Amidst the dense forest, a massive obelisk stood tall.
This enormous structure had withstood a thousand years, weathered by wind and rain, and covered in moss, yet its majesty remained intact.
The patterns and ancient letters carved into its surface were mostly eroded, but the deeper engravings still retained their traces.
"Wow…"
Everyone gazed up at the obelisk with their mouths agape, as it was an unexpected sight to find such a structure in the middle of the forest.
"Did people really live in a forest like this?"
"Maybe it was livable back then?"
"Could it have been monsters that built a civilization?"
The soldiers speculated, exchanging various theories.
However, Ghislain and his close aides were not surprised. They already knew this place had once been the stronghold of the Salvation Church, known as the Demon Realm.
Ghislain looked around. Crumbled stone walls and foundation stones faintly revealed their outlines above the ground.
They were remnants of an ancient village buried under layers of earth accumulated over time.
Scattered gravestones, half-buried and toppled, were mostly weathered to the point of being unrecognizable.
Yet, some gravestones made of sturdier stone still faintly displayed ancient letters and illustrations that seemed to depict the rituals of the old Salvation Church.
'There must have been a battle here.'
What particularly caught Ghislain's attention were the deep sword marks that cut across the gravestones.
Even a thousand years hadn't erased those scars, proof of an intense battle that had once taken place here.
Most artifacts of the Salvation Church had long since merged with the earth, but the solid structures and stone monuments they left behind still conveyed the stories of that era.
The layout of the buildings, centered around the obelisk, suggested that this place was more than a simple village — it was likely a religious sanctuary.
Most of the mages gathered around the obelisk, as it had the most inscriptions and traces remaining.
"Oh, if we can interpret this, we might learn what this place was."
"We might even discover insights into the daily lives of the ancient empire."
"Much of it is eroded, but quite a few letters still remain."
The mages, huddled together, examined it with eyes full of excitement. They had a fascination with ancient civilizations.
Ghislain asked Jerome, who was inspecting the obelisk.
"Can you figure out what it says?"
"Give me a moment… There's something irregular. Some letters aren't aligned properly, as if they were hastily added."
"Really? What does it say?"
Ghislain grew curious, wondering if it might have been a message left during the battle.
Jerome, the most skilled in ancient language among them, slowly began to decipher the out-of-place letters.
"This… this says…"
"What? What does it say?"
"Kids these days… have no manners."
"…"
"Oh, it's just graffiti. I guess people back then weren't much different."
Given that the Salvation Church had been made up of people, it wasn't entirely surprising. Some things never changed with time.
Ghislain decided to set up a temporary camp nearby.
The mages were also skilled scholars, well-versed in ancient languages. After all, much of magic had been passed down through ancient texts.
They carefully examined the ruins, venturing through different areas.
Ghislain, too, spent several days observing the ruins. The site, preserving mysteries from a thousand years ago, left quite an impression on him.
"They deliberately left this out."
The records of the duchy contained no mention of these ruins.
It made sense — they would have wanted to bury anything related to the Salvation Church.
While the excavation proceeded, workers carefully cleared trees to open paths, and soldiers spread out to maintain a wider perimeter.
Since the mages were in charge of the excavation, Ghislain had little to do. He spent his time observing the workers or meditating.
'Wait, come to think of it…'
Suddenly, a memory surfaced.
In his previous life, he had stumbled upon ruins in another region.
They were remnants of an ancient village, much like this one, eroded by wind and buried underground. There, he had found a metal box containing a half-torn magic tome.
Thanks to the airtight container and some sort of chemical preservation, the book was relatively intact.
It had inspired Ghislain to improve his mana cultivation techniques.
'It's not like I need to search for it again, but…'
As he glanced over, he saw Jerome and Vanessa engrossed in conversation as they inspected the ruins.
Approaching them, he overheard their discussion.
"Wow, have you been to that new shop? The one nobles frequent? They say the fruit tarts there are amazing. Loaded with honey and butter."
"Oh, really? I've been too busy to go."
"It's super popular in the capital right now. It's so crowded I've only managed to go once, but it was delicious."
"Ah, I really want to try it."
"…"
Ghislain blinked.
Instead of talking about magic or ruins, they were having a casual chat about desserts.
Then again, after spending months in this forest, it was understandable to long for normal comforts.
Ghislain handed Jerome a piece of paper with a location written on it.
"Huh? What's this?"
"There's a treasure there."
"A treasure? What kind of treasure?"
"A magic tome."
"Huh? A magic tome is buried there?"
"Probably. Just dig around, and you'll find it. I'll send people to help you after we're done here."
"Why… is a magic tome buried there?"
"Who knows? Someone just told me about it. Anyway, it's a good one, so you should have it."
"Oh, uh… thanks."
Jerome looked bewildered.
It was unexpected to receive what seemed like a treasure map, but Ghislain wasn't the type to offer something without reason.
Ghislain believed the magic tome would benefit Jerome.
Even though it was incomplete, the concepts inside were advanced enough that Ghislain, who didn't even use magic, had been able to improve his cultivation technique based on it.
While it didn't contain specific spell formulas, Jerome's expertise would likely allow him to gain insights from it.
The excavation continued for several more days, but unfortunately, the ruins were too old to yield much of value.
Aside from providing a glimpse into ancient lifestyles, there was little practical gain.
