Chapter 25: The Illusion of Hellbell, Encountering a Calamity! Deadly Water!

As Cluck’s shrill voice echoes through the airship, Konrad clenches his jaw, visibly irritated.“I’m really starting to hate that nasty chicken,” he mutters. “Though honestly, if I ever get desperate enough, I’d cook her for lunch. She also looks decent enough—bet once I strip off that ridiculous feather costume and she’s standing bare in front of me, her entire attitude would cha—”

“Konrad. Consider Auren’s age!” Goreinu cuts in, interrupting his rant.

Auren merely shrugs. “Let’s just get ready. You can daydream about your ‘lunch date’ after this phase is over.”

He takes another look out the window. The endless canopy still stretches as far as the eye can see, but after a few more minutes of flight, an open field finally comes into view—nestled deep in the forest is what appears to be a tribal village. Wooden buildings, worn-down huts, and various tents dot the area in loose clusters. Auren carefully inspects the layout of the village from up above.

Once the airship lands, the candidates disembark in a hurry—no one dares to take it slow after Cluck’s earlier tantrum and her violent disqualification of the disqualified contestant.

Auren surveys the area. It’s clearly a remote tribal settlement, untouched by technology. Just as he starts to take it all in, he spots one oddity—an isolated metallic structure, boxy and out of place, resembling a modern house.

A research facility?

Cluck strides to the front and speaks loudly, arms spread wide. “This is a tribal village. The locals don’t speak our language. Translated, the village’s name would be something like Forest’s Blessing—though honestly, I’m not totally sure, and I don’t care enough to find out.”

She crosses her arms and continues with growing enthusiasm. “What I do care about is what this forest hides. This is the fourth-largest forest in the world, and I’ve sunk a chunk of my personal fortune into exploring it. The plant life here is almost entirely undocumented. A few years ago, I brought back a strange herb. It was revered by the locals and had insane properties, reducing inflammation faster than anything we’ve ever seen. It’s a miracle herb. These people also call it a miracle. It’s merely superstition, but the results and effects of this herb are very real.”

“The plant in question is now dubbed Copperleaf. Named by me, because—guess what—it’s copper-coloured and shaped like a single, oversized leaf.”

A few candidates snicker, clearly amused by the uninspired name, but the laughter dies the moment Cluck throws them a piercing glare.

“I need more samples,” she says, her voice getting serious. “We’re trying to recreate it. Study it. This could be the foundation for the next medical revolution. A proper wonder drug, based on this herb, could save millions of people every year.”

She pauses to let the weight of her statement sink in.

“Your task is simple. Bring me one Copperleaf. Just one. Do that, and you pass. You have 24 hours. The sooner you deliver it, the better your standing, it will affect the next phase. Before you leave, I’ll show you what it looks like. And let me give you a warning—this forest is lethal. Massive bears, wolves, and boars. Deadly insects. Venomous snakes. Fungi with airborne spores that melt your lungs. Thorns that’ll poison you. I could keep going for hours, but I don’t have time, and neither do you.”

“If you don’t return in time, maybe I’ll send someone to fetch what’s left of you—maybe I won’t. I expect a fair number of you to fail, and some of you might even die, while only a handful will succeed. That’s the point of the exam. Don’t like it? Quit now!”

“Anyone who brings me a Copperleaf also earns my respect. And I don’t give that lightly.”

She signals an assistant, who quickly moves around handing out small laminated pictures. Auren receives one and studies it closely.

It’s just like she described—one large, copper-colored leaf, sprouting directly from the ground.

Hmmm... if it’s really that rare and valuable... maybe I can find a few extras and sell them later. Why should I give them to her?

He turns to Goreinu and Konrad. “Same deal as before?”

“Of course,” Goreinu replies with a confident nod.

“What deal?” Konrad asks, looking between them.

“If any of us finds extras,” Goreinu explains, “we call each other. The price? Either money or a favor.”

“I’m in.” Konrad nods quickly. Auren and Goreinu exchange a quick glance and nod as well.

“Understood,” Auren says.

Cluck grins devilishly. “Ready or not—doesn’t matter to me! Your time starts now! 24 hours from this moment. If you’re about to die, do try to hold on—I might send help once the task is over.”

“START!”

Despite her shout, no one charges recklessly into the woods. Everyone hesitates. The forest is massive and far more intimidating up close. Towering trees loom over the clearing, their canopies blotting out the sun, their trunks as wide as small buildings.

At least I’ve got two advantages. I’m resistant to most poisons, and I’ve got a Hatsu that can heal any wound. However, that doesn’t mean I should take it easy. Even with Nen, rushing in blind would be idiotic. I need a strategy.

From the airship, I noticed the northern edge of the village was barricaded more heavily—clearly not their usual exit. The southern side was almost open—that must be their common route. If I want the best chance of finding untouched plants, I need to head somewhere they rarely go. So North it is!

Without another word, Auren begins jogging toward the edge of the village, ignoring the stares from the tribal residents. He scales the wooden wall with ease and disappears into the forest.

Twenty-four hours… I can’t maintain En the entire time, it would drain me in less than an hour. I’ll activate it once I’m deeper inside the forest. I don’t have a compass either, so I’ve got to rely on memory and visual cues. Best to move in a straight line and mark the trees every minute or so. That way, I can find my way back—or at least not get hopelessly lost.

He proceeds carefully, scanning the terrain as he walks. Every few dozen steps, he uses his Ben’s knife, specifically 223, to scratch a mark into a tree. The knife cuts through it like butter, especially when imbued with Shu. He avoids tall grasses, skips patches of undergrowth, and does his best to avoid any suspicious terrain.

