Side Story – Coronation [3]
The Forbidden Forest.
A region in Alimo that has been infiltrated by the influence of the Dark God.
Currently, Alimo had stationed troops at the border of the Forbidden Forest to monitor for any suspicious movements.
Although monitoring the Forbidden Forest was a necessary task, the absence of forces deployed for the Demonic Realm expedition significantly limited the manpower available to secure its borders.
Therefore, Alimo hired many mercenaries who had lost their jobs due to the desolation of the Forbidden Forest to carry out the surveillance duties.
Since the Forbidden Forest had become completely barren after the meteor fell, providing clear visibility, it wasn’t difficult to monitor its interior.
The hired mercenaries only needed to perform simple tasks like taking turns watching the horizon from towers.
For a while, there was a relatively calm period.
Though occasional issues arose, most of the troops stationed at the border of the Forbidden Forest spent their days in repetitive monotony.
However, as the sky turned red and not long after, everything changed.
“…?”
The aura of evil grew stronger.
The mercenaries guarding the border of the Forbidden Forest immediately detected ominous changes.
Most of the mercenaries employed by Alimo had experience venturing deep into the forest before it became desolate, and the unpleasant sensation they once felt deep within now stirred them again.
“What is this…?”
Unease spread among them.
It wasn’t just the mercenaries who noticed something was wrong. Soon enough, everyone guarding the border realized the dangerous shift, albeit slightly delayed.
Tzzzch…
The Blessing of the Dark God spreads.
As corruption occurs, the domain of the Demonic Realm expands.
The land that was normal just moments ago transforms into a twisted area imbued with the Blessing of the Dark God.
Filled with growing malevolence, the mercenaries were gripped by fear and attempted to retreat. Their unease spread to other soldiers, quickly escalating into chaos.
Fortunately, the field commander instructed the troops to gradually fall back.
Nearby towns around the Forbidden Forest were still non-functional, having been destroyed when the meteor fell earlier, so retreating the troops was relatively easy since there was little left to protect nearby.
But…
The question remained: how far should they retreat?
Though retreating helped calm the soldiers, no matter how far they moved away from the Forbidden Forest, the malevolent corruption spreading across the land only intensified.
While voices rose in alarm at the gravity of the situation among the command staff,
Beyond the Forbidden Forest, an embodied evil emerged against the backdrop of the crimson sky.
*
Twisted evil crossed over the Forbidden Forest.
Evil from the Demonic Realm surged forward without forming ranks, crossing over the Forbidden Forest.
The troops guarding the border of the Forbidden Forest encountered the bizarre followers of the Dark God first.
Upon seeing the followers of the Dark God, the soldiers screamed in terror, unable to endure the sight.
“Aaaaaaaaah!!!!”
The scene of demon-like creatures with grotesquely deformed bodies approaching, emanating waves of malice, was nothing short of a nightmare.
Even if they had been prepared beforehand to fight such beings, overcoming the fear would have been nearly impossible.
The guards defending the border of the Forbidden Forest had no such preparation.
Without even considering resistance, the soldiers began turning their backs and fleeing, screaming repeatedly.
Before the command staff could properly control the troops, the formation collapsed, leading to immediate massacres.
Even if, by some miracle, all the soldiers had resolved themselves to die and united in resistance, the outcome likely wouldn’t have been much different.
Cha-aak!!!
Human flesh torn apart soaked the ground repeatedly.
The initial forces encountering the demons suffered near-total annihilation.
Immediately after receiving the news, Alimo prepared to stop the followers of the Dark God advancing beyond the Forbidden Forest.
However, it soon became evident that stopping the followers of the Dark God, even temporarily, would come at an enormous cost.
“This madness…!!”
Cha-ak!!
A knight unleashed sword aura from his blade, bisecting a demon.
However, the demon’s severed lower body bubbled and melted into a sinister slime that surged toward the knight.
The knight swiftly leaped away, avoiding the slime.
Meanwhile, as the knight was distracted by the bizarre demon, a mage supporting from the rear was struck by a black blade emerging from his chest.
Phuuk!!!
“…!!”
The mage was killed by a demon that had transformed into smoke to execute a surprise attack.
Many valuable forces perished due to such ambushes.
Even elite forces struggled to effectively counter the ‘abnormalities’ of demons imbued with the Blessing of the Dark God.
Even if they could respond, the exponential losses from combat were unsustainable.
This was true even when facing demons charging recklessly without proper formations.
“Damn…!!!”
On the increasingly corrupted land filled with the Blessing of the Dark God, demons rampaged wildly.
The knight didn’t think consuming forces here was a good choice.
However, a straightforward retreat wasn’t feasible either.
The knight had no idea how far they should retreat.
“Hold your ground…!!”
Nonetheless, the advance of the demons had to be delayed.
They needed to buy time for the rear units to regroup and evacuate nearby cities.
But even this seemed distant amidst the ever-thickening malevolence.
Whooshhh!!!
“…?”
Sensing a shadow passing overhead with a sudden gust of wind, the knight looked up in confusion.
