Chapter 53 (2/2)
The reason for issuing a mission to scout the Forest of Denial.
”I should start sleeping soon, too.” (Cho Hong)
Cho Hong energetically yawned and stretched her limbs, before extending her rather healthy thigh and placing it over Seol Ji-Hu's chest.
”Take it down.” (Seol Ji-Hu)
Cho Hong began giggling.
”I don't wanna. This lady has personally come to your tent for your protection and even kindly explained things to you, so shouldn't you tolerate this little thing, no?” (Cho Hong)
Seol Ji-Hu tilted his head slightly.
”But, I thought you came here because of Sir Ian?” (Seol Ji-Hu)
He then felt the leg perched on his chest tremble ever so imperceptibly.
”Was I wrong?” (Seol Ji-Hu)
”….Zzzz….”
”You aren't that good at pretending to be asleep, you know.” (Seol Ji-Hu)
”………”
Seol Ji-Hu giggled loudly.
”Okay, I get it. Keep looking after me even in the future.” (Seol Ji-Hu)
That prompted a grunt of Keuk to leak out from her, and then….
”You dumb b*stard! Can't you just let it slide?!” (Cho Hong)
Cho Hong pounced on him with a reddened face.
That night.
Seol Ji-Hu was able to fall asleep pretty quickly after the fatigue from energetically wrestling several times with Cho Hong came to visit him. (TL: This is the straight TL from the raw. Not sure if he did the deed with Cho Hong as I feel that the author deliberately wrote the line to be as obtuse as it can be….)
The morning sun rose up.
After breakfast, the expedition quickly disbanded the overnight camp and finally stood ready in front of the Forest of Denial. Since they decided to continue on, there was no need to wait around anymore.
”Remember it well. My potions aren't the cure-all, and there are only a limited number of spells that can purify your corrupted state of mind.” (Ian)
Before they entered the forest, Seol Ji-Hu drank from a small vial handed out by Ian. This was one of the countermeasures the old Sorcerer had prepared - well, he was an Alchemist after all, and he was famous for his potion crafting as well.
”Emotions are highly contagious. The moment of one revealing one's emotions would serve as the perfect pretext for the effects to activate. And whether the people around you like it or not, they would be affected as well.” (Ian)
The potion's taste wasn't so good. It felt like blocks of ice were filling him up from the tip of his toes all the way to his brain as soon as he drank it. Would this be how one might feel after forcibly stabilising one's mind and body? His head felt a bit numb, but moving around wasn't affected, it seemed.
”I don't expect you to be completely emotionless or thinking of nothing all the time, but whatever happens in there, you must maintain a calm state of mind.” (Ian)
Along with the warnings of Ian, the expedition entered the forest while maintaining the previous formation.
Although the sun was blazing overhead, the interior of the forest was dark and dim. Trees tall enough to block out the sky did exactly that, blocking out the sunlight, and they cast a thick shade all over the greenery extending from the hill behind them.
Seol Ji-Hu focused only on the march. As soon as entering the forest, hot and stuffy air came in contact with his skin. The sensation of muddy ground beneath his feet got on his nerves for some reason, as the tall gra.s.ses and intertwining thickets continuously brushed past him.
However, since he had no idea when the effects of the forest would attack him, he did his best to clear his mind. Others must've thought the same, since none of them bothered to say anything and continued to follow after Samuel's lead.
The only sounds they heard were the calls of the birds, cries of unknown beasts from the distance, and the unseen flowing water.
Suddenly, Samuel's steps came to a halt. Surprisingly, he wasn't looking down on the ground but at the sky. More specifically, at one of the lush trees found within the forest.
Dylan spoke up first.
”Samuel? What is it?” (Dylan)
”….It's a corpse.” (Samuel)
”What?” (Dylan)
”There's a corpse hanging on the tree.” (Samuel)
Just as he said, there was something that resembled a huge plastic bag dangling on a tree. And it was a corpse missing its lower torso, its arms barely slung over the branch of a tree. The lower torso could not be found nearby, and three, four ropes coming out from the body turned out to be its entrails.
”I gotta investigate this. Anyone who can't handle it, look away.” (Samuel)
Samuel climbed up and cautiously retrieved the corpse. It was in the middle of decomposition, so the rotting stench was overpowering.
”Looks like its lower body was ripped apart by brute force. It's meaningless to loot the body at this rate…. Mm?” (Samuel)
Samuel studied the blackened and bloated face for a few moments, before his expression crumpled unsightly.
”Dylan! Isn't this Kahn?!” (Samuel)
”Kahn? What do you mean?” (Dylan)
Dylan stopped surveying the vicinity and hurriedly ran over there. And he spat out a groan after confirming it with his own eyes.
