Chapter 317

“Waaaahhh!”

The cheers erupted like a tidal wave.

The realization that they had survived, that their race had endured, brought tears of joy to the Naga Tribe as they shouted in celebration. It was a cry of victory, unlike any other—a monumental, resounding affirmation of their existence.

Yet, it was also a mournful and bittersweet cry, filled with sorrow for those who had been lost.

“They will have to endure a long, arduous darkness ahead.”

The path to restoring their race and rebuilding the forest would be fraught with challenges. Nothing about it would be easy. But the unshakable belief that the forest would one day echo again with the beautiful songs of the Nagas allowed the cheers to carry on and on.

Theo turned to the Black Dragon, his expression calm yet commanding.

“Select individuals to oversee the restoration of this place and ensure they are well-guarded,” Theo instructed.

“Yes, sir,” the Black Dragon replied with a curt nod before swiftly returning to the army to begin reorganizing.

Theo then called for Julius.

“Have the White-Scale Winged Knights continue to monitor the skies for any who might escape the forest. Assign a few ground platoons to supervise as well.”

“As you command, Patriarch,” Julius replied before hurrying back to the ranks. Under Theo’s orders, the army’s reorganization proceeded swiftly.

From the depths of the forest came a familiar presence.

Emerging into view, Lodbrok appeared, hovering in the air alongside four restrained Hexagram Knights.

“All hail the Great Guardian Dragon!”

The army collectively saluted, but Lodbrok, waving his hand dismissively, approached Theo with a look of mild irritation.

“How was it? A simple task, wasn’t it?” Lodbrok asked with a smirk.

“I had full confidence in you,” Theo replied with a knowing smile.

As Lodbrok had boasted earlier, the four Hexagram Knights responsible for controlling the masses had been captured without so much as a scratch on them.

“Weren’t there five of them?” Theo asked, a note of curiosity in his voice.

He recalled five distinct mana streams flowing into the masses, and their numbers also indicated the involvement of five mages.

“Here,” Lodbrok said nonchalantly, tossing a stone to Theo.

Catching it, Theo inspected the object. Strange runes carved into its surface glowed faintly with a mysterious light.

“A tracking spell,” Theo muttered.

It didn’t take long to deduce its purpose. The glowing blue thread extending from the stone stretched far beyond the forest.

It wasn’t that Theo doubted Lodbrok’s ability—on the contrary, he momentarily wondered if he had misinterpreted the mana flow.

“I didn’t expect him to capture them so utterly.”

The captured Hexagram Knights were shells of their former selves, their faces vacant, devoid of any resolve.

And it was no wonder.

“He destroyed their mana cores.”

A mage’s mana core was their lifeline, the foundation of all the magic they cultivated over a lifetime.

The state of the captives now made perfect sense.

“For now, let’s keep them hidden,” Theo said decisively.

This wasn’t merely to protect the Ragnar army but also a consideration for the Naga Tribe. Allowing the Nagas to decide the captives’ fate was undoubtedly the right choice. However, Theo knew the Nagas were still overwhelmed by emotion, and he didn’t want to sow seeds of hatred among those known for their wisdom and kindness.

“Do as you will, then,” Lodbrok replied indifferently, gesturing in the air with his fingers.

Golden threads unraveled from his fingertips, encasing the Hexagram Knights in cocoons. The cocoons then seamlessly blended into the surrounding environment, vanishing from sight.

“His magic never ceases to amaze me.”

Even examining the mana flow, Theo could only detect a faint anomaly. Lodbrok’s mastery was awe-inspiring.

From behind, a voice broke his thoughts.

“Are you heading out to hunt the beasts?” Terepun asked, his voice still trembling but touched with his usual warmth.

“I’ll return shortly,” Theo replied, darting into the forest with Lodbrok following close behind.

Terepun watched their retreating figures with unblinking eyes.

It wasn’t merely gratitude that filled him—not just for saving their race. His gaze lingered on the place where Lodbrok’s magic had been cast.

“To think that such creatures…”

The image of the four restrained Hexagram Knights, their broken, pitiful forms, burned in his mind. For a moment, a savage urge to tear them apart consumed him.

“But I can’t stoop that low.”

Theo had hidden them out of consideration for the Nagas. Terepun understood that. The tribe had no means to break the magic concealing the captives, nor should they need to.

Taking a deep breath, Terepun regained his composure. If even he could momentarily lose control and harbor murderous intent, how much worse would it be for the others?

Theo’s thoughtfulness warmed Terepun’s heart, and he resolved to focus on what remained to be done.

“Those with strength remaining, gather the remains and clean the area,” he commanded the Nagas.

“We’ll help too,” came the response from the Ragnar soldiers, who had finished their reorganization. Stripping off their armor and rolling up their sleeves, they stepped forward.

Terepun smiled, gratefully accepting their offer of assistance.

***

The dense darkness of the forest seemed to gnaw at Theo's mind. With every stride forward, his thoughts grew colder, his composure sharpening into an icy edge. The warmth of earlier camaraderie was now entirely erased, replaced by the chilling emotions of that fateful moment.

Boom!

Explosions echoed across the forest as countless magical traps detonated, shaking the ground violently. The sheer number of spells activated caused blinding lights to erupt in Theo's path.

