Chapter 202: Black Forest
Starlight Calendar, Year 1278, Book Scroll Moon (August).
In the Northwest Region, the last independent City-State was captured by the Golem Legion, declaring that the entire region had fallen completely into the hands of the Star Alliance.
Thus, the Underworld welcomed its first ruler in a thousand years.
After the war subsided, the Star Alliance shifted its focus to a period of development, no longer engaging in large-scale military operations and instead concentrating on advancing the Underworld.
Su Nan had meticulously compiled a list of materials needed to construct the Wizard Tower, handing it over to Carolina and Red Widow for collection, eagerly awaiting his return from the Black Forest to initiate the tower’s construction.
This was a monumental undertaking, not something that could be completed overnight.
Even with ample materials and labor, it would take at least ten to twenty years for completion.
Given the current state of the Starlight Continent, Su Nan estimated that finishing within a century would be considered fast.
As the month drew to a close, with only three days left before entering Harvest Month (September), the energy in the Black Key was finally fully charged.
"It's quite far from Spider City."
The map of the Underworld was already etched in his mind. With a brief recollection, he pinpointed the City-State closest to the Black Forest and, using Long Lin's Space Channel, swiftly arrived at that City-State, flying toward the Black Forest's location.
In an instant, more than a hundred kilometers passed, and Su Nan quickly discovered a dark, deep hole in a remote cave.
"Is this a Space Channel?"
"It appears that unlike the Tower of Stars, the Black Forest exists in a separate dimensional space."
Su Nan was not surprised.
If the Black Forest were part of the Material World, his subordinates would have found clues about it long ago.
Therefore, he speculated that the Black Forest was either a unique dimensional space or, similar to the Tower of Stars, capable of traversing between the Material World and other planes.
This dark Space Channel undoubtedly confirmed that the Black Forest was the former.
After casting a defensive spell on himself and activating his Extreme Protection Ring, Su Nan stepped into the Space Channel without hesitation.
A blur before his eyes; when his vision cleared, Su Nan found himself in a bizarre forest.
As far as the eye could see, only tall, black trees stood in the shadows.
The trunks were black, the branches were black, and even the leaves were black.
Above, a starlit sky cast its dim light down into the forest. From a distance, the black trees looked like menacing demons, casting long, eerie shadows on the ground.
The whole forest was filled with ghastly apparitions, instilling a chilling sense of dread deep within one's heart.
A faint layer of gray mist hung in the air.
However, Su Nan knew it wasn't mist; it was a concentration of negative energy particles so thick that it felt almost solidified.
"Such dense negative energy particles," Su Nan marveled.
Unlike pure energy particles, negative energy particles cannot be used to fortify the body; instead, they inflict damage.
Aside from wizards who specialize in undead magic, very few would willingly absorb negative energy particles.
Prolonged exposure to environments with high concentrations of negative energy particles is detrimental to one's health.
"The Wizard Organization responsible for this Wizard Inheritance is most likely aligned with the forces of evil."
"If a first-level wizard apprentice or anyone below the legendary realm enters here, they would soon be corroded into a puddle of pus."
"The requirements for entering this Wizard Inheritance are clearly more demanding than those of the Tower of Stars. The evaluation method must be different as well."
Su Nan had a vague idea in mind, but he needed to observe further to confirm its accuracy.
Spreading his spiritual awareness, Su Nan sensed the area for a moment, then proceeded toward a region with a high concentration of negative energy particles.
If all went as expected, the core of the Black Forest should lie in that direction.
The starlight filtering through the forest seemed tinged with a dark, shadowy hue.
Everything around him was eerily silent. Aside from the sound of Su Nan's footsteps, there were no other noises. Combined with the gloomy and shadowy environment, it felt exceptionally oppressive.
Su Nan originally hoped to find some rare magical plants, but after a careful search, he came up empty-handed.
Just as he was about to give up, a vibrant splash of red caught his eye.
Su Nan’s gaze shifted cautiously as he moved forward.
Upon closer inspection, he discovered the flowers were red roses.
The bright red petals were adorned with black or gold specks, and their bases were surrounded by hollow thorns about six inches long, blooming in clusters around a pale white skeleton.
Su Nan’s nostrils twitched; he could smell a sweet fragrance permeating the air, vaguely mixed with the scent of decaying flesh.
