Chapter 156
Chapter 156
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: To Protect Everyone (9)
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Squalls, typhoons, tornadoes, thunderstorms, downbursts, and so on.
There is a truly diverse range of weather phenomena related to wind.
It is merely the movement of air caused by differences in atmospheric pressure.
Yet, the wind possesses the immense power to effortlessly blow away structures built by humans and even erase the solid terrain forged by the Earth over hundreds of thousands of years.
Among them, a fierce wind that violently surges from the ground to the sky.
This updraft, commonly known as a dust devil, was now sweeping violently across the entire Sky Garden.
‘Ugh… If I don’t hold myself down with psychokinesis, I’ll be blown away! This is just too strong!’
Magic on such a massive scale that it could alter the weather itself.
No matter how I thought about it, the only one who could casually perform such an unrealistic feat was Tempest.
But even for Tempest, enveloping the entire Sky Garden in wind must be a considerable strain.
Did that mean his opponent was strong enough to warrant such an effort?
Just what kind of formidable foe had he encountered…?
I widened my eyes in silent astonishment, gazing in the direction from which the fierce winds were blowing.
‘He’s close, but… I don’t think Mayor Tempest will lose. So for now, I need to get out of here quickly.’
Clutching the box containing the seed tightly to my chest, I lifted myself high into the air with my psychokinesis.
The wind was harsh, but as long as my focus on my psychokinesis didn't break, I was still fine.
In the end, wind was just a fluid flow.
By gently pushing it aside as if clearing a path, I could easily escape its influence.
If anything, this would hinder others more than me.
It might even be a great advantage, allowing me to move freely through the Sky Garden alone.
But variables always seem to follow any situation.
Just as I lifted myself high to head toward Murmur’s location, a sharp arrow pierced through the wind, flying like a bolt of lightning.
“…”
*Snap!*
Of course, it wasn’t much of a threat to me, as I was already extending my psychokinesis to push back the wind.
All I had to do was catch the arrow at the right moment and break it in half.
The problem, however, was that I couldn't see the archer.
A sniper shot from such a great distance that they were impossible to identify in this fierce wind.
No matter how I thought about it, this was no ordinary foe.
It was probably just another one of those detestable modified humans…
‘They might follow me. I should finish this here and now.’
Getting tied down now, when I had secured the seed, would be troublesome.
But if I let them follow me without even knowing what they looked like, it could lead to complications.
Murmur’s place was meant to protect the fairies.
If I led them there with a tail, it could cause unnecessary harm.
Therefore, while floating in mid-air and pondering for a moment, I made a quick decision.
I would end it here so they couldn’t follow. Without hesitation, I flew in the direction the arrow had come from.
“Ho, fearless, are we? That must mean you’re confident.”
“Quite the talent. What could you possibly see with the wind blowing like this?”
“Oh, what a cute face. Are you sure that child is the one with the item?”
“There’s no mistake. The powerful stirrings of life I just felt. The seed we seek is over there.”
“…”
As I advanced in the direction of the arrow, I found a group of humans.
They had grotesque forms, as if several creatures had been forcibly merged.
Their appearances, clearly those of modified humans, were instinctively repulsive.
And from their conversation, their objective was the World Tree Seed in my arms.
Had its location been pinpointed the moment I took it out of the box to destroy it?
It seemed Murmur’s box had been concealing the presence of the World Tree Seed.
‘Tch, so being pursued was inevitable. But I never thought they’d be in a group… My chances are…’
Perhaps because of my various clashes with modified humans so far.
It was difficult to be certain of victory against the enemies before me.
I had even struggled against three somewhat clumsy ones earlier.
Now, there were four modified humans, each of whom seemed far more skilled.
It was a dangerous situation that might even require me to draw on the Tesseract’s power.
And so, I secretly gripped the Tesseract beneath my clothes, trying to quickly assess the situation…
Suddenly, with a thunderclap that seemed to shake the very heavens and earth, an absurdly powerful gust of wind snapped every tree in its path in half, wrecking the forest!
‘Ugh…! I-I’m glad I was flying high. I was almost caught in that storm…!’
Perhaps because I was floating in the air with my psychokinesis.
I was fortunate enough to avoid being swept up in that terrifying torrent.
But for the four modified humans standing on the ground, it was a different story.
They were caught in the storm, sent tumbling into the distance, bloody and broken on the ground.
It was a truly pathetic exit, unbecoming of the intimidating atmosphere they had been projecting…
Well, it was obvious whose doing this was without even looking.
‘…It was probably just a coincidence that Tempest’s magic drifted this way. But when did he get so close? My body can’t sense mana, so I had no idea.’
If I had been swept up as well, it would have been a different story, but for now, I had luckily avoided it.
I gave thanks for the good fortune Tempest had sent my way and turned to leave.
Or rather, I was about to.
If something hadn’t suddenly risen from within the forest, now shattered by Tempest’s gale.
“Ouch… That damn, decrepit old lizard… I even tied up one of his arms and a leg, so how is he still so strong? It’s just ridiculous.”
