Chapter — 21 The Sealed Forest and the Silent Assassins
The sun stood high in the sky.
It was noon.
Yet the town felt colder than the deepest winter.
Inside the grand meeting hall of the city lord's mansion, tension hung so thick that even breathing felt difficult.
The long white table in the center of the room gleamed under the sunlight that entered through the tall glass windows. It was newly crafted, replacing the one shattered days earlier when Samuel's fury had exploded during their previous discussion.
But the beauty of the polished table meant nothing.
Because everyone seated around it was staring at a single object placed at its center.
A sealed letter.
The imperial wax seal glimmered red like fresh blood.
No one dared touch it.
Around the table sat the most powerful figures of the town.
The City Lord.
The Guild Master.
Saint Steve.
The Guard Commander.
And the four nobles who controlled the town's economy.
All silent.
All sweating.
All pretending to remain calm.
But inside each of them, panic was slowly spreading.
The letter had been written by the knight commander before he rode toward the forest.
The same knight commander who had not returned.
No one needed to say the obvious truth aloud.
The City Lord's fingers tapped the armrest of his chair.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
The sound echoed in the silent hall.
Finally, the door burst open.
A guard soldier rushed inside, breathing heavily.
He saluted the Guard Commander immediately.
"My lord! Report from the scouting parties!"
The Guard Commander straightened.
"Speak."
"The first scout group sent toward the forest has been found unconscious by the second group."
The room instantly grew colder.
The soldier swallowed nervously.
"They reported seeing enormous… tentacles covering the forest sky. They said the sight was so terrifying that they fainted on the spot."
A noble nearly dropped his cup.
"Tentacles…?"
The soldier nodded.
"And the second scout group reported that the entire forest border is now covered in thick fog. They tried entering but failed."
"Failed how?" the Guild Master asked sharply.
"Attacks and spells… don't work. The fog simply absorbs them."
The room fell silent again.
The Guard Commander waved his hand.
"Leave us."
The soldier bowed and quickly exited.
Now no one was pretending anymore.
Sweat rolled down foreheads.
Hands trembled.
Saint Steve clutched his prayer beads tightly.
The Guild Master suddenly slammed his palm on the table.
"We cannot wait anymore!"
Everyone looked at him.
"Maybe the rumors were true. Many citizens reported hearing a massive explosion from the forest days ago."
His voice grew heavy.
"If the knight commander is truly dead…"
The words felt impossible to say.
"…then we must assume the worst."
He looked at the sealed letter.
"That demon in the forest will not stop at the border."
The Guild Master stood up.
"I will take the letter to the capital myself."
One of the nobles immediately interrupted.
"You cannot."
The Guild Master frowned.
"Explain."
The noble leaned forward.
"If you leave the town, the adventurers will lose control."
He continued calmly.
"Seventy percent of guild quests involve hunting monsters in the forest."
He raised two fingers.
"Another twenty percent involve gathering herbs, mana stones, and magical plants — also from the forest."
Then he raised a third.
"The remaining ten percent are minor town tasks."
He leaned back.
"There are around two thousand seven hundred adventurers registered in your guild."
The Guild Master's expression darkened.
"Of those, nearly one thousand one hundred are novice adventurers with newly formed parties."
The noble smiled faintly.
"If they suddenly lose income, discipline will collapse."
The Guild Master slowly sat down.
"And reaching the capital takes three weeks by carriage."
"Ten days by horse," another noble added.
"Do you believe we can keep the town stable for even a week?"
The Guild Master lowered his head.
"…I apologize."
The Guard Commander suddenly spoke.
"I will deliver the letter."
Everyone looked at him.
Immediately.
"No."
All four nobles said it at the same time.
Even the City Lord shook his head.
The reason was obvious.
During the festival incident, the Guard Commander had been defeated by the wooden warrior.
The memory had shattered his confidence.
But the Guard Commander clenched his fists.
"I must go."
After several minutes of argument…
They finally agreed.
The Guard Commander left the hall to prepare for departure.
None of them realized.
He would never reach the capital.
The Spirit Realm
Far beyond the human world existed a realm made of pure elemental energy.
A place where fire danced like living creatures.
Where winds spoke in whispers.
Where mountains breathed.
