Chapter 180: The Forest of Profane (4)
7xpd0SdTess’s battle was nearing its end.dqarlR
EglhXCThe lightweight sabre couldn’t break through the carapace of the Dokgakgui , but it was perfect for targeting gaps.PFa
NzSDTess jabbed between the carapace plates, slowing the creature’s movements, then landed a decisive blow by plunging the sabre into its single eye. Twisting the blade, Tess brought the Dokgakgui to its knees.sXQnk
9LcPbSeeing the fight dragging on, Amy erected a Fire Wall around them.ObgZo
NaJ76UbSince the beasts lacked intelligence, fleeing would have been the best outcome. However, unexpectedly, one of them broke through the wall of fire.80X
v51zHarvest grabbed the Dokgakgui’s body, which had swelled in size, and snapped its spine.
Arin sighed in relief upon realizing that her initial spell was working. She cast Mind Control on four of the Dokgakgui, and two of them began to tremble.uIzKY
UEbUnder the influence of Mind Control, the two Dokgakgui turned and started attacking their comrades.4ejXB
UAXWith the monsters fighting each other, the group no longer needed to battle.rcqy
JDMLRian and Tess, who had finished off their respective Dokgakgui, gathered their weapons and returned to Shirone.dIW
mhdMhsFWhen Amy dispelled the Fire Wall, the group could see the bloodbath among the Dokgakgui. They used their horns, legs, and even jaws to stab, trample, and defeat one another.nASVOXZ
EIujF3MThe number of monsters was equal, so Arin’s skill in controlling the Dokgakgui was crucial. Initially unfamiliar with the creatures, she quickly adapted and used their long horns for individual assault tactics.8Qj
Rtft7Witnessing the carnage, the group shuddered.27201
GIMdFor Kanya and Rena, in particular, it was a shocking sight. A creature that followed the laws of the forest was now violating those same laws by killing its own kind. It was a day of many strange occurrences in the Forest of the Profane.frkBI
RlhHaving won the battle, Arin exhaled deeply.IeWf
zR50ZMind Control continually drained her mental strength, and making the creatures fight also transferred their battle intent to her, adding to her mental fatigue.fFs9P
lJEFpMThe Dokgakgui under Arin’s control looked towards Shirone. Kanya and Rena quickly stepped back, but the creatures simply assumed a posture of submission.u2iiK6
D7uPPArin pondered what to do with the remaining Dokgakgui.MTq
6zv7HThe high success rate of Mind Control through her initial spell was Arin’s strength but also her weakness. High emotional synchronization meant she could vividly sense the emotions of the creatures she controlled.DvXmPg
6SWYThis was a fate shared by all mind-type mages who dealt with the mental states of others.yiB3iau
RFgtL4CArin hesitated. No matter how monstrous, it was painful to mercilessly kill creatures that had fought for her.fqYON2
foYfGTess, known for her soft heart, voiced Arin’s feelings.FnzRR
uwVJ5K“Can’t we just keep them? Even having just two would make us feel a lot safer.”3ORnNEs
X9pIt“No. We can’t waste our mental energy on creatures like these. Now that we know Mind Control works, Arin should focus on that. She also needs to maintain her mental channel constantly.”NpMUME
wiVM3zX“Hmm, what about letting them go?”Hlr0
62iOqU0“They’d come back to attack us. The worst case is they’d bring others.”wy6
bQQWfzu“I see. So, unfortunately, we have to kill them. Can’t we just make them fight each other to the death?”cpSVm5
9aOjvYeTess’s suggestion made Arin bite her lip.pETsK
BsbdThis was different from controlling the Dokgakgui to kill other Dokgakgui. With the high emotional synchronization and the added feelings from fighting alongside them, her internal conflict grew stronger.Byq3YgA
aT3Rian, gripping the handle of his greatsword, spoke.DC5h0Y
Ve3Mt“Then I’ll do it. Just hold them in place.”rMCb
d3YCanis shook his head.B2g
ZqQk2“No, this is something Arin must do. As a mind mage aiming for higher realms, she can’t remain weak forever.”TpFZDvU
jEajJyRelying on her initial spell to stand out had its limits. To reach her goal, she needed to overcome situations like this.h3s