Zing!

Magical arrays glimmered ahead, launching searing beams of light.

Each time this happened—

Wham!

Theo swung the Drake’s Fang Blade, effortlessly nullifying the magic, leaving a trail of dissipated light in his wake.

“Thanks to Loddy, this is manageable,” Theo muttered.

With Lodbrok supporting him, the anti-magic barrier he provided weakened or outright nullified many spells before they could fully activate, allowing Theo to pick up speed as he pressed forward.

“Even to my eyes, the sheer density of these traps is staggering.”

Many of the magical traps stood out, their mana unnaturally concentrated. It made Theo wonder what the forest looked like through Lodbrok's eyes.

“There certainly are a lot of them.”

Theo resolved to ensure the Naga Tribe stayed close to their sanctuary for the time being. The sheer number of traps made the surrounding areas far too dangerous.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

As they took another leap forward, both Theo and Lodbrok narrowed their eyes.

“Interesting,” Lodbrok remarked.

Before them, an immense disturbance in the mana flow swirled violently, creating a vortex of energy. It wasn’t on the scale of Grand Magic, but its concentrated destructive potential was evident.

“Not quite grand magic… Siege magic, perhaps?” Lodbrok observed with a hint of curiosity in his gaze, as though analyzing the structure.

Moments later, he seemed to lose interest.

“Enough.”

With a bored tone, Lodbrok extended his right hand. Three magical circles materialized, rotating in opposition to the vortex.

Whoosh!

A sharp sound cut through the air as the swirling mana collapsed and dispersed in an instant.

“What?!”

“Who’s there?!”

The four Hexagram Knights, who had been preparing the siege magic, appeared, immediately attempting to launch offensive spells.

“The Guardian Dragon of Ragnar? Here?!”

“Theo… Ragnar…”

Their trembling eyes and bodies betrayed their fear, and their fighting spirit evaporated. Even Theo felt his annoyance wane at the sight of their cowardice.

“For Lord Nazariou!” one of them shouted abruptly, regaining his resolve.

The knights charged forward in a sudden burst of desperation.

To Theo, it was an absurd sight.

It wasn’t every day one witnessed mages recklessly rushing toward a swordsman.

Even Lodbrok chuckled in disbelief. “They must be truly desperate.”

The reason behind their sudden charge was obvious—it didn’t take much effort to deduce.

“Mages really aren’t good at hiding their intentions,” Theo muttered.

The light emanating from their bodies screamed danger, their mana indicating a clear intent for self-destruction.

Snap!

With a flick of his fingers, Lodbrok extinguished the glow surrounding the knights.

“What…?!”

“No…!”

Their faces froze in shock, their steps faltering.

“Resorting to self-destruction? How pathetically convenient for you,” Lodbrok said coldly.

Theo’s gaze darkened, piercing through the trembling knights.

“I won’t let you die so easily.”

With those words, Theo vanished. He reappeared in an instant, driving his fist into the chest of the leading knight.

Crack!

The sickening sound of ribs shattering echoed as the knight collapsed, coughing up blood.

But Theo wasn’t finished. Grabbing the man’s collar, he forced a healing potion down his throat.

“You… cruel…!” the remaining knights stammered, horrified.

A snap sounded in Theo’s mind, as though the last thread of his restraint had broken. The air grew heavy, pressing down on the Hexagram Knights’ shoulders.

Theo said nothing. In the short time he had been in this place, he had seen enough horrors to push him to his limit. Memories of the atrocities replayed in his mind, and the boiling rage nearly turned his thoughts white-hot.

“You dare speak of cruelty after the abominations you’ve created?” Theo’s voice cut through the air like steel.

Theo’s form blurred.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

In rapid succession, his strikes knocked the remaining knights unconscious.

“...Not killing them is proving to be a challenge,” Theo muttered, his voice steady but seething.

“It’s harder when they’re so good at justifying it,” Lodbrok added dryly.

With another flick of his fingers, Lodbrok encased the unconscious knights in the same golden cocoons he had used earlier.

“Let’s move,” Lodbrok said, following the trail of the tracking spell.

The Hexagram Knight they had left alive seemed to be circling cautiously, as if trying to throw off pursuers. By now, they should have fled the forest entirely, yet they lingered.

“Is there another path they’re taking?”

The frequency of trap activations increased as the glowing blue thread grew more vivid. Explosions rang out, the ground sinking into sudden sinkholes.

Trees toppled, and sections of the forest were consumed by fire.

“Are they trying to slow us down?”

The traps were elaborate but ultimately ineffective against overwhelming strength. They were too conspicuous and destructive, intended more to block the path than to cause harm.

“To think they believed these pathetic obstacles could stop us.”

Theo pressed forward without hesitation, even as traps activated at point-blank range. None left so much as a scratch on him.

At last, a figure came into view—a man in a tattered cloak bearing the insignia of the Hexagram Knights on his back. He stumbled, clutching his bleeding left arm as he fed mana into a boulder.

The scenery distorted as the boulder absorbed the mana. A barrier collapsed, revealing what lay within.

In the center of a clearing, Nazariou stood, his expression calm and unbothered.

Finally, Theo’s eyes met his.