Chapter 188
Chapter 188
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 188
Chapter Title: Flames That Raze the World (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The world had come to an end.
This time, the elves of Hesiliad had no choice but to think so. And who could blame them? The scene unfolding before their eyes truly resembled the apocalypse.
Roarrrrk, kwarrrghghghgh - !!!
Flames and smoke billowed everywhere they looked. Homes carved from stumps, wild undergrowth and ornamental trees, stockpiled game, and even the elves' own flesh—everything in the city had been reduced to mere kindling.
"Kyaaaaaaaah!!"
"Uwaaaah, save me, plea— *cough*, *cough*, I can't... breathe..."
"Ah, aaaah... Mother World Tree, aaaah..."
Screams, wails, and sobs intertwined into a chorus of ruin. The World Tree's guardians, sworn to protect their kin and sacred tree, naturally didn't stand idly by. They struggled desperately to mimic forms that could extinguish the blaze, but...
- Fwoooooosh - !!
- Squeeeeek, squeeeeeeek!!
Kugrrrrrumble...
...it was no use.
Elephants pumping up groundwater to spray it everywhere, flocks of birds dumping water from the sky, boulders volunteering as firewalls—they merely slowed the fire's spread, nothing more.
The acrid stench of sulfur marked this blaze as no ordinary flame. There was now only one hope left to quench it.
The authority of the World Tree's agent, the World Tree Maiden.
Just then, the wizened elf who had left to meet her returned to the guardians' side.
"T-Te-Tevio! What did she say?"
"Did the World Tree Maiden agree to help?"
"..."
The "White Turtle," Tevio, shook his head gravely.
A shadow darker than soot fell over the guardians' faces.
Tevio, however, showed no sign of disappointment. He had only gone out of obligation; he had already resigned himself to this fate. From the moment he laid eyes on that divine projection of the giant towering over the trees, relentlessly spreading the flames.
- Kururruk, kururrrr - !!
- Kuhooooooh - !!
It was the hellfire spirit Melissa had secretly kept with her.
In other words, this inferno was deliberately set by Melissa herself.
"..."
If she was truly committed to spreading the blaze, stopping it was practically impossible. And so, the elves' downfall had finally arrived.
Perhaps because he had steeled himself in advance, Tevio felt less fear than simple resignation that the inevitable had come. A lifetime of groveling to scrape by had long erased any lingering attachments from his weary old frame.
Yet thrashing for survival was the privilege and duty of the living.
Even if this catastrophe was self-inflicted, they still had the right to fight. And what sin had the new sprouts, blooming after them, committed—especially to a misguided World Tree Maiden, if not themselves who had bowed before her?
He couldn't remain a shameful master before the disciple who had bravely rescued the apostle from confinement. The "White Turtle," Tevio, hardened his aged eyes with resolve.
"Listen, everyone. Don't lose heart. The World Tree Maiden said she won't lend a hand because we can resolve this with our own strength."
"B-But Tevio... All the guardians are fighting with everything they've got, and the flames are only growing..."
"A fire dies out when it runs out of fuel. Stop wasting effort in the wrong places. From now on, focus on evacuating the citizens from here."
"What?! What do you mean? If we do that, won't the fire spread to the World Tree itself?"
"No need to worry. The World Tree is protected by its divinity, and the World Tree Maiden is guarding it personally. She said herself there's no risk of it catching fire."
"..."
The junior guardians regained their lost hope from the eldest's white lie. With determined expressions, they sprang into action to evacuate the citizens.
Unfortunately, that hope's expiration was woefully short-lived.
They hadn't even escaped the fire's calamity when another disaster's harbinger arrived.
"Th-The sky, why is it suddenly..."
"What in the world is that..."
Darkness suddenly surged across the heavens.
Darker than night, swifter than twilight. It rolled in from the distant horizon, blanketing the entire sky in the blink of an eye. It mercilessly shrouded the sun that had indifferently gazed upon the land, plunging the world into premature darkness.
