"Can't there be at least one survivor?!" King Erwin spoke in an irritated tone.
So far, no one banished to the Forest of Darkness has ever returned.
The men ordered to escort the villagers did indeed enter the forest. However, they only followed the marked route. And his men quickly exited the forest in less than ten minutes.
At least the exiled villagers spent more time there and even if they didn't use the same route they found another way. And perhaps they could tell others what they saw there.
Why not just order the soldiers to explore the forest?
No one would dare.
And if the king rashly ordered his soldiers, there was a chance they wouldn't all return safely, and the kingdom's strength would be diminished.
Why not just use the thugs who kidnapped the villagers?
Even though the thugs were commoners, they couldn't be underestimated. If the thugs united, they would rebel against the kingdom, which would be very troublesome.
So, of all things, one of the safest ways was to use the exiled villagers.
The soldiers were ordered to scout the area outside the forest in case anyone came out.
"Do we really need to surround this area? No one will survive anyway." A soldier scouting the forest asked lamentably.
"Well, at least we're getting paid for this." Another soldier replied.
"Even so, every time I see this forest I get goosebumps. I thought I'd get used to it, but I guess not." A soldier looked out at the forest.
Filled with towering trees, the dense, dark aura sent shivers down anyone's spine. It was silent. Not even a single bird could be heard.
"Even those of us outside are getting goosebumps like this. what about those who come in?"
"Well, I don't want to know."
"Why does such a forest exist?"
No one knew.
Time passed. Two years later, the Forest of Darkness, which had never shown any abnormalities began to show signs of strangeness.
Strange roars were often heard from it. The winds felt colder and more ominous than in previous years.
What had been kept secret from the royal family had spread far and wide.
The citizens, who knew the royal lie, began to fear. At first, they were angry because they learned that the kingdom was sacrificing living people.
But humans are indeed selfish creatures.
After they learned that those who were given as sacrifices were useless marginalized people, they simply ignored it.
Some people felt no need to care about the fate of marginalized people because it guaranteed their lives.
However, not everyone thought that was the right thing to do. There were still some who cared about their fate.
But even so, what could they do? They ultimately only cared about their own safety.
Three years later, in a small village outside the kingdom of Serenia.
One night, an earthquake shook the continent. All the kingdoms on the continent felt the earthquake so powerful. The entire ground shook and several buildings collapsed. The kingdom of Serenia was the most affected because the source of the earthquake was near the kingdom's territory.
If a strong kingdom could collapse, what about simple village houses? Of course, they were destroyed.
But at least there were no casualties due to the earthquake. The village area was rebuilt.
Several months passed. The villagers usually collected some herbal plants and also grazed their livestock on the hill behind the village.
Everything went on as usual. Until someone ran in, their face filled with fear.
The woman, who was looking for herbs, immediately reported what she saw to the village chief. With a frightened face and a trembling voice, the woman said,
"W-while I was wandering around... There was a cave. I-I saw a pair of golden eyes, which were very frightening."
"Did you see the creature?" The village chief asked.
"I... I didn't see it very clearly. But... it looked like a large, black-scaled creature." The woman replied, still terrified.
"Could it be..." The village chief hesitated.
"Everyone gather. We'll split into groups to see the creature." The village chief said.
Because stories of the Forest of Darkness and the Black Dragon had spread and been proven to be no mere myth, the villagers were terrified. They feared the possibility that the continent would be destroyed again.
But despite their fear, they still dared to venture out. Because in the past, the destruction of the world had been stopped, and they thought perhaps it could be stopped this time too.
The next morning, about twelve people gathered into a group. They brought supplies and weapons for protection.
The air in the fields behind the village wasn't usually this cold. The chill sent shivers down their spines, and the thick fog obscured their vision.
The twelve people walking along the path wanted to immediately turn around and run as far as possible.
"It's okay... We'll all be fine." The village chief tried to reassure them.
With cautious steps, they observed the area they were passing. Fearing a sudden attack might emerge from the mist. They arrived at a cave.
Previously, the cave hadn't been intimidating to them because there was nothing there. But this time, their eyes suddenly trembled.
They weren't even close to the cave. From where they stood, they saw something.
A jet-black scaly figure the size of the cavern itself.
They froze, motionless.
The creature's gripping, terrifying aura enveloped them.
They wanted to run—no, they had to.
As they slowly retreated, a pair of golden eyes opened and stared at them. Seeing that gaze, they immediately fell to their knees and prostrated themselves.
"Oh... These humans have finally arrived!" A voice sounded arrogant and terrifying.
"S-sorry!! P-please forgive us!!!"
"Please forgive us!!" The twelve men, who had previously been determined and brave, now prostrated themselves, begging for forgiveness. Their faces twisted in horror.
"Hahaha... You funny creatures. I haven't done anything, and you're already like this." A terrifying laugh.
"Just like before. Well, this is what's so great about you guys."
The black dragon emerged from the cave and revealed itself completely.