Chapter 93 : Chapter 93

Chapter 93: Beneath the Branch of the World Tree (6)

I spread [Wings of Ainsitel], unleashing the suppressed mana within me.

At the same time, I activated [Termination].

Wooong.

As the domain of [Termination] expanded, the flames in the forest began to subside.

Wherever my steps touched, the flickering flames died down.

Pure white mana enveloped the forest.

I couldn’t precisely gauge the rank of the Malevolent Spirit, Raldetun.

But I felt it was a fight worth having.

Unlike the demons I’d faced before, like Gelz or Nagelmayer, he wasn’t overwhelmingly powerful to the point of being unapproachable.

Above all, I had grown tremendously.

I had been grafted with a dragon’s frame, gained a signature spell, and attained insights through sparring with Tayon.

The mana surging from my Dragon Heart was so dense it felt almost viscous.

Raldetun stood in the center of my mana domain.

For some reason, he was smirking.

‘A good opponent to test the extent of my power.’

Boom!

Raldetun threw a short-handled axe.

Its speed was incredible, but I didn’t block it with [Intangible Armor].

I had already used [Intangible Armor] extensively to get here.

Blocking an axe of that power would have instantly forced me into recovery mode.

Instead, I deflected his attack with the Branch of the World Tree.

In the past, my hand would have gone numb the moment the sword clashed with the axe.

But not anymore.

“Ho?”

Raldetun let out an intriguing sound.

As I stepped back to escape his range, Selion immediately spewed flames.

But I was faster than the incoming fireballs.

Using [Rush], I reached Raldetun in an instant.

Then, carrying my momentum, I thrust the Branch of the World Tree.

Crack!

Raldetun drew an axe from his waist and blocked my sword’s path.

The axe was imbued with aura.

He was skilled enough to wield aura in a split second, but his axe couldn’t withstand my sword, activated with [Cutting].

The axe blade was sliced clean through, and the handle couldn’t hold either.

As I withdrew my thrust, I swung downward from above.

My sword moved as if it were a brush.

Wherever it passed, lingering traces of dense mana remained, like a painting drawn in white light.

It was almost wasteful mana usage.

But for me, it wasn’t an issue.

Crack! Crack! Craaack!

Raldetun had quite a few axes strapped to his waist.

But each time I swung my sword, an axe broke.

Most seemed designed for throwing.

I completely ignored the Fire Spirit King.

I either dodged its attacks or blocked them with [Intangible Armor].

Selion’s flames were as hot as lava, but with me locked in combat with Raldetun, Selion couldn’t freely unleash its fire.

Moreover, we were within [Termination]’s domain.

I could sense the flames forming and flying without looking.

This allowed me to easily dodge or block attacks.

I simply swung my sword, stroke after stroke, as if painting gracefully.

Before long, the smirk on Raldetun’s face vanished.

He had no time to show surprise.

He was just a fairy struggling to avoid being cut by my sword.

Though larger than other fairies, he still looked like a child compared to me, towering well over 180 cm.

‘Malevolent Spirit? An undeserved title.’

Like an adult fighting a child, I easily overwhelmed Raldetun.

After all the axes at his waist were broken, Raldetun rolled across the ground to create distance.

I didn’t bother chasing him to strike.

I had no intention of killing Raldetun.

If possible, I needed to subdue him more cleanly than the other fairies.

Panting, Raldetun glared at me.

“You… you’re no ordinary human.”

“Didn’t I say? Half-human, half-dragon.”

Grind.

Raldetun clenched his teeth.

He seemed angered by my nonchalant response, but he couldn’t maintain his earlier composure.

“But where did you get infected with Demonic Energy?”

“Demonic Energy? How dare you! I am the next Fairy King!”

Was it not his will?

Or was he unaware he was being consumed by Demonic Energy?

At the mention of his infection, Raldetun drew the axe he’d been carrying on his back.

The golden pattern etched on the axe blade gleamed brightly in the light.

‘Wapuhugun. An artifact unmatched in durability.’

It had no special skills, but its hardness was among the greatest for axes.

I felt more competitive toward Wapuhugun than Raldetun himself.

Could I, in my current state, [Cut] that axe?

I rushed at Raldetun again, slashing diagonally.

Screeech!

It wasn’t the sound of a sword clashing with an axe blade.

As expected, an artifact was an artifact—Wapuhugun withstood a single [Cutting] strike without breaking.

But my attacks didn’t end with one.

I slashed, thrust, and thrust again. My sword’s flow relentlessly targeted Wapuhugun.

Crack.

A single nick appeared on Wapuhugun’s blade.

Just a nick, but that small crack shook both me and Raldetun.

I smirked; Raldetun roared.

“You!”

Raldetun’s aura surged.

His eyes grew bloodshot, and his pupils darkened.