Something above was blocking the sunlight.
It wasn’t a cloud. What blocked the sunlight was… a giant creature with broad fins, utterly surreal in its enormity.
There was no way such a massive form could maintain its shape on land; it would suffocate under its own weight.
Lifting such a colossal creature into the air was also impossible—no living being could continuously generate the thrust required.
Yet, the massive creature floated in the sky.
This enormous floating monster was one of the Dark God’s playthings allowed to survive only in the Demonic Realm.
The Blessing of the Dark God nullified the creature’s weight, allowing it to leisurely float in the sky despite its unbelievable size.
Now, this monstrous entity began moving its body over the territory of Alimo, which was gradually becoming part of the Demonic Realm, blocking out the sun.
“…It’s hopeless.”
Confronted with such an overwhelmingly terrifying spectacle, it was impossible for ordinary soldiers to remain sane.
Watching the temporary defensive line crumble, the knight grimaced harshly.
*
The temporary defensive line had collapsed.
It became painfully clear that trying to hold back the followers of the Dark God on the land undergoing transformation into the Demonic Realm was both foolish and futile.
Controlling the army effectively was already extremely challenging, let alone discussing the disparity in power.
Facing the demons shaped by twisted evil, most soldiers succumbed to fear even before the battle began, collapsing mentally.
Moreover, even elite units couldn’t effectively counter the bizarre abilities of demons wrapped in the Blessing of the Dark God, making the situation truly hopeless.
Ultimately, to reduce severe troop losses, they needed to leave the land corrupted by the Blessing of the Dark God and establish a new front.
This was indisputable logic, but there was a problem:
The Blessing of the Dark God was spreading rapidly, threatening to cover the entire territory of Alimo.
“…Can we use the Warp Gate?”
Thanks to past experiences, King Alfonso IV of Alimo managed to calmly decide to flee using the Warp Gate.
In a situation where delaying the demon invasion was impossible, the safest and most reliable escape method was through the Warp Gate.
Shortly thereafter, the court mage gave a positive response to Alfonso IV’s inquiry.
“The Imperial Royal Magic Tower has agreed to assist with the Warp Gate connection!”
“Good!”
With the capital fallen, the Royal Magic Tower was now one of the most influential groups in the Empire.
Although more of a coalition than a single unified organization due to its lack of vertical command structure, there was no reason to refuse their help.
Alfonso IV rejoiced greatly and prepared to move.
The one who directly opposed Alfonso IV’s decision was Giland, the Grandmaster of the Silver Cross Knight Order.
“Your Majesty, please reconsider.”
“What is it?”
“There are still many regions where evacuation hasn’t been properly carried out. It would be wise for Your Majesty to lead them using land routes.”
The strongest unifying force in Alimo was ultimately King Alfonso IV himself.
In this time of national crisis and chaos, if Alfonso IV traveled by land and led the evacuations, he could mitigate the chaos somewhat.
However, Alfonso IV had no intention of choosing the land route, which would expose him to unnecessary danger.
“Is this what a sane man says who prioritizes my safety?”
With a raised voice, Alfonso IV rebuked Giland and stood up from his seat.
“Knight Giland, if you wish to fulfill your duty to save the nation, head towards Elberton and delay the cursed demon invasion.”
Elberton was a city adjacent to the capital of Alimo and one of the few strategic points where defenses against the demons could be established.
After a brief silence, Giland accepted the order, prompting Alfonso IV to issue another command with visible dissatisfaction.
“Escort me to the Warp Gate, then proceed to Elberton in my stead.”
Regardless, Giland was one of the top-tier experts in Alimo.
Having ordered Giland to escort him before leaving, Alfonso IV urged others to prepare for the evacuation.
Many were disappointed in Alfonso IV’s persistent prioritization of his own safety, but none actively disobeyed him.
Given the imminent collapse of the state, the general direction of Alfonso IV’s decisions was largely correct.
Thus, the evacuation plan was decided, and Alfonso IV headed towards the Warp Gate.
Not long after, Giland successfully arrived at the Warp Gate alongside Alfonso IV.
“…”
Amidst rumors that the king and high ministers had fled through the Warp Gate, could they really buy enough time to ensure the evacuation of the rear regions?
Giland briefly reflected on the impending moment of frustration that awaited him, then glanced back at the Warp Gate.
Woooong!!
Activated by the mages, the Warp Gate began connecting to its counterpart.
Before the Warp Gate fully opened, Alfonso IV praised Giland’s courage formally and wished him luck.
Giland also formally paid respects to Alfonso IV just as the Warp Gate completed its activation.
Alfonso IV lightly patted Giland on the shoulder.
“I pray you fulfill your duty and return safely.”
“I shall obey your command.”
“Truly dependable.”
Satisfied, Alfonso IV smiled and stepped towards the Warp Gate, leaving behind Giland, who wore a dark expression.
However, before Alfonso IV and the other figures of Alimo could pass through the Warp Gate, someone appeared from the other side.
A pair of silver eyes emerged from the Warp Gate, radiating oppressive brilliance that tensed the air.
Luna.
