LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 122
Chapter 122. The Wildlands (4)
“〈Root of Detention〉!”
The ground trembled as the miracle of the Black Willow Cult priest was invoked.
Massive tree roots erupted from the earth. They resembled the trees that had absorbed my flames, slightly translucent like green glass.
“Delion! Move to a safe place!”
“I understand, my Lady!”
Unlike the equipment given to others, Delion’s equipment was all related to survival—enhanced movement speed, improved jump, ranged attack defense, and so on.
With his mobility secured, Delion distanced himself from the battlefield, playing his instrument as he retreated.
“The instrument is a mouthpiece, and the playing is a prayer. Please, heed my music. 〈Silent Hymn〉.”
The sound of the instrument reverberated clearly, even from a distance. Evading the roots with agile steps, Ansandy pursued the masked woman.
“〈Lion’s Rush〉!”
Arian, shining with the self-imposed buff that caused her armor and sword to glow, cut through the roots with fierce determination.
“Truly, these plants overflow with malevolent energy!”
She fended off the roots attacking Ender as well, while Ender clashed swords with the man in the white rabbit mask.
“Kugh! Such power…”
Ender, a 4th rank, was being overpowered.
‘… If that’s the case!’
Suddenly releasing his grip on the sword, Ender closed in and swung his fist. 〈Black Bear Fist〉—with each punch, the power resembled that of a giant bear’s strike.
His opponent, once blocking with a sword, was pushed back. Ender seized his sword and charged again.
‘〈Mountain Boar Charge〉!’
Bang!
Unable to overpower his opponent, he resorted to combining various combat techniques in his strategy. Meanwhile, I…
Crack!
I intentionally allowed myself to be caught by the priest’s miracle.
The roots entwined my legs, rendering me immobile, merging with the glass-like wood.
I attempted to devour them with Gluttony, but it ended in failure.
‘Organic matter gets assimilated upon contact without resistance, it seems.’
With the roots even altering the cross spear embedded in my bones, I severed my own leg without hesitation to free myself from the roots.
“Dancing like scattering flames, let us ignite together. 〈Dance of the Mysterious Flame〉.”
Shifting my body into flames, I evaded the oncoming roots. The moment roots touched my body, they ignited, yet they seemed to wait for the Flame Transformation to dissipate, surrounding me.
‘At this rate, I’ll be pushed into defense. I should go on the offensive.’
After burning through the roots, as soon as my Flame Transformation ended, I shouted toward Eldritch.
“Eldritch! Hold back the roots!”
“Yes!”
I entrusted defense to Eldritch and began charging toward the priest.
“Are you going to engage in close combat?”
As the priest exclaimed in surprise, he activated another miracle.
“〈Fruit of the Fallen〉!”
Fruits resembling apples started falling from the sky, and when they hit the ground, they burst, covering the floor with a translucent green liquid.
‘Avoid contact.’
The liquid, resembling a strong acid, was dissolving the ground. Just dealing with that was annoying enough, but the miracle did not end there.
From there, plant tendrils that seemed intertwined with human arm bones reached out toward me.
“Not a chance!”
However, a water shield generated by Eldritch appeared, blocking the tendrils, while the Black Willow Cult priest moved a safe distance away to evade the tendrils of Gluttony.
“〈Fragments of the Giant Tree〉!”
Rumble!
The tree that absorbed my flames was uprooted and soared into the sky, shattering into pieces before falling.
“Flames of calamity shake the heavens and earth, rise, oh fire! 〈Inferno of Thunder〉!”
The fierce flames bursting from the ground burnt countless spear-like branches.
Unlike before, they couldn’t absorb the fire. Backed by momentum, as I attempted to use Outer Magic…
Whoosh!
Projectiles flew in from a blind spot. Similar to the experience at Wave Reach, but in the current chaotic melee, it was harder to respond to each threat. However…
“〈Flight of the Egret〉.”
Ansandy, who had closed in surprisingly, elegantly countered the projectiles with swordplay resembling an egret slicing through the sky.
Dozens of daggers imbued with cold magic flew, but as the tune shifted, Ansandy’s sword enveloped in increasingly intense flames.
“〈Swirling Gale of the Egret〉.”
The wind stirred by the sword deflected the projectiles.
Ansandy sent the azure flames spinning away with the sword wind, but the rabbit-masked woman vanished again before the attack reached her.
“Who are they targeting you instead of me?”
“I’m not sure either. Once we deal with this one, we’ll find out slowly.”
As the priest, indignant at those words, attempted to conjure a new miracle…
Crunch-!
He was devoured alive by Gluttony, his body emitting light.
“Hm?”
Branches akin to flower buds emerged from the priest’s glowing body. As flowers resembling human faces bloomed, they began to scream.
“Kyahaaah!”
It was a horrifying sound that resonated directly within the brain, causing allies to recoil.
I attempted to incinerate the ghastly scene immediately but found it impossible to focus.
“Damn… What’s with this long interruption!”
This scream was not merely irritating, but it actively interrupted concentration, preventing the use of both miracles and Outer Magic by forcibly disrupting focus.
