Episode 259
“Aaaargh!”
“Ugh!”
Screams and roars echoed endlessly through the red-tinged forest of Feria Island.
It was impossible to tell where or how loud the sounds were coming from.
“What… what’s going on?”
Elencia was pushing forward amidst the chaos.
Her eyes widened, fixed straight ahead.
Grrr—
The back of the Celestial Fox walking ahead, its head held high, looked imposing.
But it didn’t end with just what was visible.
Boom—!
Countless monsters appeared throughout the forest.
Beings whose dormant wildness had awakened, making them more than three times stronger.
Their gleaming eyes and bulging bodies exuded an intimidating aura.
It was a volatile situation where it wouldn’t be surprising if they swooped in and tore at one’s neck at any moment.
But then.
Swoosh—
For some reason, all the monsters crouched low and flinched.
Unable to make a sound or approach recklessly, they looked as if they were terrified.
-?
-Seriously, what’s wrong with them?
"-Are you afraid of the Black Dragon?
" "-Those guys look the scariest."
The viewers, too, questioned the strange situation.
While it was a natural reaction, the underlying reason was simpler than expected.
"It is because of the Heavenly Tiger. He is a fellow of a considerably high species rank among the mythical beasts."
"Rank? Are you referring to hierarchy?"
"That is correct. It is because his wild nature has reinforced the instincts of an animal-type monster."
The species rank that exists in living beings.
While it was a factor determining innate abilities, among individuals with low intelligence, it was simply a factor distinguishing hierarchy.
This tendency was even more pronounced in monsters whose wild nature had been amplified.
'It is indeed an exceptional situation.'
Normally, the Heavenly Tiger's current power would not have been able to subdue those formidable monsters.
However, the sheer intimidation emanating from his rank alone had reduced them to mere puppies before a tiger.
This was possible because the monsters of Feria Island were fundamentally animal-type, and his dormant, powerful wild nature had awakened.
Grrr—
As if sensing the atmosphere, the Heavenly Tiger held its head high and leisurely advanced forward.
Even though its wiggling back was cute, in this situation, it was like a savior.
Who could have imagined a monster approaching level 700 trembling and retreating?
"-The Celestial Fox is totally OP. *shivers*
" "-As expected of the King Wolf.
" "-Seriously, if it were a lion, it wouldn't stand a chance."
"-I'm so jealous .
" The sight of the Celestial Fox clearing a path without a fight or anything else was undeniably charming.
Of course, considering the immense power it would display once it reached adulthood, this sense of intimidation was relatively mild.
"…It is my first time seeing a mythical beast, but it is surprising in many ways. Asking you for help was indeed the right decision."
"That is a relief. Now, let's make sure to find what we need."
The two continued moving forward while conversing.
Their direction was the central northern part of the island.
It did not take long to decide on a destination.
*Swoosh*—
The black clouds that began to coalesce in various parts of the island's sky looked suspicious to anyone.
Clues regarding this phenomenon also appeared through the system.
[Special Quest #1 completed.]
[Lucky Reward Box (Stage 1) obtained.]
[Special Quest #2]
While surveying the forest with Elencia, an anomaly occurred along with the death of two rare monsters.
You must investigate Feria Island, where the wild nature has awakened as the inhibitor has vanished.
What might you discover here?
Objective: Locate and investigate the location where the anomaly is occurring.
Reward: Lucky Reward Box (Stage 2)
The message that appeared immediately after leaving the area where the Lotus Gorilla was.
The black cloud was sufficient to be called an anomaly.
Though, it was merely a premonition.
Choosing the central northern part of the island was, of course, a decision based on experience.
*Stomp*
—Hanbit and Elencia, led by Cheonho, moved slowly, taking their time.
Not rushing was to prevent an accident.
“The sound has disappeared.”
Elencia, who had been keeping watch on the surroundings, said quietly.
The incessant screams and loud noises were no longer heard.
“It would be fortunate if they managed to escape. There are many monsters that never let their prey slip away.”
In any case, being animal-type monsters, their tendencies varied.
While some drove enemies away to defend their territory, many others would chase them until they were dead.
It was a realm of luck where the probability of survival varied drastically depending on when, where, and what one encountered.
*Thump*
Continuing their advance, they reached the realm beneath the black clouds.
Grrr—
Cheonho moved forward as if nothing had changed.
Hanbit also intended to follow closely behind.
But then.
“…Ugh.”
Elencia, who had been walking beside them, suddenly clutched her chest.
Her deeply contorted face seemed to be crying out in pain.
“What’s wrong?”
“I feel like… I can’t breathe.”
—Huh?
—Suddenly?
—The Cheonho and the Black Dragon are fine, though?
—Is it just NPCs who feel this way?
Viewers expressed doubts at the sight of her feeling such inexplicable pain.
However, Elencia’s reaction confirmed the accuracy of their destination.
“Can you walk?”
“…I’ll try. No, I can.”
Having cowered, she gritted her teeth and stood up.
The pain Elencia felt was not physically harmful, but it inevitably restricted her movements.
“Climb onto Cheonho’s back.”
“What? How can I… on a mythical beast’s back…”
“You can’t just wait outside, can you? It’s fine, so please get on.”
Grrr—
As if responding to the suggestion, Cheonho walked over to Elencia and lay down beside her.
Watching the tiger wagging its tail, she smiled faintly and said,
“…Thank you. Then, please excuse me for a moment.”
