chapter 89
Tegran poured out information.
When I asked a question, I continued to spit out related information.
All the secrets of <Forest that Sings Eternity> were contained in the raw, unrefined memories.
In the process of listening to it, Do-jin learned that what the Hawkes Kingdom was trying to do was not simply hunting fresh green noir.
What they wanted was to artificially create and rule powerful spirits comparable to the Spirit King.
【We knew very well that the King of Spirits was not a being that humans dared to touch. But what if you could make the already ruling spirit into a king?]
Tegran was curious, and the King was greedy.
When the interests of the two were established, the national plan was carried out.
The starting point was to achieve complete dominion over a powerful elemental.
【The King wanted perfect restraint and control. However, even if he did not know about the lower spirits, it was close to impossible to completely dominate the powerful spirits that had the potential to become the spirit king. What I made to overcome that was the Parallel Spirit Constraint.]
A plan to raise children with extremely high affinity for spirits from infancy only for the purpose of restraining and exercising control over the spirits.
【The tuning circuit that allows each other to share the burden is very unstable, so the survival rate of the test subject was low, but this was a problem that could be solved by injecting more test subjects. As a result, we were finally able to completely restrain and dominate the Great Spirit Dagne.]
Having obtained complete control over the powerful spirit, all that remains is to raise this spirit to the ranks of the spirit king.
[For the birth of the Spirit King, it was necessary to break the limits of being a spirit and become a higher-level being. Elemental power gathered step by step to evolve into a more powerful spirit. We call it ‘the key’. We decided to steal the keys of other spirits to speed up Dagne’s evolution.]
So what I was aiming for was Noah.
It was because Nua was also a powerful and old spirit enough to be called the Great Spirit, and it was thought that the power she had accumulated for evolution would be powerful.
He set out on a verdant hunt, believing that if he fed Dagne the key Nua had, that is, the huge spirit power, Dagne would be able to take one step closer to becoming the King of Spirits.
【We had victory right in front of us. However, a variable has arisen. The moment we cornered Noir, Dagne, who should end Noir’s breath, was out of our control.]
The reason is.
【It was because there was a risk of damage to number 782, the center of restraint that bears the greatest burden, if more force is used. The reason is unclear, but it appears that Dagne did not want 782 deaths.]
Then there was Noir’s counterattack.
The warriors of the expedition suffered tremendous damage, and Dagne was also mortally wounded.
【As a result, the expedition suffered damage close to destruction, and 113 parallel spirit restraints, including number 782, were also damaged. Dagne, freed from restraint, ran out of control, and in the process Nua was also fatally injured-]
In this part, Tegran stuttered as if there was an error.
It was a memory gap caused by Tegran’s death around this time.
Tegran returned to normal only when he moved on to memories after he became a wanderer in the forest.
【The strong spirit Noir’s grudge corrupted the forest. I wandered the forest, guided by Noir’s curse. At the same time, he was tormented by Noir’s resentful cries that continued to be heard. Noah is alive. I still don’t forget the grudge of that time in the center of the forest-]
Tegran convulsed again.
It was like someone who remembered something very frightening.
To feel fear of the subject who has lost his self.
It seemed that Noir’s cry, which he had heard while wandering through the forest, was painful.
Tegran, who was convulsing, was silent as if there were no more memories to vomit.
“… … .”
After hearing everything, the emotion Dojin felt was bittersweet.
No, bitterness was not enough to express the current feelings.
It was uncomfortable and uncomfortable, as if there was sand in the mouth.
‘It’s just normal and conceived… … .’
I remembered the look of the watchman whose name I couldn’t remember.
Is it true that part of the memories disappeared after becoming undead?
Wasn’t he choosing oblivion as a self-defense mechanism to forget his situation, which was made like an object, only for the purpose of dominating the spirits?
To a large extent, Dojin’s thoughts reached the correct answer.
“No. 782… All of my heart and allegiance to the Hawkes Kingdom that I remember was injected with brainwashing… … .”
The watchman muttered in shock.
On top of that, the figure of holding and eating the roughly made stew as if it were very precious was superimposed.
I wonder if they became affectionate while talking to each other and suffering together for a few days.
Dojin was angry and cursed.
‘sh*t.’
The watchman tore off the old pauldrons.
The clothes that have been worn for many years have already faded away, revealing her pure white shoulders.
The watchman showed Dojin the back of his shoulder, which he couldn’t see.
“… … .”
0782.
It had her classification number written on it.
‘Damn you bastards.’
Even with burn marks made with a hot iron.
“There is.”
Seeing Dojin’s reaction, the watchman laughed helplessly.
