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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Who suffers the most in times of war? The treasurer, struggling to manage resources? The knights, risking their lives?
No, the obvious answer is the conscripted soldiers and the civilians living near the battlefield.
In this case, there were no conscripts, so the only victims were the villagers living near the altar. Their daily lives were being disrupted by the sudden appearance of the altar.
Lemegeton cultists and knights clashed frequently, their tents pitched near the village.
Even at dawn, they were busy posturing and provoking each other. The villagers were on edge.
And that wasn’t all.
Large gatherings inevitably produced waste. Whether it was Lemegeton, otherworlders, or knights, none were exempt.
Groups specializing in combat tended to attract a higher proportion of… unruly individuals.
These individuals often caused trouble in the village. Even those pesky reporters showed up, demanding interviews and disrupting the peace.
“This is exhausting. Damn them… how long are they planning to stay?”
“I know, right? It’s too scary to even live here.”
The villagers’ anxiety was understandable.
The village chief’s family, in particular, was deeply worried. Not just because of the armed groups nearby, but because of a certain girl in their household.
“Is everyone… alright?”
“Oh, you’re awake? Go back to sleep. We don’t want the knights to see you.”
“Yes, the branding ceremony is soon. You need to conserve your energy.”
The girl, about thirteen years old with brown hair, looked ordinary. Except for the tattoo on her thigh.
A stylized book, its design unremarkable, but the dark crimson ink screamed Carrier.
At her family’s urging, the girl returned to her room.
Her family sighed.
The girl being a Carrier wasn’t the issue.
They had accepted that fact since her tenth birthday. They were kind-hearted people, unwilling to abandon a family member.
But having the knights camped nearby…
“Let’s just try to endure this until the knights leave.”
“…Alright.”
Their worries deepened.
The knights and Lemegeton clashed head-on a few days later, the day of the branding ceremony.
It was also on that day that a wounded knight stumbled into the village chief’s house.
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How did one distinguish between the middle and deep layers of the forest?
The answer was simple it was by the size of the trees. Plants were living beings, and they too were affected by demonic energy. The trees in the deep layer grew to unimaginable heights.
This part of the forest was known by another name, one filled with awe and wonder.
The Forest of Giants.
“…Wow.”
Ha-neul gasped as we approached the deep layer. A breathtaking sight unfolded before us.
Towering trees, as tall as apartment buildings, stretched towards the sky, their dense canopy forming a verdant roof above us.
Like the boundary between the surface and middle layers, the transition wasn’t abrupt. The environment gradually shifted until you suddenly realized you were in the deep layer.
I had told Ha-neul about the larger trees, but she hadn’t expected this.
It was majestic, dreamlike. And eerie.
Ha-neul had seen many landscapes through flight magic, but nothing quite like this.
‘I’m glad I turned on the recording.’
She was relieved to be capturing this scene.
With Chae-rin out of commission, gathering footage like this was valuable. Of course, I’d given her permission, on the condition that she edited out anything that revealed my Carrier status.
“I might not be able to protect you from here on.”
I said, interrupting her admiration.
My face, usually relaxed, was now filled with caution. This was a dangerous place, even for me.
Ha-neul nodded silently.
She’d accepted that risk when she’d asked to come.
“…”
I paused, taking in the scenery.
It had been years since I’d last ventured this deep. Back then, I’d nearly died at the hands of the monsters here. That experience had deterred me from returning.
I knew it was beyond my capabilities.
But how about now?
I wasn’t sure how much stronger I’d become. But my hearing was definitely better than before, thanks to that crazy demon’s gift.
I closed my eyes, focusing on the sounds around me.
My enhanced hearing gathered information from the surrounding forest.
Ha-neul asked, breaking the silence.
“I have a question… is it okay to ask?”
“Go ahead.”
“There’s not much sunlight here. How can these large plants grow on the forest floor?”
That was a good question.
The dense canopy blocked most of the sunlight. Despite it being midday, the light level was similar to early dawn.
Even with the demonic energy accelerating growth, the size of the plants was unnatural.
Plants relied on sunlight for energy.
So how could the undergrowth be so lush?
The answer was simple.
“They’re carnivorous.”
