Dark Fantasy: Magical Eye Knight – Chapter 148

Chapter 148: Inside the Forest (3)

TL: Potato-tan

Proofreader: Asianpotato

BAM!

The giant collapsed to the floor with a dull thud.

The demon beasts are coming thick and fast now. Russell pulled his greatsword from the body of the beast he had just slain.

The demon beasts had started out with something resembling a humanoid form, but now they looked like nothing more than monsters, with the one that had just died being some kind of six-legged monstrosity with a humanoid torso and three arms.

“Damn you, human! Grrrrrr. . . . . .”

“Are. . . are you tireless? Creak, creak.”

The demon beasts retreated, making various groans. Some of them even spoke, their vocal cords seemingly resembling those of humans.

They staggered towards him, limbs missing and blood trailing behind them. Their eyes, which should have held only murderous intent and a hunger for human flesh, flickered with fear.

“Not coming?”

Russell brandished Nahilnir, flicking black ichor from its blade. Behind him, the corpses of demon beasts and monsters piled up, their fluids forming pools and rivulets that flowed away.

“Grrk, krrr. . . . . .”

Despite facing more demon beasts than he had slain during his time in this strange place, none of them dared to approach him.

But despite his bold words, Russell was not unscathed.

‘My recovery is slow.’

It had been a little over thirty minutes since he had fallen into this unknown space. Magic power was difficult to control in this strange dimension. The mana in the atmosphere was unnaturally thick, pressing against his skin at every moment.

Because of this, Russell had been forced to constantly circulate his magic power, using it to block the mana in the atmosphere ever since he had fallen into this strange dimension.

That wasn’t the only problem. The unnaturally thick and aggressive distribution of mana in the atmosphere was also interfering with his ability to channel magic power out of his body.

On top of that, the restorative powers of his armor coat were not working, and he was unable to transform it into armor.

As a result, Russell was fighting with only a thin layer of clothing to protect him; his magic power was cut in half as he constantly tried to shield himself while fighting off dozens, even hundreds, of demon beasts at a time.

An ordinary wizard, or even a warrior who could manipulate magic power, would have died within minutes. When fighting, it was natural for magic power to flow through the magic circuits, but it did not normally circulate throughout the entire body.

Russell was able to hold on thanks to his extraordinary affinity for magic power and his ability to manipulate it, but even he could not keep this up indefinitely.

‘Then I have no choice but to smash my way through.’

Fortunately, this was not his first experience with something like this. He had already experienced something similar in Errandis territory, in Calia’s domain.

The difference was that Calia had been created through vast and complex magic and could not be dispelled without directly attacking its caster, whereas this space seemed to be loosening its hold on him as he reduced the number of demon beasts.

It all came down to whether he would lose his concentration and control over his magic power first, or whether he could kill all the demon beasts in this space and escape.

“Whew. . . . . .”

A faint purple light flickered in Russell’s eyes as he took a deep breath. Until now, he had been unable to activate his magic eye because he had been using his magic power to circulate through his magic circuits.

Although his magic eye operated in a completely different realm from normal magic, its effects were similar to magic in that it moved magic power, observed the world, and distorted the laws of nature.

Shuaaaaaak!

Instantly, magic power burst from his eyes along with a beam of light, creating a fierce wind that lifted the mana targeting Russell and shaped it into sharp blades.

The space itself was attacking with killing intent. Russell deflected or dodged each of the transparent blades as he scanned his surroundings.

The pitch-black space, which had been too dark to see properly, began to vanish like a mirage, revealing the shadows that lay beneath.

The other side of the world, which rippled in black and white, was like two sides of a coin that could never recognize each other. Russell nodded as he gazed into that world.

‘As I thought.’

From the moment he stepped into the heart of the forest, filled with thick white mist, he had been unaware of the spatial distortion. And from the other world, he could sense the ominous surge of magic power and the countless threads of light that connected each of the demon beasts in this space to something vast that lay beyond them.

Behind the demon beasts, a massive, tree-like structure connected all those threads. It was so large that he wondered if it could be the World Tree.

But it wasn’t a real tree. It was more like a mass of flesh. And the aura he felt from it was similar to that of the parasite he had extracted from the demon beasts’ bodies.

‘A being from another world. That thing has been eroding the space at the heart of the forest.’

Russell could now see the edge of the space he was in. A giant, hemispherical space had spread out from the innermost part of the forest. Its diameter was easily over 10 kilometers, making it vast.

It had not yet reached its full extent. Like a parasite, the monstrous being from another world was digging its roots into the ground, sucking up the earth’s vitality and mana, and the area its roots covered stretched even farther than the eroded space.

Russell could feel its tendrils reaching as far as the village they had visited and even to other villages that were a day’s walk away.

The solution was simple. Kill all the demon beasts infected by the parasite here, and then kill the being from another world at its heart.

Now that he had a plan on how to get out, he had to make a quick escape.

“Kwaaaaaaaagh!”

As Russell’s magic eye scanned the demon beasts, the atmosphere began to change. The demon beasts’ rationality gave way to instinct, leading to the dissipation of their fear for Russell.

