Chapter 21

Chapter 21
## Chapter 21: The Forest of No Return (1)

Duncan finally had a rare opening to brag about his own heroism.

Initially, he seemed tentative, his forehead creasing as he stood before the cocoon-like shape. But, as men often do, his confidence surged and his volume rose as the story unfolded.

“It happened just like this. I headed down the stairs, gave the torch a good swing—whoosh!—and suddenly, a freezing wind whipped right past the back of my neck! It was exactly like that time we followed you into the goblin cave, my lord. I knew instantly. Ah, this is a demon. And not some minor pest—a truly terrifying one!”

“…….”

The actual form of a mindless possession demon was nothing more than a repulsive mass of gristle. It was far more likely that he’d simply succumbed to fear and imagined the draft, but Kadim saw no point in correcting him. For a common merchant, this was likely his first taste of real peril.

“So, I crept toward the demon with the utmost caution, moving like a ghost so it wouldn’t sense me. Even if you’ve broken its spirit, my lord, demons are treacherous and foul things, aren’t they? I figured it might have laid a trap just in case…….”

The man continued to drone on, inflating every minor detail and dragging the narrative out toward infinity. Losing his patience, Kadim cut him off.

“Stop.”

“……I moved in closer, and there it was—this hideous heap of flesh trying to look like a troll…….”

“Enough.”

“……Yes, sir. My apologies, my lord.”

“From this point on, speak only when answering my questions. How many horns did that demon possess?”

“One large, fully developed one, and another roughly the size of a thumb joint.”

A mid-tier demon caught in the transition to a high-tier state.

Just as he suspected, that possession demon had been a dangerous adversary. If Molden had collapsed according to the original plan, the creature would have undoubtedly finished its evolution into a high-tier demon. It was a stroke of luck they had eliminated it beforehand.

“Did you retrieve the items I requested? Aside from the axe, there was a second requirement.”

“Yes, absolutely. Once I pierced the flesh mass, I gathered every single drop. Not a bit was wasted.”

Duncan produced a leather canteen, filled halfway. Kadim pulled the plug and took a breath. A pungent, sickly odor filled the air. There was no mistaking it: demon blood.

Depending on its origin and grade, demon blood offered various enhancements. The blood of a possession demon specifically favored mental fortitude over raw power—granting things like resistance to psychological manipulation and mental debuffs…….

Kadim already possessed a natural immunity to “possession” because of the unique circumstances of occupying a game character’s body, but that didn’t provide a general shield against other mental status effects. This fluid would be a vital asset when facing monsters or demons that utilized psychic or mental weaponry.

The primary drawback was its inability to prevent the most devastating debuff of all—”berserk rage”…….

……Once I secure Melissa’s files from the Magic Tower, I’ll need to start hunting for a cure for berserk rage as well.

In the past, “berserk rage” had baffled the greatest minds of the era—be they mages, clerics, or druids. He wondered if this current age fared any better. Regardless, Kadim chose to cling to a small hope. Three centuries was a long time for progress to occur, after all.

For the moment, however, his immediate need for the blood had lessened.

Kadim picked up his new tool, inspecting the craftsmanship once more.

“…….”

The axe head was a polished, slate-gray metal, attached to a dark handle angled with perfect precision. It was a tool designed for the specific physics of flight, meant to cleave through the craniums of enemies from a distance.

He hadn’t encountered this specific weapon during his time in the game or his initial life. Consequently, its formal name, tier, attributes, and unique perks remained a mystery.

However, he could piece together its history from certain clues.

The map had explicitly categorized it as an ‘ancient treasure’…….

That label pointed toward a very specific timeline.

It came from an era far more ancient than his first life. The legendary age when humans, elves, and dwarves fought a bloody war for control of the land. It was likely forged in the old dwarven kingdom that once ruled the frozen north, where the heat of their massive forges melted the permafrost.

If its origins were truly that ancient, it had to be at least a Unique rank item.

