Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Twin Sisters (4)
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《 ~Hidden Stage~ Dawn Forest 》
All was still.
The soil, the water, even the wind itself had come to a halt.
As expected of the Dawn Forest—time itself had vanished.
This was the world's sole space devoid of the concept of time.
'Mana drifting through the air... Spirits, huh.'
Yet despite time's absence, the forest's blue glow persisted. Though formless and invisible to the eye, it was thanks to the forest spirits dwelling around.
Earth spirits in the ground, wind spirits in the air, water spirits in the lake—they sustained this forest.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Pzzt! "Good. Magic works without issue."
Thus, an environment akin to the Spirit Forest—where magic was unusable—had formed. Yet the spirits inhabiting the Dawn Forest were all artificially created.
Their sustenance differed from naturally born spirits.
They were configured to draw from the forest's life force rather than absorbing ambient mana.
"Still, do I really have to walk all the way over there?"
In any case, entry into the Dawn Forest had succeeded.
Now, just reach those twin towers in the distance. But the forest hemmed them in, and the way looked quite far.
'Troublesome.'
Probably couldn't stroll there as leisurely as to the sacred tree.
If this Dawn Forest matched Novel Online perfectly, I'd soon feel firsthand why its developers were dubbed perverts.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Pzzt! "Magic works, but... flight's blocked, as expected."
For starters, sky flight was impossible here.
Lore-wise, the great sages had erected a barrier preventing it over the forest.
To fly, one needed magic prowess to breach it—but its creators were sages who'd honed magic for tens of thousands of years.
A magic-specialized race, no less.
In pure magic realms, they surpassed even transcendents. Might as well give up.
Thus, annoyingly, walking was the only option.
'In Novel Online, it took an hour just to reach the tower? Probably the same here.'
Teleportation, naturally, was sealed too.
Mage players faced fully restricted movement magic en route to the tower.
Factor in the acclaimed maze-like forest layout and traps resetting you to start on misstep...
Frankly, developers earned the "pervert" label.
No-movement mages took at least thirty minutes, even at best speed.
"Hoo."
...Of course, irrelevant to me.
That held only for pure mages.
Sure, I'm a mage—but not just a mage.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Shooo! Steady the breath.
Mage classes had abysmal physical stats—sans movement magic, they shuffled like civilians.
But I, a mage, had mastered every technique of the Heavenly Demon, fighters' ultimate class.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ah, damn it! Another trap?! Who designs job changes this filthy?!] Unlike back then, that forest meant nothing now.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Thud! Kick off the ground and leap skyward.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Heavenly Demon Footwork – Shrink Ground *Attribute: Physical / Range: None / Max Targets: 1
▶A special footwork that folds space to move, equivalent to physically performing magic blink.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Pew! And surged through the air toward the tower.
A workaround impossible in Novel Online—but this place was Novel Online, yet not.
No constraints on my actions.
No system-enforced behavioral blocks remained.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Rumble! ⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: Sacred Tree Root – Lv.350 💨 Agility: HP: 90 trillion / MP: ??? ✨ Magic Power: Special: High resistance to all magic 💪 Stamina: ▶Sacred Tree Root, entwines living beings and slowly drains life force. 'Even airborne, traps activate.'
No cause to yield passively to those roots assaulting me.
Eh, couldn't resist them before.
"...Such tricks won't work anymore!"
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Heavenly Demon Divine Art 2nd Form - 『Ghost God Kick』 *Attribute: Physical / Range: 50m / Max Targets: 1~50
*Special: Unavoidable
▶Usable only during Shrink Ground; delivers sharp kicks to all foes within frontal 50m.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Slash! The roots surging from the earth sever in an instant.
Ghost God Kick—an AoE hunting specialist among Heavenly Demon techniques.
Yet as summons, they'd persist without the core's destruction—endless fodder.
High-level HP meant fighter arts' lower output would drag on.
Fighters were raid trash anyway.
...Clear the aggressors, then haste to the tower: optimal.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Pew! Accelerate.
Ignoring roots lunging at me, I bolted toward the magic tower at utmost speed.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Rumble! Rumbl... But they had no intent to let me pass unscathed.
"...Roots converging in one spot?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Boom! The roar's source: roots massing into a colossal golem form.
Its scale defied full sight at a glance—undoubtedly dwarfing Novel Online's grandest beasts.
That labyrinth giant demon? A mere chick beside this.
'This thing...'
Definitely a first sighting, yet oddly familiar.
—Intruder detected. And that voice... unmistakably familiar. Where from?
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Hey, who are you?] ...Ah, now it clicks.
No wonder the giant looked familiar.
"Ha, a relative of theirs?"
This monster resembled the Exile Tower guardian from Twilight Forest.
This forest, wrought by the same creator Diavela if not identical—similar designs weren't odd.
The oddity? Its capabilities.
'...Wasn't planning to tangle with something like this.'
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: Sacred Tree Guardian – Lv.???(★) 💨 Agility: HP: 850 trillion / MP: Unknown ✨ Magic Power: Special: Very high resistance to all magic 💪 Stamina: ▶Core of the Sacred Tree, immortal guardian eliminating Twilight Forest intruders. Honestly, this crossed a line.
Even a ★ boss at 850 trillion HP? Overkill.
Level beyond my appraisal—likely breezing past 500.
"...Sacred Tree Guardian."
Such stats demanded a top-tier raid party.
Unknown boss from Novel Online—no patterns, no instant-kill timings known. First clear? Impossible.