Russell’s magic eye was igniting the demon beasts’ instincts, unleashing the ferocity previously concealed by their fear. It was a risky move, one that could easily result in him being torn apart by the demon beasts’ teeth and claws if he lacked confidence in his ability to kill every single one of them that charged at him.

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud-

The demon beasts shook the ground as they charged towards Russell, a vast herd of monsters converging on a single point in the open terrain, with no obstacles like trees to impede their advance.

Tsing━.

Russell felt a sharp pain in his temples and eyes.

‘This is why I didn’t want to see. Tsk. No choice.’

In the center of it all, Russell lowered his knees and waist, extending his greatsword far below his left hip. Russell inhaled sharply, then exhaled his magical power into the ground.

BAM, the magic power collided with the ground without a sound, sending a shockwave that surged through Russell’s entire body. Russell did not resist the shock wave.

The demon beasts swarmed around Russell. Giant monsters covered his entire body in an instant, from above and below, in front and behind, and to the left and right. It was a moment when he might have been torn limb from limb or had his neck snapped.

The flow of power from his hands through his ankles, knees, waist, and shoulders surged into his greatsword, which swung sideways.

Tsuaahhhhhh!

A horrible scream rang out as the air tore apart. A flash of light erupted from Russell’s body, sending the demon beasts flying.

Demons with huge gashes in their torsos and severed forelimbs and hindlegs collapsed, spewing blood and entrails as they screamed.

Russell was fighting like a madman.

The demon beasts charged at him, howling in unknown tongues, their words, screams, and wails echoing all around him.

A giant crocodile’s jaws snapped at Russell’s shoulder. With its claws, a wolf-headed demon beast raked at him. A long-eared rabbit kicked at the ground with its hind legs, spraying flames at him. A winged bear swooped down from behind, reaching for him with its forelegs.

Russell reacted instinctively to the attacks coming at him from all sides. In this space, he could not rely on his coat’s protective power.

Russell grasped Nahilnir’s long hilt with both hands and charged forward. It would be foolish to stand there and take all those attacks head-on. He needed to create some space.

He smashed through the front like a tank, cleaving the crocodile’s head in two as it bit down on his shoulder. The elongated, vertical cross-section of the crocodile demon beast collapsed, and Russell slipped out from underneath it, then turned and swung Nahilnir sideways.

Most people would have struggled to lift the greatsword, but it cut through the air like a reed, slicing the wolf demon beast in half at the waist.

“Legs, legs, grab his legs!”

“Kill him! Tear his flesh!”

“Tear off his arms and legs! Crush his head and drink his brains!”

They have the appetites of children.

Russell methodically cleaved the heads of the demon beasts that rushed at him with their mouths wide open, eager to tear at his flesh.

The magic or elemental powers he had learned on his journey were not very effective. The only thing he could rely on was his body, which he had trained relentlessly since he was a child.

Russell knew his current body’s capabilities better than anyone else. Russell mastered the art of efficient movement and utilized magic power to enhance the speed and strength of his movements.

He didn’t need to learn it from someone else. It was something he had learned for himself by using his magic power and moving his limbs.

‘What would happen if I twisted my magical power like this? What if I suppressed the spread of magic power for a moment, then released it?’

There was no denying that the many fantasy Wuxia novels he had read in his previous life had been a great help in dealing with mana and magic power, which were unknown forces to him.

His field of vision was filled with a kaleidoscope of attacks. The attacks included long claws, sharp feathers, thorns fired from the body, double rows of teeth jutting out from the mouth, bony spikes pulled from severed limbs, and thrusts like swords.

Russell, however, read every single one of those attacks. He dodged the claws by tilting his head, blocked the feathers with his visor, and deflected the thorns by twisting his body. He punched the double row of teeth with his left fist, shattering the gums and teeth together, and met the bone sword with a sword strike of his own.

His great sword danced as if it had a mind of its own, whirling through the air. The blade, which swung with tremendous force, moved so quickly that it seemed to blur. The blade slashed down every monster in its vicinity at the waist.

It was an unbelievable display of skill, as if Russell had rehearsed it all in advance, but the demon beasts, maddened by the sight of blood, charged at him, their teeth bared.

In response to their vicious, bared teeth and disgusting breath, he simply frowned and raised his left fist, then brought it down.

The demon beast’s head plunged deeply into its neck, causing it to flail its arms wildly. Russell, who had cut the demon beast in two from crotch to crown, charged into the oncoming wave of demon beasts.

‘How much time has passed?’

“Huff, huff. . . . . .”

Russell gasped for breath as he raised his head, still gripping the hilt of his sword. The demon beast’s black blood covered his face and dripped down his body. The demon beasts’ flesh, blood, and entrails stained his coat.

The relentless onslaught of the demon beasts had finally come to an end. Russell, who had been counting the demon beasts he had killed as he fought, realized that he had killed nearly three hundred of them by now, and he could not help but grin.

“At this rate, it really seems like they’ve transformed all the beasts in the mountains and forests into demon beasts. . . . . . The ecosystem is going to be in shambles.”

