novelraw Chapter 154 : Growth
Chapter 154 : Growth
Chapter 154: Growth
Sigbard blocked the way ahead.
While Aelin fired her arrows, Serena manifested a spirit.
A bear formed of stone took shape.
Robin knocked aside the roots lunging from the left and carefully observed the Demon Tribe member.
“Humans dare to……!”
His face showed no small amount of embarrassment.
It seemed he had not expected them not only to block his magic but to counterattack as well.
“Right. It should at least be this much.”
Both the arrows aimed at the Demon Tribe member and Serena’s spirit were blocked by the tree.
It was far more troublesome than when they had seen it before.
‘So what it showed back then wasn’t everything after all.’
Even just enveloping the wide clearing had already been on par with formidable Monsters.
But now, attack techniques they hadn’t seen before had been added.
His eyes met the grotesque face carved into the tree trunk.
The bizarre mouth split wide open, and a cluster of light gathered within it.
‘That’s dangerous.’
A yellow glow burst forth, cutting through the rotting branches.
“Behind me!”
Before the light flashed, what he heard was Sigbard’s voice.
Aelin and Serena had already been behind Sigbard.
Robin barely managed to take his position.
Light poured toward Sigbard, who stood at the very front.
Kwaaaaaa!
The rod, spun too fast to be seen, became a circular shield.
Using Sigbard at the lead as a shield, the three of them lowered their bodies.
The scorching light that swept past both sides made it hard to breathe.
If there was such a thing as a dragon’s breath, would it feel like this?
After a single storm had passed.
Ssssss.
Aelin took out a potion and threw it to Sigbard.
Crash.
The potion from the shattered bottle seeped into his reddened flesh.
Robin immediately sprang forward and poured all the Fighting Spirit he could muster into his sword.
A sharp edge, as if it could cut down anything that stood in its way, gathered upon the blade.
The Fighting Spirit extended long from the tip of the sword and split the tree apart.
Robin slashed at the trunk.
“Kikikikikik.”
He had clearly cut it.
Yet from the cleanly severed cross-section, thorn-like stems shot out and grabbed the falling trunk.
Tzuzuzuzup.
Then the tree roots all stabbed into the ground at once, and the surrounding plants withered in an instant.
Through the writhing roots, it was plainly visible that it was recovering.
“Quite useful, but foolish, human swordsman.”
The Demon Tribe member lowered his finger as if looking at a trivial insect.
A sphere formed of demonic energy shot toward Robin like an arrow.
“Khung!”
A bear the size of an ogre swung its forepaw.
With power that would leave no bones intact if struck directly, the black sphere burst apart.
“Sigbard! Can you move?”
“I’m fine.”
Thanks to Aelin, Sigbard regained his strength.
In a brief moment, several exchanges of offense and defense had taken place, and the result was a draw.
Both sides had revealed their cards, yet the Demon Tribe member clearly looked flustered, as if he had not anticipated this situation.
And the same went for Robin.
He had intended to finish it in one stroke, but the tree had not fallen.
‘Still, it’s not bad.’
Despite being struck by that monstrous light, all four of them were unharmed.
Everyone here bore no small grudge against the Demon Tribe.
Their will to eliminate the one before them showed no sign of breaking.
“Kikikiki.”
The twisted face of the tree let out a displeasing laugh.
Judging by its appearance and destructive power, it was not something easily forgotten.
Yet the fact that nothing was known about it meant one of two things.
It had killed everyone it encountered.
Or it had appeared recently.
Since even Serena was seeing it for the first time, the latter was more likely.
“Higher level than expected, but the amusement ends here.”
A magic circle rose above the Demon Tribe member’s head.
It looked as if he were preparing one massive strike.
Slice.
The Demon Tribe member’s hand was cleanly severed.
Before he could even feel pain, a fire arrow embedded itself into the tree trunk.
And precisely into its eye.
“Kiiiieee!”
Aelin’s arrows did not stop, embedding themselves into the creature’s face.
The burning arrowheads were thanks to Serena’s support.
Serena did not stop there and ravaged the Demon Tribe member with Wind Blades.
The reason the Demon Tribe member panicked was that he could not see where the attacks were coming from.
