Chapter 198 - Episode 26. Great Forest (4)
Chapter 198: Episode 26. Great Forest (4)
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The Horned Beasts based on machinery had likely once been Followers of Deus, while the Deadmans whose souls had mutated from contamination had likely once been Followers of Catastrophe.
Even after the Ancient Gods had vanished and hundreds of thousands of years had passed, they still lived in the 〈Great Forest〉, baring their teeth at one another.
It was unfortunate, but Jaehwan had no time to pity them.
Fwoooosh.
Flames wrapped around Karavan’s fists and melted the Horned Beasts’ horns.
World Force coiling around the broken Solitary Existence pierced through the Deadmans’ heads.
Yet once Horned Beasts and Deadmans with nine or ten horns, or even stronger creatures, appeared, they were not so easy to handle. Jaehwan was still badly exhausted because his injuries had yet to heal, while Karavan could not fight properly with the link to a god severed.
“Damn it, I can’t even use 「Crimson Flame Tribulation」 in this situation.”
Karavan could use Ignis’s basic Setting, 「Flame Fist」, without Ignis’s help, but unfortunately, he could not use the Representative Setting, 「Crimson Flame Tribulation」.
“Ha, one hit from that would wipe all these bastards out…”
No matter how accomplished a god’s main Vicegerent was, he could not use the god’s true power without a link to a god.
The World Force Karavan could wield alone barely surpassed that of a high-grade god. Amid the unending waves of Lost Ones, even his World Force was gradually running dry.
To make matters worse, something was wrong with Jaehwan as well.
“Hey, God Slayer. What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”
Jaehwan, who had been dealing with the Deadmans, lost his balance and staggered while pressing a hand to his temple.
He was just as confused. A powerful sense of déjà vu had suddenly come over him, disrupting his concentration. It was not the kind of déjà vu he felt from simply seeing Deadmans or Horned Beasts.
This feeling came from a far more distant memory.
He had the distinct feeling that he had visited this place before.
There was no doubt about it. I know this place.
But how could he know it when he had never once been to the 《Abyss》?
The Deadmans’ sharp tentacles flew at Jaehwan from every direction.
“Jaehwan-nim!”
The moment Runald reached out and rushed toward him.
Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh!
Arrows shot from the brush and embedded themselves one after another in the Deadmans’ tentacles. The arrowheads, wrapped in unusual World Force, melted through the Deadmans’ outer flesh. Startled, the Deadmans screamed and warily looked around.
But the rain of arrows was not over.
With the sound of taut air tearing apart, more than twice as many arrows covered the sky again.
Kieeeeee!
The Deadmans let out horrific screams.
As the Deadmans faltered, their momentum broken, a group of shadows emerged and threatened them.
[Deusen. Catastrophen. Turga!]
[Turga!]
It was a language even 「Doubt」 and 「Understanding」 could not translate. Even so, Jaehwan could vaguely understand their words.
Begone, ghosts of Deus and Catastrophe!
Begone!
That was clearly what they meant.
Grrrrr…
The Horned Beasts and Deadmans surrounding Jaehwan and Karavan began fleeing toward the brush, one by one.
These were people capable of driving away Lost Ones that had completely lost their reason.
Once the Deadmans and Horned Beasts had all vanished into the undergrowth, Jaehwan was able to see who their pursuers were.
They each carried enormous bows, spears, and similar weapons. At a glance, they resembled a primitive tribe from World 294.
[Turga!]
Once the Deadmans and Horned Beasts had disappeared, the tribespeople aimed their bows and spears at Jaehwan and his Allies.
The pressure was as though an entire world had fixed its sights on them. Even Karavan, who had plenty of nerve, shrank back a step.
“Wh-what are these people…!”
The bows and spears looked like primitive Parts. There was no way getting hit by something like that should injure them.
Then what was this tension?
A strange killing intent honed over thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of years.
Something that had accumulated since ancient times.
Karavan swallowed hard, and Runald hid behind Jaehwan’s leg.
Only when the tribespeople drew their bowstrings taut did Jaehwan realize it too.
They had not appeared with friendly intentions. They had come here to erase Jaehwan and his Allies from this 〈Great Forest〉.
At the critical instant before the hands drawing the bowstrings released them, strange words slipped from Jaehwan’s mouth.
“Long-Lived Clan.”
He did not know why he had said it. The words Long-Lived Clan had simply come to mind, and speaking them was all Jaehwan could do at that moment.
Only after he said them did Jaehwan understand the source of the déjà vu he had just felt.
The item he had bought at the auction house, [Master’s Treatise].
That newly acquired book had intertwined with the 『Record of the Abyss』 he possessed, pouring new memories into him.
The reason Jaehwan could remember this place, and their name, was simple. Nine hundred years ago, Mulack had visited this place too.
As pages turned in his mind, the 『Record of the Abyss』 told its story.
「Long-Lived Clan. Successors of the Mad God who survived in the forgotten Great Forest.」
The Long-Lived Clan looked at one another after hearing Jaehwan’s words, then began to murmur. The killing intent in the air eased considerably.
“What? You know them?”
Karavan stared at Jaehwan in surprise.
It was understandable. Until moments ago, Jaehwan had barely known what 《Big Brother》 was or what the Three Ancient Gods were, yet he knew the name of the oldest clan in the 〈Great Forest〉.
“I don’t.”
Karavan stared back and forth between Jaehwan and the Long-Lived Clan with a dumbfounded look.
