Infinite Mage

Chapter 180: The Forest of Profane (4)

WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: Ryuu

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INFINITE MAGE

Tess's battle was nearing its end.

The lightweight sabre couldn't break through the carapace of the Dokgakgui , but it was perfect for targeting gaps.

Tess jabbed between the carapace plates, slowing the creature's movements, then landed a decisive blow by plunging the sabre into its single eye. Twisting the blade, Tess brought the Dokgakgui to its knees.

Seeing the fight dragging on, Amy erected a Fire Wall around them.

Since the beasts lacked intelligence, fleeing would have been the best outcome. However, unexpectedly, one of them broke through the wall of fire.

Arin sighed in relief upon realizing that her initial spell was working. She cast Mind Control on four of the Dokgakgui, and two of them began to tremble.

Under the influence of Mind Control, the two Dokgakgui turned and started attacking their comrades.

With the monsters fighting each other, the group no longer needed to battle.

Rian and Tess, who had finished off their respective Dokgakgui, gathered their weapons and returned to Shirone.

When Amy dispelled the Fire Wall, the group could see the bloodbath among the Dokgakgui. They used their horns, legs, and even jaws to stab, trample, and defeat one another.

The number of monsters was equal, so Arin's skill in controlling the Dokgakgui was crucial. Initially unfamiliar with the creatures, she quickly adapted and used their long horns for individual assault tactics.

Witnessing the carnage, the group shuddered.

For Kanya and Rena, in particular, it was a shocking sight. A creature that followed the laws of the forest was now violating those same laws by killing its own kind. It was a day of many strange occurrences in the Forest of the Profane.

Having won the battle, Arin exhaled deeply.

Mind Control continually drained her mental strength, and making the creatures fight also transferred their battle intent to her, adding to her mental fatigue.

The Dokgakgui under Arin's control looked towards Shirone. Kanya and Rena quickly stepped back, but the creatures simply assumed a posture of submission.

Arin pondered what to do with the remaining Dokgakgui.

The high success rate of Mind Control through her initial spell was Arin's strength but also her weakness. High emotional synchronization meant she could vividly sense the emotions of the creatures she controlled.

This was a fate shared by all mind-type mages who dealt with the mental states of others.

Arin hesitated. No matter how monstrous, it was painful to mercilessly kill creatures that had fought for her.

Tess, known for her soft heart, voiced Arin's feelings.

"Can't we just keep them? Even having just two would make us feel a lot safer."

"No. We can't waste our mental energy on creatures like these. Now that we know Mind Control works, Arin should focus on that. She also needs to maintain her mental channel constantly."

"Hmm, what about letting them go?"

"They'd come back to attack us. The worst case is they'd bring others."

"I see. So, unfortunately, we have to kill them. Can't we just make them fight each other to the death?"

Tess's suggestion made Arin bite her lip.

This was different from controlling the Dokgakgui to kill other Dokgakgui. With the high emotional synchronization and the added feelings from fighting alongside them, her internal conflict grew stronger.

Rian, gripping the handle of his greatsword, spoke.

"Then I'll do it. Just hold them in place."

Canis shook his head.

"No, this is something Arin must do. As a mind mage aiming for higher realms, she can't remain weak forever."

Relying on her initial spell to stand out had its limits. To reach her goal, she needed to overcome situations like this.

Canis wished for Arin to remain by his side for a long time.

"Arin, remember the promise we made when we were taken to the Magic Association. Our mentor is no longer here. We need to become stronger. This isn't a place where we can afford to show sympathy."

Arin closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Canis was right. She had to decide whether to rely on her initial spell or to dominate it. It was a difficult choice, but one she needed to face.

Arin walked the Dokgakgui to the edge of the forest. Then, she made them stab each other's eyes with their horns.

The two Dokgakgui fell, facing each other.

Though still breathing, they could no longer move, leaving no other way to deliver a fatal blow.

Arin forced a smile.

Watching her, Harvest recalled the time they had faced each other through a glass barrier.

The judgment that she was too weak for a mage still lingered, but compared to when she feared everything, she had become a completely different person.

"Arin's strength is also her weakness. She easily resonates with others' minds, but that's why she can't become ruthless. Arcane always regretted this aspect."

"But now she's changing. Arin will manage well."

Shirone, sharing in Arin's sadness, felt reassured hearing Harvest and Canis's conversation. Though he had chosen a tough profession, he had companions who would stay with him for life.

"Anyway..."

Shirone began, turning around as his friends directed their gazes towards Kanya and Rena.

The two women flinched. The six pairs of eyes showed waves of emotion that didn't match the situation.

"They're humans."

"Yeah, they're humans. They even have swords and shields."

"Swords and shields. I was dying to see those. The thought of talking to giants uprooting trees made me dizzy."

As the incomprehensible words continued, Kanya blocked her sister and shouted.

"What are you saying? Who are you people?"