"The sun... it's gone?"
"It's the end!! The end is here!!"
"Aaah, Mother World Tree... The heavenly gods... Even the heavenly gods have abandoned us..."
"T-Te-Tevio, what is this freakish calamity..."
"..."
The elves fell into utter chaos, howling in despair. Even Tevio, who had maintained his composure until now, froze like stone.
But their assumptions were wrong.
This was no omen of disaster—it was a deception to avert it.
Beneath the canopy that blinded the "Watching Eye," the torrent to extinguish the inferno finally began to stir.
*
The trembling earth, pregnant with imminent peril.
Drdrdrdrdr...
The vibrations grew fiercer until an explosion burst through the ground.
――――――――― Kwarrrghghghghboom - !!
The solid earth transformed in an instant into a surging barrier. Rocks, gravel, and soil churned upward against gravity. As the inverted fountain of debris settled, a dizzyingly vast sinkhole was revealed.
This freakish upheaval was no natural disaster, grand spell, or divine miracle. Merely the stirring of some creature emerging from eons of seclusion.
The dragon glared fiercely at the pitch-black sky. Realizing no heavenly punishment would come, it unleashed a roar bubbling from profound liberation.
Kugrrrrrumble, krrrrrrumble -
The thunderous Dragon Speech felled giant trees like weeds. Wings unfurled whipped up gales, casting a majestic shadow. Atop that golden behemoth proclaiming itself the apex predator rode a bronze-skinned warrior shouldering a massive axe.
The rest of the reclamation team watched from below. Kadim glanced indifferently down at them.
"Then, let's all meet again alive."
An ironic farewell from one departing for hell.
The others had no chance to respond. Rapustran leaped skyward at once.
Kwaaaaaang - !!
A violently brilliant glow cleaved the black sky in two. The reclamation team stood agape, mesmerized by the absurd spectacle, mouths hanging like puppets. The final dragon and a divine warrior... Where in the world could such a mythical duo exist?
They couldn't indulge in awe forever. Lilia clapped sharply to refocus them.
"Alright, let's finish our preparations quickly and get moving. We can't waste the time those two are buying with their lives."
The group snapped to attention, faces set with resolve.
The day before, they had ultimately accepted Kadim's plan.
Extremely risky, but with commensurately huge rewards. Everyone had vehemently opposed, but Kadim's will was ironclad. When he invoked the wilderness code to follow the victor's intent, they had no choice but to yield.
The die was cast. The "Nightshadow Veil" was already spread across the sky, and the dragon and warrior had departed. To maximize success, they needed to act swiftly.
With dark elves following Lilia joining, the reclamation team had grown substantial. Remillion, handling actual command, had split them into squads yesterday. He gathered the group and squad leaders for a final briefing.
"As I said, our primary goal is safely escorting Lilia to 'Hesiliad' where the World Tree stands. Ideally, heavy escorts, but we must split forces before arrival to divide attention. So we'll advance together at first, then detach squads sequentially at key points for independent pushes. Once over half reach Hesiliad's outskirts, we converge simultaneously."
The biggest obstacle to the mobile operation was the encircling forest fire and its source, the Infernos. Remillion had sent scouts ahead to assess them.
He unrolled a map compiling the intel.
"Look here. The Infernos started from Hesiliad and are gradually spreading outward, with the fire following their path. Their goal seems to be burning as wide an area as possible with hellfire."
"..."
"We'll inevitably encounter hellfire en route. I distributed countermeasures, but don't over-rely on them. They block heat and smoke to a degree, but total engulfment renders them useless."
Remillion pulled out a blue necklace from his neck. Everyone gathered wore similar ones—relics granting air purification and fire resistance in a radius. "Borrowed" from the dragon's hoard.
"Worst case to avoid is direct confrontation with an 'Inferno.' Our current strength can't challenge those disaster incarnates. If Lilia's squad encounters one... consider the op failed on the spot."
