expression.

“No, this won’t do. Let’s go back.”

“I’m fine.”

“Say that when I can see your face directly.”

“No. I really am fine.”

Yeowon cut off Sagyeol before he could add anything more.

“I can’t go back. On the contrary, I feel like I need to see the deep forest with my own eyes… Only then will I truly be alright.”

“……”

How could Sagyeol possibly dissuade him after such words? Clicking his tongue, Sagyeol moved slightly ahead. Rephtha grumbled and rumbled in its throat at the sight of another Rephtha moving ahead of them. Its stiffness eased, perhaps due to injured pride.

That was at least a small mercy. Yeowon stroked its firm, smooth neck. The mane wrapped around his waist tightened, a powerful grip.

The flooded forest was originally a past urban area. While most of it was destroyed during the great disaster, some intact or half-ruined buildings occasionally remained.

The building Yu Seong, who was at the forefront, headed towards was one such structure. Rephtha began to climb the building’s exterior wall, fearlessly treading on the vines that wrapped around it like veins.

It took only a few seconds to reach the top of the high-rise building, which, apart from a slightly damaged upper section, remained relatively intact.

“That’s…”

There was no need to point. Sagyeol was speechless at the sight from the top of the building.

Rumble.

Crash.

A colossal mass of magic energy swirled on the ground. Even at a glance, it was clearly ominous. The magic energy continuously writhed, as if several giant imugi were coiling around each other. An immense power was palpable, and occasionally, dark blue sparks erupted from within.

The surroundings, surprisingly, were pristine. It was an ordinary flooded forest, devoid of any blackness. Though there was no concrete evidence, it felt as if all the Black Mist in the vicinity had been absorbed into that single location.

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