CHAPTER 36: CONFRONTING TARIAN

In a remote part of the forest, Arthur surrounded himself with a barrier of thorns. Through a few holes he had left open, he observed the bear retreating to its den with mysterious eyes. Even he could hardly believe what had just happened. He had heard the high-pitched howl that made his entire body tremble. He didn’t understand it at first, but unlike the ignorant soldiers, it didn’t take him long to reach a logical conclusion.

’Wolves? Even the bear was terrified... could it be? Calamity Wolves? I can’t believe the Beast Lure actually brought those monsters out from the depths of the forest.’

Sigh!

"Thankfully, this place is far from the city, otherwise I might have caused a disaster." The Calamity Wolves were ferocious and arrogant. If provoked, they would annihilate anything alive in their path.

’There’s no hope for the soldiers to escape, especially if the red-furred pack leader is among them.’ In the novel" Rise of the Sword Sovereign ", the Red Calamity Wolf was ranked as the seventh most powerful beast in the forest. The Lesser Mountain Bear they had faced earlier was the eighth, followed by the Hobgoblin that would attack the barony a few months later. Ranked sixth was the B-Rank Monkey King, fifth was the B-Rank Giant Serpent, and fourth was the Greater Mountain Bear, said to be the strongest of the B-Rank beasts. As for the remaining three, they were never clearly named. Only one was vaguely hinted at, referred to as "The Oathbreaker," which alone was enough for Arthur to realize it was no ordinary creature.

He wasn’t truly concerned about the powerful monsters in the forest. They rarely left their territories, and only under special, rare circumstances. It was only the goblins who harbored expansionist ambitions and sought to enlarge their territory.

’It doesn’t matter. I don’t know if all the soldiers died, but it’s hard to confirm given the current situation. Perhaps I should return to the forest’s edge and wait for any survivors. Once they relax, I’ll strike.’

As he pondered new strategies to eliminate everyone, he spotted a human silhouette moving through the darkness of the forest. His brow furrowed, and he heightened his vigilance. Soon, the figure drew closer. Thanks to his enhanced senses and photographic memory, Arthur immediately recognized the mysterious person, it was Tarian.

...

Tarian walked cautiously, scanning his surroundings. He refrained from lighting anything to avoid drawing attention. His steps were nearly soundless, and as he’d predicted, the wolves had not chased him, thanks to the bear’s strong scent.

His heart fluttered with relief. At the same time, he felt regret for his fallen comrades. Still, his frustration boiled within him. He realized someone had manipulated them. There was no way the beasts had gone berserk without a cause. Though he didn’t know why, his resentment toward Arvan grew even stronger, and he swore that if Arvan wasn’t the real person, he would torture him in the most gruesome way.

’I’ll burn his body, roast him until he feels the heat of hell. That bastard! How dare he send us to our deaths like that? From now on, I won’t obey a single order he gives. Damn him!’

He cursed silently, suppressing the urge to scream. While walking, he suddenly felt a surge of powerful magical energy, accompanied by an overwhelming flow of mana.

"Damn it!" he swore, and before he could react, he cast a Fire Barrier spell and leapt to the right. A massive wall of fire rose to his left, and before he could understand what was happening, a cluster of thorny roots slammed into the flame wall and shattered it. Fortunately, the searing fire clung to the roots and incinerated them.

Everything happened fast. As soon as he landed, he sensed the strong mana flow again, this time, from directly beneath him.

He quickly formed two massive Flame Hands and propelled himself upward. As he rose several meters, dozens of roots burst from the ground, chasing after him. While still airborne, he canceled one Flame Hand and launched a Fireball downward. The spell collided with the roots and burned them to ash.

"Who’s there?! What is the meaning of this?! Do you know who I am?!"

Tarian shouted, but there was no answer. Only haunting silence and distant howls. Just before he landed, hundreds of thorny roots emerged from every direction. His expression contorted, but he reacted quickly, hurling explosive fireballs from both hands to launch himself backward out of control. He crashed to the ground and rolled several times before slamming into a tree. Despite the rough landing, he stood up without delay, groaning from the minor injuries he had sustained.

"You bastard, you’ve sentenced yourself to death! How dare you attack a follower of the Baronet!"

Tarian could feel the powerful mana radiating from all directions. It terrified him. Instinctively, he estimated it to be C-Rank mana, a level he stood no chance against.

’Who’s doing this? Why? He’s using wood magic? That means he’s not from this barony. Where did he come from? What does he want? He’s not answering... could he be the one who incited the monsters?’

Dozens of questions raced through his mind, but none found answers. Within mere seconds, he composed himself and decided to flee. Fighting a higher-ranked mage was pure suicide.

"You little shit" Tarian shouted at the top of his lungs, unleashing all the spells he could muster. Dozens of small D-Rank Fireballs erupted around him, destroying everything in their path. The Fireball spell truly was remarkable. Even as a D-Rank spell, it could pierce through two or three trees and set them ablaze with ease. In an instant, the ground around Tarian turned into a field of raging fire.

The area became brightly illuminated, and the night’s darkness faded. That’s when Tarian finally saw his attacker, a man wearing dark clothing and a featureless wooden mask, standing calmly in the distance with his hands behind his back. The man’s silhouette swayed in the flickering light, adding to his mysterious appearance. Tarian felt fear crawl down his spine and screamed:

"Who... who are you?! Why are you doing this?!"

He repeated the same questions, but as before, received only silence. The mysterious man raised his hand, and suddenly, hundreds of thorny roots sprouted from all directions. They coiled around the burning trees and extinguished the flames, plunging the area back into darkness.

"You bastard!" Tarian hurled a massive Fireball at the figure. Without checking if it hit, he turned and fled. Most of his mana reserves had already been spent fighting the beasts, and the barrage of spells he had just cast drained what little remained. He realized he was cornered, if he didn’t escape, he would surely die.

Suddenly, he sensed the mana again. Dozens of thorny roots shot toward him. With great effort, he dodged them, changing his route and erecting a Fire Barrier beside him. But then he felt something sharp pierce his neck.

Terrified, he quickly clutched the painful spot—and pulled out a strange metal needle. He stared at it, bewildered. He couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. As a seasoned mage, he could sense magical danger, detect spell-based attacks or magical beasts. But this needle was completely mundane—there wasn’t a trace of magic in it.

Tarian wasn’t stupid. He realized instantly the needle was coated in poison. The previous wave of roots had merely been a distraction. Even so, he didn’t stop running. His only hope was to reach the castle quickly and ask Faelor the Healer for help. Yet deep down, he knew it was a hopeless thought. His death was inevitable.