Realizing that the tree Monster served as his shield, Serena summoned small spirits all around.
“Kuuugh!”
Perhaps not expecting such attacks, the Demon Tribe member hurriedly retreated.
“What? Did you think you’d win easily?”
She even wrapped his face in water, blocking his breathing.
The bear’s forepaw battered the tree, and the fire attached to the arrows showed no sign of going out.
The Wind Blades persistently chased him, and the water that sealed his breathing as if placing a fishbowl over him made him flail.
At the same time, even while handling four attributes simultaneously, Serena showed no sign of strain.
“I will join as well.”
As their offensive weakened, Sigbard caught his breath.
Rather than merely blocking in place, he struck away the roots embedded in the ground as he advanced.
Reaching the trunk, he struck it with the rod gripped in both hands.
Each time the rod hit, the tree let out cracking sounds and was roughly gouged.
‘He’s not using that breath-like technique anymore.’
Watching from a short distance, Robin judged it was about time to finish it.
He felt an intuition that this was an opportunity to raise his level.
Half out of doubt.
Half determined to follow his intuition, his lips moved.
Before a beast like a towering mountain
Footsteps that summon a typhoon
Insignificant, tiny me
Fear thickly laid down
Even so, I face it
After a thousand suns set
Beside ten thousand deaths
My weapon honed and honed
With the tip of a sword bearing my longing
Even mountains shall be cleaved
Unlike the Fighting Spirit he had used thus far, a clear energy enveloped his entire body.
At this moment, all his senses were directed at the enemy.
The energy carried upon his sword was pure like transparent eyes.
It was the very essence of Robin, built up from the ground.
‘Thrust.’
The moment his eyes met the Demon Tribe member’s.
The creature was seized by fear.
It hurriedly moved the tree Monster to block.
But Robin’s sword extended without hesitation toward its heart.
“A, no…….”
Thud.
Though they were thirty meters apart, the Demon Tribe member’s heart vanished.
The tree that had blocked before him was likewise pierced through the glabella and convulsed.
“Ki… kikikikik…….”
The grotesque laughter faded.
Bang.
Centered on the spot where the sword had passed, a massive hole was torn open.
The struck area had originally been no wider than a palm, but the hole expanded enough to cover the entire upper body.
The Demon Tribe member’s chest vanished, separating his head and arms from his lower body.
The tree Monster’s face disappeared as well.
Thud, thud.
The creature’s corpse and the tree branches fell limply.
The tree Monster showed signs of trying to recover, but Sigbard smashed all the roots.
As the bear summoned by Serena relentlessly battered the trunk, the tree soon ceased moving.
“One must be sure to finish them off.”
Serena sent back the manifested spirit and planted her staff into the ground.
She drew in a deep breath, and a minute of silence followed.
The ground split open, and the roots that had been embedded rose up.
“Not an easy one.”
The roots still writhed like living octopi.
After gathering them together so that not even a single one could escape.
She burned them all as if heating a massive iron pan.
Perhaps because she had wrapped the edges with water to prevent the fire from spreading.
Judging by the sweat running down her face, she was clearly expending a great deal of strength.
Fwoooosh.
Acrid smoke billowed up in thick clouds, and it took thirty minutes for everything to burn to ashes.
There was no intention whatsoever of taking anything from the corpses.
All of them agreed that burning everything on the spot was the best course of action.
The ground was left as nothing but a heap of ashes, with nothing more to burn.
“Everyone, good work.”
They had won the battle against the Demon Tribe.
They had seen Demon Tribe members in Evendel before, but it had not been a proper battle.
It had been three years since they had fought one that fully utilized demonic energy.
Robin felt proud that there were no seriously injured among them.
It was proof that what they had done until now had not been in vain.
“Let’s rest nearby tonight. We’ll depart at dawn.”
Before they realized it, night had fallen.
They needed rest to recover from their fatigue.
The smell of burning filled the area, but no one objected.
“It was an exhilarating fight for the first time in a while.”
“You seem to have gotten hurt taking attacks for us. Are you alright?”
“More or less.”
“Let’s relocate before we reorganize.”
‘At least it won’t be something we can just pass by.’
What had been a dense jungle had turned desolate.
