Chapter – 134….
The Black Fang Tribe pursued the scouting party with relentless persistence.
Swish, swish!
They kept firing poisoned arrows at the scouts, but hitting fast-moving targets in a dense, primeval forest was anything but easy.
Of course, for the fleeing scouts, even that was a terrifying threat.
“Uwaaagh!”
“Shit!”
Who wouldn’t feel their heart seize up when poisoned arrows were flying toward their back?
At this rate, we’re going to get caught.
Carlyle realized that the Black Fang warriors were closing the distance far faster than expected.
If just one person were hit by a poisoned arrow, they would fall behind—
and once that happened, the whole unit would be in danger.
They could turn and fight, and might even win a small skirmish—but afterward, they would undoubtedly be surrounded by the enemy’s overwhelming numbers.
So there was only one answer.
They had to widen the distance.
And Carlyle possessed the ability to do exactly that.
“Get up. I’ll help you.”
Gwen’s dying words flowed from Carlyle’s lips.
Wooooong—!
Gwen’s will—the unwavering resolve to never abandon a comrade—wrapped around the entire scouting unit.
[Coexistence]
Hurry, get up! I’ll help you!
Effects:
- When retreating or returning, all unit members’ movement speed +50%
- When retreating or returning, all unit members’ HP, stamina, and mana recovery +150%
Under the effect of [Coexistence], the scouts bolted forward with frightening speed.
“W-what?!”
“My body feels lighter!”
And the shocked ones weren’t just the scouts.
“Those rat-like bastards!”
“Move faster, you turtle-brained slugs! Are you going to just let them run?!”
The Black Fang warriors were thrown into confusion as the scouts suddenly dashed ahead with unnatural speed.
Running in rugged mountain terrain was difficult enough already—
but watching the enemy suddenly shoot away made them doubt their own eyes.
But the Black Fang Tribe had no intention of letting them go.
“After them! Don’t let them escape!”
“They’re nothing but rats in a jar! They’re surrounded anyway!”
The commanders of the Black Fang Tribe refused to give up the chase.
They knew too well that this entire region was under their control…
With the help of [Coexistence], the scouting party escaped immediate danger and followed Carlyle into a forest swarming with monsters.
It was an oak forest—so thick with vegetation that even at midday it was nearly dark as night.
“From here on, we’ll move in a single line. You must follow directly behind me. Do not wander. If you do… this happens.”
Carlyle picked up a sizable rock—big as a ball—and tossed it.
WHOOSH!
A nearby oak tree suddenly swung a massive branch and shattered the rock to pieces.
“……!”
The scouts flinched in shock.
It was astonishing enough that a tree they would’ve normally walked past suddenly moved—
but for it to smash a rock larger than a log with one swing…
“You saw that, right?”
Carlyle spoke pointedly.
“If you don’t want to be pulp, just follow me.”
Nod, nod, nod!
The scouts bobbed their heads vigorously.
If a rock that size shattered like glass, then a human skull would burst like a watermelon.
Focus.
Carlyle checked the Guide of the Earth arrows and scanned the surroundings.
It was dark, making visibility difficult, but he could still distinguish shapes and colors with attention.
Not all of these trees are monsters.
Only about 20% of the trees in the so-called Forest of Wailing Spirits were Ghostwoods—
trees that disguised themselves as ordinary oaks until a living creature approached, then awakened to strike.
That one’s a Ghostwood. That one’s a normal oak.
Drawing from his experience playing Overlord, Carlyle identified them with perfect accuracy.
Thanks to him, the scouts passed through the forest safely.
Perhaps because of that, some tension loosened—
and Russell opened his big mouth.
“Hey, this isn’t that dangerous. Is this place really supposed to be scary?”
“If you’re unsure, feel free to wander off on your own.”
“No, no, I didn’t mean that. It’s just… since I’m following you, it doesn’t feel like some terrifying—”
At that moment—
KRRAAAAAAH!
“Uwaaaagh!”
Thud, crash!
Crack!
From far away came screams—likely from the Black Fang—and loud, unmistakable sounds.
The noises were so vivid that it was easy to picture exactly what was happening.
“…Yeah. I feel it now. Ha… hahaha.”
Russell scratched his head awkwardly.
Carlyle hadn’t exaggerated; this forest truly was crawling with terrifying monsters.
Indeed, the Black Fang Tribe—who had no information about the Forest of Wailing Spirits—was being massacred.
