episode_0178

Thump, thump.

The parched land thumps.

As if something is trying to rise from within the earth, the ground that kept twitching finally saw something like a human hand soar out.

The hand groped and touched the ground, and soon after, a person soared out.

“Puh-hat!! What the f***!!”

“Keh-heh…, cough, cough….”

What soared from the ground was the hero Leon and Rebiya.

Amid the situation of the collapsing dwarf underground city, he urgently hugged Rebiya and protected her from the collapsing underground city.

After that, they pried through the buried ground and managed to escape to the outside world.

“Haa…, haa…. Why did the ground suddenly collapse?”

“I, I don’t know either…. What about the others?….”

“Don’t know. While being buried in the ground, my sense of up, down, left, and right was completely destroyed. Frankly, it’s a miracle that we came up like this. I think we’re lucky we didn’t crawl deeper down.”

More than anything, White Lotus, Seolrin, and Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

Those three are the types who can survive even if you throw them anywhere, so I don’t have to worry about them.

They’ll probably dig their way out somehow like me.

“…Something’s wrong. The land has no vitality.”

Rebiya, who was looking around, muttered while looking at the desolate land.

Before they came down to the underground city, most of the Western Continent was quite peaceful and full of vitality.

But now this land is very dry, and it’s hard to find even a blade of grass.

“…Tch, this is troublesome.”

“Hero?….”

“The reason the land has no vitality. It’s probably because of that.”

“That?….”

Following the direction I pointed, Rebiya turned her gaze, and Rebiya’s eyes widened.

“Th, that…. What is it?….”

“World Tree…. No, it would be more accurate to call it what used to be the World Tree.”

“!”

A tree that exudes an overwhelming size and presence that can be clearly seen from that far away. 『World Tree』

But the energy felt from it is ominous, making viewers feel breathless and sweat cold sweat.

No, even before that, an ominous purple shimmer was soaring from that tree, so even a moron would know that something was seriously wrong.

“Seeing that, I think I know to some extent why the underground city collapsed.”

“The reason?”

“Yeah. With things like that spreading everywhere, it’s only natural that the underground city would collapse. Was it intentional? Or is it just a natural phenomenon?”

“W, what do you mean? Hero?….”

Rebiya, who didn’t understand my words, tilted her head and asked me back.

But rather than answering Rebiya’s question, it was faster for Rebiya to confirm the reason directly.

Kudduddd! Puh-ung~!!

Just like we dug through the ground and somehow came up to the surface, that also soared from the ground.

That which resembled the roots of a tree flailed about like a living creature and aimed for Rebiya like a beast that had found prey.

The tree root, which was wielded like a whip, moved at a considerable speed.

Swish, thwack!

Of course, I didn’t just watch it happen, so I lightly cut off the tree root that was aiming for Rebiya and kicked the cut-off fragments away.

“Are you okay?”

“Haa…, haa…. I, I think I’m okay…. But what is that?….”

“Well? I don’t really know either.”

Perhaps because of the sudden exposure to the surprise attack.

Rebiya calmed her startled heart while panting, and then asked while looking at the tree root I had cut down.

But I don’t know about that either.

But if I had to guess….

Maybe that’s a tree root that spread out from that giant tree, I think.

It is said that the roots of plants spread several times to dozens of times more than what is exposed above the ground.

“Hmm?”

“Hiiit?!….”

As I carefully watched the cut-off thing, it fluttered like a living creature and then buried part of its body in the ground.

It wriggled and mutated as if absorbing nutrients from the ground.

Becoming bigger and stronger, it transformed into a giant monster.

“That appearance is….”

“Graaaaaaaa!!”

The appearance of the completely transformed thing had the appearance of an Ent that can be commonly seen in fantasy worldviews.

And it let out a creepy, bizarre scream and rushed at us again.

“Isn’t it too tough?”

Swish.

I can feel that it’s quite a bit harder than before the mutation on the tip of the sword.

But even so, as long as the essence is a tree root, there’s no way I can’t cut it. I lightly waved my sword and cut the Ent into dozens of pieces.

“…Huh?”

“Graaaaaaaat!!!”

But the split body of the Ent regenerated.

At a fairly rapid rate, too.

“I, it’s regenerating again!….”

“I was just about to say that. It doesn’t end with just cutting it down.”

Completely blowing it away with intense energy to the point where it can’t regenerate is one way, but….

Yeah, this is perfect for trees.

“Samadhi Fire.”

A skill I acquired in the Eastern Continent.

