Hunter’s Blade

C14 Traveling Through the Forest

Go north.

This was a long journey, and along the way, there were towering trees.

Shire had a leather bag on his back, and he didn’t have any other clothes on him. He only had a black cloak around his waist, and he used his chest to welcome the cold wind. He was seventeen years old. This was a special age. He was neither an adult nor a child. He was at his youngest and most powerful age.

After the bandages around his waist were removed, a layer of purple scab appeared on his wound. It was like a witch’s ointment and his flesh had grown together. It was a bit strange. However, the pain had completely disappeared, and there was still a warm feeling from time to time.

Etienne had said that after the wound was treated with a magic potion, some of the hunters died of complications, while the other hunters survived and became tougher. Perhaps it was due to psychological effects, but Shire did feel that he had become much stronger and healthier than ever.

The wizards who made the potions came from a large swamp outside the border. Many rivers flowed down from the mountains in the south. They poured into the bay in the north, and along the way, there was a dense network of water. The water accumulated and formed a swamp. The ancestor wizard was hiding there. He taught the local natives witchcraft and made the swamp a country of witchcraft.

The marshland was adjacent to the Lawman Kingdom, so wizards often went to Lorman and used their spells to exchange for supplies. They were often hired by the lords as consultants to discuss solving the supernatural phenomenon in the territory.

Etienne brought Shire to visit a witch. She had a bad temper and lacked patience. She shouted at the Devil Hunter and was very alert. She had an agile Sub-Dragon at home to guard against thieves. At the same time, she also had very profound magic power. The magic rope in Shire’s backpack was made by that witch.

How could he not disappoint the old hunter? Shire was deeply worried.

“You don’t need to be responsible for the dead, fool.” Gradiu mocked him rudely, “He’s already dead. Even if you fall from grace, he won’t have a single complaint, because he can’t speak.”

“Things like you won’t understand.”

“I don’t need to understand. These things that are a burden to your actions are all trash. The so-called responsibility, duty, morality… are all your mental debts that make you worry for the rest of the night.”

“Then do you think I should live without principles? No bottom line?”

“Look, I don’t know what principles are. I’m still alive and well. Learn to look down on rules, so you can take advantage of other people who follow the rules. When they’re afraid of some superficial things, it’s your turn to be the first one to do so.”

If only I was a knowledgeable hunter who understood the rules of society, then I would be able to teach this guy a lesson.

“Bah, even if you spend your whole life mastering countless knowledge, you can at most reach the second level of wisdom and overthrow all your previous knowledge. But I don’t know how many years my experience has been, and now I’m guiding you on the fifth level, so you can give up on your foolish ideas and follow my teachings in peace ”

Shire didn’t feel bored after talking to Gradiu for so long. Devils never lacked stories and topics to share. The devil controlled his tone of conversation, sometimes aggressive. Sometimes humble, sometimes cruel, sometimes humorous. He was a funny companion, but Shire did not let down his guard. He could not let his guard down. What’s more, they should be wary of devils.

Shire did not know the specific path, but he followed the direction of the sunrise and sunset, heading north. He had heard people talking about how one could reach the coastline in ten days after leaving Twilight Forest and heading north. Gray Tree Hall was located on the coast, which meant that as long as they reached the beach, they would be able to find a big city very quickly.

“What a hasty idea.” The devil commented, “You might take a detour and go in the wrong direction. You will walk in a crooked way, wandering around in the forest and wasting time. You will not be able to leave the forest after eating all the supplies.”

This was true. Shire had walked for many days, but he still did not see the edge of the forest. This inevitably made him a little worried.

He walked and slept at night, enduring the cold at places with wind behind his back. Sometimes he could not sleep at night, but he would walk during the day. His soles were pierced by thorns and weeds, and he kept bleeding. He missed his shoes and clothes, and longed for bed and fire. Most of the time, Shire was starving. He could only find some wild fruits to feed himself. Squirrel and Rabbit moved faster than him. But he still had a crossbow with him. Once he shot an animal, soon, the roasted meat was ready.

On the fifth day, the wound on his feet had scars. His skin had become harder, and his feet, which had once been able to step on insoles, were now accustomed to touching the ground. He walked further and further away, day by day. In the silent forest, he was the only one who accompanied the demons. Gradiu was in Shire’s soul. His vision was very narrow, and he could only see things very close to him. Therefore, Shire described what he could see to the devil. The sun was rising in the sky. There were pine trees in the distance.

There were no signs of human habitation, and the animals lived freely. Shire saw the path of the animals in the forest, and a large group of sacred white deer walked through the forest quietly. These noble animals made Shire feel like he was in a dream. After they passed through, he still could not come back to his senses for a long time.

The feeling of walking away from the world was not that bad, because there was always hope. The forest was not endless.

On the seventh day, a river appeared in front of him, which made Shire feel excited. He remembered that when everyone entered the Twilight Forest, they passed by a river, which was very likely the one in front of him. As long as they crossed the river, they wouldn’t be far from the Gray Tree Hall.

