Chapter 107 – Towards the Storm (1)

The meeting started with a shocking declaration, and the story that followed was profound in many ways. As questions were asked, the outline of the plan was gradually formed. There were many problems which Theodore wouldn't have been able to solve if he had been thinking by himself.

After the discussion which seemed both long and short, only two high elves were left in the meeting room.

Lumia picked up the teapot and asked, "Ellenoa, do you want a drink?"

"Ah, of course."

Steaming hot tea was poured out into Ellenoa's cup. The tea stopped two-thirds of the way, and Ellenoa held the handle of the cup carefully.

Lumia and Ellenoa were both high elves. However, Ellenoa was a young one who had only just experienced her coming of age ceremony, while Lumia was old. So, it was natural for Ellenoa to be a bit uncomfortable. As Lumia and the other high elves knew this, they expressed consideration for her.

Lumia drank from her teacup before joking in a playful voice, "By the way, isn't he a great gentleman? That Theodore."

"Cough!"

As soon as Lumia mentioned his name, Ellenoa put down her cup while coughing loudly. To think that it wasn't Alisa but Lumia pulling up this topic. It was so surprising that Ellenoa forgot to manage her expression, and she turned her head with a sense of betrayal, revealing her flushed face.

However, the high elf didn't stop there. "Ahh, I think it is a little sad. You've been here for half a year already, but you still think of him more than us. Wouldn't Naia be crying right now?"

"No, t-that…"

"What, am I misunderstanding? There was also a time when I burned with pa.s.sion, so I will cheer for you!"

"Thank you—no, this isn't it!" In the end, Ellenoa shook her head with a grouchy expression.

As a high elf experiencing such intense and strange emotions for the first time, Ellenoa found it difficult to maintain her composure when faced with this type of hards.h.i.+p, especially in comparison to the old Lumia who had experienced it before. Lumia, who knew this fact, smiled inwardly as she recalled the young man who had been at the center of the table a while ago. The young man, who displayed his youth and skills, was undoubtedly attractive.

'It is rare for a human to ignite such pa.s.sion in us, but… he is definitely different.'

At 20 years old, Theo had barely stepped into adulthood, but he was already expressing his opinions to wise people many times older than him. He even had the ability to cause the wise Naia to admire him. It was clear that Theo had a heroic nature which would get his name inscribed into the history books.

If Lumia were a hundred years younger, the fire might be burning inside her as well.

"…Oh my, I really had that thought."

"Huh?"

"It is nothing. I forgot my age for a moment."

Before the confused Ellenoa, Lumia lifted up the teapot again. If Ellenoa could see Lumia's inner thoughts, Lumia would have to be vigilant. However, the girl beside her was very distracted. Lumia had already finished becoming a beautiful woman, so she would be considered a tough rival for Ellenoa.

That said, fortunately, there was no cold wind coming from Ellenoa in this meeting room. After taking a few sips of tea, Lumia spoke words which pierced through Ellenoa's heart, "Do you want to go fight with him?"

"…Yes."

"I knew it. But in this situation, the right person is Alucard, not us."

The abilities of the high elves within the Great Forest were overwhelming. In addition to using mana at will, they could temporarily summon an elemental ruler who had already disappeared from the material world. There were six such people who could this.

Even if Andras and Meltor worked together, this was a power which was difficult to guarantee victory against. It could be called a power that was meant to protect themselves. However, the high elves weren't the Arv and were limited in how they could exercise the abilities.

"You aren't familiar with Ratatoskr and can't summon an elemental ruler. Additionally, Alisa and Alucard have already moved. Our role is to aid them from here."

"…Yes, I understand."

"You should bless them instead of worrying, Ellenoa." Lumia grabbed Ellenoa's trembling hand and whispered in an affectionate voice, "Our forest, parent, and him whom you are thinking about, wish them luck."

*     *     *

On the other hand, Theodore divided the personnel as planned and moved alongside Alucard, who showed the guidance ability Ellenoa had used. Alucard knew how to use it actively. The trees and earth retreated, creating a straight path through the dense forest.

Once a magician's Grease magic was added to the path…

Swiiik-

Six bodies slid at a rapid pace. They didn't have to take any steps and were moving at a speed which surpa.s.sed that of a carriage. The White Tower magician who devised this method had a deathly pale face. Maybe a means of surpa.s.sing wind power would soon be born again.

