Chapter 7: Entering the Dark Forest
"So, every 2 spells will increase it by 0.1%?" Lucifer pondered aloud, his gaze fixed on the bracelet.
Vineca nodded in affirmation. "Yes, that's correct."
"It's best if you refrain from practicing any other spells," she advised him after a brief pause, her concern evident.
Surprisingly, Daniel, who had been casually munching on a leaf, chimed in, "Why don't you show him some defensive spells, Vineca? Even if he doesn't use them right away, they could come in handy when he's in danger."
Lucifer was taken aback by Daniel's change of heart. He couldn't help but wonder, 'Wasn't he against this just a moment ago?'
Vineca's smile widened at Daniel's suggestion. "That's a good idea. Let's do it."
With renewed enthusiasm, Vineca proceeded to demonstrate a series of defensive spells, explaining their effects to Lucifer.
"First, a shield spell – Raishield," she declared. As she uttered the incantation, a massive bluish shield of lightning materialized before her, emitting sparks and towering over her.
Lucifer's eyes widened in awe. The shield wasn't just a defensive barrier; it possessed the added ability to reflect attacks with a lightning charge, potentially stunning adversaries.
"To stun the enemies?", Lucifer squinted his eyes after hearing Vineca's explanation.
"To stun your enemies," Vineca confirmed, her grin matching Lucifer's.
Both of them burst into laughter, their mirth echoing in unison. Meanwhile, Daniel, observing their exchange, couldn't help but comment, "Have they lost their minds?"
Moving on, Vineca introduced another defensive spell. "Metronom!"
As she chanted the spell, she circled her wand above her head, summoning a glowing blue pentagram that descended around her. In an instant, her form transformed into a cascade of lightning bolts.
Lucifer watched, a mixture of surprise and confusion on his face. "This is a defensive spell?"
Vineca cancelled the spell, regaining her physical form and adding, "An evasive spell to be precise."
"Evasive?"
Daniel, perhaps growing impatient with Lucifer's questioning, offered an explanation. "When Vineca's body turns into lightning, it becomes intangible, making it extremely difficult to hit her with physical attacks. Essentially, it's an evasive maneuver."
"I see…" Lucifer replied with a nod, comprehending the explanation behind Vineca's evasive spell.
"The only drawback is that you become immobile until you deactivate it.", Daniel added.
"Oh…"
"Haha, ya."
"But let me teach you an attack spell.", Vineca said, putting the topic aside.
"Yeah… attack fools. Keep learning attacks.", Daniel muttured to himself.
Vineca's instruction continued as she moved on to demonstrate a powerful spell, the "Draken Lightning." She made sure Lucifer remembered the name before proceeding.
Preparing to cast the spell, Vineca raised her wand and aimed it toward the sky. However, before she could chant the incantation, a sudden dizziness engulfed her. The world seemed to spin around her, throwing off her balance.
Confusion and concern marked her face as she teetered, nearly falling to the ground. Despite his urgency, Lucifer was too far away to catch her in time. However, Daniel swiftly intervened.
"Fecto!" Daniel's voice rang out as he quickly drew his wand, directing it at Vineca. The spell caused her to levitate, preventing her from hitting the ground.
Lucifer rushed to Vineca's side as she hovered in the air, catching her and allowing her to gently settle into his arms.
"Vineca, are you alright?" he asked, worry evident in his voice. Her response was a weak one, her eyes slowly closing as she struggled to stay conscious.
"Of course she isn't, you idiot!" Daniel's exasperated voice cut through the tension as he pushed Lucifer aside, carefully taking Vineca into his own arms.
He immediately dispelled the levitation spell after causing her to gently descend. Standing up, he strode purposefully towards the cave they had emerged from, leaving Lucifer behind.
"Where are you-" Lucifer began to inquire about Daniel's intentions, but Daniel paid no heed to the question. With a decisive air, Lucifer rose and followed, finding himself once again in the underground chamber as they descended on the elevator.
Daniel wasted no time, his determination propelling him towards the figure known as the Healer of the Enclave.
"Sir Osfald! Emergency!" Daniel's urgent voice echoed through the underground, drawing the attention of the experienced healer and magic practitioner, the man who was acting as a guard previously.
Osfald emerged from a nearby hut, his brows furrowed in concern as he assessed the situation. A man with a bleeding right arm stood nearby, seeking aid, but Osfald's focus was solely on Vineca.
"I will examine her now. I can touch her right?", he asked.
"Of course.", Daniel nodded his head.
With a deliberate motion, Osfald gently lifted Vineca's eyelids, his wand emitting a soft glow that illuminated her eyes like a torch. After a moment's observation, he lowered her eyelids and raised his wand, its tip swaying methodically from side to side. A faint green aura enveloped Vineca as he cast his spell.
"Ah, there is no cause for undue worry," Osfald reassured those present.
