"When will she arrive, Captain?" asked one of the legion members, his voice laced with concern.
Leon raised a brow slightly. "I do not know. I truly have no idea," he replied in a flat tone. From time to time, his gaze shifted toward the road behind them, even though the sun was already setting in the west, casting a soft orange glow across the sky.
"If it weren't for that cursed magic tower, this operation would have been finished long ago," one of the soldiers muttered.
The Holy Legion was still waiting for the arrival of the sorceress from the Thirteenth Circle, Eris Thorn. She was a talented mage who had graduated from the Imperial Magic Academy of Qilin, the central continent. For the past four years, Eris had been working at the Magic Tower and had recently become known for her deep interest in ancient lost civilizations. One of her most impressive accomplishments was the discovery of a forgotten rune believed to have vanished ninety-two thousand years ago.
Leon waited until more than two sticks of incense had burned away before Eris finally appeared, clearly in a rush. Her purple hair flowed freely, her right hand gripping a wand made of spruce wood. In her left hand she carried a book, while a feathered quill peeked out from the side pocket of her bag.
"My apologies. I just finished a religious ritual," she said, lowering her head slightly.
"Yes, yes. Sunset is the sacred hour to worship the Golden God," Leon replied with mild irritation.
Eris then activated her spatial storage magic. The book and quill in her hands vanished into another dimension. Spatial storage was no simple feat. It required deep mastery over the balance of spatial elements. Even the slightest mistake could result in the permanent loss of stored items.
Typically, a mage could only store items the size of a small bag. To store something larger, such as a sword or a shield, one needed intense concentration. Overuse of magical energy could cause serious internal damage, sometimes leading to permanent disability.
Eris then asked for a briefing on the mission. Leon Dorna, Captain of the Holy Legion, explained the roles once more. Every member had a specific task. Eris's responsibility was to analyze battle traces, identify attack patterns, and determine the likelihood of a demonic resurgence.
Eris nodded in agreement, and the mission officially began. Leon took the lead, guiding the legion deeper into the Forbidden Forest. At first, the path remained clear, but as they continued, thick underbrush, tall grass, and creeping vines began to slow their progress.
Eris considered using fire magic to clear the way, but Leon quickly stopped her.
"Do not be reckless. Fire magic is strictly forbidden here. One mistake could set the entire forest ablaze, or worse, awaken something that should remain asleep," he warned sternly.
"Understood, Captain," Eris replied without protest.
Their journey continued. Yet as they ventured deeper, an unsettling feeling crept over Leon. The location they were heading to seemed far too deep within the forest. Normally, this area would be crawling with wild creatures such as Black-Headed Wolves or Giant Soldier Ants.
"Captain... isn't this strange?" asked Olin, a young female knight on her first field mission.
Leon nodded slowly. "Yes. We should have been swarmed by monsters by now. But here... it's as if they all vanished." He swallowed hard. "Or perhaps something has devoured them."
Suddenly, Eris began acting erratically. Without warning, she sprinted toward the mission site, which was only about two kilometers ahead. Leon did not hesitate. He immediately ordered the entire legion to pursue her, fearing the worst.
They moved quickly and managed to catch up with Eris. But once they reached the site, the entire legion froze in place.
The sight before them was terrifying.
A towering, misshapen black mass loomed ahead. It stood roughly twenty-nine meters tall, its surface covered in thousands of human faces, each expression hollow and devoid of life. Behind those faces extended twenty-three slick, black tentacles, each ending in a large eye that blinked slowly every eight seconds.
Leon's body locked in place. His pupils shrank. The man who once carried himself with unwavering authority now looked like a frightened chick among swans.
In front of the creature, Eris knelt. Her body was rigid. Her expression, vacant. She slowly turned her head toward Leon, her lifeless eyes meeting his. The color in her irises had faded completely.