Disastrous Romance - Chapter 12
Chapter 12
“These are fairies?” Elijah was horrified by their grotesque appearance. These self-proclaimed fairies, these bizarre insects, were shaped like humans, as though clad in skin-tight, full-body suits.
Following the first, hundreds of fairy insects swarmed them from all directions. Focusing her mind, Elijah channeled her mana into the sword and began to fight back, the glowing white blade leaving a trail of dark red sparks as the insects disintegrated on contact.
“Eww! Gross!” She flailed her arms, fighting with all her might.
After what felt like ten minutes, the air around Elijah shimmered with red sparks, the buzzing of wings finally ceasing. Hands on her knees, catching her breath, she instinctively turned to check on Kai.
“Kai… Oh…”
But after the last fairy vermin had been vanquished, an eerie silence descended. Only Eliya’s ragged breaths punctuated the stillness.
“Kai…?”
Her breathing gradually evened out, and a prickle of unease made her lift her head. A chilling premonition crawled up her spine.
Kai, who had been fighting just a few meters away, was gone. She scanned the battlefield, but there was no trace of him. She was utterly alone in the crimson-drenched forest.
“Kai…!!”
He had vanished. And the moment she realized it, a mockingly cheerful notification window popped up.
[Sudden Quest: ‘The Fairy King’s Treasure (2)’
The enraged Fairy King has kidnapped Kai!
There’s no telling what the wicked Fairy King will do to him.
Rescue him quickly.
Time Limit: 2 hours
Failure Penalty: Kai’s Humiliation]
Her eyes widened. Though they’d only known each other a few days, Kai was the only person she recognized in this world of Deus. The realization that she was alone in this strange place sent a shiver down her spine. The fear she had been suppressing surged through her.
Clenching her trembling hands, she forced herself to focus. This was a game, with a system and rules. There was always a way to clear a quest.
‘There has to be a way.’
She started walking, her feet leading her deeper into the forest. She must have covered a considerable distance, but the trees seemed to stretch endlessly. No matter which direction she turned, the scenery remained stubbornly similar.
Then, a strange feeling washed over her.
‘Wait… this feels familiar…’
Although the trees were similar enough to make it difficult to discern a pattern, there were subtle differences. She kept seeing the same trees again and again. And though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, there was a strange sense of déjà vu.
Her hunch proved correct.
“Ah!”
Seeing a distinctively three-pronged branch for the second time confirmed it. She had been walking straight, yet she had somehow circled back to a tree she’d already passed. The branch was so unusual that it couldn’t be a coincidence.
‘Is it magic?’
She recalled a survival tactic she’d seen somewhere. There was a specific way to find your path in a looping forest or mountain. Resolute, Elijah began marking the repeating tree trunks with her sword.
Thwack!
“I saw this one before!”
She swung her sword at a thick, wave-like branch.
Thwack!
“And this one!”
She marked a tree with a peculiar circular hole in its trunk. Once she started noticing the repeating patterns, they seemed to be everywhere.
She continued walking straight, marking the trees. Distinctive trees, ones she couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed before, kept reappearing. After marking over ten trees, she arrived back at her first mark.
“Oh…!”
And as she continued, the rest of her marked trees appeared one after another. Now, looking at the broader picture, she saw that the trees formed a circle. A gut feeling led her to the center.
At the exact center stood a massive tree with an unusually deep crimson hue. Its numerous branches reached skyward, laden with leaves, like the king of the forest.
It was clearly a special tree, radiating an aura of importance. It was strange that she hadn’t noticed it before.
As if in a trance, she reached out and touched the tree. A simple notification window appeared.
[Notification: Entering ‘Junabi Fairy Forest: The Fairy King’s Lair’.]
“Haa…”
Elijah took a deep breath, adjusted her grip on her sword, and braced herself. The world spun, and she squeezed her eyes shut.
When she opened them again, the scenery had completely transformed.
***
“Kyaaa! You dare follow me here, you impudent wretch!”
A shrill voice assaulted her ears before her vision cleared.
“…!”
Elijah’s jaw dropped at the sight before her.
The first thing she saw was Kai, bound by vines. Stripped of his clothes, his pale skin stood in stark contrast to the surrounding greenery, creating a disturbing image. And perched on top of him was a giant fairy.
With four translucent, lime-green wings and long, dark red hair, she was a gargantuan version of the fairy vermin Elijah had been fighting. Thick vines wrapped around the fairy’s body, strategically covering only the most essential areas, giving her a vulgar appearance.
Kai, noticing Elijah’s presence, turned towards her. His face contorted in anguish.
“Mistress….”
Tears welled up in his bloodshot eyes.
