Chereads / the unliving sage / Chapter 20 - Chapter 20: this forest…. It’s watching me.

Chapter 20 - Chapter 20: this forest…. It’s watching me.

'I guess I need a new alternative in getting to the capital… damn it.' I started to make my way towards a peculiar forest that was release some kind of…. Corrupted aura.

'I THINK I HAVE AN EASIER WAY OF GETTING INTO THE CAPITAL.' He told me as he explained that remembered about something very familiar about the surrounding.

'Then where do I have to pass to get to the capital?' I asked death in a curious tone.

'YOU WILL HAVE TO PASS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACES, THAT EVEN PEOPLE WON'T DARE TO SET FOOT UPON...… AND THAT IS THE DEVIL'S GARDEN' Death responded as I turned my head to the forest and gulped loudly as I could feel multiple presences and even the forest is releasing its own aura, coming from it….. And looking at the place the auras are come from, I know that they are not the friendly kind; in fact the auras feels too familiar to ignore…. that this forest is a beacon of pure.

"Blood lust." I stared at the forest for some while but then did something that will make me look like an insane person ….. I just smiled and walked towards the forest.

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Dante p.o.v:

As I was making my way towards the forest, the aura emitting out of it was getting more… alive. Like as if it was screaming … pain, regret… despair.

'This is very strange….' I thought in mystery and had started to wonder, what could be releasing that aura… though I understand that this could just be the way the forest is…. But this is unnatural, releasing that type of aura.

'I SEE THAT EVEN YOU CAN FEEL THE MUDEROUS INTENT STEAMING OUT OF THE FOREST AND IN A WAY IT DOES FEEL…. UNSETTLING.' Death said, knowing that I too will be feeling the monstrous aura coming from the forest… but why.

'Of course it's unsettling..... But how am I able to sense it?' I questioned death but instead all I got was a dark laugh from death.

'Why are you laughing?' I ask but he just laughed louder and louder and then after some feel seconds… he had stop.

'THE REASON WHY I'M LAUGHING IS BECAUSE YOUR SENSING IT HAHAHAHA.' He laughed again and I didn't just understand or got what he was saying, as I just kept on going to towards the forest.

'Sensing what?' I asked him as he just seized his laughter and was clearing his throat and was about to answer me.

'HAHAHA THAT IS THE SOULS YOU'RE SENSING… BRAT.' He told me but I was still confused by this.

'But how those it affect me.' I asked with an annoyed tone because I started to feel that he was keeping things from me.

'I SEE THAT I WAS GIVEN A DEAF EAR WHEN I WAS EXPLAINING IT TO YOU WHEN YOU WERE IN LIMBO…. FINE THEN, IF YOU MUST KNOW, REMEMBER THAT IT IS DARK MANA WE USE AND HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHAT HAPPENED IN YOUR FINAL TEST BEFORE YOU FOUGHT PROTEUS…. THE WAR FIELD.' He said making the situation feel…. Very very weird.

Flashback:

'Why why was I killed? When I could have dodged that attack but why did I not move?'

'Why did I have to be put in the front lines, when I had a family waiting?'

The voices of hate.

'That general just led all of us to our deaths and now I'm dead.'

'You ruined my happiness'

The voices of the betrayed.

'You stabbed me in the back. You killed me brother.'

The voices…. Of despair.

'I guess the poison had worked too late than I expected it.'

'Are you happy family…? I'm finally gone'

End of flashback:

'Meaning tha-.' I started to reach the forest and had placed my palm on one of the tree.

'YOU CAN SENSE WHAT OTHER BEINGS ARE FEELING NO MATTER THEIR RACE AND IT CAN HELP YOU KNOW IF SOMEONE IS LYING OR NOT…. THOUGH I LIKE TO CALL IT 'TRUE STARE'' Death said as even I was impressed and then I started to look and survey the surrounding outside the forest and I noticed that the forest had stretched out as wide as the eyes could see which in other words means that theirs is no way to avoid these forest….

" I guess I have no choice then… this is going to be a long and stressful trail." I started to walk into the forest but then I noticed something weird.

'Ehm death.' I called death's attention.

'WHAT IS IT BRAT?' He answered in a grumpy tone.

'How come I haven't heard from pro since? Is something wrong?' I asked with a questioned tone as I was walking through the forest.

'OF COURSE NOT, HE JUST NEEDS TO FOCUS ON MAINTAINING YOUR CURRENT FORM, AT LEAST BEST TO MY KNOWLEGDE REALLY.' He answered still with a grumpy tone.

'But why is that?' I asked him in which I think is starting to get on his nerves.

