Chapter 111: Woods (1/2)
”Oh, shit. I didn't know this detail. I wonder why Hyobe and his friend faced the dungeon on their own... what were they hoping to do?” Yoichi thought aloud. In his mind, he remembered the face of the man in the cowboy hat.
Seized by the courage of that moment, he had not thought about how difficult it could be to find an object as small as a necklace in such a dark place. According to Blackborough villagers, there were so many Komoerus inside the mine to prevent anyone from reaching the boss.
”Perhaps we were wrong to come here… I mean, only the three of us. I don't question your strength, Shioko, but are you sure that in your state you're able to fight?” Enatsu asked, interrupting Yoichi's thoughts.
”I've already told you. I have completed this dungeon numerous times already, I know it perfectly. Once that fucking necklace is recovered, we'll head to the dungeon core and kill the boss. At that point, we can cross the Demonic Veil without suffering any penalty”, the red-haired tamer replied superficially.
Enatsu took a deep, long breath. Unlike other times, when Yoichi reassured him and tried to give him courage, this time the young tamer was assailed by unexpected anguish.
Strong negative energy came from the end of that path. He sensed that something bad and unexpected would turn the tables.
Believing that those sensations had come from that macabre forest, Yoichi tried not to think about it, reacting positively. He petted Ichiro, thinking about how much such an experience would make him grow: a dungeon like that was a perfect opportunity to use on Kenji the keikemon given to him by Kuniaki.
I'm going to grab the necklace and go back to Ambershire. After receiving the reward I deserve, I will come back to Ryutaro and dedicate myself to cultivate my spirit, he thought. Satisfied with having so many things to do, he too spurred his demonic horse, ordering it to speed up the pace.
The vegetation that lined the path became denser and the red soil road started to get lost under the roots of the trees. The shadow of the mountain became increasingly imposing as the three adventurers approached its foot.
Due to the total absence of the sun's rays, the air in the vicinity of the mine was cold and humid. The reflection of the dim afternoon light, however, was enough to illuminate the path, as that gloomy forest wanted the three Nightblades to reach its jaws.
The singing of crickets sounded more and more intense and the large bushes thickened, blocking part of the road with their protruding branches. Suddenly, Taya's front hooves stepped on something sticky.
*splat*splat* - The red-haired tamer mare silently neighed, frantically moving its legs forward. ”Hey, what's going on?” Shioko asked, leaning out of her horse and looking down.
Yoichi and Enatsu's narrowed eyes caught a glimpse of something: a black, oil-dense mud occupied every corner of the narrow path, stretching from both sides.
With a jump-like movement, Taya quickly moved from its position, freeing its hooves. ”What the fuck is this stuff?” Shioko gasped again, sure she had never seen anything like it.
”Tweet! Tweet!” Sora frantically chirped, breaking its silence and making Enatsu jump. ”Hey, what's wrong with you? Be quiet, Sora! This is not the time!”