novelraw Chapter 175 : Chapter 175
Chapter 175 : Chapter 175
Chapter 175
After the battle, Killian spent a few days resting.
And now, he was visiting Yggdrasil again, guided by Rundel, who had also recovered at the temple.
“……”
The giant tree had withered as if it had lost its life.
From its roots to its trunk, it was completely dry and riddled with cracks, and no energy could be felt from its surface, which had once held the power of nature for ages.
“I have brought Killian Eurasia and Hazard.”
Rundel, who had been guiding them, stopped and said.
“You've come.”
The Queen greeted them, her gaze still fixed on the Divine Tree.
The leaves that once lushly covered the sky had turned a dark gray and were falling limply.
‘It's completely dead.’
The vibrant grass that covered the earth had withered yellow, and the surrounding nature had turned cold as if it had met its death.
‘It must be the effect of Silvana's annihilation.’
Yggdrasil was a living being in the form of a tree, imbued with Silvana's will.
Her Divine Power had always exerted its influence, preventing trivial things from approaching.
Before Yggdrasil was tainted by the piece of Grotesquery, no plagues spread in Elvenheim, which was why it was able to form the largest forest across the Continent and the Frontier.
Unlike the calm Queen, Rundel's expression was dark as he watched her.
It was likely because he thought that at this rate, Ashirian's influence over Elvenheim would diminish.
“In trying to gain a god, I've lost the Divine Tree I had.”
Despite her lamenting words, Ashirian's face looked relieved.
Rundel carefully opened his mouth.
“I will summon Koran. With him, two of the tribes will turn back to our side.”
He meant that since relations with the Black Moon Tribe had also improved, they could solidify friendly ties with the five tribes, but.
“Koran is the guardian who protects Elvenheim's front lines. If he leaves his post, the Empire will notice something is amiss.”
The Queen asserted that if that happened, a war with the outside would begin before they could resolve their internal affairs.
“This is for the better.”
She caressed the surface of the withered Yggdrasil.
“The kings of the elves have synchronized with Yggdrasil for generations. The former king called it a tradition, and my mother called it our unique culture.”
“Your Majesty.”
“I.”
Cutting off Rundel, she stared quietly at her Guardian.
“I intend to change that old custom.”
“It's dangerous.”
“The other tribes will not acknowledge it. Is that what you wish to say?”
“……”
“There was a time when I thought so as well.”
For the harmony of Elvenheim, I must not cause division.
On a small scale, I must preserve the Fairy Forest where the royalty resides, and on a larger scale, the nature throughout Elvenheim that is connected to Yggdrasil.
For that reason, I had the obsession that I must synchronize with Yggdrasil.
“Not anymore.”
Her gaze turned to Killian and Hazard, who was beside him.
“As the Queen of Elvenheim and the head of the elven race, I propose this. Elvenheim wishes to form an alliance with Eurasia.”
“Ashirian!”
A flustered Rundel uttered her name.
The Queen continued, paying him no mind.
“A superhuman who will soon reach 8-stars and the extinct dragon that follows him. It seems fitting to have them bring a new wind to Elvenheim in place of the lost Divine Tree.”
[Krrrung?]
Hazard, unaware of the gravity of the situation, tilted his head.
He just rubbed his chin against Ashirian's hand as he always did.
She showed a gentle smile at Hazard's consistent behavior.
“Fourth Young Master and Annihilation Squad Leader. You should have the authority to make such a decision.”
A situation where she not only lost the Divine Tree and was shocked herself, but a civil war might also break out from the aftermath.
And in such a moment, a queen declares she will join hands with a newly established kingdom at war with the Empire.
‘Is she ignorant of the ways of the world, or is she truly confident of her chances of winning?’
Either way, it was clear she had chosen a difficult path.
Therefore.
Killian also had no choice but to firm up a decision.
“Even if you say that after losing the Divine Tree, the other tribes will find it hard to accept.”
“Hoh. Are you saying you will reject my proposal?”
Her eyebrows furrowed, perhaps because she thought Killian would jump at the offer.
Killian shook his head.
“Wouldn't there be a better option for both of us?”
“……?”
A question appeared on the Queen's face.
Sreung.
Killian silently drew Aether.
Holding the sword that had cut down a transcendent being twice, he stopped in front of Yggdrasil.
Tzzzzzz.
Green mana rose up over Aether's blade.
Not mana mediated through someone else like before, but his own innate mana drawn from his Mana Heart.
“Don't tell me……”
Rundel, having realized Killian's intentions, let out a flustered voice.
‘Yes. It would be impossible by common sense.’
He was a knight who had reached 8-stars.
Since he couldn't fully manifest a Divine Tree and had to accept a new one, it was understandable for him to react that way.
However.
‘This is a sword that cut down the will of a god.’
The one who wields that sword is the knight who synchronized with Yggdrasil and cut down the god's will directly.
Is that all?
‘I even cut down the piece of Grotesquery where multiple curses were fused.’
There are classes of swords, too.
It was already worthy of being called a masterpiece, but the current Aether held a value beyond that.
If given to Serena, who had refined an elven Mana Heart, she would be able to complete her Carpe Illusion, and perhaps even overcome the wall in a single stroke.
The sword, made by a Eurasia artisan and improved by Pyrope, had reached a new level before he knew it.
‘I'm sorry, Aether.’
The masterpiece that had led his growth since Cheonghwageom.
It seemed the time had come to let it go.
Wuuuuung.
Wuuuuung.
Was it because of the mana poured in to the extreme?
As if responding to Killian's heart, Aether let out a sword cry.
“What are you……”
Before the Queen could say anything.
Kwajik!
Killian plunged Aether into the trunk of Yggdrasil.
