Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: The Immortal King's Stirring (2)
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Not everyone in the conference hall—whether they had come as representatives or as escorts—had joined the battle.
For instance, the Empire's Master had no choice but to step forward for the sake of national prestige, but the Grand Mage who had been with him had fallen back under the pretext of protecting the crown prince.
And among those who had chosen to sit out the fight and observe from afar...
"Ugh— Shouldn't I join in too? If those guys fall, this place is done for anyway. Ah, but Lady Rapori asked me to hold down the fort here..."
There was Cecily Greenwood, the newest High Elf from the Elven Kingdom.
Having become a High Elf, she had recently evolved her water spirit to the highest grade, growing stronger at an astonishing pace. But due to a lack of time, she still couldn't handle it with full proficiency.
Rapori knew this, so she had sent Cecily to guard the barrier with the other elves while stepping forward alone.
Rumble—!
Whoooosh—
The supreme-grade spirits summoned by Rapori numbered three.
Fierce golden lightning battered the pitch-black body of the evil spirit, while raging storms kept the encroaching liches at bay.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ "Kugh— A mere spirit dares—! I'll marinate you in terror—!"
The Dread Phantom Pagos unleashed waves of thick terror from his body, now engulfed in the Immortal King's abyss, but they failed to pierce the earth spirit's defenses and dissipated into nothingness.
'Lady Rapori really is amazing.'
Spirits, being pure existences, were vulnerable to corruption, requiring utmost caution when facing top-tier undead like that.
Even mere contact could have a negative impact, making it the worst possible matchup.
And this battlefield even had the pinnacle of undead, the Immortal King himself?
It wasn't a big issue for the veteran spiritist Rapori, but for Cecily—who only had high-grade spirits despite her inexperience—it was a different story.
'If I butt in carelessly, I'd just get in Lady Rapori's way. ...That's probably why she pulled me back.'
And Shaphiron, her daughter, watched him with equal worry.
'Dad...'
She could only handle mid-grade spirits, so she wasn't even worth considering for the fight. But how could any child stay calm with their father on such a dangerous battlefield?
All she could do was pray for his safe return.
But while they stood there helplessly stamping their feet...
Someone was calmly preparing something amid it all.
"Huh? Harris? What are you doing? You aren't thinking of jumping in there, are you?"
"Yeah? What could Harris even do?"
Harris had taken a silver thread from his pocket and securely fastened it to his bow, Themis, inspecting it from all angles.
He replied in his usual soft voice, his expression unchanged despite the startled stares around him.
"Oh, nothing much. Just..."
Twang—
A deep, resonant hum echoed from the lightly plucked bowstring.
As expected of a masterpiece—the sound alone was different.
"Thinking of loosing an arrow or two, lightly."
"...Pardon?"
Flashing a grin at the baffled looks, Harris slowly stepped beyond the barrier.
With the serene air of someone out for a stroll.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Clang—!
The sword, wrapped in blue aura as it thrust forward, was deflected by the two-handed blade shrouded in dark energy.
The knight who swung it hurriedly tried to recover, but...
The massive blade slipped into his opening with nimble movements belying its size.
Splurt!
The two-hander finally sliced across the knight's upper body.
His comrades nearby rushed to block the follow-up, but it was far too late.
"Gahk!"
The black magic-infused sword mercilessly severed his neck, and the knight perished on the spot before aid could arrive.
"Sir Turkan!"
"Damn it! You monster!"
Karam swept his gaze around once more, confirming the identities of those charging at him in rage.
'Empire crown prince's guard knight, Kaien Turkan—dealt with. Next prey...'
Following the real-time intel from the Immortal King, he headed straight for the next 'acceptable kill' target.
He had no idea what criteria decided the hit list, but the details didn't matter to him.
'I am the king's sword. I merely follow his commands. He must have grand designs.'
Crunch—!
His two-hander cleaved through the thick plate armor of the Holy Knight blocking his path.
But this one wasn't approved.
