Chapter 630

Before the first day was even over, Ian realized he had been summoned to the southern outskirts of the swamp. It was because, not long after leaving the forest, he discovered a shantytown area that had transformed into a monster den. These shantytowns, inhabited by criminals and the sick, were concentrated in two main areas. They were in the south, opposite the cursed jungle, and in the east, which led to Agel Lan.

Thinking about it now, with the flagstones and the fairies leaving the nearby forest empty... Was there a dragon’s nest somewhere in these woods?

Ian turned his gaze forward again. The Fairy Forest, known as the cursed jungle, stretched from the swamp’s western edge all the way north. This was why he had left the outskirts and was now cutting straight across the swamp.

Splat... Ssssk...

Despite the unpleasant sounds spreading from behind, Ian didn’t turn around. It was clearly the sound of things crawling from the swamp, approaching the undead he had dismembered.

—Looks like they’re about to have some fun.

Yog’s laughter-laced whisper turned his suspicion into certainty. The changes in the swamp were not far from what Ian had expected. The swamps, already stagnant like rotten puddles, had become wider and more dangerous. Mutated weeds floated on the surface, and unidentifiable monsters swam beneath.

A foul-smelling fog that would clearly cause poisoning and disease was a bonus. Forearm-sized leeches and undead that had become hosts crawled nearby. Of course, even in areas away from the swamp, mutated monsters and beast-like insects were a common sight.

In many ways, this is all pretty typical.

It was an environment utterly unfit for life, yet Ian was crossing the swamp with ease. It wasn’t merely because he’d grown used to the demonic realm’s conditions—or because he remained cautious despite that.

—Somewhere deep in there, it feels like there’s one who has truly embraced chaos. It smells delicious.

Even while annoying Ian, Yog was doing its job. Thanks to it, there was no danger of being ambushed or of thoughtlessly stepping into a demonic realm.

—But you’ll just pass it by again, won’t you?

You know me well.

Ian popped a piece of jerky into his mouth. It wasn't that the swamp monsters gave no experience. Accomplishing his purpose for coming here was the priority.

—Honestly, I don’t think you need to be this careful. Must’ve gotten burned pretty badly before,

huh

?

Chewing his jerky, Ian shrugged. "Yeah, badly enough."

Contrary to popular belief, this cursed jungle wasn’t a place that killed you the instant you stepped in. Mutated trees lined the way for a long time, like warning signs. Only if you ignored them and kept going did the living trees, the mad fairies, and the demonic beasts they raised finally appear.

"But they aren't the real problem," Ian added quietly.

Back then, he hadn’t lasted long before having to flee. He hadn't known how vast the jungle was. Nor did he know the location of the demonic realm that was the source of the curse.

Of course, that had been a fortunate thing. If he had stumbled upon the demonic realm by chance, he would not have returned alive. However, in any case, the fact remained: he had to wander the cursed jungle until he found his destination.

—True enough... sure. The rift started here, after all. But, my friend, if there hasn't been much change for this long, maybe it isn’t as dangerous as it used to be.

Yog whispered, as if sensing his thoughts.

Ian put another piece of jerky in his mouth and muttered, "We don't know if that's still the case."

Even the swamp was now tainted by madness and chaos. Moreover, the aftermath of the Black Wall's collapse had spread across the entire continent. There was a high probability that it had affected the rift as well. The same would be true for the demonic realm created from the rift and the jungle's curse surrounding it.

"I have no intention of wasting my strength beforehand. You'd better give up on that idea," said Ian, still chewing.

Yog chuckled.

—It's hard to give up greed, you know. And even if the rift has changed, like you said, that's not necessarily a bad thing, Friend.

Ian just snorted, offering no reply.

—It will only make it that much easier for me to find the location.

One of Ian's eyebrows lifted slightly. It was, unexpectedly, a rather persuasive argument. As if satisfied with his reaction, Yog let out a laugh.

—Just trust me. Of course, you don't need to worry. I'll do my best to—

"I'm not worried." Ian cut it off, jutting his chin as he added, "I trust you. So do your best."

Unlike usual, the reply didn't come immediately. Only after Ian had completely left the swamp's outskirts did Yog’s whisper follow.

—Yeah. I will.

Pretending to be moved, huh?

Snorting, Ian advanced through the dull bushes and low-lying fog. The fog was no longer just near the jungle as it had been before, so it was difficult to gauge how much farther he had to go.

—Human vitality,

huh...

Yog, which had grown quiet, whispered again about an hour later. It must have smelled a survivor hiding somewhere. Not every resident of the marsh had perished—rare survivors existed. Of course, the moment they sensed Ian’s presence, they tended to hide or flee.

"Hardly surprising," said Ian.

People live in the Black Lands, after all.

