episode_0160

It is the largest and most sacred tree passed down as a legend in the Western Continent.

More than anything, the World Tree doesn’t just end as a sacred tree; it also plays a role in scattering the magical power needed for living creatures into the air.

However, because of this, the World Tree is often targeted by various magical beasts, and the race that protects the World Tree from these magical beasts is the elves.

Basically, elves are known to not pay much attention to anything other than protecting the World Tree, but this is slightly different from the truth. Each elf has their own preferences, and there are elves who leave the elves’ domain, , and travel to other places following their preferences.

However, regardless of which, elves all commonly understand the mission to protect the , and there is no case of abandoning that mission.

Normally, that is.

Clang! Clang clang!!

“Kuh!!….”

“Why don’t you just give up already?”

“Do you think I will give up!! You traitors!!”

A blonde female elf with pointed ears and, conversely, a silver-haired female elf with a dark, almost brown skin tone were clashing their weapons and fighting.

The blonde elf was clearly exhausted with many wounds, but the silver-haired female elf, on the other hand, looked clean and without wounds.

“An elf who should be protecting the World Tree is corrupted….”

“Corrupted? No. We just remembered our true duty.”

“True duty? What a joke! Releasing the that will destroy the world is our elf’s duty?!”

“That’s the real joke. A who will destroy the world? Who are you even talking about? The ones who destroy the world are not that person, but the living beings who live in this world.”

While sneering at the blonde female elf who was screaming and spitting out words as if in desperation, the silver-haired female elf said.

“Look at the orcs, dwarves, and humans who occupy the most of this world. They are beings who cannot live without repeated killings. On the other hand, look at us. We are a race that can live without killing, to put it extremely. So, who exactly is destroying this world?”

“ are also ominous beings that bring chaos and killing into this world!”

“No, that person’s chaos and destruction are just means. Ultimately, that person will prune away the unnecessary things in this world and finally create a perfect world.”

In response to the blonde female elf’s rebuttal, the silver-haired female elf said that was wrong and adjusted her sword grip.

“Then, let’s meet again in the perfect world. Compatriot.”

“Nonsense!….”

The blonde female elf, staggering and readjusting her dagger, and the silver-haired female elf rushed in almost simultaneously.

As their weapons are swung, their shadows pass each other.

The one standing in that final exchange was the silver-haired female elf.

“Haa…. So, the remaining fugitive is…, just that one child?”

* * *

“So, you’re asking me to tell you how to kill me, Hero?”

“Why does it end up like that.”

“Isn’t that right.”

“…Does it?”

Come to think of it, does it seem like that?….

As I scratched the back of my head as if embarrassed, Lucy chuckled and said.

“I’m kidding. I’ll tell you. But as I said before, this is also a way to kill me. So….”

“I know what you mean.”

As I turned my gaze to Baekryeon and Seollin, the two nodded as if they understood.

“We will take care of this place. Young master, go with Lucy.”

“Don’t do anything weird, you two.”

“…I won’t.”

At Seollin’s playful words, I sighed and answered before moving to a deserted place with Lucy.

“I think this is good enough?”

“Yes. It doesn’t seem like there are any other people around….”

After heading to a place where there were no signs of people, Lucy looked at me and said.

“First of all…. My current state is called . It’s a state that most succubi should naturally be in.”

“Hmm…. But that guy said you weren’t an incubus.”

“It’s not a technique only used by incubi. It’s just that incubi mainly use it.”

“Hmm…. Okay, I understand that. So, what do I have to do to attack an enemy in that state?”

No matter who uses it, what race uses it, to put it extremely, it doesn’t matter at all.

What’s important is how to attack an enemy in that state.

When I asked that, Lucy smiled and said.

“There isn’t one?”

“…What?”

“There isn’t one. There is no means to attack an enemy in that state. From the beginning, the premise is wrong. Haven’t I told you before? In this state, my main body is left in the dream world. No matter how much you cut, tear, or destroy the moon reflected in the lake, the moon in the sky won’t be cut, torn, or destroyed, right? You have to attack the main body directly.”

“…So, you’re saying you’re invincible?”

At my words, Lucy tilted her head and said.

“What are you talking about?”

“No, you said it yourself. There’s no way to attack an enemy in that state.”

“That’s right. There is no means to attack an enemy in that state. So, you have to attack the main body.”

“…How do I attack the main body? You said it’s in the dream world.”