Arin connected to the Spirit Zone and attempted telepathy. As Kanya's thoughts were transmitted, Arin used her initial spell to convey them to Shirone's group.

Shirone tried to speak as kindly as possible.

"Uh, so, we came from another place..."

Kanya's fierce gaze stopped Shirone.

Understanding the previously incomprehensible words, Kanya's tension rose. The lip movements and language didn't match.

"What did you do? Is this magic too? Are you Nor?"

"Nor? What's that?"

Instead of answering, Kanya extended her right arm. A drone flew down from the sky. The beetle-like device landed on her wrist, then detached into sections, forming a gauntlet.

"Language decoding."

A light appeared on the back of the gauntlet.

"Say that again."

"What?"

That was enough. Kanya bent her arm to check the gauntlet.

No data. Decoding failed.

After checking the drone's information, she drew her arc. Pulling the handle, she aimed a red dot at Shirone's forehead.

“W-What are you doing? Suddenly?"

Having observed the arc's power in the forest, Shirone knew how strong it was.

Being targeted without knowing the reason left him flustered. This wasn't the reaction one expected when meeting other humans in a monster-infested place.

"Rena! These aren't our subjects! We must fight!"

“B-But sister... they saved our lives."

"Now I understand. The Dokgakgui are here because of them. They disrupted the forest's law."

Hearing this, Rena couldn't stay still. Though her face showed reluctance, she took up her Sygna and Exed, ready to fight.

"You better speak honestly if you don't want your head blown off by the arc. What did you do in this forest? Who are you?"

Even if they asked who they were, there was no way to explain. Frustrated, Shirone could only shout.

"We're humans too!"

"How can I believe that? You don't speak our language! And you're not heretics either!"

"But we can communicate. Isn't that enough?"

Kanya frowned. Strangely, Shirone's words were convincing.

"So let's talk it out. If we can understand each other, we can find a peaceful solution instead of pointing those weird weapons."

"Peace? In the Forest of the Profane? You really are suspicious."

"The Forest of the Profane?"

"Is that the name of this forest?"

After Arin's explanation, silence followed.

A tense standoff continued for a while.

Shirone could easily subdue her if he wanted, but he hated fighting.

They were human. They could communicate. If she could just let go of her hostility, they could learn more about this world.

At that moment, Rena looked up.

The drone, patrolling the area, projected a scene from 500 meters away onto her retina. Over twenty Dokgakgui were approaching.

"Sister, we're in trouble. It's the Dokgakgui."

Kanya finally came to her senses. Staying longer was suicide now that the forest's law was disrupted.

The mysterious strangers didn't seem willing to fight. Though she couldn't be sure, if they had defeated the Dokgakgui, they could certainly subdue her.

"Follow me. Let's talk after we get out of here."

Kanya reverted the gauntlet on her arm to its beetle form and sent it skyward. Confirming the Dokgakgui's position, she chose a direction and entered the forest.

Without a word, Shirone's group followed her. Amy mentioned they were moving away from the city.

***

Kanya led them into a canyon where the jungle and rocky terrain mingled.

Surrounded by cliffs, they could only see the sky above. Walking along the V-shaped valley's bottom, Shirone could guess how long this world had existed.

As they walked, Kanya's group introduced themselves.

Though still suspicious, Kanya seemed to accept that they had no intention of fighting.

"This is the Valley of the Vortex Serpent. With different laws, there shouldn't be any danger."

"The biggest danger would be Shirone getting hit by that weird weapon."

Rian joked, making Kanya squint. Despite her annoyance over the forest incident, she was even more upset.

Guessing Shirone was the leader, she pointed and asked.

"Who are you really? Coming from another world doesn't make sense."

"But it's true. Whether you believe it or not, that's the only way to explain it. Now, you explain. What kind of world is this? And what about the giant we defeated earlier?"

"Giant? You said giant?"

"Yeah, giant."

"So, you killed a giant!"

"No, we didn't kill it. What happened was..."

Before Shirone could finish, Kanya grabbed his collar and yelled.

"How could you kill a giant, you fool! Giants uphold the law! It was you all along. Killing the giant caused the Dokgakgui to run rampant!"

Amy knocked Kanya's hand away. She had held back her temper for information but couldn't tolerate mistreatment of her friend.

"I said we didn't kill it! And the giant attacked us first!"

"Of course! You broke the law! The Forest of the Profane is forbidden to humans!"

Shirone stepped between the two growling women.

"We don't understand. Get it? We really came from somewhere else."

Kanya was stunned. Nothing Shirone said convinced her, but it was true, so it had to be.

"Are you really... from another place?"

"We've been saying that."

"No, I mean..."

Kanya's expression turned serious.

Though just a childhood tale, there was a story about humans from a land ruled by the heavens.

They were descendants of the divine, but unable to feel the presence of gods, they lived short, suffering lives as mortals.

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