"She is merely fatigued from overexertion of magic and exhaustion."
His examination complete, he concluded, "I have administered a healing spell, but her recovery necessitates rest."
"I understand," Daniel acknowledged gratefully. Turning to Osfald, he inquired, "Would it be permissible for her to rest here?"
"Oh, certainly, but I will be leaving right now," Osfald responded, signaling his departure from the scene.
Lucifer quickly interjected, suggesting an alternative. "Ah, Maya. She can help."
Daniel acknowledged the suggestion with a nod. "Thank you, sir. We will inquire with her."
With Vineca in his arms, Daniel left the healer's hut, making their way back to Maya's shop. Upon their arrival, Maya, who had been engaged in selling wands, noticed the unconscious Vineca and stood up in concern.
"What hap-"
Before she could voice her questions, Daniel preemptively addressed her worries. "She has merely fainted. Could she rest in your place?"
Maya's response was immediate and accommodating. "Ah, absolutely!"
She retrieved a wooden box and placed it near the center of her shop. With a wave of her wand and the incantation "Gigancio," the small box underwent a remarkable transformation, expanding and growing into a spacious hut. This sudden expansion displaced a few boxes, emphasizing the magical nature of the feat.
Lucifer gaped at the impressive sight, unable to hide his surprise at Maya's spellwork. Meanwhile, Daniel entered the expanded space, locating a bed within the makeshift hut. He gently placed Vineca on the bed, his concern evident.
Turning to Maya, he made a request. "Please, take care of her. She is my—"
"Our! She is our friend," Lucifer swiftly interjected, correcting Daniel's unfinished statement.
'My life…', Daniel concluded, saying to himself, as he stared right at Lucifer, his eyes filled with flames.
"Um, alright.", Maya nodded, promising that she would take care of Vineca.
As Maya agreed to help, Daniel's attention abruptly shifted. With a decisive motion, he lunged toward Lucifer, grabbing his collar and pulling him away.
"Hey, what are you-"
"Let's depart," Daniel interjected before Lucifer could utter another word, walking out of the hut.
"Where to?" Lucifer inquired.
"You're aware of the destination," Daniel replied cryptically as they found themselves once more at the entrance of the elevator.
With a pause of understanding, Lucifer inquired, "Without her?"
"You want her to come when she is in such a state!?"
"Of course, without her!"
Vineca, fatigued and unconcious, made it infeasible to extend an invitation to her. Furthermore, time was running scarce, compelling Daniel to hasten their departure.
Returning to the familiar location beneath the sprawling peepal tree, they pressed on without pausing.
"Do you know where the Dark Forest is?" Lucifer questioned, trailing behind Daniel by about five meters. However, Daniel remained silent, forging ahead without acknowledgment.
"Hey!" Lucifer continued to call out, met only with silence.
"What's wrong with you man!?" Lucifer shouted, and in the midst of this contemplation, an abrupt sensation of transition coursed through him.
"Huh?" Confused, he scanned the surroundings, only to be met by lifeless trees devoid of leaves.
His gaze focused ahead, where he spotted Daniel frozen in his tracks. Swiftly, he closed the distance between them and inquired, "Have we arrived?"
Daniel's response was a mere murmur, tinged with exasperation, "Isn't that obvious? Must you question everything like a fool?"
Chuckling awkwardly, Lucifer scratched his head, his laughter carrying a hint of self-consciousness. "Well, you know, I'm new here..."
His laughter dwindled as he noticed Daniel's solemn expression, fixated on a specific point. Following Daniel's line of sight, Lucifer's eyes locked onto a peculiar sight. Amidst the towering, lifeless form of a gigantic peepal tree, something stirred – a movement, like that of a robe.
Lucifer's eyes widened in realization. He instinctively grasped Daniel's left arm, seeking refuge behind him. Voice hushed, he managed to utter, "That—"
"An Enforcer," Daniel interjected, his voice steady as he drew his wand with deliberate caution.
"Let's hide!" Lucifer's words were a hushed murmur.
"Fool, don't you realize that Enforcers can sense anyone with the Devil's Curse within a mile?" Daniel's retort broke the silence.
A momentary quiet settled between them before Daniel's voice intensified, a blend of authority and command, "Enough games, reveal yourself."
"We're no novices. We're well aware of your capabilities," Daniel asserted with confidence.
"Do you now?" A chilling, sinister voice slithered from behind, causing both Daniel and Lucifer to swiftly pivot. There, towering before them, stood an Enforcer, its presence formidable. A scythe rested casually upon its shoulder, its red eyes radiating an eerie glow that sent shivers down Daniel's spine.
Almost instinctively, Daniel brandished his wand, invoking a spell with urgency, "Aqualus!" His incantation conjured a colossal orb of water, rapidly whirling. With a forceful gesture, Daniel propelled the aquatic sphere toward the Enforcer.
