Bel released his pressure and permitted the gorillas to accept the containers and eat them. Once the animals finished their snacks, Bel issued a command. [Take me to your home.]
The redhead led its troops and slowly entered the Twilgrave Woods. The gorillas traveled in a tight circle around the hunters while other animals fled upon their approach. After three hours of travel, the group entered the Great Forest.
Haladavar wanted to stop walking and avoid entry, but the gorillas pushed the elves to continue onward. The elf grimaced and hoped that Luka would teleport them out if danger arose.
The visitors saw nests made of sticks and leaves on the ground, which sheltered the mothers and their babies. Young gorillas noticed their arrival and examined the hunters with curious expressions. When a child raised his hand to touch Bel, the leader swatted it away and yelled at the offender.
Bel and Luka sensed something weird further up north, and they traded glances.
"I need to check something," Luka said and used Void Step to climb straight up until he left the coverings of the trees. The mage floated fifty feet in the air and discovered what he sensed: a dark swamp covered with miasma! The mage returned to the ground and explained his findings to the group.
The hunters exchanged looks and made a realization: the Thallian gorillas were forced out of their original hunting ground by the miasma!
Haladavar turned toward Luka and said, "Can you guide us to the swamp? We need to take a look and see what's happening there."
"Okay," the boy nodded. He, too, was curious because Luka felt the miasma wasn't natural. When the teenager began walking in the swamp's direction, the redhead held out his arm to block the path.
The gorilla shook his head and grunted as if to warn the child not to go there.
Luka smiled and gentled pushed the limb aside. "I'll be careful," he said reassuringly.
Bel snorted from his perch on Luka's head. [You damn coward! Stay here!]
The leader felt torn between his fealty toward Bel and his duties to keep his family safe. The redhead decided to go with Bel's group but ordered the troop to remain behind. The gorilla took the lead and guided the hunters through the Great Forest. He occasionally paused to shout and challenge other animals whose territory the gorilla had trespassed.
A giant snake and a boar appeared, but neither attacked. Instead, the animals observed from a distance as the Thallian navigated through their domains with the hunting group. Once the trespassers left, the animals returned home.
When the party reached the swampland, they smelled noxious odors of rotten eggs and corpses!
Garrik immediately used wind magic to disperse the smell, and the group breathed big gulps of fresh air to squeeze the malodor out of their lungs.
The elves were stunned by the foreboding black fog which covered the swamp. Their average age was a hundred-twenty, and each member engaged in hunting for roughly a century. But none of them encountered this miasma before.
"Let's head back and report to the chief elder," Haladavar said.
The redhead guided them out of the forest and accompanied them to the road. Then the gorilla returned home.
When Luka saw the miasma covering the swampland, he sensed a massive concentration of an unnatural essence within the environment. This force felt somewhat similar to shadow energy but different as well. If the investigator placed the magical power on a spectrum, light magic would be on one end, shadow magic in the middle, and this unknown energy on the other end. Luka suspected that this force was death essence because it physically corrupted the forest and lake and caused massive decay within the environment.
Although the mage desired to enter and explore the swamp, Luka would need to use light magic to counter the miasma. However, he wished to keep his access to it a secret from the elves. At least for the time being. After all, the elves worshipped Alectos while light magic was associated with a different god, Altima. Moreover, zealots started a crusade in her name and forced the elven race out of their original homeland. Thus, Luka wished to hide his association with Altima from the villagers.
Haladavar met Vulluin at the gate and offered a summary of today's events to the gatekeeper.
The official became alarmed when he heard about the swampland because its expansion was cancerous and threatened the Great Forest. In the worst-case scenario, Langerlan would become part of the swamp, and the villagers must abandon their homes as uninhabitable. His expression became somber as Vulluin waved the party through. "Please report to the chief elder immediately!" he requested.
Haladavar nodded.
The hunting group split up, with the leader heading toward Ailmoon's treehouse while the rest accompanied Luka and Bel to their residence.
