I Alone Regress in a Hero Party That Was Annihilated - Chapter 57

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#57. Nightmare-Eating Tree Spirit (2)

 

— — —

 

Featherback entered into the forest.

 

The Northern brave soldiers couldn’t keep screaming like girls forever either.

 

“Ahem, cough.”

 

With embarrassed expressions, they reluctantly followed behind Featherback.

 

“….”

 

Featherback examined the vegetation inside the forest.

 

Pitch-black leaves blocked out the sunlight.

 

A deep forest densely packed with withered dead trees as gaunt as an old man’s bones.

 

Beneath the tree roots tangled complexly over the mud, it seemed like all the ugly secrets of this world would be buried.

 

The swampland where purple mist rolled was rippling slowly and gloomily.

 

“Not even a single insect is chirping.”

 

Hounded swallowed dry saliva.

 

In this vast forest, only Featherback’s group was making any sound.

 

Even the wind didn’t blow in this place.

 

Since there was no wind, naturally neither the grass nor the leaves moved.

 

Everything was extremely still.

 

The soldiers following behind Featherback murmured among themselves.

 

“It’s exactly like what I heard from my grandmother when I was young.”

 

“So your grandmother actually came in here? Breaking the taboo?”

 

“Hmm, grandmother said she heard it from her grandmother.”

 

“So your grandmother’s grandmother actually came in here? Breaking the taboo?”

 

“Fuck, that must be it, you bastard, why do you keep questioning everything.”

 

“No, I just like to be certain about things.”

 

The Nightmare-Eating Tree Spirit.

 

This place was known as the forbidden zone to all Northerners.

 

Naturally, all the rumors about it were nothing but terrifying things.

 

Stories like how a merchant group that went straight through this forest instead of taking a detour due to a tight deadline disappeared overnight, or how knights heading to the battlefield went in and were never seen again, or how people who entered here to end their own lives would have their remains never found.

 

That wasn’t all.

 

Hounded said while breaking out in cold sweat.

 

“I didn’t know the Nightmare-Eating Tree Spirit was in this place. I thought it would be a bit further up.”

 

“Originally it was.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

Hounded’s eyes widened at Featherback’s words.

 

Featherback continued in his characteristically indifferent voice.

 

“This forest. Originally it was further up.”

 

“But why did it come down here…?”

 

“Well, they came down. Because there’s nothing to eat.”

 

“?”

 

At those words, Hounded and everyone else tilted their heads in confusion.

 

Featherback added an explanation.

 

“They moved locations to find prey. This forest is alive, you see.”

 

The soldiers’ gazes turned toward where Featherback was pointing.

 

And then.

 

“Gasp!”

 

The Northerners, who weren’t easily surprised by most things, sucked in their breath.

 

Beneath the black, twisted tree roots, white bones were scattered everywhere.

 

The deeper they went into the forest, the more numerous the skeletons became.

 

…Stop!

 

Before they knew it, the horses had stopped walking.

 

“Wh-why are these guys acting like this?”

 

The horses just stood there trembling, refusing to move forward at all.

 

“From here on, we proceed on foot.”

 

Featherback dismounted his horse without any particular reaction.

 

Hounded and everyone else looked around with reluctant expressions.

 

A cluster of black trees growing so tall they seemed to block out the sky.

 

On the tree bark twisted as deeply as an ugly old woman’s wrinkles, pitch-black mushrooms were blooming densely.

 

The tongue-shaped leaves were blackened as if covered in disease, absorbing all the sunlight.

 

The swirling purple mist made breathing suffocating.

 

It felt as if a fist had been shoved down their throats.

 

Just then.

 

“Hmm.”

 

Featherback stopped walking.

 

Hounded’s expression hardened.

 

“This is…”

 

The skeleton they had first discovered appeared again.

 

Judging by the rotted cord wrapped around its neck, this was someone who had chosen their own end long ago.

 

The problem was that passing by him and moving forward had happened about an hour ago.