"Look," Alucard said as he slipped next to Theo.

"Why are you calling me?"

"…You don't have to be respectful. It can't be helped in public, but you are Ellenoa's saviour. No, your help in this situation is enough to be called our friend."

Theodore felt nervous. He was partic.i.p.ating in the campaign to suppress Laevateinn to prevent a global disaster, but he was also getting some benefits. Unlike Death's Wors.h.i.+p which had used black magic power, this was a legend-ranked grimoire which Theo might be able to absorb. If he did, he would smash down the wall of the 6th Circle instantly. Unfortunately, it wasn't philanthropy as Alucard implied.

As if he knew Theo's heart, Alucard stopped talking for a moment before starting again. "First of all, this is a report on the current situation. Alisa, who moved according to the instructions, confronted Laevateinn and called the wind elemental ruler, creating a vacuum around it."

"The result… No, what is the result?"

"Not bad. The forest fire calmed, and the giant's footsteps slowed considerably. It is regrettable that we couldn't stop it completely, but the spread of the flames is obviously reduced."

Gluttony's advice had been correct. Theo nodded inwardly as he listened to Alucard's report.

The flames which burned from Laevateinn's body was a power that transcended the rules of this material system, but the flames were subjected to the ordinary combustion phenomenon. If they maintained a vacuum around it, the damage wouldn't be so large. Of course, this method alone wasn't a good enough solution.

The vacuum only slowed down the rate at which the giant ate up the surroundings. Sooner or later, the fire would burn down the vegetation, and it would transform into the third form in five days. Then it would be reborn as the fire of destruction which burned all life.

Theodore's primary goal for the vacuum was to stop it and interfere with the full evolution.

However, that wasn't the only news from Alucard.

"What? Are you serious?"

"I’m sorry, but that is how it is."

Theodore's face stiffened. When he started the meeting, he had told them that the ents and dryads should retreat. However, he just received news that they had refused. It was so unexpected that an absurd expression appeared on his face, but there was someone else who answered his question.

It was Edwin who slid closer to him. "Benefactor, the mindset of the ents and dryads are different to the elves."

"Mindset?"

"Yes, to them, the forest isn't a place where they live."

For elves, the forest was their home and the foundation of their lives. The origin of the elves was to live in harmony with the animals and plants.

However, the elves couldn't compare to the ents and dryads when it come to closeness to the forest. Dryads were fairies who were born from trees, while ents were trees which had acc.u.mulated mana over a long period of time.

To them, the forest was their neighbour and family. So, despite knowing that their actions were foolish, they couldn't step back. While dying in Laevateinn's flames, they continued to fight by throwing rocks and spitting poison. Despite knowing that resistance was pointless, the dryads and ents threw themselves to their deaths.

Crunch. Theodore unconsciously gritted his teeth.

'd.a.m.n, if he continues eating dryads and ents… The mutation may occur faster than expected. Once that happens, it is the end.'

The fairies and trees filled with spirituality were like nutrient-rich prey to the Laevateinn. An ent was worth more than a normal tree, and dryads were useful offerings. Moreover, despite the fact that they respected the authority of the high elves, it wasn't a subordinate relations.h.i.+p where they had to listen to commands.

As Theo's mind stirred quickly, he asked Alucard, "Alucard, how much further to our destination? We have already been moving for two hours like this!"

"Pretty soon! Be prepared!" The moment Alucard answered… Theodore felt a feeling of weightlessness and regained his balance. The six magicians, one high elf, and one elf reached their destination after two hours. No one stumbled at this unexpected situation. It was proof that their nerves were tight.

Then they frowned and muttered.

"…How terrible."

"How many trees…"

The sun was still high in the sky as a red horizon appeared beyond the trees. It had only been a few days since Laevateinn started its activities. With Alucard and Edwin at the forefront, the eight people stepped carefully toward the burning horizon.

'Hot.'

They hadn't even walked 100 steps, and they were already soaked with sweat. By the time they reached 200 steps, they could see the devastation dealt to the surrounding trees. Once they pa.s.sed 300 steps, ash fell as the charred wood broke under their shoes. At 500 steps, the eight people reached the forefront.