It was understandable. After all, a thousand years was a long time for anything to survive.
The most notable find was the inscription on the obelisk.
Jerome scratched his cheek and reported to Ghislain.
"Some parts were missing, but I could infer the rest. Knowing what Erenes had told us beforehand made it easier."
The inscription on the obelisk recounted the myth that Erenes had mentioned.
Written from the Salvation Church's perspective, it differed slightly in details but carried the same core message.
[ … The goddesses of this world betrayed our god. The goddesses broke their promise and sealed the gate, leaving the god's people trapped in the dimensional rift to suffer eternal torment. We must not forget that saving them is our mission and the will of our god… ]
"Hmm…"
Ghislain nodded as he read the transcription Jerome handed him.
It matched what Erenes had described. It seemed this myth had indeed been widely accepted a thousand years ago.
The Salvation Church had carved their doctrine into the obelisk, ensuring it was remembered daily.
Parniel, however, refused to accept the myth. Upon hearing the translation, she immediately tried to destroy the obelisk, and it took everyone's efforts to stop her.
The mages, in particular, were the most adamant.
"Calm down! It's just a local myth!"
"There's no need to take it seriously!"
"Think of it as a historical artifact!"
After much fuss, Parniel finally calmed down. Everyone blocking her path and clinging to her left her with no choice but to suppress her anger.
Ghislain halted the ruin investigation. For now, there didn't seem to be much more to gain, especially with Parniel's anger simmering.
Instead, he decided to preserve the site and leave it to scholars for further research. Even if there were no clues about the Salvation Church, the historical value was undeniable.
"Let's move on."
The northern army resumed its march. As they approached the central area, fewer monsters appeared, but the ones that did were much stronger.
Thus, the superhumans led the way, engaging the powerful monsters, while the soldiers mainly dealt with weaker creatures or guarded the workers.
Whooooom…
The wind began to whistle through the trees, producing a chilling sound.
As they advanced, the atmosphere grew darker, prompting Ghislain to mutter,
"We must be getting close."
Though there were no direct signs, it was clear they were nearing the central area.
The deeper they went, the more ominous the forest became.
The branches twisted as if trying to grab intruders, and every step produced a sticky sound as rotting leaves crumbled underfoot.
Even the air felt different—cold and heavy, seeping deep into the lungs with each breath.
A faint mist crawled along the ground, wrapping around their ankles, while the dense canopy above blocked the sky, casting the area in perpetual twilight.
The soldiers noticed the change in atmosphere as well. Though the forest had always felt eerie, now it seemed as though they had entered another world entirely.
"This place gives me the creeps…"
"The smell's getting stranger, too."
"What could be inside?"
The soldiers glanced around uneasily. While they trusted Ghislain, the rising sense of unease was hard to ignore.
Whooooom…
The forest, already devoid of birdsong and insect sounds, had fallen into complete silence.
Now, only the sound of footsteps and the haunting creak of wind-rustled branches broke the oppressive stillness.
Moss-covered trees were discolored, resembling decayed corpses in black and green hues. From their crevices oozed a dark-red sap, like blood.
Even the faint light filtering through the branches seemed unnaturally pale.
Whoooom…
Everything was twisted and sickened, as if something within the forest was draining the life from it.
Each step sent chills up their spines, a silent warning that this was no place for the living.
Soon, the soldiers began to exhibit symptoms.
"Ugh, I feel like throwing up."
"I'm dizzy…"
"What's that strange smell…?"
A faint stench wafted through the air. Ghislain raised his hand, signaling the march to halt, and turned to speak.
"We've gotten too close. We know the direction, so the entire army will retreat."
Following Ghislain's order, the soldiers withdrew. Only after moving a significant distance did he issue further instructions.
"Set up camp here and establish a perimeter. Only a select group will accompany me to the central area."
The central region was not a place anyone could approach. The forest's most formidable entity resided there.
The soldiers' symptoms were directly related to its presence.
For safety, not all superhumans could proceed.
"Tenant and Kaor, stay and guard the camp."
Kaor pouted, recalling how he had been left behind during a previous mission to rescue Gordon in this forest.
He considered protesting, but Ghislain's serious expression deterred him. Knowing he'd only get scolded, Kaor grumbled but reluctantly backed down.
Ghislain, Yulian, Parniel, Belinda, Jerome, Vanessa, Gillian, and Piote moved toward the central area.
Squelch. Squelch.
With each step, the rotting leaves and decayed moss squished unpleasantly beneath their feet.
The nauseating stench grew stronger.
Before long, the area was shrouded in a mist of mixed purple and black. Even the sunlight that managed to filter through seemed sickly yellow.
The ancient trees, several centuries old, were rotten and blackened. Their bark peeled away like decaying flesh.
"Eugh… This place is disgusting. How did it get like this?"
Jerome grimaced, visibly repulsed. This grotesque and revolting forest was unlike anything he had ever seen.
Between the trees grew ominously glowing purple mushrooms, continuously releasing spores into the air.
Squelch. Squelch.
Pools of black ichor dotted the ground, with remnants of monstrous skeletons rotting and embedded in the earth.
The closer they got to the center, the worse the decay became. Faint noises began to echo through the air.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
The intermittent sound grew louder and closer.
Everyone froze, holding their breath.
From the darkness ahead, five crimson eyes slowly began to glow.