Episode 85
I put on a lot of bravado, but of course, I couldn't win overwhelmingly.
In the first place, I'm not even winning.
No matter how strong we are, the opponent is an entire nation, and we're just a small group.
Swish!
Arrows fly in from all directions.
I quickly step back one pace.
"Tch."
Pababak!
True to being elves, the opponents shoot their bows and flee, repeating the process.
My speed is faster, but they hop around on the trees like monkeys, so the distance doesn't close.
I can't just stupidly tank all the arrows while chasing them.
My aura isn't infinite to that extent.
'Thanks to the spirits, I'm faster, but I still can't catch up. Is it the terrain? Annoying.'
While swatting away the incoming arrows with my hand, I glared at the elves aiming their bows from afar.
Kyla, who was following along beside me, grumbled too.
"Ah, seriously! Should I just smash everything? If I uproot the trees entirely, that should do it."
"The Queen is the problem, so don't do that to the other elves needlessly. Their lives aren't in real danger anyway."
"That's true, but—"
Boom!
Among the ordinary arrows, strong attacks are mixed in one by one.
Looking in that direction, an elf with considerable power was glaring at us.
"Those kinds of guys are a bit problematic. Even for me, if I just keep blocking blindly, I'll get tired eventually. Do something quick. At this rate, I might tire out first for real."
"Even if you say that..."
Arrows pour down from all sides.
Even running at full speed, I can't catch up.
If I just rely on aura to block them, there's a high probability that one of the strong shots mixed in will pierce my body.
'Roughly speaking, around my level. No, probably stronger. In levels, about 90?'
My level after completing growth feels just shy of 90.
Instead, with beastkin physiology added to my aura, my physical abilities are overwhelmingly superior, and my body is tough as hell.
"Can't you attack those guys? This is really hopeless."
Even when I asked the wind spirits attached to my body, they just shook their heads.
It seems from the spirits' perspective, they can't attack either side.
'Then I have no decent ranged attacks...'
Magic? I'm too dumb to use that.
All I've learned in my life is swinging my shield vigorously and launching counterattacks when the opponent uses a big move.
In short, in this situation, there's nothing I can do.
"Got nothing? You're a Saintess, not just for defense."
"I can do this and that, but I don't because I can't control it properly. The surroundings would get wrecked, and recovery would take a while."
"What kind of power is it that you're so wary of it?"
"If it's really necessary, I'll show you. So do something before then."
"Hmm..."
I fall into thought again.
Can't use magic.
Can't fight well either.
Can't run away.
'Aron... seems like it'll take a lot longer. Is it because it's near the World Tree? The Queen is holding out amazingly well compared to her level.'
In terms of sheer power, Aron overwhelms by a wide margin, but the World Tree is preventing it from ending quickly.
"Then, since it's come to this, let's just smash everything."
"Didn't you just say to hold back because the other elves are pitiful?"
"We can't just die either. We have to see this through somehow."
I raise my aura once more.
Then, after asking the wind spirit, my body feels much lighter.
"Huu... You smash too. If we keep smashing, they'll try to stop us eventually, right?"
"Got it. Then no more holding back, I'll smash everything?"
I nod lightly and stomp the ground.
Kwajik!
The ground crushes as my body shoots forward in one go.
As I move, the elves in my path climb up the trees and scatter in all directions.
"Hup!"
Thinking I'd chase them, the elves took positions on the trees, but this time I don't stop and charge all the way.
Boom! Crunch! Craaaack...
When I strike the tree with a fist condensed with power, cracks form in it.
"Eh, ehhh?"
"Run! That wolf is hitting the trees!"
The elves jump down from the crumbling trees and flee.
I immediately chase after the fleeing elves.
Boom! Crunch!
Boom! Crunch!
Boom boom boom!
I smash the trees one by one as they flee.
The elves who catch on attack me, but every time a tree breaks, their vision gets obstructed.
It's turning into a space that's advantageous for me instead.
"Block it! Concentrated attack!"
"If only we had spirits... Tch! Shoot more arrows! Don't hold back, shoot them all!"
Even more arrows fly nonstop, but the only ones I care about are the strong shots mixed in between.
Swish!
I lightly dodge the arrow making an especially intense sound by shifting my body.
Then I charge again and smash another tree.
"This side is breaking too! Help us!"
"Uwaaak! The crazy woman is destroying our homes! Block it! Block it somehow!"
"Attacks aren't working!"
With Kyla rampaging on the opposite side too, the elves can't do a thing.
They can't even focus on blocking just one side.
Moreover, their vision has narrowed because of the trees.
"Hup!"
Boom! Kwajik!
The strong arrows flying intermittently have now stopped coming.
In the meantime, a huge sound came from Aron's side.
Kugugung...
"The World Tree is falling!"
"Mother is breaking! Block it! Call all the spirits and block it!"
"What about Queen-nim? What happened to Queen-nim?"
Looking toward the World Tree at the elves' voices, the World Tree was collapsing.
I had no idea what had happened, but from the broken part of the World Tree, a sticky, pitch-black liquid was bubbling out.
An unpleasant aura wafted thickly from it as it poured down like a waterfall.
'I thought it was the same as Kyla's power from before, but it's completely different. It looks similar, but the nature is totally different.'
The elves it touched were instantly swallowed by the black liquid.
Since they couldn't even resist before being devoured, it's definitely a power used by the Cult of the End.