A faint, acrid smell brushed past my nose.

‘He’s finally drawing on Demonic Energy.’

The fairies fighting nearby didn’t seem to notice the Demonic Energy.

But the Fire Spirit King surely did.

The fireballs aimed at me whenever there was an opening stopped abruptly.

I didn’t know if Raldetun consciously drew on the Demonic Energy or not.

But I had to subdue him quickly.

If left alone, he’d be completely consumed by it.

The test—no, the fight—ended here.

With a wide motion, I swung my sword at Raldetun’s hand gripping the axe handle.

And I applied [Gravity Manipulation] to the sword’s tip.

I imbued the sword with the heaviest weight I could muster.

Raldetun was crushed by a weight he’d never felt before.

Boom!

Unable to hold on, Raldetun dropped Wapuhugun.

I placed my sword at the neck of the fairy sprawled on the ground.

“Move, and you die.”

“……”

Raldetun’s lips twitched, but he couldn’t speak.

Selion, frozen by the Demonic Energy, belatedly formed fireballs in both hands.

I looked at Selion and said:“Are you going to continue? You saw his eyes.”

- ……

Selion held its tongue.

Spirits despise demons more than anyone.

Demons seek to corrupt even the Spirit Realm, their foundation.

- We’ll meet again someday.

Muttering cryptically, Selion vanished.

Grrr.

By then, Nihel and Bea had finished their fight and returned to me.

Looking around, I saw fairies scattered across the ground.

They’d managed to subdue them without killing any.

“Let’s go, Your Highness.”

I grinned and extended a hand to Raldetun.

* * *

“Hey, walk properly, Your Highness.”

I bound Raldetun tightly with Tello’s supply rope.

He trudged along, arms tied behind his back.

Raldetun, humiliated by the situation, ground his teeth audibly.

With no one speaking, only footsteps echoing quietly, his teeth-grinding stood out even more.

He also stumbled occasionally.

Because he was walking with his eyes tightly shut.

‘He was more shocked than anyone to see his eyes turn black. That means he was consumed by Demonic Energy without realizing it…’

The scream Raldetun let out upon seeing his blackened pupils was vivid in my ears.

Bea was equally shocked.

- The Malevolent Spirit was always belligerent… but in this war, it was extreme. He acted as if he had a mission to exterminate all elves.

- It could be the Demonic Energy’s influence.

- Does Demonic Energy have such an effect?

- Rather than the Demonic Energy itself, perhaps it’s the work of whoever infected Raldetun.

Kipaso was far from Myeolji.

It was a region where even demonic beasts were rarely seen.

Thus, elves and fairies seemed unaware of the dangers of demons and their creatures.

But Bea’s shock wasn’t just about the Demonic Energy.

Treating the fairy prince so roughly, even if he was from another race, was unthinkable.

“Polarin-nim, we’re getting closer to the territory. Shouldn’t we untie him now?”

“Isn’t it effective? No one’s attacking us because of it.”

It was true.

With Raldetun bound, the fairies surrounding us didn’t attack despite outnumbering us.

“…Raldetun-nim.”

“That guy!”

Ignoring the occasional angry shouts was all we needed to do.

Bea, wary of the surrounding fairies’ glares, whispered to me.

“But we’re going to apologize, aren’t we?”

“You’re the one apologizing, Bea-nim. I’m going to help the fairies.”

“…Help.”

Bea looked exasperated, but I was completely sincere.

If this continued, Raldetun would be fully consumed by Demonic Energy.

Since he unconsciously drew on it during our fight, even an expensive Demonic Energy neutralizer wouldn’t reverse the situation.

I was the only one who could save Raldetun now.

Thus, we stepped into the fairy territory.

Now, not only the patrolling fairies but also those within the territory surrounded us.

Fairies with arrows notched, glaring, and fire spirits with blazing flames in their hands growled menacingly.

‘If they attack all at once, even a fully charged [Intangible Armor] won’t keep me alive.’

But I held the key to this situation—Raldetun.

Gripping the rope tightly, I marched through the heart of enemy territory.

Then, the gathered fairies began parting to the sides.

Moments later, a fairy radiating a mystical aura appeared where they had made their way.

A white-haired fairy with deep wrinkles.

He looked far older than the surrounding fairies.

But his appearance wasn’t the only remarkable thing.

I felt as if I’d met a sage, and soon I realized why.

‘The mana in that fairy’s body… Is it mystical? Almost as pure as nature itself.’

The aged fairy must have accumulated mana in his body for a long time.

Normally, mana absorbed into the body undergoes some change, but this fairy had stored it almost in its natural state.

He gazed at me and Bea alternately with deep eyes.

Bea whispered to me.

“The Fairy King, Frude-nim.”

Tip: Tap/click the left or right side of the screen to go to previous/next chapter.