Chapter 67: Chillbound Wildwood... Its My Play Ground...

Chillbound Wildwood…

As they passed beneath towering trees, the dense fog blanketing the forest floor gave the illusion of walking on clouds.

The air was crisp, carrying a subtle chill that seemed to hum with magical energy.

Ben was awestruck by the forest's unique atmosphere, so vastly different from anything he had experienced before.

Towering trees loomed over them, their branches adorned with shimmering frost.

The translucent leaves sparkled like frozen crystals, scattering light in dazzling patterns across the misty surroundings.

Many of the trees emitted a faint bluish-white glow, a testament to the potent magical energy saturating the area.

"If it weren't for the dangerous magical creatures and treacherous terrain—conditions even trained magic knights struggle to navigate—this place could have been a famous spot for tourism or training, given the intense magical density here,"

Charlotte commented, noticing Ben's awe as he gazed at the scenery.

Snort~

"I prefer volcanoes,"

Mereoleona retorted with a smirk, the heat from her fiery mana skin evaporating the moisture in the air around her, creating a subtle haze.

Swish~

Out of nowhere, a massive serpentine creature with scales like polished ice and glowing blue eyes launched itself toward Mereoleona, its jaws wide open in a ferocious attack.

Boom~

Before the serpent could reach her, it was sent hurtling through the air with a single, unyielding punch from Mereoleona.

She didn't even bother to glance at her attacker as it collided with a tree, crashing to the ground in a lifeless heap.

"Iceborne Serpent!"

Nebra exclaimed, staring at the massive creature sprawled against the tree trunk.

"Iceborne Serpent?"

Ben echoed, his curiosity piqued.

He turned to Nebra, silently asking for more details.

"Iceborne Serpents are territorial and cunning creatures,"

Nebra explained, her voice laced with both admiration and caution.

They're masters of ambush, coiling around frozen streams or ice pillars to strike at prey with deadly precision.

They can exhale a freezing mist to obscure vision and encase their enemies in ice.

Even worse, their bite delivers a venom so cold it chills victims to their very core, sapping their strength and weakening their magic."

Seeing Ben's intrigued expression, Nebra smiled and continued, clearly enjoying the opportunity to share her knowledge.

"The deeper you go into the Chillbound Wildwood, the more dangerous the magical creatures become,"

Charlotte added, her sharp eyes scanning the misty surroundings for any other lurking threats.

Despite the Iceborne Serpent's sudden and fierce attack, the guards accompanying the group hadn't even reacted, standing frozen in shock.

The Iceborne Serpent's ability to conceal its presence had played a significant role in catching the guards off guard.

Grin~

"At least there will be some fun,"

Mereoleona remarked with a smirk, her fiery eyes glinting at the prospect of encountering even stronger magical creatures as they delved deeper into the forest.

Hiss~

As the conversation continued, the wounded serpent slithered into the bushes, disappearing into a gap beneath the massive roots of a frost-covered tree.

Cough~ cough~

Ben cleared his throat deliberately, drawing everyone's attention to him.

"Since we've all entered the forest, there's something I need to reveal,"

he announced, holding up a scroll that he had drawn from his coat.

His expression was serious, and it immediately silenced the group.

As Ben began to explain, the details of his plan unfolded, shocking everyone present.

He described his decision to use himself as bait to lure out a dangerous group of assassins—a terrorist cell that had been eluding capture.

By the time he finished, everyone, including the guards, his loyal butler Henry, Charlotte, Nebra, and Mereoleona, was left speechless.

This was the first time they had seen a king willingly place himself in harm's way as a decoy for such a dangerous operation.

"My lord... this is incredibly dangerous! You should have informed me beforehand. I could have arranged for proper security,"

Henry finally broke the silence, his voice filled with worry and urgency.

"Don't worry, Henry. I implemented this plan because I'm confident we will succeed,"

Ben said with a reassuring smile, his voice calm but resolute.

