My Family in the Novel?

Chapter 49: Corrupted Forest

Adrian and Meralda hurriedly made their way down the hallways of Lucian Hall. Adrian walked with determination, while Meralda floated gracefully beside him.

"What's going on, Master?" Meralda inquired, her brows furrowing with concern.

"Hmm? I thought you would notice it first, though? Can you not feel it?" Adrian responded, raising an eyebrow in surprise. He had expected Meralda, with her strong connection to the Great Forest, to sense it before him.

"Feel what exactly?" she asked, confusion clouding her features.

"Kaksan... He's awake" Adrian declared, his voice laden with gravity. The moment he spoke those words, genuine fear washed over Meralda, her thoughts instantly spiraling into the worst-case scenarios involving her older brother. The forest was her home, and Kaksan's awakening posed a significant threat that she feared could bring calamity.

"Wh-what should we do?" Meralda inquired, her voice trembling with concern.

Adrian contemplated the situation for a moment, his thoughts divided. "Depends," Adrian replied.

"A part of me wants to kill it, and another part of me wants to study it, especially since my energy seems to have played a role in its earlier resurrection."

Although Meralda still harbored some concerns about whether Adrian could truly subjugate the ever-evolving and adapting beast that resided in Kaksan Forest, she felt a sense of relief wash over her as she heard his nonchalant attitude toward the situation. Inwardly, she couldn't help but feel a glimmer of assurance.

Meralda had experienced firsthand the power and menace of the beast of the night, Kaksan, before. It had taken a monumental effort, combined with the strength of her siblings and the assistance of the forest's elves, to merely seal the beast.

With Kaksan now awake and free, she believed the beast was likely seeking revenge against all of them.

Yet, with Adrian's hidden strength and the mysterious entity residing within him, she held a small hope that he could handle the situation.

Adrian and Meralda reached a carriage waiting nearby. Adrian approached the coachman and, after a brief exchange of words, instructed him to take them to Kaksan Forest.

"Are you sure of the location young master?"

The coachman initially appeared puzzled at the request from a student, but when Adrian produced a handful of gold coins, the coachman's confusion turned into a business-like smile.

He eagerly accepted the payment and nodded, understanding that his passengers meant business. The carriage set off on the journey to the mysterious Kaksan Forest.

…..

"Haah, well, this is quite a mess" I let out a deep sigh as I continued to ponder the mana waves that seemed to be directed at me. They were acting like a deliberate signal, and I couldn't help but wonder about the sender's intentions.

'Is he calling for me?'

Although I promised to take care of Kaksan when the time came, I wasn't entirely sure if I could handle him.

I mean, Tristan lost one of his arms, and several students died trying to kill that beast. I can't exactly use my sister's authority on the beast either.

As I can't take the risk of him adapting to it.

In the novels, after Tristan used one of his authorities to try and defeat the beast, it quickly adapted to the authority and actually got stronger. Which resulted in Tristan losing on his arms in the process.

I glanced at Meralda, who appeared lost in thought, her expression reflecting the gravity of the situation. She was remarkably composed, considering her deep connection to the forest and her concern for her supposed brother, who was still in his maturation process, slumbering within Kaksan Forest, well I guess this reaction is better than her panicking.

As we approached the forest, my mind raced with questions and concerns. I couldn't help but wonder if the forest's elven inhabitants had started to sense Kaksan's revival.

Given the authority of the Elf Queen, she had likely already sensed the awakening of the great beast, or did she?

I focused my attention on the delicate mana waves once more, contemplating their nature. They appeared incredibly subtle and light, in stark contrast to the dense and ominous mana described in the novels. It made me wonder if Kaksan was intentionally concealing his presence, taking great care to avoid detection.

The fact that the mana waves were so faint that even Meralda, who was right beside me, couldn't perceive them raised more questions. It was apparent that Kaksan was expending a significant amount of effort to keep these waves discreet, which heightened my curiosity about his motives and the purpose behind his sudden contact.

…..

When Adrian and Meralda arrived at the outskirts of the forest, they couldn't help but notice, especially Meralda, that the forest appeared to be perfectly normal.

The coachman had taken them as deep into the woods as he could, before going their separate ways, the surroundings seemed undisturbed.

The trees stood tall, and the grass and underbrush were lush and green. Birds chirped, and various forest creatures could be seen going about their business.

Meralda, with her deep connection to the forest, immediately began inspecting the trees, the grass, the animals, and even the ground. However, despite her thorough examination, she couldn't detect any abnormalities. She looked at Adrian with a puzzled expression.

"Master, are you sure Kaksan is back?" she inquired, clearly perplexed by the forest's serene condition.