Garrik possessed the highest proficiency in wind magic amongst this party, and he cast Flight on Luka and Bel. Once the two safely entered Ellaria's treehouse, the hunters departed.
Chapter 30
Benefactor
After Luka and Bel went inside the treehouse, they sat in the living room. Due to their investigation of the swamp, the two skipped lunch. Luka took out some dried tofu skin, soy milk, and nuts to share with his familiar.
Bel winced at the sight of the bland food but didn't complain as he softened the skin with the liquid and loudly munched on it. He realized that the hunters couldn't obtain more meat until the matter with the gorillas and the swampland resolved. [Are you planning to head back to the swamp tonight?] Bel asked.
"Yes," the boy nodded.
[Will you inform Ellaria or hide it from her?]
Luka made a face at the question because he wasn't sure what to do. While it would be easy for him to pretend to visit the shadow realm after dinner, Luka did not want to lie to Ellaria.
Bel saw his dilemma and offered advice. [Boy, you're overthinking it. Just ask Ellaria to come with you tonight.]
"Why?" Luka asked with surprise. He never considered bringing her along because the boy didn't wish to reveal his secret to Ellaria. Luka must use light magic to ward off the miasma, and she would witness this if the guardian came with him to the swamp.
[Ellaria deserves your trust. She never blabbered your nightly visit to the shadow realm to her neighbors, or else we would hear the gossip by now, right?] The familiar pointed out.
"That's true."
[She wouldn't bat an eye if Ellaria learns that you know light magic as well. After all, you're a human who caught Alectos's attention and convinced him to acknowledge you as his pupil. You possess rare and unusual talent.]
"In other words, a duck is a duck," Luka commented wryly.
[Also, you've shown your willingness to help the village despite the danger. The residents will give you the benefit of the doubt since you earned it in their eyes. On the other hand, if you hide the truth from Ellaria, she would feel hurt and betrayed. She's your foster mother, remember?] Bel reminded the boy.
"You're right," the lad nodded in agreement. "It'll be awkward if our relationship is damaged because I hide important matters from my foster mother. As my guardian, Ellaria has a right to know these things."
[Exactly. Tell Ellaria about your plan when she comes home; invite her to go with you.]
"Yes, I'll do that."
The two ate tofu pudding while waiting for Ellaria to return home. Luka provided a summation of today's events and revealed his intention to visit the swamp after dinner.
"You plan to travel there via spatial magic?" the elf asked for confirmation.
The child nodded.
"I'm coming with you," Ellaria asserted.
Luka nodded again. "I appreciate your help."
The guardian shook her head. "I should be the one saying that. I'll prepare a light meal tonight because traveling on a full stomach will inhabit your body movements." True to her word, Ellaria prepared salad and hot soy milk for dinner because they took less time than tofu casserole or soup.
After dinner, the elf returned to her room to prepare her equipment. Since Luka carried
everything in his dimensional storage, he waited downstairs with Bel.
When Ellaria returned, the two were surprised to see her wear a tightfitting, dark leather outfit, which revealed her womanly curves. Her long hair wrapped in a ponytail and a black scarf covered her nose and mouth. She carried two short swords plus a storage pouch at her waist and wore carapace bracers on her forearms.
"I'm surprised to see my old clothes still fit," Ellaria chuckled while enjoying their uncomfortable expressions. As she walked down the stairs, her steps made no noise because her soft leather boots muffled the sound.
Luka thought Ellaria's class was assassin due to her equipment. He held her hand while Bel sat on his head. The mage instantly teleported to the magic beacon he left near the swamp.
[Phew!] The rabbit's nose wiggled at the noxious odor.
The boy frowned because he had placed his beacon a hundred yards away from the edge of the miasma. But now, the dark cloud had crossed half of this distance. From this unofficial marker, Luka learned how rapidly the miasma was expanding. He motioned for Ellaria to step back, and then the mage began to gather light essence. Luka's body began to emit a golden glow.
