After entering the Greenland Great Forest, it seemed as if the heat from the outside world was completely absorbed by the boundless expanse of forest, causing the temperature to drop sharply. An eerie and ominous presence struck them head-on, and even the relentless sunshine suddenly seemed a bit pale through the narrow strip of sky above the avenue, creating an indescribable sense of oppression.
Huge ancient trees that reached the clouds stood straight and tall like two massive dark walls flanking both sides of the road. Everyone felt the various strange and inexplicable oddities hidden within the Greenland Forest.
Although the Greenland Great Forest is only about two hundred li deep, the road from Busen Plain to the Leon Region is not a straight avenue, due to the topography and terrain. Instead, it meanders around a vast ice lake within the forest before reaching the Nissai River Crossing.
This primordial forest, vast and desolate, had for hundreds of years been a place no one dared to traverse outside the avenue. Three hundred years ago, the avenue was gradually formed by the king of the Kingdom of Nicosia in his quest to conquer the Leon Region. It started as a rugged trail and was steadily widened, repaired, and enhanced over twenty years until its rough completion, resulting in the road as it is today.
Although this avenue wasn't particularly lively, it was after all a passage connecting the Leon Region and other parts of the Homer region. Normally, there would still be some merchant travel on it. However, with the emergence of Magical Beasts across the Blue Continent, the Greenland Great Forest had become a paradise for them. Even after unprecedented extermination efforts by the Church of Light in collaboration with other powers of the Continent, the forest remained a haven for Magical Beasts.
As time went on, however, the dangers posed by the Magical Beasts gradually decreased, and the number and variety of Magical Beasts within the Greenland Great Forest significantly reduced. But this was only apparent on the surface. As for what mysteries lay deep within the Greenland Forest, no one had ventured deep enough to find out. Still, it was a fact that the number of Magical Beasts appearing on this road had drastically diminished.
This also significantly impacted the utility of the road and was one of the main reasons why the Leon Region and the further southern Caucasus Region became some of the poorest and most desolate areas of the Homer Province.
With the development of the port in the eastern side of the Leon Region and the final completion of the Nissai River dredging project, water transport became the main channel for cargo transportation in the Leon Region. This road had almost fallen into disuse, as nearly all merchants and cargo shifted to water routes, either transferring goods to the Nissai River over land or directly by sea.
Of course, no matter which route was used, water transportation was slow, and especially the active pirates in the eastern seas of the Leon Region posed a significant risk. Many valuable goods and time-sensitive shipments still opted for this road.
The dense chill in the air seemed to rob the sunshine of its power. Although the two knights had traversed this road before, they had not felt such violent and cold breaths that even a layman could sense during their last journey years ago. They had no way of knowing where this aura originated from. Aside from warning their temporary companions to stay alert, all the two could do was pray for the blessing of the God of Light.
"Morssen, what's going on today? Why do I keep feeling so restless? This beast is the same, as if something is about to happen," the steed beneath him was getting uneasy, spinning in place, and despite the firm restraint by its rider, it still appeared anxious.
"Don't be nervous, Peter. You've been through countless missions, are you still nervous about such a simple task?" His companion, who was riding alongside him, let a slight sneer cross his lips as his dark gilded mask covered the upper half of his face tightly, only a pair of bright eyes revealing a trace of playful ridicule.
"Damn it! I'm not nervous because of the mission, but because it feels like something unusual is going to happen. Don't you notice that?"
The one called Peter was dressed in full knight's gear, with a pitch-black cloak obscuring most of his body, and a sharp Knight Spear slung in a deerskin holster at the horse's belly. Like his companion, his face was partially obscured by a mas,k, but his was of a strange bluish-gray color that seemed to be carved from some special kind of wood.
The conversation between the two knights reached the ears of another knight who had been standing at the forefront, dressed in the same iron grey uniform, with a matching cloak and a black, lightless mask. The only slight difference was the emblem on his chest that marked his distinction from the other two.
This was a silver, hollowed-out emblem, depicting an angel pierced through the heart by an arrow. The fine carving captured the angel's pain, despair, and unwillingness to die at the moment of death. If any warrior or knight on the Continent saw this emblem, they would know it represented the infamous mutant group on the Blue Continent—the Fallen Knights.
Peter's intuition was always precise, and he too clearly sensed the various strange auras hidden within the forest. The leading Fallen Knight was not afraid, as he was accustomed to danger and crises. However, the indistinct origin of these auras unsettled him. Could they be related to his current mission? A faint sense of foreboding crept into his mind.
Three miles away, Komer and his companions also quickened their pace. Almost everyone felt the abnormality in the forest; the sky seemed to darken. Strange sounds occasionally emanated from the surrounding forest, and if one listened carefully, it appeared as though there was nothing there. This only added to the knights' worry.
The horse hoofs and carriage wheels sounded exceptionally piercing on the gloomy path. Another wail, like one echoing from deep within the ground, came from the depths of the forest on the right. The sound was much clearer than before. The silent, indifferent knight's expression changed slightly as he quickly said to his comrade, "Green, this isn't good. That sounds like the cries of Magical Beasts, and it seems to be coming from a group of them!"
Their expressions abruptly transformed, almost simultaneously sensing danger. The seemingly indifferent knight could no longer contain his anger and shouted, "Hurry, a large group of Magical Beasts are coming this way!" No sooner had his words faded than he spurred his horse into a frantic gallop ahead.
No sooner had the knight's voice reached their ears than the two knights surged forward. Komer and his group immediately knew the severity of the situation. They whipped their horses and charged along the avenue. The servants, too, lashed their horses fiercely, following closely behind the swarm of knights rushing to escape.
Komer could now feel the waves of magic power oscillating from the distant forest. It was an intriguing sensation. He found that he did not resist the magic power emanating from the alien Magical Beasts; on the contrary, there was a comforting allure to it, stirring excitement and anticipation in his heart. This surprised and alarmed Komer.
He could not explain why he harbored such feelings toward the magic power of Magical Beasts that were generally regarded as highly dangerous, why he felt an expectant attraction, and even a sense of compatibility.
But there was no time for him to ponder. The breath and roars of the beasts from the depths of the forest were now echoing in his ears, the air thick with a trace of blood enveloping the land.
"What on earth is happening? Why are so many Magical Beasts rushing at us? Are they targeting us?" Ilot blurted out his barrage of questions, his pale face showing he had no preparation for this sudden turn of events.
Magical Beasts, an unknown number and variety, how come these eerie creatures appeared exactly on their path? Was this some sort of divine punishment? Ilot, who never believed in godly retribution, felt bewildered.
"Enough, Ilot, stop cursing our fate. We've encountered it, and it might be our bad luck, having run into a migration of Magical Beasts!"
The intense longing inside Komer became more pronounced. He could distinctly feel the burning sensation from the Strange Crystal Stone pressed against his chest. It was as if a special thought or memory suddenly filled his mind, a series of vague scenes swirling but not making any clear sense.