Either way, he was glad the survivors ran away. If they approached, he would have to kill them. This wasn't because they were mostly scum, but because they were unlikely to be purely human—already tainted by madness without realizing it.

—I said it because there are quite a few.

At the following whisper, Ian’s eyes twitched slightly. As he looked around, a faint smile touched his lips.

"Ah, I see... the tables have turned."

He had finally realized that not only had the texture of the surrounding fog changed, but the trees' forms were warping. The patterns on the trunks and the curves of the branches evoked the image of wraiths.

He had reached the vicinity of the cursed jungle.

And just as before, it seemed the swamp monsters still avoided this area. For the survivors of the swamp, that must have served as a kind of fence—though, of course, it couldn’t spare them from the influence of madness.

"And as expected, the forest's curse has grown stronger," Ian added as he came to a stop. He sheathed his Black Sword and reached for his left pauldron.

—I’m looking forward to that... but why are you taking that off?

Yog, which had been chuckling, finally asked.

Ian, having detached both pauldrons and stored them in his pocket dimension, answered while prying open the clasps on his breastplate, "To be lighter."

He had to cross a jungle teeming with living trees and fairy trackers. No matter how high his stats were, he could not run all day in heavy gear. Besides, they were just lumps of metal whose special effects had all vanished.

—

Ah

, so you weren't planning to kill everything in your path.

Yog finally murmured.

Storing the breastplate in his pocket dimension, Ian gave a dry laugh.

"How am I supposed to take on the entire jungle by myself?"

In some ways, that would be harder than facing a single mighty enemy. Ian detached the belt holding his Black Sword and the Dagger of Pale Lightning, then began removing his greaves.

"I'll just play with fire a little as I pass through."

Though it might unintentionally become massive.

Yog's laughter followed.

—Now that’s a plan I like. It sounds very dangerous and reckless.

After removing his greaves and then his knee guards, storing them all in his pocket dimension, Ian picked up his belt and straightened up. The only equipment he still wore was his chain boots, along with the plate gauntlet and vambrace on his left arm.

"It’s only possible because I’m alone."

Securing the belt over his thin shirt, Ian finally moved again. Having shed most of his armor, he moved much more lightly. Of course, despite his steps, his gaze was anything but light.

The surrounding trees were growing denser, their shapes twisting into ominous silhouettes. The dull darkness, heavy with fog, wrapped around him.

It was more than enough to bring back bad memories. But even so, Ian did not stop walking.

"-----!"

"----!"

Before long, sharp shrieks echoed from beyond the forest’s darkness. It was an unpleasant sound, like fingernails scraping his eardrums.

"Faster than I expected," Ian muttered, one corner of his mouth twisting up. It was the sound of the mad swamp fairies.

The creatures would dash across the living trees, firing arrows and daggers. Then, they would let out those unearthly shrieks and charge like beasts. It was a scene that had haunted his nightmares for a long time after he'd first escaped this forest.

It’s definitely not as frightening as it was back then.

Ian continued forward. He had worried that some trauma might remain, but fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case. After all, worse memories had long since buried that fear. His Mental Fortitude had also risen high enough that he could face a dragon without flinching.

—

Hmm

... There are quite a few.

As Yog whispered, reddish magic flared in Ian's eyes.

The screams echoing from all directions made it hard to gauge the distance. However, he knew from experience that they were closer than they sounded. If things went wrong, he was prepared to turn the area into a sea of fire as he ran. With his nerves on edge, Ian strode through the forest's darkness.

It was about ten minutes later that his eye twitched slightly. He realized that the surrounding darkness was squirming. It was a phenomenon caused by the mutated trees moving.

However, no branches lashed out like whips, nor did any fruits with sharp maws drop from above. They were all just squirming in place.

"-----!"

"----!"

The swamp fairies' screams were the same. It wouldn't have been strange if blades had already flown at him or if they had charged like beasts, but they were just circling chaotically, never approaching.

—Well, we might not need to play with fire after all, Friend.

Yog whispered, clearly disappointed.

"Looks that way. It’s not like I didn’t expect this, but..."

I just didn't think it would really be this easy.

He was now certain the jungle would not attack him. He didn't know if it was because of the quest or because he was qualified to succeed the White Mage. Of course, it didn't matter either way.

—Aren't you curious if they'll stay this quiet even if you start a fire, my friend?

At the subtle whisper that followed, Ian immediately scoffed. "Not at all. Just focus on your role."

This jungle was only part of the path to the demonic realm. It was a good thing that the process had become smooth, but it was far too early to let his guard down.

—This is... very different from what I expected in many ways...

While sighing, Yog reluctantly lifted its head.

—Anyway, I think I feel something in that direction. It's very faint... but for now, let's go.

I can't sense anything at all yet.

Ian turned and walked in the direction Yog showed. The endless jungle darkness twisted ominously, as if welcoming his approach.