Chapter 180
Chapter 180
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 180
Chapter Title: Unexpected Reunion (5)
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The world had come to an end.
The elves of Hesiliad might have thought so, at least. And who could blame them? The World Tree they cherished more than their own lives had been reduced to this state.
Thick black smoke billowed upward from charred, gaping wounds on its massive trunk.
―――― Groooan, kugugugu......
The World Tree's roots had been half-severed, leaving it teetering on the brink of collapse into the earth.
It was a sight beyond comprehension. Even when dragons had assaulted it, the tree had only suffered scorched bark and broken branches. The devastation here was on another level entirely—especially considering it had been wrought not by heavenly gods or archdemons from hell, but by just two humans.
Of course, these were no ordinary humans.
One was a grand sorceress who had transcended the pinnacle of mysticism with the World Tree in her grasp. The other was a berserker restored to his prime, the man who had beheaded a great demon with a single axe.
The victor of the clash between these two, arguably the strongest humans alive...
"...I told you, Kadim."
...was the grand sorceress.
In the center of the half-destroyed site, Melissa looked down at the unconscious Kadim with bloodshot, fully whites-exposed eyes, a bitter expression on her face.
"Even using the power of demons, 'your own strength' alone can never match mine."
Kadim's skin was charred black, his muscles torn to shreds—he looked no different from a corpse pulled from a fire pit, barely clinging to life. Melissa, by contrast, was spotless, without a single scratch.
But thanks solely to her 'unique trait,' which shielded her from external wounds, she wasn't unscathed either. Repeated grand spells and defending against massive damage had taken a heavy internal toll. Moreover, her dominance had only extended up to Kadim's true self.
"...That 'power' inside you was truly unexpected."
The moment Kadim succumbed fully to frenzy and lost his reason, an 'unknown entity' had briefly revealed itself.
Even glimpsing a mere fragment sent chills through her heart, as if it might stop beating. An overwhelming pressure she'd never felt even against a dragon. Half the devastation that halved the root trunk came from that entity; the other half from Melissa's efforts to suppress it.
Had Kadim's body not buckled under the strain...
...she would have had to stake her own life to fight it.
'But what on earth was that? For something to dwell in a mere human body, its 'rank' was far too high... Right, now that I think about it, it's not unfamiliar. Definitely, back in the demon realm 300 years ago...'
As she delved into the past, a sudden afterimage stabbed into her mind.
A horrific headache exploded, like the back of her skull had been smashed with an iron mace, and bitter tears welled up like poison.
Melissa paled, clutching her hair and curling into a ball.
"Aaah, aaaah, huuaah, huuaaak..."
The nightmare, locked away in the deepest corner of her memory vault with countless seals, broke free. Writhing like an insect crushed under shock, she grabbed the massive body and wept endlessly.
Sunset faded, night passed, and only as dawn broke did Melissa finally calm and rise.
"I need to hurry... find a way to separate that entity from Kadim... Ah, first to the 'World Tree's Dream' to heal him... then I'll recover for a few days..."
Melissa levitated the battered Kadim and forced a trembling smile.
"Don't worry, Kadim. No matter if you leave me, forget me, hurt me... I'll never abandon you."
*
Duncan was imprisoned in the World Tree's confinement chamber.
Right next to the dark elf girl he'd glimpsed briefly not long ago.
"You're..."
"..."
"...the merchant who abandoned his family, aren't you? I knew you'd end up here."
"I-I didn't abandon my family... Sigh..."
Barely inside, he was met with innocent teasing, and Duncan let out a deep sigh.
Here's how it happened: Following Kadim's orders, he sneaked out of the World Tree, but got hopelessly lost in the ant-nest-like passages. In desperation, he sat down—only to be caught by guardians under Melissa's command and locked up.
Even if he'd escaped safely, things would have been just as bleak. According to the grand sorceress, hell's rifts would soon open, dooming the world itself...
