22 Chapter 22: Bad luck or a curse?

In the darkest depths of the great forest, a group of 20 well-equipped men and women, clad in plate and leather armor, moved silently. Adorning their chests was the symbol of a majestic unicorn, behind which glowed a sunburst.

Leading the group was a man in full plate armor, mounted on a brown horse, his round steel shield and steel sword at the ready.

"Commander Eryndor, the mage says it's time. We should camp soon, and the men are tired and hungry," a soldier spoke from behind.

Commander Eryndor, a seasoned warrior with a rugged and weathered appearance, had broad shoulders and a muscular build. Along with his chiseled jawline and piercing blue eyes that seemed to see straight through a person's soul, his hair was tied back in a ponytail, revealing a scar on his forehead that he earned in a battle long ago.

Eryndor glanced back at his unit; most of them had tired and sleepless faces. It was evident that they were dragging their feet, struggling to continue. Not that he could blame them; he understood their exhaustion all too well, for he shared in their weariness.

For the past two weeks, by order of their king, they had journeyed through the most dangerous and treacherous part of the great forest. Dangerous and powerful monsters live and dominate this part of the forest. Merely approaching its borders meant certain doom, for none who had ventured too close had ever returned.

The true nature of the monsters that resided within remained a mystery. Yet, this was precisely why this part of the great forest had become the focus of their mission. Inaccessible to most races, no kingdom or empire bothered to watch or guard it.

If you're lucky enough, you can infiltrate three out of the five kingdoms that share a border with the Great Forest. Because of this, the kingdom of Avaloria formed a special unit of 20 talented individuals, backed by three years of preparation and a significant investment. Magic played a crucial role in their preparations.

The reason this mission took so long was to craft special crystal orbs. Gathering the necessary ingredients and resources had cost the kingdom of Avaloria a staggering 30% of its treasury. These crystal orbs were the key to their successful infiltration of the deep forest without detection by the monsters.

Two of these orbs were held by the mages of the unit. One orb possessed the ability to create a sphere of silence around it, allowing the unit to move without worrying about sound, a crucial advantage for heavily armored soldiers and their horses. The other orb served a similar function but focused on masking scents, an essential defense against monsters that tracked their prey by smell.

Commander Eryndor gave the order to set up camp and rest for the day. The soldiers immediately began their tasks, setting up tents and starting a fire for cooking. However, they knew that the fire could only be used for a few minutes, as the risk of revealing their presence to the creatures lurking in the forest was too great.

Eryndor watched his men diligently working, fully aware that they were risking their lives for the good of the kingdom; he felt pride and honor for leading this group.

'This mission must succeed,' Eryndor thought to himself, his eyes shifting towards the crystal orbs. 'Too much time and money has been invested in it. But...'

Despite the fact that the orbs have proven to be useful, they still have one major flaw: time.

The "silence" orb could only be used for a maximum of four hours a day, requiring a lengthy recharge period of 20 hours. It was this limitation that prolonged what should have been a four-day journey into a two-week ordeal.

Four hours of marching and spending the rest of the time on high alert, with no fire, less sleep, and no movement of any kind Basically, Eryndor and his unit were walking on eggshells without breaking them or making a noise.

Fortunately, the "scent" orb fared better, requiring only two hours to recharge. The trained soldiers had learned how to cover their scent to some extent, making this limitation more manageable.

Eryndor found a moment's respite, resting against a tree. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and he peered intently in a specific direction. He stood up, taking a few steps while gazing at the sky. His men, familiar with his heightened senses as a war veteran, observed his behavior. His second-in-command approached him and asked

"Commander, is something wrong?"

Eryndor ignored him and kept focusing his senses. Suddenly, a high-speed sound ripped through the air, catching the attention of the entire unit. The noise immediately put them on high alert, knowing that any sound could attract the monsters. Eryndor concentrated his sight on the source of the sound and soon discerned its nature.

"...Is that a mace?" he asked in confusion.

