I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

Chapter 14: The Black Forest (5)

The Frosimar Chronicle.

An unusual book, given its title, which detailed the life of a hero yet was called a 'chronicle.'

As its name suggested, this Chronicle of Frosimar covered various events in this fictional world, starting from before the birth of the hero.

That's why Zion found it useful.

But, the chronicle didn't cover everything.

Like what just happened.

'Did the story change because I stepped in?'

Zion briefly wondered but quickly dismissed the thought.

He hadn't messed with the Black Forest yet.

It was more accurate to say the seal had always been broken.

'Well, it doesn't matter, really.'

Thinking this, Zion began to walk slowly.

The red-eyed woman who had vanished had warned him against entering the forest, but Zion was going to ignore her.

She probably knew Zion wouldn't listen to her.

Her words were probably just a passing thought.

"Show yourself."

Walking a bit further, Zion looked at the trees in the garden and called out.

"No, how did you figure me out?"

From the shadow of a tree, as if waiting for a cue, Nari from the information guild 'Moon's Eye' appeared, sounding incredulous.

She had snuck past all the castle security, even his senses.

She couldn't fathom how he found her out.

"Did you bring it?"

Ignoring her question, Zion asked her immediately.

In response, Nari reached into her clothing, pulled out a small pouch, and handed it to Zion.

"Here's the high-grade spell storage stone you asked for. If the spell recorded is perfect and there are no locks on it, you can transfer it just by touching it. It was tough to get so quickly, so it'll cost more. But why did you want this?"

"Give up."

"Excuse me? Give up? What do you mean....."

The woman with her characteristic confused eyes asked Zion, but he didn't answer.

"Phew... what should I tell them...."

Watching Zion walk away, Nari sighed.

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Raei Translations

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Preparations for taking on the Black Forest were progressing smoothly.

The Lord of Ruin had already given approval, and nobody in the city dared to stand in Rain Dranir's way.

Plus, most of the members of the team tasked with the job were close to her, and since it was a small group, there wasn't much to get ready.

Finally, on the closing day of the purification festival, Zion found himself standing at a secret path that led from the lord's castle to the Black Forest. He was accompanied by the task force, including Rain Dranir.

'It's totally dark.'

That was Zion's first thought when he saw the Black Forest after crossing the secret path.

Everything from the soil, trees, grass, and even the scattered pebbles, was pitch black.

It was as if it swallowed up all the surrounding light.

Hence, the Black Forest seemed like one massive abyss.

Just gazing at it brought on a sense of unease.

Besides, the enormous, evil energy radiating from the forest naturally made one's hair stand on end.

"...How has this place stayed hidden from people until now?"

Staring at it, Hart, the Lightning Sword, murmured with slightly troubled eyes.

"It feels like not just the city, but the Empire should step in to handle it."

"Hehe, are you going back?"

"Yeah, you go ahead. You're a chicken."

Zion glanced at the Seven Swords, who were joking around, possibly to lighten the mood.

Since their last meeting, nobody had challenged Zion, even though they ignored him.

Even though Rain hadn't given a proper explanation.

It showed how much they trusted her.

Only Kaila, who joined late, still looked at Zion suspiciously.

Even now, as their eyes met, she pointed two fingers from her own eyes to Zion.

When Zion chuckled and turned away,

"Are we heading in directly?"

Rain's soft voice asked. She was staring at the Black Forest with a serious expression.

'The evil energy is stronger than before.'

She didn't know what was happening inside, but they couldn't afford to wait any longer.

"Are we sticking to the plan and cutting straight through?"

"Yeah. But before that...."

In reply to Lian's question, Rain, with a faint smile, lifted her spear.

"We ought to say hello now that we're here."

Zzzzt!

As she spoke, an enormous wave of electricity erupted around her.

It turned the surroundings blue, and in that space, Rain took a step forward, bent her knee, and drew back the arm holding the spear like pulling a bowstring.

She drew it back as far as it could go.

All the lightning in the area began to gather at the tip of her spear, now ready to be thrown.

Drrrr!

The atmosphere screamed, unable to bear the horrifying power of the concentrated lightning.

The moment everyone shielded their eyes due to the immense light it radiated,

Rain's spear took flight.

A trail of lightning extended from her hand, reaching beyond the Black Forest.

After a moment of silence, shorter than an eye blink,

Zzzzzt!

Following the lightning trail, chain explosions erupted, cleaving the forest in two.

It was as if a dragon had just released its breath.

Truly, a strike befitting a Dragon Slayer of the future.

"Kuh! She certainly knows how to make a grand entrance."

At that moment, a mixture of awe and admiration flowed from the mouth of Red Wall Ragnod, who had been watching the scene unfold.

"Let's go."

Zap!

Accompanied by a thunderbolt, Rain's figure shot towards the opened Black Forest.

"She's always the first one in."

Whoosh!

Trailing her, the task force quickly caught up.

Their pace would be challenging for average people, yet none of them showed signs of struggle.

If they couldn't match this speed, they wouldn't be part of the task force to begin with.

How far had they ventured into the forest?

Just when the path that Rain had blasted open began to close,

Crack!

With an uncanny sound, the forest ahead started to tremble.

Soon, two monstrous beasts that resembled wolves but were even more grotesque emerged.

Evil beasts.

Creatures that were exclusive to the Black Forest, each one surpassing the abilities of typical monsters.

Screech!

The evil beasts charged, blurring their outlines, and in an instant were right before Rain.

Just as they were about to pounce on Rain,

"I told you not to charge ahead."

Boom!