*Rustle.*
Brushing off the dirt and leaves clinging to her body, a woman with wings on her back stood up, covered in wounds.
Compared to the generally hideous appearance of modified humans, she looked remarkably normal.
The only noticeable things were her blood-stained white coat and the large wings flapping weakly.
But I couldn't help but be startled. Ghostly pale skin and four-pupiled eyes.
It was because I immediately recognized her as Olvis of Lament, one of the Seven Extremes.
I’d been running into modified humans in the Sky Garden since earlier.
So I had a hunch she might be around here somewhere, but…
To think I would actually run into her myself.
I was so shocked my heart skipped a beat.
“Oh, and you are…”
Troublingly, Olvis, who was dusting herself off, seemed to have noticed my presence.
Her gaze, which had been wearily wiping blood on her white coat, locked directly onto me.
And as she looked at me floating in the air, a grin spread across her face as if she’d realized something.
Yeah, it looks like… I’ve been found out, haven’t I?
Therefore, I immediately pushed my psychokinesis to its limit and fled without a second thought.
There was no time to think about where to go. I just had to get away, anywhere.
“This incredible trace of life… The World Tree Seed, you have it! No wonder my children were coming up empty-handed…! This means I don’t have to fight that troublesome old lizard! Bring it to me, now!”
“…!”
“Where do you think you’re going!”
But it seemed Olvis’s wings weren’t just for show.
She flapped her large wings fiercely, chasing after me as I fled with all my might.
I thought Olvis was more of a researcher than a combatant among the Seven Extremes…
But even if she was one of the weaker ones, the title of Seven Extremes was not just for show.
Her physical abilities, enhanced by alchemy, were on a level incomparable to any modified human I had seen before.
Naturally, I stood no chance against her as I was.
Unless I drew upon the power of the Tesseract, the gap in our skills was simply too vast to bridge.
‘She’s catching up…! Ah, seriously! Why did Tempest have to knock her in my direction!’
It was just rotten luck.
This was exactly why I had tried to avoid anyone scary if possible.
How unlucky did I have to be for Olvis to be flung right into me, the one carrying the seed?
Of course, Tempest probably didn’t intend for it to happen, so I couldn’t blame him…
But I had to decide quickly. Whether or not to borrow the Tesseract’s power, right here, right now.
“Chantless magic? No, this is… Right, psychic power! So the Association has been secretly dabbling in psychic powers…! Kahaha! This will be excellent blackmail material!”
While I hesitated for a moment, Olvis shouted and spread her wings wide.
Then, feathers rained down from those wings, like a myriad of blades.
Each one of Olvis’s feathers held a dizzying amount of power.
If I try to block them with psychokinesis, it will definitely be broken.
Instinctively realizing this, I threw my body downwards, sliding across the ground with all my might.
But surprisingly, the feathers seemed to have a tracking ability.
They followed my abrupt movement, chasing after me in a bizarre trajectory.
“…!”
*BOOM!*
When Olvis’s feathers struck the ground, pillars of dirt erupted as if bombs had gone off.
Their power was closer to that of grenades than blades. It was truly beyond imagination.
And there were dozens, hundreds of such feathers.
A moment of carelessness, and not even a trace of me would be left…
She was on a completely different level of strength from the modified humans I had faced so far.
‘Ugh…! C-Control…’
Was it because I was in such a desperate situation that I couldn't completely deflect the shock?
Along with an aching body, my vision momentarily blurred, and dizziness washed over me.
A suffocating sensation, the world spinning around me.
When I came to my senses, I realized I had collapsed on the ground.
‘I wasn’t even hit directly, and just the shockwave did this… The gap between us is too wide.’
The soil against my skin was cold.
So much so that I thought it might not be so bad to just lie here.
But if I stayed still, I would lose everything.
Therefore, I somehow managed to pull the nearby box back into my arms and push myself up.
Running was impossible. She was much faster, and she had powerful attacks.
In that case, I had no choice. I had to use the Tesseract, which I had been holding back.
‘Haha… To think I’d have to fight head-on like this… It’s a good thing I didn’t use it earlier.’
Could I win? I couldn't be sure.
My transformed state was certainly powerful, but whether it was enough to defeat her in a few minutes was uncertain.
Still, it was far better than collapsing helplessly without trying.
While sitting on the ground, I gripped the Tesseract hidden inside my clothes.
And I asked it to let me transform into my future self, grown and strengthened.
Or rather, I was about to ask.
If a woman’s voice, chilling me to the bone, hadn’t suddenly echoed from nearby.
“Well now, little one, did you dye your hair? Black suits you too. If you’re looking for a change, how about trying a navy blue like mine next time?”
*Step, step.*
From deeper within the forest, a familiar face walked out, looking pristine without a single drop of sweat.
Needless to say, she was one of the people I had to be most wary of here… Vespera.
Olvis of the Seven Extremes before me, and the Progenitor Vespera behind me.
It was, in every sense of the word, a nightmare.