Chapter 15. Proof of Valor

As soon as Ivan left his luggage at the dormitory and arrived at the training ground, the knight Kevin ordered his troops to move. As a result, Ivan didn’t even have time to properly communicate with his other colleagues.
“It feels like you’re in a hurry. Is there any reason you have to start in such a rush?”
When he asked one of the mercenaries around Ivan, he answered with a hard expression on his face.
“These guys are playing pranks in the forest. We’re going to ruin it. Timing is important, so we have to hurry.”
According to him, the greenskin shamans were doing something in the forest. The guerrillas said that their mission was to break the spell and, if possible, get rid all of them.
“But usually, all I do is move around and break totems. Damn, does it make sense to deal with a shaman without a proper wizard?”
The mercenary, who had been cursing the command for a while, shut his mouth. As he got closer to the forest, he felt nervous, but only wet his dry lips.
Goooooo.
There was something more bizarre about the forest. Ivan realized that he could feel an unknown energy flowing through the forest, and that these were the traces of the magic used by the shamans of Greenskin.
‘Damn it, all the forests in this neighborhood are shit.’
Originally, Ivan was a person who liked to go for a walk in the forest or go camping. Wouldn’t it be easier to get out of a city full of fine dust and enter a forest full of phytoncides?
However, the forest in this damn different world was never kind to humans. He didn’t feel at ease and was stressed because he didn’t know when he would die.
Shhhhhh!
The three rangers belonging to the unit spread in all directions without sound. They will move first, looking for trails and lead the way.
Chuck, Chuck, Chuck!
Excluding a few people who were injured due to injuries, about 30 people were moving, but there was no noise except for their footsteps. Everyone was so nervous that even the sound of swallowing can be heard.
As the rangers ahead checked their surroundings and nodded, the knight Kevin ordered the others to search the totem.
“There must be a totem hidden by them on the top of a tree or in a crevice of a rock, anyway something like that. Find it and destroy it.”
The shaman totem served as a kind of battery or antenna. A tool to strengthen the shaman’s main force and spread the magic widely.
Just by breaking the totems hidden here and there, the power of the magic they used could be greatly weakened.
Ivan was able to find them without difficulty. This is because, due to the nature of witchcraft, totems were not completely hidden from view or buried in the ground.
Snake, tiger, lion, bear. Totems carved out of wood to imitate the appearance of such animals.
It wasn’t very complete or detailed carving. However, it was enough to recognize its characteristics even though it was made by roughly cutting it carelessly.
The indifference combined with the strange atmosphere of the forest made the totem a very foreign and terrifying symbol.
One by one, the troops found and destroyed the totem, and a soldier suddenly let out a painful moan.
“Ugh!”
Just then, Ivan, who was nearby, looked at him and saw a soldier holding his hand and grimacing.
The moment he picked up the totem that was hidden under the tree, a strange main force was released and permeated the soldier. In an instant, blisters grew on the back of the hand and the blood flowed.
Kevin rushed to check the condition of the soldier and spit out abusive language.
“Damn bastards. It’s getting worse and worse. They know we are going to destroy totems, so they mix curses with totems.”
When Kevin took holy water and sprinkled it on the back of the soldier’s hand, the blisters that had been draining the blood subsided. Fortunately, it was a temporary spell, so the effect was not strong.
“Hmm….”
Ivan frowned as he squatted and looked at the cursed totem the soldier threw on the floor.
“Not good.”
There was no way Ivan, who was barely learning the basics of magic, could understand the magic structure at once.
However, it seemed that he had a vague understanding of what this cursed totem was for with his sharp gimmicks and secret knowledge obtained through the magic god Odin.
“You must immediately stop searching for the totem and move elsewhere.”
When Ivan said that at first, Kevin looked at him puzzledly.
“What? What does that mean all of a sudden?”
“This cursed totem isn’t meant to harm us or interfere with our search. The moment the curse is triggered, the shaman will know where we are.”
“Sounds like they’re starting their chase. Damn it! I thought we could go quietly for a while, then let’s go.”
Kevin quickly gathered his scattered members and began to exit the forest.
He destroyed quite a few totems today, so his income was not small. It would be ok to go back.
However, it seems that the greenskins are trying to grab the back of their heads.
Sussuk!
Kikiki!
As he moved quickly out of the woods, feeling a subtle sense of discomfort, Ivan tilted his head.
‘Isn’t your vision a little blurry than before? The fog seems to have thickened a bit.’
As he was thinking about it, he realized something and quickly shouted around.
“Not natural fog! Shamans are nearby…”
A strong wind blew when he spoke up.
Whiiing!
