Chapter 918: Chapter 919: Hugging The Right Thighs There were bones in the sand. Long dead bones. Damon’s gaze lingered on a corpse tangled between the trees, black roots spearing through its ribs like grotesque vines claiming a trophy. The flesh had long since rotted away. Rusted weapons and strips of worn leather still clung stubbornly to the skeleton. From the remains of its clothing, he could tell the body had belonged to a man. A very dead man, from what he could tell it must have been someone from the second epoch based on the design on his weapon. Not far from it lay a dented helm and a broken bow, its string frayed and worn thin before finally snapping. It was covered in mud its runes faded having lost all of its magical value. Maybe he could sell it to a collector or something though at this point he was wealthy enough to not care for it. A deep silence pressed down on them as Damon’s boot came down on the skull of some unlucky beast. It cracked under his weight with a dry crunch that sounded far too loud in the stillness. Everywhere there was evidence of the hungry soil. Its work. Its endless appetite. The expedition force moved in silence, conserving even the strength required to speak. No one wasted breath on conversation. Only tired, controlled breathing followed them like a rhythm of survival. Every ounce of energy mattered. This stretch of the forest alone spanned several hundred kilometers. Damon pulled his boots free from the soft soil with visible effort, the ground clinging stubbornly to him as if reluctant to let go. His lips twisted in disgust. It felt as though the forest resisted him more than the others. "Hmhmm," he groaned, rolling his shoulders as fatigue crept into his limbs faster than usual. "What is that supposed to mean?" Seras asked in a sharp whisper without slowing her stride. "Nothing. Just wondering why no one tried to destroy the Evil Forest. This place is miserable and it spreads across the whole continent," he muttered, scanning the trees as he walked. Seras glanced sideways at him, one brow lowering. "Someone did. Did you forget the incident that led to the summoning of Rashi Ignath and drained the Empire’s treasury?" Damon’s steps slowed. His head dipped. Right. Emperor Rashnet had tried to burn it down. The forest responded by summoning Ignath. The aftermath had scarred the land and marked the current age with the first confirmed manifestation of the ancient dark spirit Ignath. "That skipped my mind. I think it was second year material." "Yes," Kael added, adjusting the grip on his staff as he walked. "There were earlier records of minor manifestations. They were considered unreliable and dismissed. After the incident, imperial scholars intensified research into dark spirits, especially Ignath, until the Temple declared the topic forbidden." Damon shot Kael Blackthorne a flat look. "Professor. I am already inside a cursed forest. I do not need a lecture. I better receive excellent grades after this terrible expedition." "You will receive full credits," Kael replied with restrained patience. Damon suddenly stopped mid step. His boot sank deeper than before. "Did you see that?" Seras halted instantly, hand tightening on her weapon. Her eyes swept the surrounding trees. "What? I did not see anything." Damon jerked his foot free as thin black roots snapped upward, narrowly missing his ankle. Dirt sprayed outward. "Hmm. Must have been the wind." He wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. "I worry too much. It is not like some entity made of roots would spawn behind me and try to grab me." The expedition force slowly stared at him. A large shadow swallowed his silhouette. Damon exhaled. "I just had to say it." He dropped and rolled without looking back. In the same motion, he thrust a hand behind him and unleashed a roaring torrent of flames. Fire surged outward in a violent wave, heat blistering and yet carrying that unnatural, soul chilling coldness within it. A heavy impact followed. Massive roots rose up to shield the creature, glowing red like heated metal as they absorbed the blast. Seras moved the instant Damon cleared the space. Her blade carved downward in a thin, precise arc. The air split. The trees behind the creature were severed cleanly along with the towering root mass itself. Blood red sap spilled from the wound as the monster collapsed with a thunderous crash. "Phew." Damon straightened, dusting dirt from his coat. "That was close. Just one. I thought we would be dealing with a swarm. I guess I was paranoid. We will clear this place easily. The hungry soil is not that bad as long as you keep moving." Lana, now unofficially acting as his personal healer, instinctively lifted her hand as if to silence him. She froze halfway and slowly lowered it, remembering her position. The soil trembled. Its surface rippled and churned as if something vast beneath it had shifted in irritation. Seras blinked once. Then she smacked the back of Damon’s head. "What is wrong with you? Why would you say that? You believe in jinxes more than anyone." Damon covered his mouth. Right. He did. ’I see. It is Deathless, is it not? Well played. Well played.’ He looked at Seras. "I did not mean to. It slipped out." Kael stepped forward, staff sliding fully into his grasp. "There are theories suggesting the Evil Forest functions as a collective organism. It may perceive intent or speech. I did not expect it to be capable of emotional response." Renata looked at Wendy, who balanced a raven and a squirrel calmly on her shoulders. They glanced at one another before speaking in perfect unison. "Congratulations, Damon. You have successfully ragebaited an entire forest." A system chime rang in his ears. [Rage bait +30] [Rage bait +40] [Rage bait +20] [Rage bait +100] [Rage bait +250] [Ragebaiting lvl 7] +4 His skill rose four levels instantly. He had not even tried. After weeks of deliberate provocation, this was when it worked. When his life was genuinely in danger. Seras drew her tachi fully, magical energy coursing along the blade. "Battle formations. Keep moving. Circular rotation. Do not keep your feet in one place." The expedition force shifted immediately, boots grinding against unstable soil. The ground around them exploded outward. From ruptured earth, thick sludge rose. From within the sludge, roots twisted and shaped themselves into humanoid forms, coated in mud. Each bore a distinct human face. Faces of those devoured by the hungry soil. Damon felt irritation flare. He turned toward the tense soldiers. "Stand strong. They may look intimidating, but do not waver. These are relics from previous eras who failed to overcome this miserable forest. Cut them down." The soldiers straightened, weapons tightening in their grips. Yet the aura around the root incarnations swelled. Their eyes burned red. Weapons lifted higher. Seras slowly turned her head toward Damon. Damon cleared his throat. "I did not do that intentionally." "Silence." The forest erupted in blinding flashes of magic as both sides unleashed volleys. Damon casually brushed a ball of flame aside with a flick of his wrist, dispersing it midair. "They can use magic. I thought they relied purely on brute strength." The root incarnations paused. One stepped forward. Its robes marked it as a fallen mage. Mud dripped from its skeletal fingers as it released a soul tearing scream and lunged directly at Damon. Logically, it should have kept its distance. Its eyes said it did not care. In undeath, it wanted only him. Damon shifted his stance and sidestepped at the last moment. Wendy’s bone sword flashed upward, cleaving the creature cleanly from the air. Its body twitched violently before sinking back into the soil. "Radiant Knights, defensive formation. Protect Lord Damon," Silas commanded as shields locked around him. Damon frowned at the protective wall. He was not used to this. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚 Without warning, he surged forward through an opening and unleashed a spiraling torrent of flames, incinerating several root warriors at once. The quicker they died, the better. But more rose. They climbed over each other, merging into a writhing mound of roots, stampeding forward in a chaotic wave. All of them surged toward Damon. He paused briefly, staring at the swelling mass as fire reflected in his eyes. Then he glanced at Seras. She looked back at him. He gave her a soft, shameless smile. In the next instant, he teleported directly beside her, abandoning the center line. He made what he considered the most logical decision available. His gaze flicked downward briefly. Then he wrapped both arms firmly around her thick thighs, holding tight without hesitation. There was no time for words. The swarm crashed forward, magic exploding through the air, roots splintering, steel ringing against hardened wood. Seras cursed under her breath as the tide bore down on them. From the strength of Damon’s grip, she understood immediately. He had absolutely no intention of letting go.