Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

Chapter 1399. Of Trees and Horns

Outside, their undead forces were tirelessly working on erecting the anti-corruption barrier and keeping the tenacious forest and its creatures at bay. Barrier generators were buried in the ground like fence posts, and they would create an invisible wall reaching high up and deep into the ground that would block the power of corruption.

Meanwhile, Alison and most of the remaining Field Team members were seated inside their temporary camp’s commando tent. It was a huge, olive-green tent, taken from old military reserves in Delta. At the center stood a huge wooden table that didn’t really fit the tent, as it was one in the style of Chrona.

Apart from the members, the Chief of the horned ones, as well as two of his advisers, were seated around it, holding a meeting to share rather concerning news with the members of Minas Mar.

“… And this fence can truly stop the mire from expanding?” one of the advisers asked, concerned. Apparently, it had taken them countless sacrifices to find a way to impede and contain the corruption.

The horned ones were a race of people that existed before magic vanished from Urth. They were descendants of an incarnation of nature, wood and stone, tasked with the protection of forests. After all the effort it took them, they had a hard time believing that strangers suddenly appearing already had a way, maybe even more reliable than their own...

“Yes, where I come from, we have a lot of experience with this power and created reliable ways to block small pockets like this,” Iydllon Moe explained, confident in Chrona’s technology. They could ever cleanse a small area like this, given time.

“What if the area was… bigger?” the second advisor asked carefully. All ears pricked when he said that. It was hard to believe he asked this out of curiosity.

“How much bigger are we talking about?” the old mage asked, concerned. When corruption spread, there were usually several stages. They were able to impede and get rid of the lower ones but-

“When we awakened in this vast forest, we came across a gaping maw, close to the center of the forest, where ancient ruins cover the forest floor. It is like a canyon of darkness, slowly growing as things that fall inside vanish without a trace,” the chief spilled the beans, instead of dancing around the topic.

“So there is already a chasm,” Iydllon Moe said, concerned into the silence, after the chief explained the situation on their end

“If that is what you call the Maw, then yes. We were sure to have contained it, but as you can see, small pockets keep appearing and random places in the forest,” the chief’s adviser explained.

“When it has already come this far, that is no wonder. When the corruption ate its way so deep that it created a chasm, it is hard to stop the power from seeping through the caves and crevasses in bedrock itself,” the space mage explained gravely.

“Is there a way to stop it?” the chief asked solemnly. They couldn’t allow this darkness to swallow the forest they claimed as their new home.

“We currently have none. To close or even stop a chasm, we would need the help of Chrona or divine intervention. Only something on the level of a high-ranking god would be able to do anything. The best we can do is plug the holes and look for help…” the mage explained with a controlled expression.

The authorʼs tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

He couldn’t show his own concern openly at this point. The appearance of a chasm often spelled the end of a world. Often, people didnʼt even survive long enough to see the rise of the beast of corruption. Any stage below that could be reversed, but a chasm meant the door was open, and it was nigh impossible to close it again.

“What help? How are we supposed to make a big shot god make a move on our behalf?” Lydia asked doubtfully.

“Let’s not jump the crossbow, we have not even seen that thing yet. Maybe it isn’t a chasm? Idyllon, could it still be something more manageable?” Mina argued, although she knew that she was grasping at straws at this point.

Not just she knew, Fin, Lyxiss, and Bulko also had dark expressions. For her and the latter two, it wasn’t just because they heard of the corruption as residents of Chrona. Their very own world had only joined the system during the aftermath of the corruption.

Although they had only heard about it as fairy tales and myths, part of growing up was realizing that these scary stories were actually not just stories. In their world, the god of the Sun and the Sky had sacrificed himself to seal a chasm.

His death was what caused great upheaval in their world, ultimately leading to its demise, if it wasn’t for the system god intervening. I took the sacrifice of a god that acted as the cornerstone of a whole world to stop a chasm. If it really was a chasm, it felt like a death sentence to Urth.

Maybe because she was right, or maybe because the old mage similarly wanted to cling to the little hope of being mistaken, he agreed with her. “Yes, I think it would be best if I went to have a look. In the meantime, you should focus on finishing the mission here,” he said with a wry smile.

Looking at the people at the table, Alison had a sudden inspiration when she heard what Idyllon said. They had an expert forest dweller right here in front of them. This was an opportunity.

“Since you mentioned the mission...You guys wouldn’t happen to have a seed, or a piece of a Hangingtree? One of those big ones, like the black one on the horizon? Maybe you could help us identify the local herbs, too?” she asked the chief and his advisors.

Since the horned ones had been dwelling in these woods for an unknown amount of time, wouldn’t they be able to help with the main objective they were still missing? At least they would have an extensive knowledge of the flora and fauna inside these mutated shrubs.

If they decided to help them, she was sure to get back to Minas Mar a lot quicker. It wasn’t like she was needed to deal with the corruption. The horned ones shared some glances, a little bewildered by the sudden change of topic and the complete ignorance concerning the potentially world-ending danger lurking in the east.

“We do have some spears made of the bloodsucking Tree’s wood, if that is what you are looking for. If you wish to know more about the herbs in the forest, I will give you one of our scouts, Anzoni, to guide you,” the chief said after a moment of wordless communication.

“Yes! Thank you!” the alchemist let out a tiny cheer. Not only would they be able to finish the main objective, but she was going to get someone to help her catalogue the herbs in this place. At this rate, she would be able to return to Minas Mar soon. She really missed Neeco…

“Don’t you think your priorities are a little skewed right now, Alison? This could potentially destroy Urth,” Lydia tried to be the voice of reason.

“Eh, things will probably sort themselves out. Why are you so worried?” the alchemist countered with a shrug of her shoulder.

“Didn’t you hear? We would need a high-ranking god just to attempt stopping it,” Lydia exclaimed.

“You are saying that as if those guys are rare. The question isn’t whether we can find one, but what price do we have to pay to make them help us,” Alison argued back.

The room fell silent at her words. They were all in thought. Her words made sense. At least to the born Urthans. Idyllon, Mina, Fin, and even the horned ones looked at her in shock.

They lacked the irreverence of an atheist like Alison to understand the gods as hired guns that would move for something as secular as profit. Of all of them, Idyllon Mo knew best how hard it was to convince a god.

However, as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t refute her words. It was not hard to find gods with enough power. At the end of the day, it indeed depended on the price they were willing to pay… he just wouldnʼt say it out loud in case the more cranky ones listened.