At the border of the eastern forest, they could see that a fierce battle was taking place.

[Ohhh… ohh…]

[Stones… throw…!]

Huge trees dozens of meters tall were moving. Like a person, their arms moved back, and they threw stones from the ground.

The strength was equivalent to a catapult. Any large monster would shatter to pieces if they were hit by the stones. A thunderous sound rumbled continuously in succession as the rocks fell. This was power of the guardian of the forest species, the ents.

Some people admired the sight.

However, Theo approached and shouted harshly, "Stop this and back off right now! You fighting this way won't be of any help!"

The leader of the ents growled ferociously.

[…Hu…man! Your command… don't… follow!]

The same was true for the dryads, who were floating over the ents' heads and informing them of the enemy's position. The small forms made of blue mana glared at Theo. They might show grace to the high elves, but they couldn't appreciate humans who mainly invaded and damaged forests.

Thanks to this relations.h.i.+p, it was lucky they didn't attack him, let alone cooperate.

"Stop it, Old Tree Elder!"

"We didn't come to fight you!"

Alucard and Edwin tried to intervene, but the dryads and ents continued to fight. They didn't care about the heat getting closer to them, as if they were going to jump into Laevateinn's mouth itself. Some may regard that virtue as stupidity but not Theodore.

'…Should I just move them through force?'

It wasn't an impossible task. He wanted to avoid any unnecessary power consumption, but it was better than giving offerings to Laevateinn. It might cause problems later, but his first priority was to overcome this crisis.

As Theodore reached this conclusion in a calm manner, magic power flashed around his hands, while the other magicians who noticed this quickly became tense. It was unspoken proof of their willingness to join him.

However, Theo didn't have to do anything.

[Hoing!] It was because the sound of the ancient elemental, Mitra, popping out of the dry land caught the attention of all their eyes.

Alucard exclaimed at the sight of the world tree's bud, while Edwin worried about whether he should bow or not. The magicians'curiosity was aroused despite this situation, and Sylvia wriggled her fingers in greeting.

Then at that moment…

Kuuong! With a heavy sound, the ent leader fell to his knees.

Current schedule: Next Patreon goal has been reached!! Thank you for the support. There will now be 14 chapters a week, meaning two chapters every day.

Chapter 108 – Towards the Storm (2)

No, the ent leader wasn't the only one to fall to his knees. The other ents bent their branches and roots which looked like limbs and fell to the ground.

Theodore was confused by the unexpected behaviour as other ents started to fall in a similar fas.h.i.+on. Thump, thump, the sound occurred every time the giant tree hit the forest floor. It was so loud that the crowded area quickly became quiet.

The dryads, who had been threatening Theo with their mana, lost their fierce att.i.tude and bowed politely in the same manner as how servants welcomed a king.

Theodore, standing in the center of all this, looked around with an embarra.s.sed expression and noticed something.

'These guys… they aren't bowing to me?'

The direction was slightly different. Theo followed their gaze and discovered Mitra looking around with a bewildered expression. He didn't know why, but it seemed like the bud on her head was especially pointed today. Theodore realized the moment he saw it.

Simultaneously, the similarly enlightened Alucard cried out with delight, "Indeed, it is due to the bud of the world tree…!"

It wasn't a well-known fact to humans, but the bud of a world tree could no longer grow in this era. The density of mana was several times thinner than it had been during the Age of Mythology, and the purity of the Arv's blood was now much lighter. Additionally, there were numerous elements which interfered with the growth of a world tree.

Even if all the remaining high elves on the continent joined forces, they no longer had the ability to grow another Yggdrasil. So, they had never considered the existence of another world tree.

The forgotten Mother Earth, Mitra, was a type of vessel. This meant Mitra could grow a bud of the world tree, the ruler of all the trees on earth. So, it was natural that, as tree-derived species, the dryads and ents couldn't resist her presence. For them, Mitra was an existence they had to serve.

[Hoing? Hoeng?] …Ironically, the involved party didn't understand at all.

Theo quickly weighed the situation and talked to Mitra in his head. Originally, the dryads and ents were inflexible species who required force to be moved, but the story was different now. It would be best if the situation could be solved without violence, and Theo had the means to make that possible.

'Mitra.'

[Ye?] The chubby Mitra turned around.

