Elven Forest

Unfortunately, Reyn and Heyla still have to stay there and can't come along. They will both return on the night before the Moon Festival begins. The journey is still long, even though they are already in the land of the elves. It still takes a day to arrive in front of the kingdom. Not to mention they have to find that secret place through the map given by the village head.

Glok didn't ask Reyn and Heyla about it because not all elves know where that place is. They know the place exists, but they are forbidden to search for it. According to the elders, that place is only given to those who are truly trustworthy even among the elves themselves, because nearby, there are the graves of their ancestors. The elf nation is the most obedient to their customs, so that place is already like a forbidden sacred place.

However, the map from the village head is not very clear either, only giving a few signs in some places they need to search to reach that place. But, it's been over three hours of walking, and Glok still hasn't found the sign they're looking for, a large rock among the trees. It should be easy to spot such a big rock, but for some reason, the deeper they go, the harder it is to see sunlight through the dense trees, and they only get illumination from the mushrooms and beautiful flowers in various bright colors, like a lamp.

"Are you sure we're on the right track, Glok?" Teena asked, continuously observing the surroundings, alert by the sudden change in the gloomy atmosphere.

Glok looked at the map once again, trying to figure out if he missed something. "I'm sure we're on the right track. The big rock should be here, where we are now."

"Maybe the map is wrong?" Rako asked, also examining the map.

Glok's heart stung a little at the suggestion, knowing that his father had made a mistake. "No, I'm sure this is correct. The map can't be wrong. Father wouldn't overlook even the smallest detail," he replied, a bit too loud, surprising Rako, who forgot that Glok really disliked hearing someone speak ill of his father.

He vividly remembered how he had dealt with some senior students for besmirching the village head's name. Glok's gaze at that time wasn't the Glok they knew. It was a terrifying and murderous figure.

If it hadn't been for the intervention of the teachers, those seniors might have lost their lives.

Glok walked forward, growing more frustrated with the map in his hands. In his mind, he kept imagining how people would view his father if he failed this task. Not only failing to obtain the blessing but also failing to save a person's life. He didn't want his father's reputation tarnished because of him. Moreover, he didn't want to fail to save the one who had saved his life.

"Argh! Where exactly—"

Before he could finish speaking, Glok's face collided with something so hard that his nose stung with pain. He held it, trying to hold back tears, and saw a large rock, much bigger than he had anticipated.

"Everyone! I found the rock!" Glok exclaimed joyfully.

They approached, marveling at the towering rock, its top obscured by foliage. Somehow they hadn't been able to find this large rock earlier, even though it should have been visible from afar. And the gloomy atmosphere returned, slowly creeping over them, instilling a growing sense of fear.

They all became alert, gripping their sword handles while scanning their surroundings. They didn't know what they were looking for, but they were ready to face whatever came their way.

For reasons unknown to them, the forest gradually darkened with each fading light. The air suddenly turned cold, piercing, making every hair stand on end, trying to retain the warmth within. They could feel their heartbeats quickening, each breath growing heavier. Moments that should have felt fleeting now stretched out, seemingly endless.

Something emerged from behind the trees, moving so swiftly that it was difficult to catch with the naked eye. They could only see a white silhouette accompanied by a strange echoing sound that sent shivers down their spines.

"Prepare to defend yourselves!" commanded Glok, who was also ready with his large sword. Now, he wasn't just relying on his bare hands like when facing the lizards; he wouldn't let another monster overpower him.

The knights readied themselves, lifting their shields to ward off attacks and prepare for counterattacks.

When the white silhouette reappeared, the knights, who were previously prepared, were taken aback as they saw the silhouette goes through them. The piercing cold air could be felt throughout their bodies, causing them to tremble uncontrollably. Some of them fell, kneeling on the ground with their swords as support.

Glok sighed in frustration, not expecting another monster with peculiar attributes like the lizards. If this continued, they wouldn't stand a chance to strike back and would only repeat the previous events.

Therefore, Glok stepped forward, channeling mana into his sword blade and assuming a stance, ready to attack. They just needed to wait for the white silhouette to appear again, and then—

"Got you!"

The sword swung forward, creating a sharp, greenish mana blade that continued to move until it struck a tree, shattering it. Unfortunately, the speed of the white silhouette increased, catching Glok off guard. He felt the cold air spreading as the silhouette goes through his body. He struggled to hold on, refusing to kneel, not in front of his subordinates. Glok had to remain strong to uphold the morale of the others, and as a leader, he had to be the last one to fall.

He gritted his teeth, trying to withstand the cold air that felt like thousands of knives slicing through every muscle and flesh. Though slowly, Glok hoped the spread would move faster because the longer he held it, the more pain he felt. Cold vapor could be seen with each breath, especially with his chest feeling tight, continuously gasping for air. Glok's movements also became slower than usual.

Seeing this, Teena reluctantly released her magic from the iron Construct and ordered the remaining mages to take her place. She hurried over, casting a healing spell on Glok, which only made him groan in pain. Quickly, she stopped, puzzled by her lover's reaction. "Glok? What's wrong?"

Glok tried to shake his head. "I don't know. What's certain is that healing magic won't be useful for now. It seems like the white silhouette has something that can turn healing magic into attack magic," he explained, his breath heavy.

Frost began to form at the ends of his hair, frightening Teena, who didn't want to lose Glok. She thought hard, trying to unearth information about the elven forest that might harbor creatures with the same criteria as their current opponent.

Just as her eyes opened, finding something, the white silhouette charged again, heading towards Teena, who was quickly pushed aside by Glok. The goblin girl fell to the ground, watching as Glok groaned loudly in pain, his body visibly paling as cold vapor slowly emanated from him.

"Glok! Get the gem out!"

Thanks to Teena's shout, Glok gained additional energy to reach for the gem in his pants pocket and hold it high in the air. Instantly, the darkened forest brightened again, with the stone clearly visible behind them. The cold vapor disappeared, and his body warmed up once more. Glok's breathing also returned to normal, as if he had been given a second chance at life.

Teena rose to her feet, running towards Glok and holding his cheeks, checking if he was still injured or at risk of turning into ice. "Are you really okay? Let me know if you still feel cold," she urged, making Glok smile softly.

"No, I'm fine," Glok replied, squeezing Teena's hands. However, he suddenly stopped moving, frozen in place with wide eyes.

"Glok! Glok! What's wrong!?"

"Bwaa!"

Teena screamed loudly, while Glok burst into laughter and received a strong blow to his stomach, causing him to kneel on the ground while holding it. "Not funny," Teena retorted sharply before walking away to approach the large stone.

Rako approached, patting Glok's shoulder a few times. "You, seriously. Let's just continue the journey. Can you stand?" he said sarcastically, grinning and receiving a light punch on the shoulder.

"Hey, everyone! I found something!" Teena exclaimed.

"Even if I said no, you wouldn't help me stand," Glok replied, slowly rising to his feet while still holding his painful stomach.

"You know me so well, and you joke at the most inappropriate times."

"And whose teaching do you think that is?"

Rako just chuckled, accompanying Glok as they walked towards the stone as well.