episode_0024

Since the identity was confirmed,

tracking him was not that difficult.

Using the spirits and tracking magic, it didn’t take long to pinpoint his location.

-Beep beep.

The dot indicating Grebo’s location was moving even at this moment.

“Hmm, he’s still moving.”

“But he hasn’t gone as far as I thought.”

“It seems he was delayed while trying to escape surveillance.”

While we were tracking Grebo’s destination through his path,

I chatted with Flora.

“Flora, how have you been?”

“Of course. Serena has become even cuter.”

“Hehe. You seem, like, really mature. Like an adult.”

“Hehe. Thank you.”

“By the way, will we be able to figure out Grebo’s destination?”

“Who knows.”

“Honestly, I don’t like those guys.”

-How dare you suspect anyone.

I didn’t hide my animosity toward the elves.

Flora smiled and soothed me.

“Don’t be like that. We would have been similar if we were in their position.”

“Still….”

“And, we’ll probably figure it out.”

-They’re more capable than I thought.

As soon as Flora finished speaking,

the elf side shouted.

“We found it! It seems like he’s heading to the Twisted Forest!”

Flora and I looked at each other, shrugged, and said.

“You figured it out as you said.”

“I know. Shall we go then?”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

We followed the noisy elves.

‘Then, shall we go get it?’

Tears of the World Tree.

* * *

The personnel投入 into the ‘Rumble Rumble Grebo Apprehension Operation’ were as follows.

Nimble elite elven scouts.

Chieftain.

Me.

Flora.

Marina was excluded for being dangerous.

For reference, I named the operation.

‘Nice and friendly.’

We all approached Grebo’s expected destination, the ‘Twisted Forest,’ silently and very quickly.

Thanks to the elves, who were masters at finding their way, and running the shortest distance, we were closer to our destination than I thought.

One of the leading elven scouts shouted.

“It’s up ahead!”

As I was about to raise my head and look at the place,

-Krrrrrrrrrr!!!!

An enormous roar and black magic began to erupt from the center of the Twisted Forest.

“Ugh…!”

“Grebo… what on earth are you doing!!”

“Let’s hurry!”

We hurried even more toward the center of the Twisted Forest.

-Tap tap tap.

At the center we barely reached,

an elderly elf was standing.

And in front of him, a magic circle that looked ominous at first glance was shimmering.

Shimmering crimson magic.

A pentagram drawn with blood.

And several bottles containing unidentified liquids.

‘What’s in those?’

At that moment,

the elves next to me said something I couldn’t ignore.

“Damn it, Grebo!! What are you trying to do with the ‘Tears of the World Tree’!!”

‘Wait, what?’

Tears of the World Tree?

So, all those liquids in those bottles are Tears of the World Tree?

I naturally blurted out.

“What are you trying to do with that?!”

Grebo opened his mouth with calm eyes.

“Chieftain. Did you finally let humans into the World Tree.”

This guy is not answering the question,

and is talking nonsense!

It seemed like a long flashback from the past was about to begin at first glance.

As expected,

the chieftain bit his lip and replied.

“Grebo. I told you I was sorry about what happened.”

“Sorry. Sorry….”

Emotion of anger began to dwell in his emotionless eyes, and an unusual light began to shine.

“Knowing what happened to my daughter at the hands of those humans. How dare you say you’re sorry?”

“…Grebo!! Even so, do you think it’s right to hate all humans!”

“Right?”

Grebo scoffed at the chieftain’s words and replied.

“If this world went according to reason, my daughter would not have suffered such misfortune.”

“Grebo. Is this really what you want!!”

“That’s right, Chieftain.”

Grebo showed the magic circle with the pentagram and said.

“I’ll tell you what will happen from now on.”

He said in a calm voice,

as if he was doing what he had to do.

“When this magic circle is activated, a Great Demon will appear here.”

Great Demon.

Those three letters made everyone in this place gasp.

“And I will ask him.”

“Grebo. Are you really crazy?!”

The shocked chieftain shouted, but Grebo continued to speak firmly.

“I will give my life in exchange, and ask him to annihilate all the humans in this world without exception.”

“Grebo–!!!!”

The chieftain, who couldn’t stand it any longer, shot an arrow in anger, but

-Zzhing.

It was blocked by an invisible barrier and returned to nothing.

Grebo explained with a calm face.

“Chieftain. Surely you don’t think I’m doing this without any thought.”

“Grebo!! Can’t you stop that nonsense right now!”

“I’m sorry, but your attacks won’t reach me.”

In fact, Flora and other elves were pouring out attacks, but

-Zzhing.

All of them, like the chieftain’s attack, were blocked by an invisible barrier and disappeared.

“Damn it, what trick did he use?”

“Damn it…!”

Someone who quickly looked around shouted.

“Chieftain, it seems to be the ‘Supreme Pendant’!”

“What?”

Supreme Pendant?

While I was wondering what that was,

Flora explained next to me.

“As far as I know, it’s the elves’ treasure. It uses the wearer’s magic to neutralize a certain level of attack.”

