Chapter 327 -: 326 Nightmare forest.
The Nightmare Forest... this was one of the greatest forbidden zones within the Heartreach Continent, a place whose very name was spoken with fear even among the proud Zlycon race.
Unlike many dangerous regions that had earned their reputation through countless powerful beasts or ancient ruins, this forest was feared for a reason that no ordinary battlefield could compare to.
The name itself had been given by the Zlycons countless generations ago, and ever since then, not a single sane member of their race willingly stepped across its boundaries.
The forest stretched farther than the eye could ever hope to see, covering nearly one-third of the entire Heartreach Continent.
From above, its endless crimson canopy resembled a vast ocean of blood stretching towards the distant horizon, swallowing mountains, valleys and rivers alike beneath its scarlet embrace.
Legends claimed that countless ages ago, during the era when the Invincible Path Master challenged the Three Gods themselves, one of the greatest battles in history had taken place upon this very land.
The heavens had shattered, the earth had broken apart, and the blood of beings whose power surpassed imagination had soaked into the ground.
Over countless years, that divine blood had transformed the barren battlefield into the Nightmare Forest, giving birth to trees, flowers and plants unlike anything else in the world.
Everywhere within the forest, towering scarlet trees rose high into the heavens, their crimson trunks twisting like the bodies of enormous serpents while their branches intertwined to form an endless roof overhead.
Strange crimson vines crawled across the ground, wrapping themselves around ancient roots that had existed for untold centuries, while scarlet flowers bloomed between patches of blood-red grass, releasing a faint, sweet fragrance that drifted silently through the air.
Above everything hung the crimson moon, bathing the entire forest beneath an eerie red glow that made the already scarlet vegetation appear even more vibrant.
The moonlight seeped through countless gaps in the canopy, painting the forest floor with dancing shadows that seemed almost alive, giving the entire place an unsettling beauty that was impossible to describe.
The greatest danger of the Nightmare Forest, however, had nothing to do with its terrifying appearance.
The true reason it had become forbidden to every Zlycon was hidden within the strange curse that lingered throughout the entire region.
Every Zlycon who entered the forest, regardless of their rank—no, regardless of their strength as a spell caster—would eventually succumb to an irresistible drowsiness.
Whether it took minutes, hours or even days depended upon the individual, yet the outcome never changed.
Once sleep claimed them, they would immediately enter an unimaginably vivid nightmare.
Under ordinary circumstances, a nightmare was nothing more than an illusion created by the sleeping mind, but within this forest, nightmares became reality.
Whatever terrifying existence appeared inside those dreams would manifest within the real world the moment the dreamer awoke.
Long ago, one unfortunate Zlycon had dreamt of a monstrous creature capable of reducing entire cities to rubble.
When he finally opened his eyes, that exact creature had appeared before him, rampaging across the Heartreach Continent and slaughtering countless lives before it was finally brought down.
Since that catastrophe, entering the Nightmare Forest had become one of the greatest taboos among the Zlycon race. No matter the circumstances, no Zlycon was permitted to set foot inside.
Strangely enough, the same curse seemed completely ineffective against humans.
For reasons that remained unknown even after countless centuries of study, humans could wander through the Nightmare Forest without ever falling into those cursed dreams.
No one had ever discovered why such a difference existed between the two races. Many scholars had proposed countless theories, yet none could be proven.
Among the oldest legends was a story dating back to the beginning of the Zlycon race itself.
It was said that when the First Ancestor had begun conquering the world beneath his banner, countless humans fled into the Nightmare Forest in desperation, believing certain death awaited them outside its borders.
According to the tale, those refugees survived within the forest, and their descendants continued living there even to this day, hidden somewhere beneath the endless crimson canopy where no Zlycon could ever follow them.
Whether that story was truth or merely another ancient myth, however, no one truly knew. After all, no Zlycon had ever managed to explore the forest deeply enough to uncover its secrets.
Today, however, a lone figure crossed into that forbidden land.