That was not Russell’s concern. Other beasts would also move into the empty spaces, so the void would not remain for long.

The problem lay in determining the identity of the being from another world that was exerting such powerful control over these demon beasts, and whether the other northern lords were simply observing this unfold.

It was a problem if they did not know that such a monster had appeared, and it was also a problem if they did know. After escaping from this eroded space, he would have to not only investigate the situation but also return his sister to the Zahard family.

“Eummmmeeeeer!”

One of the demon beasts let out a roar. The demon beast bellowed, as if trying to rally its terrified and anxious brethren, and then charged straight at Russell.

It had the appearance of a black buffalo, but it walked on two legs and had bony wings on either side of its waist. Its head was adorned with spiraling horns that burned with a bluish-black flame.

“So, the black bull has arrived.”

Russell gripped his greatsword. It was a rather tricky opponent. Not only was it fearsome in appearance, but it could also fly, and those horns were a real nuisance. It was the kind of opponent that would strike from the gaps between the other demon beasts and then quickly retreat, but now that all the other demon beasts were dead, it thought it was safe.

“I won’t let you escape this time.”

“Ummer!”

Hwarrrrrrrrk!

With a roar that sounded like a battle cry, two lines of bluish-black flame shot out from the spiraling horns. Russell dodged the flames by leaping into the air.

Even with his magic power field, he could not completely neutralize those flames. Protective barriers were also useless. The flames had the property of devouring magic power itself, so it was better to avoid them than to try to fight them head-on.

Fire and ice had always had a long-standing rivalry, a traditional relationship.

Russell stabbed his greatsword into the ground. The trees that had been growing lushly in this space, filled with thick white mist, had all disappeared, and in their place were nothing but demon beasts.

Large and small pebbles, thick roots, and dirt and moss had all vanished from the forest floor, leaving only darkness and an unidentified black liquid.

As Nahilnir pierced the ground, the black liquid around it surged forward, as if it were air meeting fire. Nahilnir’s blade continued to emit a faint light from the moon’s rune.

Russell understood from that reaction that the power of evil magic, the aura of devils, or unknown beings from another world had created this space.

Even with Russell’s senses, he could not tell when he had fallen into this space, and his sense of time was also distorted. It felt like about 30 minutes had passed in subjective time. However, he was not sure if the same amount of time had passed outside.

Hwarrrrrrrrk!

As soon as he finished his brief thoughts, Russell’s hand reached into his coat and pulled out a white ax handle. As his vast magic was endlessly poured into Final Frost, the ax hummed and emitted a white wave.

Poofwhoosh!

The wave of cold air emitted from the ax’s blade clashed with the two lines of bluish-black flame. The collision of fire and ice created a huge amount of steam, obscuring his vision.

The hot steam met the cold mist and turned into water droplets that fell to the ground, soaking it. There was a squelching sound as his feet sank into the puddles.

Then, with a whoosh, a wind blew and swept away all the mist and steam in the vicinity. Russell stood in the middle of it all, looking completely unharmed.

Surprised that he had blocked its flames so easily, the demon beast flapped its bony wings and rose into the air. The bluish-black aura of the flames wreathed its bare bones, devoid of skin or feathers, as the demon beast soared into the air and charged towards Russell.

“Um-mer!”

“Come!”

Russell grabbed his ax’s haft and kicked it off the ground, flying up to meet it.

BAM━!

A collision in the air. Russell’s and the demon beast’s bodies flew off in different directions and crashed to the ground.

Russell’s left coat hem tore, and one of the demon beast’s wings broke, leaving only a stump.

“Ummeeeeeer!”

The demon beast pushed itself up with its arms and snorted, its eyes blazing with fury. A red light flickered in its eyes alongside the white breath, and it began to charge forward.

Russell stood up, holding his side, and threw his ax in an instant. The ax, which had become a disc of light, flew towards the buffalo demon beast, which flared up with flames all over its body and managed to knock the ax away with its horns.

When it sensed victory, the demon beast paid no attention to the ax, which flew off into the distance and was just about to impale Russell’s chest with its spiraling horns.

Russell’s hands moved with lightning speed as he grabbed the spiraling horns. Then, in an instant, his feet shifted position and his waist twisted. The demon beast’s vision spun as it saw the world turn upside down.

And that was the final sight it ever saw.

The demon beast’s spine was completely shattered as its back hit the ground, and at the same time, Russell tightened his grip on the horn and twisted it. With a crack, the buffalo’s head rotated 180 degrees.

“Whew. . . . . .”

Russell let out a long breath and looked around. All the demon beasts that had been so numerous were now dead. And the mana in the eroded space was less ferocious than before.

Russell, inhaling and exhaling, cooled down his overheated magic circuits and extended both hands in different directions. The ax that had flown away and the greatsword that had been planted in the ground returned to his grasp.

“Let’s go.”

Russell sheathed his weapons and set off at a brisk pace. The being from another world, situated in the center of the eroded space, was gradually starting to radiate a more menacing aura.

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