Chương 349: Lost and Found

Vale and Korin pushed their way through the dense forest, forcing themselves between walls of tangled bushes and broad-leafed plants that seemed determined to slow every step they took. Thick vines hung from fresh and dying branches overhead while thorn-covered shrubs snagged at their clothing from every direction. Vale hissed in annoyance as another branch scraped across his already battered face, casually swatting aside the relentless greenery.

"Do there have to be this many plants?" he muttered, his irritation impossible to hide. Beside him, Korin simply laughed as he continued walking without the slightest difficulty. The countless thorns bent harmlessly against his skin before snapping away, unable to leave even the faintest scratch. In stark contrast, thin crimson lines already crisscrossed Vale's face where countless thorns had carved into his skin throughout the morning. Vale glanced sideways at the towering young man with a weary sigh.

"Easy for you to laugh. Your skin's so absurdly tough I doubt even a proper sword could cut you." Korin scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"... Yeah. I guess you've got a point. Sorry." Vale blinked before letting out a quiet laugh, brushing another branch aside as they continued forcing their way through the undergrowth.

"Man... you're way too easy to make feel guilty. Don't worry about it." He gestured toward the scratches covering his face.

"This is entirely my own fault. I was the idiot who decided sprinting through thorn bushes at full speed was a good idea." Korin still looked unconvinced.

"Maybe... but I still feel kind of responsible." Vale sighed dramatically.

"Suit yourself." They continued deeper into the forest, shoving past another curtain of vines before Vale suddenly came to an abrupt stop. The hesitation in his expression was enough for Korin to notice.

"... Hey." Korin looked over.

"What?" Vale slowly turned toward him, his confidence noticeably wavering.

"You do know where we're going... Right?" Silence settled between them. Korin stared back blankly before answering with complete sincerity.

"... I thought you had the communication device." Vale's expression darkened. At exactly the same moment, Korin realized what he'd just admitted. The two exchanged a long look before simultaneously releasing exhausted sighs. Vale bent forward, resting both hands on his knees.

"... We're idiots." Korin leaned against the trunk of a nearby tree, rubbing a hand across his forehead.

"... Yeah." Neither spoke for several moments before Vale finally broke the silence.

"How long do you think it'll take us to find camp again?" Korin slowly surveyed the endless sea of nearly identical trees stretching in every direction. Whatever confidence he had left quietly disappeared.

"At least a day." Vale gently smacked his forehead.

"If only one of us had remembered that stupid device." Korin nodded with another weary sigh.

"I don't really think either of us can be blamed. It just... happened." Stolen story; please report. His gaze drifted upward through the towering canopy as his expression became more thoughtful.

"I'll climb up. If I can spot smoke, broken trees, or anything unusual, we might be able to get our bearings." Vale waved him off without concern.

"Sounds good. I'll try something else." Korin was already moving before the sentence had fully left Vale's mouth. With a single explosive step, he launched himself toward the nearest colossal tree, his fingers biting effortlessly into the bark as though it were soft clay. Massive muscles flexed beneath his clothes while he ascended almost vertically, each powerful movement causing the ancient trunk to tremble beneath his weight.

Vale watched him disappear into the canopy before shaking his head with an amused whistle.

"... Show-off." He wandered toward a small clearing beneath the towering trees before quietly lowering himself onto the forest floor. Crossing his legs, he closed his eyes and allowed his breathing to slow. One by one, the countless distractions faded until only a single thought remained at the center of his mind. Shade. Far above the forest floor, Korin finally reached the uppermost branches, more than a hundred meters above the ground.

Standing atop one of the tallest trees in the region, he rested a hand against the trunk while the cool mountain breeze swept through his hair.

"Now this. is some incredible air." he murmured as he took a deep breath of it, For a brief moment he simply enjoyed the breathtaking view before his expression sharpened. His eyes swept across the seemingly endless forest stretching toward every horizon. Nothing, there was no smoke from a campfire, no movement. Absolutely nothing. Only an endless ocean of emerald leaves, broken occasionally by distant gray mountains whose rocky slopes had long since been swallowed beneath moss and towering pines. Korin frowned.

"No luck." Without another thought, he stepped calmly from the branch. His body plummeted through the canopy as wind roared past him. He fell like a meteor before casually grabbing the trunk halfway down, slowing himself with one enormous hand before releasing it again. He landed beside Vale with barely more than a dull thud. The younger swordsman hadn't moved. His eyes remained closed, his breathing was slow and heavy, he was completely focused.

"Meditating?" Korin tilted his head curiously.

"What exactly are you..." He waved a hand in front of Vale's face. He didn't even give the slightest reaction.

"... Wow." A mischievous grin slowly spread across Korin's face.

"I wonder... Will he notice this?" He extended a single finger toward Vale's cheek. Painfully slowly, the finger drifted closer and closer until it finally brushed against Vale's skin with the lightest tap imaginable. Vale's eyes snapped open. Both hands shot toward his waist faster than Korin could even process as twin onyx blades screamed free from their sheaths. Fifty thousand years of instinct erupted into motion without conscious thought, carrying Vale forward with pure murderous intent. The swords struck.

Clang. Instead of flesh, they collided with something resembling solid steel. Both blades rebounded violently. Vale froze. His eyes widened.

"... Korin?!" He sprang backward before hurriedly sheathing both swords, his expression shifting from lethal focus to outright panic.

"What the hell were you thinking?! I thought you were some kind of monster sneaking up on me!" His concern only intensified as he looked Korin over from head to toe.

"Wait, forget that. Are you alright?!" Korin blinked several times, still trying to process how absurdly fast the attack had been. Then he quickly raised both hands in surrender.

"I'm fine. Seriously. No need to panic." Vale continued inspecting him suspiciously.

"You sure?" Korin smiled reassuringly before knocking lightly against his own forearm.

"Of course. No ordinary blade is getting through this." Only then did Vale finally relax, letting out a long breath.

"Good. Don't ever do that again. I almost killed you you know."

"I noticed," Korin replied with a nervous laugh. Before either of them could continue, the nearby bushes rustled. Vale vanished. In one fluid motion he placed himself directly in front of Korin, both swords already drawn once again. His stance lowered instinctively while his eyes sharpened, every muscle preparing to strike.

"Get ready." His voice dropped into a dangerous growl.

"Whatever's coming, it cant be good." Korin remained calm. Cautious, certainly, but nowhere near as alarmed. The bushes slowly parted. A familiar figure emerged. Its body was formed entirely from living shadow, black armor stained with fresh crimson blood. Two glowing ruby eyes pierced the darkness surrounding it, while one armored hand casually dragged the enormous corpse of a predator across the forest floor by its tail. The shadow stopped.

Several long, awkward seconds passed before Vale finally burst into laughter.

"Seriously, Shade..." He lowered both blades before sliding them back into their sheaths with a shake of his head.

"You scared the hell out of me." The living shadow tilted its head with perfect innocence. Vale walked closer, his eyes moving between the blood coating Shade's armor and the massive carcass trailing behind him.

"Did you come looking for us?"