The axe’s actual utility certainly supported that theory. Even if one considered that a possession demon was physically softer than other breeds, killing a mid-tier demon in a single strike without any active buffs was a staggering display of power.

As for special traits…… It clearly had massive bonuses to throwing velocity. Perhaps a tracking or guidance feature? He wasn’t certain yet…….

A sudden thought occurred: why was such a relic stashed away in that location? Kadim glanced back at the merchant.

“Wh-when you retrieved the axe, my lord, did you notice anything unusual? Well…… nothing major. The stone required quite a bit of strength to shift, and the cavity beneath was quite deep…… Oh! Wait! The crate! There was a faded mark carved into the black crate that held the weapon!”

“What sort of mark? Recreate it on the dirt right now.”

“W-well…… Uh…… It was simply too dark! I couldn’t get a clear look! I’m truly sorry, my lord…….”

“…….”

The man had been carrying a torch; darkness was a poor excuse. He simply hadn’t been paying attention. Kadim let out a sharp click of his tongue.

A sense of unease lingered, but he couldn’t justify heading back to Molden just to verify a symbol. He had left a trail of corpses getting to this point. If he was being hunted, they would find his tracks easily enough.

His focus shifted to his potential pursuers. It wasn’t hard to guess who would be coming.

The Holy Knights of Elga…… There was no chance they hadn’t found the body of the one I killed by now.

The lowest-level “Paladin” didn’t worry him. Even the “High Paladins” above them could be dealt with if he used the demon blood.

The real threat came from the church’s highest tier of warriors—the “Arch Paladins.”

……Those absolute zealots.

Unchecked power had turned them into arrogant, impulsive figures. While the ancient Elga Church had been a beacon of virtue, the Arch Paladins had always been the exception to the rule.

During his first life, Kadim and his companions had once been hunted by a deranged Arch Paladin because of a trivial misunderstanding. Kadim had missed several subtle warnings that might have allowed them to slip away; the Arch Paladin had spotted those same signs, tracked them down, and forced a direct confrontation.

The aftermath had been horrific.

His mage and shaman were nearly killed. Kadim himself had fought until he was a broken, bloody mess. If they hadn’t been saved by a priest who eventually joined their party, none of them would have survived.

Eventually, the situation was resolved. Once the truth came out, they worked with the church to execute the mad Arch Paladin.

But the trauma of having an entire party nearly wiped out by a single individual was burned into Kadim’s subconscious.

…….

Realistically, that shouldn’t happen this time. Why would the church send out one of its ultimate weapons just to investigate the death of a single novice Holy Knight?

Still, the pit in his stomach didn’t go away. The worst things usually happened when you least expected them.

His nerves translated into a faster walking pace. The trees and bushes became a blur.

He walked in a daze for a considerable distance……

“Huff, m-my lord! Wait! You’re going the wrong way, huff, huff!”

……Looking back, he saw the merchant struggling to keep up. Kadim stopped.

“That path goes straight to the border checkpoint. Huff, huff…… We have to double back and take the hidden trail over there.”

He had been so lost in thought he’d missed his turn. Kadim turned around and followed the guide’s direction.

They soon found a narrow path choked with brambles and thick vines. It looked as though it hadn’t seen a human traveler in decades. He tried to brush the foliage aside, but it was too thick. Ultimately, Kadim took the lead, using his axe to hack a tunnel through the greenery.

Duncan followed in his shadow, breathing heavily from the exertion. They moved in silence for a long time. Finally, the merchant licked his dry lips and tried to speak.

“Um, my lord…….”

“…….”

Kadim turned his dark, brooding face toward Duncan.

“……N-never mind. It’s nothing.”

Fear silenced the merchant instantly. Kadim gave him a look of pure coldness—the look of a man who had seen too many cowards—and resumed his progress.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“This is pathetic. Can’t you move any faster, Edan?”

“…….”

* Neighhh, snort…….

Edan, a Paladin of the Elga Church, looked down at his horse.

The animal’s eyes were drooping. White foam dripped from its mouth as it labored to breathe. Its coat was matted with sweat, and its flanks were raw from the constant use of the spurs.