 

“We keep going in circles, don’t we?”

 

“Is it because of this purple mist? My mind feels hazy.”

 

“See those sword marks carved in that tree? I left those 30 minutes ago!”

 

The soldiers murmured among themselves.

 

Eventually, Featherback spoke.

 

“You all wait here. From this point on, I’ll go alone.”

 

“N-No! It’s too dangerous!”

 

Hounded stepped forward, but Featherback cut him off sharply.

 

“Just keep watch over the horses. This will take some time, so ration the provisions.”

 

“Young Master!”

 

Hounded approached, but Featherback was resolute.

 

“It seems only those who received an invitation can enter.”

 

“You mean the Mage’s Invitation? But…”

 

“The Purple Mist is growing thicker. This is the miasma the forest exhales. Without being a mana user, neutralization would be difficult.”

 

Featherback silently turned his head.

 

Then.

 

Tssssssss…

 

White Cold Aura emanating from Featherback’s body pushed away the surrounding Purple Mist.

 

“Wait for me.”

 

With those final words to no one in particular, Featherback disappeared beyond the Purple Mist.

 

Though he had only taken two or three steps, Featherback completely vanished.

 

At this strange phenomenon, Hounded and everyone else could only remain silent.

 

* * *

 

Featherback stepped inside the Purple Mist.

 

After taking just three steps, the voices of everyone including Hounded disappeared from his ears.

 

‘What a boring trick.’

 

Before his regression, Featherback had grown accustomed to the eccentricities of the Great Mage, one of his Hero Party comrades, so he felt no particular emotion.

 

‘…Take everything, sweep it all away. You monopolize it all.’

 

Recalling the last words of a comrade who no longer existed in this world, Featherback went deep into the forest.

 

The sparse black trees gradually grew denser until they lined up like a wall.

 

Trunks and roots connected like walls forming a labyrinth.

 

Above was completely covered with black leaves, so still no light entered.

 

Therefore, he couldn’t distinguish whether it was still day or night outside the forest.

 

‘This brings back memories.’

 

Featherback recalled the time before his regression.

 

Long ago, when the Hero Party had just been formed, he remembered struggling greatly in this forest.

 

Back then, besides the Hero, Warrior, Mage, and Saint, there were many other comrades.

 

‘There were archers, thieves, and many soldiers and porters too.’

 

And half of all those numerous personnel had fallen right here, in the Nightmare-Devouring Forest.

 

It was an unprecedented catastrophe that nearly destroyed everything before the Hero Party could even depart.

 

‘First, I need to meet whoever’s beyond this fog.’

 

Featherback waved away the fog clinging to his skin.

 

Then.

 

Flutter—

 

Something wrapped around his fingertips.

 

It was a thread thinner than hair.

 

Seeing the thread coiling around his finger, Featherback nodded.

 

‘Finally appeared.’

 

Soon, countless shadows moved beyond the fog.

 

Clatter— clatter— clatter—

 

The remains scattered beneath the tree roots were rising to their feet.

 

Most had turned to white bones, but some hadn’t even rotted yet.

 

Suicides with purple tongues hanging out walked forward, cords dangling from their necks.

 

Featherback drew his sword.

 

“I just grabbed whatever was in the armory…”

 

Compared to the Famous Sword Baekrin he used before, this was no different from a piece of wire.

 

“But it should be fine for cutting off rotting corpse necks.”

 

Featherback swung his iron sword.

 

Against the Dead of the Nightmare Sea before him, even Mörsolt Sword Style wasn’t necessary.

 

He just needed to draw his blade along the visible lines.

 

…Slash! …Slash! …Slash! …Slash! …Slash!

 

The necks and waists of the moving corpses were cut off in succession.

 

However.

 

Tssssssssss…

 

The remains of the severed corpses returned to their original form.

 

Whether corpses with only bones remaining or corpses with flesh still attached, they revived like immortals.

 

Just like the Mudmen he had encountered in the mud pool.

