Chapter 143: The Kalenta Great Forest (1)
A vast coniferous forest stretched endlessly, its snow-draped trees towering in every direction. Six men and women trudged forward, their steps steady. Overhead, the immense canopy of trees extended unbroken, revealing glimpses of the gray winter sky through gaps in the dense branches.
"We've been walking for almost half a day..." Karnak clicked his tongue mid-step. "And the scenery hasn't changed one bit."
"Well, there's a reason they call it the Great Forest," Serati replied nonchalantly, adjusting the bulky backpack on her shoulders.
It's not heavy, but its sheer size makes it awkward to carry.
Their journey cut through the Kalenta Great Forest, a place teeming with all manner of monsters. There were no inns or shelters to rely on, so camping was inevitable. Naturally, they needed to carry plenty of supplies: ropes, food, blankets, and other necessities. The problem was that the terrain made it impossible to bring horses along, so they had to carry everything themselves.
Traveling through the forest wasn't particularly difficult. Most of the branches hung far above a horse's height, so moving through the dense woods posed no obstacles. The real challenge was keeping the horses safe.
Horse meat was a delicacy beyond compare to the perpetually hungry monsters. With no other choice, the group carried their supplies on their own backs. But even after packing only the bare essentials, the baggage was still sizable. Serati glanced at Karnak with a wistful expression.
—When are you going to reach the ninth circle?
Karnak chuckled at her unspoken question and asked back.
—Why? Want me to store your backpack in the void space?
—It would get tainted with malice, wouldn't it?
—You’re a necromancer's vassal. A little malice shouldn't be a big deal for you.