The problem didn’t end there; one of the faces on the flower was that of the Black Willow Cult priest.
“〈Forests of Calamity〉!”
Even in such a state, it seemed capable of invoking miracles. Black mist gathered everywhere, transforming into the form of trees.
In no time, dark green trees grew wildly, forming a dense thicket.
“The Mother will soon send her minions! You are now doomed-”
Crunch-!
I didn’t let the priest finish his words and consumed him with Gluttony again. Devouring all, roots and flowers alike, the interrupting screams gradually ceased.
“Hmm… Is this forest not going to disappear?”
Even though I killed the caster, the forest remained, completely isolating me from my allies.
Apparently, the trees interfered, rendering the 〈Mind Link〉 ring ineffective as well.
“It’s possible to devour them, but… There’s too many to feed to Gluttony.”
The trees were too numerous to devour one by one with Gluttony. Burning them all at once would harm my companions, so I should move to the sky for now…
“Ugh?!”
Suddenly, strength drained from my legs.
I heard a trickling sound and looked down to see sap-like fluid oozing from my legs as my skin cracked.
Sensing the true danger of this miracle, I formed seals.
“I need to handle this quickly.”
Though my allies might get caught up, staying in this forest longer was riskier.
“〈Starstorm〉.”
Wind imbued with starlight swept through. Trees were uprooted and blown away.
Feeling sap bursting from various parts of my body, I continued to clear the trees.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one removing trees, as I saw trees falling and burning on the other side.
Most impressive was Arian, outright uprooting trees and tossing them as she approached my side.
“… Phew.”
Gradually, the massive forest disappeared, and we could confirm each other’s presence.
“Is everyone alright?!”
Arian, possibly using 〈Aura of Inviolability〉, appeared in rather good condition. Eldritch, who seemed nearby, was the same. But the rest of our crew were not.
“Ugh…”
Ansandy was vomiting sap, and Ender had an eye burst, oozing sap in place of blood. The worst state was Delion.
“It… It can’t end like this… I haven’t yet heard the sound of true applause…”
Perhaps due to his frail body, Delion’s body was ruptured everywhere.
His legs were leaking sap, and despite that state, his fingers continued playing his instrument, now drenched in blood.
“Delion!”
Ansandy rushed over urgently at the sight, while I desperately swung Gluttony’s tendrils.
Bang!
The tendril, struck by daggers, froze solid and shattered. The moment Ansandy showed vulnerability, they immediately targeted her…
“Aren’t you all targeting me?”
The duo wearing rabbit masks approached leisurely, their bodies oozing sap as they walked slowly toward us.
“Who exactly are you? Why do you keep targeting me?”
“…”
No response came. If that’s the case…
“Actually… I know who you are.”
Recalling what I heard last time, about not recognizing them before, I bluffed, wanting to see their reactions.
“… Really?”
The man asked in a surprisingly youthful voice.
“Yes. I apologize for not recognizing you before. But I haven’t forgotten you.”
“You haven’t forgotten?”
A faint tremor was in the woman’s voice.
“Yes. So why don’t we take off the masks and talk?”
As the man hesitated and seemed to reach for his mask, the woman raised her hand, stopping him.
“No…. It’s a deception. He still doesn’t call our names, not even a guess.”
“Was it a lie…”
The woman’s voice turned cold, while the man’s voice carried a tone of frustration.
Though I knew my lie would be easily uncovered, I wanted to observe these two’s reactions.
“Alright, I’ll admit it. I have no idea. Isn’t it strange to expect recognition while hiding your appearances?”
I gestured to my face.
“Do you perhaps know this face?”
If I had possessed this body, it might be someone the original owner— Ethnos prior to possession—knew.
“Missed the mark.”
“So it is. You slaughtered us, then forgot completely about it.”
Gritting her teeth, the woman took something out. It was a crossbow. The bolt in her other hand shone with an eerie light, etched with magic.
“Wait! I killed you? What are you talking about…?”
“You didn’t even give us another chance. You killed us and then just forgot. Hearing the words to hunt you initially was shocking but…”
Click.
The woman loaded the bolt into the crossbow, and her figure vanished instantly.
“If you can’t remember us, we may as well enjoy hunting you.”
“Ethnos!”
Arian swung her sword, guarding my rear from the incoming bolt.
Bang!
The bolt shone violet, exploding and sending Arian flying. She appeared startled by the power.
“How many enchantments… on a single bolt?!”
Arian’s armor, slightly dented, was scorched, frozen, and corroded. To do that to such a sturdy armor, the power was astounding.
But it wasn’t just the crossbow-wielding woman to be cautious of. Around the man’s lifted greatsword, an immense wind was gathering.
“Arian! Eldritch! Deploy barriers now!”
I recognized this magic. One of the highest-tier spells that disintegrates mere spells or miracles with its cutting storm: 〈Blade Tempest〉.
The tempest, enchanted and compacted into a single slash of the greatsword…
Boom!
It ground everything in its path to dust.