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ArabicArknights: Soul Knights of Terra — Chapter 35
Chapter 35: Expanding Black Forest
“Doctor?”
Hoederer and Ines exchanged a fleeting, guarded glance. The shared confusion in their eyes was unmistakable.
Hoederer cleared his throat, his tone measured and exceedingly cautious. “…We do not know the exact location of Babel.”
Vera’s eyebrow arched slightly. The subtle shift in her expression was enough to make Hoederer speak faster.
“Both Babel and the Military Commission are actively preparing for total war. Neither side would ever allow their command centers to be exposed to outsiders.”
He watched Vera’s face closely. When no immediate violence followed, the mercenary allowed himself a shallow breath and continued. “As for this ‘Doctor’ you mentioned… I apologize, but I have never heard of such a title. Is it a specific operative’s codename?”
Silence stretched over the ruined landscape. Vera simply lowered her head, the shadow of her bangs obscuring her eyes.
[Second: Fourth, what do you make of his answer?]
[Fourth: Hmm… the part about Babel keeping their headquarters locked down is definitely true, considering the civil war. As for the rest…]
[Fourth: Hiss… did I mess up the timeline in my head? Has the Doctor not been dug out of the ground yet?]
[First: They are a strategic commander, after all. It makes sense for them to remain hidden behind the scenes.]
[Fourth: Oh, right! The war only just kicked off. The Doctor probably hasn’t evolved into the infamous ghost yet.]
[Third: So what is our next move? Are we supposed to scour the entire continent, turning over every rock?]
[Fourth: Second, press him again. Even if a grunt like him doesn’t know where Babel is, he has to know how to get in touch with them, right?]
Vera slowly raised her head, her piercing gaze locking onto Hoederer. “What about a contact method? Don’t tell me you are entirely ignorant of how to reach Babel.”
Hoederer’s brow furrowed deeper. The woman standing before him possessed a terrifying, overwhelming strength, and her goal was laser-focused on finding Babel and this mysterious “Doctor.” Yet, she seemed completely blind to the grim reality and unspoken rules governing Kazdel.
Her phrasing, her lack of basic wartime knowledge… could she be a Sarkaz who grew up in the safety of Victoria, far removed from the bloodshed of their homeland? But why return now, right at the precipice of a meat-grinder?
Swallowing his doubts, Hoederer kept his surface demeanor flawlessly respectful. “There is no direct line to Babel… They operate with extreme paranoia.”
Noticing the dangerous narrowing of Vera’s eyes, he quickly elaborated. “Babel only reaches out to the outside world under two specific conditions: to procure essential supplies, or to recruit highly capable mercenaries.”
“The supply chains are entirely managed by specialized middlemen operating out of the Scar Market. Those channels are buried deep in the underworld. It is nearly impossible for an outsider to intercept them.”
“As for mercenary recruitment…” Hoederer’s voice trailed off as he cast a grim look back at the battered, exhausted remnants of his own squad. “Whether it is Babel or the Military Commission, they only extend invitations to mercenaries or entire companies that have built up enough infamy and strength.”
“We… are simply not qualified to be noticed yet.”
His bitter admission laid out the harsh truth of Kazdel, but it also provided a clear roadmap. To reach Babel, one had to either carve out a bloody reputation large enough to demand their attention, or somehow infiltrate the shadowy supply networks of the Scar Market.
[Second: This is incredibly tedious. According to him, we have to slowly grind our way up like farming reputation points in a game?]
[Fourth: It’s simple, Second! Just pick a populated zone and go on an absolute rampage! Whether it’s Babel or the Military Commission, they’ll come sprinting to recruit a walking natural disaster!]
[First: Absolutely not! That is far too reckless!]
[First: What if this world has Arts or technology capable of countering time-stop? You should at least wait until I arrive before attempting anything that drastic!]
[Second: I have zero intention of joining either faction.]
[Second: ultimately, what does the life or death of these natives have to do with us? Not to mention, this is their own civil war. We are outsiders.]
[Fourth: Eh? You certainly weren’t this cold and heartless when dealing with the little fire dragon, were you?]
[Second:…Cubs get special treatment. That is a matter of strict personal principle.]
[Third: How about… I make my way over and join you?]
[Second: Unnecessary. Who ever said you have to do the dirty work yourself to build a reputation?]
Vera’s lips curled into a faint, chilling smile. Hoederer felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
“Mercenary. What is your name?”
“…Hoederer.”
“Well then, Hoederer…”
Vera casually tapped her index finger against the hilt of her void sword. The metallic clink echoed sharply in the quiet air.
“I happen to have a commission. Will you accept it?”