"Gold?" Ellaria yelled in astonishment because she never heard of gold-colored magic before. Even the accursed followers of the Divine Church of Light possessed white-colored auras.
"Purify!" Luka yelled and threw out his hands. Whoosh! A golden wave spread throughout the swamp. The magical energy immediately destroyed the miasma, leaving behind badly damaged, hollowed tree trunks and desiccated roots. However, the water in the lake remained muddy and incapable of sustaining aquatic life.
Ellaria's heart broke at the sight of the ruined forest. She entered and walked around in a daze.
Luka and Bel quickly followed her. The mage cast Purify repeatedly because one spell was insufficient to cover the miasma's entirety. However, Luka noticed a specific area where the dark cloud drifted and resisted his light magic. "Stand back!" he yelled at Ellaria.
The elf shook out of her reverie and looked at him quizzically.
The boy pointed at a spot in the distance and said, "That's the source of the miasma."
Ellaria looked and noticed dark smoke pouring out continuously like a waterfall. "What is that?" she asked.
"It's a rift," he explained.
[The other side contains dark matter. You must close the gap immediately before the Netherese goes through it and widens the hole!]
"What's a Netherese?" Luka asked.
[There's no time to explain. Close the rift now!] The demon yelled frantically.
The mage approached the hole while using Purify to destroy the miasma gathered in front of the interdimensional hole. Luka studied the gap with his magic sense to understand where it led. His brain began to experience pressure as his mind overloaded with data. The boy felt an intense pain inside his head, and his nose dripped with blood, which splattered on his shirt.
Ellaria noticed his predicament and tried to approach Luka.
However, Bel blocked her path and shook his head. [You can't interfere.]
The guardian watched helplessly as the child fell to his hands and knees.
But Luka stubbornly absorbed the information forcefully fed into his mind. He became fascinated with the other universe's existence and unnatural energy on the other side. The mage discovered that the rift led to another dimension full of the undead! His headache began to diminish as the mage's understanding grew exponentially, and he learned the properties of the separation and how to close it. Suddenly, he felt a light switch flip on inside his mind.
Luka utilized his newfound knowledge and imagined his hands pulling the edges of the hole together. Then he sewed it tightly like a surgeon. The boy began to sweat profusely as the mage poured his mana to repair the dimensional gap: 1,000 points, 2,000 points, 3,000 points. Finally, Luka sealed the rift. He sat down and huffed in mental exhaustion from overusing his magic.
The remaining miasma soon disappeared since the source closed off entirely.
Ellaria gently carried the boy in her arms and walked out of the ruined forest.
Bel followed along but kept watch for wandering monsters.
When the trio reached the Great Forest's outer region, a troop of Thallian gorillas accosted them!
Luka believed they were demanding a toll. He obediently took out his tofu pudding and tried to distribute them, but the closest gorilla pushed his hands back. Instead, they pointed toward the previous site of the miasma and hooted. The Thallians then raised their hands above their heads and clapped while grinning happily.
[These boys are thanking you for saving the forest and their home.] Bel interpreted.
"You're welcome," Luka said with a smile. He placed the containers of the tofu dessert on the ground. Then he touched Bel and Ellaria and teleported the group back to her treehouse. Next, the boy teleported into his bedroom and promptly fell asleep on the bed.
At dawn, the foster mother stuck her head inside his room and discovered that Luka had not awoken yet. She motioned for Bel to approach and said quietly, "I'm going to visit the chief elder. I'll be back soon and make you breakfast."
The rabbit patted her knee to demonstrate that he understood.
She scratched his ears affectionately and then left the treehouse. Ellaria used Flight to cut her travel time to Ailmoon's residence.
The old elf was not surprised by her visit because he expected her to come early before work. Hence, Ailmoon had brewed tea and kept it hot with fire magic.
When Ellaria sat down, she noticed two teacups on the table.