Yet, the Enforcer evaded effortlessly, effortlessly ascending to avoid the watery assault. "Well, well, if it isn't the illustrious Daniel Rosfeld," its deep voice reverberated.
Peering from his vantage point behind Daniel, Lucifer watched the Enforcer glide through the air. "And who accompanies you, lurking in the shadows? Lucifer? The newly sought-after renegade?"
Chuckling darkly, the Enforcer relished the situation, "Ah, a fortuitous day indeed. Two souls for the taking!"
"Let's see you do it! Try! Come on!", Lucifer taunted.
"Bro, stand in the front and do this.", Daniel urged Lucifer to take the front if he wanted to say. Why cower behind him?
The Enforcer surged forward, its scythe poised ominously as if to strike.
Without hesitation, Daniel's voice boomed, "Aqualimus!" This time, not one but five water spheres materialized, hovering around him. With a swift motion, Daniel thrust his arm, releasing the orbs towards the Enforcer.
In response, the Enforcer's left hand extended, birthing a swirling miasma of ebony clouds that devoured the incoming water projectiles.
"Petty tricks, Daniel! I expect more from you," the Enforcer taunted, its voice dripping with derision.
"Aqualimus Barrage!" Daniel's cry echoed, imbued with unwavering determination.
This time, his resounding roar reverberated throughout the forest, his hair dancing in the wind.
An impressive array of fifty water spheres materialized, each spinning at an astonishing speed. With unwavering determination, Daniel extended his arm once more, mimicking his earlier motion, sending forth all the spheres hurtling toward the Enforcer.
"Haha! Is that all?" The Enforcer's laughter resonated, and with a swift gesture of its palm, the obsidian cloud reappeared, ready to absorb the incoming onslaught. However, this time, a different fate awaited.
Standing steadfast behind Daniel, Lucifer aimed his wand at the incoming spheres. With remarkable precision, he invoked the spell, "Gigancio!" One specific sphere, chosen with pinpoint accuracy, swelled in size dramatically, defying the Enforcer's attempt to absorb it.
"Argh!"
The gargantuan orb collided head-on with the Enforcer, propelling it backward. The force of impact carried the Enforcer across the expanse, crashing into a tree nearly twenty meters away.
A triumphant smile played upon Lucifer's lips, while Daniel couldn't help but appreciate the effective teamwork. He extended his right hand to Lucifer, pulling him up from his hiding place. His eyes glittered with a genuine sense of admiration as he congratulated, "Great job!"
Lucifer's response carried a hint of nonchalance, "Meh, it was easy.", acting as if he wasn't hiding behind Daniel a second ago.
"Yeah?" Daniel's gaze remained fixed on Lucifer, his expression one of skepticism as he observed Lucifer's sudden bout of overconfidence. Abruptly, the smile faded from Lucifer's face.
With unexpected force, Lucifer shoved Daniel, propelling him several meters backward.
"Wha—", Daniel began, bewildered by the sudden and inexplicable aggression. His words faltered as his eyes widened, registering the bizarre scene unfolding before him. Lucifer stood impaled by the Enforcer's scythe, the blade penetrating his abdomen.
The Enforcer's words resonated, almost casually dismissive, "Aimed for one, got another. No matter."
Lucifer's left hand clutched the scythe's blade, a grim determination etched upon his face. Despite the devastating injuries—lungs punctured, ribs shattered, bones broken—Lucifer's grip remained unyielding.
"Lucifer!" Daniel's scream reverberated through the air, his previous apprehension replaced by genuine concern. While he had once harbored conflicting emotions towards Lucifer, the sight of him in such a dire state stirred only fear and worry.
"Worry not, dear Daniel. Your time will come soon. Let me just get rid of this kid," the Enforcer's voice oozed with sadistic delight, a malevolent smile playing upon his lips. The bone-clad figure reveled in the prospect of claiming two sought-after souls in one fell swoop.
However, the Enforcer remained oblivious to the impending surprise that lay in wait.
"Kid? Look again." A deep, chilling voice emanated from Lucifer, its resonance causing even the Enforcer to shudder involuntarily. The Enforcer turned its attention towards Lucifer, only to be met by a pair of crimson eyes, their intense glow fixed upon him.
In an instant, the Enforcer's heartbeat, a flickering flame within its chest, began to wane. A sense of dread washed over the Enforcer as an unseen force seemed to diminish the fire within it, extinguishing it bit by bit. And then, a sudden burst of energy—
.
.
.
"Argh! Dammit!", anger erupted from a figure clad in a cloak, rising from a chair that bore a resemblance to a throne made of bones. Frustration and disbelief mingled in his voice.
"Why?"
"How?"
"How is he there?" The voice, cold as ice and dripping with malevolence, resounded from the darkness, standing amidst a pool of blood.
"WHY IS LUCIFER ALIVE!?"
"…"