[ That would explain why Shiro finds it hard to seek out his fishing pond from week to week, he isn't going mad, the damn thing is moving. Coupled with the growth of the overall forest ... ]

I think the woods have a sentience we're not aware of, that's why no one can get through. Communicating with them might be worth a shot if it lets us get anywhere on this map beyond the northern treeline, even if there's nothing there.

[ Arms folding, he sets his jaw and frowns at the map. ]

These houses belonged to someone. We shouldn't give up on the people whose town we've taken over, we owe it to them to at least understand what happened to Chroma's population. Without their homes, we'd be at the mercy of those woods.