He walked along the river bank. The river gurgled, and the water hit the rocks, producing a series of crisp sounds. It was the middle of the Frost Moon, the tenth month of the year. The weather gradually turned cold, and the river water became colder and colder. Shire squatted down and picked up a handful of water from the riverside and slapped his face. The bone-piercing river water instantly made him feel refreshed and refreshed.

“Hiss…” Gradiu complained for a while. “It’s so cold.”

“You can feel my feelings?” Shire was confused.

“Yes, I can feel extreme feelings. It would be best if you don’t play this kind of trick. It will only remind me how fragile your nerves are. It has such a big reaction to the change in temperature. ”

“I’ve seen your body before. It seems to be burning underneath. Is it very hot?”

“Of course, it’s the demon flames that keep burning inside me. We devour souls, souls are our fuel. Devils are burning all the time, if we don’t eat enough souls, we will eventually collapse”

” If you can’t eat souls right now, what do you rely on to make a living? Relying on my soul? ”

“Bah, your soul emits the degeneration aura of the Aphen Flames, I have nowhere to eat at all. Yes, if I can’t replenish my fresh soul, I will starve to death. For my sake, find me some fresh souls.”

” I won’t kill for you ”

“Ah, could it be that we demons are so weak that we can only rely on human souls for a living? How could demons be such a troublesome thing! Please give me the souls of animals, beasts, or monsters. The souls of mortals have their own taste.”

Shire saw a small crab crawling on the shore of the mud. He grabbed it and crushed it with two fingers.

“Is that so?”

“Gradiu reluctantly agreed, “Yes, I ate it, but I am still angry at you for using trash to get rid of the devil.”

Perhaps it was Shire’s misconception, he saw a wisp of green smoke fly out from the crab’s body and enter his body.

He threw the crab into his mouth and chewed it hard.

The juice exploded in his mouth. The salty and tender crab meat mixed with sharp shrapnel chewed into minced meat in Shire’s mouth. The taste was very fresh and very appetizing.

Shire smacked his lips and walked down the river. Not long after, he saw a stone bridge.

Finally, there was a place to cross the river.

“Look, look, our feast is here.” Gradiu murmured.

Shire didn’t know what the devil was talking about. He walked to the side of the stone bridge. He smelled a disgusting smell. The entire stone bridge was flat and stretched across the river. It was quite wide, and it left a deep impression. It was more than enough for two carriages to pass through side by side. The flag of the Lord of Gray Tree Hall was erected at the front and back. However, as time passed, the flag was broken, and the original color could not be seen.

He heard the sound of water rippling from the bottom of the bridge. Something was moving in the water. Shire retreated quickly and held the knife tightly in his hand.

A terrifying creature appeared in front of Shire.

It was covered in green moist scales and kept secreting mucus. Its belly was milky yellow, full of disgusting lumps, and it also had a rattan teapot shaped creature. Its hands and feet were large, and its arms were extremely long. When standing, its hands could be lowered to its feet, and there were black webbing between its fingers. He held a big wet wooden stick tightly and looked powerful. Compared to his two to three meter tall body, the proportion of his hair was very large, and his fangs were exposed. His eyes were turbid and fierce, and his ears were very small. Only two seams were left on his skull, and his bald head was constantly dripping water.

Shire knew what kind of monster this was – a giant devil.

Giant Demons had a very strong survival ability, as far as Shire knew. They could also evolve and adapt to their surroundings. The River Giant Devil in front of him was based on the situation of the river. It evolved webbed on its hands and feet, and it also degenerated its annoying ears. As for Giant Snow Devil, he was covered in fur. The cave Giant Demon had developed hearing, and there were many subspecies that were undefeatable.

Not only that, but the Giant Demon was also very smart.

“Buying road money” It used a wooden stick to hit the bridge beside it, making a dull sound, “Buying money for roads!” It opened its ugly other hand and opened it towards Shire.

“What do you want?” Shire asked.

“Kill it! Let me eat it! I’m so hungry, I want to eat my soul! ” Gradiu was extremely anxious.

“Gold, silver, copper coins, everything is fine. Glass, jewelry, I want everything… food is fine too!” The River Giant Devil opened its mouth wide. When it closed its mouth, the sound was like a stone rubbing against a tree bark.

There were a few skulls wrapped around its waist. Some of the skulls were still stained with uneaten dried meat.

“You killed someone?” Shire gripped his weapon tightly.

“Kill the person who forced his way in. Are you also going to force your way in?” The River Giant Devil furiously roared, “Without paying for the road, no one can get through!”

” I insist on going over. If you want to stop me, I’ll kill you. ” Shire threatened.

The River Giant Devil furiously struck the ground beside it with its stick. It climbed onto the stone bridge, grabbed the stone with one hand, and stared at Shire with hatred.

“I want money! Hand over the money! Don’t even think about going over!”

” Kill it, cut open its skin, and pick out the meat inside. ” Gradiu kept whispering, “Destroy it, use your power to make it submit, and turn it into a stepping stone for your power and honor. You can do it, you can do it.”

Fury and killing intent were stirred up in Shire’s heart, but at the same time, his heart trembled. He saw that the eyes of the giant devil were hiding the plot of a wild beast.