Part 2, Episode 153.
Rupalo’s Forest.
A place guarded by the spirit creature Rupalo, and the place most influenced by the World Tree.
That place was very different from usual.
The land that was once full of life was permeated with the aura of death, and instead of the fresh scent of grass, the smell of dead plants wafted through the air.
Saa-
The fairies that had been peeking their heads out seemed to feel a chill and did not show themselves.
It had to be seen that it could not be seen precisely.
Because all the fairies that showed themselves died.
Furthermore, the surviving fairies had also long since fled the forest.
It was not because they were relatively young fairies and therefore timid or lacked strength.
Hiss- whoosh-
A huge deer lying on the ground bleeding, gasping for breath.
It was because of Rupalo’s request.
I asked them to leave this place behind and survive. And to convey this news to everyone as much as possible.
‘So this moment… is coming…’
He, who had lived for a very long time to live eternally and was called a noble deer, instinctively knew.
I’m getting closer and closer to death.
I was not afraid of death.
Mortals fear death merely because they cannot escape it. Having already lived for a long time, Rupalo had no particular attachment to life.
but…….
‘… … I’m sorry. In the end, I couldn’t protect you, Elinel.’
Elinel, who sacrificed herself to fall into a long sleep, and the fact that I could not see her wake up.
The fact that I could not protect this place she tried to protect even at the cost of her life.
It was so heartbreaking.
Hiss… … Hiss… … .
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the grief was preventing the lifeline from being severed, at least for a moment.
At that moment, a dark shadow fell over Rupalo, who was struggling on the brink of life and death.
The shadow spoke as if feeling sorry for him.
[Noble Rupalo. The guardian of the great forest beloved by the World Tree. These titles are truly too undeserved for you. I didn’t know you were this weak… … No, have you become weak? Either way, it is a ridiculous sight.]
-… … You… … bastard.
Rupalo, who had barely managed to open his eyes and look up at the shadow, spoke with difficulty, glaring with bloodshot eyes.
-Why… … you are here now… … you… … surely to the nymphs… … .
[Why… … That’s a strange question. Isn’t it a natural strategy to strike first where the biggest variable will be?]
Come to think of it, it was strange.
Why would they go out of their way to raid the Nymph Village first when this is the closest place?
There are apostles there, and numerous nymphs.
If they were going to launch a surprise attack, targeting this spot would have been the most effective, so why go out of your way to take the difficult route?
I thought it was just a quick surprise attack to eliminate the leadership in advance, but it wasn’t.
To be precise, that was also correct, but there was another reason hidden.
“-Raiding that place… was… a bait. To prevent power from converging here… .
There is a World Tree in this place where he is standing.
And the nymphs and elves gain stronger power in proportion to the influence of the World Tree.
If they gather here, it couldn’t be more difficult for him.
Moreover, there were many things he wanted here.
-From the beginning… … this was the goal… … .
[Fine. Don’t feel wronged. The moment Lucia, that damn woman, was sealed away, it was already foreseen that things would turn out this way… … .]
The shadow that spoke like that… … .
No, Batan, the leader of the invaders, stopped speaking and fell silent.
He stared blankly into Rupalo’s eyes and shook his head.
[He’s dead.]
It was incredibly futile and unimpressive for the end of a noble spirit that lives forever.
Batan, who was bending his knees to close Rupalo’s eyes, suddenly frowned at the pain he felt in his left shoulder blade.
[It was foreseen… … .]
Then, repeating the words he was about to finish just moments ago, he let out a smirk.
It was a predetermined fate.
He was in such a terrible state that he couldn’t afford to make such bold claims.
That makes sense, because…
Drip. Drip.
Blood was dripping down because his arm had been severed below his left shoulder blade.
It wasn’t a wound caused by Rupalo.
The guy had become as weak as he could be, unable to display any full power except to boast of his sturdy stamina.
He touched his wound and muttered softly.
[Sword Saint… was it?]
A white-skinned woman with dark purple hair and eyes.
Exuding a mysterious aura where sharp, sword-like momentum and composure coexisted, her swordsmanship was as wondrous as her demeanor.
[To think an Apostle possesses this much power.]
The apostles we have seen so far have not posed any threat.
Even the guys called the kings of that lawless zone or whatever they are who sided with him, and the famous apostles summoned to Alloween’s mansion.
They only show off tricks enough to relieve boredom.
It didn’t even give the impression that one needed to be careful.
The final technique the blue-haired ice mage was about to use was somewhat interesting, but that was about it, and the fact that he could be killed at any time remained unchanged.
But she was different.
The moment I encountered her, the battle began immediately.
[One combination.]
The outcome was decided in a single exchange.
As a result, although he won, he lost an arm.
Just one exchange.
It was a loss too great for the result of a confrontation that was merely a fleeting moment in terms of time.
[To think you would counterattack in that fleeting moment. Truly wondrous swordsmanship.]
It was a great pity that an arm was blown off right before the ambassador’s speech, but he was not displeased.
[Lucia, it’s been a very long time since I’ve felt this way since that woman.]
Although it was a battle that lasted only a fleeting moment, she came to mind for a moment.
If an Apostle of this caliber had been allowed to participate in the war, it might have become a variable.
It should be considered fortunate that we can handle this here first.
and…….
That is why I was looking forward to it even more.
