Chapter 27

Chapter 27
## Chapter 27: The Forest of No Return (7)

—

The moment his eyelids parted, he was met by a familiar wall of blackness.

Respiration was impossible. Dirt heavy with the stench of corrupt demonic energy forced its way into his mouth and nose. He was paralyzed; a binding spell powerful enough to immobilize a golem clamped down on his limbs, supplemented by heavy iron chains etched with fortifying enchantments that coiled around his frame.

To a normal man, such a burial would have triggered a descent into madness and terror.

To Kadim, however, it felt hauntingly routine. He experienced a flicker of grim comfort. *At least I didn’t tear these off today,* he mused.

…

Still, he could not remain entombed indefinitely. Kadim shifted his weight and funneled strength into his fingertips.

*Rumble, rumble…*

A localized earthquake began at his hands. The intensity surged, vibrating through the packed earth with increasing violence. Even the invisible threads of the binding magic groaned under the pressure, unable to absorb the kinetic shockwaves.

He tightened his grip into a fist, and the world shattered.

*Crack, smash!!*

The suffocating film against his skin disintegrated. In a heartbeat, the complex restraint magic was neutralized. It was the kind of display that would drive a sorcerer—one who had spent hours weaving such a prison—to the brink of tears.

Next, Kadim gave his middle finger a sharp flick. The kinetic energy stored there detonated with the force of a cannon.

—————— **Boom!**

The ground exploded upward, carving a narrow vent to the surface. The stagnant air trapped below was replaced by a rush of the outside atmosphere.

He had the strength to snap the heavy chains by simply expanding his chest, but he chose restraint. He had already destroyed three sets, and he was out of replacements. Besides, he could hear people approaching to dig him out, making the effort unnecessary.

…

“…sir. …Lord…”

“…Lord Kadim! Lord Kadim, can you hear me? Are you alright? This is terrible, I’m so incredibly sorry. Just stay still for a moment! I’m coming for you…”

Muffled cries reached him, followed by a sliver of light. Kadim squinted, looking up toward the opening. The shrine maiden, her eyes concealed by tattered rags, was frantically clawing at the mound of dirt. She seemed completely unaware that her fingernails were cracked and bleeding into the soil.

“Step back, Cyril sis. I’ve got this now…”

The gaunt mage moved to the front. With a sharp incantation and a sweep of her staff, she hoisted Kadim’s form out of the pit. The constricting chains went slack and hit the grass with a heavy thud.

Kadim rolled the grit around his mouth and spat. A thick clod of grayish mud landed nearby. He spent a few seconds clearing his ears before he felt steady enough to talk.

“I appreciate it, Melissa.”

“Gosh, don’t start thanking me now…”

“That demon from yesterday—is it finished?”

“…Is that even a question? You ripped it limb from limb. There’s nothing left but scraps.”

“Good to hear. Any other issues?”

“…”

The mage looked down at her boots. The shrine maiden played nervously with her hands. Kadim didn’t need words to understand the silence.

“…I’m sorry. I have no desire to bring harm to any of you, but this madness… it’s becoming harder to suppress every day.”

The shrine maiden let out a sharp breath, her hands waving dismissively in the air.

“No, oh no, Lord Kadim! Please don’t apologize! If you hadn’t been there yesterday, one of us surely would have perished. We owe you everything…”

“…”

“…I’ll find a way to fix the corruption from the demon blood. I promise. Just don’t give up on us, please stay with the group…”

She continued her desperate reassurance, eventually shifting from apologizing to trying to comfort him. Even without her sight, her grief was visible; the cloth covering her eyes was soon heavy with moisture.

Kadim offered a bitter, inward smile. This was her nature. He was moved by her kindness, but he knew the truth: there was no cure for his state. Deep down, she had to know it too.

Realizing she wouldn’t be swayed by logic, Kadim looked away from the shrine maiden. He turned his attention to the mage, who was staring distantly at the horizon, and asked about the rest of the party.

“Where is Gordon?”

