Unexpectedly, the first to move were the key roles that gathered in this place. The first to attack were the two Artillery Units that Iron Wall Division, a division that protected Command, had sent. When they fired all of the bombs that they could fire towards the Black Forest, the spectres flew up all at once and moved to prevent the Artillery Units from firing any further.

Meanwhile, the Wizard Unit began to break the barrier that had been weakened by the physical force of the bombs. The airships that were being escorted by the Drake Unit also began bombing the area that the Artillery Unit had broken through earlier. 

Bang! Bang! Bang!

―Kiyeeeeeek!

―Kyaaaaaack!

The spectres and ghost trees began to resist fiercely with their ghastly screams. 

However, despite their resistance, the Black Forest still ended up being devastated after being bombed for two hours straight. 

The next group to move was the Knights. 

“Breakthrough!” 

The knights with their mythril swords and magic circle-infused armors charged together.

As the Knights led by Cassim Nights charged forward, the Fog and Mountain Corps also started to move. However, they were not trying to enter the Black Forest.

“Open the path!” 

“Secure a path for the Knights!” 

They shouted loudly as all of the troops attacked the spectres and the ghost trees to help secure a path for the knights to enter. Thanks to their help, the knights were able to start breaking through the heart of the Black Forest. 

The rangers, who were closely following the knights, also scattered one by one to scout the Black Forest ahead. 

Carl Gustav watched the skilled scouts scatter one by one as they also prepared to move.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, sir!”

“We’re entering too!”

All the Ghosts moved with Carl Gustav at the lead. Iron was currently in the center being surrounded by the Ghosts. It was a formation that firmly escorted him in the middle. 

“Our operation is not that much different from our operation in the Winter Mountains. Our mission is to check whether there is anything related to the divine beast in the Black Forest and if a dimensional crack exists in this place.”

Carl Gustav once again told his men about the Ghost’s operation. 

The Ghost’s mission was not to prevent the dimensional crack. They already knew back in the Winter Mountains that it would be difficult for them to prevent a dimensional crack with just the Ghosts’ power alone. That was why their mission was only to check and confirm if it existed. 

The commander would be the one giving orders in the future regarding the dimensional crack and the divine beast. 

“This… I lost contact with the rangers.”

The Ghosts lost contact with the rangers that were leading the way as soon as they entered the Black Forest. Fortunately, they were able to mark the safe path on their map based on the contacts that they received from the rangers earlier. So, they were able to create a straight path towards the center.

This was how the Ghosts entered the Black Forest.

“Watch out!” 

Swoosh!

The Ghosts immediately discovered that the branches of the normal-looking trees had suddenly lengthened to attack them as soon as they entered the forest. Thankfully, they were able to cut it in time. 

“Witches’ Land…” 

Even if they had a power that was dozens of times stronger than their current power, it would still be difficult for them to guarantee their victory inside the witches’ land. This was a sign that had been passed down through ancient times which announced the danger of the witches’ land. 

And right now, the Black Forest had become a land that was occupied by witches. 

As if to prove this, branches flew in from all over the place. At the same time, the ghost trees began to shriek and let out their ghastly cries that gnawed on the Ghosts’ spirit and mentality. But the worst of it all was the fact that the Ghosts would stiffen whenever they heard the cries of the ghost trees. 

“Protect your ears with mana!”

Carl immediately gathered his mana in his ears as he swung his sword. Shockwaves bursted out of his sword and swept the area around them.

After dealing with the troublesome cries of the trees, the Ghosts finally began to show their true powers.

Billie Brandt launched an oppressive attack and cut down the trees surrounding them. Lintel also disappeared in an instant as he dealt with the spectres that hid behind the trees. Tunace and Jimmel dealt with the dark dolls that flew all over the place using their sharp eyes and stealthy movements. Meanwhile, Weber and Span roamed around the forest emitting both light and darkness on their bodies. 

“Gordon! Sauria! Milton! Open the path!”

“Yes, sir!”

Three of the Ghosts flew forward after hearing Carl Gustav’s orders. 

Gordon and Sauria were strong swordsmen that could sweep away the surrounding area by increasing the size of their mana swords which could momentarily make a path for them to move forward. Milton would use his explosive swordsmanship to bomb the area if there were enemies clustered together in one area. Thanks to their stellar performance, numerous trees either bursted open or were cut down. Even the spectres were forced to retreat from their attacks.  

Even Crimson’s storm sword flew down from time to time to help them from above to help the Ghosts, who once fought in a massive fight, go further inside. 

They thought that they could easily enter the center of the Black Forest at this rate but… 

The witches were never an easy opponent.

“Uwooooo~”

Gigantic dolls appeared in the air above them. Dolls the size of golems which were made from pumpkins and woven straw appeared and blocked the Ghosts’ path forward. At the same time, the trees behind them grew in size and shrieked loudly to put pressure on the Ghosts. 

“Right. They’re witches, how can it be easy?” 

Carl Gustav spoke as he injected more mana into his sword. He swung his sword and cut off the straw doll that was trying to step on them. Of course, Carl was just pretending to do so. But even if he was only pretending, the straw foot was still cut off and bursted out.

Bang! Bang!

“Keuk!” 

When the witch’s doll was cut off, the straw bursted all over the place and exploded. 

“Is it an exploding doll?” 

Carl Gustav’s expression turned solemn when he confirmed that the straw dolls would burst out and explode like some sort of suicide doll.