Swoosh—
Carefully climbing onto Cheonho’s back, Elencia still wore a pained expression.
The structure was such that the pain intensified the further inside they went.
“Let’s go.”
Hanbit took another step and headed toward the center of the black cloud.
Although she continued to monitor Elencia’s condition, she was suppressing any change in expression as much as possible.
Even though the pain was likely unbearable in reality.
Ssss—
The space inside felt strangely resistant to movement.
It was like feeling mana bordering on viscosity through the skin.
"This place is too unpleasant and dangerous."
Just then, the voice of a Sylph echoed in her head.
In a way, it was only natural for her to show such an blatant reaction for the first time. After all,
this was a place mixed with the remnants of demons.
Although it differed from the Error Zone, it was an anomaly created by the mixing of power flowing from the Demon Realm.
'Do you want to go somewhere else?'
"No. I'm going to stay with you."
As he asked himself this question inwardly, Sylph firmly refused.
It was a decision made out of a desire to protect Hanbit.
'Thank you. I'll finish this quickly.'
Expressing his gratitude, Hanbit walked forward with quick steps.
And as he went a little further inside, a small stone tower appeared directly in front of him.
It was no more than the height of an adult man.
"It doesn't look like a simple structure,"
Elencia, clutching her collar, offered an opinion.
Her words were interrupted intermittently due to the pain.
"Let's take a look."
Hanbit approached and cautiously reached out his hand.
And the moment the tip of his finger touched the tower.
Crack!
With an intense spark, his hand was flung away.
"It's rejecting it."
"…Something is appearing."
Elencia, who had been observing the phenomenon, pointed to the surface of the tower.
Red letters were being engraved there.
[The qualified one, open this place.]
The letters, appearing to be written in blood, were vivid.
The meaning contained within the sentence was exactly as it was written.
And there was only one person qualified to be here.
“I… I’ll give it a try.”
Carefully dismounting from Cheonho’s back, Elencia immediately approached the tower.
It looked as if she knew exactly what she had to do.
“Do you understand something?”
“…Yes.”
Nodding, she slowly reached out her hand toward the tower.
And the moment her fingertips touched the surface—just as Hanbit had done.
*Pow!*
A red light burst forth, engraving new letters.
[To the one who holds the blood of a demon, the end of the barrier is declared.]
-??
-Blood of a demon?
-Huh?
-Princess… …?
-No way;
The viewers were taken aback by the message that had been naturally translated and engraved.
Although Hanbit had anticipated this situation, the reaction of the person involved was crucial at this moment.
“…….”
Withdrew her hand, Elencia could not seem to continue speaking.
Her face showed she was unable to sort out complex thoughts.
“Are you alright?”
“…Yes. It’s fine.”
She nodded slowly, still complaining of pain.
Elencia bit her lip for a moment
, then turned her gaze and asked, “Did you read the sentence that came to mind?”
“Yes. It said ‘devil’s blood.’” It was
the most striking word among the contents that could not be overlooked.
It was not a metaphorical expression, but a literal description of devil’s blood.
“Could I hear the story?”
“There is not much to say. It is simply that a father whose face I have never even seen was a devil.”
-Shudder;
-You were the devil’s daughter?
-An unimaginable identity.
-Have you been deceiving us all this time?
-So what can you do?
The weight of the words uttered so nonchalantly was by no means light.
The devil’s territory, which even the investigation team had not reached.
The devil’s daughter, the mistress of that place, was an existence beyond common sense, even from an ordinary perspective.
“Don’t… worry. The feeling I have toward the devil is hatred.”
Swoosh—
Elencia reached out her hand again and pushed the tower with force.
As she did so, her hand and elbow slid right into the stone structure.
“There is something here.”
Fumbling inside, she reached her arm a little deeper.
It was a moment later that Elencia, who had been struggling so hard, pulled something out.
Snap—
a black key and a note came out with the sound of a wire snapping.
She quickly unfolded the note and examined its contents.
“…….”
It took only a few seconds for her rapidly moving eyes to stop.
It seemed the content was that brief.
“They say that on the night the purple moon rises, a path opens in the Sea of Reverse Currents.”
“A purple moon?”
“That’s all. I don’t know who left the clue, though.”
As if the pain had somehow subsided, she handed over the note.
Hanbit, who received it, also immediately examined its contents.
[The night of chaos when the purple moon rises. A path opens in the Sea of Reverse Currents. Solidify your qualifications anew and face the world’s true darkness.]
A note containing the future, not mere speculation.
It was a prophecy announcing an entrance leading to the Demon Realm.
And to use this place, a creature with demon blood was absolutely necessary.
“I… I’m not sure if this is the right thing to do.”
Elencia spoke in a low voice as she looked down at the black key.
An ominous aura befitting the name of a demon.
Given the almost complete lack of information, it would not have been surprising to anticipate any outcome.
However, this was necessary for the sake of the world. It was
not only a clue regarding Erfort but also a preventative measure to stop the tragedy that would unfold in the future.
“A safe world will not last simply by leaving things as they are. For now, let’s investigate what is necessary.”
“…That would be a good idea. Understood.”
Ding-
[Special Quest #2 completed.]
[Rewards have been increased as the overall evaluation criteria have been exceeded.]
[You have obtained a Lucky Reward Box (Level 3).]
