The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 644

It wasn’t just simple darkness. The curtain was a writhing, pulsating mass of black energy, as if countless souls were entangled within it. Occasionally, shapes resembling faces would flash through the murky blackness, accompanied by faint sounds that could be mistaken for screams.

Gaaahhh…

The curtain seemed alive, breathing slowly and deeply. Its powerful pull felt as though it could consume the soul of anyone who dared to look at it for too long.

“What… what is that?” Jerome’s trembling voice broke the heavy silence. Fear and awe were evident in his tone.

The rest of the group stared at the curtain, their faces pale and their expressions blank, as if entranced.

The energy emanating from the curtain was overwhelming. Compared to this, the presence of Morbus from earlier now seemed like a mere child’s play.

The massive black curtain stretched endlessly, its oppressive presence suffocating anyone who stood before it.

What had started as a lighthearted expedition to uncover ancient ruins had quickly turned into a chilling encounter with something far more sinister. The color drained from everyone’s faces.

Even Ghislain, who was usually full of confidence, couldn’t hide the trace of bewilderment on his face.

‘What is this…?’

Not even in the Saintess’s dreams had he encountered anything like this.

That such a colossal curtain of energy existed in the heart of the Forest of Beasts was entirely beyond expectation.

Jerome, feeling the growing unease, leapt into the air, now free to fly with Morbus defeated.

What he saw from above was even more staggering.

“What the… why does it look like that?”

The curtain was a colossal hemisphere, its size comparable to the capital of an entire kingdom. As Jerome flew higher, the curtain seemed to fade into the mist, its edges blending seamlessly with the environment.

Amidst the towering trees and the suffocating darkness of the forest, the black curtain was perfectly camouflaged, almost as if it had deliberately concealed itself within the surroundings.

Jerome muttered under his breath, “So this is what they meant by a seal… hiding its appearance along with its power?”

He descended back to the group and described what he had seen. Their expressions grew even graver.

When Ereneth had told them about the myth, most of them had only half-listened, dismissing it as an exaggerated tale from long ago.

But now, standing before this massive structure, it felt like her story had been heavily understated.

Jerome swallowed hard and spoke first. “So… if the myth Ereneth told us is true, then the corpse of the Demon God is really in there…”

Vanessa nodded solemnly. “And the Church of Salvation draws its power from this place, doesn’t it?”

“Y-yeah… and thankfully, the Saintess sealed it off, so they can’t use it fully anymore.”

The tension among the group was palpable.

If even fragments of the Demon God’s lingering thoughts were enough to create beings like Gatros, what kind of entity had they been up against a thousand years ago?

And how powerful had the heroes, the Saintess, and their allies been to stop such a force?

These thoughts sent chills down their spines.

Bellinda furrowed her brow in thought and asked, “We always thought the Church’s goal was to find the Adversary, but… could their real purpose be to break this seal?”

The group nodded grimly in silence.

The energy pouring out from the curtain was already suffocating. If this seal were broken…

The Forest of Beasts would truly become a demonic wasteland, far beyond what anyone had imagined. The forest they had struggled through so far would feel like a peaceful garden by comparison.

And it wouldn’t stop there. If the seal broke, the Church of Salvation would gain even greater power.

Even now, it took immense sacrifices and countless resources to combat the Church. If they grew stronger… it was too horrifying to imagine.

Parniel ground her teeth and swung her weapon at the curtain.

Boooom!

But the curtain didn’t even ripple. Furious, Parniel unleashed wave after wave of divine energy, attacking repeatedly.

Boom! Boom! Booom!

Despite her formidable strength, the curtain remained unyielding, as if mocking her efforts.

Ghislain, wearing a serious expression, also stepped forward to try his hand at attacking the curtain.

Boooom!

For a brief moment, the black mist wavered, but the curtain remained unbroken. No matter how many times he struck, the result was the same.

Determined, Ghislain used his Willpower and even amplified his strength with Dark energy.

Boooom!

For a fleeting second, a small gap appeared in the curtain. But it was quickly filled with black energy, closing the opening.

‘It’s empty.’

In that momentary gap, all they saw was an endless void of darkness, a space filled with nothing but oppressive gloom.

One by one, the others tried their own methods of attack. Julien slashed with all his might, and both Jerome and Vanessa poured their magic into the curtain.

Yet, the black curtain stood firm, unmoving.

Jerome exhaled sharply through his nose. “Should I… try using forbidden magic?”

It was mostly a bluff. He had no real intention of using it—it would likely kill him.

But to his surprise, Ghislain nodded. “Give it a try. Maybe it’ll work. Isn’t forbidden magic supposed to counteract the Church’s energy?”

Bellinda chimed in, “It might work if you use just a little and stop before it gets dangerous.”

Even Vanessa looked intrigued, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. She had heard plenty of stories about how incredible this magic was and wanted to witness it firsthand.

Parniel, her teeth clenched in frustration, growled, “Hurry up and use it. We need to see what’s inside.”

