The Crimson Ghost Forest.
An uncharted area near the Imperial capital, it was originally a hunting ground for imperial family teeming with foxes and bears.
However, at some point, the exponential rise in ghostly apparitions drastically reduced human activity in the area.
Rather than sealing it off, the Imperial family repurposed it as a training ground for the Imperial Guards, and soon, visitors began to increase dramatically.
Warriors and magicians seeking to prove their skills flocked to the forest.
"Over there, block it! Hurry!"
"Aaaah! It's coming this way!"
"Raise your shields, you idiot!"
When people hear the name "Ghost Forest," they might imagine a quiet and eerie atmosphere.
In reality, it was filled with screams, groans, and desperate cries.
These were the cries of parties who had wandered into the forest unprepared and were now facing mortal danger.
Monsters classified as ghost-type were notoriously difficult to hunt.
Physical attacks were nearly ineffective, and magic damage only worked with specific types of spells.
The few who could fight these monsters effectively, such as priests and clergy, generally avoided the area, referring to it as a "cursed land of heretics," a cryptic warning that discouraged visits.
However, because the Crimson Ghost Forest was close to the capital and well-known, many people underestimated its danger.
As a result, there were many who entered unprepared, only to meet a tragic end.
This was why there were so many recently deceased bodies scattered throughout the forest.
Elric, who had been walking through the forest alone, had already come across more than ten corpses.
『Why are you perfectly fine, though?』
"That's a good question. Why has it been so quiet for me?" Elric scratched his cheek with his finger at Mephistopheles' question.
He had been walking through the forest for about an hour.
All around him, he could hear the wails of ghosts and the screams of people.
And yet, he hadn't encountered a single ghost himself.
Or rather, to be precise—
'They can't get close.'
Elric sensed that while the ghosts could detect his presence, they hovered at a distance, unable to approach him.
It was as if an invisible barrier kept them at bay.
Specters, banshees, ghosts...
Though these beings were generally devoid of emotion, Elric had a strong feeling that they were wary and afraid of him.
At that moment, as if to answer his question, a large shadow rippled.
Tsutsutsu—
Hehe. You don't honestly not know why, do you?
When Yu chuckled, a thick aura of malevolence emanated from it.
At that moment, the ghosts that had been lingering near Elric scattered in terror, their shrieks filling the air.
Kyaaaak!
Kikikik! Kikikik!
Elric furrowed his brows.
Ghosts, which were supposed to instill fear in the living, were instead the ones cowering in fear of him.
What was going on?
It seemed that even though the ghosts might have intended to attack him, they were sensing the demonic energy of the Demon King's spiritual form inside him and retreating in fear.
Even though Yu's spiritual form was a mere fragment of the Demon King's original power, its nature was something that lowly ghosts couldn't even hope to withstand.
"Hey, can't you just stay quiet for a bit? I've got a job to do here."
The problem was, while this might have been convenient for Elric, it wasn't necessarily a good thing.
This was because of the quest Elric had received for the third stage of his Magus Certification Exam.
—Collect at least 10 ghost essences.
When hunting ghost-type monsters, they would occasionally drop murky white stones.
These stones, made of the negative energy that made up the ghosts, were called Necromantic Stones. They were commonly used as experimental materials by magicians and sometimes for research into black magic, though Elric didn't know the exact details of their uses.
In any case, to collect 10 stones, he would need to kill about 100 ghosts... but at this rate, that wasn't going to be easy.
'I chose this because it seemed like the easiest quest. But at this rate, I won't be able to do anything.'
Elric had planned to use Dragon Tongue Magic to summon all the ghosts at once and freeze them with his Seal of Winter, so his frustration was mounting.
You know I'd help if I could, right?
But Yu's spiritual form simply replied with an unapologetic tone, as if it wasn't his fault.
And because it was true, Elric only grew more irritated.
Despite the fact that Yu's spiritual form was practically drooling at the thought of the ghosts, it wasn't doing much. Even without actively using its powers, its very presence was causing the ghosts to flee.
『Looks like he is not listening to you, huh?』
Mephistopheles giggled, fully aware of Elric's frustration.
『See? Didn't I warn you? I told you back then that accepting that thing wouldn't be good for your mental health. But you didn't listen, tsk tsk!』
A person with nothing but a shell talks a lot.
At that moment, Yu's spiritual form sneered mockingly.
Mephistopheles' eyebrow twitched.
『What did you say?』
Am I wrong? You used to act all high and mighty as the Demon King, and now even the ghosts are ignoring you. Kikikik!
『Ignored? They can't recognize my greatness! Ghosts are too insignificant to comprehend my power!』
Big words from a loser.