No way out in sight. His only hope was Kadim, but he'd been recaptured by the sorceress. And now the 'best guide' to rescue him was imprisoned too... It was all over.
But his fellow prisoner thought differently.
"No need to worry so much, merchant."
"...Pardon?"
"Even if you close your eyes and wander the abyss, the darkness always prepares an exit. We'll be out of here in a few days."
Duncan blinked. Staring at the girl who looked like a long-term inmate, he asked hesitantly.
"Wh-what's your name...?"
"Lilia."
"Right, uh, Miss Lilia? You've been locked up here a long time, haven't you? How do you know we'll escape in days?"
"I glimpse the future in my dreams. According to them, I have two chances to escape. Last time, I skipped it to avoid my sisters spotting me. But now, with them exhausted from battling the 'Warrior of Revelation'... the opportunity coming in a few days will let us escape safely."
"..."
Duncan froze silently, then gave her a pitying look.
Poor thing... Yeah, this was a terrible place. Locked alone without a ray of sunlight... No wonder she'd lost it.
But the girl's words weren't the ravings of a madwoman.
Exactly three days later, unidentified noises echoed from the confinement entrance.
'...My lord! You can't... come in...'
'...Huff! What are you... doing...'
- Grrrrowl, kraaaah - !!
'...Aaaargh!!'
As the guard's scream faded, heavy footsteps shook the ground, drawing closer. A massive black beast melted into the shadows, its outline blurred, fierce eyes gleaming like stars heralding disaster.
The colossal beast shattered the iron bars mercilessly with its claws.
- Kraaaargh - !!
Kwagagagang - !
"Hiiiiaaah!!"
Duncan screamed in terror. Lilia smiled serenely and lifted her clouded eyes.
"You've come, Lord Parneo."
- Grr, grr...
The second-rank guardian, the 'Black Panther' Parneo, growled as he entered the cell.
"...Huh?"
Duncan gawked, glancing between the boy druid and girl oracle.
*
Parneo had wallowed in despair for a while.
His conversation with the 'Great Warrior of Atala' had spurred his growth but also distanced him from his dream. Harsh reality chained his ideals. To make matters worse, over half the first-rank guardians died, the World Tree was half-destroyed—days suffocating with no chance to check on the confined girl.
The turning point came unexpectedly from his master, the 'White Turtle' Tevio.
'Parneo, rescue her.'
'Pardon?'
'Free Lady Lilia from confinement. The World Tree Keeper is recovering and won't bother with that side for a while.'
Why use honorifics for Lilia? Why break rules for such folly...? Questions swirled, but he voiced the immediate concern.
'Won't that tarnish your reputation, Master? My actions so far have already stained it enough...'
'Don't worry about pointless things. This old shell has lived long enough... If things continue, all elves will fall anyway.'
'...Pardon?'
'The blessing of longevity is gone, guardians massacred, World Tree crumbling, Keeper unwilling to fix it. All because elves bowed to injustice. I can't reveal everything, but know our self-inflicted doom is near.'
'B-but Master, instead of fighting the doom, pursuing my selfish desire is too...'
'It's not about your personal greed. It's the 'right' thing. Crushing an innocent life utterly, caging her like diseased livestock for ages... Do you think that's what Mother World Tree desires?'
'...'
'Better late than never... Go, Parneo. Swifter than the biting wind of the night sky. Be a better disciple than your cowardly master, who hid in his shell a lifetime.'
Thus, the boy steeled himself to lose everything and raided the confinement.
- Kraaaargh - !
Kwagak, kwagak - !
Shapeshifted into a mighty black panther, he barely severed the World Tree's minor roots. Duncan beside Lilia doubled the effort, but after biting, clawing, and fierce struggle, he succeeded. Parneo carried them on his back and fled.
The real trouble started after. Guardians, hearing the news, swarmed and surrounded the ant-nest paths.