“I remember now. It’s futile. While wandering the forest alone, I endured with the feelings of Hoxes and the comrades who fought together in the forest… It was all an illusion.”
The watchman squeezed my shoulders.
“It’s okay though. Because everything is not a lie Children who were in the same situation as me. The kids who grew up with me were real.”
The watchman, no, number 782 faced the memories he had turned away from himself.
In order to forget the miserable reality, to defend his lonely situation, he was a weak self who hypnotized himself that he was a warrior of the king carrying out the king’s order, not elemental restraint number 782.
‘I’m sorry, guys.’
782 apologized.
Forgetting the real comrades who grew up together, suffered together, and died together.
‘I’m sorry, Dagune.’
I also apologized to Dagne.
Then number 782 was angry.
how can i forget Sisters, older brothers, younger sisters.
And Dagne, who sympathized with and loved us until the end even though he was restrained and dominated by humans.
‘I… I’ll take care of everything.’
Number 782 gritted its teeth.
The disgusting sham role of Hoxeth’s proud warrior was over.
But that doesn’t change what needs to be done.
I had to finish everything for the sake of the children and Dagne.
Even for the children who may be wandering in the forest unjustly at this moment.
782 wore the pauldrons again.
Come to think of it, this wasn’t my thing either.
He picked up someone else’s and wore it to imitate a warrior.
Number 782 looked at Dojin and said.
“thank god. You hit me hard earlier.”
“… I know.”
I didn’t have anything else to say.
Instead, Dojin tapped her on the shoulder.
I thought he was a strong and strong guy, but now I see that his shoulders are very small.
“Still, it hasn’t changed what I have to do. I want to restore the forest to its original state. Children who were in the same situation as me may be wandering in the forest.”
Dojin felt something surging in his chest.
“I will help you.”
Hatching eggs and all that was fine.
Quest reward?
The system will figure it out for you.
From now on, the most important goal is to just relieve this poor glutton.
With that in mind, Dojin looked at the silent Tegran and said.
“Did you say Noah was still alive? She is filled with resentment and continues to cry.”
Tegran affirmed.
“Is there a way to get to where Noua is? How to get to the heart of the forest.”
【We can hear the sound of Noir while wandering in the forest. We keep running out of the woods to get away from the sound. But Noah has no intention of letting us go. The shape of the forest continues to change, leaving us forever lost.]
“Running from the sound? That means that if you follow the sound you hear, you will reach the center of the forest where Noir is.”
【… Yes.】
The reason <Forest that Sings Eternity> is a labyrinth was not to make those who entered from the outside wander.
Noah, the owner of the forest, was making the forest into an ever-changing labyrinth in order to imprison the humans who made her like this forever.
“Then guide us. To where Noir is.”
The moment Dojin asked for it.
The light emitted from the egg wrapped around Tegran.
It’s as if he dominates him and makes him obey orders.
[quest]
What Jeong Ryeong-yong left behind
Class: Hidden
[I learned about the tragedy of the forest that sings of eternity.
Let’s put an end to this tragedy.
The reason is still unknown, but it seems that the egg left by the spirit dragon also wants it.]
Quest content has also been updated.
However, Dojin immediately removed the quest window.
‘It doesn’t matter if it’s a quest or something.’
Even if you tell me not to do it, do it.
Do-jin ordered Tegran, who was still reluctant to approach Nua and struggled.
“Take us to where Noua is.”
do that too You f*cking crazy old man.
* * *
Dojin and No. 782 headed to the place where Noir was with Tegran at the fore.
There were no monsters on the way.
All the monsters in <Forest that Sings Eternity> are those who try to escape Noir’s resentful crying.
There was no way those guys could approach the inside where Noir’s voice was getting stronger, so the way to go was bound to be empty.
【Ughgugguk… … !]
In the middle, Tegran’s soul convulsed and tried to run away in the opposite direction, but the spirit dragon’s egg held by Dojin exerted its power every time.
After going on and on, Dojin and No. 782 finally arrived at a place where everything was dry and there were no trees or grass.
There was only one beast there.
A deer lying on its stomach with fatal injuries to the extent that its neck and ribs were exposed.
“… Noah.”
It was fresh green noir.
Noir was roaring, licking the blood that flowed down like a waterfall.
However, Dojin did not hear that sound.
A desperate scream to be heard only by the sinners who tormented him.
But that’s just over here.
Noah, who was raising her head toward the sky, looked at Dojin.
-Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr … !
Noir dyed her eyes red with a bloody sound.
Wounded beasts become more timid and vigilant.
Noir regarded the unfamiliar humans who approached her nest and shelter as enemies.