Chapter 734

Chapter 734

You Have to Trust Me. (1)

It wasn’t difficult for me to enter the forest with my skills. I had mastered countless techniques and even wielded the Power of Will that allowed me to harmonize with the world.

Ssssshhhhh...

First, I cast a spell on myself to hide my presence and lighten my body. I added an invisibility spell as well.

But that alone wasn’t enough to completely fool the spirits. Spirits were beings that perceived essence, not appearances.

So, I had to blend my very existence into the world itself.

I had a technique that could make that happen.

Fwoosh!

In an instant, my body transformed into a black shadow and vanished. It was a technique from the Shadow Knights.

This technique, which I learned from the records left by my mother and from Belinda, was unmatched when it came to infiltration.

Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

Time and again, the space around me distorted as a silent darkness spread outward. Eventually, even the distortion of space vanished.

Most of the spirits drifting throughout the forest didn’t even realize I had passed. A few of them felt something strange and glanced around, but they found nothing.

The spirits on guard duty were mostly low-ranking ones. Mid-tier or higher spirits consumed too much energy to be summoned for long.

To the elves, low-ranking spirits were sufficient for guard duty. With the natural energy saturating this forest, even a Transcendent intruder could be detected.

Thanks to that elven arrogance, I had been able to slip past the outer perimeter with ease.

“Phew...”

I exhaled deeply upon reaching a spot I believed to be safe. My face, unlike usual, was slightly flushed.

Even I, the great Ghislain, had felt tension here—the security was no joke.

“Impressive. A single misstep and I would've been caught.”

The energy of the spirits was so widely spread, I couldn’t even dare to breathe freely.

Had I not been able to use the Shadow Knights' technique, sneaking in undetected would've been difficult even if I used every ounce of my true power.

I slowly looked around. Towering trees filled the dense forest, and almost no sunlight filtered through the branches.

The ground was covered in moist moss and fallen leaves. Birds I didn’t recognize chirped lowly in the background.

At a glance, it looked no different from any other ordinary forest. Yet I couldn't shake a lingering feeling of unease.

“There’s no unusual energy nearby, but...”

It felt like an invisible gaze was constantly watching me.

“Don’t tell me...”

I had already broken through the elves’ outposts and the spirits’ perimeter. I was certain there were no hidden elves or spirits nearby.

And yet...

Tat-tat-tat-tat!

I heard the sound of someone running from a distance. Not just one or two people.

The footsteps were light, as if carried on the wind. Only elves could move like that in a forest.

And even faster than them, I sensed the energy of spirits rushing in.

Fwoosh!

My figure dissolved once again into darkness. Moments later, several elves appeared at the spot where I had been.

“Hmm... Strange. There’s definitely something out of place here...”

The leading male elf suddenly waved his hand. The ground trembled slightly, and a small mound of dirt formed.

Looking at the dirt pile, the elf asked,

“Gnome, tell me what happened here. Who was present?”

“There was nothing, and no one came here.”

“...”

The elf furrowed his brows and fell into thought.

As a low-ranking earth spirit, a gnome could remember what had happened nearby.

Even though spirits not under contract with a summoner didn’t retain memories for long, it hadn’t been that long since he’d come, making this odd regardless.

Eventually, the elf shook his head and said,

“Something’s wrong. It might be related to the issue in the northern forest. We’ll expand the search.”

After briefly inspecting the area further, the elves moved on.

Still hidden and observing in secret, I narrowed my eyes.

‘...How did they know?’

I hadn’t been discovered by anyone. Knowing the nature of spirits, I hadn’t even left a trace behind.

As someone who could, however briefly, intervene in the world’s laws through the Power of Will, I used that ability to continuously distort surrounding perception and mislead detection.

Even so, the elves had sensed that something was wrong somewhere in the forest.

Which meant...

‘Could it be that something right now is perceiving me?’

There was no other explanation. Something unknown to me existed in this forest.

‘But it seems like they haven’t pinpointed me exactly yet.’

I didn’t know how the elves sensed the anomaly, but judging by their reactions, they weren’t certain.

Still, the risk of being exposed had grown, and I had to move faster. No matter how adept I was with the Power of Will, I could only hide my existence for a fleeting moment.

And with Astion’s body, the limitations were even more apparent.

Yet thanks to the elves’ appearance, I had learned something new.

‘They said there was nothing wrong... but there *was* something wrong.’

Something unusual must have happened in the northern forest. The expressions on the elves' faces weren’t good.

Whatever the problem was, it might turn into an opportunity for my group. I decided to start by investigating that area.

Fwoosh!

My body once again turned into shadow. I moved with even more caution than before.

Mana was being consumed more rapidly, but I had no choice. I couldn’t figure out how the elves were tracking me.

Sssshhhh...

Using the Power of Will intermittently, I erased all traces of myself. But the more I did, the paler I became.

Even a brief use of the Power of Will took a serious toll on my body. And in a situation like this, not using it wasn’t an option. I had to endure it.

‘Hmm... Maybe I should retreat and come back later.’

My pace was slower than expected because I was being so careful. It wasn’t feasible to explore a forest this massive at this speed.

Eventually, I decided to confirm just one thing before retreating.

‘Something’s going on in the northern forest. I’ll just check that and then leave.’

I could borrow the Sacred Stone another time. If there really was a problem in the forest, it might become the starting point for negotiations.

Fwoosh!

Having decided on a direction, I moved swiftly.