Sigh~

Ouch~

"Charlotte... my ears…"

Ben winced as Charlotte grabbed his ear and twisted it, her narrowed eyes fixed on him.

"You're hiding something, aren't you? But assassination? Ben, have you completely lost your mind?"

Charlotte scolded, shaking her head at her boyfriend's reckless yet determined behavior.

Hahaha~

"I really like your approach! Let's crush those bastards into the dirt!"

Mereoleona exclaimed with a wide grin, cracking her knuckles enthusiastically.

The idea of confronting assassins thrilled her as much as the idea of a fiery battle.

"Let's head deeper into the forest,"

Henry interjected, his expression thoughtful.

"We need to find a suitable spot to ambush those assassins before they can get the drop on us."

Everyone nodded in agreement and began advancing deeper into the Chillbound Wildwood.

As they pressed on, the temperature dropped noticeably, and the forest's magical ambiance became even more intense.

The ground was soon covered in a soft blanket of pristine snow, each step muffled, adding an eerie silence to their surroundings.

The faint crunch of their boots and the occasional whisper of the wind were the only sounds accompanying them.

Towering frost-encrusted trees cast long shadows across the snow, and the air seemed charged with an otherworldly energy.

They all felt it—the quiet before the storm.

Magical frost flowers, each pulsing faintly with a blue or silver glow, dotted the landscape, casting an ethereal luminescence over the snow-covered ground.

As they journeyed deeper, Ben observed various magical creatures and insects, each uniquely adapted to the harsh climate and dense magical energy of the Chillbound Wildwood.

Among them were Frostwing Hawks, their crystalline feathers glinting like shards of ice as they soared through the frosty canopy.

Glacial Stags, majestic and towering, moved silently among the trees, their antlers radiating a soft, silvery light.

Tiny Frostfire Beetles, glowing with alternating hues of icy blue and fiery orange, scurried across the bark of old trees.

And clusters of Crystal Mites, with translucent bodies that refracted light into prismatic patterns, shimmered like living gems in the snow.

Each creature displayed distinct features that made them marvels of adaptation, perfectly suited to surviving in this hostile yet magical environment.

"This place should do, Your Majesty,"

Henry said, his voice breaking the silence.

The group had arrived at a frozen stream, its glassy surface glinting under the faint light.

The natural terrain seemed ideal for their plan.

The trees in this area were larger and spaced wider apart, their thick roots forming gaps and hollows that could serve as hiding spots.

The frozen stream itself added a dangerous unpredictability, its smooth, icy surface potentially shattering underfoot or masking hidden perils beneath its magical sheen.

Crystal-clear water flowed beneath the ice, but in places, the stream had frozen solid, resembling a mirror.

The magical energy infused in the water was palpable, radiating a subtle hum that hinted at the danger it held for the unwary.

Ben took a slow, thoughtful look around the clearing, taking in every detail of the terrain.

"Perfect,"

he thought, a confident nod affirming his decision.

"Everyone, prepare for an ambush,"

he ordered, his voice calm yet commanding.

The guards moved swiftly, their training evident as they began positioning themselves among the natural cover provided by the terrain.

Some concealed themselves behind massive tree trunks, while others crouched in the gaps formed by the roots, their wands and weapons ready.

Mereoleona inspected the icy stream with a smirk, cracking her knuckles as if eager to test her strength against whatever threat lay ahead.

Charlotte, meanwhile, directed a few guards to enhance their defenses using subtle spells that blended with the forest's natural magic.

Nebra, her eyes scanning the frost-laden canopy, whispered instructions to a pair of scouts, ensuring no surprises would come from above.

The magical frost flowers continued to pulse faintly, casting an otherworldly glow over the frozen clearing.

The forest, with its eerie silence and faint hum of magic, seemed to hold its breath, awaiting the coming storm.

Ben adjusted his cloak, his sharp gaze fixed on the horizon.

The trap was set.