wMvZCcCanis wished for Arin to remain by his side for a long time.Mr4
MTLI“Arin, remember the promise we made when we were taken to the Magic Association. Our mentor is no longer here. We need to become stronger. This isn’t a place where we can afford to show sympathy.”1LiCA8J
lfJcArin closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Canis was right. She had to decide whether to rely on her initial spell or to dominate it. It was a difficult choice, but one she needed to face.8o0Z
aYZnBnoArin walked the Dokgakgui to the edge of the forest. Then, she made them stab each other’s eyes with their horns.K3Ppqt
fqkyjThe two Dokgakgui fell, facing each other.BqvfU
3KCxdzhThough still breathing, they could no longer move, leaving no other way to deliver a fatal blow.WHuwVDV
hwdXArin forced a smile.GlGCvQ
1ErJNNMWatching her, Harvest recalled the time they had faced each other through a glass barrier.Le9oj
nK59The judgment that she was too weak for a mage still lingered, but compared to when she feared everything, she had become a completely different person.YCfjRos
Kp2s9“Arin’s strength is also her weakness. She easily resonates with others’ minds, but that’s why she can’t become ruthless. Arcane always regretted this aspect.”lcVPB
04E1P“But now she’s changing. Arin will manage well.”l8bM
veXShirone, sharing in Arin’s sadness, felt reassured hearing Harvest and Canis’s conversation. Though he had chosen a tough profession, he had companions who would stay with him for life.m7Pk
ik4FD“Anyway…”Y9cV
L8FxjXShirone began, turning around as his friends directed their gazes towards Kanya and Rena.dBzmzyM
c79SThe two women flinched. The six pairs of eyes showed waves of emotion that didn’t match the situation.4YNJs
TycLhx0“They’re humans.”HuKc
TReuNPe“Yeah, they’re humans. They even have swords and shields.”ePdp
HUgB“Swords and shields. I was dying to see those. The thought of talking to giants uprooting trees made me dizzy.”i9IsBwB
nyW19pAAs the incomprehensible words continued, Kanya blocked her sister and shouted.R0W
xWR“What are you saying? Who are you people?”NYV
VjjcragArin connected to the Spirit Zone and attempted telepathy. As Kanya’s thoughts were transmitted, Arin used her initial spell to convey them to Shirone’s group.JxD
3CujoFShirone tried to speak as kindly as possible.Yf3
UCV“Uh, so, we came from another place…”2STY
v6UjKanya’s fierce gaze stopped Shirone.g86YfH
eq7nUnderstanding the previously incomprehensible words, Kanya’s tension rose. The lip movements and language didn’t match.XBK
RahI02“What did you do? Is this magic too? Are you Nor?”rMcJvv
9O9“Nor? What’s that?”xLXK3e
mLMfKsInstead of answering, Kanya extended her right arm. A drone flew down from the sky. The beetle-like device landed on her wrist, then detached into sections, forming a gauntlet.OHIQ7
Gs7mluj“Language decoding.”VPTdBmV
ipv7fgA light appeared on the back of the gauntlet.XUyRw0H
HdII“Say that again.”1yz
WY5“What?”m78ud6T
s1IAGThat was enough. Kanya bent her arm to check the gauntlet.C5yyJg
2J4eNo data. Decoding failed.qtiZ
HkBuhAfter checking the drone’s information, she drew her arc. Pulling the handle, she aimed a red dot at Shirone’s forehead.we4H5
Xmur“W-What are you doing? Suddenly?”sNh3wJv
l380Having observed the arc’s power in the forest, Shirone knew how strong it was.Supq9d
V3UepJsBeing targeted without knowing the reason left him flustered. This wasn’t the reaction one expected when meeting other humans in a monster-infested place.nk1
nTRDT“Rena! These aren’t our subjects! We must fight!”7GCV
aOt8vG“B-But sister… they saved our lives.”KOh
sMf“Now I understand. The Dokgakgui are here because of them. They disrupted the forest’s law.”i2LaK
aIJoHearing this, Rena couldn’t stay still. Though her face showed reluctance, she took up her Sygna and Exed, ready to fight.bek
Kqm9anS“You better speak honestly if you don’t want your head blown off by the arc. What did you do in this forest? Who are you?”3zlOILD
0LHVhzEven if they asked who they were, there was no way to explain. Frustrated, Shirone could only shout.1pY
AwcAu“We’re humans too!”t3ESf
