Chapter 280
“…Well, this is something. It is exhausting to know the place so well.”
Standing face-to-face with the two supreme spirits, Neron lightly ran his hand through his hair.
The composure that had filled his expression was no longer visible.
With his eyes changing color, he looked at the spirits and spoke.
“Is it something like, ‘Primordial beings are bound together’?”
“Bound together? What are you talking about?”
“You’re kidding.”
Ariel and Nereis responded with snorts.
Hanbit was well aware that the two did not get along well.
The very fact that they were joining forces like this was a highly unusual situation.
“Nereis, since you are a bit freer, give it a try.”
“Of course. Ariel even begged me desperately, so I should do my best.”
“Who was desperate? I have no idea.”
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Even as they exchanged words, the powers of wind and water were mingling in the surrounding space.
Glancing at this, Neron lightly spread his arms and spoke.
“…Well, whatever. I’ll take you on until the cleaning is finished.”
*Crack!*
Instantly, dark red sparks shot up from the demon’s body.
It was a power that seemed life-threatening with just a graze.
“You go. There are still monsters swarming around.”
Aerial, blocking the path, guided everyone, including Hanbit, outside.
“I have to take that child with me, too.”
*Whoosh!*
Just then, a stream of water shot straight ahead and surged sharply.
*Pow!*
With a distinct noise, the water pierced something.
What gradually emerged from the air was the palm-sized black sphere that had trapped Elencia.
*Whoosh!*
*Snip!
* At the same time, a swirling wind enveloped the sphere.
Pulled toward the table, it split in mid-air and returned to its original size.
“Ugh!”
Elencia fell from inside it.
Despite the suddenness of the situation, she maintained her balance and landed cleanly.
“Elencia!”
The King, who had been in a daze, quickly gathered around her.
The way he checked to see if they were alright was no different from any other parent.
“Doing something meaningless… You certainly enjoy wasting time.”
Even as Elencia was being taken away, Nerion took no action.
This was not due to complacency or carelessness, but the result of focusing on the spirits.
“I’ll see if it’s meaningless. You all go now.”
*Swoosh*
—Aerial erected a barrier-like wall with wind.
“Let’s go.”
At Hanbit’s words, everyone moved outside.
He, too, left his final words and followed behind them.
“I entrust this to you.”
***
*Pow!
* *Rumble!*
The moon emitted a purple light from the kingdom’s black sky.
Beneath it, hell was unfolding.
“Aaaargh!”
“Please save me!”
Monsters that had leaked in from the demon realm smashed and killed everything in their path.
Even though Ivela’s magic had fallen across the entire region, their numbers were endless.
The strength of the soldiers and adventurers was insufficient.
[Evil Goblin (Lv. 931)]
[Evil Red Wolf (Lv. 935)]
[Evil Serpent (Lv. 938)]
The types of monsters inhabiting the Demon Realm were not significantly different from those on the surface.
However, their appearance, mixed with the darkness of evil, and their power were incomparable.
“This is unbelievable…!”
Faced with the horrific sight, the King raged in a trembling voice.
The tragedy he had intended to end with his own sacrifice
was leading to the kingdom's destruction without any foresight.
“I could kill them.”
Elencia, standing beside him, spoke while tearing the bottom of her long skirt.
Of course, monsters deserved to be killed, but the situation was not that simple.
'The location is exactly the same.'
A long black area stretched across the wall near the castle gate.
It was a rift connecting to the Demon Realm.
All the monsters were pouring out from there.
[Special Quest]
Demons and evil monsters have appeared in the Kingdom of Librey.
You must eliminate the enemies and close the rift in the open realm.
Objective: Defend the Kingdom of Librey from the onslaught of evil.
Reward: Lucky Reward Box (Level 6)
. The message popped up the moment I stepped outside.
It was a single objective, without any chain of quests.
Just looking at the reward box being set to Level 6, I knew just how absurdly strong the enemies were.
“This is going to be tough.”
Ivela, who had already used area-of-effect magic once, wore a grim expression.
Although she had made various adjustments to prevent civilian casualties, the number of monsters had only increased.
Moreover, since the monsters scattered across the entire area varied in size, it was difficult to target them all at once.
“Let’s minimize the damage for now.”