Hoederer stared at the casual, lethal threat in her posture. He weighed his options for exactly one second before bowing his head in total submission.
“Please. Give us your orders.”
The perspective shifted drastically to the frozen, unforgiving wastelands of the Ursus Empire.
Amidst the endless, blinding expanse of white permafrost, a massive patch of writhing, deep black stood out like an open wound. At the very center of this encroaching darkness, a few faint, ghostly lights flickered.
[Second: Alright, the mercenary captain has ‘agreed’ to take on my commission.]
[First: Helping a random squad increase their fame, just to use them as a stepping stone to contact Babel… isn’t that overly convoluted?]
[Fourth: Seriously! I thought you were about to paint Kazdel red to get their attention directly, but you’re just outsourcing the work?]
[Second: Don’t talk big when you aren’t the one standing in the crossfire.]
[Second: According to your own lore dumps, Kazdel is crawling with freakishly high-level combatants. What happens if they realize I am not a genuine Sarkaz and decide to jump me all at once? Playing it safe is the logical choice.]
[Fourth: You’re totally overthinking it~ Babel has plenty of Operators from other races. They even have hostile Sankta working for them. Sneaking a non-Sarkaz into their ranks is barely an inconvenience.]
[First: Sankta?]
[Fourth: Uh… just picture the Sarkaz as your traditional ‘demons’and the Sankta as’angels’.]
[First: Isn’t this a Kazdel civil war? Why would there be hostile angels fighting on the side of the demons?]
[Fourth: It’s a massive ideological clash! Babel is the idealistic faction. Their leader, Theresa, genuinely hopes that all races can coexist peacefully, so she actively recruits talent from everywhere, regardless of halos or horns.]
[Fourth: The Military Commission is the hyper-realistic side. They preach absolute Sarkaz supremacy and actively exclude, oppress, or outright slaughter other races.]
[Third: Based on that… Babel sounds like the morally superior side.]
[Fourth: Uh… I wouldn’t be so quick to judge.]
[Fourth: If they strictly adhere to Theresa’s idealistic pacifism, Babel is practically destined to be wiped out in an environment this cruel.]
[Second: It doesn’t matter. Their political ideology has absolutely nothing to do with us. If this path to Babel ends up being a dead end…]
[Second: At worst, when their faction inevitably collapses, we will just step in and ‘fish’ the specific people we need out of the wreckage.]
[Fourth: Snatching targets from a collapsing warzone might be a bit tricky, but if you really intend to take them by brute force, with your specific skill set… well, never mind. You’d probably pull it off.]
[Second:…It won’t come to that. Let’s stick to the current plan and see how the situation develops on my end.]
[First: Just to be safe, I am going to start heading toward Kazdel immediately.]
[First: I might as well set out tonight. My lava body doesn’t require sleep anyway.]
[Third: First, you aren’t going to get horribly lost again, are you…]
[Fourth: That shouldn’t be physically possible, right? The treads left by the Mobile Cities are massive. You literally just have to follow the giant dirt tracks… probably?]
[Second: Regardless, get here as quickly as you can, and stay alert on the road. As for Third…]
[Second: You need to remain hidden in Ursus for the time being. Your Wendigo physiology is far too conspicuous. Walking around will only invite unnecessary aggression.]
[Third: Hmm… circle back to my location when you have the time. I have prepared some countermeasures for you to defend yourself.]
[Fourth: Wow! Third, you were holding out on us! Let’s see the goods!]
Ignoring Vane’s dramatic antics, Gusi pulled his consciousness out of the mental network and focused on the freezing reality around him.
The shadows pooled beneath his massive feet writhed and expanded outward, slithering across the ice. He was actively pushing the absolute limits of his abilities.
To his surprise, the sheer territorial range his shadows could blanket was exceptionally vast. However, this immense area of effect came at the steep cost of rapid, almost violent mana consumption.
Gusi frowned, a deep rumble vibrating in his chest. Clearing out weak mobs was trivial; he could rely on his innate talent to siphon mana from fresh kills, creating a self-sustaining loop. But if he were ever dragged into a grueling, protracted war of attrition like First often experienced, this severe energy drain would prove fatal.
What could he do…
[Fourth: Third? Say something, Third! What exactly are you giving Second?]
Gusi casually pushed a thought back into the group chat.
[Third: Seeds. I compressed them using my skill.]
Seeds…
Gusi’s glowing eyes narrowed as a spark of inspiration hit him. That was the answer! He could cultivate and stockpile specialized seeds during his downtime, using them as portable, organic backup energy reservoirs.
However…
Calculating the sheer volume of mana required to condense just a single viable seed, Gusi realized the current conversion rate was pitifully slow.
