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Chapter 115: Seeking the Wind

Just as the dragon flames flickered in the forest, sharp sword shadows continuously flashed from the very top of the decaying giant tree.

The elven girl was agile, each slice of her sword slicing through the tree monsters’ throats like a swift wind.

For humans, that was undeniably a fatal blow.

But with the backing of the Corrupted Tree Sea, these tree monsters, not even reaching Sequence 9, could heal their wounds in an instant, relentlessly charging at Nia, blocking her path without regard for cost.

After several confrontations, it was Nia who was continuously pushed back, moving farther from the center of the barrier carved from rotting wood.

Damn it! If only I could unleash that wind Roy created, these monsters would be a piece of cake!

The girl was burning with anxiety, her delicate brows furrowing as she desperately recalled that feeling from earlier.

Since leaving the Verdant Council, she had hit a bottleneck at Sequence 8.

It was only after resonating with Roy’s bloodline that she felt the first stirring of that bottleneck, a long-lost excitement for the advancement of her bloodline.

But that feeling was as elusive as wind and shadow; capturing it wasn’t so easy!

As Nia distractedly fought, she failed to dodge one of the tree monsters’ attacks, and it seized her by the waist, slamming her into the tree trunk.

In agony, the girl gritted her teeth, yet didn’t retaliate and stab the enemy’s head. But more tree monsters were already surging toward her.

It felt like being trapped in a suffocating cage flowing with decay and stench, thoroughly ensnaring the beautiful figure of the nightingale in the verdant forest.

Not good…

Is this really the end?

Amidst the dark, swirling decay, Nia gradually lost strength, her heart swelling with indescribable despair.

Until a sound, like a dragon’s roar, reverberated through the air, resonating in the boy’s heart.

At such a distance, she knew the boy’s attack wouldn’t help her at all.

But just realizing she was not fighting alone was enough to bolster Nia’s courage again.

“Heh, you’re working so hard; I can’t let you down!”

“Partner.”

The advancement principle of the Forest Elf is to seek the wind.

To pursue the wind she longed for.

Nia had always thought what she yearned for was freedom and adventure.

Until now, forced into a dire situation, reminiscing about her moments with the boy, she finally understood what she truly craved.

That worthless scoundrel, the mysterious boy, the reliable adventurer—her precious, unique partner.

Glowing green sparkles swayed from the darkness; in the next moment, sharp blades of wind burst forth, easily shredding the weak cage.

Nia fully entered Sequence 7, this time grasping the overwhelming flow of wind without Roy’s guidance.

The miasma dissipated, and the tree monsters began to wither.

The Corrupted Tree Sea seemingly sensed danger instinctively, hurriedly birthing more tree monsters to form a terrifying wall of flesh.

But all of it could no longer block the nightingale’s figure.

“Get lost!”

With a flash of dual swords, the wind rushed like green lightning, slicing through the air from above.

Severed limbs and broken bodies flew through the sky as the miasma subsided. At the very top of the rotting giant tree, the girl leaped like a falcon, swiftly descending, striking down with her emerald twin blades faster than a gale.

Like remnants of the wind.

When the girl landed again, the rotten magic circle finally shattered.

Meanwhile, beneath the tree canopy.

Roy, having exhausted all his strength, could no longer sustain the Evil Dragon Blood Armor and Dragon Tooth weapon, his aura had completely dropped back to Sequence 8.

Flames and smoke scattered with the wind as Sharon, who had been blasted beyond recognition, half-kneeled on the ground, still trying to prop herself up with the half of her body that remained, defiantly forcing a sneer at Roy.

“Filthy, despicable blood of the False King! Do you really think you can overcome the great power of the Mother Deity?!”

“You used all your might just to defeat me once, but the life bestowed upon me by the Great Mother is endless!”

“Repent for your foolishness!”

Sharon, grinning wickedly, extended her remaining arm to conjure a broken giant hand of a tree monster, reaching for Roy.

But Roy merely stood there calmly, facing her coldly, completely unafraid.

In the next instant, at the top of the tree, the wind whistled ominously.

Just as the giant hand was about to strike, Sharon’s arm turned to ash, and the gigantic hand crumbled like a paper facade.

“Your ‘endlessness’ doesn’t seem so endless after all,” Roy said with a light chuckle, matching the speed of the wind.

He knew Nia wouldn’t let him down.

The black-haired boy turned and left, not sparing a glance, leaving only his back to Sharon.

Anger or despair, at this point, a dying person could no longer interest Roy in the slightest.

“No!!!”

In disbelief, Sharon shrieked hysterically as the barrier broke, foul-smelling sludge streaming down her eyes.

The cultists’ priest wildly lunged at Roy, but before he could take a step, he shattered and fell to the ground, writhing in agony until he turned to ashes and scattered with the wind.

In the distance, Douglas led a group of students battling against the cultists. Just as they were on the verge of defeat, they saw the miasma visibly dissipating, and those enemies who could regenerate lost limbs began to collapse like sand washed away by water.

“No! Mother!”

“Our sanctuary has been destroyed!”

“I can’t feel Mother’s power anymore!”

The cultists wailed, clutching their heads, voices filled with despair.

Then, countless giant eagles bearing the academy’s teachers descended, launching a fierce counterattack.

The moment the barrier was destroyed, the vines and branches outside the secret realm ceased to function.

The waiting rescue team surged in, led by the rangers, quickly coming to the rescue.

Douglas, who had survived the ordeal, gazed at the receding miasma in the distance, letting out a long sigh of relief.

“They did it.”

At that moment, Roy finally collided into the girl who was rushing downward.

“Roy, I did it…!”

The elven girl was about to joyfully rush towards him, but seeing the boy’s battered figure made her freeze, her eyes watering.

All of Roy’s right arm was charred black, drooping due to broken bones, and his face looked emaciated from the miasma’s corrosion.

She couldn’t imagine how ferocious the battle he’d endured was.

But Roy, himself, showed a hint of relief, stepping forward to grasp Nia’s hand.

“It’s all over, let’s go!”

“Mm!”

Nia wiped away her tears and smiled brightly, gripping the boy’s hand tightly, matching his pace.

The enormous rotting tree was part of the barrier; now that it was broken, its collapse was only a matter of time.

The two didn’t dare linger, for if they defeated their opponents but fell from the tree and died, it would be quite the joke.

But just then, the giant tree trembled violently, and Roy almost slipped and fell. Thankfully, Nia was quick, yanking him back.

That pull sent Roy crashing into her arms.

However, Roy couldn’t focus on enjoying the girl’s softness.

He gazed down at the massive creatures surging beneath the tree, a look of gravity crossing his face.

“We’re in big trouble…”

 

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