Chapter 128
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: Hunt (6)
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The massive tree roots were submerged in a pool of blood that bubbled and gurgled.
All the blood shed from those who had died atop the branches had pooled here. Because the greedy tree craved blood.
"Fren."
Up close, Fren's condition looked even graver.
There were no visible wounds on the surface, but his face was ashen, like that of a corpse. Yet he was still drawing faint breaths.
Even if they escaped this place, there was no guarantee his life could be saved.
From old memories, those captured in mage hunts never escaped alive.
But since Fren still clung to consciousness... perhaps this magic was incomplete, with a flaw. If so, he might be savable.
"Fren, I'll get you out right now."
I approached right up to him and knelt before him.
The thick, dark mana emanating from the white tree made my breath catch.
To protect myself, I instinctively circulated my mana. And as I did, the tree's black mana flowed into me even faster.
"Maybe we should stop..."
The moment Weddin edged closer in fear, Fren's hand seized my throat.
"Ugh!"
"Lib!"
I gasped and grabbed Fren's arm.
The grip was terrifying, impossible to believe it came from a dying man, pulling me in with ferocious strength.
Right before my eyes, Fren lifted his pale face toward me.
"I told you not to come closer."
With those words, his tightly shut eyes snapped open. Crimson irises bored straight into me.
"It's... okay."
I panted, clutching Fren's arm and shoulder.
The tree vines that had held Fren began wrapping around my arms and legs.
It was a force I couldn't resist.
Weddin shouted something and drew his sword to hack at the vines, but it only left faint scratches on the white, rough bark.
Thick vines coiled around my waist and neck.
Instead of resisting, I tried to accept them. This magic didn't kill mages anyway.
I suppressed the terror of suffocation.
When I touched the vines wrapped around Fren's body, they shifted to envelop me instead.
Just as I'd thought.
Having drained so much mana from Fren already, it chose me as fresh prey.
As I transferred the vines from Fren's body to mine, I poured all my strength into freeing him.
Fren's fading consciousness spoke.
"No. Run... from here..."
Fren grabbed my shoulder.
The vines around his body were almost fully detached.
His eyes widened in shock as he stared at me. The red in his irises was slowly fading back to green...
"Go."
With those final words, the white vines sealed my mouth.
With my barely extended right arm, I shoved Fren outward with all my might. In sync, Weddin grabbed his body from outside the tree and pulled.
Beyond him, I saw Shuren, the Silver Guard Knight, Ilenia, and Ash rushing toward us.
Good. Everyone's safe.
There was no chance to explain to them.
Darkness swallowed my vision in an instant.
The vines tightened around my neck, dragging me down into the shadows...
I closed my eyes and fought to keep my mind steady.
All around me were scents of wood, blood, and damp earth.
The vines bound my body tightly but didn't squeeze painfully.
However, the ever-hungry dark mana relentlessly gnawed at me.
I drew in a breath... and accepted it all.
Since that incident at age twelve, I'd never forgotten what lurked inside me. If this was the 'same thing,' I could take it.
No, I had to.
I swallowed the metallic tang filling my mouth. Revolting, but I endured.
My heart pounded with a strange euphoria.
Come to think of it, this lost mana was simply returning to its rightful place.
Nothing more.
I continued drawing the black mana into my body.
As I devoured it, I began to understand how it had come to be here.
Traces of the influx revived within me.
Originally, a white, hard seed had entered this place. Inside it was a tiny fragment of a red sealing pattern, no bigger than a fingernail.
The seed, marked with unique patterns, had fallen to the ruins' deepest point. It absorbed the site's mana, sprouted roots, grew branches, and extended stems.
The white tree grew rapidly by feeding on mana. It covered the ground and walls, shattering the ruins.
Meanwhile, the red sealing fragment within began revealing its true nature.
The black mana swelled the tree's power and wrought horrific changes around the ruins.
It summoned the shaika of the snowfields, amplified the moon-howling phenomenon, spread hallucinations. Craving blood and mana, it hunted mages...
Mage hunt. I'd never imagined seeing this horrific magic again.
I breathed shallowly amid the pain.
This spell had left countless imperial mages as empty shells, lingering only in body before vanishing.
Imperial magic wielded vast mana, making it exceedingly hard to evade this trap.
The moment a mage cast a spell, they lost consciousness and became prey.
Hot air flooded my mouth. And the smell of burning...
It wasn't an illusion. Something was on fire.
The tree shuddered violently, and the binding force began to weaken.
My right arm was yanked with far greater strength than before. My left arm too.
