Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 995: Sanguine Forest

When the fourth day of the Second Trial began, the two parties had already arrived at the edge of the third layer of the secret plane.

They sported disheveled appearances, their robes were tattered and bloodied, and their auras radiated nothing but danger and bloodlust.

This much was to be expected. After all, they had been constantly killing blood beasts for the past three days straight.

And now… their struggles were going to become even more desperate.

As soon as the young Magi set foot on the third layer, it felt as though they had passed through an invisible membrane, one that barred the beasts from the second layer from following.

But that offered little comfort, for now they had to contend with the vile creatures that ruled the third layer.

But one thing was for certain…

Their time in the secret plane had greatly elevated their fighting and survival skills.

Even Merlinʼs.

Suppressing his strength by an entire rank had done wonders to consolidate his battle prowess. And he was quite happy about it.

If it wasnʼt for the threat of the Cult of Bones looming on the horizon, he would have much preferred to consolidate his battle arts this way.

Arriving at the edge of the third layer, the expressions of the young Magi grew solemn.

A tense, suffocating silence permeated the forest, broken only by the occasional eerie creaks of trees swaying without the wind.

The trees were tall, gnarled, black as scorched bone. Their trunks were cracked and hollow, wide enough to fit an average-sized human.

From their twisted branches hung crimson leaves, unnaturally vivid against the gloomy backdrop, like fresh, crimson blood clinging to dying limbs.

The first layer held the Bloody Marshes, the second the Crimson Grasslands, and the third was home to the Sanguine Forest.

The forest floor was soft and spongy with decay. Roots coiled beneath the surface like veins. The further one ventured, the more distorted the forests became.

The air here was thick and oppressive, a silence so complete that it felt alive, pressing in from all sides.

And in that silence… shadowy figures loomed just beyond the edges of sight.

When the party membersʼ gaze landed on those silhouettes, their bodies stiffened. Any moment now, the battle could begin.

But then, right at that moment, a comical and obnoxious laugh echoed through the Sanguide Forest, causing the young Magiʼs backs to be drenched in a layer of cold sweat.

”Fafafa, what an ugly forest!”

The young Magi froze. They slowly turned towards Merlin, their eyes spewing venom and anger.

Seeing them glare at him, Merlin couldnʼt help but innocently respond, ”What? Why are you staring at me like—”

Mikar quickly stepped forward and pressed his hand against the crazy Magusʼs mouth.

He gritted his teeth and then mouthed the words:

ʼStop talking, you crazy bastard! Theyʼll notice us!ʼ

Merlin rolled his eyes, then swatted the youthʼs hand away. ”Relax, Iʼve already cast a concealment spell on all of us. We should be fine.”

Hearing his words, everyone was wide-eyed. Their gaze shifted between the shadowy silhouettes in the distance and the nonchalant Merlin.

Seeing that the blood beasts had indeed not sensed them further confirmed the crazy Magusʼs words.

Eleiney was surprised, but not as much as she should have been. Merlin was a crazy bastard and did all sorts of crazy things all the time. By now, she was slowly getting used to it.

”When did you even do it?” She asked curiously.

Not only Eleiney, but none of the other party members had seen him weave hand seals or sacrifice material components. So they couldnʼt help but wonder.

Merlin shrugged. ”Right before we entered the third layer.”

”How long can you sustain the spell?” Edward asked with a grim look on his face.

It was great that Merlin had bought them enough time to scout their surroundings. This would allow them to search for potential areas where they could rest.

Hopefully, they could also learn a thing or two about the third layer.

Even though Merlin had sent the wasp to this place earlier, it wasnʼt able to scout too deeply. The spiritual energy had run out and the wasp had died… again.

So this would be the perfect time for the two parties to properly scout the Sanguine Forest.

Hearing that question, Merlin lingered for a few moments. He had cast a simple concealment spell, and being a Mana Vortex Magus, he could naturally sustain it for a long time. But he couldnʼt tell them the truth, lest they begin to suspect him.

So in the end, he displayed two fingers. ”Twenty minutes.”

But even after downplaying his answer, the young Magi were still astonished. After all, sustaining a concealment spell over twelve people—including himself— for that long was no small feat.

The same thought echoed within their minds:

Just how vast are his mana reserves?

Edward deeply looked at Merlin, his thoughts a mystery.

Under his best friendʼs scrutinizing gaze, Merlin couldnʼt help but wonder, Thereʼs no way he found out…

The next moment, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Edward turn around, facing the depths of the Sanguine Forest.

”Letʼs scout the area ahead and find a place to camp,” he said. ”It would be ideal if we could avoid a fight today.”

Everyone agreed. They double-checked their material components and their weapons before heading inside.

As they made their way past countless blood beasts and the towering black trees, their nerves were stretched to the limit. They were surrounded on all sides, and the number of Mana Liqquefaction-level beasts was significantly higher here.

The only thing separating them from the feral beasts was the veil of concealment cast by Merlin. But so far, the effects of the spell were phenomenal. The party members learned that his spell concealed them from all five senses.

Merlin, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes the deeper they went into the forest.

Somethingʼs wrong, he thought, his expression solemn.

Itʼs almost as if...

Soon, he finally discovered the source of his unease.

It would appear the forest resented them. Truly.

Unbeknownst to the young Magi, with each step deeper into the woods, the forest had quietly, insidiously twisted space and direction around them.

What felt like progress was nothing but an illusion.

What seemed like forward movement was nothing but a cruel, deliberate lie.

They believed they were approaching the heart of the forest, but in reality… they had returned.

Right back to the very edge of the third layer, the same place they had left only minutes ago.

It would seem… that the forest was alive.

And it wasnʼt just watching them.

It was playing with them.