”Oh my gosh. It is Kahn.” (Dylan)
”But, why is Kahn here….?” (Samuel)
Samuel was tilting his head this way and that, but then, his brows arched up quite suddenly. Seeing this, Dylan went Ah, c**p, inwardly. There could be only one reason why Kahn was out here.
[Let me be honest here. I went to speak to Kahn's team first before calling you. They refused, though. But, they will definitely keep it as a secret.]
”This son of a b*tch!!” (Samuel)
Samuel kicked the half corpse and angrily roared out.
”You f*cking b*stard!! You try to pull a fast one like this?!” (Samuel)
”Woah. Woah, man. Chill. He's already dead.” (Dylan)
”How can I calm down under the circ.u.mstances?! This b*stard did…..” (Samuel)
It was then.
”Samuel, calm down!!” (Ian)
Ian's call caused Samuel to flinch. Dylan quickly took several steps back and readied his crossbow.
A short while later, Samuel raised his head fast and surveyed his surroundings, before his burning eyes landed squarely on Seol Ji-Hu.
”Dylan! Punch him hard! It's fine to knock him out, too!” (Ian)
POW!!
Samuel flew away after being punched by a fist as big as a pot. However, he was also an accomplished high-levelled Archer and thus didn't lose his consciousness.
”Euk….!”
Although his expression crumpled in pain….
”Calm down. Do you wish to die?” (Dylan)
”Please, do what you can to stabilise your mind. I understand that you're angry, but Kahn is already dead.” (Ian)
Dylan and Ian took turns to calm Samuel down.
Samuel slowly rubbed his aching cheek before sucking in lots of air. He repeated that six more times, before nodding his head.
”Are you alright now?” (Dylan)
”Yeah. I'm fine now. I showed you something uncool, didn't I?” (Samuel)
Samuel grabbed Dylan's hand and pulled himself up with a groan. His eyes as he looked at Seol seemed a bit complicated for some reason.
”It's a good thing that we didn't have to use the magic spell. So, what did you want to deny just now?” (Ian)
Ian asked. Samuel hesitated for a bit, before replying in a small voice.
”….I think I was denying my s.e.xual orientation.” (Samuel)
”W, what was that?” (Ian)
”I can't be sure. This was my first time too, so…. When I looked at that friend over there, I…. suddenly got this desire to…..” (Samuel)
Samuel couldn't finish what he wanted to say. Seol Ji-Hu swallowed down his saliva and sneakily took several steps back. Meanwhile, Ian lightly patted Samuel's shoulder.
”Fine, fine. It wasn't something bad. If you've calmed down sufficiently, let's get back to what we're supposed to do, okay?” (Ian)
”Mm.”
Samuel regained his calm bearing and quietly walked around the vicinity. He stared at the ground for one, two minutes, before spitting out a lengthy groan.
”There are ten pairs of footsteps heading in deeper. Kahn's team consists of eight people, so the other two must've belonged to the porters. And then…” (Samuel)
Samuel clicked his tongue.
”Ten pairs of legs entered, yet only a single pair came out. It must belong to Kahn, and he's here with us, very dead.” (Samuel)
”What the h.e.l.l…. We can't overlook this. A team containing three high level Earthlings got annihilated here.” (Dylan)
Dylan's soft mutterings brought along this ominous gut feelings in Seol Ji-Hu, but he kept it to himself.
”Can you find out what killed them?” (Dylan)
”That's what I'm not sure about. The decomposition is too severe, and I've never seen these bite marks before.” (Samuel)
”It's fine if we slow down, so let's increase our alertness, instead.” (Dylan)
”Of course. But, don't be too alarmed. The firepower of our expedition is twice the level of Kahn's team, after all.” (Samuel)
Samuel spoke up as he swept his gaze over the members of the expedition before he took the lead again. Dylan returned to his spot at the rear and the expedition carried on.
Samuel was now walking forward far more cautiously than before. Both the expressions of Cho Hong and Hugo, and even Alex's, were all stiff and frozen. Every one of them were shocked by the death of Kahn, who was a level 5 Royal Guardian.
Another ten minutes went by.
The expedition marching forward at a snail's pace came to a halt once more. Samuel stared down at the ground for a long, long time, before he began chewing on his lower lip.
”Dylan, sorry about this, but please come over here again.” (Samuel)
”No need to apologise. Can you show me the traces?” (Dylan)
”Well, here….” (Samuel)
Seol Ji-Hu watched Dylan get down on one knee and slowly raised his head to look above his head.
The sky could be seen in between the thick, lush canopy of the forest.
The sky had been clean and bright when they were about to enter the forest, but now, thick clouds had rolled in, and it was dyed in the colours of depressing grey.
< 53.=”” forest=”” of=”” denial=”” (3)=””> Fin.