' HAVEN'T YOU NOT NOTICED THAT WE DIDN'T USE A NORMAL SHAPE SHIFTING SPELL TO CHANGE YOUR FORM BUT INSTEAD WE'RE USING A GOD TO HELP WITH THAT AND THAT'S BECAUSE ANY OTHER SPELL WILL JUST BE NULLIFIED BY MY DARK MANA, SO YOU NEED A STRONG MANA BASE TO SHAPE SHIFT. SO WHAT PROTEUS IS DOING IS THAT HE IS TRYING TO MAINTAIN THIS FORM BY USING HIS OWN MANA TO STOP THE NULLIFYING EFFECTS OF MY POWER ON HIS SHAPE SHIFTING POWER IN YOU AND BY DOING THIS, HE NEEDS TO FOCUS INSTENSIFLY TO KEEP IT AT BAY.' Death explained to me about what was going on about proteus… though it's still weird that an actual god is now in me… oh wait I already have death in me already so I guess it's normal I guess.

"Hmmmm… I wonder how everyone else is doing at home. But I'm sure that iris has everything under control so everything is going to be A-Okay." I said with a smile thinking that she got it all covered.

Elsewhere back at home:

Iris p.o.v:

I opened my eyes to notice that I was still on my bros bed though I was kinda still tired because I had stayed up all night practicing my magic and spell control including my mana presence. But it seems that it was just only in the evening so I stood up from his bed only to hear someone knocking on his bedroom door as it was my mom who was knocking on it.

"Dante….!" My mom had called out for him.

"Ohm…. No what I'm I going to do." I exclaimed in a low tone as I had started to panic.

"Dante…! Open the door." She said while starting to get worried.

"What should I do" I said thinking and panicking at the same time.

"Dante if you don't open this door then you are going to be in big trouble young man." She said now angry and worried that he haven't responded to her call as her knocking had started to get even louder.

I just stood there panicking but I then seized my panicking and I couldn't take it anymore and had just decided to take the consequences.

"For you dante Kun." I whispered in a low tone now brimming in confidence….. I hope.

I raised my head up high and had walked to the door and had opened it only to be met by my mom with a worried look on her face.

"Iris what are you doing here in your brother's room." My mom said with a surprised tone and look on her face.

"Uhhhm... I just wanted to get some sleep." I said with a nervous tone as my mom was very confused by this.

"In your brother's room." She said with one eye brow raised up.

"Yes!" I had lied again and just smiled nervously.

I just stood in front of her blocking the door, hoping that she won't suspect that I was lying to her though it pains me to do that I have no choice.

"Is dante in there?" she asked with a worried tone in her voice.

"Yes he is" I lied for the third time…. I feel so disgusted at myself.

"But he is just tired….. From helping me practice my spells, yes that's right my spells so why not just let him rest and maybe we can wake him later." I said hoping that she would buy the lie.

"Is something wrong, is he sick?" she question in a worried tone.

"No it's nothing, he's just tired." I said trying to convince her.

"No I think that I should check." She said trying to reach for the knob to open his door but instead I had just pulled her away from the door gently and had started to walk off to the living room with her.

"Mom maybe we should just come back later." I quickly brought out the option and thankfully she had agreed and had decided to follow me to leave him alone.

"okay dear, but seriously you really need to stop stressing your brother out, remember that he is just 7 and in this cruel world you need to stick together… so please promise me that you will always stay by his side even though the odds are against you okay." She started to shed tears but I just hugged her and had stayed to comfort her as I grabbed her hands gently and had directed her to the living room and I started to shed so few tears by listening to her.

"Of course I will mom… I promise." I reached the living room to meet my uncle and my dad arguing about something I don't even understand.

' dante you owe me one.' I just stood there trying my best not to call any attention on to myself.

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Somewhere else:

Dante p.o.v:

AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!

"There are really persistence I will give them that, but there resistance is futile, come at me weaklings!" I shouted at them with a true warrior battle cry.

'REMEMBER THAT THIS IS NOT THE HUMANITY REALM SO LAWS IN YOUR FORMER REALM DOES NOT APPLY TO THI-.' Death tried to warn me but I had already stopped running and had faced them.

"I have deal with some of you back in my world, so don't think you're no different." I smile and raised my hand towards them.

'LISTEN TO ME BRAT, THE SPELL WILL NOT WO-.' He tried to warn me again but I just went for it.

"Holy light!" I casted a blinding light aimed to destroy them in an instant at least I thought it will.

'WORK ON THEM… WELL HAVE FUN.' Death told me as after some while I saw that the spell had just blocked their vision for a short while and had totally had no effect on them.

AAAAAAGGGGHHHHHH! They shouted out in rage and annoyance as they all pounced towards me.

" why... Just why."