The shape of the flowers, combined with the highly distinctive odor, quickly led Su Nan to recognize the origins of the sinister bouquet. Without hesitation, he unleashed a Spell Missile as a preemptive strike.
These were Demonic Palace Roses—a type of malevolent plant that fed on corpses and attacked any living being that approached, draining their blood and transforming them into new flowerbeds.
As they sensed the threat, all the Demonic Palace Roses unfurled their petals, flapping them like wings, and soared into the air like a swarm of bees, fiercely advancing toward him.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
A dull sound, reminiscent of a swarm of bees flapping their wings, echoed through the air.
More than twenty Spell Missiles destroyed a significant number of Demonic Palace Roses, but even more surrounded Su Nan.
Yet, Su Nan's expression remained calm.
A single Demonic Palace Rose possessed only the combat strength of a Knight. While a group of them could pose a threat to a Great Knight, that was the extent of it.
They presented no danger to him.
With four Burning Hands, Su Nan easily dealt with the remaining Demonic Palace Roses.
However, this battle seemed to have triggered something, for a series of strange rustling noises suddenly emerged from the surrounding darkness.
Rumble!
A massive sound erupted from the left, as if a giant boulder were rolling by, accompanied by the sound of trees being crushed.
In the next moment, a huge round sphere burst forth from the darkness, rolling toward Su Nan.
Using the dim starlight, Su Nan quickly discerned the true nature of the sphere.
It was a colossal ball made entirely of vines and branches, as large as a building, and its surface was covered in a layer of pale green spore mist. It looked like something that should not be touched.
“Plague Vine Sphere!”
Su Nan raised an eyebrow. These were Third Circle Legend-level creatures capable of spreading plagues. Their surface Plague Poison Cloud was potent enough to kill a Second Ring Legendary Knight instantly.
At the same time, rustling sounds echoed from ahead.
Tall, robust figures charged out from the depths of the forest.
At first glance, these creatures resembled apes clad in black armor, their faces both fierce and repugnant. From their mouths hung two tongues dripping with disgusting pus, while snakes coiled around their armored arms.
"Corrupted Undead Monarch!"
Su Nan's eyes flickered.
The Corrupted Undead Monarch was a Third Circle Legend-level undead creature. In addition to formidable combat power, they possessed the ability to summon and command other undead.
As the Corrupted Undead Monarch raised its battle axe and roared, the ground cracked open. One after another, decayed undead creatures, many with exposed white bones, crawled out from the earth.
More and more creatures surged from all directions, swarming towards Su Nan like a tide intent on killing him.
"Is this the trial of the Black Forest?"
Even when surrounded by countless monsters, Su Nan's expression remained calm and composed.
With a mere thought, countless Puppets materialized around him, marching in synchronized steps toward the monsters.
A fierce battle erupted in an instant!
Roars and rumbling sounds shattered the silence of the night!
Hundreds of Elite Steel Golems and Mithril Golems formed a heavy guard around Su Nan, like a sharp blade cutting through the encircling monsters, constantly advancing forward.
The sheer density of monsters surprised Su Nan somewhat.
Almost every step he took resulted in the death of either a monster or a Puppet.
From high above, his path resembled a trail paved with blood and metal fragments.
"Something's not right."
"With this level of attack, even a Level Three Wizard Apprentice would struggle to withstand it, completely undermining the purpose of an assessment."
Su Nan was puzzled.
Could it be that the Black Forest was different from the Tower of Stars, not meant for recruiting qualified Wizard Apprentices?
But if that weren't the case, why would the Wizard Faction behind the Black Forest leave behind this Wizard Inheritance?
"Or could it be that something happened in the Black Forest?
Though confused, Su Nan had no intention of stopping, occasionally casting spells to eliminate any stragglers that had breached the defense line.
No matter what, he would know the truth once he reached the heart of the Black Forest.
After all, the number of monsters in the Black Forest was finite.
As time passed, Su Nan clearly sensed a significant decrease in the number of monsters surrounding him.
He estimated that he had killed at least fourteen or fifteen hundred monsters along the way, resulting in the loss of over a hundred Golems.
However, for Su Nan, who now had a massive operation underway, this loss was entirely bearable.
