The Immortal Genius Spear Knight (26)
“Fwaaaargh!”
Blood gushed out from the torn wounds.
Given its large size, the amount of blood was substantial.
“KUUUOOOOO!”
A different roar from before.
A scream of pain echoed throughout the forest, as the Black Bear’s body twisted violently.
“Now’s the time! Let’s finish it off!”
“Smash the ankle you were hitting earlier! Just a few more strikes!”
“Hyaaah!”
Dianal swung his greatsword towards the Black Bear’s ankle.
The weight of the sword was effectively applied due to its low position.
The firmly anchored sword, with a rotation of his waist, cleaved through the Black Bear’s ankle.
Thud!
“KAAAAAUUU!”
The tough ankle of the beast was completely severed.
The Black Bear fell to the ground with a scream.
And the unit members moved in to finish it off.
With the hard-fought battle ending, members of the Neo-Calitz unit looked at the dead Black Bear, panting heavily.
“Where did something like this come from?”
“I’ve never seen anything like this before. Its size is one thing, but also… these black spots.”
The unit members examined the black spots that had appeared on the skin beneath the Black Bear’s fur.
At those words, the soldiers carefully moved aside its fur to look at the skin underneath.
“…It’s not contagious, is it?”
At this remark, everyone quickly recoiled, pulling back their hands.
‘This is…’
Damian looked at the black spots on the dead Black Bear’s skin.
He had suspected this when the beast first appeared.
‘…It’s real.’
Damian’s expression hardened.
This Black Bear was definitely different from the monsters he knew.
The existence of such a large bear-type monster was already surprising, but.
‘The axe of a seasoned soldier that can cut through an Orc’s thigh… couldn’t even penetrate a few centimeters into this beast’s tough hide.’
A blow strong enough to knock someone out with a mere swipe.
Everything about this was abnormal.
And there was only one way to get an answer.
“……”
But Damien needed to find out where this came from.
“Aaron. Stand guard with the subordinates. Brent! Skin this beast with the others. Complete the task as quickly as possible and return to the unit!”
“Understood! Everyone, hurry!”
“Yes!”
They couldn’t leave such valuable hide behind.
It had excellent defensive properties needed for making armor.
But Damian said.
“I don’t think this can be used.”
“…?”
“What do you mean?”
The senior unit members frowned at Damian’s statement.
But Taron looked at Damian and said.
“Seems like you know something after all.”
Damian nodded.
* * *
It had been odd from the start.
When the Black Bear first appeared.
‘It looked like he was checking something.’
And as the fight continued, it seemed to match the information he knew.
After returning to the unit, Taron called for Damian.
First, they needed to figure out this nonsensical situation.
There was nothing more dangerous than fighting an enemy with no information.
Taron looked at Damian as he entered the office.
“Sit.”
“Yes.”
Taron’s expression was grave.
“Do you know anything about the monster with the black spots that we saw in the forest?”
“It appears to be infected with Magi.”
“Magi? The one used by dark wizards?”
Taron asked, and Damian nodded.
“Yes.”
“So, does that mean there are dark wizards in the forest?”
Magi is the power of demons, and those exposed to it for a long time become increasingly violent and deteriorate mentally.
Ultimately, it ends in a miserable death.
That’s why dark magic is considered taboo.
However, Damian shook his head.
“That’s not certain. There might be dark wizards, or it could be some kind of abomination imbued with Magi.”
In the case of the Bronzerian Forest, it was the latter.
Deep within the forest, there are magic stones heavily imbued with Magi.
‘But is it already showing prominence at this time?’
The abominations of the Bronzerian Forest would later become a well-known event.
As the Empire continued to seize more territory, the Kingdom eventually handed the Bronzerian Forest over to the Empire completely.
This allowed the empire’s advance to be somewhat halted.
Of course, the imperial army later formed an extermination squad to wipe out all the monsters in the Bronzerian Forest.
‘The Neo-Calitz unit said the monsters were possessed by demons.’
In fact, it would later be known that they were infected with Magi.
‘But it will be a long time before the Bronzerian Forest is purged by the imperial army.’
Moreover, Magi’s nature is such that over time, it will infect more monsters and increase in strength.
If this is just the beginning.
‘…It can be destroyed.’
Before its power grows any larger.
The only way to solve it by themselves is to quickly form an extermination squad and head into the Bronzerian Forest.
As time passes, the number of Magi-infected monsters will increase.
‘And stronger ones will emerge.’
Damian looked at Taron, keeping his mouth firmly shut.
“…Hmm.”
Taron sighed deeply, his mind clearly troubled.
“How do you know about this?”
“I heard it from my father. He had a similar experience in the past.”
“Did he solve it?”
“Yes.”
Taron’s eyes softened at Damian’s answer.
“I’d like to hear that story in a bit more detail.”
With no information at all, Taron listened attentively to Damian, clutching at any possible straw.
* * *
“Phew…”
“What were you talking about for so long?”
When they returned to the barracks, Kyle asked.
Damian lightly massaged his stiff neck and flopped down onto his bed.
“Just, various things.”
It had been quite a tiring day.
To encounter Magi-infected monsters on the very first day in the Bronzerian Forest.
Damian turned his head and looked at where Dianal was.
Having finished maintaining his equipment, he was resting in his spot.
But as soon as their eyes met.
“…”
Dianal glared silently at Damian before turning his head away.
“…?”
Did I do something wrong?
Damian couldn’t hide his surprise at Dianal’s sudden reaction.
But soon enough.
“Dinner is served!”
With the administrative soldier’s announcement, all the unit members rushed to the dining hall as if they had been waiting for this moment.
After such a tough day, this time was probably the most anticipated.