“There’s such a cheating treasure?”

“Of course, there are disadvantages. The magic consumption is so huge that most people can’t even use it properly. But….”

Flora glanced at Grebo for a moment and said dejectedly.

“…It seems like he’s replenishing his magic using the Tears of the World Tree.”

“What?!”

So, this means,

every time that guy blocks an attack, my precious elixir is decreasing?

‘This is ridiculous…!’

Using it to summon demons, and using it to defend against attacks.

The Tears of the World Tree are decreasing twice as fast.

Feeling an enormous sense of crisis, I quickly turned my head.

‘Think, Serena.’

A solution to this situation…!

As I was pondering Flora’s words, the magic circle began to scream as if it was about to be activated.

-Kkyyaaaaaaaak!!

“Ugh…!!”

“Damn it, it’s a demon summoning circle.”

“Oh, God….”

The chieftain, who was getting impatient, even manifested the Great Spirits and poured out attacks, but there was still nothing that could be called an effective hit.

The moment everyone was losing their will to fight as all the continuous attacks returned to nothing.

An idea flashed through my head.

“Sister. That pendant.”

“Yeah.”

“You said it definitely neutralizes attacks of ‘a certain level’.”

“That’s what it said in the literature I saw.”

“I see.”

After finishing the calculation, I stretched my body.

Flora, who read something from my actions, grabbed my arm.

“Serena. Don’t try to overdo it.”

I was grateful that she was worried about me even in this situation, but I couldn’t help it now.

“I think this is a situation where I have to overdo it.”

“Serena!”

“I just have to make an attack that exceeds a certain level, right?”

“Can’t you see what he looks like now?”

As she said,

even the attacks poured out by someone like the chieftain, the pendant’s defense was solid.

But I was confident in my own way.

“I’m confident in my instantaneous firepower.”

“You really….”

“Flora.”

I grabbed Flora’s shoulders, looked her in the eyes, and said.

“Do you believe in me?”

“…I believe you. I believe you.”

“Then, cheer me on.”

“Really….”

Flora, who closed her eyes tightly, smiled weakly and let go of the hand that was holding my arm.

“End it in one shot, for sure.”

“Yeah. Don’t worry.”

I walked forward and said.

“When I signal, move everyone else back.”

And I started to concentrate.

-Hoo…

‘Let’s think.’

What kind of attack could actually

give the strongest impact most efficiently?

‘There’s no need to attack a wide area.’

Scientifically speaking,

no matter how much you hit a wide area, the damage will only be dispersed.

What’s needed now is a single breakthrough.

To use the most suitable form of attack for that.

-Patzut… Patzut…

As I raised my magic power, lightning began to strike around me little by little.

‘Attack the smallest area with the maximum power.’

Compress the magic power, compress it, and compress it again.

To minimize the final striking point, make the tip as sharp as possible.

Blood was flowing from my eyes and nose because I poured out too much magic power, but I ignored it and continued to compress the magic power even more.

It was truly an all-out attack.

The weapon containing my full power was,

a single giant spear.

-Patzutzutzut…!!

I created a giant spear of swirling lightning.

Grebo was still distracted by the chieftain’s attack and didn’t notice me at all.

I finished preparing,

and the opponent didn’t notice.

Now is the perfect timing.

Thinking so, I signaled Flora.

“Sister!!”

In response to my signal,

Flora moved everyone around Grebo back.

Grebo belatedly looked at me at the sudden change, but

it was already long overdue.

“Try this too.”

[Spear of Longinus]

The mythical weapon that confirmed the death of God rushed in, and

-Kwatzutzutzut!!!

Collided with the invisible barrier with an enormous roar.

Fortunately, the result was successful.

-Kwajangchangchang!!!

With the sound of huge glass breaking, the pendant’s defense was nullified.

My attack didn’t stop there,

it pierced through to the end and penetrated Grebo’s body.

-Poouk!!

“Cough!!!”

Grebo spitting out blood from his mouth.

He and I were both spitting out blood,

but I was the one laughing.

“I won, you racist jerk.”

Grebo, pierced by the spear, looked at me with the eyes of an arch-enemy and muttered softly.

“Cl…Clara….”

It seemed to be the name of his daughter who was harmed by humans.

With those words, Grebo closed his eyes and died.

-Jiiing…

Fortunately, the demon summoning circle, which had lost its caster, also lost its power and disappeared.

‘I’m glad I succeeded one way or another.’

I turned my eyes and looked at the bottles containing the Tears of the World Tree.

Grebo used a lot, but it still looked like quite a bit was left.

‘Thank goodness.’

I said to the chieftain with his mouth open, just before I passed out from exhaustion.

“Promise, keep it….”

With those words,

my exhausted body collapsed.

-Srrrk.

-Thud.

The memory just before I fainted was,

something soft.

-Good job, Serena.

Somewhere familiar and soft voice.

‘Flora….’

With her voice worrying about me as the last thing I heard,

my consciousness was sucked into the darkness.

‘Rumble Rumble Grebo Apprehension Operation, success….’