Compared to Secret Pawns, the materials for Steel Golems and Mithril Golems were much easier to obtain.
He would rather sacrifice some Puppets to preserve his strength for the challenges ahead.
A moment later, with a mournful cry, the last Corrupted Undead Monarch fell beneath the giant fist of a Mithril Golem.
At this point, the monsters surrounding Su Nan had been completely annihilated; apart from the dark trees, not a single creature could be seen.
"Is it over?" Su Nan's eyes flickered slightly.
Just then, the trees behind him suddenly shook violently, and several incredibly thick Root Branches erupted from the ground, lashing toward his back like whips!
Thud!
A dull sound echoed as the Root Branches were blocked by an invisible force field just a few centimeters from Su Nan's body.
Su Nan swung his hand back, unleashing a bolt of lightning that charred the Root Branches to ash.
Rattling!
The sound of branches shaking rose and fell in succession!
In that instant, all the surrounding trees began to tremble violently, and countless Root Branches shot forth from the ground, densely packed like a storm, sweeping toward Su Nan and the Puppets!
Crunch!
In an instant, several Elite Steel Golems were tightly bound by the Root Branches. As they constricted, the metal bodies twisted visibly, emitting an ear-piercing screech, and in the blink of an eye, they were reduced to scrap metal."
Su Nan wasted no time, unleashing a Blazing Fireball immediately. The surrounding Golems followed suit, releasing their Fire Magic one after another, instantly incinerating the Root Branches around them into ashes.
However, in the next moment, a rustling sound of branches whipping about echoed in their ears.
Centering on Su Nan, the trees within a hundred meters began to tremble violently, and one by one, Root Branches burst out from the ground, shooting toward them like sharp arrows.
The Root Branches, which had just been thinned out, quickly regrew dense and menacing.
Seeing this, Su Nan couldn't help but frown.
Could it be that all the trees in this forest were monsters capable of manipulating Root Branches?
Though the dim light made it difficult to see clearly, Su Nan had been using Spiritual Power to survey their surroundings and estimated that there were no less than four figures' worth of trees in this forest.
If all these trees were sentient beings, integrating Life, then their situation would become problematic.
While Su Nan pondered, the entire forest began to awaken slowly, like a slumbering giant.
The trembling of the trees gradually spread in all directions, akin to a tidal wave.
Countless trees awoke one after another, pulling up Root Branches from the ground and wildly flailing them in the air like crazed demons.
Witnessing this, Su Nan no longer hesitated, decisively stowing away the Golems before floating into the air.
At the same time, a copious amount of Silver Liquid emerged from their pores, enveloping their entire body and rapidly solidifying into a Giant Cone over ten meters long.
Boom!
Accompanied by a deafening sonic boom, the Giant Cone shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
As it propelled itself rapidly, it also spun at high speed like a turbine!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Dense black Root Branches converged from all directions, descending from the sky like a dark shroud, but they were crushed into scattered fragments the moment they made contact with the Giant Cone.
In an instant, Giant Cone became like a high-speed tank, forcefully carving a path through the black sea, reducing countless pitch-black Root Branches to dust in its wake.
After an unknown amount of time, Su Nan suddenly felt the pressure in front of him lessen.
He looked around and realized that he had broken through the encirclement of Root Branches and entered a wide-open space.
This open area seemed to possess some kind of restriction; the Root Branches could only twitch and flail wildly at the boundary between the open space and the surrounding trees, unable to enter.
Confirming that the Root Branches were no longer a threat, Su Nan retracted the Liquid Metal and turned his gaze toward the center of the open space.
A massive, pitch-black tree with sprawling branches stood quietly at the heart of the area.
The tree was estimated to be two or three hundred meters tall, its dark form almost perfectly blending with the night. It also seemed to possess the ability to shield against Spirit's senses, which was why Su Nan had been unaware of its presence until he entered the open space.
The towering black tree stood silently, its deep, profound color presenting a strange and alluring beauty. It created a strong visual contrast with the desolate surroundings, resembling a surreal illusion filled with fantastic hues.
"Dark Demon Tree," Su Nan murmured softly in his heart.
Based on his previous experiences, combined with the imposing pitch-black tree before him, his suspicions had been confirmed.
He knew who the Wizard Organization behind the Black Forest was.
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