Along the way, I passed by several elf settlements. I was curious how they lived, but I kept my distance and avoided them as much as possible.

I also took brief, hidden rests. When I resumed movement, I erased my tracks again using the Power of Will.

It was as flawless an infiltration as could be. I was certain of it.

Whoooosh!

Until a massive wind spirit blocked my path.

“...Damn.”

I bit my lip and enveloped my body in mana. At the same time, an intense storm erupted around the wind spirit.

KWA-BOOM!

The storm swept through everything nearby. The dense trees surrounding me were torn to shreds and blown away.

It was an uncharacteristically violent attack for a spirit. I immediately realized the reason.

‘They still haven’t pinpointed my exact location.’

Even so, to launch such a bold attack meant they were at least certain I was nearby.

Having fended off the assault, I had no choice but to reveal myself.

Tap-tap-tap-tap!

In an instant, dozens of elves swarmed in and surrounded me. They raised their bows and aimed at me.

Various spirits floated ominously around them.

Amid the tense atmosphere, a cold-eyed elven man appeared. He was the one who had been tracking my trail from the beginning.

“So, you were here.”

At the elf's words, I slowly raised both hands and spoke.

“I’m absolutely not a suspicious person. You have to trust me.”

“…How about you take off that mask before you say something like that?”

“I have my reasons. I’m also quite shy.”

“Who are you? Why did you sneak into the forest?”

“I got lost while out on a walk.”

“…”

The elf’s lips twitched. Who in their right mind would believe that?

Clearly, the other party didn’t grasp the gravity of the situation.

“We warned the humans. Do not trespass into the forest. That was a right granted to us by all human leaders since the dawn of time.”

“I think this is just a bit of a misunderstanding…”

“In the past, you might have been let off with a warning. At least if you had been caught near the perimeter.”

A murderous glint began to appear in the elf’s eyes. For a race said to love peace, that seemed to be an exaggeration.

The elf extended his hand, his voice turning icy.

“Whatever your motives, you’ve come at the worst possible time. I’m sorry, but your life ends here.”

Fwaaash!

The moment the elf finished speaking, arrows flew at me. The spirits joined in as well, surging toward me with ferocity.

“Hm. This is kind of embarrassing.”

I hadn’t expected to get caught. My companions outside would surely make a huge fuss once they heard about this.

Still, what could I do? Since I’d been found, all I could do was evade.

Fwoosh!

My body vanished in an instant, and the arrows embedded themselves uselessly in the ground.

But dodging the arrows didn’t end things. Now that the spirits had locked onto my presence, they began reacting in earnest.

KRAAAASH!

A sharp gust slammed into my back. A wind spirit. I ducked just in time to avoid the blade-like wind slicing through the air.

RUMBLE!

The earth roared and split apart beneath me. Jagged stone pillars shot up from the ground, aiming for my feet, but I slipped away like water.

SHAAAH!

Droplets in the air condensed into sharp icicles and rained down. My form blurred for a moment as I threaded through the falling ice.

BOOM!

Suddenly, a burst of crimson flame exploded in front of me. The heat scorched my cheek, but I had already disappeared into the forest’s shade.

Just as the spirits and elves were about to pursue, the elf who seemed to be their leader shouted urgently.

“Stop! Don’t chase him!”

He was visibly enraged. After all, their forest had been invaded by an unidentified figure.

But despite his anger, cold sweat trickled down his back.

‘That level of skill… he’s clearly near the realm of a Transcendent!’

Even for someone with Transcendent-level strength, setting foot in this forest meant the elves could still capture or kill them. The problem was the sacrifice it would entail.

Especially the innocent and naive elves, who’d die without even putting up a fight.

So, he halted the chase. If he wanted to minimize casualties, he needed to report this to the elders.

Thanks to that, I managed to slip away more easily. Still, I couldn’t hide my puzzlement as I fled.

“Huh, how the hell did they know? This is ridiculous.”

It didn’t seem like they could pinpoint my exact location. They just roughly sensed that someone had entered the forest.

Even that was impressive. It meant they were sure there was an intruder.

I needed more detailed information about this. Only then could I move without being detected.

“Click. I really do need to retreat and figure something out.”

Reluctantly, I kept moving. Even while fleeing, I made a point to take unfamiliar paths, trying to memorize the terrain.

Fwoosh!

Even as I turned into shadow and slipped out of the forest, I kept surveying my surroundings.

Armed elves were rushing about all over. They were probably searching for me.

In contrast, some elves showed no signs of movement. Those must be the ones unrelated to combat.

After a cursory check, I started picking up speed. Or, I would have.

If I hadn’t spotted an elf standing alone in a quiet place.

‘Huh?’

I’d seen quite a few elves alone while moving through the forest.

Some were singing, some gathering fruit, some chatting with small animals, and others meditating quietly by clear streams.

So, seeing an elf alone in the forest wasn’t strange in itself. Even so, I couldn’t take my eyes off that elf’s back.

‘What is it?’

Something felt… off. I never ignored my instincts.

So, I continued observing the elf from a distance, hidden.

She was moving as if in training, with spirits floating around her in constant motion.

Each time the spirits moved, waves of intense energy spread out. Even I, who didn’t know much about spirit arts, could tell she was impressive.

After a long period of spirit work, the elf suddenly stopped. The spirits had disappeared before I even realized it.

She slowly turned around. Only then did I see her face.

Without meaning to, I muttered her name.

“…Ereneth.”

She was here.

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