'Can you tell the ones lying down to go to the forest over there? If you say it, they will probably listen.'

[I noe!] She turned toward the trees lying down and shouted in an adorable manner, [Yew, up!]

Simultaneously, the ents raised their bodies. As the ma.s.sive trees rose, the ground shook, and the scenery changed into a forest. The ents responded in low voices as they waited for Mitra's next instructions.

[As… you… command… ]

[…We… follow… king…]

[What… next…?]

Then Mitra pointed to the forest on the other side and shouted briefly, [Fere, go!]

It was truly a sight which seemed like a lie. The ents and dryads, who had repeatedly refused the high elves' request, started to move without any hesitation. They pa.s.sed the pile of stones they had been throwing and moved in the direction of the dense forest. In their wake, the dryads and ents left stupefied expressions on the faces of Theo's party.

Theodore was oddly proud of Mitra, who looked delighted, for solving the problem.

*     *     *

After the two species retreated, the group was able to approach the burning horizon. The nearby trees had already become charred charcoal or turned to ash. If the party hadn't protected their bodies with heat-resistant magic, the heat would be enough to destroy their respiratory muscles instantly. Additionally, their visibility was distorted by a haze of heat, making it hard to see beyond dozens of meters.

Beyond that, a woman greeted them with great joy.

"Wow, we finally meet!" As the high elf, Alisa, spoke in a pleasant voice, her golden hair blew in the wind.

She looked at Theo in the forefront and cried out, "h.e.l.lo! I want to say good evening, but isn't it too bright for that? Anyway, it is nice to see you! Are you the boy who has our Ellenoa twisted up? I did as you said. How about it, did I do well?"

"…Yes, very well."

It was a fairy difficult situation, but Alisa's chatterbox nature still remained. Theodore looked at the present situation while half listening to her words.

'Is it around 100 meters ahead? It is much wider than I thought.'

From the point where Alisa and the party were located, there was a vacuum which spread for around 100m. It was a s.p.a.ce created by a woman floating in the air, the wind elemental ruler—Sylphid. There was no combustion allowed inside, but it was in vain.

This would buy as much time as possible to stop Laevateinn from changing into the third form. In this s.p.a.ce, the fire couldn't spread and only the trees touching Laevateinn's body would burn. However, this vacuum could only buy time.

"Alisa, how much longer can you maintain it?"

"Um… 10 minutes? 15 minutes? Any more than that would be hard."

"I understand."

The high elves were a.s.sisted by the mana of the Great Forest, but that wasn't infinite. Alisa had already been using Sylphid's power for a few hours until the party arrived. She pretended to speak in a leisurely manner, but her forehead and neck were already wet with sweat. If she relaxed for even a moment, she would lose consciousness and fall. The power consumption of the vacuum was enormous.

From this moment on, it wasn't Alisa but Theodore's party who would fight. Along with the six magicians, there was a high elf and a guardian to defeat the legendary catastrophe. As the full weight of the burden fell on him, Theo forced himself to stand upright and cried out, "Then I will verify it for the last time."

In order to defeat Laevateinn, they needed precise tactics and cooperation. If even one person was out of sync, someone else would die to make up for that mistake.

Therefore, Theodore repeated the explanation he had spoken many times already. "Laevateinn can't be destroyed by normal attacks, but that doesn't mean it can't be damaged at all. The attacks may not be lethal, but it will consume the energy that Laevateinn has stored. Therefore, our primary goal is to reduce the stored energy as much as possible."

According to Gluttony, there was no way to completely destroy Laevateinn in this era. The archmages who could destroy the second form were only found in the history books. However, a method to suppress Laevateinn existed. While laughing slyly, Gluttony had taught him how to do it.

It was similar to pouring water into a broken jar.

"We will first start with Sylvia."

Sylvia, who was on the furthest end of the line, nodded and grabbed her white staff firmly.

Theodore's tactic was based on pouring sequential magic spells at the target as it wasn't meaningful to concentrate all attacks at once on an opponent who couldn't be killed.

"Continue in the pre-determined order of attack, but cover each other if someone misses the timing. If possible, use powerful destructive force to bother that guy. The ranged attacks will be handled by the two elves, so don't worry."