“East, as usual. He claims the sun is Elga’s eye watching over the earth, so he has to pray at dawn or something… It’s total nonsense. It’s always cloudy here; you can’t even see a sunrise.”

“Understood. And Gale?”

“Gale? Why do you even ask? Our great hero is out doing what he does best: bringing the slaughtered demons back to life.”

A freezing sensation crawled up Kadim’s spine.

His eyes snapped wide.

The mage’s mouth began to stretch unnaturally, her grin reaching from ear to ear in a horrific display. Her skin bubbled with gooseflesh before turning into a carpet of olive-colored scales. Her head elongated into that of a massive serpent, and she hissed as her forked tongue tasted the air.

*-Why the shock? Hiss… you don’t believe it? It’s the honest truth. You might deny it now… but the reality will find you…*

Kadim reached for his axe to strike. But when he looked at his hand, he wasn’t holding a weapon—he was holding his own severed arm. The ground beneath him dissolved into a thick, oily swamp. Thousands of snakes emerged from the sludge, wrapping around his legs and pinning him in place.

He began to sink into the black rot. The foul liquid filled his throat, choking him. A profound, hollow darkness rose up to swallow his consciousness whole.

Kadim snapped awake, gasping for air.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

The sun was low, casting long, crimson shadows across the forest floor.

Kadim pressed his palm to his brow, rubbing his temples hard with his fingers.

“…”

How pathetic. He wasn’t a small child to be thrown into a panic by a bad dream. He had convinced himself his mental fortitude was higher in this iteration of his life, but he had clearly been mistaken.

He sensed a presence just a few meters away. When he turned his head, the figure let out a yelp and fell over in fright.

Duncan was peering out from behind a tree trunk, looking terrified.

“A-are you back with us, my lord? Do you feel… alright?”

Kadim looked down at his left arm.

The scales were gone. There was no hissing in his ears, and the colors of the forest were normal again. The signs of the berserk state had vanished.

However, he felt no relief.

The true horror of the madness was how stealthily it took hold. He remembered a time when he had slaughtered his own allies, fully convinced in his mind that he was acting with perfect clarity.

It hadn’t reached that point yet. The onset was earlier than he had predicted, but it was the price he paid for the repeated use of ‘greater demon’ blood. Kadim took a steadying breath and gestured for the man to relax.

“I’m fine. Forget you saw that.”

“…”

“It’s a recurring ailment. It passes quickly, so don’t dwell on it.”

“…”

“But… if I start acting that way again, get as far away as possible. Don’t hesitate.”

Duncan gave a shaky nod and stepped out from his hiding spot. He was clearly disturbed, but he knew he couldn’t survive this wilderness without his protector.

Kadim’s voice was flat as he spoke next.

“Regardless, merchant. I believe I owe you my life this time.”

“…What was that?”

“I’m thanking you. If you hadn’t intervened, I would have likely suffocated in that bog.”

“…!”

Duncan’s eyes went wide, staring at Kadim as if he’d grown a second head.

Kadim was being sincere.

Death itself didn’t scare him. But dying before his mission was complete? That was a failure he couldn’t permit. Especially after the cryptic words of the demon. To have perished without solving the riddle would have been a waste. He owed the merchant his gratitude.

“Thank you,” Kadim said once more. Duncan’s jaw dropped, and a clumsy, embarrassed smile spread across his face. He rubbed the back of his neck.

“N-no, my lord, please… heh… anyone would have done the same. You’ve saved my skin more times than I can count. Heh heh…”

The merchant didn’t seem to care that he only faced these dangers because Kadim had dragged him along as a guide.

Total power often inspires a strange kind of devotion. Those under the thumb of a great authority often ignore the abuses they suffer, choosing instead to treasure any small kindness—much like a victim bonding with a captor.

Duncan was no exception. He was terrified of the barbarian, yet he idolized him. Over the last month, his need to be useful had become as strong as his will to live.

Unfortunately, Kadim was not a man of many compliments. After all the terror in Molden, Duncan had felt ignored. But this—an open admission of his worth and a direct thank you? It filled him with an intense, giddy sense of pride.