I9rJh“How can I believe that? You don’t speak our language! And you’re not heretics either!”fg123
25XaLoQ“But we can communicate. Isn’t that enough?”RdZ1
5NFhc3Kanya frowned. Strangely, Shirone’s words were convincing.vcz2O
ARk1g2Y“So let’s talk it out. If we can understand each other, we can find a peaceful solution instead of pointing those weird weapons.”qRl
yaRw“Peace? In the Forest of the Profane? You really are suspicious.”gLruMuH
yB9l02Y“The Forest of the Profane?”NJepiQ
bk1pR“Is that the name of this forest?”ehxSfW
0WGUAfter Arin’s explanation, silence followed.4BS1Nh
c297N6wA tense standoff continued for a while.StfV
m5mfpShirone could easily subdue her if he wanted, but he hated fighting.wWvWQ
2DNHc3AThey were human. They could communicate. If she could just let go of her hostility, they could learn more about this world.Dc0M
nR5c5PAt that moment, Rena looked up.SpOXZz
xw2RcThe drone, patrolling the area, projected a scene from 500 meters away onto her retina. Over twenty Dokgakgui were approaching.385b
lqN“Sister, we’re in trouble. It’s the Dokgakgui.”UKZtL
fziwnNOKanya finally came to her senses. Staying longer was suicide now that the forest’s law was disrupted.UATrc2u
LfC32The mysterious strangers didn’t seem willing to fight. Though she couldn’t be sure, if they had defeated the Dokgakgui, they could certainly subdue her.k6O5kbJ
aE9K16x“Follow me. Let’s talk after we get out of here.”zt99y1I
1bHv3YAKanya reverted the gauntlet on her arm to its beetle form and sent it skyward. Confirming the Dokgakgui’s position, she chose a direction and entered the forest.ydEMF
y43Without a word, Shirone’s group followed her. Amy mentioned they were moving away from the city.KASMT
a9YFm***OrsX
2kCHRKanya led them into a canyon where the jungle and rocky terrain mingled.B9ocQ
lEWNWrmSurrounded by cliffs, they could only see the sky above. Walking along the V-shaped valley’s bottom, Shirone could guess how long this world had existed.CDkY
yltFbJAs they walked, Kanya’s group introduced themselves.6uc
CybThough still suspicious, Kanya seemed to accept that they had no intention of fighting.eCXOKW
qq6SSM“This is the Valley of the Vortex Serpent. With different laws, there shouldn’t be any danger.”Vdv2vtT
5PDA“The biggest danger would be Shirone getting hit by that weird weapon.”WUh
aLzJRRian joked, making Kanya squint. Despite her annoyance over the forest incident, she was even more upset.sfPi53
HBOk8HGuessing Shirone was the leader, she pointed and asked.0Jx9XYD
hhQBr“Who are you really? Coming from another world doesn’t make sense.”Qns1
xJq“But it’s true. Whether you believe it or not, that’s the only way to explain it. Now, you explain. What kind of world is this? And what about the giant we defeated earlier?”cikEQ
oAlDlMD“Giant? You said giant?”CM6QDNV
HH4“Yeah, giant.”2KiSLX
t3hHqaP“So, you killed a giant!”6AT6q
mkTONm“No, we didn’t kill it. What happened was…”Q3w9hjt
s1qLpLBefore Shirone could finish, Kanya grabbed his collar and yelled.bAct
KAwcRA8“How could you kill a giant, you fool! Giants uphold the law! It was you all along. Killing the giant caused the Dokgakgui to run rampant!”PNZouJZ
QZ2Amy knocked Kanya’s hand away. She had held back her temper for information but couldn’t tolerate mistreatment of her friend.mDVltM
YvJpu7“I said we didn’t kill it! And the giant attacked us first!”ukbkv
YxMl“Of course! You broke the law! The Forest of the Profane is forbidden to humans!”jMvXdRs
vl5wCqShirone stepped between the two growling women.f3e
V1vF“We don’t understand. Get it? We really came from somewhere else.”497UygJ
K9BxcKanya was stunned. Nothing Shirone said convinced her, but it was true, so it had to be.xqz
KVC“Are you really… from another place?”270d
GNDsX“We’ve been saying that.”qKVKo
DmBy“No, I mean…”SEoOi
Mf9mlKanya’s expression turned serious.LUEesx
c8gJ1Z8Though just a childhood tale, there was a story about humans from a land ruled by the heavens.aa9zndk
l7ufJ5KThey were descendants of the divine, but unable to feel the presence of gods, they lived short, suffering lives as mortals.d4QG
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