Ta-ta!
Leaping up on the wind, Hanbit looked down at the royal capital from a high vantage point.
Since he already knew the structure, taking his next move was instantaneous.
Quadru-du-du!
The trunks and vines of the World Tree soared from the ground across the entire area.
They intertwined, engulfing the interior of the kingdom.
The scale was overwhelming, enough to deplete more than half of the life force accumulated over 24 hours.
'It’s difficult, but…'
Hanbit quickly scanned the area.
Concentrating more than ever, he used the power of another World Tree.
Ssss—
Green leaves began to bloom from the trunks and vines covering the kingdom.
As they quickly took on a complete form, changes immediately appeared around the area.
Thump—
The ground touching the trunk instantly became desolate, as if losing its vitality.
The monsters standing on it were affected just as well.
Crunch—
the creatures began to shrivel, making grotesque sounds.
It was the power to drain life force, one of the World Tree's powers.
Although it had the drawback of indiscriminately affecting allies and enemies, there was no civilian casualty thanks to the well-designed placement of the trunk and vines.
The life energy that had been completely depleted also naturally began to replenish.
[Experience points increased by 46,300,000.]
[Experience points increased by 47,100,000.]
[Experience points increased by 47,600,000.]
… … .
Monsters throughout the kingdom died in bizarre ways.
The sight was shocking in many ways.
“Monsters…!”
“I didn’t know that was possible.”
“It really is the power of the World Tree.”
People reacted in their own ways.
Intense hope filled the King’s eyes.
However, given the purpose was to prevent indiscriminate slaughter, there were many places beyond the reach of their power.
Hanbit, having descended, turned his gaze and spoke.
“The power of the spirits should be effective, so please have Luna and Rafina handle the monsters inside the kingdom. The spirits can locate the positions of their weak points, the heart and the core, so please keep that in mind. Since even a graze can be fatal, please avoid attacks as much as possible. It would be best to make good use of the power of ice.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“Understood.”
The two kicked up their legs and rushed out first.
Hanbit turned his gaze to look at Ivela, who was concentrating while gripping her staff.
She spoke first, as if she already knew.
“You mean I have to stop that?”
The black area on the wall where Ivela’s gaze fell.
No matter how many monsters they killed here, it would be meaningless if they couldn’t stop that.
Bang!
Crash!
The meteor she used had some effect.
However, considering mana efficiency, it wasn’t a good method.
“Set up traps using spatial magic. It would be better to immobilize them rather than kill them.”
“That’s not difficult, so what do you plan to do?”
Ivela, having immediately changed her magic, asked Hanbit.
There was only one thing to do right now.
“I must close the gap. I should be able to link it with that fight.”
Whoosh—!
Crash—!
A massive battle was raging in the skies above the royal castle, which had collapsed before anyone realized it.
Hundreds of streams of water and curtains, swirling in the wind, covered the sky, and dark red lightning flashed as if to shatter them.
It was a power that eliminated any attempt to approach from the surroundings.
“What can I do?”
Elencia, who had looked as though she were about to rush out at any moment, approached Hanbit.
The strong trust reflected in her eyes.
It was only natural, having witnessed his exploits on Feria Island firsthand.
“The qualification we saw in the clue must refer strictly to someone with demonic blood. And there is no rule saying that the key can only be used at the official entrance.”
“The key……”
Elencia took out the key and clutched it tightly.
The only way to resolve this situation.
Raising her head, she met Hanbit's gaze.
"I don't care if my life is in danger. I'll do anything."
"…Elencia."
At her extreme fervor, the King reached out to dissuade her.
But she had no intention of letting that happen.
"It's fine. I'll move with you."
Turning her gaze, Hanbit surveyed the interior of the royal capital, which was covered in vines. The once-
steady towers had all broken and collapsed, leaving the scene in complete chaos.
However, a target was clearly visible in the gap that appeared in the distance.
'I found it.'
A blue crystal clock that maintained its shape despite being buried under the rubble.
The target was the demonic artifact residing within it.
“Your Majesty, could you direct the guidance of the wounded and survivors?”
“Of course. I will gather them into the underground space. Please… take good care of Elencia.”
Knowing his own powerlessness well, the King decided to focus on his assigned role.
