Chapter 206 - Brilliance of the Blue Flames
After tidying up and finishing a quick, unsatisfying meal of preserved food, I loaded the spoils of our battle. The golden bones and pitch-black scales should be worth more than I can imagine. There was nothing I could leave behind from our journey, so I packed them tightly, wrapping them in sheets and even loading some onto the roof rack.
Even with all that, I could only carry a fraction of the treasure. "It’s a shame, but there’s nothing we can do about what we can’t carry," I muttered.
"Should we come back for it later?" Ophelia asked.
"This place probably won’t see another soul, but leaving it here is risky." In the end, we decided to bury what we couldn’t take. I used magic to dig a large hole in the solid ground, coating the bottom and sides with stainless steel. We dumped the treasure in, a mountain of gold and artifacts. It took a while, but once the hole was filled and covered, we compacted the soil on top.
It felt like a waste, but if it meant no lingering worries, it was worth it. I don’t know when we’ll return, but this treasure is worth the effort. Considering the time and risk it took to get here from Exembra, it’s not something we can easily repeat. Still, the idea of someone else taking it is infuriating, so we’ll hide it even if we don’t use it.
After all that, my stomach was grumbling, and it was time to move on. "Mia, where are we according to the Heaven’s Eye?"
"We’ve already passed the central area. If we keep moving, we should be able to leave the Forest of the Underworld in a day," Mia replied.
The Heaven’s Eye can’t show places we haven’t been, especially not the exact boundaries of the Forest of the Underworld. No one knows where it ends. The situation we’re in now is vastly different from what we heard from the Adventurer Guild. It’s truly an unknown.
"Even an estimate helps. We need to get through this forest as quickly as possible because our food is running out."
"A straight run would be great, but it’s not that simple."
"The remaining preserved food and snacks won’t last even a day."
"In the worst case, we might have to survive on just water and alcohol, but hopefully, it won’t come to that."
"Hopefully. We have no other choice but to keep moving."
We set off, driving the vehicle as we had before. The Forest of the Underworld is infested with undead, but strangely, it doesn’t rain, and the roads are in decent condition. Since the dragon, we haven’t seen any undead, which is a relief. We might have left their territory.
We’ve been making better progress, but a new problem arose. The terrain has become more varied, and the straight roads have started to twist and turn. Steep plateaus block our path, and marshes appear, forcing us to zigzag and sometimes even backtrack. We’re covering more distance, but not much in a straight line.
Two days into this lifeless forest, the lack of food is becoming more apparent. There’s nothing edible in the marshes or the forest, and our supplies are running out. Hunger is a relentless enemy. Even the strongest and wisest can’t survive without food. Two days without eating is unusual, and the pangs of hunger are overwhelming.
Focus is slipping, and irritation is mounting, but we all keep it to ourselves. We’re making steady progress, and we believe the exit is near.
After another half-day, the darkness seemed to lift a bit. This small sign of hope is all we have.
Exhausted and dizzy, I wondered if I was starting to hallucinate. Everyone else seemed to be in a similar state, barely able to concentrate on driving. We took turns to keep the vehicle moving, and time passed in a daze.
"...Hey, do you hear something?" Ophelia whispered from the passenger seat.
A hallucination? This can’t be good. I lay there, half-listening, and to my surprise, I heard it too.
"Is that the sound of insects? It’s been a while since I’ve heard that."
"I can hear it too... even the wind."
"What are you talking about? It’s still dark outside. Hah...," Liliane said with a bitter laugh. She was right; the darkness hadn’t lifted.
I thought maybe it was a hallucination, but then my vision suddenly cleared. The twisted forest path had opened into a rocky wasteland.
We drove a bit further and stopped. We looked at each other in disbelief.
"Did we just leave the Forest of the Underworld?"
"It’s still dark, and we can’t see any stars."
"It might be a part of the forest, but it feels different. Let’s check it out."
We all got out of the vehicle, and the others followed. The air felt different.
The Forest of the Underworld is a lifeless, odorless place. It’s cold, and there’s no wind or sound. It’s a dead space. But here, the air is warmer and humid. There’s a breeze. If this is a hallucination, it’s a serious one, but I don’t think we’re that far gone yet.
The group started to regain some energy.
"It looks like we’re out of the Forest of the Underworld, doesn’t it?"
"Is it night? It’s still dark, but maybe it’s just cloudy."
"It’s not cold, and there’s a breeze."
