Eternal Undying Chronicles

Chapter 137 Familiar Statue

the barrier was thinnest by the river, a subtle flaw the creators couldn't entirely avoid. every creation, no matter how powerful, had its imperfections. however, finding the weak point didn't guarantee an easy breach. yet, malefica, being well-versed in the coven's brand of magic, had a distinct advantage.

the barrier wasn't fully active. if they wanted to, they could simply walk through it. more importantly, malefica's true name was tied to barriers, making her an expert in both creating and breaking them.

the real challenge lay in avoiding detection, something malefica was keen on, even if alicarde was ready for a fight.

he had a feeling malefica would not allow him to start a bloodbath in this forest, so he decided he was going to try being on his best behavior.

malefica approached the barrier, raising her palm and whispering softly. alicarde didn't feel any surge of magic, but a human-sized opening appeared in the translucent wall.

"let's go. we don't have all day," she said, lowering her hand.

alicarde nodded, stepping through the breach with malefica following close behind.

"you can use magic now," she continued, "but don't overdo it. we don't want to draw too much attention."

he nodded again, taking in the scene before him. the air past the barrier was dense with magical energy—far more concentrated than anywhere he'd been before. the cold winter breeze carried a mystical essence, and the forest shimmered with bioluminescent plants. even some of the animals radiated magic.

"wow, this place is incredible," he muttered.

malefica glanced around, unimpressed.

"yes, they've done well to convert much of the natural flora into magical plants."

alicarde noticed the slight dissatisfaction in her voice.

"you don't sound too happy about that... is it because they're your enemies now?"

"no, that's not it," she replied.

"i just think it's unfair to change a part of the mundane forest so drastically. the natural residents can't adapt. they're forced to either migrate, evolve, or die. the wolf likely had to migrate."

alicarde chuckled under his hood. she sounded like a priestess of the forest, concerned for the animals. he wondered if all witches cared this much about preserving nature's balance.

"mundane humans are already killing the forests, anyway. animals go extinct because of human actions—pollution, deforestation, and all that. if you ask me, this place is like a sanctuary. the air's even cleaner here. sure, some creatures can't adapt, but most do. mana's not toxic—it's just survival of the fittest.

i'm sure some wolves have already adapted."

he walked up to her and gently took her hand.

"most of the animals probably made it," he added with a smile.

he pointed toward the statue.

"that."

"oh, i see. you mean the statue."

"yeah. why keep a statue of someone they loathe? i mean, it's not defaced or anything. no curses, no graffiti—"

before he could finish, malefica cut him off.

"that's not supposed to be me. she just... looks like me."

"she?" alicarde raised an eyebrow.

"yes, she. that's my grandmother."

his eyes widened. he looked back and forth between the statue and malefica.

"uh... not to sound rude or anything, but your grandmother was a hottie. damn. where can i find me a babe like her."

malefica's eyes twitched in displeasure.

"thank you for sounding rude," she replied sarcastically.

"i didn't mean it like that! i was just saying she was really beautiful," he protested.

her glare was icy, but before he could dig a deeper hole, he blurted out.

"i mean, you guys look similar, but you're way more beautiful."

her expression softened slightly, and she turned away, muttering.

"it doesn't matter to me who you think is more beautiful."

"actually it looks to lik—"

before alicarde could respond, a voice from the shadows interrupted them.

"who goes there? this is private property. trespassers are not welcome. show yourselves, or i will be forced to attack."

the voice came from a woman, she must not have been able to see them clearly due to how dark the forest was but they could see her well enough, considering she was by a floating light source.

alicarde recognized it as an illumination spell.