“Sometimes things just come to mind like this.”
Too annoyed to explain it all, Jaehwan answered that way. Strictly speaking, it was not wrong.
“What kind of…”
Karavan could not finish. A member of the Long-Lived Clan had spoken to him.
Their skin was especially dark and sunburned, and they stood about a handspan taller than the others.
[Janshor. Nas. Merga.]
You know us? Who are you?
“We are…”
Jaehwan had spoken to them without thinking, but now that they were willing to converse, he did not know how to introduce himself.
To begin with, he had no idea what kind of people the Long-Lived Clan were. The 『Record of the Abyss』 had irresponsibly told him only the name they went by.
Jaehwan looked down at the Horned Beast and Deadman corpses sprawled across the ground.
Deus. Catastrophe. Gestalt.
The names of the Ancient Gods flashed through Jaehwan’s mind.
Like the Horned Beasts and Deadmans, perhaps these people were also Lost Ones of an Ancient God hiding in the 〈Great Forest〉.
The Long-Lived Clan asked again.
[Nas. Gestalten?]
Are you Followers of Gestalt?
It was a question that seemed to read Jaehwan’s thoughts.
After a moment of consideration, Jaehwan answered honestly.
“No. I do not believe in gods.”
It was an answer that suited him perfectly.
Karavan asked after hearing Jaehwan’s reply.
“What? What did they say?”
“They asked whether we were Followers of Gestalt.”
“And you said no?”
When Jaehwan nodded, Karavan’s face went pale.
“Are you out of your mind? In a situation like this, we should obviously have said we were Followers of Gestalt too.”
“Why?”
“The Lost Ones we fought earlier were Followers of Deus and Catastrophe. Then these people are obviously Followers of Gestalt, given the situation!”
Even as Karavan continued scolding him, the Long-Lived Clan on the other side were holding their own conversation.
[Nadats. Merlen.]
[Gestalten. Alo. Gestalten.]
[Hattero! Ah, hattero!]
[Nahl. Gestalten narga?]
[Nagamaren. Nadaro. Aiharo.]
That one says he does not believe in gods.
Really? Then there is no doubt. He is Gestalt.
He is naked! Naked! There is no doubt about it.
But one of them is not naked. Is that one really Gestalt?
What does it matter? I like that one.
It was an incomprehensible conversation, even though he could understand it.
A moment later, the person who seemed to be their Representative spoke again.
[Nas. Gestalten. Armarellium.]
That is right. Gestalts do not believe in gods.
I can feel Gestalt’s pride in you.
Almost at the same time, Karavan stepped forward and shouted.
“Hey, I’m Gestalt too! I believe in Gestalt! I absolutely love Gestalt!”
It was a statement that would have earned Karavan a bolt of flame if the God of Flames Ignis had heard it.
When a bolt of fire actually fell right in front of them the next moment, Karavan looked as if he suspected Ignis had heard every word.
Looking closer, though, it was not a bolt of fire but an arrow wrapped in World Force. The Long-Lived Clan were aiming at Karavan with fierce eyes.
Karavan stumbled backward in confusion.
“What? Why the hell…”
Leaving the terrified Karavan behind, Jaehwan stepped forward and began communicating. Whether they were truly communicating was unclear, but whenever Jaehwan said something, the other side said something back.
After exchanging a few words, Jaehwan turned to his Allies.
“They say they know about the Mad God. They are offering to guide us to their village.”
“Really?”
Runald’s face brightened.
Given how things had unfolded, these people called the Long-Lived Clan were likely connected to the Mad God they sought.
There was a problem, though.
“They say Runald and I are fine, but you are not.”
“What? Why?”
“They say you are not a real Gestalt.”
Karavan’s face darkened.
The Long-Lived Clan’s arrowheads were still pointed at Karavan.
After thinking for a moment, Jaehwan spoke to the Long-Lived Clan’s Representative again, then turned to Karavan.
“Take off your clothes.”
“What are you talking about? No!”
“If you want to live, do as I say.”
At that moment, Karavan realized something.
He looked down at himself, looked Jaehwan and Runald over, then looked back at the Long-Lived Clan.
Karavan was the only one among them wearing clothes.
Jaehwan said, “They say they will kill you if you do not take them off.”
The Long-Lived Clan’s ominous gazes were fixed on Karavan’s body.
Karavan’s face gradually turned white.
* * *
A little later, Karavan, now naked beside the equally naked Jaehwan and Runald, clutched his head and muttered.
“What happens now? What happens to a naked person?”
“Stop being so dramatic. You only took your clothes off.”
“No, something like my essence, something important, got stripped away with them.”
Roughly stripped naked by the Long-Lived Clan, Karavan looked somewhat vacant.
After walking for some time while consoling the mentally crumbling Karavan, Jaehwan and his Allies arrived at the Long-Lived Clan’s base.
This was the deepest part of the 〈Great Forest〉.
The sensation of the air filling his lungs was strange. World Force brushed against his skin in an unusual way, oddly warm and humid, yet gentle.
Jaehwan knew a World Force like this. It was the same feeling he had experienced in Andersen’s Worldview, the Naked World.
La-Mahad, a member of the Long-Lived Clan who had stopped walking, turned back and spoke.
[Nas. Saicricpod. Amadar.]
Its translation was as follows.
Welcome to Mad God’s Forest.
Footnotes:
Chapter discussion