I Alone Regress in a Hero Party That Was Annihilated - Chapter 60

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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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#60. Eccentric Mage (1)

 

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Crimson flames steal away all the colors of the region.

 

Everything on the earth boiling with intense heat was turning into gray ash and crumbling away.

 

The sound of dry trees twisting and breaking, the sound of rocks expanded by heat cracking apart, the death cries of monsters under bushes or on trees burning to death…

 

At the center of the rhapsody created by all these sounds combined.

 

“I’ll set everything ablaze.”

 

Featherback stood with an expressionless face.

 

Kuuuuuuuuuu!

 

The Sacred Tree that stood tall as if reaching the sky blazed fiercely.

 

It looked like the wick of a giant candle illuminating the world.

 

‘Since I’m not confident in shamanic exorcism, I have no choice but to use physical exorcism.’

 

Featherback turned his gaze away from the blazing pillar of fire.

 

Kuuuuuuuuuu!

 

The fire demon swallowed up all the forests in the region, growing its body.

 

It burned everything in the Nightmare Sea equally.

 

Even Featherback, who was the very one who started the fire.

 

However.

 

Sssssssssss…

 

Featherback didn’t have a single hair burned even in this terrible inferno.

 

This was because the cold aura emanating from his entire body completely blocked the approach of flames and smoke.

 

Even in this boiling hot zone, small icicles formed at the tips of Featherback’s hair.

 

Soon.

 

[Kiiik—kiik—]

 

[Kiriririririk!]

 

[Kuuuuuuu…]

 

Poison spiders the size of puppies crawled out from the Black Forest.

 

The descendants left behind by J’ba FoFi.

 

Featherback mercilessly swung his sword toward them.

 

Thwack! Thwock! Crack!

 

Each time the sword was swung, without fail, one spider died and collapsed.

 

Even in the midst of this, Featherback was tearing off the oily legs of the spiders to make torches and throwing them throughout the forest.

 

Right then.

 

[Stop!]

 

Cardona’s specter flickered before his eyes.

 

Before regression, she who was caught up in the Demon King’s army’s offensive and couldn’t even leave a corpse behind.

 

She approached Featherback with her blood-soaked body pierced by arrows.

 

[Stop! If you rampage any further, you won’t get what you want either!]

 

It was quite an urgent expression of intent.

 

But Featherback did not respond.

 

“I’m sick of dwelling on the past.”

 

The Sword Forged from Ice Dragon Adara’s Tooth once again severed Cardona’s neck.

 

Then immediately, Soleil’s specter appeared.

 

He too bore the appearance from the moment he was assassinated by an assassin before the regression.

 

Father with blinded eyes, a sword pierced through his back, and a hole in his chest.

 

[Son. That’s enough now. You’ve fought well enough, so now stop…]

 

“I said I’m sick of it.”

 

Featherback mercilessly severed his father’s neck.

 

He had already sent his past life flowing down the river.

 

The family there, the comrades there, no longer existed in this world.

 

So he would seize the new opportunities that arose in this life.

 

Featherback looked straight ahead with his characteristic expressionless face, yet with pupils filled with strong conviction.

 

Soon, the entire heart of the Nightmare Eater was consumed by crimson flames.

 

Finally, a tearing scream could be heard from beyond the Sacred Tree.

 

[Please stop!]

 

A clear and pure voice.

 

But Featherback paid no attention whatsoever.

 

Whoosh—

 

He simply continued spreading the wildfire silently.

 

Crackle— Crackle— Crackle— Crackle—

 

Along with massive pillars of fire, black smoke rose up and swept away even the Purple Mist.

 

Soon, a single green shadow appeared before Featherback.

 

[I told you to stop!]

 

Thumb-sized girls covering their white bodies with small leaves.

 

They were spirits living in this forest.

 

Unlike the completely blackened leaves, they emanated a light green aura.

 

However.

 

Slash—!

 

The sword Featherback swung as if shooing away flying insects passed through, cutting even the spirits’ bodies to pieces.

 

[Eek!?]

 

The spirits whose bodies had been split in half trembled as they retreated.

 

Though their upper and lower halves that had been cut in two smoothly reattached, the terror of the moment their bodies were severed remained vivid.

 

The spirits tried to dissuade Featherback with thoroughly intimidated voices.

 

[Please stop! Don’t burn our country any more!]

 

“Didn’t you pick a fight first?”

 

[We were just trying to drive out an intruder!]

 

“By unleashing a giant spider? I nearly died.”

 

[That spider wasn’t under our control! It came into the forest on its own and settled down. It was a troublesome creature for us too!]

 

The Forest Spirits pleaded tearfully.

 

But Featherback didn’t stop his arson.

 

“The fire has already been spilled. You should have talked from the beginning.”

 

The forest behind had already become an ash heap, with only acrid smoke billowing up.

 

Every time hot wind blew from inside the forest, the trees that had burned down to bone-like skeletons turned to ash powder and scattered in the wind.

 

The Forest Spirits, who had turned pale, were now begging desperately.

 

[P-please stop.]

 

“Where is your master?”

 

[That’s…]

 

“Never mind. Don’t answer. I’ll just burn everything down.”

 

[N-no! Over there! They’re over there!]

 

One particularly timid-looking spirit pointed toward the north of the Sacred Tree.

 

[How could you tell them that!]

 

The other spirits scolded that spirit, but they didn’t really have grounds to blame them further.

 

Featherback immediately headed north.

 

Toward a deeper chamber than where the Sacred Tree had put down its main roots.

 

Step—step—step—step—

 

A downhill path continued for a while.

 

The black leaves swaying ahead seemed to volunteer as guides to the Bottomless Pit.