Aelin had marked the location on the map since they planned to return later, but there was no longer any need for that.
Anyone passing by would inevitably be drawn to it out of curiosity.
“Serena, can’t you clear the burning smell with the wind?”
“Not right now.”
The murderous ferocity she had shown toward the Demon Tribe had vanished as if it had been a lie.
Robin exchanged words as though it were a peaceful everyday scene.
Yet there was someone watching the four of them.
“Aelin? What’s wrong?”
The Elf’s keen senses detected a faint presence, but the observer had already disappeared.
“It feels like someone was watching us…….”
As Aelin looked around, she discovered something.
“Huh? Delinger?”
Having found an unexpected survivor, Aelin dismissed the earlier sensation as her imagination.
A residence comparable to that of a High Noble.
Unlike human buildings, it carried an atmosphere reminiscent of death.
Inside the mansion that resembled a single enormous corpse, a Demon Tribe member was eating.
“Ghk! Ghhk!”
He placed a hand on the forehead of a living human.
In an instant, the human shriveled like a mummy.
It took five seconds for all vitality to be drained and for death to come.
The Demon Tribe member repeated the same act three times before stopping.
Knock, knock.
At the polite sound of knocking, the Demon Tribe member spoke.
“Enter.”
A woman entered who looked no different from a human, save for her purple skin and horns.
She bowed toward her master who had finished his meal and waited until he said she could speak.
“What is it.”
“There is something I must report.”
“Go on.”
With her hands clasped behind her back, the woman began.
“Balmora is dead.”
“So he left the Demon Realm. Did someone bearing a grudge attack him?”
“No. The one who killed Balmora was a human.”
The master tilted his chin as if amused.
“He went out with Trizan, but they were defeated by a team of four.”
“Oh, poor Trizan! I rather enjoyed watching humans impaled on those roots.”
Contrary to his words of pity, his voice was filled with laughter.
“Those humans. They must have been quite skilled?”
“The team consisted of two humans, a Barbarian, and an Elf.”
“The Elf aside. A Barbarian?”
“Yes. A Barbarian who uses a rod as his primary weapon.”
The master rose from his seat and walked toward the window.
The Demon Realm, where not a single blade of grass grew, came into view.
“A Barbarian who uses a rod…….”
“It seems Balmora found the Remnant of the Calamity.”
Though the woman’s voice was serious, the master burst into laughter.
“The Remnant of the Calamity. To believe in that. Balmora may have been young, but was he truly that foolish?”
“Among the younger Demon Tribe members, it is spreading like a trend.”
“And what would they even do by finding such a thing? I cannot understand it.”
“I agree.”
The woman remained silent until her master’s laughter subsided.
“Is that all? That was entertaining.”
“There is one more matter… regarding the human swordsman.”
The master gazed outside while lifting a glass.
He gulped down the dark crimson liquid.
“It appeared as though he had inherited that man’s swordsmanship.”
“That man?”
The woman turned her head toward him, trembling.
She tried to maintain composure, but the trembling would not cease.
“Surely you are not referring to that twin-sword technique.”
“Yes. I dare say it closely resembled his technique.”
Thud.
Setting down the glass, the master asked,
“The human swordsman. What is his name?”
“Robin. That is what his companions called him.”
The master rubbed his shoulder.
His wing joint throbbed.
“I see. Where is this swordsman now?”
“He likely went to Narvik.”
“Interesting.”
The master approached the woman and placed a finger on her forehead.
A high-purity demonic energy was transmitted into her.
“Give your command.”
“No. We must not touch the humans within the Empire; we have a treaty, after all.”
At his words, the woman closed her mouth.
“It would be best if you did not overstep on my behalf, if you wish to live.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“You may leave.”
The woman bowed respectfully and stepped back.
Just before closing the door.
The master called to her.
“If you discover that human again, inform me.”
The woman subtly lifted the corner of her lips.
“As you command, Lord Werther.”
Left alone, Werther recalled three years ago.
The day his wing had been severed by a one-eyed Mercenary.
For a brief moment, the memory resurfaced, and his body trembled.
“Revenge, is it. I do hope that feeling has not changed.”
Feeling a rare thrill.
Werther slowly savored the moment.