I need a far more efficient method of energy extraction…
He raised a hand, summoning a new cluster of thick, thorny vines from the frozen earth. Unlike his standard summons, these specific vines were heavily mottled with eerie, pulsing blood-red patterns. They were the bizarre variants that had mutated after absorbing Fourth’s necrotic blood earlier.
Let’s test this theory…
The blood-patterned vines violently burrowed into the rock-hard permafrost, their roots anchoring deep into the dead soil. The scarlet veins running along their surface began to brighten and dim in a rhythmic, breathing cadence, aggressively drawing out whatever meager, latent nutrients remained in the frozen wasteland.
A faint trickle of energy fed back into Gusi’s core… but it was agonizingly weak. Almost negligible.
Was the overall quantity of vines insufficient? Or was the sterile Ursus soil simply the wrong environment for parasitic growth?
Gusi evaluated the limited number of blood-vines currently at his disposal and opened the mental link once more.
[Third: Is Fourth there?]
[Fourth: Aiyo~ Your Majesty, you’ve neglected your poor concubine for so long, and now you finally remember I exist~]
Gusi briefly scrolled up through the chat history, noting the barrage of notifications where Vane had been frantically tagging him. He replied with deadpan calm.
[Third: I temporarily muted the group notifications.]
[Fourth:?]
[Fourth: You can actually mute us? Is this really functioning on standard chat app logic?!]
[First: Third, what do you need Fourth for?]
[Third: I need his blood.]
[Fourth:???]
[Fourth: Hold on… Third, why the sudden craving? Did you awaken some twisted cannibalistic Wendigo desire? Are we finally diving into the dark internal conflict arc?!]
[Third: I just want to cultivate a larger batch of those special mutant vines…]
[Fourth: Oh, is that all? No problem at all! For the sake of my brother’s grand botanical ambitions, what’s a few liters of blood!]
[First: Is your physical body going to be alright?]
[Fourth: Relax! I’ll just pop my Immortal Body skill and bounce my health bar right back to full later. The production efficiency will be absolutely top-notch!]
[Second: Hmm. Then prepare a massive quantity.]
[Fourth: You’re so cold, Second! Shouldn’t you be shedding tears over my noble spirit of self-sacrifice?]
[Second: Oh. You are so incredibly great.]
[Fourth: That was so perfunctory!]
[Second: Once you have supplied enough blood, focus on recovering your combat state.]
[Second: As soon as you are fully prepped, head out. Pinpoint your exact geographical coordinates immediately so we can map out a proper rendezvous route.]
[Fourth: Eh~ aren’t you the least bit worried about my safety?]
[Fourth: I’m heading out to explore a hostile world all by my lonesome! What if I run into a beautiful, dangerous girl who decides to kidnap me!]
[Second: If you somehow manage to die while your Immortal Body is active, you might as well just hit restart. Don’t waste everyone’s time and resources.]
[Fourth: I guarantee the completion of my mission! And I will return alive to continue pestering all of you!]
The chaotic banter in the group chat finally died down, leaving Gusi in the absolute silence of the tundra. He silently began his preparations.
Before the blood shipment arrives, I should lay the groundwork…
With a subtle, commanding shift in his will, the sea of shadows beneath his feet violently erupted.
In the very next second, thousands of pitch-black vines gushed from the earth in a frenzy. They writhed and lashed out like a nest of vipers, rapidly expanding to cover a massive swathe of the pristine snowfield.
Gusi closed his eyes, calculating the optimal structure. Driven by his imposing mental will, the chaotic thrashing of the black vines abruptly ceased. They began to carefully intertwine, fusing together in thick, towering columns.
Their physical forms rapidly mutated, the smooth, dark surface simulating the rough, hardened texture of ancient tree bark.
In the blink of an eye, a bizarre, impossibly dense forest of withered, blackened trees materialized upon the barren snowfield.
These artificial “trees”—constructed entirely of parasitic vines—boasted gnarled, twisted branches that reached toward the gray sky like the claws of the damned. They stood in absolute silence, their roots greedily devouring the surrounding snow and ice.
Like a silent, macabre gardener, Gusi had sown a monstrous garden upon the permafrost of Ursus.
“Let them passively absorb the ambient energy and sustain themselves for now…” Gusi murmured, his deep voice swallowed by the wind as he slowly walked into the heart of his dark creation.
“Come to think of it… what exactly happened to the scout seeds I sent out earlier?”
He did not notice that every single “tree” in his artificial forest was slowly, imperceptibly growing as the minutes ticked by.
The expansion was agonizingly slow… but it was undeniably spreading.
How far would this dark canopy eventually cover?
No one knew.