Kadim ignored the man’s internal emotional shift. He simply viewed Duncan as a bit of a dimwit and decided a prize was in order.

“Merchant, didn’t I promise to let you live as payment for your guiding services?”

“Y-yes, my lord!”

“You’ve proven yourself more valuable than that. I’m adding a bonus to our arrangement.”

“…?”

“Give me a name—anyone you want gone. A rival who ruined a deal, an enemy from your past, some fool who insulted you. Tell me who, and I will kill them for you whenever you wish.”

The sheer scale of the offer left Duncan speechless. He stammered for a moment, his lips moving without sound, before he finally spoke.

“Th-that… I’m honored, truly, my lord, but… could I perhaps just have some gold instead…?”

“If that’s your preference. Whatever loot we find on the road is yours.”

“Th-then, let’s just turn whatever we find into coin…”

Violence was a more straightforward currency to Kadim, but he didn’t argue. He gave a slight nod. Duncan wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a long breath of relief.

“Oh! One moment, my lord. I have something for you.”

Duncan scurried off briefly. Kadim took the moment to rest his back against the rough bark of a tree.

Being still allowed his thoughts to wander back to the demon’s parting words.

*One of my old allies is reviving the demons and setting them loose…*

It felt impossible. And yet, it had to be true. Before Hidra died, the demon’s mockery of the situation had been too genuine to be a lie.

It defied logic. The hero’s party had trekked through the heart of darkness to wipe the demons out. Why would one of them undo all that blood and tears? He couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Melissa? She hated their kind with a passion. Gordon? A priest of Elga would have to be possessed. Cyril? The demons had taken her sight; she would never help them.

…Gale?

“…”

The phantom words from his nightmare echoed in his mind, leaving a bitter taste.

But Gale was the most absurd candidate of all. He was the chosen one, the hero who received the divine mandate to kill the archdemon. He was the paragon of virtue, always putting others before himself.

…But three centuries had passed.

A person could change their entire world view in ten years. Three hundred? It would be more shocking if he stayed the same. Ultimately, Kadim realized his memories were too old to be reliable. He was at a dead end.

“…Hoo.”

He was back where he started.

He had no way to track his former friends. His primary objective remained the Magic Tower to search for Melissa’s journals. That was his only lead. He had to hope the answers were buried there.

Done with his reflections, Kadim checked his weapons. Mosquito and his dwarven axe were both where they belonged. His attire, however, was a shredded mess; he would need to find a tailor soon.

As he stood up to tighten his belt, Duncan returned, panting as he lugged a heavy bag.

Inside were olive scales and several bulging leather skins.

“The demon’s head was stuck in the mud, so I thought it might be worth something—I stripped the scales and filled these with the blood. I noticed your wounds healed incredibly fast after using that other demon’s blood, so…”

“…”

Kadim stared at him with an unreadable expression. Duncan felt his stomach drop. Had he done something wrong? He started to backpedal.

“If it’s garbage, just say so! I’ll toss it right—”

Kadim raised a hand. He wasn’t about to throw away the power of demon blood just because of a few hallucinations. The merchant’s initiative was impressive.

“Merchant, remind me of your name.”

“Y-yes, my lord! Duncan. Duncan Wheeled!”

“Understood, Duncan. I give you my word, sworn by the name of Atala.”

“…”

“When our path ends, you will have enough wealth to last ten lifetimes.”

Duncan’s eyes nearly bulged out of his skull.

He wasn’t a follower of Atala, but he knew the culture: a barbarian’s oath in their god’s name was unbreakable. With a man of Kadim’s strength, acquiring a mountain of gold would be child’s play.

He had gone from a prisoner fearing for his life to a guide with a guaranteed fortune. Duncan couldn’t stop himself from grinning like an idiot.

“Th-thank you, my lord! Truly! Uh… just so I can visualize it, what kind of sum are we talking about? Being a businessman, I work better with specific figures…”

Kadim frowned slightly. He realized he had no idea what money was worth after 300 years of inflation. He threw out a number at random.

“…10,000 ludent?”

“…”

That was barely enough to buy three small ponies.