Yet, before he could witness the horror, his body was obliterated by a descending, purple light. Once pierced through, another light summoned him outside of the forest.

Gritting his teeth in anger, Ogulu’s red eyes directed themselves at the sky. He yelled with a brutish, reverberating voice.

“Gilmeta!!”

“Hahaha, what? Didn’t I tell you not to form any teams? You’re hindering the order’s movement.”

With a mocking laugh, she flew downwards with her broom, hovering above him as she stopped.

“You stole my points! I carried those fuckers, but you stole them!”

He remained in his angry state, causing Gilmeta to cover her ears and roll her eyes.

“Can you stop being so loud? We have a job to do here, so stop being a crybaby.”

Hearing her speak, Ogulu tightened his fists and clenched his jaw further.

“Is our little Ogu angry? Is he? Well, I guess he can’t do anything about it, can he?”

A sneer from her pretty face set ablaze the smoldering rage within him. As his posture changed, the muscles on his body started convulsing, quickly becoming more prominent in size and definition.

The red energy turned his body scarlet. A stomp of his right foot dug out a large chunk of the earth. Grabbing onto it with both of his war axes, Ogulu threw the boulder of dirt intertwined with rocks and roots over his body, aiming at the witch in the sky that had already moved away from him.

Gentle laughter engulfed the trees. She waved her wand at the boulder, instantly smashing it apart as an explosion of purple fire took place.

“Come on, it was just 45 points, there is no need for such outrage.”

Though she had said that, the look in her eyes clearly enjoyed the little fight they were putting on. Another chunk of the earth was flying at her. Releasing the scorching, purple fire, the ground quickly disappeared, and not a speck of it was left.

Ogulu wasn’t done, though. A metallic coating appeared on his skin before spreading to his weapons. Connected to his body with long, clattering chains, they became one. As though they were another part of his body, he shoved them into the ground before running towards her like a lunatic.

Covering a bit more than ten meters in less than a second, he pulled on the chains and a piece of the ground twice as big as before was flying at her, significantly faster than before. On the surface of the boulder, a metal appeared, similar to that of his body.

Gilmeta glided through the air, easily dodging the incoming strike before evading one more time, even quicker. Ogulu was spinning the boulder as though he was ready to throw it hundreds of meters into the sky.

Making a mess of the trees and the ground below him, he didn’t care. The red shine on his metal body prevailed, reminiscent of his anger.

Suddenly, after a minute of constant dodging, she saw as the boulder descended, gradually increasing in velocity as the barbarian dragged the battle axes closer to his body.

When his body was reaching superhuman speeds while rotating, he released the boulder, aiming at the dark-haired girl with her pointy hat. His body exploded upwards, the metallic ground taking him with itself.

Like a reverse star, he flew through the air with tremendous speed. Cutting off the connection between the axes and the boulder, Ogulu jerked the weapons to himself as he was already near the witch, ready to behead her.

He was so fast she had trouble reacting. The collision was imminent, there was no doubt about that. However, suddenly, the two of them stopped completely, a green mist surrounding them. From the green vapor, vines shot out, binding them in place before bringing them down.

A few hundred meters away from them, Eyneir looked at the duo with irritated, almost angry eyes. The green bow in his hand dissipated soonafter.

“Grieya, come.”

He said to the beast beside him. Mounting the large, see-through moose, he rode on the ethereal-like spirit beast.

The beast ran gently through the air, bypassing the physical restraints. While partly, Eyneir was still flying.

“You two are unbearable, you know?”

He said before nearing the two Goldens. As the witch descended from her broom, she clung onto the barbarian’s neck before surrounding his stomach with her legs. Just as Gilmeta started talking with the elf, her hands began to rub his pectoral muscles.

“Aren’t you the jealous guy, prince? Why did you intervene in our little quarrel? I have to say, I don’t indulge in triangles, though this guy might be a bit different.”

“Shut up.”

“Enough!”

While Ogulu replied to her little remark, Eyneir’s voice flared up. It was always like this, no matter where they went.

“Let’s go and open the portals, for goddess’s sake. You brought your navigators, right?”

“Of course.”

“What navigator?”

The lines of the elf’s nose scrunched in anger. A sudden urge to slap the huge barbarian hazed his mind, but he remained calm. Expecting this, he soon had his answers from the girl.

“I took it from him for this exact reason.”

“Good thinking. We would have been fucked otherwise. Now, imbue your mana into the navigators and follow them. Just like we were told.”

He looked directly at the tall human while saying the last line. Only getting a shoulder shrug in response, he willingly gave up. Humans really were the last creatures he wanted to deal with.

“And, then?”

