I Became a Wendigo in a Fantasy World

49 – Episode 49

Wendigo, possessed by a doppelganger, slowly turned its head, scanning the sorcerers.

Every face was filled with tension, and there was a solemn atmosphere…

‘Ah, perhaps it’s because I’m holding a sword.’

As Wendygo felt the gaze of the sorcerers fixating on the sword, she understood why they were so tense.

Certainly, meeting a monster wielding a weapon in such a dark space warranted tension. Especially if that opponent happened to be a spirit.

‘Habits can be terrifying.’

Usually, when meeting someone, they were either allies or enemies…

Wendygo, standing before the sorcerers, planted the sword into the ground. Even with this brief motion, the sorcerers remained vigilant.

There seemed to be a fear that if Wendygo’s emotions were provoked, a chilling cold from the sword might engulf them.

‘To claim to be testing and present such a frightening thing before my eyes…’

‘Isaac must have spouted nonsense.’

The sorcerers had now discarded the little trust that remained in Wendygo. It was clear that Isaac had fallen victim to some vile trick.

Though Wendygo felt a bit unjust, she couldn’t entirely dismiss their thoughts.

Indeed, drawing a weapon from the very first encounter was impolite.

Wendygo decided to approach the meeting differently, to be more imposing.

“We have a guess as to why you’ve come to the forest. If you’re not like others, you must have come seeking the advancement of sorcery.”

“Yes. You are the spirit who governs the edge of the world, the caretaker of the forest, and the possessor of the heart of frost…”

‘Do these sorcerers always prepare and spout such greetings?’

Wendygo grimaced as one sorcerer, serving as the representative, offered greetings.

In truth, Wendygo didn’t know, but this sorcerer was renowned among their kind for exceptional eloquence. The incident where he calmed an enraged spirit solely with words had become quite a topic among the sorcerers.

However, even the three-tongued sorcerer could not stir up any emotion in Wendigo.

Those who enjoy such things or are familiar with them might find them appealing, but Wendigo did not.

He would have found better quality meat or a new recipe more enticing than such sugary nonsense.

“Indeed, a sorcerer who claims to have calmed a spirit with words. With such eloquence, even that spirit would be amicable…”

“The words are sweet, but lack substance. Let’s get to the point quickly.”

“……”

The sorcerer, who had just been singing about how magnificent and thrilling Wendigo was, froze as if struck by lightning.

Wendigo didn’t want to mock him, but time was precious.

“Everyone must have heard the story from Scadi, but I will ask you a question. It’s not particularly difficult.”

The sorcerers did not believe Wendigo’s words. If it wasn’t a difficult question, why would he ask the sorcerer?

Clearly, it must be a perplexing question to gauge the depth of the sorcerer!

“Yes. We are ready!”

“Then ask. Are you willing to antagonize the forest for the sake of sorcery?”

“…Yes?”

The sorcerers, who had eagerly awaited the question, blurted out a foolish answer to Wendigo’s question, even the novice sorcerer.

Wendigo looked at them as if they were pitiful and asked again.

“I asked if you are willing to antagonize the forest for the sake of sorcery.”

The sorcerers, despite knowing that Wendigo had no expression, felt a strange sense of his contempt for them.

They felt wronged. What kind of insane spirit would ask a sorcerer who had sought it out, “Do you intend to become my enemy?”

The sorcerers concluded that Wendigo was even less reasonable than they had thought.

“I would never even think of doing such a thing! How could I dare to enter the forest where the spirits reside?”

“We have only come here to explore the magic. We know who rules this land, so why would we do such a thing?”

“Hmm…”

A skilled sorcerer must also be proficient in acting.

The sorcerers answered the questions with expressions that conveyed injustice, sadness, and pity as much as possible.

Wendigo approached those sorcerers, getting as close to their faces as possible, and scrutinized them one by one.

As the coldness emanating from Wendigo’s mouth brushed their necks, the sorcerers shivered, their bodies trembling.

“You.”

“Yes, yes!”

Wendigo called out, tapping the shoulder of one sorcerer with their claw. The sorcerer responded quickly, as if they had returned to the days of their youth, studying under a master.

Wendigo stared into their eyes and pointed to the side.

“You, go in that direction.”

“?”

The sorcerer couldn’t understand the situation, but they obediently followed Wendigo’s command. Unnecessary questions could have disturbed the spirit’s mood.

Wendigo then selected a few more sorcerers and sent them to the side.

After finishing a round of questions, Wendigo manipulated the tree cave. With a loud noise, the roots that formed the cave moved, creating two passageways.

“The sorcerers who stepped aside, go through that passage. The rest, come this way.”

“Oh, spirits. We sincerely apologize, but with our humble minds, we cannot understand why you have divided us. Could you tell us the reason?”

When a sorcerer with considerable experience raised their hand and asked, Wendigo nodded.

“I cannot tell you the reason, but I can understand your fear. I will only choose whether to listen to your answers and let you pass the test. I swear I will never attack.”

When Wendigo made the oath, the sorcerers felt reassured. Just as crucial as the oath for the sorcerers was the significance the spirits placed on it.

As a small group of sorcerers headed towards the passage with uneasy expressions, the others entered the opposite corridor…

There stood Wendigo.

“???”

The sorcerers turned around in surprise, but the passage had already disappeared.