At the center of a massive cavern stood a magnificent being.
A Phoenix.
But not an ordinary one.
This creature radiated ancient authority.
Its wings burned with flames that shifted between blue, white, and gold.
This was the progenitor of the Ocean Phoenix.
And right now…
It was furious.
The death of its offspring had been felt instantly across the realms.
The Phoenix screeched.
The sound shook the cavern violently.
Elemental spirits gathered around it began whispering among themselves.
The Phoenix extended its wings.
Energy surged.
A portal began forming.
A gate connecting the Spirit Realm to the human world.
But as the portal stabilized, the Phoenix suddenly stopped.
Its flames flickered.
It realized something.
Its rank was too high.
Without a proper summoning contract, it could not enter the human world.
The Phoenix screeched again in frustration.
Then its blazing eyes turned toward the gathered spirits.
A command echoed.
"Who will avenge my offspring?"
The spirits buzzed nervously.
Then.
A massive creature stepped forward.
A towering elemental beast.
Its body was made of molten stone.
Golden flames erupted from its horns.
It was a rare hybrid elemental spirit.
Fire and earth.
The Hell Flame Bison.
Fourth strongest spirit in the cave.
And powerful enough to survive the portal.
The bison snorted.
Then charged directly into the portal.
Outside the Corrupted Forest
The Hell Flame Bison emerged in a flash of golden light.
But what greeted it was not the open forest it expected.
Instead.
A massive barrier.
Purple magic circles rotated across the sky.
Gigantic tentacles made of mana wrapped around the forest like chains.
And at the very top.
A colossal red eye stared down upon the world.
The bison roared.
Then slammed its massive body into the barrier.
BOOM.
The fog rippled.
But did not break.
It attacked again.
BOOM.
Again.
BOOM.
Suddenly.
The red eye moved.
Mana tentacles shot downward.
They wrapped around the elemental spirit instantly.
The bison roared violently.
It struggled.
But the tentacles began crushing it.
Inside the forest.
C3 watched the scene.
"Interesting."
He raised his hand.
"Release it."
The tentacles paused.
Then obeyed.
The Hell Flame Bison landed heavily on the ground.
It immediately glared at C3.
Its entire body burned with fury.
C3 smiled calmly.
"So you are an elemental spirit."
He lifted his staff.
"Perfect."
"I require one."
The bison charged.
C3 cast two spells instantly.
Earth Barrier.
Wind Slash.
A notification appeared.
New skill acquired: Multi-Spell Casting
But before the battle could begin.
A sword pierced the ground between them.
Death Knight Samuel stood there.
Both the spirit and C3 turned toward him angrily.
But suddenly.
A massive shadow covered them.
C3 slowly looked up.
The Gargoyle General hovered in the sky.
Its wings blocked the sun.
Its glowing red eyes burned with anger.
It snapped its fingers.
Corrupted vines erupted from the ground.
They wrapped around the Hell Flame Bison instantly.
The spirit struggled in disbelief.
"How… can vines bind an elemental body…?"
A glowing spell circle appeared beneath it.
The Gargoyle General had sealed its movement.
Then the gargoyle grabbed C3 by the arm.
And flew away.
An hour later.
After a long and extremely unpleasant lecture.
The Gargoyle General finally released him.
C3 looked embarrassed.
Meanwhile — On the Road
The Guard Commander rode his horse at full speed.
The capital was far away.
But he had no choice.
The letter had to be delivered.
Hours passed.
Then suddenly.
Figures emerged from the trees.
Bandits.
The Guard Commander sighed.
"Fools."
Within minutes he defeated them.
But then—
A hidden pit trap opened beneath him.
He fell.
Pain shot through his body.
He tried moving.
But his limbs refused.
The dagger cut from earlier.
Poison.
A shadow approached.
A hooded woman.
She picked up the sealed letter.
The Guard Commander realized the truth too late.
They were never bandits.
They were assassins.
The woman calmly nocked an arrow.
Flames ignited on its tip.
The Guard Commander screamed.
"NO—!"
The arrow pierced his skull.
Fire consumed him instantly.
The woman turned away.
The letter now in her possession.
Within seconds.
She and her subordinates disappeared into the forest.
TO BE CONTINUED.....