"What did the boy do?" the chief elder asked bluntly. Once Ailmoon received Haladavar's report, the village headman asked Folen to send scouts to survey the swamp with markers to chart the spread of miasma. However, it took the taskforce a few hours to reach their destination because the evening's darkness made it difficult to navigate through the woods.
When the party arrived, the investigators witnessed the devastation of the damaged trees and muddied lake. But the swamp and the accompanying miasma had disappeared! Since Haladavar led the group, he assured that they reached the correct location. The elves also thought the miasma couldn't leave by itself because Haladavar saw it previously expanding.
Moreover, none of the villagers possessed the power to purify the land and remove the dark clouds. They understood that this ability touched on divinity, and only one person received a divine blessing to pull this off: Luka. Thus, the elves assumed that the boy had secretly returned and cleansed the land.
The militants within the taskforce felt awestruck by Luka's generosity because he went out of his way to help Langerlan. The elves also felt ashamed of their previous hostility toward the boy. They despised the human because his ancestors probably participated in the Religious Wars, which drove the elves from their homeland. But the boy took responsibility for his forefathers' sins by helping the villagers keep their current homes. Hence, Luka had wiped the slate clean in their eyes, and the militants finally accepted the boy as one of them.
After midnight, the elvish group returned to the village; Haladavar visited Ailmoon to deliver his scouting report.
The chief elder listened closely to the hunter's speculation of Luka's involvement in cleansing the miasma. Ailmoon also agreed that the boy was the sole candidate who possessed this ability. Thus, the headman expected Luka or his guardian to visit the next morning. And sure enough, Ellaria came to his treehouse as expected.
"Luka discovered a rift within the miasma and used his magic to close the gap," she reported.
Although Ailmoon lacked the proficiency to use spatial magic, he studied it to some extent in his youth while attending the magic academy back in the elvish homeland. "Did the boy encounter problems in dealing with the hole?"
"Yes, Luka felt intense pain and fell to the ground while he performed this task. His nose also dripped
blood," she recalled with a pained expression. Ellaria treated Luka like a son; thus, she felt anguish upon seeing his pain.
The headman sighed because he could imagine how difficult the task was for a young lad. "How did Luka remove the existing miasma?" Ailmoon asked.
Ellaria closed her mouth and became hesitant to answer.
"Did he do something unusual?" the chief asked with arched brows.
"Yes," she admitted with a sigh. "I saw Luka's body emit a golden aura, and whenever it touched the miasma, the dark clouds dissipated as if erased. Luka shouted 'Purify!' I assume that's the name of the spell he used," Ellaria recalled.
Ailmoon stroked his beard. He had never heard of gold-colored magic. It was not part of the familiar four-colors of nature magic (fire, water, earth, and wind). He decided to ask Folen to send a message via carrier bird to the Royal Magicians to investigate further. "Is Luka still sleeping?"
"Yes."
"The militant faction sent an investigation team to the swamp last night, and they witnessed the result of Luka's intervention. They're beginning to call him 'Benefactor,' and I think that's the correct word to describe what the boy means to our village now. As a reward, I want him to take the rest of the week off from work. And you will watch over him. I'll ask Dilya to excuse your absences. If we didn't have the Good Harvest Festival recently, I would ask the village to hold a celebration," Ailmoon said.
"Thank you, headman." Ellaria finished her tea and returned home.
The chief continued to puzzle over the golden magic and its significance.
Chapter 31
The Ancestral Tombs (Part 1)
On her way home, several militia members accosted Ellaria; they surrounded her in the air and cut off her retreat. "What do you want?" the elf asked warily. She didn't wish to be delayed by these buffoons and have Luka wait for the foster mother to make breakfast.
Phraan raised a hand to soothe her worry. "We only wish to talk. Can we go down first?" he requested politely.
"You folks sure have an interesting way of approaching people for a 'talk,'" she retorted with air quotes around the word "talk." "But I'll humor you," Ellaria added and slowly descended to the ground.
The Divine Summoner: Godson of Altima Page 25