"Did Aron win?"
As I muttered, Kyla came over beside me.
She stared intently at the World Tree and muttered.
"For a win like that, Aron and the Elf Queen aren't visible. Something must have happened during the fight? I can't feel their auras."
At Kyla's words, I briefly sharpen my senses.
My senses, honed to the extreme, spread out widely and grasp the area.
"...It's true."
I can't sense Aron or the Elf Queen.
Instead of their immense auras, a different aura could be felt near the collapsing World Tree.
Kyla, who sensed the same aura, muttered first.
"Found it."
"I found it too."
Kyla ran off first.
The elves had no attention to spare for us as they tried to stop the World Tree from falling.
"Looks like the Elf Queen thought she was done for and used her last resort. You can tell from the filthy aura flowing out of the World Tree."
"Have you seen stuff like that before?"
"Haven't seen it, but I've heard a lot about it. It's one of the powers used by that weird cult that's been popping up lately. I overheard the church elders talking about it."
"You knew but didn't take any measures? I thought the Amer Church was unaware and that's why no response."
Kyla shrugged her shoulders.
"It's because the inside is rotten. They're just unable to respond properly because of their own rice bowls."
"That's pretty trashy."
While we talked briefly, we arrived at the place where Eri's aura was felt.
The surroundings were already covered in the pitch-black liquid.
Unpleasant smells and auras assaulted me to the point of illusion that they were overwhelming me from all sides.
"Is this the entrance?"
There wasn't anything particularly obvious as an entrance, but I could feel the place where a lot of aura was leaking out.
I placed my foot there and let out a deep breath.
"Huu... We almost couldn't get in if we'd been a bit later."
"Yeah. Let's go in then. Smash it."
At Kyla's words, I condensed aura into my foot and stomped down hard on the ground.
Thud! Kugugugu...
With a strong impact, something vibrated beneath my foot.
And soon, the roots of the World Tree blocking the entrance slowly crumbled.
"..."
And from within came a smell I didn't want to smell, thick and heavy.
Chemical smell.
Blood smell.
And the smell of humans rotting.
It's the smell that often lingers after battles on the battlefield or after repelling magical beasts.
"...Suddenly feels kinda gross."
Kyla grimaced too.
It was so potent that even Kyla, who had no particular talent for smell, noticed it right away.
"Let's go in for now."
Suppressing the unpleasant feeling as best I could, we jumped into the pit.
*
"...Where is this place?"
Aron looked around his surroundings.
The last scene he remembered was clearly slashing the Elf Queen along with the World Tree.
But now, he was standing in an entirely different space.
It was all pure white, and at the same time, black.
Like his senses were twisted, he couldn't properly grasp a single thing.
"...Even for you, there's nothing you can do if you're trapped in this place."
A familiar voice.
Aron reflexively turned his head.
"Elf Queen."
The Elf Queen, with black liquid gushing out from the sword slash wound, was visible.
She alone was clearly visible.
At Aron's low, unpleasant voice, the Elf Queen smirked.
"Even if you show your displeasure like that, you can't help it. This place was prepared from the start to trap you, First Hero-nim."
"...It looks exactly like it. Senses are twisted, and I can't feel mana."
"Hehe. It's not just mana. Divine power, aura, even the gods' blessings. In other words, every ability you could possibly use has been perfectly sealed."
At those words, Aron tried to use his power, but nothing responded.
The faintly remaining power of the goddess was the same.
Aron decided to probe for information at least.
"When I first saw you, you seemed like a pretty decent person. Unexpectedly, you fell into some weird religion."
"Me? Then your eye for people must be bad, Hero-nim. Or is it your eye for elves?"
She laughed playfully and continued speaking.
"I've always acted solely for the elves? Even the World Tree is just a means to save the elves for me."
"Then you definitely shouldn't be joining hands with the Cult of the End, right? If the Cult of the End summons the Outer God, not a single elf will survive."
"Hahaha! Is Cult of the End the name? I don't know who came up with it, but it really fits perfectly."
The Elf Queen, who had been laughing holding her belly, finally calmed down.
"To correct something wrong, a little sacrifice is necessary by law. But the continent right now is too messed up. You know that honestly too, right, Hero-nim?"
"..."
"The Empire oppresses other races, and we're always busy being suppressed. Even with the Forest of Temptation this time? We sent support for the greater good, and what comes back is threats. The Demon King is the same. He comes every time, but ends up killed by the hero. And the hero is always human."
The Elf Queen stared straight at Aron.
Complex emotions could be read in the eyes of her, who had lived for thousands of years.
Even Aron, who had lived quite long, was like a child compared to her as a high elf. In a way, it was natural.
"From what I heard, the Suwang seems to have made the same choice as me. Over there, they were preparing to attack the Empire. For the freedom of the beastkin, unavoidable? Haha. That old tiger felt it was unavoidable too."
"...What about the dwarves? What choice did the dwarves make?"
"Your comrades? They'll probably refuse to the end. It doesn't suit those dumb moles. Well, if they refused, his subordinates would have already gone and crushed them directly."
"His?"
"Yes, his. The one with the great god's power. His spirit and power are always with us."
"Did you fall for some strange magical beast? You're talking nonsense."
At Aron's mutter, the Elf Queen smirked.
"You've been together right beside you the whole time, yet a magical beast? His body... has always been with you."