Even with the strong wind, the fog did not seem to dissipate, but rather quickly thickened and began to cover all directions. A fog that was thick enough to be barely see the tip of a finger obscured my vision, and a strange sound resounded.
Gooooo!
Siksiksik!
A strong wind blew against the trees in the forest, spreading a noise like a whistle. Ivan’s senses were shaken by the sound of irregular sounds all around him.
From sight to hearing. It was preventing me from reading the situation around me.
‘I should have noticed sooner!’
He didn’t notice it because there were so many strange powers spread out in the forest. When he came to his senses, he had already entered the middle of the shaman circle.
“On guard! They will attack!”
Even if it wasn’t Kevin’s shout, all the troops drew their weapons and looked around.
The attack did not follow immediately. But it has already begun. It was because the thick fog followed by the sound of the wind blowing here and there was slowly eating away at their vision.
“Ranger! Can you find a way out!”
To Kevin’s question, the Rangers answered with hesitation.
“It’s not easy. The shaman is more than just obscuring your vision, it’s shaking your sense of direction. Even if you get away, your troops will eventually scatter in this situation.”
“Then are just going to die here? This is the enemy camp. As time goes by, it will be disadvantageous for us. We have to find a way somehow.”
As the others wandered, lost their mind, Ivan brought his sword to his forehead and called out to a god.
“Heimdall, lend me your power.”
Woong-
The gatekeeper of Asgard, the watchman of Bifröst, the one who can see and hear all things in the nine world.
According to the legend, Heimdall’s eyes could see through anything and his ears could even hear the sound of wool growing.
As Heimdall’s power descended upon Ivan, he could see through the fog that had just blocked his sight, and even began to hear the sound of the strong wind that had covered his ears.
“Ugh!”
Bitel!
It felt like my senses were endlessly expanding. Mortals seemed to peep throught the eyes of a transcendent that they would never know.
A lot of information I couldn’t handle scrambled into my head and I was dizzy with a deep headache.
That wide and high sense was soon adjusted to fit Ivan’s level, but with just for a brief moment, greatly consumed his mental strength. Ivan’s level was still very low to accept the transcendental sense.
There was an unexpected pain, but Ivan did not blame Heimdall. It was because he was lacking, not Heimdall fault.
Unlike other gods who know nothing but betrayal, trickery, and fights, Heimdall was very sincere and kind. Perhaps this is also a side effect of his trying to confer more power.
Pajik!
As Ivan thought so, he suddenly sparked his sword and slapped his hand. It was someone’s grumbling about why only Heimdall was respected like that.
‘What are these noblemen doing, sulking?’
You’re not even a teenage high school girl, yet you’re sulking? The sensibility of the nobleman who unconditionally hits the head and breaks the earthen pot when the enemy is visible is unnecessarily delicate.
Anyway, they are being emotional like a child.
A strong and violent bully, it’s terrible.
Chichik, Chijik!
Ivan grabbed the sword with a stronger spark and took a fighting stance. Enemies were getting closer.
“Enemy Approaching! Prepare for Attack!”
Ivan suddenly shouted that, and the cautiously approaching enemies stopped. It seems that they were puzzled how he read their movements in the magic circle that obscured their senses.
Realizing that the surprise had been detected anyway, they cautiously abandoned their move. Instead, they started running at an explosive speed.
Buuung!
Kaang!
Ivan stopped the axe that was being swung at the soldier’s neck. The axe was quite heavy. It seems that Greenskin has sent a proper group.
“Ugh!”
A painful moan erupted from the soldiers, whom he had rescued, but Ivan could not block all of them.
It was very difficult to receive an attack from the enemies in a situation where sight and hearing were limited. It was almost impossible to deal with the feeling that the axe would come out right in front of the soldiers who did not open their senses properly.
“Face the enemy with your backs to each other! If you hold out, you win!”
Psyuk!
Kevin shouted as he decapitated one of the orc warriors who attacked him.
He didn’t say why they would win if they perseveres. It was because there had to be vain hope so that the soldiers did not collapse.
“Damn, they are clever!!”
Orcs had a culture that worship power and hated trickery. But now, the orc warriors hid themselves in the mist like assassins and repeatedly attacked.
Originally, the Orc Warlords would have been very dissatisfied, but there was not even a single hesitation in their movement. It means that the presence with a strong charisma is nearby. To the point that even the orc warriors couldn’t complain.
Probably named. Maybe Ivan is the only guy who knows his name.
His whole body was tingling. A little tension and the excitement of battle lifted him up.
‘Yes, this should be enough.’
Prove his own valor.
Recalling the words of the quest, Ivan raised his sword.
bang!