"Lord Parneo! Release your shapeshift and surrender at once!"
"In these chaotic times, what madness is this?!"
Fortunately, his master lent aid once more.
Thud, thud, thud - !
"Kaaaagh!"
"Huuugh!! Lo-Lord Tevio? What...!"
A house-sized white turtle smashed through the encirclement, clearing a path. The black panther leaped through. Before leaving, he nodded gratitude to his master.
"...Tevio, you've grown old in that time too."
Was that voice from his back a hallucination?
The turtle sealed the path and served as a living barricade. Thanks to him, Parneo's group escaped the complex zones unhindered.
Just before descending to the lower levels, Lilia suddenly spoke.
"Lord Parneo, we must go up from here."
- Grrrowl...?
"If you go up, our allies will appear. Before escaping, join them and rescue the 'Warrior of Revelation'... that is, the Great Warrior of Atala."
- Grk, grrr...
It was hard to accept. Even heading straight down to the exit wouldn't be easy, yet go up? He couldn't guess the allies' identity or why 'must' rescue the Great Warrior...
Still, Parneo followed without much hesitation.
- Grk, kraaang - !
Lilia's conviction came from dreaming this scene. Her dreams always came true, so even absurd advice was trustworthy.
Duncan also sighed in relief. Puzzled how to save Kadim, unexpected help arrived. He still didn't grasp the situation, but...
"M-Miss Lilia? Why are you helping even my lord? Who are these allies you mentioned...?"
"...You'll know soon. One's probably in the sky over there right now."
Lilia pointed outside through a knothole without looking. The panther and merchant whipped their heads around.
She was right.
A golden glow flashed in the southern sky, approaching like a bird with unnatural flight skill. Constant sharp turns, rolls, climbs, dives—yet speed and balance held steady.
The reason for the acrobatics soon appeared. Cyan beams shot up thickly like reverse rain from the ground. Every guardian and patrol targeted it with arrows.
But not one hit. The glow wove through the arrow storm with dazzling maneuvers, safely reaching Parneo's group in the upper World Tree.
Even on landing, an arrow flew from behind...
Swoosh - thunk, catch - !
...but he whipped his hand back like lightning and snatched the shaft. Duncan gaped, stunned anyone besides Kadim could catch it barehanded.
Up close, the ally wasn't a bird but humanoid. Wings of membrane on his back, self-luminous golden plate armor, dragon-mouth helmet... yet human-like in form.
The ally folded his wings and approached. The panther tensed instinctively, but Lilia stayed calm. A deep voice emanated from behind the ornate visor.
"It's been ages, Lilia. About 150 years?"
"...Long time no see, Friend of Dragons. Locked away, I lost track of time, but probably about that."
"Hmm, you look much worse. Rest up once we're out. Ah, who are the noble panther and the fine-mustached gentleman?"
His tone was friendly, but his eerie presence and words unsettled. Friend of Dragons? 150 years?
"Wh-who might you be, sir? Ar-are you even human...?"
Duncan stammered. The ally stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Hm... Half yes, half no. More importantly, you're from outside the great forest? Where from?"
"Pardon? Fr-from the Free City Alliance, Maltana..."
"Ah, good! Then you know me."
The ally removed his dragon helmet. Bushy blond hair, ruggedly handsome middle-aged face, golden scales on cheeks and neck revealed.
"Name's Remillion. Best known for founding your Free City Alliance. Golden Lord, the one who saved a city with a single gold coin... lots of nicknames, but Friend of Dragons works fine."
"...Pardon?"
"What? You don't know me? Awkward."
No way. Duncan shook his head wildly. Not a namesake—the legendary first Golden Lord who unified the fractured eastern continent and built the second-largest power? He asked endlessly.
Endless confirmations, Q&A on Remillion's life and deeds, and Duncan concluded it might be real, murmuring soullessly.
"My god, Remillion..."
Remillion scratched his temple.
"You called?"