With a gruff voice, Ragnod leapt from behind her, sending all the evil beasts flying.

His now glowing-red body was covered in tattoos.

"The front line is my territory."

His appearance truly matched the Red Wall.

And before the scattered evil beasts even hit the ground,

Swish!

A silver flash descended from the sky.

The evil beasts were sliced into pieces by the flash.

Where the dismembered bodies of the beasts fell, Hart already stood, his crescent-shaped twin swords in hand.

Despite all this, the pace of the advance didn't slow down.

However, it seemed this was just the beginning.

Creak, creak!

Dozens of evil beasts sprang out from both sides of the forest, accompanied by continual sounds.

And with this, the actual battle commenced.

Roaaar!

The blue flames of Kaila, like a flame magician, filled the air, consuming all the nearby evil beasts.

Screech!

The evil beasts, seemingly shielded by the Black Forest, kept moving even after being hit directly by the flames potent enough to melt iron.

"Kaila, cover me."

As if he had foreseen the scenario, the middle-aged knight standing next to Kaila swung his hefty halberd.

Crash!

The evil beasts caught on the blade of the halberd were literally pulverized.

On the other side, the charging evil beasts were deftly eliminated by Lian, stationed right next to Rain, and a scarred elf mercenary exhibiting extraordinary swordsmanship.

Could it be accurate that they had been close friends since their youth?

The task force, particularly the Chilgeol, exhibited flawless synchronization as if they were performing a rehearsed routine, all without exchanging a word.

'When will it happen?'

As the task force was decimating the evil beasts and advancing, Zion was vigilantly scanning the forest from the rear, waiting for something.

This 'Black Forest' was peculiarly eerie.

The forest seemed to behave like a single, gigantic organism, perpetually shifting and shuddering.

As evidence, the path that Rain Dranir had earlier blasted open was now refilled to the extent that no traces remained.

And what Zion was anticipating was related to this.

Then,

Chirp!

A massive evil beast, resembling a bat, rocketed from the dense forest, where light failed to penetrate, directly towards Zion.

The evil beast charged with a speed that far exceeded those that had emerged so far.

Its velocity was such that even the scarred elf in close proximity couldn't react appropriately.

But Zion seemed prepared, casually stepping aside to evade the attack.

Subsequently, Zion grasped the empty space behind the swiftly passing evil beast with his hand.

At that instant,

Thump.

Like a marionette severed from its strings, the movement of the evil beast ceased, and it plummeted to the ground.

Without sparing a glance at the fallen beast, Zion absorbed the black star that had orbited his hand.

All the evil beasts in this forest were connected to the 'evil' at its core.

Hence, these lower-ranking evil beasts could be easily neutralized by severing their connection with the 'evil' using the black star, a power that negates everything.

'But it will be challenging once we reach the forest's heart.'

Then,

"What... how did you accomplish that?"

Kaila, who had been observing the scene, asked Zion, glaring at him skeptically.

Although Zion had demonstrated his ability to defend himself, her suspicion had deepened.

Because what just transpired was far from ordinary.

"You're asking how I did it, you say..."

Just as Kaila was about to question Zion again...

Roaaaaar!

With a roar that reverberated through the entire forest, a gargantuan evil beast appeared before them.

Its body, swathed in jet-black fur, stood on two legs.

Its pointed snout was bristling with razor-sharp teeth, akin to saw blades.

Could it be due to their proximity to the forest's core?

A chilling aura, distinct from the evil beasts encountered So far, emanated from the beast's body.

"Form up."

Rain issued the tranquil command with an unruffled gaze.

Crash!

As if this wasn't the climax, the forest began to convulse and the ground beneath trembled.

No, the forest wasn't merely convulsing - it was transforming.

Black trees sprouted from the barren ground, forcing the earth to shift.

As a result, the landscape was fragmenting, splitting, and rearranging.

'Has it begun?'

Simultaneously, Zion cast his gaze upward.

"Blast it, stay close, don't get pulled apart!"

Ragnod spat out a curse and issued a warning, aware that separation would lead to their swift defeat.

But this forest refused to obey their will.

Screaaaam!

The evil beast, displaying a terrifying speed that belied its massive size, suddenly appeared before the task force and swiped its front paw.

Naturally, the force of the strike created a distance as they evaded it.

Creak!

As if lying in wait for this moment, trees started sprouting in the newly created gaps and the landscape began to warp.

The majority of the task force dodged the warp with superhuman agility and reformed their ranks.

"This blasted...!"

But some couldn't.

Individuals caught up in the warp vanished behind the trees in a flash.

Among them,

Zion was included.

How much time had elapsed?

Zion finally studied the forest where the warping had ceased.

'Given that I can't sense any presence, it seems I've been flung a great distance.'

Although he had foreseen the warp and could have dodged it, Zion opted not to.

His plan involved separating from the group.

His destination was the 'sealing ground,' but he had another matter to address beforehand.

"Blast it."

A small curse emanated from nearby.

Soon, the figure of Hart, the lightning sword, with an annoyed expression, came into Zion's view.

He must have been ensnared in the warp too.

"Why of all..."

Hart, casting a disgruntled look at Zion, clicked his tongue and began to move to locate the others.

"This is complicated."

"Why? Because you can't assassinate Rain Dranir?"

Zion quietly rebutted Hart's grumbling.

Stiffly.

At that, Hart's movements stopped.

"What do you mean by that?"

Hart inquired, slowly turning his gaze towards Zion.

His eyes were frosty.

"You understand better than anyone."

Meeting Hart's icy gaze, Zion offered a slight smile.

***

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