Chapter 36: Invitation Into the Forbidden Forest (2)

Outside, Ethan glanced up at the bleak sky before turning to Raiden.

“What do hunters usually do in the mornings?”

Raiden gestured toward a section of the Hunters’ Paradise.

“In the mornings, hunters either train here to refine their skills .. or they go out hunting to raise their level.”

The latter caught Ethan’s attention.

“I thought hunting was only allowed during the monthly expedition.”

Raiden nodded.

“That’s true—but it doesn’t mean hunting is forbidden.”

He explained patiently.

“The expeditions target bosses and deeper zones within the First Region. Aside from that, we hunt near Ashvarn. Only weaker monsters appear there—perfect for leveling.”

Then he pointed directly at Ethan.

“And that’s exactly what you’ll be doing in the coming days. Raising your level as quickly as possible.”

“I see… that makes sense.”

Ethan paused before adding,

“But I can’t hunt right now. I have an appointment with the Witch of the Forest.”

“I’m well aware. Why do you think it’s just the two of us here?” Raiden replied with a weary sigh.

“Moon and the others have already gone out to train or hunt. I stayed behind to guide you.”

After walking for some time, they reached the area behind the Hunters’ Paradise.

A dark forest stretched before them—dense, ominous, suffocating.

Hunters’ Paradise lay at the edge of Ashvarn. Which meant this forest stood beyond the city’s boundary.

Ethan felt a subtle tension coil inside him.

“The Forest Witch, Vanessa, resides deep within,” Raiden said, giving him a glimpse of what awaited.

“This isn’t an ordinary forest. It’s filled with wizards—and entirely under their protection.”

He led Ethan to the forest’s entrance.

“Follow this path. No matter what you hear or see inside… keep walking. Don’t stop.”

The warning sharpened Ethan’s awareness.

“You’re not coming with me?”

Raiden shook his head.

“I would if I could. But knights aren’t permitted to enter the witches’ forest. You’re an exception because Vanessa invited you.”

“She didn’t give me anything,” Ethan replied, confused.

Raiden looked at him as though he’d just confirmed something obvious.

“You were invited,” Raiden corrected him. “She cast her spell on you inside the Hall of Judgment. Thanks to her enchantment, the forest’s defenses won’t recognize you as a threat.”

He gave Ethan a firm slap on the back and gestured forward.

“You’re on your own this time—but you’ll be fine. Come find me once you’re done. I’ll be waiting at the gates of Ashvarn.”

Everything happened quickly.

Before he could dwell on it, Ethan Heart found himself standing alone at the edge of the Witches’ Forest, Raiden already walking away.

Watching that broad-backed tank of a man disappear into the distance, Ethan drew a slow breath.

“If I want to survive among hunters… I still have much to learn.”

With that, he stepped into the forest.

Remembering Raiden’s warning, Ethan moved forward at a steady pace—never stopping.

The moment he crossed the threshold, he instinctively glanced back toward the entrance.

It was gone.

Completely.

He swallowed, a faint half-smile forming.

“As expected of a land ruled by witches… nothing about them is normal.”

Continuing deeper, Ethan closed his eyes for a single second .. then reopened them.

This time, his crimson irises glowed with a strange, dim radiance.

“Wise Raven’s Insight.”

Activating his visual ability, Ethan allowed the Raven’s Insight to guide him—to reveal what mortal eyes could never perceive.

At once, he understood.

This was no ordinary forest.

It was a labyrinth.

A design meant to disorient, to trap, to twist the minds of those who dared enter.

“If I keep walking randomly, I’ll never find my way out.”

He chuckled lightly.

“If I’d followed Raiden’s advice blindly, I might’ve wandered here forever.”

“That witch did seem the playful type… Perhaps this is her test.”

Tracing the erratic flows of aura saturating the dark forest, Ethan began unraveling its structure through superior perception.

If he wanted her to suppress his curse, overcoming this much was the bare minimum.

Wise Raven’s Insight truly was extraordinary.

It did not merely expose the weaknesses of enemies—it unveiled everything hidden from mortal sight.

At first, what he saw appeared as luminous celestial bodies drifting through the air.

But they were not stars.

As he drew closer, their forms shifted.

Sometimes they resembled radiant butterflies, their wings shimmering with impossible light.

Other times they transformed into strange, spectral beasts that darted in every direction .. fleeing from him.

“These things… they’re alive.”

He murmured, swallowing again as he pressed forward.

To escape the labyrinth, he had to follow the fractures—the subtle distortions revealed by his Insight.

Yet those distortions always led him closer to these strange entities, heightening his tension.

Fortunately, they were entirely peaceful.

They did not harm him.

“Perhaps these are the spirit beings I occasionally heard about back when I was playing.”

It was said that humans were not the original inhabitants of this land.

That something had existed long before them.

Creatures intertwined with nature itself—detached from worldly affairs.

“Wise Raven’s Insight is remarkable… but I must use it carefully. Or I’ll go blind far sooner than I’d like.”

He muttered to himself, continuing onward.

The scenery repeated endlessly .. towering trees shedding leaves, tranquil spirit creatures drifting through the gloom.

His journey stretched on.

But eventually ..

He sensed it.

The fractures revealed by his Insight grew stronger.

The exit was near.

“Sorcerers truly possess unique and diverse abilities. That’s why I originally wanted to start as a mage. Nothing beats casting spells and destroying your enemy from afar.”

He exhaled in frustration.

“If only they’d given me more time… I could’ve gathered enough to become a mage. But one month? That’s nowhere near enough.”

Because of Asterion, and that sudden duel he had imposed, Ethan had been forced to abandon his carefully laid plans.

“I wonder… will the Uncrowned Emperor grant my request?”

He tilted his head upward, staring at the sky through the canopy, bored of the repetitive scenery below.

Minutes passed.

Then ..

His train of thought snapped abruptly.

He felt resistance.

A collision.

And the sound of something falling.

Lowering his gaze, Ethan froze.

He saw another human.

The first he had seen since entering the forest.

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