What nonsense is this girl talking about now.

Is she telling me to sleep before fighting?….

As I was genuinely unable to understand, Lucy chuckled and said.

“Okay. I’ll stop teasing you.”

“Good.”

“Yes, yes~. Anyway…. The reason why my main body is in the dream world is because I’m a succubus. It’s impossible for a race that isn’t a succubus to move their main body into the dream world. You said that the isn’t a succubus, so the main body must be somewhere in this world. Finding that main body will be the top priority.”

“Hmm…. I see.”

Etherealization is, strictly speaking, a technique that creates another self that is exactly the same as oneself. In other words, it is a technique that creates an avatar and moves it as one’s proxy. The reason why Lucy’s etherealization feels close to invincible is only because the main body is in the dream world, which cannot be attacked, and it is an unattackable technique. If someone other than a succubus uses it, there will be a clear weakness.

The weakness of the main body, that is.

“So, the guy’s main body is….”

“If it’s about that, there is an element that we can speculate about.”

“…Orc lore.”

When the appeared, the one who carried the light sealed the deep underground, and the World Tree was born from that place.

If that legend is correct, the demon’s main body is….

“”The underground of the World Tree.””

Lucy and my voices overlapped in an instant and said the same place.

As expected, it’s underground of the World Tree. If that’s the case….

“If I try to find that guy’s main body, he might naturally move his main body to another safe place.”

“Then, we should divide into a team to divert the ‘s attention and a team to attack the main body.”

“Either way is too dangerous.”

“Hmm…, is this a side effect?”

Lucy, who had been silent for a while at my words, shook her head and said.

Side effect? What is she talking about again.

“Side effect?”

“You’re very strong, Hero, so most of the things so far you’ve solved alone, and you have the power to solve them alone. Because of that, you don’t seem to think about the act of receiving help from someone else.”

“That’s….”

I can’t say it’s not.

If that’s the case….

“Let’s borrow the kids’ strength?”

“Yes. First, you pretend to try to defeat the alone. No matter how much of a he is, he won’t just leave you alone. Moreover, you’ve already realized that you can’t attack the through one engagement, so the other party will actively come out to engage. No matter how strong he is, if he doesn’t take damage from your attacks and you can inflict even a little damage on him, he will eventually win.”

That’s…, right.

Besides, circumstantially, he seems to have the power to control others.

He can control not only magical beasts but also intelligent beings like dwarves…, so he might try to control me.

Of course, mental manipulation systems won’t work because of the ‘s effect.

“The reason why the weakness of etherealization is the main body is that when etherealization is used, consciousness can only exist in one of the two places, the clone created by etherealization and the main body. In other words, while maintaining etherealization, the main body can only exist defenselessly without consciousness. Of course…, the other party will know that too, so he will have prepared accordingly….”

“Can we break through it?”

“We won’t be able to break through it easily. And even if we do break through it, he will probably notice it the moment we try. He will immediately release the etherealization and return to the main body.”

“Then isn’t it meaningless?”

At my question, Lucy shook her head.

“There’s a big difference between knowing the location of the main body and not knowing it. For example…. If you tell me the location, I can launch a strike towards that location and smash it.”

“…That might be possible.”

“For this plan, we need the help of the dwarves. There’s no race as good as them in the underground. Fortunately, the dwarf who accompanied us has gained a considerable amount of trust thanks to saving the Meteor City, so let’s coax him to find a path underground.”

“Then should we divide into two teams?”

“No. Three teams.”

At my words, Lucy shook her head.

“One team is just you. The goal is to hold the of etherealization in place. The second team is the combat team. They will ‘pretend’ to find the ‘s main body.”

“Pretend to find? Then isn’t that going to be difficult?”

“Yes. The scenario will go like this. While you are engaging with the of etherealization, Baekryeon and Seollin will infiltrate. And they will deliberately get caught. Then, the will realize that you were deliberately trying to hold him in place. But they’ve already been caught, and he will try to attack Baekryeon and Seollin. That way, you and Baekryeon’s group will join forces.”

“…If that happens, we can definitely lower his guard.”

“That’s right. In the meantime, the third team will enter. That will be me and the dwarf.”

Setting up a double trap….

It certainly sounds plausible.

Lucy looked at me for a moment and then smiled and said.

“Besides…, if your sword reaches, that place will be the safest place in the world, right?”