Chapter 81: The Monarch of the Fifth Forest

Giant Encampment.

There were no signs of dwellings like huts or shacks. The reason was simple—they were just lying down and sleeping on the bare ground.

A few giants slumbered under the warm sunlight.

Around them, traces of campfires, as well as animal bones and hides, were scattered about.

Using the Golden Dragon Eye, I checked their information; they were just members of the Giant Tribe.

‘Where is the Lord of the Forest?’

I calmly scanned the Giant Encampment, but the giants in sight were all there was.

There was no one caught even by detection magic.

Wondering if they’d perhaps taken their forces to the Sixth Forest, I used Telepathy with the eagle.

[Check with the map from the tablet in the nest to see if the giants have invaded.]

[I don’t see anything?】

Was there a separate place where the Lord of the Fifth Forest resided?

‘Should I use the Eye of Bluecat?’

If I used the Sacred Relic, finding the Lord of the Forest wouldn’t be difficult.

It would immediately tell me the location.

“Hmm…….”

I could use Stage 2 of the Eye of Bluecat only once. To use the ability again, I’d need a sacrifice.

If there were no other issues in the Fifth Forest and only the Giant Tribe was present, I would’ve used it without hesitation.

But the forest wasn’t home to just the Giant Tribe.

The Black Order, that secret organization, was also involved.

Honestly, I wanted to just find the Lord, and then use the Sacred Relic to track down the Black Order.

‘Let’s look around a bit more, and if there’s nothing, I’ll just use it.’

For now, waiting here seemed like a waste of time. I decided to move and search for another encampment.

Using Silence Magic to erase my footsteps, I climbed the mountain range toward where the Wyvern King was hiding.

As I entered a gap between stone mountains, the Wyvern King, who’d been waiting deep within, approached me.

[Did you find it?]

“No. Doesn’t seem like it’s here, so I thought I’d look elsewhere.”

[Is there a possibility the giants might be staying inside this mountain?]

I tilted my head at the Wyvern King’s words.

“Inside the mountain?”

[Yes.]

“Why?”

[I have rather sensitive senses, so I’m really good at detecting the flow of wind and air.]

The Wyvern King boasted, twitching his nose.

“So?”

[I can feel the outside air flowing down here. I think there’s a space beneath us where the air moves.]

A secret space made inside the mountain range.

“Isn’t it just air slipping through a crack?”

[No. I’m certain there’s a space of enormous size.]

At the Wyvern King’s confident claim, I entered the crack and used detection magic.

Not just spreading out mana vaguely.

I shaped it into a single thread and focused my mind entirely on it.

Mana rode the current of air through the gap, sending back information.

Suddenly, the quickly moving mana vanished all at once.

‘…Hmm.’

There are two possible reasons for this.

Either there’s no space for mana to spread into, or a powerful Magic Circle blocks the detection magic.

“You’re sure there’s a space?”

[Without a doubt.]

“Then can you find an entrance?”

[Yes. But I need to look around the area a bit.]

“Let’s head out.”

I left the rocky mountain with the Wyvern King.

With his eyes closed, the Wyvern King began to sense the wind.

While he searched for a path,

I cast camouflage magic to keep our location hidden.

If we didn’t move, we’d blend in with the surroundings.

‘I should try to get stealth or polymorph abilities too.’

That would boost our mobility.

We wouldn’t have to sneak around like this all the time.

[I found it.]

The Wyvern King opened his eyes and stared in the direction of the Giant Encampment.

He stuck his neck out, pointing with his snout.

[That way.]

“Where the giants are?”

[Yes. There’s an entrance over there.]

So those giants weren’t guarding an encampment, but rather acting as gatekeepers for the entrance to a secret passage?

With the Wyvern King, I descended the stony slope and watched the giants from a spot with a clear view.

‘…They’re pretending to sleep.’

They weren’t simply eating and sleeping at the encampment, but were feigning sleep to lower the guard of any possible intruders.

What I hadn’t seen when I glanced casually before,

Now, after the Wyvern King’s comment, I could see it all.

‘Should I really put them to sleep?’

Even with the giants’ high Magic Resistance, if I was determined, I could probably make them sleep.

But I couldn’t predict what might happen afterward.

With the Black Order as a third party involved, I had to doubt everything and remain cautious.

“There aren’t any secret passages, are there?”

[There is another path.]

“Then let’s take that one.”

If we charged in the front only to find it led nowhere, we’d just be exposing our presence.

If there was another way, it was better to use that.

I followed the Wyvern King as he climbed the mountain ridge again. Going over the ridge and down the other side, I found several cracks just big enough for a person to squeeze through.

The Wyvern King pointed at one of them after checking several.

[It’s in here.]

“It’s hard for you to get in, so I’ll go alone. Return to the Dragon Lair and wait there.”

[Understood!]

I opened a Portal to send the Wyvern King back, then moved into the crack.

The entrance, where there was light, was visible enough.

But as I went deeper, the light vanished, and I couldn’t see the path.

‘Dark Eye.’

I used an adaptation magic to see clearly even in total darkness.

Moving along the path as if it were well-lit,

The passage narrowed as I went further.

It became so tight that I had to crawl along the floor to get through. After going deeper, I reached a small hole.

