The situation in the Andalutin Forest grew increasingly tense as the conflict between the Guanda people and the Empire gradually escalated. Because of the threat of magical beasts and the complicated terrain within the forest, the Empire had always deployed limited forces in this region. Only small units were stationed along the outskirts, occasionally sent out to scout or attempt to drive out the forest tribes, but no true large-scale conquest had ever been launched. To the Guanda people, however, the Andalutin Forest was not only the foundation of their survival, but also the birthplace of their culture and faith. Any invasion from the outside world was seen as a fundamental threat. Thus, the Guanda people resisted fiercely. Though far inferior to the Empire's army in equipment and resources, they used the forest terrain to fight with flexibility, often restraining the Empire's scouting forces through raids and ambushes, forcing the Empire to remain cautious.
The Guanda people had indeed suffered greater casualties than the Empire in this forest. Yet these successive battles gradually united them from within. Especially under Keineg's leadership, he advocated defending the Guanda people's right to survive through force, inspiring more young people to join the resistance. Among the Guanda tribes, Keineg's influence steadily grew. He was not only a powerful warrior, but was gradually becoming a heroic symbol of resistance. As the fighting intensified, so did his anger and hostility, making him especially dissatisfied with Ang and Roel's escape. After learning that their trail had vanished into the depths of the Andalutin Forest, Keineg sent people everywhere to search for them. To vent his fury, Keineg's forces even began attacking Imperial citizens and Adventuring Teams that came to explore, slaughtering them as symbols of the invaders and using this to intimidate any outsiders attempting to enter