Even the pumpkin dolls were also unusual. It used fire-based magic and let out blue flames that stopped the Ghosts from moving forward. There were even gigantic trees that were filled with dark mana swinging their steel-like branches. 

Bang!

“Keuk!” 

Iron stepped up to stop the trees from flocking behind them. He couldn’t help but groan whenever he knocked off and diverted the steel-like branches from the trees. But thanks to his mana sword being compressed to the limit, he was still able to withstand the gigantic steel-like fist that the trees weaved together to attack him. 

“Isn’t Iron stronger than usual?”

“You did not expect him to receive that?”

Jimmel also turned to look at Iron in surprise when he heard Lintel’s words. 

Even Iron was surprised since he could still listen to them talk. He couldn’t believe that he still had room to listen to them despite receiving the tenacious attacks of the trees.

‘It’s doable. No… I think I can do more.’

Iron increased his mana when this thought crossed his head. 

As they continued to fight, Iron realized that the mana in the Black Forest was flocking to his sword as a familiar trace of mana that was hidden deep within the dark forest wrapped around him. 

“Owl’s mana?” 

Iron’s confidence increased the more he felt the familiar mana approach him amiably. 

Perhaps it was because the mana in the Black Forest quickly replenished Iron’s consumed mana that he did not get too tired despite consuming more than his usual. 

The Ghosts also began to gain confidence as they watched Iron run like crazy as if he was moving in his own territory. 

“I don’t think it would be easy to break through right away.”

Billie Brandt looked at the remains of countless trees, straw dolls and pumpkin dolls in exhaustion. 

“We’re only starting but it’s already at this level…” 

Carl Gustav was solemn after experiencing an extreme blockade right near the entrance. He was wondering how hard it would be if they entered further towards the center. At first he thought that they were just saying nonsense when they said that it was suicide trying to break through the witches’ realm. But now, he realized that they weren’t just empty words.

“It wouldn’t be good for us to spend more time here…”

“I know that we have to enter as soon as possible but it’s impossible for us to enter this with just our strength alone.”

From the Ghosts’ standpoint, attacking the witches’ realm with just their number was like eating poison willingly.

The knights were perfect for cases like this. No matter how hard it was to break through a witches’ realm, the knights, who were specialized in charging forward, would still be able to break through forcefully with their numbers. 

“But the forest is the worst environment for knights.” 

“Hoo… With this kind of attack, it would be hard for the rangers to move around freely.” 

Every time they heard the spectres and the ghost trees cries, their heads would ache as heaviness, exhaustion and lethargicness surrounded their bodies. This state would make them feel helpless in such a dangerous situation. If the Ghosts were already like this, it would even be harder for soldiers to enter this place. They might be killed by trees or be forced to suffer under curses as soon as they entered the forest. 

“I don’t know if it’s because this is a forest but I think I’ve lost my sense of direction.” 

It was difficult for them to grasp the direction they were going in since they were surrounded by the forest and the darkness that engulfed it completely. Even the experienced Ghosts were left to wander so ordinary soldiers would definitely be forced to wander around and face their ends in this place.

“But it’s kind of weird.” 

“You feel it too?” 

Carl Gustav spoke solemnly when he heard Iron’s words. 

He felt like he could make it even though the Ghosts were clearly feeling the exhaustion and intensity of the fight. He couldn’t tell if it was because they couldn’t afford to do more or it was not in their intentions. 

“I think we need to settle down here and contact the outside while trying to reorient ourselves.”

“I think so too.” 

Gustav nodded in agreement to Iron’s words as he fired a flare while leaving the Ghosts to settle down. 

They cut down the flocking trees from the surroundings and burned them down to secure their visibility. And as they continued to settle down and organize the surrounding area, the rangers that were scouting the Black Forest ahead of them appeared. 

“Are you alright?” 

“Po… potion…” 

“Here!” 

The rangers that were injured appeared with the help of their teammates from all over the place. 

“No one died.” 

“…Yes. It’s a relief. But…”

Is it because a lot of the rangers suffered from mental attacks?

There were only a few people that were energetic enough to move immediately. The rest were trembling with fear from the hallucinations that they had just encountered. And that was to say that they were rangers who were known for their strong mental prowess. 

To become an official ranger, one should gain enough strength, experience and mental toughness. And considering that only the veteran rangers were recruited for this operation, they could clearly tell that the road ahead was extremely dangerous. 

“Are those in the beginning of the 4th Stage the ones affected the most by hallucinations?” 

“I believe so. The apprentices at the late 3rd Stage couldn’t enter the forest at all…” 

The ranger who spoke had a dark expression on his face. 

It was just one day. But the rangers looked worn out as if they were badly beaten in the witches’ land. 

“Black Forest… It has become a very scary place that’s in a completely different sense than when Two Moons was still in this place.” 

Carl Gustav looked up at the sky as he spoke. He could see the sun shining dimly from behind the dark clouds. 

The dark scenery of the forest that was almost as if they were in the demon world was making the morale of the Ghosts and the rangers plummet. 

While everyone else was trying to stay on their feet and not be eaten by the Black Forest, Iron was left in confusion as he lit up a fire and stood on guard in the worst situation that they could be in. 

Badump! Badump!

“What the…” 

He felt like something was calling for him somewhere. He could hear his heart thumping louder and louder every time he turned to look around. 

It was a feeling that he had never felt before. 

Iron couldn’t help but frown at the echo that was tens and hundreds of times much louder than when the phoenix called for him when he entered the dark elves’ cave. 

“What the hell is it?” 

Iron placed his hand on top of his chest as if he was trying to calm his pounding heart.