"Let’s check the magical aura..."
One by one, we confirmed our surroundings. We had indeed left the Forest of the Underworld.
Despite the certainty, we still felt a bit skeptical. Just then, a magical beast, a scorpion the size of a puppy, scurried towards us. Ophelia kicked it away, and it smashed into a rock, still.
"It’s not undead. That means..."
"We made it!"
"We did it! We’re saved!"
"Yaaaaaah!"
Relief and joy washed over us. We laughed and cried, and our energy returned. Hunger pangs hit us hard.
"First things first, we need to find food. Let’s look around."
"Let’s keep moving forward!"
The area was a rocky wasteland, and the only magical beasts were scorpions. They’re not edible, and we weren’t about to go back into the dead forest. But if we keep moving, we should find something to eat.
We sped off in the jeep, and after crossing a hill, we saw something strange.
"What’s that?"
"Is it on fire? A fire?"
"It looks like a village. We’ll help and take some food as a reward."
It’s only fair, right?
Our hunger might be making us more aggressive than usual. "Wait a minute. Something doesn’t seem right."
"Are they being attacked?"
Another problem? This is a hassle, but we decided to approach on foot, staying hidden. The others followed, moving through the darkness.
We’re like a pack of hungry wolves. Hunger makes you dangerous. Rational thought is thin, and we’re willing to do whatever it takes for food.
We approached the village, using the terrain and rocks for cover. The village was clearly under attack. Men were shouting, and women and children were screaming. The attackers, wielding clubs rather than knives, were not acting like typical bandits. They were beating the villagers, not killing but incapacitating them. Women and children were being forced to kneel.
This wasn’t just a raid; it was a deliberate act of terror. We decided to observe for a bit. What happens to strangers isn’t our concern, but we need to be sure before we act. Besides, the villagers might not be grateful if we help and they refuse to share their food.
We waited, and as we got closer, we could hear the attackers’ demands. A man was forcing a young boy to kill his mother with a club.
The boy hesitated, and the attackers taunted him, threatening to kill his sister. The boy’s mother, kneeling and crying, was clearly the target. This was a sickening scene.
"Yukari, we can’t just watch. What should we do?"
"Let’s handle this quickly. Verone and Graylease can incapacitate them."
There were about twenty attackers, and the village was small. We could take them all at once.
Verone and Graylease moved in. Graylease’s shadow magic restrained the attackers, and Verone’s stun grenades took them down.
We illuminated the burning village with light magic, and as we looked around, we were dismayed. Every house was burning.
This was a lost cause for food. Our primary goal was to find food, not to get involved in a stranger’s conflict.
"Damn it, let’s check the fields. If there’s a village, there should be fields nearby."
We interrogated a villager, and Liliane, her eyes bloodshot, demanded answers.
"Where are the fields? Where’s any food?"
She shouted in the villager’s ear.
"Tell us or everyone dies! Where are the fields?"
"The fields... we just finished harvesting..."
"Then where’s the food?"
"In the... southern storage shed..."
"Which way is south, Mia?"
We left the villager and asked Mia to navigate. We moved towards the south, but all we found was a burning shed.
We tried to extinguish the fire with a magic foam, hoping to salvage something. We rushed in, but the shed was a lost cause.
"Damn it, there’s nothing here!"
"There’s nothing edible! Not even ashes!"
We found only charred tools and a few burned grains. The shed should have had more, but it hadn’t burned long enough to destroy everything.
Frustration and anger boiled over. Verone spoke up.
"Maybe they took the food before setting the fire."
The words hit hard. I punched the charred wall in anger.
"They stole our food. They deserve to die."
"It’s my food!"
"Let’s get it back!"
"We might still catch them."
"We’ll make them spill the beans. They’ll lead us to their hideout."
We left the shed, and the hungry wolves descended on the attackers. We kicked and interrogated them, determined to get answers.
"Talk or we’ll kill you!"
"Lead us to your hideout, or we’ll kill everyone!"
Finally, we found someone who could talk. Life is precious. It was a wise choice.
The hunger and anger fueled our resolve. We took the wise one with us and set off in the vehicles.
We’re hunting our prey, with bloodthirsty eyes and fierce determination.
We finally broke through the Forest of the Underworld, but the danger isn’t over. Hunger can drive people to extremes. What will the group do in their desperation? Stay tuned for the next chapter: "The Disease That Steals Reason."