Chapter — 21 The Sealed Forest and the Silent Assassins
The sun stood high in the sky.
It was noon.
Yet the town felt colder than the deepest winter.
Inside the grand meeting hall of the city lord's mansion, tension hung so thick that even breathing felt difficult.
The long white table in the center of the room gleamed under the sunlight that entered through the tall glass windows. It was newly crafted, replacing the one shattered days earlier when Samuel's fury had exploded during their previous discussion.
But the beauty of the polished table meant nothing.
Because everyone seated around it was staring at a single object placed at its center.
A sealed letter.
The imperial wax seal glimmered red like fresh blood.
No one dared touch it.
Around the table sat the most powerful figures of the town.
The City Lord.
The Guild Master.
Saint Steve.
The Guard Commander.
And the four nobles who controlled the town's economy.
All silent.
All sweating.
All pretending to remain calm.
But inside each of them, panic was slowly spreading.
The letter had been written by the knight commander before he rode toward the forest.
The same knight commander who had not returned.
No one needed to say the obvious truth aloud.
The City Lord's fingers tapped the armrest of his chair.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
The sound echoed in the silent hall.
Finally, the door burst open.
A guard soldier rushed inside, breathing heavily.
He saluted the Guard Commander immediately.
"My lord! Report from the scouting parties!"
The Guard Commander straightened.
"Speak."
"The first scout group sent toward the forest has been found unconscious by the second group."
The room instantly grew colder.
The soldier swallowed nervously.
"They reported seeing enormous… tentacles covering the forest sky. They said the sight was so terrifying that they fainted on the spot."
A noble nearly dropped his cup.
"Tentacles…?"
The soldier nodded.
"And the second scout group reported that the entire forest border is now covered in thick fog. They tried entering but failed."
"Failed how?" the Guild Master asked sharply.
"Attacks and spells… don't work. The fog simply absorbs them."
The room fell silent again.
The Guard Commander waved his hand.
"Leave us."
The soldier bowed and quickly exited.
Now no one was pretending anymore.
Sweat rolled down foreheads.
Hands trembled.
Saint Steve clutched his prayer beads tightly.
The Guild Master suddenly slammed his palm on the table.
"We cannot wait anymore!"
Everyone looked at him.
"Maybe the rumors were true. Many citizens reported hearing a massive explosion from the forest days ago."
His voice grew heavy.
"If the knight commander is truly dead…"
The words felt impossible to say.
"…then we must assume the worst."
He looked at the sealed letter.
"That demon in the forest will not stop at the border."
The Guild Master stood up.
"I will take the letter to the capital myself."
One of the nobles immediately interrupted.
"You cannot."
The Guild Master frowned.
"Explain."
The noble leaned forward.
"If you leave the town, the adventurers will lose control."
He continued calmly.
"Seventy percent of guild quests involve hunting monsters in the forest."
He raised two fingers.
"Another twenty percent involve gathering herbs, mana stones, and magical plants — also from the forest."
Then he raised a third.
"The remaining ten percent are minor town tasks."
He leaned back.
"There are around two thousand seven hundred adventurers registered in your guild."
The Guild Master's expression darkened.
"Of those, nearly one thousand one hundred are novice adventurers with newly formed parties."
The noble smiled faintly.
"If they suddenly lose income, discipline will collapse."
The Guild Master slowly sat down.
"And reaching the capital takes three weeks by carriage."
"Ten days by horse," another noble added.
"Do you believe we can keep the town stable for even a week?"
The Guild Master lowered his head.
"…I apologize."
The Guard Commander suddenly spoke.
"I will deliver the letter."
Everyone looked at him.
Immediately.
"No."
All four nobles said it at the same time.
Even the City Lord shook his head.
The reason was obvious.
During the festival incident, the Guard Commander had been defeated by the wooden warrior.
The memory had shattered his confidence.
But the Guard Commander clenched his fists.
"I must go."
After several minutes of argument…
They finally agreed.
The Guard Commander left the hall to prepare for departure.
None of them realized.
He would never reach the capital.
The Spirit Realm
Far beyond the human world existed a realm made of pure elemental energy.
A place where fire danced like living creatures.
Where winds spoke in whispers.
Where mountains breathed.