Damian and Kyle also moved towards the dining hall.
“By the way, when are we going to be deployed in the field?”
“Soon.”
“How do you know?”
“Three people got injured today.”
Moreover, two of them were seriously injured.
Even with the quickest recovery, it would take at least three to four months.
‘There are no new reinforcements, and the number of injuries keeps increasing.’
It’s no longer a situation where they can keep accommodating new recruits.
Kyle nodded as if he understood.
“I see.”
“Weren’t you scared?”
“Haha, Damian. Don’t forget that I’m five years older than you. Plus, we were a bit further away, weren’t we?”
Kyle was laughing bravely, but he felt it.
The urgency and intensity of a life-threatening battle.
Suddenly, Kyle, who had been eating bread, hesitated.
Although he tried to pretend otherwise, the lingering emotions from the real combat were still present.
Kyle looked at Damian.
“I think it was a good decision to follow you here.”
Had he followed some other fool to the royal palace, he would probably be bored out of his mind by now.
Seeing Kyle’s sharp and gleaming eyes, Damian smirked.
“Crazy guy.”
Then Damian quietly cut into his bread.
* * *
What a long day.
But it wasn’t over yet for Damian.
“Whoo…”
In the dead of night, when everyone was asleep.
Damian was practicing the Delft Mana Training Method.
Damian closed his eyes.
If it had been today.
‘…Could I have won?’
Damian recalled the Black Bear he had encountered in the forest.
A beast over 3 meters tall.
A monstrous strength that could split logs vertically.
Even the speed with which it swung its forepaws was formidable.
Although Damian hadn’t participated in the fight, he had observed the beast’s movements closely.
Perhaps next time, he might have to face a beast like the Black Bear.
‘It won’t be easy.’
Of course, since it was a straightforward attack, most of its movements were visible.
But fighting monsters is different from battling generals on a regular battlefield.
The basic physical attributes are different.
Even if he avoided all of the monster’s strikes and counterattacked.
‘Without using mana, my current strength isn’t enough to tear through its hide.’
In the end, he would need to use mana to bring the beast down.
But mana doesn’t solve everything.
‘Still… a 2-star.’
It seemed like it would take quite a bit of time to reach 3 stars.
In his current state, fighting against the Black Bear could lead to exhaustion of both mana and physical stamina before he could kill it.
Of course, like the unit members had done.
‘If I focus on one area.’
He might be able to sever a leg.
But that’s all.
Damian didn’t want a mediocre victory.
He desired overwhelming power to completely defeat the Black Bear.
“Only one option remains.”
And there’s a way to increase that speed.
The answer lies in the Bronzerian Forest.
‘If I go into the restricted area… I might be able to find herbs that boost mana.’
Although he hadn’t had the chance to investigate today, he understood why herb gatherers risked their lives to enter there.
‘I didn’t expect it to be that abundant.’
Now he understood why the Bronzerian Forest accounted for 60% of the kingdom’s herb supply.
And why herb gatherers in Erkal, constantly threatened by monsters, couldn’t leave.
‘You can’t leave a treasure trove like this behind.’
That’s why the kingdom couldn’t afford to abandon the Bronzerian Forest.
“…Phew.”
But even such a treasure trove would eventually fall into the Empire’s hands if not properly managed.
Of course, due to monsters, it would become a significant problem before that happened.
‘But.’
If he could destroy the abominations in the Bronzerian Forest and exterminate the monsters.
If he could quickly secure the herbs from the Bronzerian Forest.
Many plans started forming in his mind.
‘I might need help from the Hamel Trading Company soon.’
But for all these plans to come to fruition, there was a prerequisite.
He had to completely take control of the Bronzerian Forest. And…
‘I need to become stronger.’
Although it was an obvious conclusion, Damian became even more determined each time he faced such situations.
The sun began to rise.
* * *
‘When we next enter the Bronzerian Forest, I should look for mana-enhancing herbs.’
Damian, who had learned a lot of miscellaneous knowledge to survive, was well-versed in herbs to some extent.
He reviewed herbs that could improve mana.
If he could make a pill out of them, it would greatly assist him when practicing the Mana Training Method.
“Is there a place here that sells related herbs?”
Erkal, located by the Bronzerian Forest.
He wandered around Erkal’s herbal shops to see if he could find the herbs he was looking for.
However,
“Hmm? I don’t know of any herbs by that name.”
“What is that herb used for? Here, most herbs are for treating wounds or reducing inflammation. Or we sell poisonous herbs for combat. We just got some high-quality Amancho in. Want to buy some?”
The merchants’ responses were mostly like this.
Moreover, they sold them at exorbitant prices.
They exploited the high salaries of soldiers in Erkal to engage in usurious practices.
‘…Damn bastards.’
They were the ones who sought soldiers to risk their lives in battle.
Yet, when it came to exploiting soldiers, they eagerly took the lead.
‘To think they would ask 30 silver for a pound of Amancho.’
Damian cursed the greedy merchants and returned to the unit.
‘It would be better to ask the captain and gather the herbs myself.’
Yes, that would be great.
Since the herbs sold by the merchants were too expensive, it would be better to be self-sufficient.
And perhaps secretly sneak away some mana-enhancing herbs.
“Kukuku, I’m a genius.”
Realizing the situation around him, he came up with a good idea.
Damian chuckled quietly as he entered the barracks.
But then.
“Damian. Did you hear?”
“Hear what?”
“They’re going to control the Bronzerian Forest from today for a while.”
“…Lockdown? What do you mean?”
“They said we can’t enter the forest. So, we’ll… focus on training and rest for a while. Haha.”
Kyle grinned as though the world was beautiful.
At his words,
“…Huh?”
Damian muttered in surprise.
