After eating and drinking their fill, Qiskana and Audif set off toward the forest.

The Elderly Elf had invited them to retrieve the arrows he’d fired the night before. He’d left a trace of his aura on the arrows. Using a Formation he’d created, they could locate them.

The Formation was carved into a round stone disk. A thin needle rested on top, forever pointing toward that trace of the Elderly Elf’s Mana.

As for why the Elderly Elf had invited the two women, yet hadn’t gone with them in the end—it was because they’d noticed how weak he looked. Afraid something might happen to him, they’d left him inside the fortress to recover.

If anything unexpected happened, such as a Monster invasion, the fortress would basically never fall as long as the Elderly Elf was there. He was their safety net.

The forest was exceptionally dangerous, especially during the day. The strange creatures inside could even kill Chapter Three.

Nighttime was relatively safe, but going alone still invited accidents. With two people, at least they could watch each other’s backs.

And so, Qiskana and Audif set out.

Night Frost didn’t follow them. Instead, she lay on top of the city wall, watching their every move through her hawk eyes.

Qiskana and Audif reached the edge of the forest before long. Not a single foolish Monster had tried to block their path.

At night, the forest seemed like a deep and mysterious painting quietly unfolding before them.

Silvery moonlight pierced the sparse treetops and scattered broken patches of light and shadow. It made the forest seem even stranger and more silent.

In this dark world, all things were hushed. Only the occasional rustle of leaves broke the stillness of the night.

The outlines of the trees appeared and vanished within the darkness, like enormous creatures hiding there, ready to spring out at any moment.

The air carried the damp scent of seawater and the faint smell of rotting leaves. The odors intertwined, filling them with a trace of unease.

Still, Qiskana and Audif both knew that although the forest looked terrifying now, this was actually its safest moment.

Qiskana couldn’t fly, and Audif had no intention of flying either. The two entered the forest side by side.

They hadn’t been inside for some time. Neither of them had expected the forest to become like this after being eroded by seawater and scorched by the sun.

Rotten trees could be found everywhere, though most of them were still stubbornly alive. The leaves overhead had turned yellow and hung there precariously.

Anyone with eyes could tell that the trees’ deaths were only a matter of time.

There was no need to spend too much time admiring the scenery. Finding the arrow was what mattered.

The night seemed long, but it was actually short. They had to find the arrows and leave as soon as possible.

The compass pointed in the same direction the entire time. Then, after the two crossed a stretch of swamp, the arrow’s direction changed.

After trying several times, they learned that the arrow was beneath the swamp.

This was only an ordinary swamp. The arrow had struck the ground and left a hollow. When seawater surged in during the day, it filled the hollow.

Once the tide receded, the place became a swamp. The nighttime temperature was very low, so the seawater inside couldn’t evaporate. It had remained there until now.

There were plenty of dead branches and fallen leaves nearby. Given enough time, they would decay here and form a new swamp.

But that had nothing to do with Qiskana and Audif. Their goal was to retrieve the lost arrow.

Once they had located it and sensed its Mana, they got to work.

Qiskana looked like she was all brawn, but she knew quite a few ways to use Mana. Audif, meanwhile, frowned and drew her Dual Blades from her back, keeping watch over their surroundings.

When it came to the use of magic techniques, Qiskana was clearly far stronger than Audif.

Mana lifted some of the liquid from the swamp. Qiskana then drew her greatsword and lightly tapped the ground twice.

A small hollow formed beneath the blade, guiding part of the swamp water into it.

Once the murky liquid in the swamp had receded considerably, Qiskana tried to pull out the arrow. But no matter how hard she tugged, she couldn’t free it.

Was this arrow really so difficult to retrieve?

The Elderly Elf had pulled it out with ease.

The Dual Blade Sorceress, Qiskana, couldn’t make sense of it. She focused her senses on the area herself and discovered a faint trace of Abyssal Aura beneath the swamp.

Audif’s mental strength wasn’t weak. Qiskana, on the other hand, truly wasn’t good at using mental power.

Audif’s claim that her mental strength was weak had only been an excuse. She simply didn’t want her soul to leave her body and enter the Elderly Elf’s, where she would have to deal with the troublesome undead.

So, she threw Night Frost in instead.

“There’s something down there.”

Audif informed Qiskana. Her Dual Blades moved lightly, cutting a circle around the arrow before sinking into the swamp.

Splurt. Splurt.

Qiskana didn’t know what lay beneath them. She only knew that now was the best time to pull out the arrow.

She tightened her arm and yanked it free from the swamp.

Although the arrow had been pulled out of the mud, its surface was completely dry. Not a trace of dirt clung to it.

There were no Array Patterns or signs of polishing. Everything about it seemed naturally formed.

It was a rare treasure.

“This arrow is really something.”

Qiskana sighed in admiration.

But at that moment, the puddle that had fallen silent began to boil.