"What do you see, Commander?"

"Hmm?... I can see a mace covered in a strange, dark-red energy heading straight for us at an extraordinary speed," Eryndor relayed in detail what he was seeing right now.

'...Damn, that speed is on a whole new level. I wonder how strong I should be to throw it at that speed.'

"Aaaa! Commander?"

"Yes"

"You said, 'Heading straight for us.' Yes?"

"..." Eryndor glanced at the man beside him, and soon he opened his eyes in shock, realizing something dangerous.

"Shit!"

Without hesitation, he turned to his men and started sprinting towards the crystal orbs. His soldiers were stunned by their commander's sudden change in demeanor; they saw a look of shock and worry on his face.

Unfortunately..

BOOOM!

Eryndor's speed was not enough to avoid disaster. The mace descended upon the campsite like a meteor, creating a colossal crater that resembled a spider's web. The shock-waves from the impact threw everyone off balance, and that was the cause of something far more destructive.

The mage entrusted with the 'Silence' orb fell to the ground and lost his grip on the orb. He tried to cast a spell to suspend the orb mid-air, but panic overtook him, causing his spell to fail, and raw mana surged towards the orb, making it bounce even farther.

Eryndor watched in slow motion as the crystal orb hit the solid ground. He knew the dire consequences that would follow if the crystal were damaged in any way.

"No!... No!... Nooo!"

Inside the crystal orb is a high concentration of mana, and what will happen if that mana finds a leak?

BOOOOOOOM!

In the deepest and darkest part of the great forest, a colossal explosion ripped through the air, shaking the earth and toppling trees. Eryndor and his soldiers were thrown off their feet, struggling to regain their balance amidst the aftermath. As the dust settled, Eryndor realized they had unwittingly triggered something catastrophic.

"Shit! Shit!" Eryndor cursed, the words barely audible over the persistent ringing in his ears. "We need to move now!" he shouted to his troops, urgency lacing his voice.

ROOOAAARRR.

A thunderous roar echoed throughout the forest, intensifying the soldiers' fear and quickening their hearts.

"FAST!" Eryndor yelled

They swiftly scrambled to their feet and sprinted forward, their gazes fixed ahead, refusing to look back at the devastation caused by the orb. The roar grew louder and closer, fueling their already panicked hearts with more fear. They didn't know what kind of creature could make such a sound, and they weren't going to stick around and find out.

As they ran, the forest seemed to come alive around them, trees bending and twisting as if they were reaching out to snatch them. Unsettling whispers filled the air, and Eryndor sensed a malevolent presence lurking within the shadows. They were being hunted, and their only chance of survival lay in relentless forward motion.

"No! No! Ugghh! AHHHH!" Suddenly, one of Eryndor's men was snatched up into the air, screaming in terror as a creature's massive clawed hand closed around him.

The rest of the soldiers kept running, knowing there was no hope of saving their comrade. The creature let out a deafening roar, and Eryndor could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

'...Is this bad luck or a curse? Why now, when we are so close on getting out... Damn it!'

"Keep moving!" he yelled. "We can make it!"

***

Unbeknownst to Aron, his brief dramatic scene with the iron mace had caused three years of meticulous preparation and over 30% of Avaloria's treasury to be thrown out the window. This would inflict severe damage upon the kingdom, and it would spark serious changes in the kingdom out of desperation.

And when the king receives the news that his plans were smashed by one stupid little mace, he will react badly, placing a substantial bounty and mobilizing all his spies and connections in a relentless pursuit to find the owner of the iron mace.

So, Aron will be on top of the murder list of the king of Avaloria. If Aron were aware of the whole kingdom hunting him, he might have considered it an honor, and probably he would go directly to the king and introduce himself and thank him for the opportunity.

What opportunity? Well, more opponents to fight and kill, a chance to get stronger, and knowing Aron, he would get excited by that and wouldn't miss the chance. If he knew about it, of course.