Karam clashed weapons with the one rushing to save the Holy Knight, allowing the wounded to be evacuated while scanning the surroundings.
'Tougher than expected. How many layers of holy barriers did they stack? I could've cut right through under normal circumstances.'
He hadn't held back or gone easy—it was purely a confirmation kill check. The barriers prevented his full power, but more than that, the defensive effects on the foe exceeded expectations.
'The barrier makes it a bit cumbersome, but still manageable. ...There he is. Peyton, right-hand man of the current Mercenary King.'
Eyes flashing, he brushed aside the attackers and charged at the one stalling against a lone Death Knight in the rear.
"Eek! Why me all of a sudden?!"
By the Immortal King's decree.
To instill maximum terror in everyone present.
And naturally, Karam wasn't the only one receiving such bizarre orders.
As the battle intensified, undead fell in droves across the field, with injuries and deaths mounting.
The immortal army harvested lives one by one with terrifying momentum, despite the active holy barrier.
Of course, all the casualties were from the list Heinrich had acquired in advance—thoroughly vetted individuals.
Even in this status-obsessed world, they were villains so egregious it bordered on excess.
'Current Mercenary King Kanble—mastermind who colluded with high officials across nations to sell civilians into slavery. The Church of the Main God couldn't act without evidence, but...'
At that moment, Heinrich charged at Hans again with aid from various powerhouses.
He scattered black flashes in all directions to keep the surroundings in check.
Boom boom boom!
The powerhouses desperately blocked the attacks.
But 'coincidentally,' one particularly fierce beam ignored Mercenary King Kanble's defenses and pierced straight through him.
"Keurgh!"
Mortally wounded, he spewed black blood and collapsed, but the holy barrier kept it from instant death.
The Saintess and priests rushed to treat him, but...
Thud—
"Urk!"
Heinrich was suddenly blasted far away, and with the Immortal King rampaging in the gap, no one had time to spare.
By the time Heinrich rejoined and stabilized things, Kanble had already been impaled by shadows rising from the ground and breathed his last.
'There are actually more who deserve execution inside that barrier.'
Harris, observing from afar, glanced back at those hiding in the barrier.
He stared at Crown Prince Simon, who was fuming since his escort knight's death, then smacked his lips and shook his head.
That barrier was elaborately made, requiring significant effort to break—and even then, collateral damage to others would spiral uncontrollably.
'Can't be helped. Have to settle for the ones on the battlefield for now.'
The main targets were those like the late Mercenary King—dragged in half-heartedly due to face-saving.
Of course, some would sense something off despite this...
'Who cares. What are they gonna do about it?'
Who could imagine the Immortal King and hero colluding on a hit list, selectively culling targets?
'No, from the start, everything so far is pinned on the Immortal King, so that's impossible.'
The continental death toll was beyond estimation—what kind of selective killing was this?
They'd rack their brains suspecting an agenda, but 'coincidence' would be the only conclusion.
'Can't make it seem too unnatural either, so time to wrap this up.'
He had a decent finale in mind—just needed to perform it on cue.
"...Harris! Come back now! This isn't a place for the likes of us..."
"He's right, Harris! We know you're skilled, but this isn't the spot for a mere mid-grade spiritist..."
Voices fretted from both sides as those who followed him out of worry caught up.
A bit annoying, but appreciating their concern, he smiled gently and replied calmly.
"I have it all figured out. If Lady Cecily just keeps blocking shockwaves like now, I'll handle the rest."
"...No, we don't know when they'll turn on us! How can you be so nonchalant? What exactly are you planning?!"
Of course, even exposed like this, they wouldn't attack here.
He had instructed them as much.
"Hoo—."
Harris slowly exhaled, raising his bow to aim forward.
Recalling the final shot he fired before leaving the Enamel Continent, he meticulously crafted one arrow.
Black magic and holy power clashed chaotically, roiling the ambient energies unstably.