Suddenly, the barbarian asked. Eyneir truly wished he hadn’t stopped their fight. He regretted every moment of it.

…

When the three of the goldens were conversing with one another, Conall finally arrived at a specific location. An old, wooden hut stood in the middle of the forest. To say it was dilapidated would be taking it optimistically. As though rotting like a living being, there were countless holes in the moldy walls of the hut.

Individual planks bent out on the sides, covered in moss and cobwebs. The roof that was practically falling apart was as well covered in moss, almost along the entirety of its surface.

Conall took a step inside after opening the creaky doors. Touching the floor inside, he almost felt like he was sinking in from how crumbly the place was. Nonetheless, he went in further.

Despite it being summer outside, a cold breeze went past him as he stood in the center. Looking down, he could see a white magic circle. Unlike the old, rotting wood in its surroundings, the wood below the circle was in pristine condition, showing the beautiful dark color of the nesra tree, a species predominant in the deeper layers of Octa.

The magic circle itself was a cluster of complicated lines seemingly making no sense whatsoever. Without any coherent shapes or forms, it looked like a mess a five-year-old scribbled. Yet, a deep sense of calmness emanated around his body as Conall neared it.

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

From the very first minutes he entered the forest, as well as during his way here, he collected all the beast crystal he could find.

Among them, there were a special five, various in sizes and shapes, but similar in their tone and shades. A green shade with a swirling energy inside. It was like looking into the eye of the forest.

Placing them in a rhombus, with the biggest one at the center, the crystals soon started dissolving. The white circle took on the bright green colors and started transforming. Lines that seemed disjointed earlier unraveled.

A mesmerizing sight engulfed him. The magic circle beheld value worth no less than gold in the eyes of the witches. So high it neared the top of the tower. That was the level of this magic circle, despite being so petite in circumference.

Conall felt the air around him collapse. A green tear in the space appeared in the middle of the hut. Quickly sucking the mana inside, it soon stabilized. Moments later, a green portal formed before swallowing the human immediately.

Instantly, he felt a foul sensation. Although it lasted for much less than a blink of an eye, it was sickening. Like floating in a dark place desolate with time, Conall felt abandoned. Not able to do anything regarding the situation, stuck in a shackled body free of the physical boundaries.

‘Ugh, all that for only being described as unpleasant.’

He shot a glance around. Unlike the normal parts of the forest, the sunlight here was dimmed. Despite the high sun, something made the world around him seem darker, yet everything was still visible and bright.

Behind him, there was the same green portal from a second ago. He got teleported to what seemed like a hill with a cliff ending it. However, the cliff was man-made.

All to fit the large, abandoned-looking castle standing at the top of it. The rain had long since washed down the once bright colors of the stones, while the wind ate away at the roof tiles with time. Now, it was only a tainted version of its glorious past self.

Nonetheless, Conall moved uphill, towards the castle. To where the master of the forest lived.

There were no living beings here to pause his advance. Easily, he made his way through the forested, steep hill.

Walking through the bridge connecting the castle with the forest, he made sure to witness it in its entirety.

With nearly no walls to protect it, the high position of the castle acted as a defense in itself. With high, pointed towers and a large main building that represented the Great Hall, the castle was more of a mansion rather than a defensive structure.

Walking through the open gates, Conall got to the doors, which were barely putting up any resistance. An eerie darkness enveloped the whole interior as soon as he closed the doors. The only light illuminating the place was the one from candles on the walls, as well as from the chandeliers.

He walked inside the main of the large mansion-like castle. In front of, there were ornamented stairs split into two, all leading to the same floor above.

Walking through the luxuriously decorated insides, he soon got to the dining hall, from where he could hear a faint sound of utensils hitting against ceramics.

On the end of the vast dining table, a man was seated, cutting away at a seared steak on his plate. A piece of the juicy meat that was on his fork was quickly devoured. While doing so, the man looked directly at the invader of his home.

Opening his mouth, the antlers on his head started glowing white.

“You aren’t Vayna. How did you find this place? What have you done to her?”

With an increasingly angrier face the more he spoke, the man slammed his right fist, tightly holding onto the knife.

His tone carried notes of killing intent jabbing right through the weak human. It wasn’t a surprise to Conall. After all, the spirit before him was a Grade Ex being. He could make his existence vanish with a single sweep of his hand if it wanted to.

“I haven’t done anything. I only came here to warn you.”

“Who are you? How have you come to this place?”

Realizing that the boy was speaking the truth, he moved on, acting as though his outrage a second ago didn't exist. Still, he was suspicious about a sudden visit he hadn’t experienced in years. Not after his master had left.

“I’m a student from the academy. I ventured into this place using the abandoned hut in the forest.”

