Chapter 56: Corrupted Forest 8

"Well, this is annoying" I muttered under my breath, my gaze fixed on the queen, whose eyes revealed that this turmoil wouldn't end any time soon.

Elowyn made a valiant attempt to restrain her mother, but it was clear that the queen's anger and fear were overwhelming her. In response, the queen unleashed another volley of wooden spears in my direction, their sharp, wind-breaking sounds filling the room.

Boom...!!

The room once again shook from the explosion, but this time, the purple Huish barrier I had summoned stopped the spears in their tracks. I extracted the spear that had impaled me to the wall and swiftly regenerated the wound on my chest.

Breathing calmly, I assessed the situation unfolding before me as hundreds, if not thousands, of wooden spears were directed my way.

"Tsk" I clicked my tongue, realizing that my barrier wouldn't suffice this time. With a resolute step forward, I deactivated my protective shield and approached the agitated queen.

"Your Majesty, please, calm down. I don't know what you're thinking, but I'm quite certain that everything is just a misunderstanding," I implored as the room filled with the clanging noise and the sounds of splintering wood. My authority, White Veil, had been activated.

While the attacks were certainly painful, they paled in comparison to the assaults Meralda and Zekel had unleashed upon me. The queen's attacks were swift and precise, but they lacked the overwhelming power of my previous adversaries.

.....

"Elowyn, get Iselia and gather as many of our people as you can, get away from this forest as far as you can," the queen muttered urgently, her voice tinged with desperation.

"Mother?" Elowyn questioned, her worry evident in her voice.

"Hurry!... Please, this kingdom is already doomed," the queen pleaded, her voice filled with a mixture of fear and determination.

As the chaos continued to unfold, sparks, wooden debris, and splinters scattered around them. Adrian drew nearer to the queen, his body enveloped in the mysterious white veil, which effectively shielded him from the relentless barrage of wooden projectiles she fired.

As Adrian steadily advanced, a purple aura began to manifest into razor-sharp blades that materialized in his hands, a clear indication of his growing intensity.

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the queen made a quick and decisive move. With a surge of her power, she forcefully teleported Elowyn out of the room, ensuring her daughter's safety. But before she could grasp what had just happened, another inexplicable event occurred.

Adrian, who had been visible a moment ago, disappeared before her very eyes. With her heightened senses, the queen should have been able to detect Adrian's presence anywhere within the castle. Yet, he was now gone, as if he had never existed in the first place.

In an instant, all she saw was an engulfing darkness that seemed to swallow her whole. It wasn't just a lack of light; it felt as though an impenetrable void had enveloped her. To her shock, Elaniel's attempts to gather her mana or aura proved futile. It was as if these fundamental forces of magic had ceased to exist in this enigmatic, dark space.

Suddenly, Elaniel found herself seated on a soft, unfamiliar bed. Though she couldn't see anything in this darkness, her other senses remained intact, allowing her to feel and hear her surroundings. Her confusion and concern were mounting.

"Where did you take me?" she shouted, her voice echoing in the mysterious void, suspicion growing that Adrian was somehow responsible for this bizarre turn of events.

"Safe?" I inquired, confused.

Sis gestured towards the room's ceiling, walls, and even the floor, directing my attention to the intricate magical barriers and protective spells woven throughout the entire space.

"Even if this place is fortified with hundreds of preventive measures against prying eyes, I'm not sure it's enough to thwart a goddess's surveillance" I wondered

"Stupid! Look again" she scolded me.

'Ouch'

Her words stung a little; I hadn't expected such a harsh comment from her. In fact, I'd say I nerver heard such words coming from my family, well at least except from my dad.

Nevertheless, I focused my senses, my eyes glowed silvery and my sight changed, allowing me to see the world in shades of gray, with only the distinct hues of mana and aura visible.

As I examined the intricate magical barriers and protective spells in the room, I couldn't help but notice a unique, pure golden hue at their core, which indicated the presence of divinity. This room had been marked and blessed by a god.

"A blessing?" I muttered, connecting the pieces.

Although gods were enigmatic, powerful, and often super narcissistic and arrogant beings, they adhered to rules and laws, one of which was the universal Law of Divine Noninterference. This law prohibited gods from interfering with another god's blessed person or land.

I met Sis's gaze, realizing what she had wanted to imply, and she nodded in agreement. She approached the agitated queen, placing her hands on the queen's body. Instantly, the queen's pleas for help and answers ceased, replaced by calm, steady breathing.

"I had hoped to calm her down for a little while before inducing sleep. My powers could cause her permanent brain damage in her current state of mind," Sis explained. "But we're running out of time. The beast you're searching for is already on its way."

"Why?!" I exclaimed, baffled by the creature's unexpected approach. "What's wrong with that thing?"

"I don't know, but I don't think that beast poses any danger to you" Sis reassured me, glancing at the queen. "However, I can't say the same for these guys."

I cursed under my breath. "Shit!"

Sis offered a final piece of advice. "Oh, and go find the princess first. Any more complications could lead to further trouble."

Her words resonated in the air as she vanished, returning to the refuge of my shadows. Frustration welled up inside me. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

I turned my attention to the peacefully sleeping elf queen. Could I punch this woman? After all, she had tried to end my life based on her biased assumptions, so a little retaliation wouldn't hurt, right?

"Hurry up!" Sis's telepathic voice abruptly jolted me from my thoughts, pulling me back to the task at hand.

Once more, I looked at the queen. I'll have my compensation from her later.