 

An ordinary person would have had their reason paralyzed by this terrifying sight.

 

‘Still the same.’

 

Featherback wasn’t particularly shaken.

 

‘What’s controlling the corpses isn’t the purple fog, but those things hidden within it.’

 

Sharp eyes like those of a hawk pierce through the Purple Mist.

 

At first glance, these cursed Corpses seem to regenerate within the Purple Mist… but that’s not actually the case.

 

The Purple Mist is merely a deception that unsettles the minds of those trapped Inside the Forest, having nothing to do with the Corpses coming back to life.

 

The actual principle behind how the Corpses operate is.

 

Snap—thunk!

 

These Threads that were being severed by Featherback’s Sword.

 

Saralalararak—

 

The Threads wrapped around the Sword Tip dangle and sway like a woman’s Hair.

 

Featherback removed the Threads stuck to his Blade and spoke.

 

“I know you’re over there. Come out.”

 

Above the tree where the Purple Mist was swirling particularly thick.

 

Featherback was staring directly at that spot.

 

Clatter—clatter—clatter—clatter—

 

The Corpse Puppets walk toward Featherback.

 

Their limbs are being controlled by Threads so thin they’re barely visible to the eye.

 

Featherback clicked his tongue.

 

“Annoying thing.”

 

Sword Aura gathers at the Sword Tip.

 

A dense energy so thick it was almost liquid.

 

The Aura Blade created by Featherback extended outward, drawing a white trajectory.

 

Puhpuhpuhpuhpuhpuhpuk!

 

The Threads controlling the Corpses were severed in bunches, and the Tree Trunk was split in half as well.

 

Then.

 

[Oh—ooooooo…]

 

A bizarre noise began to echo from above the leaves.

 

Soon after.

 

Ku—woong!

 

Something massive and furry leaped down from the tree.

 

What could be seen beyond the fluttering black leaves were eight eyeballs burning bright red.

 

The Hair on its body was so thick one might mistake it for an ape, but the moment it extended eight legs that had been tucked inside its Carapace, that possibility was eliminated.

 

‘…J’ba FoFi. It’s been a while since I’ve seen this hideous spider.’

 

A massive body dyed pitch black with eight sharp legs.

 

Eight Pupils that burned like balls of Fire and Hair that hung thick like Seongseong’s.

 

This creature is a native species that inhabits the Nightmare-Devouring Forest and the ruler that dominates this area.

 

In the distant future, the Empire would give this spider the name J’ba FoFi, meaning “one who squeezes and devours human fat.”

 

‘But right now, it’s nameless.’

 

The identity of this spider has not yet been revealed to humanity.

 

However, Featherback already knew well about J’ba FoFi.

 

J’ba FoFi.

 

It is a descendant of the ancient spider ‘Kunni Babun’ that dominated the very distant Mythical Age.

 

Among the extremely evil beings that lived in the Mythical Age, there were spiders large enough to cover the continent, and among those spiders, the strongest and most ferocious individual was ‘Kunni Babun.’

 

This Kunni Babun was also famous as the spider that bit a god to death, which suggests that it possessed such power and intelligence.

 

‘J’ba FoFi is a direct descendant of Kunni Babun… but as time passed, the bloodline has deteriorated.’

 

The power and intelligence it possesses is laughable compared to its ancestor’s.

 

But even so, the bloodline of the spider that bit a god to death doesn’t just disappear.

 

Kuuung!

 

J’ba FoFi pressed down on Featherback with its massive body that exceeded dozens of meters in volume, excluding its legs.

 

Featherback held his sword horizontally.

 

“After Ice Dragon Adara, now it’s the giant spider J’ba FoFi?”

 

The forest that had been quiet until just moments ago trembled greatly at J’ba FoFi’s roar.

 

Watching the purple mist pulsating in rhythm with its heartbeat, Featherback nodded.

 

“I’m confident in fighting big ones.”

 

As always, his tone was extremely calm.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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