There.

At that moment, two conflicting thoughts crossed my mind.

If I’d come this far and found nothing, it would truly mean there was nothing.

But since I’d come all this way, should I at least check behind that hole once?

‘Let’s not rule it out.’

Better to check everything and be sure, than to leave something unknown behind.

Using Grid Magic, I made the area around the hole and the floor slippery.

Then I slid right through the hole.

Whoosh!

On the other side, a chilly breeze hit me. At the same time, a massive cave came into view.

The tunnel itself was enormous.

Big enough for the Giant Tribe to move around comfortably.

For now, I hid myself nearby.

Once I was sure I was hidden, I took in the surroundings again.

‘Plenty of stalactites.’

Good for moving while staying concealed.

Right now, I was just in one of the passageways, so there wasn’t much to learn yet.

I’d have to move around to gather more information.

“…is it really… there?”

“…confirmed it… I think it should be fine…….”

Voices echoed faintly from afar.

Soon after, people in Black Hoods appeared. They carried Lanterns with lit candles inside.

Two in front, two behind.

Four in total walked into the depths of the enormous tunnel.

“But what will we do about the Sixth Forest? It seems to have been taken over by the Lord of the Seventh Forest.”

“For now, I believe the plan is to leave it be.”

“Then where are we going to get the missing Inner Cores…….”

“I heard they were lucky enough to acquire a few from the Kingdom. They’re going to finish the research with those.”

An unclear conversation among them.

‘Black Order, huh.’

By chance, the lanterns lit up their faces. A middle-aged man with blonde hair and a beard, and a young man with blue hair.

I watched their backs as they faded into the distance and used the Golden Dragon Eye.

[Activating Golden Dragon Eye.]

[Black Order Priest Tens (S)]

• A priest serving the Bishop of Greed.
• Excited.
• Overall Stats: A
• Potential: A
• Items: Blood Cross (S).
• Skills: Demon Summoning (S), Corruption (A)… Black Contractor (A), Mind Control (A).

The middle-aged, bearded man was a Priest.

The young man beside him was a Knight.

A Black Knight of the Black Order.

He had the same stats as the Priest, but every Swordsmanship Skill he had was ranked S—a testament to his skill.

‘They said they were conducting research, right?’

From the vague conversation, that was the only thing I could understand.

Looking in the direction they’d gone, I used detection magic.

As my sense expanded, the information of the invisible cave flowed into my mind.

This time, nothing blocked me.

It spread out smoothly, expanding.

The detection magic passed by the four people on the move and reached a dead end.

A moment later,

As the four arrived at the dead end, a door opened, revealing a new space.

‘…Can’t see.’

Once again, something blocked me and the detection magic couldn’t sense beyond.

I’d have to go check myself.

Turning my attention to where the Black Order had come from, I used detection magic again to see if anyone was approaching.

Fortunately, no one was coming.

I followed the path the four had taken, prepared to use magic for battle if needed.

Soon I reached the place where detection magic no longer worked.

A dead-end wall.

‘Magic.’

I focused on the strange energy emanating from the wall. I could see a Magic Circle and the type of spell inscribed there.

It was possible because illusions and mental manipulation didn’t work on me.

I quickly analyzed the Magic Circle.

A complex Magic Circle with multiple effects.

[With Blessing of Magic (EX), you comprehend the principles and structure of the Illusory Entrance magic.]

[Your understanding of magic is extremely high.]

[Your understanding of attributes is average.]

[Adjusting rank.]

[You have acquired Illusory Entrance (S).]

A magic that makes something appear where there’s nothing, and prevents exploration with mana.

By understanding the structure, I could break through it.

I quickly devised a sight-enhancement spell that could see beyond the Illusory Entrance.

Buzz!

I focused mana into my eyes.

Using magic to erase illusions like Dark Eye,

‘I see it.’

The space beyond the illusion spell appeared before me.

A White Sanctuary.

A sanctuary holding the Fifth Tablet.

Inside, several people wearing black hoods, goggles, and masks moved about.

Strange mechanical devices were set up everywhere.

‘Giant?’

A giant lay collapsed to one side.

Patches of skin had been peeled from his body, and entire thumbs and index fingers had been cut off.

One eye was gouged out, and members of the Black Order carried things that looked like tendons or veins.

‘They were researching the Giant Tribe?’

Frowning, I stared at the fallen giant. Suddenly, a powerful presence drew my gaze.

Inside a gigantic Flask.

In a container filled with green liquid.

Three adult men were each submerged.

Bubbling.

Of the three, the man in the center radiated an aura nearly equal to a corrupted Dragon.

[Activating Golden Dragon Eye.]

[Chimera (SS)]
A chimera into whom the Lord of the Fifth Forest’s giant traits have been implanted.

• Calm.
• Overall Stats: SS
• Potential: SSS
• Items: None.
• Skills: Subordination (SS), Enhancement (SS)… Strong Body (SS), Magic Resistance (SS).

What the Black Order was researching—

They were creating Chimeras.

Naturally, my eyes turned back to the collapsed giant.

[Activating Golden Dragon Eye.]

[Lord of the Fifth Forest Zeit (SS)]

What the hell were these bastards doing?