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墨書 Inktalez
They were all somewhat fatigued. The recent burst of red light could have killed an ordinary person if they had been present. The existence of this red light seemed like an inexplicable mystery; its structure was still difficult to discern. Therefore, they decided not to linger any longer. They had no idea how long it would take before casualties might occur again. Each of them was in poor condition, and the return journey was fraught with danger, so they could not afford to waste any more time.
Taking advantage of the relatively cool weather, they hurried back.
"Let's go; if we don't leave now, it will be too late."
Seeing Ross still gazing at the red light, it was clear that the glow had weakened considerably. Perhaps there would come a time when it would flare up again. This was the location of the Light Colonization System, and everything here depended on its main component, the Heart, to sustain itself. If it were to disappear, everything present would vanish along with it, including them. The area would likely collapse, leading to the extinction of the creatures inside. Some powerful beings might escape down the mountain and wreak havoc, but such an outcome would be even worse. After all, Parasite Beasts at an Apocalyptic Level were extremely rare at the foot of the mountain.
Globally, there might be only five such creatures, which was already a rarity. In the inland areas, there were no rivals for them. Apart from two located in the distant Arctic and Antarctic regions, three others existed: one ruled the ocean as a marine predator, another lived in a tropical rainforest near a volcano and served as its guardian, relying on limestone cooled by lava for sustenance—naturally unable to stray far from the volcano's mouth—and a third resided in the terrifying desert known as the Lost Ancient Tower.
Inland areas lacked any creatures capable of suppressing these beasts, so humanity had always been cautious not to disrupt the environmental order here. Otherwise, if that order collapsed, chaos would ensue below. There were concerns about insects and the newly emerging Insectoids, along with numerous Parasite Beasts lurking hungrily; all of these posed enough trouble that losing a few wouldn't matter much.
However, if these beasts were to wipe out most of the local fauna and invade human territory for slaughter, those who had initially come here to disrupt order would surely regret their actions when faced with their last desperate chance for survival. Thus, they wouldn’t dare take action here; even if they had to drag Ross away, they knew he might still want to do something reckless.
Yet who knew that Ross wouldn’t wait for urging? He had already turned around and slipped through the entrance.
Before anyone else could react, Freyr shook his head and gestured, "Alright, let’s not dwell on that; let’s get out first. We can talk once we’re outside." He shook his head vigorously and sighed heavily.
The others shrugged indifferently and followed suit into the entrance.
With their combined efforts, they retraced their steps back along the previous path. It wasn’t particularly complicated; they just delayed a bit longer than expected. It seemed quite troublesome at times as they encountered some persistent issues along the way. Those deadly Plant Legions nearly wiped them out completely. Fortunately, everyone reacted quickly enough to escape in time; speed was essential. Although there were many of them in the Plant Legion,
they were ultimately tethered by roots behind them. Once they reached a certain Ultimate level, they had to move on; while they could defend against intruders within their range, they couldn’t handle those beyond it. This realization allowed them to escape but left them battered and bruised. Their path became one tangled with thorns; many cuts marred their bodies as they pressed on through this thorny route. Thankfully, ahead lay a clear path leading down the mountain.
The way back was somewhat difficult, echoing an old saying: it's easy to go up the mountain, but hard to come down. At this moment, they were facing the wind, and the path below had already been challenging; going down was even more daunting. They certainly couldn't take the well-designed roads meant for travelers—those would be a death sentence.
These treacherous paths increased the likelihood of encountering enemies, which was indeed the case. They continued their descent, walking for what felt like an entire night. There was no hope of finding a warm tree hollow to rest in; their only thought was to leave this place as quickly as possible.
With that mindset, they trudged on without counting the distance. They felt the darkness close in twice, but on the third occasion, they finally returned to the interior of the Black Forest. It wasn't a time for celebration yet; there were still several kilometers ahead of them. The creatures they encountered on the mountain were now less daunting compared to the charming little bugs and reptiles below, but that was merely a superficial difference. A single snake could easily send them to their demise.
Relock had the weakest constitution among them; he had been physically carried down from the mountain by Freyr. As a bodyguard, he had originally accepted the possibility of dying for his master, and he had prepared himself for that fate. However, Freyr kept insisting that he wouldn't die, and abandoning companions was not something a Commander should do.
This made it inconvenient for him to lead others in the future. The group around him would not trust him; disunity could stem from just a few words. He understood this well, which is why he acted decisively in certain matters.
As long as one didn't deliberately seek death, survival was imperative—even if it meant dying on someone's back, their body should at least be buried in a place where humans lived. That was a basic respect for life.
"Just a bit further; we're almost there. Then we can find a place to settle down and rest," Freyr whispered.
The nearby path had become slightly easier to navigate. However, Freyr leaned on a wooden staff, breathing heavily as they walked. Each of them bore varying degrees of injuries, and at this point, they were utterly exhausted, naturally letting their guard down. But they certainly weren't foolish enough to allow a snake to follow them.
Relock had the best vision in the team; any slight rustle would make everyone stop in their tracks, so each person's heart raced as they moved forward.
After navigating through various awkward situations, they finally emerged from the outskirts of the Black Forest. This mission had proven exceedingly difficult; even military-grade or imperial-level Hunter Teams could not guarantee returning unscathed. It was likely that anyone who ventured in would come back with at least some skin peeled away. Upon reaching the entrance they had used to enter Black Forest, they found their conspicuous markers still intact.
They pushed the vehicle out and all climbed inside.
After resting for a moment, they took out the Medical Kit for some basic treatment and then replenished themselves with plenty of protein and food. At times like these, eating was one of the few ways to relieve stress. Once they finished eating, they turned the vehicle around and left the borders of Black Forest behind them.
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