Ch. 39 — The Black Forest Ambush
The Black Forest of Central was unlike anything the Northern army had ever marched through.
Gone were the frozen plains and biting winds. Here, the air itself was alive — humid, thick, and heavy with mana that clung to the skin like oil. The trees were ancient things, roots twisting across the ground like veins, their leaves glowing faintly in hues of jade and blue. Strange insects hummed in the distance, their wings producing a sound almost magical in rhythm.
For the first time in months, Noah's men felt heat. And dread.
"Chrome Hearts, advance formation," ordered Colonel Ren Harven, his voice muffled beneath the layered canopy. "No open fires, no shouting. The forest amplifies sound."
Major Elias "Wolf" Drayne smirked, dragging the flat of his blade across his shoulder. "You're telling me not to shout, Harven? That's like telling the sun not to rise."
