Chapter: 148
“Ahhh!”
“Ughhh!”
The horses’ eyes were filled with anxiety and fear, their muscles wildly quivering as they twisted their bodies. The fog seeped into the horses’ minds, amplifying their unease.
Dust swirled around as the knights and soldiers on top shook violently, looking like they might fall off at any moment. The knights, having undergone harsh training, managed to hold on even when their horses reared up, but the soldiers were a different story.
“Ahhh!”
Most of the soldiers lost their balance and were thrown into the air, landing unceremoniously on the ground. Those who fell curled up, bracing for the kick of a horse.
Even with all their precautions, the strength of the horses was too much for the soldiers’ armor to handle, leaving them with a sinking feeling as fleeting images of their lives flashed before their eyes. They shut their eyes tightly, preparing for imminent death.
Heeheehee!
“Uh…?”
What greeted the bewildered soldiers was nothing but the frantic neighs of horses bolting forward, leaving them behind. The soldiers could only stare dumbfounded at the rear ends of the horses rushing deep into the forest.
‘Oh! I survived! I made it!’
While the soldier was overwhelmed with joy at his luck, similar scenes began playing out everywhere.
“Ahhh!”
“Magilius! No!”
It was as if the horses had received a command to flee into the woods whenever a human fell from their backs, causing them to run off without a second thought. Soldiers sprawled on the ground reached out, desperately calling out for their horses, but the steeds galloped away faster than ever.
“Yikes! Be careful not to fall off your horse… Ughhh!”
Heeheehee!
The Captain of the Knights, riding the sturdiest horse, shouted and then fell off. Almost instantly, other horses raised their front legs as if about to topple over.
“Woaah!”
“Ughhh!”
The knights, who barely managed to stay on their horses, were sent sprawling to the ground.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of dozens of hooves pounding the earth was like thunder echoing through the air.
“Nooo!”
“Come back!”
Despite the desperate calls from the knights and soldiers, the horses vanished without looking back. The Captain quickly regained his composure and, along with the Vice Commander, began checking for injuries.
“While it’s fortunate there are no fatalities… not a single injury either?”
It might be possible for the robust knights, but certainly not for the soldiers. Even if they were lucky enough to avoid being trampled or kicked, falling from a horse would naturally lead to bruises and fractures.
The Captain felt uneasy at the bizarre situation of having no injuries at all, but he shook his head, trying to dismiss the thought. Still, to cover all bases, he asked a wizard to investigate for any suspicious signs.
The wizards, intrigued by the absence of injuries, willingly unleashed their magical power.
“No abnormalities detected. We should call this… extraordinarily good luck.”
“Hmm…”
With the wizard’s explanation, the Captain shook off any lingering discomfort and began to rally the gloomy knights and soldiers.
As the situation was starting to stabilize, Lian was vigorously shaking the Magic Sword.
‘Is there really no way out of this?’
[You gotta be kidding me!]
The Magic Sword seemed to enjoy the shaking; when Lian ceased, it urged him to continue. Ignoring the sword’s chatter, Lian surveyed the atmosphere around him.
‘Something feels… foggier?’
The previously vague figure of the knights was now almost completely obscured by the thickening mist.
“Iris, the fog is way too thick now… huh?”
Turning to ask Iris for her input, he was met with an empty space. Not only Iris but also Jess, Nero, and even the wizards were nowhere to be found.
“E-er?”
Left alone in the carriage, Lian quickly stepped outside and headed for where the knights had been. But that area was empty too.
“What the…?”
[You’ve been enchanted by the forest.]
“Enchanted?”
[Yeah, except for the partner with the strong will, everyone else has been mesmerized by the forest and scattered.]
“What? When?”
[When you were shaking me in the corner of the carriage?]
“You should’ve told me sooner!”
[You didn’t ask!]
Lian let out a small sigh and strapped the Magic Sword back to his waist.
‘First, let’s find the nearest person.’
[Hmm… If we go that way, we’ll find someone.]
A red glow emanated from the Magic Sword, pointing in a direction. Lian promptly started heading toward it.
The fog descended on the forest, creating an eerie stillness as if time had stopped. It was strangely tranquil for just having scattered mere ten minutes ago.
The fog clung to him like a living entity, tightening around his movements, giving off a pressing sense of dread. With every step he took, trees materialized out of the fog, their branches reaching toward him like ghostly fingers, creating a spine-chilling atmosphere.
‘This feels like a complete graveyard vibe.’
In a comedic world, places like graveyards are shrouded in thick fog, housing all sorts of spirits. The more terrified the living beings are, the worse the mischief spirits play on them.
This meant that the calmer he acted, the less likely anything would happen.
‘Thanks to the gag filter, anything that appears around here wouldn’t be too surprising. I need to act as composed as possible — ah…’
Before he could finish his thought…
Drip.
“Huh?”
Something cold plopped on his head. Reflexively, he raised his hand to his scalp, but at that moment—
Drip… drip… drip!
It was as if the heavens had opened up; rain began to pour down. Whether it was snow turned to sludge or rainwater, it felt icy cold against his skin.
Panicking, Lian dashed to the nearest tree for cover. A smaller tree offered little protection from the rain, and just as he was about to search for another…
Thud!
“…!”
“Come here.”
A familiar voice seeped through the din of the rain. As he turned, something was placed on top of his head. It was a cloak with a hood.
Whether it had a special treatment or just a unique fabric, the rainwater dripped down along the outside of the cloak, soaking everything in its path. It seemed to be a raincoat made for this place.
After pushing the hood back slightly to clear his view, he saw the source of the cloak: a green raincoat, the fabric dripping with rain. Looking down, he noticed a familiar hand pulling at his wrist.
A hand too small to belong to a man but a bit too large for a woman.
Drip, drip.
As the sound of rain hitting the raincoat echoed, Lian blankly followed behind the figure, and suddenly snapped back to reality.
‘Wait, is this some ghost messing around?’
He imagined a ghost mimicking a familiar appearance playing a prank and saying something like, “Do I still look like 00?” A chill ran down his spine, and just as he was about to swat his hand away…
“I found you.”
With that softly spoken line, the figure quickened its pace. Soon after, the drumming sound on his head abruptly stopped.
“Where… am I?”
Looking around, he was greeted by engulfing darkness. Natural stone pillars and damp walls formed a cave with a rocky floor that was the perfect shelter from the rain.
Whoosh.
A crackling sound of fire burning reached his ears. Turning his gaze, he spotted the figure in a green raincoat lighting dry firewood.
“Ahh… Now I won’t lose body heat.”
With a gentle smile, the hand with a few small scars pushed back the hood, revealing tousled brown hair and sparkling emerald eyes that smiled warmly. The figure in the green raincoat was none other than Noah, who had set off with the Ranger Corps.
“Your clothes are soaked, right? Come over here and dry off.”
Hearing that, Lian instinctively moved toward the campfire, but upon seeing water dripping off the raincoat, he halted mid-step. He noticed Noah looking puzzled, and quickly took the raincoat off, folding it so the inside faced out.
“Wait, wait! Did you… did you get that wet?”
“Yeah?”
Since they were so close to the fire, Noah’s cheeks flushed with a rosy hue. His eyes darted around aimlessly, often drifting toward Lian.
Lian had hastily shed the raincoat, which made it seem like he was trying to dry off all his wet clothes. The internal conflict in Noah’s mind clashed as thoughts of ‘He really shouldn’t be taking his clothes off!’ battled with ‘But if he doesn’t dry those clothes, he might catch a cold!’
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