Jerome’s face turned pale as he backed away. “W-why are you all like this? I was just joking…”

He glanced at Julien for help, hoping the stoic swordsman would intervene.

But Julien simply turned his head away, gazing at the sky with a picture-perfect indifferent pose.

Betrayed by everyone, Jerome finally snapped. “I told you, that’ll kill me! Do you want me to die? You’re unbelievable!”

As Jerome flailed in protest, the group sighed in disappointment. They had hoped he could just barely use it without actually dying.

“This is so frustrating,” Ghislain muttered with a hint of exasperation, letting out a small sigh.

They had come so far, hoping to uncover some clue, only to be blocked by this impenetrable curtain.

At least one thing was now certain: something truly monstrous was sealed inside.

‘So, it really is the Demon God’s energy.’

The stories about the Saintess sealing away such an overwhelming force didn’t seem exaggerated anymore.

“It does make sense, though,” Ghislain murmured.

Ereneth likely knew they wouldn’t be able to breach this energy. That must have been why she refrained from saying more about it.

“But still, this is incredible.”

The mere remnants of the Demon God’s energy had created this enormous curtain. What kind of power had the Saintess wielded to seal it away?

Perhaps it had only been possible because she could channel the full power of the gods. The questions spiraled endlessly in his mind.

After a long silence, Ghislain finally sighed and said, “Let’s head back for now.”

Staying here any longer wouldn’t yield any new insights.

They would return, continue clearing the forest step by step, and gradually study this place further.

Bellinda, looking uneasy, asked, “If there’s truly something terrible sealed here… there’s no chance it’ll be released, right?”

“Well, probably not anytime soon… but if that ‘Adversary’ thing resurrects, who knows?” Ghislain replied.

“It seems we really need to find this so-called Adversary,” Ghislain muttered.

The Church of Salvation had never outright stated they intended to break the seal. However, it was a known fact that they were searching for their king.

According to Ereneth, this place was their holy ground. Once they found their king, it was certain they would come here to harness this power.

What once seemed like a myth or conspiracy now felt very real.

In the end, there was only one solution: they had to find the Adversary and kill them. It was the only way to eliminate this looming threat.

Although Ereneth seemed to be withholding some truths, her ultimate goal appeared aligned with theirs.

The group glanced toward Julien.

‘Well… he doesn’t seem to be the Adversary.’

‘If he were, wouldn’t this thing have reacted?’

‘Even Ereneth doesn’t seem entirely sure.’

If Julien were truly the Adversary the Church was searching for, the black curtain would have reacted when he approached. After all, this place was supposed to be the source of their power.

Yet, even as Julien drew close and attacked, the curtain remained unresponsive.

This allowed everyone to breathe a bit easier. By all accounts, Julien wasn’t the Adversary.

“Alright, let’s head back,” Ghislain said.

Jerome suggested, “Why don’t we just fly back? Vanessa and I can carry everyone. It’d be faster.”

While they had walked here to ensure they didn’t miss anything, there was no need to do the same on the way back.

Everyone agreed without hesitation.

Just as Jerome was about to summon his magic, Ghislain stopped him. “Wait.”

“What now?”

“Let me take one last look.”

Ghislain turned to face the curtain. Something about leaving felt wrong. A strange unease gnawed at him, as if he shouldn’t walk away just yet.

It was an odd sensation, as if the divine power of the Saintess embedded in his consciousness was urging him forward.

Ghislain stepped closer to the black curtain, carefully extending his hand.

As his fingers brushed against the writhing black energy, he was surprised to feel warmth.

Pushing a bit harder, his hand met resistance, as if blocked by a solid wall.

“Hm.”

He sighed in frustration, beginning to withdraw his hand. At that moment—

? So you’ve finally come.

“Huh?”

A foreign voice echoed in his mind.

‘This is…?’

It was the Saintess’s divine power, resonating within his consciousness. Unlike in dreams, this voice was vivid and clear.

Ghislain focused, trying to determine if he was imagining it.

? I knew you would come. We made a ‘promise.’

‘What? What are you talking about?’

There was no doubt about it. It was the same voice he had heard in his dreams. But the meaning of her words was baffling.

He had never promised anyone he would come here.

The only reason he was here was to satisfy his own curiosity. If there was another reason, it was simply to assist in the development of the Forest of Beasts.

Ghislain concentrated further. Perhaps this was the key to unraveling the curtain’s secrets.

The others watched him with concern as he stood in silence, deep in thought.

“What’s wrong, Young Master?” Bellinda asked hesitantly as she approached him.

Her expression suddenly turned pale.

“Young Master!”

Whooosh!

The black curtain trembled violently. Hundreds of tendrils of black energy surged upward like serpents, before wrapping themselves around Ghislain’s body in an instant.

It was as if countless black hands had emerged from the curtain.

No one had time to react.

The tendrils, swift as lightning, coiled tightly around Ghislain and dragged him into the curtain.

He disappeared into the blackness without a trace.