 

Eventually, Featherback was able to reach a sunken basin at the end of the steep slope.

 

That place was very low in elevation and completely covered with damp moss and humid mushrooms, so it hadn’t been affected by the flames and smoke.

 

Featherback shook off the icicles that had formed at the ends of his hair.

 

“Hiding in a place like this, you were just watching the fire show.”

 

“…Oh my, that’s not what I want to hear from someone who burned all my cute subordinates to death.”

 

Finally, the true master of the Deep Forest began to reveal itself.

 

Long green-gold hair flowing down all the way to her feet.

 

A revealing dress made of leaves, vines, and tree fruits.

 

Her slightly drooping eye corners looked both languid and bewitching.

 

“I didn’t think you’d actually accept the invitation, but welcome anyway.”

 

The mistress of the Nightmare-Devouring Forest, a wandering eccentric who even refused to join the Magic Tower.

 

The mage who had invited Featherback was smiling brightly.

 

* * *

 

At the same time, outside the forest, a fierce battle was taking place.

 

“Fire!”

 

At Sir Hounded’s command, the soldiers raised their crossbows.

 

Thunk thunk thunk thunk!

 

The monsters rushing out from deep in the forest were struck down by arrows from the experienced Northern Hunters.

 

“We need to hunt monsters our way!”

 

“If those things get outside the forest, innocent people will suffer!”

 

“I hope we can be of even a little help to Sir Featherback.”

 

When Hounded and his soldiers ran out of arrows, they drew their swords without hesitation.

 

Being veteran soldiers who were among the most skilled in the Border Region, facing monsters wasn’t difficult for them.

 

Especially against these fleeing creatures panicked by their burning nests.

 

However, the number of monsters bursting through the bushes was steadily increasing.

 

With their arrows depleted, it would be impossible to catch all those monsters with swords alone.

 

Hounded spoke up.

 

“We’ll set a counter fire from this side.”

 

“Sir? Will Sir Featherback be alright?”

 

“A counter fire won’t matter. Once it reaches the burned area inside, the counter fire will extinguish itself.”

 

Hounded read the forest’s atmosphere like the experienced commander he was.

 

“Sir Featherback has already gone deep into the forest. Setting a counter fire at the entrance won’t affect him at all.”

 

“We’ll execute immediately!”

 

The soldiers gathered dry stalks and thrust them into the burning bushes to make torches.

 

Soon, a wall of fire blazed up from this side as well.

 

The monsters that had burst out of the forest to escape the flames now died as they hit the wall of fire blocking their opposite escape route.

 

“Yes, keep it up!”

 

Hounded also spurred his horse forward.

 

As he rode, thrusting the fire at the end of a long tree branch into the grass, a straight line of flames was drawn.

 

[Roooooooar!]

 

A giant centipede escaped from inside the forest and charged at Hounded, but.

 

Whoooooosh!

 

Soon they were caught up in the counter fire and collapsed.

 

“Excellent!”

 

“This forest is finished too!”

 

“Forbidden or whatever, just burn it all down and it’s over!”

 

The soldiers cheered.

 

Right then.

 

Kwa-boom!

 

An earth-shaking explosion erupted from beyond the flames.

 

The soldiers who had been cheering just moments before fell silent.

 

“That sound came from deep in the forest, right?”

 

“Is Lord Featherback fighting?”

 

“He’s the one who slayed a dragon alone, so nothing serious should happen, but…”

 

A hint of anxiety appeared on the soldiers’ faces.

 

Right then.

 

[You all stop this too!]

 

Small shadows appeared before the soldiers.

 

Forest spirits were blocking the path of Hounded and the other soldiers.

 

The soldiers asked in bewildered voices.

 

“What are these flying bugs?”

 

“They look somewhat human?”

 

“They’re talking. Am I bewitched by the flames?”

 

“This won’t do. Let’s burn these things too!”

 

But Hounded, who had received knighthood, immediately recognized their identity.

 

“Forest spirits?”

 

[That’s right.]

 

Forest spirit dryads.

 

Children born in the Northern Region would have heard this name at least once in fairy tale books.

 

Since Hounded had been taught by his grandmother from childhood to ‘get along well with spirits,’ he tried to maintain a relatively gentle tone.

 

“We came here because we have business in this forest.”

 

[If you have business, why are you setting fires?]

 

“Ahem—that’s because the monsters living in this forest are far too ferocious.”

 

[To my eyes, you all look much more ferocious!]

 

“It doesn’t matter how we look. For the safety of the master I serve, I could do even worse than this.”

 

At Hounded’s words, the spirits puffed out their cheeks.

 

It meant they were angry.

 

The Northern soldiers also shouted.

 

“That’s right, you flying bugs! What did you do to our Prince Featherback!”

 

“If even a single scratch appears on Lord Featherback’s body, just watch! I’ll burn down every tree in this world!”

 

“My father runs an orchard though?”

 

“…Except for the orchard your father runs!”

 

Then the Forest Spirits let out a deep sigh.

 

[Actually, we came here because we have something to say about that very problem.]

 

“We have nothing to say! Give us back Lord Featherback!”

 

[We can’t give him back.]

 

“Of course you would say that, you wicked monsters! Then we’ll take Lord Featherback back by force!”

 

[That’s exactly what we want.]

 

“…?”

 

The soldiers tilted their heads at the spirits’ words.

 

Soon after, the Forest Spirits cleared a path in front of Hounded and all the others.

 

The burning trees and bushes fell to both sides, opening a path leading into the deep forest.

 

The Forest Spirits spoke with tearful expressions.

 

[Please take your master away!]

 

[Tell him to leave this forest!]

 

[And tell him never to come back!]

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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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