It was an impossible race. The horse Helia Munel was riding was no ordinary beast.

Edan looked at her mount. It was a creature whose very skin seemed to emit a holy glow—it was practically made of light. It was a Radiant Steed, a divine mount reserved exclusively for Arch Paladins.

Under the guidance of a master, it could travel hundreds of miles in a single day without tiring. Helia wasn’t quite that skilled yet, but the horse still outclassed anything else on the road.

“I can’t push my horse further than this, Lady Helia. Furthermore…… shouldn’t we have stopped in Molden? We need to gather intelligence and confirm those reports about the baron…….”

“The Emperor’s law forbids us from meddling in that territory. Our primary mission is to hunt down and destroy the foul demon that murdered Linton Pfeifferus. Do not lose sight of your purpose, Edan.”

“…….”

Hidden behind his steel visor, Edan’s expression soured.

He burned to ask her what she thought a Holy Knight’s purpose was. Was it to smash sacred relics to “reveal” demons that were barely more than imps? Was it to hide reports so she could take all the credit? Was it to break into homes and terrorize innocent women? Was that their duty?

But he kept his mouth shut. Asking such things would only lead to her labeling him a traitor and killing him on the spot.

Helia didn’t even look at him. She tightened her grip on the reins and spoke:

“Based on the direction of the tracks, the demon is making a break for the Alliance lands. At this rate, it’ll hit the border before we catch it. I’m going to ride ahead. You follow behind and ensure we haven’t missed any signs.”

“…….”

Helia didn’t wait for his consent. She kicked her horse into a gallop. The Radiant Steed took off like a shooting star, leaving a trail of shimmering light in its wake. Edan’s broken horse just stood there, breathing heavily as the light faded.

* Snort, snort…….

“…….”

Edan climbed down from the saddle and took the horse by the lead. As he walked alongside his exhausted animal, his mind drifted to forbidden thoughts.

It felt incredibly unjust. Why did Elga grant such overwhelming power to a woman so lacking in character, while the truly faithful were left behind?

……The designs of the gods are deeper than the darkest ocean, far beyond the understanding of mortals who are but dust…….

The prayers he whispered didn’t help wash away the cynicism growing in his heart. His expression, concealed by his helmet, was full of sorrow.

He walked for several minutes.

……Wait?

Suddenly, a patch of crushed vegetation on the side of the road caught his eye.

Initially, he assumed it was the work of a wild animal. But a closer look told a different story. Within the broken leaves, he could see where footprints had been hurriedly brushed over.

“…….”

A cold feeling settled in his chest. He secured his horse to a nearby trunk, drew his blade and shield, and moved into the bushes with silent, practiced movements.

It didn’t take long for his suspicion to be confirmed.

The entrance had been masked with vines, but deeper in, the signs were obvious. Branches had been hacked away with a blade. People had definitely passed through here.

The trail went on for a long time. The canopy above became so thick that even though it was day, the world turned into a shadowy, emerald twilight. Concerned about losing the scent, Edan began to move faster, his plate armor clanking with every step.

Clank, clank, clank!

And then, Edan saw him.

A man with bronze, soot-colored skin, sharp features, massive shoulders, and a towering physical presence. It was the demon he had seen through the holy relic.

Edan felt a surge of triumph. He had found him; the long search was over.

Whether he could actually kill the man was a different problem, but he wasn’t worried about that. His job was to find him and report back. The Arch Paladin would handle the slaughter.

However, there was one fatal complication.

“……!”

The noise of his armor had given him away. The demon had heard him.

They stood in a breathless, frozen standoff.

“…….”

“…….”

A single second passed as their eyes locked through the slits of the helmet. Another fraction of a second passed as Edan’s heart skipped a beat. A moment later, he saw the giant’s hand move with the speed of a strike of lightning.

……Wait?

Crack-boom—!!

The axe the barbarian threw sliced through the air with enough momentum to turn steel into scrap.