"..."
"The good news: they haven't reached here yet, and hellfire hasn't spread nearby. So a wide detour minimizes risk and—hey, what are you doing?"
All eyes snapped to where Remillion pointed. To a merchant who had slipped away unnoticed, crouching alone.
Duncan was flustered.
"Uh, e-er... W-Well..."
Roarrrrk -
The others were equally shocked. Ignoring the crisis to gather leaves and start a fire was bad enough—but the red dagger in the merchant's hand spewed flames eerily identical to the hellfire ravaging the forest.
Under piercing glares, cold suspicion arose. Sensing danger, Duncan hastily sheathed the hellfire dagger and jumped up.
"R-Re-Remillion... sir? I-I just tested it... Hellfire's just strong-burning fire that needs fuel, right?"
"...Yes. Is that real hellfire?"
"Y-Yes, but... More importantly, what I discovered..."
Hellfire burned hot and fast, consuming fuel quickly before dying. It spread to new fuel but wouldn't reignite ash. The spirits headed outward to burn more forest.
So no need for a detour—counterfire to burn all fuel ahead, straight through, bypassing spirits and fire while saving time...
"...wouldn't it... work...?"
While others seriously planned, he poked at leaf piles playing with fire and reached this conclusion.
Remillion stared at the cowering dwarf, then let out an incredulous chuckle.
"...I see why Kadim dragged you along."
*
Golden wings beat gloriously through the turbulent sky.
- ...Why are you so desperate to plunge into hell?
Even as fierce winds shredded all sound, the dragon's voice resonated unchanged, deep and resonant. The savage warrior, gripping the dragon's remaining horn from its head, silently surveyed the burning primeval forest below.
- I get that witch targets you first as her old comrade. But why not lure her elsewhere? This dragon aside, a mere mortal like you venturing into that ominous pit...
"...Didn't I say? It's not just luring—it's securing a sure victory."
Kadim's judgment was this:
Realistically, he and the dragon double-teaming Melissa was overkill. Hadn't it claimed an 80% win rate solo? Assisting raised odds, but a far more strategic choice existed.
Preparing for the "what if" of the dragon's neutralization.
Credit where due: the assault team's power relied heavily on the dragon. If neutralized, win chances plummeted. Even drawing 1st playthrough strength, he couldn't solo Melissa.
But drawing beyond 1st playthrough power changed everything.
"Forms"—advanced divine arts applications.
Especially "mixing divinity with other energies." Poison to fire-wielders. If activated, absolute elemental superiority let him crush Melissa alone, superiority be damned.
Problem: the mix required "blood energy," demanding vast "demonic blood." Dozens minimally, hundreds ideally. Impossible mid-forest sans Demon Realm.
One exception.
Entering "hell," teeming with endless demons.
"So while I prepare a winning method in hell, you handle Melissa. Best if you crush her outright, but stalling and retreating works if needed. Once ready, I solo easily."
- ...
"And if she follows me to hell, the reclamation team's safer than safe. No reason not to go, eh?"
Silence. The dragon grumbled about mortal madness being incomprehensible, nagging unfit for its bulk—no more arguments.
"..."
Truthfully, Kadim's hell trip wasn't solely that.
Word was, Melissa truly broke after her hell visit.
Solos in demon-magic hell for decades might do it... but other causes possible. She'd endured a hellish Demon Realm 300 years prior. Thus, "something specific seen in hell" might be the pivotal trigger, key to her hidden final truth.
So he'd check hell personally...
- Look there, pawn of the War God. Your mad comrade prepared quite the gift.
...The mocking voice snapped him back.
The dragon spoke true. Mocking the veil over the sun, brilliant fireballs flickered like star clusters ahead. Obvious Melissa's handiwork.
- No harm to this dragon, but fatal to you. If not rushing to hell, brace yourself.
"...Like an old shut-in, full of needless worries, dragon."
Kadim twisted his lips slyly, tensing his muscles taut.