Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 464 (Part 1):

“Glad you’re safe,” Helmut said, his voice steady.

“Got lucky. At least we managed to regroup smoothly,” Alea followed, her tone lighter but no less relieved.

It was fortunate that Heike had landed near Igrelle. The group’s scattering likely stemmed from the demon king’s imprint embedded in Igrelle, its influence rippling through their journey.

Igrelle let out an optimistic chirp. “Holding out like this, I’m starting to feel immune to it. Not sure about the central region, though.”

The closer they ventured to the central region, the stronger the demon king’s influence would grow. Their initial exposure to the demon king’s mental assault, unprepared as they were, had hit them hard.

‘But maybe that’s why we’re adapting now.’

Rosetta’s incense had helped as well, keeping his mind clear.

It didn’t feel like his resolve would waver easily anymore. At least not until the Demon King’s resurrection.

They had to reach their destination before then.

Kantara muttered, his voice low and sluggish, [Me… fine. But you… weak-minded.]

“What’s that supposed to mean, you shell-dwelling coward?!” Igrelle snapped. Wasn’t it the first time a domain ruler had faced the demon king so closely? The accusation stung Igrelle’s pride.

Kantara responded with a sulky grumble, [I’ll… take you… to the west. Now… get lost.]

“Fine! While you wait in that frigid water, pray we defeat the Demon King for you!” Igrelle shot back.

[I’m… content. Satisfied. The demon king… is your problem.]

The commotion in the domain settled quickly. The demonic beasts had all migrated to the central region.

Kantara only wanted to clear these intruders out and return to its solitude.

For a demonic beast, it lacked any trace of fighting spirit—so much so that one might question how it had claimed the northern domain in the first place.

“It’s noisy and chaotic,” Luke Yeager muttered, feeling out of place.

A woman who was a demonic beast in human guise, conversing with a turtle, riding atop it across a sea of ice—nothing about this felt normal.

“Let’s go,” Helmut urged, tapping his foot lightly to prod Kantara.

With that, the five who had landed in the north were united. The rest were likely in the west. Their next step was to rendezvous and head for the central region. No matter how many demonic beasts awaited them there, they would break through.

[Moving… fast!]

*CRRRRASH!*

Kantara surged forward, shattering the ice and sending shards flying. At this speed, the western domain didn’t seem far off.

* * *

“Is everyone safe?” High Priestess Levina asked, her face grave as she scanned their surroundings.

Unlike Helmut’s group, they had arrived in the Forest of Roots together, relatively stable. But they, too, had sensed something amiss during their journey.

“What’s going on? Why are there so few of us?” Asuka demanded, looking around.

High Priestess Levina, Holy Knight Levant, Sian, Elaga, and himself—only five. Half their group was missing.

[What the—? Where’s Helmut?! I’m supposed to protect him!] Elaga growled, still in his cat-like form, eyes darting around. Memories of guarding Helmut in the Forest of Roots lingered vividly.

“They’re probably somewhere in the Forest of Roots,” Sian replied calmly, his gaze deeper and more subdued than before, as if the Earth Spirit was lending him strength.

Levina elaborated, “The sacred barrier likely disrupted the teleportation magic as we passed through. We aimed to arrive together, but it seems we were split in half along the way.”

“The other five are probably in the north,” Sian added, tilting his head upward. In a situation like this, he might have been the most vulnerable to pressure, yet he remained remarkably composed.

The Earth Spirit still exerted its influence here, even within the sacred barrier. This place, after all, was still part of the world’s fabric.

Only mages faced restrictions within the sacred barrier. The interference of *magi* made it difficult to channel mana into spells, weakening their potency. But spirit magic and Vis remained largely unaffected in combat, and sacred magic was amplified in its effects.

“Where are we?” Asuka asked, glancing between the ash-gray sky and the eerie forest, its atmosphere stirring unease. It was a relief not to be alone, but the landscape was unsettling.

[The west. Baharek’s domain. Deep in, probably near the western edge,] Elaga said, sniffing the air. His senses faintly caught the sacred barrier’s presence. He’d been here before. Despite his words, his expression remained relaxed.

As the strongest demonic beast in the Forest of Roots, Elaga couldn’t feel tension here even if he tried. Even before consuming Rosetta’s roots, he seemed utterly unaffected by the demon king’s influence—a stark contrast to Igrelle, who had clutched her head in agony upon arrival.

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