Kwarurururu.
He poured in all of his recovered mana.
It was when the green mana had completely enveloped Yggdrasil.
“Carpe Illusion.”
He manifested a new domain with the dead Yggdrasil as a medium.
“Yggdrasil.”
Hwaaaak.
The surrounding environment was newly reconstructed.
There stood a complete Yggdrasil, manifested through Carpe Illusion.
The trunk regained its vitality and shone green, and the bark held the flow of nature.
The crack-free surface was smooth and felt warm, and a sacred energy bloomed from within.
‘Mana has the power to manifest imagination into reality.’
People call that an Authority.
Violet mana leaking from the pendant raised a tower.
It's the same as a blacksmith making a sword.
The sword is the medium, and mana is the fire that heats the iron.
The Total Solar Eclipse and the Violet Magic Tower would serve as the hammer blows for the forging.
An orb made of blue mana rose into the sky.
The orb circled around as if blessing the tree.
Watching the scene, Killian was lost in thought for a moment.
‘In the past, the probability of success would have been higher.’
The days when he was called the God-Slayer.
Back then, he had a complete Mana Heart.
Although its power would be different from that of the Gods, it wouldn't have been difficult to imitate a single Authority.
On the other hand, his current Mana Heart and body were incomplete.
Because of that, he couldn't even use a single Authority properly, and he hadn't yet reached 8-stars.
However, in this moment, he needed to overcome all of that.
His understanding of Authorities hadn't changed.
And he had newly gained a dragon partner named Hazard.
“Hazard, pour your Divine Power into Yggdrasil.”
[Yong!]
Hazard clung to Yggdrasil and sank his teeth and claws into it.
Sssss.
Unlike when they had cornered Silvana, this time, Divine Power was being injected into Yggdrasil.
Hwareureuk.
Mana flared in both of Killian's eyes.
The Violet Magic Tower poured out nearly infinite mana, and the Total Solar Eclipse regulated it.
Hazard put Divine Power into Yggdrasil.
Everything proceeded naturally, as if in harmony.
After a few minutes had passed like that.
Yggdrasil looked as if it had lost its form.
Silvana's Authority is ‘Life.’
To imitate it, a more certain medium is needed.
Killian took out a seed from his bosom.
The seed the Queen had given him as a gift before.
‘I brought it just in case, and I'm using it like this.’
He pushed the seed into the crack created by Aether.
It would be a decent environment for a new life to take root.
Jjeojeok.
A crack appeared on Aether.
Killian quietly poured in mana.
Jjeojeojeojeok.
The cracks on the sword grew more severe.
“Thank you for everything until now.”
Hwaaaak.
The illusion becomes reality.
Tiring.
[The ‘Violet Magic Tower’ senses a great power.]
[Manifestation of the ‘Authority of Life’ is confirmed.]
A wave of exhaustion washed over him from the backlash of manifesting an Authority.
“Farewell, Aether.”
With the remnants of the broken Aether embedding themselves into Yggdrasil as the final act.
The Carpe Illusion was released.
“What in the world……”
Ashirian stared at the revived Divine Tree with an astonished face.
Completely different from a moment ago, Yggdrasil's leaves were now once again holding light.
Each leaf was filled with green mana, and its light shone softly, brightly illuminating the surroundings.
The wave of mana emanating from the entire tree was calm yet powerful, enveloping the forest, and thanks to it, the tree stood firm like a central axis supporting the earth.
“You really did it.”
Rundel exclaimed in admiration as he savored the mana flowing down between the leaves.
He didn't just imitate it; he completely revived it to its original form.
“How many times do you intend to surprise me?”
Ashirian tried to grasp the mystical aura emanating from Yggdrasil in her hand.
It's vivid.
‘Even my brother Pale is incapable of such an Authority.’
Not just herself, the current Queen, but even looking back at all the past kings of the elven race, there was no one who could achieve this level of synchronization.
A conversation with the God Silvana would be impossible, but she had already decided to walk an independent path.
‘I have settled my personal grudge.’
The piece of Grotesquery that made me cut down the former king.
Although I couldn't deal with it myself, the thing was certainly annihilated.
Also, since I could avoid immediate internal strife, the gains were greater than the losses.
“This seems sufficient as a gift for an alliance.”
She said in a trembling voice.
It was when she was worrying that Killian Eurasia might have a change of heart and propose new conditions.
“……?”
Killian's condition was strange.
Uncontrolled mana rose from his body.
Tri-colored mana.
Across the entire continent, Killian Eurasia was likely the only one to have awakened such a variety of mana colors.
“Have you fallen into Oblivio again?”
Without an answer, Killian, with a dazed look in his eyes, showed he couldn't control his mana.
Even Hazard, who had injected Divine Power in the process, had lost consciousness from exhausting a considerable amount of his energy.
It wouldn't be strange even if Killian, who had orchestrated the entire process himself, went berserk.
“What a troublesome human.”
Contrary to her cold words, she gently raised her mana.
Since she didn't feel the energy of a Grotesquery like before, she would be able to handle him without difficulty if she joined forces with Rundel.
“He's accomplished a great feat, so this much is……”
Before she could finish her words.
Kugugugung.
Haki raged throughout the area.
“Step back.”
The approaching Rundel formed a Sword Membrane to protect her.
The Sword Membrane created by Elvenheim's Guardian was shaken.
A peculiar light appeared in her eyes.
“Rundel, could this be……”
“It seems to be as Your Majesty thinks.”
Unlike the crushing pressure, a smile formed on Rundel's lips.
“He's finally reached it.”
He opened his mouth as he watched Killian struggling to control the immense mana.
“An 8-star knight now, is he?”