Ascension from Dual Professions

Chapter 218: Chapter 213: Arriving at [Demon Forest Ruins], Ingeniously Clearing the Path

A night passed, but the owner of the Demon-Eyed Raven never showed up.

For one, Jon’s [Seal of Light] skill was at the max level of 10. By the standards of the locals, this was a level of mastery worthy of the title "Grandmaster." An ordinary Mage would find it impossible to break through the seal and contact their Magic Pet.

For another, the person pulling the strings probably wouldn’t dare conduct a search in Roco Town at a time like this—Her Highness the Princess’s security detail was not to be trifled with.

Thus, Jon and his party encountered no obstacles. They set out as planned and, just before noon, smoothly arrived at the outskirts of Roco Town, the site of the Demon Forest Ruins.

"We’re here. This is the place."

Gazing at the vast, lush Black Leaf Forest before them—a forest that exuded an unnaturally vigorous life even in winter—a flicker of emotion crossed Jon’s eyes. He fell silent for a moment before turning to his team.

"I know I’ve said this more than once on the way here, but before we officially go in, I need to stress this one more time."

"Once we’re inside the ruins, you follow my lead on everything. No unnecessary actions. Don’t touch anything unless I tell you to."

"This time, we’ll be facing Tree Spirits, Demon Vines, and Flower Demons. I’m sure none of you want to die in a place like this from some mysterious Poison, right?"

The siblings, Moon and Sati, immediately nodded furiously, promising to obey his every command.

This was exactly why Jon had chosen them: they were honest and obedient.

When running a Dungeon, you don’t fear god-tier opponents; you fear pig-tier teammates. A single mistake from anyone could lead to a total party wipe.

The Demon Forest Ruins was a Dungeon that fell somewhere between Apprentice Level and Official Level. While it wasn’t quite unforgiving enough for that to happen, it was still no place to be careless.

After receiving the Warrior siblings’ affirmation, Jon’s gaze shifted to the Ranger Maiden, who was curiously looking this way and that. He raised his voice a few notches.

"Do you understand, Dolores?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it! Let’s get going, boss!"

Jon stared at her for a moment before turning away.

Judging by her performance so far, Dolores was most likely in the midst of her trial to reach the Official Level, just like him. She was only one step away from breaking through to a new tier.

With that level of strength as a foundation, on top of a set of skills she’d acquired—whether through a mentor’s training or a stroke of good fortune, he couldn’t say—ordinary monsters posed no threat to her. He didn’t need to waste any more words on reminders.

So, after one last check to confirm that all the specialized items they had prepared were securely in place, he gave a crisp, downward wave of his hand.

"Move out!"

With Moon and Sati taking the lead, Jon in the center, and Dolores covering the rear, the party officially stepped into the jungle before them.

They had taken only a few steps when the wind and snow of the outside world vanished completely. Their surroundings transformed into a world of plants; as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but giant trees, vines, shrubs, and weeds.

The different species of plants seemed to coexist in harmony, but a closer look revealed them twisting around and consuming one another. It created a hair-raising sense of disorder—as if they were alive, devouring each other’s flesh and blood like wild beasts to absorb nutrients and grow.

Jon knew this wasn’t just an illusion.

The reason this Demonized Forest had been able to persist for so long within human territory was that it was, in fact, a "living creature."

A "living creature" possessing Ascension Level power. It was immensely strong but lacked intelligence or consciousness, perpetually caught in a delicate balance of self-consumption and endless growth.

Any attempt to wipe it out would only provoke the forest’s instinctual retaliation—a force not just anyone could withstand.

Jon remembered that in the sixth year of the game *Yino*, a major guild had organized a raid of over a thousand players, all at the Advanced Level. They had intended to conquer the mysterious Demonized Forest and uncover its secrets, but it ended in a complete wipe.

If that was the fate of players, one could only imagine what would happen to the locals. For over a thousand Advanced Level experts to die over something so pointless would be a catastrophe on the level of a kingdom’s fall.

Conversely, allowing it to exist meant a continuous stream of benefits could be harvested from it. Rare herbs, lumber, minerals, and unique plant-type Demons were all incredibly valuable resources.

On one hand, a thankless, arduous task. On the other, tangible, long-term profits. The choice was obvious.

If it were up to Jon, anyway, he would also choose to "farm" the forest for profit.

’I remember there’s a territory a major guild will claim in the future that isn’t too far from here... That’s a good spot... I can check it out on the way back...’

While his mind was busy planning how to acquire a proper territory of his own, his eyes and ears were on high alert, scanning his surroundings for any sign of movement.

However, before he noticed anything, Dolores, who was covering the rear, suddenly leaned in from behind him and whispered.

"Boss, Demon at four o’clock."

The faint breath tickling his ear made the hairs on Jon’s neck stand on end, his body tensing instinctively. But he quickly followed the Ranger Maiden’s direction and, sure enough, saw a giant python coiled motionlessly on a large tree. It was over eight meters long and as thick as a pillar.

He immediately gave a quiet order.

"Halt."

The Warrior siblings breaking trail up front stopped at the command and moved closer to him.

"Mr. Jon, what’s the situation?"

"Yes. There’s a Demon. We’re going around."