At the center of a massive cavern stood a magnificent being.
A Phoenix.
But not an ordinary one.
This creature radiated ancient authority.
Its wings burned with flames that shifted between blue, white, and gold.
This was the progenitor of the Ocean Phoenix.
And right now…
It was furious.
The death of its offspring had been felt instantly across the realms.
The Phoenix screeched.
The sound shook the cavern violently.
Elemental spirits gathered around it began whispering among themselves.
The Phoenix extended its wings.
Energy surged.
A portal began forming.
A gate connecting the Spirit Realm to the human world.
But as the portal stabilized, the Phoenix suddenly stopped.
Its flames flickered.
It realized something.
Its rank was too high.
Without a proper summoning contract, it could not enter the human world.
The Phoenix screeched again in frustration.
Then its blazing eyes turned toward the gathered spirits.
A command echoed.
"Who will avenge my offspring?"
The spirits buzzed nervously.
Then.
A massive creature stepped forward.
A towering elemental beast.
Its body was made of molten stone.
Golden flames erupted from its horns.
It was a rare hybrid elemental spirit.
Fire and earth.
The Hell Flame Bison.
Fourth strongest spirit in the cave.
And powerful enough to survive the portal.
The bison snorted.
Then charged directly into the portal.
Outside the Corrupted Forest
The Hell Flame Bison emerged in a flash of golden light.
But what greeted it was not the open forest it expected.
Instead.
A massive barrier.
Purple magic circles rotated across the sky.
Gigantic tentacles made of mana wrapped around the forest like chains.
And at the very top.
A colossal red eye stared down upon the world.
The bison roared.
Then slammed its massive body into the barrier.
BOOM.
The fog rippled.
But did not break.
It attacked again.
BOOM.
Again.
BOOM.
Suddenly.
The red eye moved.
Mana tentacles shot downward.
They wrapped around the elemental spirit instantly.
The bison roared violently.
It struggled.
But the tentacles began crushing it.
Inside the forest.
C3 watched the scene.
"Interesting."
He raised his hand.
"Release it."
The tentacles paused.
Then obeyed.
The Hell Flame Bison landed heavily on the ground.
It immediately glared at C3.
Its entire body burned with fury.
C3 smiled calmly.
"So you are an elemental spirit."
He lifted his staff.
"Perfect."
"I require one."
The bison charged.
C3 cast two spells instantly.
Earth Barrier.
Wind Slash.
A notification appeared.
New skill acquired: Multi-Spell Casting
But before the battle could begin.
A sword pierced the ground between them.
Death Knight Samuel stood there.
Both the spirit and C3 turned toward him angrily.
But suddenly.
A massive shadow covered them.
C3 slowly looked up.
The Gargoyle General hovered in the sky.
Its wings blocked the sun.
Its glowing red eyes burned with anger.
It snapped its fingers.
Corrupted vines erupted from the ground.
They wrapped around the Hell Flame Bison instantly.
The spirit struggled in disbelief.
"How… can vines bind an elemental body…?"
A glowing spell circle appeared beneath it.
The Gargoyle General had sealed its movement.
Then the gargoyle grabbed C3 by the arm.
And flew away.
An hour later.
After a long and extremely unpleasant lecture.
The Gargoyle General finally released him.
C3 looked embarrassed.
Meanwhile — On the Road
The Guard Commander rode his horse at full speed.
The capital was far away.
But he had no choice.
The letter had to be delivered.
Hours passed.
Then suddenly.
Figures emerged from the trees.
Bandits.
The Guard Commander sighed.
"Fools."
Within minutes he defeated them.
But then—
A hidden pit trap opened beneath him.
He fell.
Pain shot through his body.
He tried moving.
But his limbs refused.
The dagger cut from earlier.
Poison.
A shadow approached.
A hooded woman.
She picked up the sealed letter.
The Guard Commander realized the truth too late.
They were never bandits.
They were assassins.
The woman calmly nocked an arrow.
Flames ignited on its tip.
The Guard Commander screamed.
"NO—!"
The arrow pierced his skull.
Fire consumed him instantly.
The woman turned away.
The letter now in her possession.
Within seconds.
She and her subordinates disappeared into the forest.
TO BE CONTINUED.....