But the World Tree acted as this world's filter, and its power dwelled faintly in the Child of the World Tree.
Vmmm—
Surrounding energies were drawn to him and compressed into the arrow.
At the same time, his contracted spirits manifested around him.
Crackle! Blaze—!
Whish! Vmmm—
His beloved spirits began infusing power into the arrow.
They couldn't possess it directly lest they be corrupted, but this would have to do.
'A mid-grade spirit feels a bit contrived for realism. But the scenario should cover...'
But then.
Harris, inwardly grumbling, suddenly froze.
An alien yet comforting energy surged from his toes to the crown of his head.
'Ah?'
A sensation like a blockage at the top of his head bursting open.
And soon, he realized.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ The entity has met the conditions and grows. Unique Skill 「Child of the World Tree」 evolves to 「Heir of the World Tree」. 'So this is what it feels like.'
Harris had fulfilled the 'condition' to become a High Elf.
'What did I even do? ...Well, I was about to anyway. No way it pre-approved it?'
Closing his eyes, he savored his subtly altered senses.
Not a full awakening, so no dramatic shift, but his limits had clearly expanded.
Either way, the realism gap was now filled.
"Ah? Harris... You're... no way!"
Cecily beside him stared wide-eyed, realizing something.
As a High Elf, she sensed his qualification, and even Shaphiron, unaware of the details, was shocked.
Right before her eyes, visible changes were occurring.
"Harris! The spirits are suddenly...?"
Crackle—!
The moment he qualified as a High Elf and gained Heir of the World Tree, the surging natural power and affinity instantly influenced his Spirit Arts.
And the first to be affected was...
"Watt."
Crackle!
The lightning spirit Watt.
His first partner had finally surpassed mid-grade to reach high-grade.
The others hadn't evolved fully but were undoubtedly stronger.
"...This must mean the World Tree supports you too, Harris. Do as you wish. Until then, I'll protect you with everything I've got."
Cecily nodded with a resolute expression, eyes fixed forward.
Swept by the mood, Shaphiron hardened her face and began guarding the perimeter.
'Eh... whatever.'
Shrugging lightly, Harris refocused and resumed crafting the arrow.
Denser natural power than he could normally handle poured from Themis, made of World Tree branch, and his bracelet.
The arrow compressed further, infused with spirit power.
He slowly raised the forming arrowhead to aim at his target.
Rumble—!
The Immortal King and hero clashed fiercely again, shockwaves radiating outward.
The blast reached Harris, sweeping the area, but...
Slosh—
Cecily's supreme water spirit easily nullified it, leaving them unscathed.
'Just a bit more...'
Aura surged from Hero Heinrich's body, swelling the sword of light in his hand several times over.
"Haaap—!"
A massive crescent blade aura shot from the swung holy sword into the air.
The sacred light cleaved the ominous shadows blocking his path, opening a way to the Immortal King.
"Saint!"
Perfectly timed support from the Saintess and cardinal followed, and Heinrich dashed down the path like a gale.
Bang!
Immortal King's black magic collided with the hero's holy power.
Shockwaves erupted anew.
Swords and magic crossed, holy spells clashed with black magic.
Amid it, cognition accelerated, the world slowing.
Time flowed only for Hans, Heinrich, and Harris.
No need for gestures or glances.
They moved as one body, naturally.
In the heat of battle, Hans subtly twisted.
Heinrich's sword adjusted trajectory in real-time to match, and Hans countered with black magic.
Like intricate teamwork, the two traded blows to weave a single outcome.
And finally.
The hero's desperate strike hit the Immortal King's magic barrier, leaving a massive crack despite being blocked.
Yet overflowing black magic repaired it in a blink.
At that instant, the waiting arrow shot forth.
The silent beam of light streaked straight.
Grazing mana fragments scattered by the clash.
Slipping into the tiny fissure—barely finger-width—that hadn't been repaired...
Crunch—
Boom—!
It plunged into the 'impossible' gap that should never have existed.