Rows of lump-like growths rose from the bottom of the pool. Their surfaces were covered in blade marks—the cuts Audif had just made.

The growths stood far taller than the surrounding trees. Even Night Frost, who had activated her hawk eyes on the distant city wall, could see them clearly.

The things looked bizarre no matter how she viewed them. They made Night Frost feel sick to her stomach.

“The forest is truly ill.” (in Elvish)

The Elderly Elf helplessly came to Night Frost’s side. Through the Formation, he could also see the enormous growths in the distance.

“Those growths contain the nutrients the forest depends on to survive. The Mana and Abyssal Aura didn’t enter the soil. They were sucked away by them.” (in Elvish)

This was the first time the Elderly Elf had seen such a thing. But with his years of experience, he recognized its origins at a glance and reached several conclusions.

The Eye Orb connected its nerve endings to Night Frost’s optic nerves. It saw the distant scene as well and silently recorded it.

Then, using the Elvish language it had pieced together over the past few days, it asked the Elderly Elf:

“This looks somewhat like cancer. These cells consume all available nutrients and then multiply abnormally. The forest is sick. No—the entire continent is sick.” (in Elvish)

“I don’t know what cancer is, but what you said makes sense.” (in Elvish)

The Elderly Elf let out a long sigh.

This thing had appeared too. The time left to them was running short. The Elven race’s relocation and migration had to be placed on the agenda.

The giant growth didn’t seem very powerful. Night Frost briefly pulled her gaze away, then turned to ask the Elderly Elf:

“There’s something I didn’t ask about at the dinner table. The Elven Codex those Sorceresses need—what is it?” (in Elvish)

It hadn’t been appropriate to ask about such a thing at the table. The Elven Codex was a secret of the Elven race.

What was more, the two people across from her were also Sorceresses. What if asking caused trouble?

Night Frost’s concern had been correct.

The Elderly Elf nodded.

“You did the right thing. The Elven Codex is indeed a secret of the Elven race. It records all the magic, culture, and laws of our people, from the ancient past to the present.” (in Elvish)

“Throughout its long history, it developed wisdom. It can independently derive the magic recorded within its pages, and it can even make limited predictions of the future.” (in Elvish)

“Predictions? Isn’t that the Dragon of Prophecy…” (in Elvish)

The Elderly Elf nodded and explained that the book contained a drop of the Dragon of Prophecy’s Blood.

Night Frost remembered.

The former undead druid had obtained a drop of the Dragon of Prophecy’s Blood and seen a future of destruction. That was why he had embarked upon the path of the undead.

That drop of Blood had been placed upon the Elven Codex.

“The Elven Codex was originally compiled by the elf who came to this world. It already possessed tremendous power.” (in Elvish)

“As its records grew, the assistance of the Dragon of Prophecy’s Blood granted it even greater might. Its power is hardly surprising.” (in Elvish)

Night Frost suddenly understood.

The Elven Codex was actually such an incredible object. It could predict the future and derive new magic.

No wonder those Sorceresses wanted it.

“Where is it now?” (in Elvish)

“The Elven Codex is always carried by the elf with the greatest authority in the current era—someone acknowledged by the Codex itself.” (in Elvish)

“Normally, it would most likely be with the Elven royal family. But the royal family has practically ceased to exist. I don’t know where the Codex truly is.” (in Elvish)

The Elderly Elf didn’t know where the Codex was. It had probably been lost.

“Still, the Elven Codex possesses wisdom. As long as the Elven race doesn’t perish, it will appear again one day.” (in Elvish)

The Elderly Elf’s gaze was firm.

He would definitely keep the Elven bloodline alive.

That was his duty.

Under Audif’s assault, the enormous growth was completely destroyed. The two women carried the arrow and hurried back toward the fortress.

Perhaps it was because of the arrow. Or perhaps it was because of the battle just now.

The growths buried beneath the earth awakened. They spread across the entire forest.

This place was no longer a forest.

The growths had been too far away for Night Frost to see clearly before. Now that they were closer, she could finally make out their full appearance.

Their surfaces were densely covered in tiny capillaries, wrapping around them like a vast web.

Upon closer inspection, those capillaries looked very much like vines.

They were probably the vines’ true bodies.

Night Frost finally understood where those vine-like Monsters had come from.

During the day, the vines would likely be more active. Fortunately, it was night now, and they weren’t moving much.

Qiskana and Audif were both powerful. They easily crossed the forest and reached the grassland.

The vines spread toward the grassland, but before long, they retreated.

It seemed they couldn’t extend too far—or rather, they hadn’t grown into the grassland yet.

Qiskana and Audif walked across the grassland. After glancing at the growths behind them, they decided to discuss the migration with the Elderly Elf in detail.

“Old man, I’m back.” (in Elvish)

Qiskana tossed the arrow to the Elderly Elf and reminded him to be more careful the next time he used it.

The Elderly Elf nodded.

“Next time, for sure.” (in Elvish)