Chapter 666: Volume Eighteen: Stormy Secrets, - Seventeen: Showcasing Strength
The Little Greenland Forest depicted on the sheepskin map showed an odd black color, distinctly different from the surrounding regions and even dissimilar to the adjacent Great Greenland Forest. The area was renowned for producing various large and fierce magical beasts, with a significant difference in both size and aggressiveness when compared to those in the Great Greenland Forest, which has numerous species but relatively weaker individuals. The creatures in this territory were likely remnants of the ultimate magical beasts from an unprecedented, ancient war hundreds of years ago.
Records preserved in history books and intelligence from explorers on the edge of the Little Greenland Forest confirmed the presence of super magical beasts such as the Rolling-haired Rhinoceros, Nine-headed Kite, and Dread Ape. Even formidable creatures like the Wicked Dragon would not dare to provoke them lightly, let alone the possibility of ancient magical beasts still undiscovered and unknown to mortals.
The source of the Nissai River originated within the Little Greenland Forest, but the exact location within the woods remained unknown to anyone. No one had truly stepped into this mysterious forest, and nobody was willing to embark on a pointless adventure—after all, there were too few who sought to challenge themselves against the unknown.
After staring at the sheepskin map for a long time, Komer realized just how little he knew about his own territory. This forest, occupying a significant portion of the Leon Territory, had never caught people’s attention, perhaps because no one expected it to pique the landowner’s interest for some special needs. As a result, this land was often selectively forgotten.
Katya, without a doubt, hoped to find a passage through this forest that would directly connect the Central Kingdom with Leon and the Caucasus. Economic interests were secondary to her; she likely wanted to fully harness the power of the Caucasus and Leon for her own use after ascertaining their strength and to provide support at any time and place. With her own support, not only could she regain the favor of the fence-sitters, but she would also possess the qualifications to challenge Hoffman.
Komer couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly. Katya seemed shrewd, but there were aspects where she appeared somewhat naive to him. Why should he serve her? Did the paltry strength of the Caucasus and Leon really dare to oppose Hoffman? Was she so certain he would support her wholeheartedly, and that his power would undoubtedly play a decisive role? It seemed she hadn’t considered these questions, leaving Komer somewhat puzzled.
However, Komer did want to contemplate this issue seriously. The geographic positions of Leon and the Caucasus were incredibly disadvantageous. Besides Homer firmly controlling the exit of his territory, it was impossible to open a land route through the Cordillera Wilderness in a short time. The Sanjia Tribe alone was not enough to affect the entire Barbarian perception of him, and they did not wish for the Caucasus to be too closely linked with other Barbarian tribes. The Catania River navigation was constrained by the Jellyfish People, and the sea routes were fraught with too many uncertainties, stemming from weather and threats like the Wicked Dragon, Shark people, Pirates, and even the Homer Navy.
If it were indeed possible to make a breakthrough in the Little Greenland Forest, as Katya imagined, it would bring a gloriously bright path to the Caucasus and Leon. But there were severe obstacles ahead. The damage inflicted by the ancient magical beasts was beyond ordinary imagination. Unlike the time Komer went to the Great Swamp Area to negotiate with the Jellyfish People—of whose weakness he was well-aware, thus quite confident—venturing blindly into the Little Greenland Forest left him with no assurance whatsoever about what to expect.