Free Web NovelChapter 273: 273:Coming back to the past.
The fighting gradually moved forward and deeper, further from the main force. Stronger beasts naturally gathered further inside the forest.
Which suited all three perfectly. The ordinary beasts stopped being interesting rather quickly. Atheline intentionally left most of them behind since the ordinary hunters needed opportunities too. There was no point stealing every kill.
Instead, they focused on the larger targets; the corrupted beasts and dangerous ones. The creatures responsible for most casualties.
Hours passed of continuous fighting, but none seemed to care or tire. The forest gradually changed and the cheerful sounds of battle faded behind them.
The snow deepened, visibility reduced as the familiar dark fog started to fully cover them, the trees grew larger and more twisted the deeper they moved. Soon only distant echoes remained.
Simion finally noticed.
"We’ve gone pretty far."
Atheline nodded.
"Yep."
Prince Lucifer shrugged.
"It’s not that big of a deal, is it?"
Simion looked around, then frowned. Atheline could already understand his expression since this wasn’t his first visit to the forest.
Seeing it from today’s perspective really showed how grown he had become. While his wandering into the forest the first time had been impulsive, this time, he had entered voluntarily and out of curiosity.
This was also among the reasons he needed to visit the forbidden forest. He wanted to know what had happened to him, and the core he had gotten; where it had come from, and what it was.
Now that he was stronger, he was seeing this from a completely different perspective than when he had first arrived. He had been confused and completely scared.
He couldn’t even compare himself from before and now. The memory felt unpleasant.
Atheline sighed.
Simion glanced over.
"Is something the matter, your majesty?"
Atheline pointed ahead into the dark forest.
"That’s where I almost died," he answered honestly.
Heavy silence fell between them. Prince Lucifer stopped walking. Simion almost stumbled.
"What?"
Atheline pointed again.
"Somewhere around there, I don’t really remember. "
Simion stared at him his eyes widened then looked toward the forest trying to see where he was pointing.
"You almost died... here?"
Atheline nodded. Prince Lucifer suddenly looked interested.
"How?"
Atheline sighed, he couldn’t even bring himself to say the reason. Was he supposed to say he was throwing an emotional tantrum for attention?
"Curiosity," he said," when I was young."
"So you were just reckless," Prince Lucifer said dismissively.
Atheline nodded, unfazed. "You’ve taken the words out of my mouth. Congratulations."
"Are you insulting my intelligence?"
Atheline shrugged. "That’s your own assumption. I never said anything insulting did I? I just congratulated you."
Simion rubbed his forehead. Both of them were impossible and gave him a headache.
They continued walking. The deeper they traveled, the quieter the world became, even the wind seemed quieter. Snow fell gently from ancient branches in large batches the branches sagging from the weight.
Simion kept one hand near his sword, instinct warned him that something lived around there, something dangerous.
He glanced briefly towards Prince Lucifer to find him smiling, which wasn’t a good sign.
Atheline immediately sensed it too. A powerful Aether signature was approaching rapidly. The ground suddenly trembled.
Simion froze. A moment later something emerged from the trees. It was massive, had white fur, five glowing eyes, and two enormous horns. The creature stood nearly five meters tall.
A winter beast lord.
Simion immediately swore, Prince Lucifer laughed out loud while Atheline groaned. They had expected it to happen but not that fast.
The beast roared causing the forest to shake violently around them. Snow cascaded from nearby trees.
Prince Lucifer lifted his hammer.
Atheline reached for his bow. freёwebnoѵel.com
Simion activated the lightning element.
All three charged simultaneously at the beast. The resulting collision resembled a natural disaster. Dark flames exploded, wind screamed around them and lightning erupted.
The beast lord swung a claw larger than a person. Prince Lucifer met it head-on. Shockwaves ripped through the forest at impact. Several nearby trees snapped instantly as a result.
Prince Lucifer slid backward several meters while still grinning.
"This is so good."
Atheline launched into the air, his wind carrying him upward. Six arrows appeared between his fingers and all six elements activated simultaneously.
Simion stared at the nocked arrows. No matter how many times he saw it, it still felt absurd.
Atheline released them. Six arrows crossed the sky in a blinding white light. The beast lord dodged three, blocked one, and destroyed another. But the final arrow struck its shoulder, and ice exploded upon contact.
The beast roared, its voice almost deafening. Prince Lucifer immediately attacked again. Dark flames covered his hammer as he crashed into the beast’s side.
The impact shook the mountain. The creature staggered. Simion finally entered the battle as lightning erupted around him. His sword blurred as he attacked striking the beast relentlessly.
A dozen cuts appeared across the beast’s leg. The creature retaliated instantly and Simion barely escaped. A claw destroyed everything where he had stood.
The forest continued suffering through the manic onslaught. Minutes passed of attack and defence.
The battle grew increasingly chaotic. Prince Lucifer refused to dodge and the beast also refused to die.
Atheline continuously attacked from impossible angles while Simion desperately tried to survive from all three of the reckless fighters.
Eventually, Prince Lucifer got directly hit. The beast slammed him through three trees.
Simion winced, he could imagine the pain. Unfortunately, the prince stood up, completely unharmed.
Simion just shook his head." Should have expected that."
Prince Lucifer grinned then charged again. Atheline laughed so hard he nearly missed his next shot.
The battle continued. Eventually, the beast weakened. Atheline saw the opportunity first. His elements merged and one arrow formed. The bowstring pulled back and the world seemed to have paused.
Then, he released. The arrow crossed the battlefield like a streak of destruction.
The beast looked up but it was too late. The arrow struck directly between its eyes and everything exploded.
Silence followed as the massive body slowly collapsed. The forest became still afterwards.
Simion sat down immediately, exhausted. Prince Lucifer planted his hammer into the snow. Atheline landed nearby, breathing slightly changed.
Several seconds of silence passed between them, then Prince Lucifer spoke.
"I killed it."
Atheline looked offended.
"My arrow literally ended the fight."
The prince shrugged.
"I softened it up anyway. You wouldn’t have landed a hit without my help."
Simion groaned.
"You majesty, your highness... please stop."
Neither listened, the completely pointless argument continued. And for the first time in weeks, Atheline found himself genuinely enjoying life again. Maybe this was what he needed, a small release before going back to his daily life.