This skill, which ignites flames by burning one’s magic power, has had no use in ordinary times, but….

“Originally, trees are weak to fire. Don’t you think?”

“Geureuaaaaaaaaaaaat!”

I covered the Holy Sword with the Samadhi Fire burning red and cut it down.

The cut part burned with red flames like Samadhi Fire, turning that part to ash every time it tried to regenerate.

But the speed of regeneration is faster for now.

“ ”

Earth Divide.

Completely severing the Ent in two while simultaneously burning it completely with red flames.

“I, is it over?”

“I think so.”

I retrieved the Holy Sword and looked around. As Rebiya said, the surrounding area was devastated. And without even thinking deeply, I could tell that the place where the vitality of this area gathers is that tree.

“This is an unexpected situation, but…. Rebiya, I think the two of us will have to go.”

“Just us…, will we be okay?”

“Maybe the kids will gather there if they see this situation. We’ll end up meeting there anyway.”

“…Yes!”

Rebiya nodded and said.

Then I didn’t hesitate and picked up Rebiya.

“?!”

“Sorry, but please bear with me for a bit. I think we should run straight there.”

Whoosh!

Holding Rebiya in my arms, I ran straight towards the World Tree that was emitting an ominous energy.

Rebiya was startled by the fast speed and grabbed me tightly.

In the process, a lucky thing…or rather, an unfortunate thing happened where Rebiya’s chest stuck to me, but I didn’t say anything.

“B, but!”

“Why?”

“Why did the World Tree suddenly become like that?”

“Well, an must have been messing with it.”

There’s no other reason.

But the point of concern is, how did he mess with it? That’s the question.

“Didn’t Great Sage Equal to Heaven say that the fragment of the Demon King couldn’t touch the World Tree because of the barrier placed on it?”

“That’s true for now, but he also said that the wouldn’t just sit still and watch. But I didn’t think things would explode like this right away….”

Was the reason that guy tried to bring me to the World Tree simply to induce me to break the barrier placed on him?

Or…, did some idiot destroy the barrier?

“…Nah, no way.”

What moron would destroy the barrier.

In the first place, there are no humans in the Western Continent, so they would have to go all the way to the Eastern Continent.

The closest place to the Western Continent is the Holy Kingdom.

And if it’s the Holy Kingdom, they would recognize the dark elves corrupted by the ‘s mark at a glance, and they wouldn’t move according to the ‘s will either.

“But…. It doesn’t seem like the fragment of the Demon King has been active for that long…. Or is it?”

“Hmm…. It might have been a while.”

Well, the orcs sensed something strange and moved from the Western Continent to the Central Continent around the time I was trying to subdue another fragment of the Demon King in the Eastern Continent….

The ‘s activity period must be at least before that.

If so…, the may have been active for longer than I thought.

“Well, anyway, it turned out well as a result.”

“T, turned out well?….”

Rebiya said while looking at the passing scenery around her.

Well, looking at the situation, the word “turned out well” might not be so fitting.

“What I’m saying is that the won’t use techniques like virtualization anymore, so that’s a good thing.”

“Ah….”

“If that guy’s main body is liberated, he’ll definitely bring his main body when facing me. If that happens, I can just cut him down in one go without having to worry about the annoying virtualization.”

Perhaps my confident attitude reassured Rebiya, and she let out a slightly relieved sigh.

“If we succeed in defeating the …, will this land return to its original state?”

“Well…. It’s hard to say for sure. But we have to try to prevent this scene from spreading further….”

Just as we were getting somewhat close to the World Tree.

I felt something rushing towards me at high speed.

Is it an enemy? I took out the Holy Sword for interception, but the force of something rushing at me was stronger than I thought.

“Rebiya! Defend!”

“Y, yes?!….”

At my urging, Rebiya hurriedly created a shield.

But the activation of the shield was too late, and something that rushed at me wielded something as it was.

Clang!!!!

“You!….”

“Hee, hee…, Hehahahahahahahaha!!”

Woooowoong!!!

Resonance phenomenon of the Holy Sword.

Originally, the Holy Sword is only meant to cut down evil, and it should not be wielded against the same existence of good.

Therefore, if Holy Swords collide with each other, a resonance phenomenon occurs, causing damage to both sides.

…It would have caused damage.

“Abel!!”

“Leon!! It was you after all!!!”

The ‘s mark shining clearly on his forehead.

Eyes that have gone half-mad.

And the divine power of the Holy Sword and the demonic nature of the flowing out of him.

“…Did you cause this!!!”

That son of a b**** destroyed the barrier!!!