“Graaagh!”
“Uaaaah!”
Ghostwoods battered the Black Fang warriors mercilessly with their tree branches.
And that wasn’t all.
Crunch, crunch!
They wrapped fallen warriors with their branches and ate them alive.
Against the Ghostwoods, the Black Fang Tribe was helpless.
They couldn’t distinguish monsters from normal trees—
and to make matters worse, their strongest weapon, poison, had no effect whatsoever.
“Let’s keep moving.”
“Y-yeah.”
Leaving the distant screams behind, Carlyle led the scouts deeper.
Thanks to Carlyle, the scouting party completely shook off the Black Fang pursuit.
“Are we safe now?”
“Shh.”
Carlyle raised a finger to his lips.
“Keep your voices down.”
“Huh?”
“There are more things here than possessed trees.”
“O-oh…”
“Stay quiet and stay alert until we’re fully out.”
“Got it.”
The scouting party closed their mouths and moved carefully.
Except for one person.
“Grr… grrrk!”
Malaga, who lay on a stretcher, suddenly began thrashing.
“Wh-who are you people?! Ugh! Let me go! Release me, you filthy continent-dwellers!”
“What are you doing?! Shut him up!”
The scouts hurriedly covered his mouth.
“Mmph! Mmph-mmph!”
He struggled violently even with his mouth restrained.
“Knock him out or something. He’s too loud.”
Carlyle muttered irritably—
When suddenly—
“How dare you make a ruckus in my forest.”
A woman appeared from nowhere, her voice dripping with displeasure.
“…Great.”
Carlyle sighed.
This is the worst.
He knew exactly who she was.
The Witch of the Forest, Mia.
The ruler of the Forest of Wailing Spirits—and a powerful dark sorceress.
She was the boss monster of this zone in Overlord, after all.
So much for losing the Black Fang. This is even worse.
Carlyle bit his lip.
The Witch of the Forest was far more frightening than the Black Fang warriors,
and this entire forest was her territory—
here, she wielded overwhelming power.
Maybe I should’ve trusted the Whisper of the Earth and forced our way through…
For the first time, Carlyle regretted his decision.
Had they avoided encountering her, the plan would’ve been perfect.
“Breaking my peace… Did you think you’d live after that? I’ll tear you all to pieces. Then you’ll become nutrients for my forest. Hohoho.”
The witch approached, smiling chillingly.
“What are you waiting for?! Take her dow—”
“Wait.”
Carlyle stopped Bergmann.
“If you fight her, we all die.”
“Huh?”
“You’ll die.”
“But she’s just one mage, isn’t she?”
Everyone knew mages were weak in close combat.
A lone mage was a prime target.
That was exactly why knights protected their mages with their lives.
“No.”
Carlyle shook his head.
“That’s the very last resort. Step aside. Let me talk to her.”
“O-okay.”
Bergmann backed off obediently.
“Hello.”
Carlyle stepped closer to the witch.
“Oh my…”
The witch’s eyes widened.
“Who… what are you?”
“Hm?”
“How can someone be that handsome…?”
Her expression went hazy.
She had never seen a man as beautiful as Carlyle.
His stunning looks bewitched her instantly.
“That woman’s unbelievable. One glance at the butler’s face and she’s already gone.”
“Quiet unless you want trouble.”
“…Tch.”
Carlyle hushed the baby dragon.
The last thing they needed was to provoke the witch.
“Sorry for entering without permission. We were being chased and ran in here without thinking. Didn’t know this place had an owner.”
“How dare you speak informally to me, intruder?”
The witch glared.
“Oh—sorry. You looked young so I slipped. How old are you?”
“M-my age?”
“Yeah.”
“T-that’s…”
“Oh, never mind. It’s rude to ask a lady’s age. I was being impolite. I’m 24.”
Since she was about 130, she naturally hesitated.
Carlyle took the initiative before she had to admit it aloud.
“Hmm.”
“So? Older than me? Younger?”
“O-older.”
“Really?”
Carlyle pretended to be surprised.
“You look way younger…”
“I just have a baby face.”
“Then… can I call you noona?”
“N-Noona?!”
The witch jerked back in shock.
The thought of a man like Carlyle calling her noona made her heart flutter uncontrollably.
“Noona… noona…”
She whispered the word repeatedly—
for at that moment, noona was a magical incantation more powerful than any spell.