At this rate, he was in danger of losing both his daughter and his kingdom.
“Understood. Ibella, I leave it to you.”
“Leave it to me.”
Ta-da!
Leaving the two behind, Hanbit ran toward the vines with Elencia.
Even as they moved their feet quickly, a monster appeared.
“Aaaargh!”
“Mom!”
An orc squeezed through the gap and attempted to swing its axe at the mother and daughter lying on the ground.
However, the motion failed to connect properly.
Thud!
Hanbit’s rushing sword pierced the orc’s heart precisely.
It was thanks to the activated wind rift that it had opened a path to a weak point.
Although the skin was quite difficult to pierce, it could be killed with a single blow if precision was pushed to its limit.
Though, it would likely be difficult if the battle turned into a melee.
“Are you alright?”
“Huh? Princess…!”
The girl’s eyes widened upon spotting Elencia’s face.
Tears welling up in her eyes were still streaming down.
Turning her gaze away, she helped the fallen child’s mother to her feet and said,
“His Majesty’s rescue team is over there. Please hurry.”
“Thank you!”
The mother grabbed her child’s hand and hurried away.
Watching this, Elencia clenched her fist tightly and looked away.
“I need to finish this quickly.”
“Let’s hurry.”
Ta-da!
Pushing off once again, the two continued to advance, traversing the vines.
They poured their concentration nearing their limits to finish off the monsters that appeared intermittently with a single blow.
And finally, they reached their target.
Swoosh—
Hanbit lowered his stance and lifted a watch from beneath the debris.
Then, grasping the back, he skillfully began to dismantle it.
Not only was it indestructible, but due to its unique structure, it was an object that could not be opened without following the proper sequence.
'It’s still there.'
A red crystal was embedded inside the clock.
It was a gem made by melting down the blood of Asperas, a demon of the House of Belzenor and Elencia's father. It was
a gift he had left behind, or perhaps a token of his worry for the future.
“It feels… strange,”
Elencia said, tilting her head.
It was because the Belzenor blood flowing through her had reacted.
Kugugu—
The rift in the pitch-black domain spread across the castle walls was rippling with a bizarre sound. It
was the phenomenon regarding 'time' that Neron had spoken of.
It was a concern that the forcibly opened rift would run wild.
If control were lost, even a demon would have no way to stop it.
However, in a situation where he was being interrupted like this, there was a high possibility that Neron was deliberately inducing that rampage.
Hanbit slowly reached out his hand toward the gem.
Crack—!
As he approached, a spark exploded intensely.
It was a power strong enough to make her hand vanish if it weren't for the Sylph's wind.
"It seems I can't touch it."
"…I think I know why."
Elencia nodded, took a small breath, and reached out her hand.
Hanbit blocked it and looked at her, saying,
"If it is an artifact of a demon, the Princess's blood might react. It might manifest in the form of an awakening."
"I intend to use the power given to me to my heart's content. I don't want to be helpless anymore."
Thump—
A finger carefully touched the surface of the red gem.
At the same time, the gem vanished as if melting away.
"Ugh!"
Just then, Elencia, her eyes wide, wrapped her arms around herself and knelt.
Ssss—
A dark red heat haze swirled around her like a vortex.
Her skin turned white, and her body gradually transformed.
Dark red wings began to sprout, especially on her back.
Being a half-breed, she looked different from ordinary demons.
'I didn't expect it to happen this fast.'
Her awakening as a demon was a plan she had planned for the long term.
This was because there was a possibility that Elencia's personality could change if things went wrong.
Therefore, she would undergo a process of stabilization before reaching a point of change.
However, the evil energy rising from the rift and the encounter with Neron unexpectedly helped Elencia achieve a proper awakening.
“…So this is how it was supposed to be.”
Elencia, having ended the painful transformation, slowly rose to her feet. She
possessed a unique appearance, possessing characteristics of both demon and human.
Her white skin, wings, and the beautiful red hues etched in her eyes were distinct from the grotesque appearance of a demon.
“How do you feel?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but…”
Raising her head, Elencia turned her gaze toward the castle wall. Having
risen, she took out a key and spoke,
“Right now, I want to close that gap as quickly as possible.”