I doubt they’re watching us all directly. But they can still find us in this forest and rescue us? Must be something in the tags… probably sensors. I vaguely recall something like this from a future exam. My memory’s hazy, but… better safe than sorry. No holding back any longer.

Auren conjures Eternity, the blade forming without even the slightest strain on his Aura.

This is so convenient! The blade is almost like its own entity. It’s not my ability at all, it’s a separate being.

He uses it to clear a path through the underbrush, effortlessly slicing through vines, tall grass, and low-hanging branches. Suddenly, a wolf bursts out of the trees, charging straight at him. Auren remains still, calm—waiting for it to close the distance.

With a single, fluid motion, he swings Eternity, cleaving the wolf cleanly in two.

Wolves rarely hunt alone. Where are the others?

His eyes sweep the surroundings, but nothing stirs in the forest. No movement. No sound beyond the rustle of leaves. He waits a moment longer before moving on. After about thirty minutes of weaving through thick foliage, he figures he’s deep enough into the forest to begin his real search.

He activates En, letting his Aura stretch outward in a wide dome. He pictures the Copperleaf from his memory, focusing solely on its shape and its size, ignoring its distinct metallic hue, as that is something his En can’t detect.

I need to sense for anything even vaguely resembling my mental image of it. I need to carefully sense everything around me! Anything that enters my En, I have to inspect with my senses.

Slowly, he moves forward, his Aura covering hundreds of unfamiliar plants. He closes his eyes and focuses intently.

Ten minutes in, a strange shape disrupts his En. A thick, thorny wall blocks the path ahead.

Without hesitation, Auren strikes it with Eternity, cutting it down the center. But the moment it snaps, a pressurized spray of liquid shoots toward him. He ducks instinctively—the stream missing his face by inches.

He crouches, narrows his eyes, and sniffs the air.

Poison… definitely. I’ve taken enough of it over the past year to recognize this smell instantly. And this… this is potent. It could be useful later.

Pulling out a metallic water bottle, Auren gulps down the contents and quickly fills it with the oozing substance. He shakes the bottle, carefully inspecting it for any leaks, testing its resilience.

Not acidic… good.

He closes the lid of the bottle and stashes it away in his backpack. The thorn wall had clearly been acting as a natural barrier.

Whatever is behind it was not accessible by most animals… might be worth taking a closer look.

He pushes forward, and soon senses several plants in the distance that fit the description of the Copperleaf. As he approaches, he notices more of those same thorn-covered vines forming a partial enclosure around the herbs. Slipping past them carefully, Auren’s eyes light up.

Yes! That must be Copperleaves.

Exactly five of them—undisturbed and glowing faintly in the filtered forest light. The copper colored leaves look like priceless treasures.

Auren suddenly stops. At the edge of his En range, a shape slithers silently across the ground. A snake, and a large one at that.

Wait. Snake? No…

Calm down… not a Hellbell. Just a large snake… right? Still, why is it here? With herbs this rare… Is it using the herbs as bait? More importantly, we’re in the Federation. Could it be? No! I shouldn’t always expect the worst. Why would a calamity appear in this forest? Carefully inspect it!

He focuses his Aura, examining the creature in detail. One tail. No large lump.

Silly. Being careful is important, but being too careful is something I must avoid. This is cowardice.

Keeping Eternity ready, Auren takes a step forward. To his shock, the snake launches at him suddenly, its speed unnatural. He drops his En and immediately activates Ren, then applies Shu to his blade.

He strikes—but the snake twists mid-air and dodges, slithering behind him with extremely unnatural movements, shocking Auren.

They lock eyes.

And just like that—his thoughts cloud over. Rage bubbles up, boiling through his chest. His hands twitch. His Aura spirals wildly, overflowing with killing intent. His vision warps. Everything feels wrong.

What… is this?! I … I … I WANT TO KILL!

Desperate, Auren triggers Azure Restoration. His Aura changes into a soothing azure blue, flowing like water, cradling him softly. Slowly, his mind calms down. Breathing heavily, he averts his gaze from the snake.

With his sanity restored, he slashes out with Eternity and Limitless Waters, launching a water slash toward the creature. The snake tries to evade—but the slash is too fast and catches part of its tail and severs it.

It… it dodged the first strike… and now it’s reacting to Aura? It can see or sense Nen? How?!

Not wasting another second, Auren unleashes three more water slashes, this time all hidden with the best In he can use, rendering them almost invisible, even to Nen users.

The snake, despite Auren’s In, apparently senses something and moves again, trying to desperately dodge—but this time it’s too late. One of the three blades strikes true, cutting off the snake's head cleanly.

Still trembling slightly, Auren exhales, the tension leaving his body. He kneels and begins harvesting the herbs carefully, making sure to pull each plant out with its roots intact.

He then glances at the snake’s corpse—cut into three segments, its blood soaking into the earth.

A snake guarding rare herbs… with the ability to see Nen and disrupt my mind. That hatred—was it deliberate? Some kind of mental interference? It wasn’t just rage. It was malicious. Manipulative.

Could a Hellbell breed with native species? Is this a hybrid? A lower species? Hellbell blood mixing with something local?

Auren stares longer than he should, his eyes filled with greed.

It’s risky. But… I can’t just leave it here.

He pulls out a large, plastic bag from his backpack and wraps the snake’s remains carefully inside. Using strong grasses growing around him as makeshift ties, he tightly seals it shut and stuffs it into his backpack.

Then he turns and starts making his way back—fast, but cautiously. His En active for his entire journey back.

It takes less than thirty minutes to retrace his path and exit the forest. He scales the village wall and stumbles back into the village.

He drops En—his Aura nearly fully drained.

Made it… What was that just now? Less than two hours in the forest, but it feels like I’ve endured a week of nonstop battle. That snake… those herbs… I need to make a decision. How do I approach this?