Chapter 2046 - 24.307 Sixth Violet Star - Cracks on the Barrier
Chapter 2046: 24.307 Sixth Violet Star - Cracks on the Barrier
Before the sounds of something cracking was heard coming from the barrier. This is what happened on the side of the soldiers who were trying to destroy the barrier around the ancient forest.
Evening. Military Compound. Marshal’s Office.
The soldiers whose mission was to destroy the barrier around the ancient forest had finally given up trying and reported to their superior about the failure of their mission. The general in lead was responsible for reporting the failure of the mission and together with him was his adjutant. They returned to the military compound after the sun had set. Each soldier looks devastated for their mission failure. Actually, not even a half of them had returned. They were either eaten by the carnivorous black vines that sprout out of nowhere and covered the wooden walls.
"We failed our mission. What should we do?"
"Will the marshal punish us?"
"I don’t want to die yet."
"Who let those damn half beasts make that kind of barrier!? Even magic cannot destroy it!"
"Didn’t they say that a god made that barrier?"
"Is it even possible to destroy that damn thing!?"
"The general and his adjutant went to report. Will they be alright?"
"Don’t jinx it! The general will be alright."
"So the adjutant won’t be?"
While the soldiers are talking to one another waiting for their leaders to come back, in the office of the marshal, the head of the adjutant who came with the general was eaten by the monster the human marshal had contracted with. This is the punishment for their failure of their mission. Beside the headless adjutant’s body, a fountain of blood came out from the neck soaking even the general trembling beside it. The general didn’t dare to move as he was afraid that the next one to become headless might become him.
Marshal Gu Ying pets the disgusting monster by his side without caring for the reaction of his subordinates.
"Failing the mission is enough but... you had the face to come here to report after wasting a lot of time. You shouldn’t have just returned when you first felt that breaking the barrier is impossible. It’s not like you to think of wasting time. That means this adjutant was the one who convinced you to do so. You should replace it with someone with more brains."
"...Y-Yes, Marshal!" The human general said while trembling as the body side him fell down lifelessly.
He asked, "We had used all kinds of things that might be able to break the barrier but nothing works. Lord Marshal, what should be done next?"
THUD!
Marshal Gu Ying threw something near the kneeling general. It was a strange kind of sword which is made of something like a black material. The General was about to reach and grabbed the black sword only for the marshal to stop him by words that scared the hell out of him.
"Touch it and be eaten by it," the Marshal said.
The General was terrified and he moved away from the evil sword that was thrown near him. While moving away he bumps on the body and reflexively throws it away towards the sword. Who would have expected that when did, a black mist spread from the sword surrounding the headless body of his former adjutant. Before his eyes, he saw the black mist eating the body and even the bones weren’t spread. The black mist only dispersed when the body had disappeared.
The general looked at the black sword like something demonic. It wasn’t something that shouldn’t exist in this world. On the other hand, Marshal Gu Ying ignored the general’s reaction and didn’t even take a glance at him.
He just said, "That sword eats anything. It would look full when the shade of black on it was lighter like it is now. You can use it to destroy the barrier. It would eat what every energy is used to maintain that barrier. Of course, it would take time. You better feed the sword properly or else you would be the one eaten by it. Leave now. I will not accept another failure."
With the words of the marshal sending the general out of the office, the latter had no other choice but to pick up the black sword despite his fear. He saluted for the last time and headed out.
Just as the general was about to run out of the door he heard the marshal speak again.
"Call someone to clean up the room," Marshal Gu Ying said.
The General responds, "Y-Yes, Lord General. Please excuse this subordinate of yours!"
As soon as the general stepped out of the marshal’s office and closed the door. He ran out in fear. He grabbed the first being he met on his way out and told them to clean the marshal’s office. Meanwhile, as soon as the general returned to his troops he threw the dangerous sword to someone else.
"Get something to carry that sword. A big box will do. Then we will once again leave for the ancient forest. Our mission is still the same and that sword is what the marshal has bestowed to us which we can use to destroy the barrier." The general said.
A soldier said, "But Lord General... this is just a sword?"
Before he can speak another word, the sword, seemingly offended by the words of the soldier, chooses to eat another one before falling into slumber. Everyone had witnessed their comrade eaten by the sword and there was nothing they could do to save him.
Clang!
Without support the sword fell on the ground with a sound and the human soldier who was holding it had disappeared. Only the scent of blood lingering around it was the proof that a being was alive a few minutes ago. The soldier collectively took a step back in fright. Now they are looking at the swords as some kind of evil thing that eats humans.
On the other hand, the general had turned calmer as he noticed that the black sword had turned lighter gray than before. He reached out to touch the sword and his soldiers tried to stop him.
"Lord General, no!"
"Don’t touch it!"
Unexpectedly, nothing had happened when the general had grabbed it this time. After seeing the hue of the black sword change, he knew that it might have gone into a slumber. He passed the sword to another soldier who had no other choice but to take it.
"Go find a box to put it in. Don’t touch it directly!" The general commanded,
This time the soldiers made their move faster. The faster the sword was placed inside the box the safer they would feel. After everything was prepared, this troop had once again headed to the ancient forest and resumed their mission. They had used the sword trying to break the barrier, but just letting it stab at the barrier was useless as the black thorns would attack them once they got closer.
This time they can only throw the sword near the barrier and run to a distance. This to avoid getting attacked by the black thorned vines. The vines tried to wrap itself around the sword trying to pull it out. It tried multiple times only for it to be eaten once, twice, thrice. Until it reels back as if to avoid the sword, with nothing can be used to stop the sword, the black thorn vines try to use all means to take the sword away.
It was patient enough to try for a day until the sword started eating the energy of the barrier as if enjoying something extremely delicious, the black sword as if sensing something familiar from the barrier started sucking the energy coming from it happily. It took a few days for the barrier to be affected and a crack finally appeared on its surface.
The general was the first one to notice it and showed a joyous expression on his face as if he got a jackpot.
A soldier happily announced, "A crack? A crack finally appeared on this damn barrier!"
"Damn! I’ve been waiting for this moment for months!"
"We can finally enter this damn forest!"
The soldiers tried to use weapons to make the crack larger only for their attempts to be futile. It was unknown whether their attacks are simply weak or there is no effect at all. Just as they were surprised that their attacks on the barrier were useless, they were ambushed by the black thorn vines that were acting dead as they couldn’t do anything to the sword. Towards them, this carnivorous plant is still as merciless as always.
Some soldiers were eaten again while the general was preparing to set out a flare as a sign that their mission to destroy the barrier is to be reported. Who would have thought that before he could light a flare, the soldiers were attacked by th black vines again.
The general exclaims in anger, "You damn fools!"
BOOM
The lit flare had finally exploded in the night sky which everyone in the city had seen. The Marshal who had seen the flare commanded all other troops to gather. Their destination is obviously one. The ancient forest where the chaos would descend.