Click-
As I answered, my ears picked up a distinct sound. Something mechanical, made of fibers, activating.
A predator preparing to ensnare its prey.
Grab-!
“Whoa!”
I grabbed Ha-neul and pulled her back. The ground beneath us erupted.
Crunch!
The earth folded in on itself, like a giant mouth snapping shut.
A plant monster, resembling a Venus flytrap, revealed itself. The ground had been its camouflage.
A second later, and we would have been trapped.
“What the…”
Ha-neul cursed inwardly and checked its level.
[Chalco Plant Lv 109]
Level 109.
A mere plant, stronger than an Owlbear.
While it didn’t move from its spot, the shock lingered. She hadn’t even sensed it.
She wondered how he had known?
“Let’s go.”
Slice-!
I cut down the plant monster as we moved on.
More monsters appeared, each one far beyond Ha-neul’s ability to handle.
[Tendril Culus Lv 124] – A plant monster covered in thorny vines.
[Mutated Boar Lv 131] – A boar, grotesquely enlarged by demonic energy.
[Twin-Headed Hound Lv 136] – A massive, two-headed dog with dark crimson fur.
Each one a boss-level monster, requiring a party of veteran A-rank adventurers to defeat.
All Ha-neul could do was hide behind me and cast weak support buffs.
‘Hiding behind a man for protection…’
It was embarrassing, but the skill gap was so vast that she felt no shame. I was dispatching these monsters with ease.
Of course, I couldn’t kill them instantly like the Owlbear.
Even I couldn’t display such overwhelming power against the monsters of the deep layer. But I remained calm and collected.
“Phew…”
My words after each encounter were even more absurd.
“How come we’re only encountering weaklings?”
“…These are weak?”
“Yeah, they’re still manageable.”
My enhanced hearing was proving invaluable.
I could identify dangerous sounds and avoid them. While encountering monsters was inevitable, I was choosing the weakest ones.
Ha-neul was speechless.
‘What level is he, anyway?’
She knew he was strong, but she hadn’t seen his limits.
One thing was certain he was at least S-rank adventurer level.
Level 140 or higher, on par with or even surpassing those who stood at the pinnacle of human strength.
‘Better not mess with him.’
Not that she’d ever intended to, but this experience solidified that thought.
We continued exploring the outskirts of the deep layer.
My goal was simple, to assess my current strength and, if possible, find some rare herbs. Identifying valuable herbs wasn’t difficult. I just had to look for plants with an unusually high concentration of mana.
Those were usually potent, for better or worse.
Despite my thorough search, I found nothing.
‘Do I have to go deeper…?’
This was just the outer area, after all.
I hesitated.
Should I risk venturing further, or should I cut my losses and retreat? My decision was made for me.
A chilling sound reached my ears.
…Growl…
A predatory growl.
A sound I recognized.
“…!”
I froze, every alarm bell in my head ringing.
A primal fear, a memory from the past, resurfaced.
Slap-!
I quickly covered Ha-neul’s mouth before she could speak.
‘What the hell is that thing doing here?’
It should be roaming its territory deep within the forest.
Was it hunting for food? If so, my timing was atrocious.
Of all the times to explore the deep layer…
“…?”
Ha-neul looked at me questioningly.
I ignored her, focusing on the sound. I prayed it would just pass by… but the growls grew louder.
It was coming this way. It had sensed me, just as I had sensed it. Its sense of smell was terrifying.
A massive figure, too large to be concealed by even the giant trees, appeared at the edge of our vision.
A hulking body of pure muscle, razor-sharp claws, and scars, evidence of countless battles.
Ha-neul shivered at its presence and checked its level.
[Mountain Lord – Roaring Tiger Lv 173]
She cursed inwardly.
‘Holy shit…’
One of the strongest monsters ever encountered by the players.
A level beyond comprehension, let alone defeat. A named monster, no less.
Was this thing even meant to be fought?
“ROAR!!!”
It unleashed a deafening roar, its howl echoing through the silent forest.
“Ugh…!”
“Run!”
I yelled, turning and sprinting back towards the middle layer.
Ha-neul covered her ears and followed.
“GRRR!!!”
The Mountain Lord gave chase.
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Thanks for the chapter