Even that Demon King took over ten deaths.
But unlike the game, no infinite revives here.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Boom! The Sacred Tree Guardian closes in.
—Intruder discovered. Here, death meant losing everything, not mere XP.
'Sidestepping to the tower looks tough.'
Logically, retreat—but...
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Boom! —Eliminating intruder. "...You dare eliminate me?"
Strangely, my body refused to budge.
Not frozen in fear.
Simply... wouldn't retreat.
'Wait, why spout that?'
Moreover, irritation swelled unreasonably.
Likely that holy power wafting from it—Time Transcendent Diavela's aura grated fiercely.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Why dodge that thing?] [Why retreat here?] [Why assume I can't win?] Such thoughts surged simultaneously.
Even I found it bizarre.
Mind aglow with fervor, thoughts radicalized; body screamed to pulverize the giant before it.
'...Why?'
Lore had demons loathing transcendents—but that was demons. Unrelated to me.
Body demonic, yes—but I inhabited it.
Thus, retreat fit here.
Besides, multi-phase boss, first phase's HP heartless; successors unimaginable.
Pull back now.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [...Why?] Not soloable.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [...Why?] Absent from Novel Online—potentially surpassing Delatros. Scout alternate paths—
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Swoosh! "Huh?"
A colossal wall loomed: the Sacred Tree Guardian's fist.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Thud! And struck true.
A massively heavy blow.
"Kuh?!"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Boom!!! Instinct raised guard against the fist, but sheer size disparity hurled me earthward.
Thus, rising from the crater.
"Ugh."
This... hurt plenty.
Pain throbbed throughout my entire body, like I had fallen out of bed in my sleep.
Head smacked ground, naturally.
"...You bastard."
Still, it sorted my thoughts.
First, pulverize that hulking brute.
Worries after? Future me's problem.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Kwachik! Kick ground, soar to its head.
Height around 300 meters?
—Eliminating intruder. Next, a massive fist hurtles from the right.
I spot it, air-kick sideways to evade.
"Pathetically slow."
Distracted earlier, ate the hit; bulk bred sluggishness.
Dodging its swings? Trivial.
Anyway, evaded—implying—
"Now, my turn."
Its annihilation.
"Hoo..."
Steady breath anew.
Fighter techniques spared mana or spirit, but demanded breath-tuned qi.
Fiddly sans air, but irrelevant now.
"That prior blow—returned in kind...!"
Fist clenched, qi funneled to one point.
Giant Slayer now—strip its enormity, then shatter.
Post-purge, unleash full Heavenly Demon arsenal.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Pat! "Wha—"
"Cease! You must not destroy the Sacred Tree!"
Suddenly, a silver-haired girl materialized before me.
Giant Slayer as-is? My fist would pulverize her, not the guardian.
She'd perish.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: Great Sage - Elena My very purpose here: a great sage.
...Somehow halt the strike.
'Kuh, can't stop it!'
Game or reality, no halting an unleashed technique.
"Dodge! Wanna die?!"
"..."
"You damn fool!"
Hope she evades—but she showed no intent.
'No choice. Uncertain, but...!'
Instant teleport attempt.
Of course, great sage barrier forbade it.
Force regardless.
'Damn!'
A great sage's death? Wasted journey; a 'World's Gate' unravels.
Unlike gate-blocking Demon King, great sages sealed Transcendent Delatros too.
Gate opens? No future.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Pzzt! Pzzt! Yet teleport failed, repeatedly.
Each try worsened the headache—endure somehow.
"Kuh!"
Lips bitten.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Pew! Vision inverts.
By miracle, teleported just shy of contact.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Boom!!! Fist gouges earth; ground fissures like quaking.
"...Ha."
Success.
Teleport pulled off, barely.
"Ugh..."
Stomach churns.
Vomit brings fishy flood to mouth.
"Ha, haa..."
Crimson dribbles to floor.
Blood.
Undoubtedly, backlash from forcing teleport past the barrier.
Mana rampaged internally, rent the ward, slipped through—expected toll.
"...Damn."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Thud! Consciousness ebbs.
Mental limits breached.
Physical wounds healed swift; spirit, alas, regenerated slower.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 2.
...That tale followed the Demon King's fall.
A fight wagering lives.
A war for racial legacies.
Therein, the otherworld hero at last felled the fallen hero, triumphing over the world-ending Demon King.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: Demon King - Silmarion ▶“...Your victory.” Mortally wounded, the Demon King knelt and collapsed; black mana erupted from its form.
The saintess described it as the force that shrouded the world in darkness—the Demon King's tool for annihilation.
That ominous power escaping troubled, but the saintess's might eradicated it wholly. End, effectively.
Humanity claimed war's victory; Demon King felled.
Thus, war concluded.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: Demon King - Silmarion ▶“Transcendent, Delatros...” ...Simultaneously, the world ended.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "...!"
Consciousness returned swiftly.
I checked my state at once.
Lain upon a bed, clad in unfamiliar garb—ancient elven attire, seemingly.
Side bared like an apron, skirt trailing floor: archetypal elf priestess silhouette.
'Maneuverable enough.'
Rise from bed, survey surroundings.
"Where's this?"
Study-esque chamber: windowless, sole egress that door.
First, venture there...
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ "Ugh, ugh... Ah!" Such moans drifted suddenly.
From beyond the door, right outside my room.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Creak! "Ha, haa. Hiding to do this again... Ah?"
"...What are you doing."
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: Great Sage - Elena