-Thank you, Batan. Thanks to you, this arrogant woman… … .
The second-in-command who was just sent to the nymph village as the most trusted subordinate.
The message I heard from her came to mind.
[Did you say Empress?]
A name I had heard often during the raid on the apostles.
And there was a name that always followed whenever that name was mentioned.
It is none other than the Sword Saint.
They are probably rivals.
Is that why? I was so curious.
[K-Kuh… I’m looking forward to it.]
When the most reliable ally—who was equal to this woman… or perhaps even greater—turned into an enemy.
[I wonder what kind of face he will show.]
* * *
It is chilly.
A silence like not a single mouse is scurrying around.
It was a word that was quite out of place on a battlefield where countless people were entangled in battle.
However, anyone here would not deny that expression.
Standing tall.
The Empress standing tall in place and the second-in-command ‘???’ with his hand on her shoulder.
Ding-
[Player ‘Empress’ has become a servant of ‘???’.]
And because the message that surfaced above it was plunging everyone into silence.
It didn’t take long for the silence to turn into astonishment.
“ah…….”
“This is crazy!”
“What the fuck!? Shit!!”
“No, f***, what the hell is going on!”
As if by prior agreement, all sorts of profanities burst out simultaneously.
Even though all of this was being broadcast, they did not calm down.
No, there was no need for that.
-crazy;;;
You said she became a paper? Then the Empress has sided with them?
Wait, weren’t you sure you could have ignored the debuff?
What? Why is this suddenly working?
-mccccccccccccc
-What happened? There wasn’t even a debuff trigger effect.
The broadcast chat window wasn’t much different, either.
All kinds of profanity and shocking chats were posted non-stop, making it difficult to even follow them with my eyes.
The Empress, who was the strongest ally, has become an enemy?
Given the achievements the Empress has demonstrated so far, this was undeniably shocking news.
The thing I don’t understand the most is why the debuff works, suddenly ignoring Rupalo’s blessing…
That question was quickly resolved.
[Rupalo’s Forest is occupied, and the power of hostile forces grows stronger.]
[You cannot enter Rupalo’s Forest.]
[The spirit creature, the noble deer ‘Rupalo’, has died, and the effect of ‘Rupalo’s Blessing’ is weakened.]
[You can no longer block the debuff from the hostile faction’s second-in-command, ‘???’.]
It was because of the system window that popped up a beat late.
“……what?”
“Rupalo died? Rupalo? You mean the Rupalo from the ‘Rupalo’s Horn Breaking’ content?”
I don’t understand how it got occupied, but why is Rupalo suddenly dying? I’ve never even met him.
“No, is that important right now? They said blocking debuffs doesn’t work anymore.”
“Fuck, screw me.”
And this inevitably resonated most deeply with the users on the scene, and naturally, it caused quite a stir.
At that time when everyone was confused.
Swaaaak-!!
There was someone who made judgments and acted faster than anyone else…
“Anger, arrow?”
“That’s……!”
It’s Harrington!
It was Harrington who was observing the situation from a distance.
Being the furthest removed from the scene allowed for the most objective judgment of the necessary actions.
Above all, his senses, fueled by the information obtained through his eagle eye, were speaking.
That now is the most likely moment to seize the victory.
No matter how strong the opponent is, if you shoot a surprise arrow while they are off guard like this, they are bound to be hit by the first shot.
How much more so if it is your own arrow, of all things!
You just need to work relentlessly during the time you’ve gained.
Tight-
“……?”
But the next moment.
Harrington couldn’t help but be stunned.
“……Got him?”
The arrow that had clearly been shot at the head was in her grasp.
I couldn’t believe it.
It must have flown in from a place the Empress couldn’t even see, so how could she possibly catch it?
However, there was no time to be impressed.
Whoosh- Shhh!!!
The moment she snatched it, the Empress used the recoil to spin her body and hurled an arrow right at me.
Oh no, I have to get out of here…!
Changing position immediately after shooting an arrow is a rule a sniper must strictly follow.
I let my guard down because the situation was so unexpected.
If you avoid it, it will be too late. In that case… … .
I’d rather shoot and hit the target.
If you are an archer of your level, that would be faster.
Harrington, having made his decision, immediately shot the next arrow.
The explosion caused by an arrow shot in fractions of a second, hitting the incoming arrow precisely, brilliantly adorned the sky.
Even after performing a feat that would put Robin Hood to shame, Harrington did not become arrogant.
Instead, he worked his hands non-stop while remaining extremely tense.
Pfft- Pfft!!
It was to quickly storm in and block approach since their location had been discovered.
His shooting is by far the best among archers.
I wondered if it was for nothing that he reigned as the only Archer Guild Master among the top 10, but arrows rained down ceaselessly at tremendous speed…
Whoosh, whoosh-
Taat!
The Empress, who had been charging forward while dodging everything with just a few footworks, leaped wildly across the ground.
Swaaaak-!
As if anticipating her leap, an arrow flew toward her forehead as she rose into the air, but she lightly snatched even that and threw it back.
Boom!
He threw it so hard that the arrow exploded in the blink of an eye.
I barely managed to dodge it, but the problem was that the explosive arrow fired just moments ago had a range and power three times greater than usual.
BANG!!
Harrington, having fallen victim to his own scheme, fell silent in an instant.