Not by vines—someone was gripping my arms.
The moment the vines around my neck and waist burned through and snapped...
"...Pull!"
With someone's shout, I was suddenly yanked outward.
My pitch-black vision reddened from heat, and as I blinked, familiar faces came into view one by one.
Shuren held my right arm, the Silver Guard Knight my left, and Ash clutched my robe.
"Lib."
Shuren's face twisted as if he might cry.
The Silver Guard Knight sighed in relief, and Ash burrowed into my arms.
I stroked Ash's nape, realizing I'd returned to reality.
"Liberic!"
Ilenia lunged and hugged my shoulders fiercely.
Her hot breath, scorching body heat, and the flames burning around us choked me.
"I was worried I'd burn you too!"
"Ah..."
Only then did I piece it together.
The moment they saw me swallowed by the tree, Shuren, the Silver Guard Knight, and Ash had grabbed hold of me, while Ilenia set the tree ablaze.
The white colossal tree was engulfed in flames, radiating immense heat.
Ilenia controlled where the fire spread, so no embers reached us, but the tree blanketing the ruins blazed fiercely.
The quickest, most effective way to destroy the evil tree.
"How's Fren?"
"He's fine."
Weddin answered from behind Shuren and the Silver Guard Knight.
At his feet lay Fren, still pale-faced but breathing—his life intact, thankfully unconscious.
"We need to get Fren back to the lodge right away. Ilenia, can you put out the fire?"
"That's tough. It's spread too much..."
Boom!
A ominous rumble shook the ground.
A thick branch supporting the ceiling, wreathed in flames, crashed down, followed by rocks and debris raining in.
"This isn't good."
Rumble rumble.
Sounds of something collapsing echoed from somewhere.
Fiery chunks fell from the ceiling, thick acrid smoke billowing everywhere.
Vision blurred as surroundings grew indistinct.
Crackle...
A sound from above.
The massive tree pillar tilted in the inferno.
As everyone realized evasion was impossible and looked up in horror, the burning pillar halted right overhead.
I drew a hot breath and slowly raised my hand.
Extending my mana, the pillar that had nearly crushed us lifted gradually upward.
"Wha...? What is this?"
"Liberic? You doing this?"
The Silver Guard Knight, who had reflexively gripped his sword, stared at me.
"Yes."
I took a deep breath and pulled in my mana.
Even operating it similarly to before, far more mana obeyed my will.
If so, I can do this...
I thrust my hand skyward, and potent mana surged overhead.
A chilling euphoria made me hold my breath—an sensation I hadn't felt in ages.
Red mana swirled around my body, whipping my robe and hair wildly.
Whoosh...
Fierce flames whipped in the wind, and the massive pillar began crumbling to dust.
A vortex of dust and embers spiraled upward, out of the ruins.
The colossal tree slowly collapsed.
Cool winds swirled through the dark-ki-infested ruins, the bloody stench fading.
The ruins' original form emerged where the tree had been.
"Incredible mana."
The Silver Guard Knight murmured quietly after watching in silence.
"This is a kind of dragon vein, after all."
I gave a casual excuse, but I knew my mana had increased.
It felt like reclaiming a bit of the power lost sealing Berkis long ago.
Only after a long while did I withdraw my mana and lower my arm.
With the flames and collapse halted inside the ruins, an eerie silence settled.
The massive tree had vanished completely, not even white bark left.
The blood pool that had nourished it, and the heavy black mist, had burned away with it.
A few rays of sunlight pierced from high above, filtering down.
Parts of the walls and ceiling gnawed by the tree had crumbled, but I'd barely prevented total collapse, revealing the ruin's architecture.
The ruins now held a profoundly peaceful scene.
The original mana lingered, swirling gently around, while blue patterns etched in the stones glimmered.
No suffocating air, no blood stench, no sense of magical beasts.
"Anyone hurt?"
The Silver Guard Knight brushed dust from his clothes and asked.
Everyone had minor scratches from rocks or branches, but no serious injuries.
Even Weddin, who had shielded Fren, only took minor hits from falling debris.
"But here... how do we get out?"
Shuren pointed to the path they'd descended.
It was completely blocked by collapsed earth. Even digging through offered no guarantee the upper path remained intact.
Everyone stared at the rubble with grim expressions.
"I'll guide us out."
I said that and stood.
My legs felt weak, as if unused for ages. Ash nudged me up as I wobbled.
"We can exit that way."
I stroked Ash once, then pointed to a new cave behind the Silver Guard Knight.
It had been sealed by tree and rock.