Adrian focused his senses on detecting the mana waves he had felt earlier, trying to make sense of their sudden disappearance. He had been so sure that Kaksan's presence was nearby, but now there was nothing, just an eerie silence in the forest.

'Hmm what's going on?'

Adrian scratched his head, equally confused. "I'm not entirely sure. The mana waves I sensed earlier seemed so faint, but now they're suddenly gone? but I'm pretty sure they were definitely from Kaksan"

"Something doesn't add up here"

Swoosh…!

An arrow was suddenly fired and shot at Adrian's face. With remarkable reflexes, Adrian swiftly caught the arrow in mid-air and examined its intricate elven craftsmanship.

"Elven arrows?" he mumbled to himself, fascinated by their design.

Before he could fully process the situation, a group of elven archers emerged from the forest, high above the tree branches, their bows drawn and arrows notched, all aimed directly at Adrian.

The leader, a tall and stern-looking elf, stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Adrian.

"What are you doing inside this forest?" the elven man demanded, his tone unwavering and his posture poised for action.

Adrian couldn't help but be struck by the sheer beauty of the elves. The leader and the lady standing just behind him were particularly striking, exuding an elegance and grace that he had never encountered before.

Swoosh! Another arrow was fired, this time aimed at Adrian's head. The elven man's patience seemed to be running thin.

"Last warning, human," he declared firmly, never taking his eyes off Adrian. "State your purpose and business for coming here."

….

As I continued to appreciate the exquisite beauty of the elves before me, another arrow was unleashed in my direction.

Swoosh!

"Last warning, human," the elven leader firmly stated. "State your purpose and business for coming here."

I couldn't help but notice the impatience in his tone, and the situation was becoming increasingly tense. I turned my attention to the silver moon earrings adorning his ears, a symbol of his high rank and authority. He was likely a general.

I guess their queen did notice Kaksan's resurrection huh.

The Elf queen possessed a unique and powerful authority known as the "Call of the Forest." This authority functioned in a manner similar to Meralda's own ability to see and hear through the entirety of the forest by utilizing the available plant life.

However, there was a significant difference between the two abilities. While Meralda had to manually take control over a specific area of plant life to see and hear through the forest, the Elf queen's authority was entirely automatic. Once even the smallest anomaly occurred within the forest, the entire ecosystem would promptly detect it and report it directly to her.

This innate connection to the forest allowed the Elf queen to maintain an unparalleled level of precision and awareness.

This distinct power played a pivotal role in ensuring the security and harmony of the Elven realm, as any disruption or intrusion in the forest's balance would be swiftly detected and addressed by their vigilant queen.

"Kaksan" I pronounced the name with a steady voice, and the words resonated within the gathered elves.

As my voice uttered the name, their reaction was swift, and they pointed their arrows directly at me once again.

This time, the arrows were wrapped in their mana and aura, indicating their heightened readiness.

The elf leader, in particular, seemed deeply troubled by my words. It was no surprise, considering that the situation concerning Kaksan was knowledge meant only for the elves and the three guardians of the forest.

"What did you say, human?"

"Kaksan," I repeated, firm in my intent. "I'm here to help you get rid of him."

The elf leader's skepticism was clear as he retorted, "Are you taking me for a fool, human?" I could sense his doubt and hesitation, but also his frustration.

'Not a fool, just someone incredibly impatient and hot-headed' I thought inwardly.

The atmosphere grew tense as the arrowhead of the elf leader's mana condensed, crackles of lightning playing around it, a clear indication of his readiness to attack.

Just as he was about to release his arrow, a voice from the back called out.

"Enough, Alma" The speaker was a lady, and her voice was both gentle and dignified.

"Your Highness, but this human seems suspicious" the elf general tried to argue, but the woman held his gaze and simply stated.

"Enough." The elf general and the others immediately acquiesced to her authority.

The elf woman, presumably the princess, descended gracefully from the branch she had been perched on. The other three elves followed suit, and she walked towards me. Pausing gracefully, she raised the sides of her beautiful white dress and made a respectful bow.

"It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Adrian Vulter Tellus. I am Elowen Elaris, a princess of the elven tribe hidden deep within this forest. My mother has asked me to guide you and bring you to her" she introduced herself, her words resulting in puzzled expressions from the other three elves behind her.

Their confusion was understandable, as they were unaware of the telepathic communication between the elf queen and her daughter.

I couldn't help but ask "So, you know me?"

"No, but my mother does"

I realized that she must have been aware of the events that transpired a few weeks ago, when I was searching for the Night Cloak and had a skirmish with two of the forest's guardians.

The elf queen had likely been observing the entire incident.