『You insolent—!』
Yu had pointed out that Mephistopheles was being ignored by even the ghosts, and now Mephistopheles was furiously ranting.
After leaving the God of Camellias, Elric had hoped things would finally quiet down, but now it was Yu and Mephistopheles bickering.
Elric realized that he had never seen anyone get along with Mephistopheles. At this point, he was starting to wonder if anyone could.
'Was Yu always this talkative?'
The thought crossed his mind, but Elric knew he needed to silence them both first.
If he didn't, the few ghosts that had avoided him so far would probably flee even further.
He needed to find a way to deal with them to collect the essences and find the "path" he was searching for.
'There's got to be a way...!'
Just then.
Kiiiiii!
A faint, eerie wail that sent shivers down Elric's spine reached his ears.
『Hmm? What's this?』
You found something tasty. Kikikik! Give it to me. Give it to me!
It was a cry fundamentally different from the usual wails of ghosts.
This one was infused with demonic energy.
And it was very thick.
Fwoosh!
Without looking back, Elric immediately amplified his mana and dashed toward the sound.
"Kyah! Elton! Get a hold of yourself, Elton!"
"Sophia! Cast the barrier! We're in danger—ugh!"
"Hurry up!"
"Damn it! What the hell is this mess?!"
As Elric got closer to the source of the demonic energy, the screams of people grew louder.
With his enhanced eyesight, Elric saw three people—two men and one woman—struggling with exhaustion as they fought against a ghost.
On the ground lay two corpses.
Fresh blood was still spilling from their wounds, and the survivors looked like they wouldn't last much longer.
'A Banshee Reaper, huh?'
A Banshee that had accumulated negative energy over a long period, allowing it to wield a weapon.
It was said that if someone was cut by the scythe it carried around its neck, the wound would scar their soul, not their body.
It was the kind of creature that only magicians of a certain level could defeat.
'But it should be deeper in the forest. Why is it here?'
More importantly.
'Why does it have demonic energy?'
While ghosts were considered non-human entities, they couldn't be classified as demons.
Ghosts lacked the self-awareness and intelligence of demons, which allowed demons to think and act independently.
So the fact that this ghost carried demonic energy could only mean one thing.
'Something's up!'
Elric, now aware of the reason why the Melvingers had become enemies of the non-human, knew that this situation was not to be taken lightly.
Especially considering that this creature might be near the location of Otto Han's rumored manor…!
"[Pierce]."
Just before the Banshee Reaper could strike down the survivors with its scythe, Elric leaped into action, activating Dragon Tongue Magic.
At his command, the air was filled with ice arrows.
At a glance, there were so many that anyone would be shocked.
Hundreds of arrows, at least.
"Huh!"
"What the…!"
The survivors were stunned.
The woman, dressed in a white robe that marked her as a priestess, was the first to react, shouting urgently.
"Ice arrows won't work! Physical attacks won't hurt that thing—!"
But before she could finish speaking, the arrows rained down on the Banshee Reaper.
Shing—
Thwack! Thwack!
The Banshee Reaper's body was riddled with holes.
"—Wait, what…?"
The woman's voice trailed off, her mouth agape.
The other survivors were equally shocked.
The once terrifying Banshee Reaper, who had claimed the lives of seven of their comrades, was now being helplessly torn apart.
The ghost seemed to be trying to resist.
It raised its scythe, attempting to block the ice arrows, but the ice arrows shattered the scythe like it was a fragile twig.
Eventually, the Banshee Reaper became so tattered that it could no longer regenerate.
Thwack!
The final arrow struck, shattering its head into pieces.
Tsutsutsu—
As the Banshee Reaper dissolved into dust and disappeared into the shadows, the survivors didn't have time to notice.
They could only stare blankly at Elric as he approached.
"Are you all right?"
"Th-thank you."
"You saved us…."
Overcome with relief, the survivors collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down their faces.
There was no distinction between men and women at that moment.
Meanwhile, Elric narrowed his eyes.
'As I thought… that wasn't just demonic energy.'
He realized that part of the demonic energy left behind by the Banshee Reaper was from a fragment of seal.
And it was a seal he recognized all too well.
'Seal of Winter.'
It seemed he had found the right path.
Elric was about to ask the survivors where they had encountered the Banshee Reaper when something caught his eye.
Their bags.
They were filled with various treasures and ancient books, carelessly thrown together without any organization.
It was clear to anyone that these were burial items looted from a tomb.
'So, that's how it is?'
Elric's eyes grew cold.
[T/L: You can read ahead chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]