Now, all they needed was for their quarry to take the bait.

Dosill's Side...

When Dosill and his group arrived at the spot where Ben had revealed his true purpose for the hunt, the air carried a strange, lingering tension.

Frown~

Dosill abruptly halted in his tracks, his head tilting slightly as a deep frown creased his face.

Though his blind, white eyes seemed unseeing, there was a perceptive sharpness to them, as though he noticed something the others couldn't.

The group accompanying him stopped as well, their movements deliberate and silent.

They exchanged knowing glances but said nothing, clearly accustomed to Dosill's peculiar ways.

He had a reputation for his keen senses and strange rituals, and they were used to waiting for him to decipher the world around him in his unique way.

Sniff~ sniff~

"It seems they've been here for quite some time,"

Dosill murmured, his voice low and gravelly.

He crouched near the ground, where faint impressions of hoof-like tracks were visible in the frozen dirt.

He ran his gloved fingers over the marks, then turned his head toward a nearby tree, where shards of ice and broken bark suggested a struggle.

His attention shifted to a hollow under the roots—a faint disturbance where something, or someone, had recently passed.

Taking a deep breath, Dosill stood and opened his grimoire.

The pages fluttered as though moved by an unseen wind, stopping abruptly on a specific page.

Unlike most grimoires, where the ancient text was indecipherable to all but their owners, Dosill's grimoire was unique.

Its script was embossed in Braille, a tactile writing system designed for the blind.

Each letter and symbol rose slightly from the page, allowing Dosill to "read" through touch alone.

[A/N: Braille is a tactile code that uses raised dots to represent letters, words, punctuation, and numbers. It's designed to be read by touch, not sight.]

Dosill's fingers hovered over the page for a moment before he exhaled deeply.

His lips moved in a whisper as he prepared to cast.

"Resonance Magic: Predator Sniff."

Placing both hands flat against the ground, Dosill poured his mana into the spell.

The earth responded immediately.

Muck, stones, brittle leaves, and gnarled roots shifted and coalesced, twisting together until they formed ten massive wolves.

Their forms were rough and primal, like sculptures made of clay, but their hollow eyes glowed with an unsettling red light.

Hehe~

"Dosill's back at it again, playing with his toys,"

sneered one of his companions, a tall man with a broad sword strapped to his back and his face wrapped in bandages.

The others didn't laugh, but they smirked faintly.

They had witnessed this ritual many times before—Dosill tracking his prey, relishing the fear and despair he induced before delivering the final blow.

Gleam~

Suddenly, the hollow eyes of the wolves changed, their empty sockets giving way to vivid, predatory stares with piercing red irises.

At the same time, Dosill's own blind eyes mirrored the transformation, glowing red as the magic coursed through him.

For the first time in days, Dosill could see.

His connection with the wolves allowed him not only to perceive the world but to experience it through their heightened senses.

Every sight, sound, and scent they encountered was his to command.

"Let's begin…"

Howl~ hoowl~

Howl~ howl~

At his command, the wolves surged forward, their noses low to the ground as they followed the trail.

Dosill and the rest of the group moved swiftly behind them, keeping pace but staying silent.

So, the so-called new king ventured into the Chillbound Wildwood… Dosill smirked to himself.

This forest was familiar ground, a place he had long used to hone his Resonance Magic.

Its dense fogs and disorienting climate posed challenges for ordinary hunters, but for Dosill, it was the perfect playground.

The wolves picked up speed, their sharp senses cutting through the chill and mist.

The icy terrain didn't hinder their movements; they glided over the snow as though born of the frost itself.

Dosill's smirk widened.

He could feel the tension in the air thickening, the hunt nearing its climax.

Soon, the prey would realise they weren't the only ones laying a trap.

"Let's see how confident this so-called king remains when he faces his hunters,"

he muttered under his breath, his red-glowing eyes fixed ahead.

The hunt was on.

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(Author's POV)

(A/N): 

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