They hastily opened their eyes and gazed at Wendigo in front of them, yet a profound mystique still flowed through Wendigo’s body.

Clearly, there was no indication that a spirit was casting magic…

‘… Did we fail to notice a spirit of such high caliber?’

“Now, let’s move on to the next question.”

As Wendigo threw the question, the sorcerers let go of the lingering doubts that had passed by fleetingly.

Surely, there was no need for such inefficient actions, akin to a duplication using so much mystique.

* * *

Every time Wendigo passed through the passage, he appeared in front of the sorcerers and posed questions.

If he had asked about magic they could handle, experiences, or treasures to be gained, the sorcerers would have calmly responded.

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However, Wendigo exclusively asked questions about character. The sorcerers couldn’t comprehend the spirit before them.

‘What is he listening to and judging?’

“You all, enter over there.”

Once again, the divided group entered their respective passages. Wendigo’s questions were more challenging than any puzzle they had encountered so far.

Exceptional wit or meticulous descriptions, and if not, a confident attitude.

None of these could serve as a criterion.

In the eyes of the sorcerers, it seemed as if Wendy just chose according to her mood.

“How on earth did Isaac manage to obtain a contract with such a spirit?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he had a good relationship with the sorcerer we met at the entrance.”

“Quiet. Look, I can see the exit over there.”

As someone spoke, the passage leading outside caught the sorcerers’ attention.

With excited expressions, they passed through the passage, only to be greeted by the entrance of the temple.

“Wow. Is this the temple where the spirits live?”

“It’s not as grand as I thought…”

“Congratulations on passing through!”

Skadi congratulated the sorcerers who were admiring the temple with a cheerful voice.

The passers-by smiled at her sunny demeanor. Rather than finding the sorcerer with the peculiar skin color and hair unsettling, they strangely felt a connection.

Osa, the only female sorcerer among them, looked around and asked Skadi.

“Where did the other sorcerers go? We’re just five, at most…”

“The others failed and had to leave the forest.”

“What…”

Upon hearing the unexpected news, the sorcerers looked at each other. They had thought that each group was facing a different trial every time they headed towards a different passage.

However, to leave without gaining anything due to an inexplicable question from over ten sorcerers…

Skadi quickly grasped what they were thinking and smiled with a puzzled expression.

The sorcerers knew well the meaning behind such a smile. They, too, had worn that expression when teasing others with ambiguous words.

“Skadi. Do you know why the spirits asked such a question?”

“Yes. I will tell you the story on our way to meet Lady Wendygo.”

“Huh? Haven’t we already met the Elemental Lord in person and taken the test?”

Scadi guided them again with an unknown smile. The sorcerers headed to the sanctuary without knowing why Scadi was acting that way.

* * *

The atmosphere in the sanctuary was heavier than usual.

Warriors with skull helmets were stationed everywhere, watching the passing sorcerers, and the laborers were silently performing their tasks.

‘Why are there so many warriors armed with enchanted armor?’

‘Those weapons seem to be made of wood… rugged, but there’s an unsettling energy about them.’

The sorcerers couldn’t help but feel tense due to the palpable pressure. If they made a mistake here, those warriors would undoubtedly wield their weapons.

Scadi chuckled at the sorcerers’ reactions.

‘I thought it was quite fine when Geron suggested it… but considering them as those who passed Lady Wendygo’s test, I feel a bit sorry.’

Geron, who usually spoke casually with Wendygo, was indeed a rare person who respected Wendygo’s authority.

Geron had hoped that the external sorcerers wouldn’t underestimate Wendygo too much…

Seeing the uneasy expressions of the sorcerers as they glanced around, Scadi reassured them.

“Don’t worry too much. Since all of you have passed Lady Wendygo’s test, they won’t attack you.”

“Yeah. But what was the meaning of the test?”

“The test was exactly as it sounds, judging your character. No matter what you said, you couldn’t deceive Lady Wendygo.”

“Why are sorcerers generally adept at falsehoods?”

Scadi nodded in agreement with that statement. However, the reality hadn’t changed.

Hiding falsehood or truth from Wendygo was nearly impossible.

“He can discern sins, lies, and character traits through smell.”

“Huh? Isn’t the spirit not related to truth or spirit?”

A shaman reflexively questioned the unbelievable statement. It was something they couldn’t comprehend based on their common sense.

It was hard for them to accept dealing with opposite attributes like cold and plants, let alone having attributes related to the mind.

“I don’t know where Wendigo’s limits lie. I’m just telling you based on my experience that he has such abilities.”

“Hmm…”

The shamans urged their steps with expressions of incomprehension. At times like this, it was best to ask directly in person.

They stopped their steps in front of the room with Wendigo’s throne inside the temple.

Two unusually large warriors knelt down with a thud and greeted Skadi.

“Hmm. Open, open the door!”

Skadi awkwardly ordered them, and the helmeted warriors opened the door as if they had seen their daughter’s distinguished appearance.

Fortunately, the shamans couldn’t see the expressions of the warriors due to their helmets.

The huge door opened, and the shamans entered inside. The surroundings were brightened by torches, but an unknown chill lingered in the room…

“Ah, Isaac’s story was true.”

A giant was sitting on the large and beautiful throne.

The giant, resembling the Wendigo that the shamans had faced, was looking down at them.