Ellen and I could feel the morning sun hitting our bodies softly.
We were currently outside our tents, it was Ellen who was training.
"… Like this? Leon ?" Ellen looked at me and asked.
"Yes, circulate your mana like that." I smiled softly and explained the mana materialisation technique to her.
This technique is one of my favourite. Someone who can master it can easily materialise mana in whichever form he likes.
More than practice it requires talent not everyone can learn it but Ellen looks fine with it. What can I say a genius...
"Okay everyone It's time to go." James's voice resounded.
Looks like everyone is ready to go.
"Let's stop here today." I said to Ellen.
"Mm."
We walked towards the party gathering spot, everyone is already present there. Except for Alex, each and everyone has faint nervousness on their face.
Of course, someone like Edger is visibly excited.
"Finally, going inside"
"Listen everyone inside anything you see other than us is an enemy, kill it or get killed. We are going inside one of the world's most dangerous places, not on a picnic, always be on alert because no one is going to save you ass down there, you are responsible for yourself, you get caught, means you are D-E-A-D."
"Let's go"
Mm...He isn't a bad leader.
All of us stepped inside followed by James's lead.
Inside it was surrounded completely by the mist, nothing was visible in the distance of more than 10 meters.
Even in the daytime, there was no presence of sunlight, a gloomy atmosphere has enveloped the whole forest.
Trees weren't withered and still have leaves intact. But that was making it look even scarier. The soil colour was black, aftereffects from war.
The Great War of Gods, 10000 years ago took place here making it completely uninhabitable.
The Goddess of Nature transformed the whole land, It is said she tried healing this land but it resulted in the birth of these cursed beasts
She finally decided to make it work as an isolation barrier for Elves.
"This is Cursed Forest huh," Noir said.
"Whoa...It's much more creepy from inside." Lux exclaimed.
"Oye kids no time to get dazed, get moving, there will be beasts everywhere try not to get yourself surrounded," Arthur warned.
Out of all of us Arthur, Edger and James we're the only one who was familiar with the ecosystem here, it's not their first time here.
*ROAR*
"Here they come"
...
More than six hours have passed since the time we first set foot inside. Everyone was exhausted from endless waves of beasts.
I glanced at the exhausted bodies of everyone.
Each of them has realized one thing it is going to be much harder than they initially thought, we are still in the outer region.
"Huu, huu...." Ellen was slumped down in the ground panting. She was completely exhausted. Not only her everyone condition was nearly the same except for Edger.
*BOOM*
"Hahaha, I can smash a few more of these bastards."
Arthur voice resounded from our backside.
I heaved a soft sigh and walked towards Ellen. Crouching down, I looked into her eyes gently.
"Are you alright?"
Ellen looked at me and forced a smile. "I am… this is harder than I thought."
I can only smile helplessly at her.
"Let's take a short rest here, We will continue after that." James asserted.
Nobody was against his idea, even Edgar can't carry on like this without rest.
"You doesn't look much tired."
I chuckled and patted her head. "What are you speaking about? I exercise daily how can I get tired from this."
Then I moved close to her ear and whispered. "Did you forget yesterday night, daily exercise?"
Ellen rolled her eyes, but her cheeks turned slightly red. "… pervert, ...do you always think about it."
"Mm," I nodded at her without shame.
Last night, I spent with Ellen. She was reluctant at first but in the end, she can only surrender herself in defeat. It's good I didn't forget putting on the sound isolation barrier or everyone would have heard her moans.
"Hey what are talking here." Edger spoke from behind us.
"Nothing" Ellen shook her head hurriedly trying to hide her embarrassment.
"...you heard the lady." I was amused at her reaction.
Edger stared at both of them with suspicion but didn't thought much about it.
I conversed with both of them for a while.
Glancing around I found, the twins discussing something with James, as for Alex everyone regard him as mute, then my gaze stayed on a figure sitting alone, it was Arthur.
From the time we have started our mission he is always maintaining his distance from James.
...Should I ask him? It's not like I have anything to do.
I walked in his direction.
"Yo Arthur!" I patted his shoulders and sat down beside him.
"Hey, isn't that Leon...I thought you are going to stick with your girlfriend the whole way.," Arthur said sarcastically.
"C'mon are we mens going to talk about this now."
"Hahaha right, but it's good someone is there to look after her now."
Eh??
"....Care to explain?" I asked.
"...I met her, in a small city at that time she was still at the eighth level of cultivation. In a dark alley, a S-rank adventurer wanted to force his way on her, I noticed it, fights between adventurers aren't forbidden by the Guild, but rape is...I rushed as fast as I can, then *swish* a clean cut directly chopped the adventurer in half."
"She was frightened, scared at the bloody scene...but she recovered. She was strong, a strong girl."
"Later I learned her name is Ellen and Edger was taking care of her, he was out for some work when the adventurer found an opportunity to assault her. Girls as beautiful as her can't survive in society easily...from then I also started looking out for her."
"What about Yves?"
"Aah, that girl. If I remind correctly, she was guild master of that small city back then. Who would have thought one day she would one day climb to the Imperial Capital Guild Master post?"
"But she fought, hard...making all her way up... These two girls are strong."
"Hmm....so that's how it's is," I murmured.
I speculated Yves was the one who asked both of them to look after Ellen but I was wrong. They were looking after her from the very beginning.
Then I asked Arthur, what I was confused from a long time. "What about you and James?... You didn't look like getting along with him. I don't think there is any problem in his leadership."
"... Sigh, about me and James." Arthur looked upwards and smiled bitterly.
"We were best friends"
I looked at him in surprise. "What!?" That was the last thing I expected. I guessed they will be long lost rivals or something.
"You are shocked right?" Arthur looked at me with a self-deprecating smile. "Must be thinking how we turned out like this."
I nodded. I was actually curious about Arthur backstory now. Maybe I can find something related to Alex.
Arthur sank into deep melancholy. "... the story goes back years ago I met Ellen."
James and I were friends from childhood, we did everything together...became adventurers, got strong, watched the people nearby us dying one by one but nothing stopped us...Finally, we got famous.
James started to be known as a Hero and got the alias Bonecrusher, as for me I was famous for swords, people started calling me a Sword god.
Everything was fine, years passed like that...nothing happened. But one day he started behaving unnaturally, I noticed the anomaly but didn't say anything as he looks more happy than usual.
Five years passed like that. One day he came to me said, he got a wife and that's not it, he also has a 5 years old child. I was shocked but more than anything I wanted to meet them. James promised to take me to his home the next day, I agreed.
The next say day I was waiting for him, hours passed he didn't come. I was about turnaround and go back but stopped seeing a familiar silhouette.
He came but didn't speak, he was worried about something, I offered to help him but he declined. He just told me today he can't take me to his home that's all.
Back at home, I was restless, I decided to find him tomorrow and ask everything...but the day never came.
And The next day I received the news that he was arrested by Archangels for interfering in the church's work. Things got helpless even the adventurer guild can't help in the matter against Archangels.
After few days he came back, looks like he made a deal with the church to work for them. I asked him to explain everything, he ignored me.
... I didn't know what happened to him on the day of his arrest but after that, he wasn't the same person anymore like something died inside him. Things continued to get worse between us and...here we are."
"Hah, If I ever have a ch-..."
"Everyone!! rest time over, Let's continue."