A young man flew low above the scarlet canopy, his condition so miserable that describing it as terrible hardly did it justice.
His face had long since lost every trace of colour, leaving behind a ghostly pale complexion stained with dried blood.
Both of his arms hung unnaturally, the broken bones hidden beneath torn flesh and shredded clothing.
Fine cracks spread across his skull, allowing fresh streams of blood to slowly trickle down the side of his face before disappearing beneath his jaw.
A deep wound pierced through his abdomen, soaking his already ruined clothes while every laboured breath threatened to reopen countless other injuries scattered throughout his battered body.
Every movement caused pain to spread through his entire frame, yet he continued flying without slowing down for even a moment.
Held securely within his remaining strength was a young woman with long raven-black hair that flowed gently through the night wind.
Her smooth jade-like skin remained untouched despite everything that had happened, while her delicate lips rested slightly apart as soft breaths escaped them one after another.
Her closed eyelids twitched faintly from time to time, as though she were trapped within some distant dream she could not escape.
Completely unconscious, Rosalina remained cradled safely within Julius’ embrace as he carried her deeper into the forbidden forest.
The moment Julius crossed the invisible boundary separating the Nightmare Forest from the outside world, he immediately felt countless pairs of eyes settle upon him.
Hidden within the endless darkness between the scarlet trees, enormous beasts silently observed the unexpected intruder.
Some watched from high branches concealed beneath crimson leaves while others remained hidden amongst the thick undergrowth, their glowing eyes shining faintly through the shadows.
The atmosphere grew noticeably heavier with every passing second as more and more creatures became aware of his presence.
Julius paid them no attention.
Under ordinary circumstances, he might have eliminated any beast foolish enough to approach him, but this was far from an ordinary situation.
Midnight was only a few minutes away. His body had already reached its absolute limit after continuously borrowing power that never truly belonged to him.
If another battle broke out now, there was a very real possibility that he would collapse before it even ended. More importantly, Rosalina remained unconscious.
Protecting her came before everything else. If he wasted precious time fighting unnecessary battles, both of them would die regardless of who emerged victorious.
Suppressing the agony spreading throughout his body, Julius slowly descended deeper into the Nightmare Forest, weaving his way between towering crimson trees while carefully avoiding the densest patches of vegetation.
Every step became heavier than the last as exhaustion threatened to overwhelm him, yet he stubbornly continued moving until he finally reached a small clearing hidden beneath the sprawling branches of an enormous crimson tree.
Compared to the surrounding forest, the area was relatively open, with only a thick carpet of scarlet leaves covering the ground beneath the ancient tree’s sprawling roots.
Without wasting another moment, Julius quickly cleared away loose branches, sharp stones and anything else that might make the ground uncomfortable.
Once the area was prepared, he gathered a thick layer of broad crimson leaves and carefully spread them across the earth before gently lowering Rosalina onto the makeshift bed.
His movements remained surprisingly gentle despite the countless wounds covering his body, making sure not to disturb her unconscious state any more than necessary.
Only after confirming she was resting comfortably did he finally cast another spell.
Mana quietly spread through the surrounding area before an invisible barrier rose around both of them, separating the clearing from the outside world and concealing them from anything wandering nearby.
A long sigh escaped Julius’ lips.
For the first time since escaping the battlefield, he allowed himself to relax.
His exhausted body gave out beneath him as he collapsed onto the ground beside Rosalina, every muscle finally releasing the tension it had been holding for so long. He slowly shifted his body, intending to lie down more comfortably.
The instant he moved...
He regretted it.
The moment his body relaxed completely, every injury he had been suppressing erupted at once.
Agonising pain exploded through his broken arms, spread across the fractures in his skull and tore through the deep wound in his abdomen.
It felt as though every shattered bone and every torn muscle had suddenly remembered they were broken, sending wave after wave of unbearable torment crashing through his body until even breathing became difficult.
"Damn..."
Julius shut his eyes as another wave of pain surged through him.
"I still have to endure something even worse for the next month."