“Academy. What academy? No, there was something Vayna told me about. Vayna’s hut. Human, how have you figured out the method? Vayna’s magic is beyond mortals."

“How I got here? Well, I just tossed some beast crystals on the spell.”

“Liar. You knew beforehand. You knew how to open up the portal. Only Vayna knows how to open up the portal. You did something!”

The man’s interrogation led his face into wrath. While abruptly standing up, he aimed at Conall with his knife, pointing out the obvious falsifications. A green glow slowly gathered on the tip of the metal, to which the boy quickly explained. With a hasty tone.

“I didn’t do anything to her, I swear. But, I know of those who did.”

Although it was contrasting and the boy was like a chess board, full of lies and honesty, he felt the truth surround his words once again. He wasn’t lying, especially about knowing who had done something to his master.

“Speak. I won’t harm you right now. Although your existence veils itself with mysteries, Vayna is at stake. Who was it? Tell me now.”

The man, with his antlers back to normal, sat down once again. This time, the anger on his face wasn’t directed at the human at the other end of the table.

Conall spoke gladly, revealing the near future.

“They’re called the Heavenly Order. Being the ones to capture your master, they came here today to lure you into their trap. Currently, their dogs are most likely opening up the portals they scattered throughout your forest.”

“Tell me more.”

“After they arrive here, you will be falsely informed of your master’s imprisonment. To be exact, they will accuse the academy of torturing her in their dungeon, in the hopes that you attack the grounds below here. Their plan is simple. Once you are distracted, they will attack you before capturing and corrupting you, thereof gaining full control of the forest.”

The man listened solemnly. It was a lot to take in, such heavy information. However, he wasn’t sure if the human was speaking the truth.

The one thing that burdened him was the human’s special aura.

“How can I believe you? No, rather, why should I believe you? I know you can choose when to lie.”

With his yellow eyes, he looked directly at those green irises of the man.

“I need to use you.”

Despite the blatant, brutish words, the castle owner’s face remained composed. He needed more than just that.

“For the future of the world, I need you. Your master, your brothers and sisters, even Octa, your mother, they will all die when the calamities meet. I need power to stop them.”

Although he was surprised to hear him utter his family, it was within the scope of his expectations. There were many surprising things about this low-level human.

“And how would I be useful to you?”

The man didn’t understand. He wasn’t some sort of a god capable of granting divine powers or blessings. Such an idea was new to him, who only governed over the forest for all those years.

“A temporary master. Let me become your master until I can help her.”

The shackles of reasoning in his head broke. What the boy just said was considered blasphemy to him. Breaking the oath he swore with Vayna for this puny human?

Conall felt as the pressure inside the room increased. Glancing at the table, he saw how it began to wobble around, slowly being lifted in the air.

Along with his white antlers, transparent wings reminiscent of the forest appeared on his back. The air became tense and the red-haired knight found it difficult to breathe. Falling onto his knees from the overbearing air, he still looked at the man, with no apparent fear in his eyes.

“I’ve had enough of your arrogance, human. The world can burn for all I care, I shouldn’t have let you inside. I was willing to leave you alive, but everything has its limits.”

The man clutched the air with his hand, to which deep lines appeared on the neck of Conall. However, he still didn’t do anything.

With a strained voice, Conall struggled to speak. His eyes were clouded with fury and rage, as well as chaos, but he listened.

“I know you’re angry, but I only want to help you. We don’t have much time, even if there is any. Your master, Vayna, is most likely being hunted down as we speak. She got away from the Heavenly Order a couple of decades ago, however, they are persistent in searching for her.”

The lips of the man shook while his eyes quivered. He was in a quandary. The human spoke an honest truth this time, he could feel it, and it was the thing that made him waver. He didn’t know what to do.

Waving his hand to the side, all of the ceramics hit the wall of the dining hall, shattering into pieces on contact.

crouching and curling up to his knees, he grasped his hair, pulling on it tightly.

With a loud gasp and harsh coughs, Conall finally breathed again.

The hall remained silent for the next couple of minutes. Staring at the spirit of the forest who was hurting himself, he awaited a response. Although his assistance would allow Conall to quickly gain levels and strength, it wasn’t something he desperately needed.

His mission today was just to stop the spirit’s corruption caused by the Heavenly Order. This whole event was simply a facade. By killing countless students inside the forest and blocking off the barriers, they wanted to announce themselves to the world.

However, their true objective lay in this mansion, on this forested cliff. They meant to corrupt the forest spirit of the academy.

With that, it allowed them to attack the academy in disguise, leaving countless dead, with many professors included.

He had to prevent that from taking place, no matter what.