The two elves nodded in understanding. Alucard could summon the water elemental ruler, while Edwin's arrow could decimate 1,000 men. If possible, Theo wanted to save the water elemental ruler to play an active role against the third form, but it would be a mistake if they lost because power was conserved.

Therefore, the eight people refined their formation thoroughly. Some practiced moving around the circle at a moderate pace, while another waited and checked their potions. Most of the people here were veterans, and even the less experienced Sylvia still had enough experience.

Soon, the time they had been waiting for arrived.

"T-This…!"

Finally, Alisa reached her limit and released the wind elemental ruler, allowing a gigantic wave of heat to hit them.

Huuuuuok…

A hot wind blew from the horizon, and the ground burned black. The flames burned the ground until there was nothing left, while a black smoke bubbled up and blocked their vision. No life could survive in the center of this heat.

"—Remnants!" The angry Edwin cried out as he fired his bow.

Piing! A storm of arrows crossed the horizon! Meanwhile, a whirlwind a few hundred meters wide tore at the smoke and revealed the epicenter of the disaster beyond it.

Kukukung…! The earth shook and dust rose. A senior monster wouldn't be able to endure this and would turn into sc.r.a.p metal instantly.

Shock waves burst from the arrows, causing the party's robes to flap. The evidence of Edwin's destructive power was amazing. A master's attack, shot with the intention of killing something, was really huge.

However, there was no meaning to it.

Flames swirled from beyond the horizon. The force, which had been bound by the vacuum until now, burned the air and melted any remnants. It was unknown if Edwin's attack provoked it, but Laevateinn's movements turned toward the party.

"It’s coming!" Someone shrieked.

Theo shouted reflexively, ignoring his aching head.

He believed in Sylvia and the other magicians, but it was rare to ever encounter this type of oppression. After having absorbed Alfred's experience and encountering Superbia, Theo wasn't overwhelmed by the pressure, but Laevateinn's presence surpa.s.sed human imagination.

Shortly after that, the giant moved at a terrifying pace, riding the aftermath of the explosion.

"Sylvia!"

"Master of the cold, Ymir!"

The talent of the Blue Tower's top genius allowed her to use the prepared ice magic even when she was shocked. The vortex around Sylvia's body cooled the heat quickly and revealed its chilling teeth as a 100 meter tall monster. It was a swirl of frost which even monsters used to the cold of the north couldn't withstand.

'Minor Force, Blizzard.' As Sylvia was a 5th Circle magician, who was close to the 6th Circle, her original spell swallowed up the flame giant.

Starting with that blow, the curtain for the fight against the legend ranked grimoire, Laevateinn, was raised.

Current schedule: Next Patreon goal has been reached!! Thank you for the support. There will now be 14 chapters a week, meaning two chapters every day.

Chapter 109 – Towards the Storm (3)

Jjeok, jejejeok.

The flames on the ground were frozen over. Blizzard was originally a 7th Circle advanced magic, so the range of this Blizzard was extremely reduced. The range of effect which remained was reduced to a radius of around 10 meters. However, within those 10 meters, Sylvia had perfectly reproduced a magic of the 7th Circle.

Even the flames of Muspelheim were caught in the ice for a moment.

"Heinz, two seconds later!" At that time, Theodore had predicted the situation sooner than anyone else and pointed to the next magician to cast their magic.

Group fighting was familiar to knights, but it was difficult to keep their hands and feet in the right spot without any special training. The only one capable of catching the timing of the flow and then conducting the group was Theodore, who had awakened his supernatural senses.

The White Tower Superior, Heinz met those instructions. "Blow, a storm! Capture the enemy!"

Two seconds later, the fire giant broke through the thick ice but couldn't even enjoy a sense of liberation before being caught in a storm. This was 6th Circle wind magic. Vortex Prison rippled around the giant and caught it. According to the records, large monsters like the high ranking cyclops couldn't escape the Vortex Prison. No, they were usually caught in that vortex and torn to pieces by the wind blades.

However, that wasn't enough to stop Laevateinn.

Kururung! Kwarurung!

There was a thunderous rumble from inside the vortex, and the storm started burning as the giant beat at the wind with its two fists. There were random air discharges due to the shock waves as well as occasional lightning bolts. It was the manifestation of ineffective power. The firepower, which had already surpa.s.sed a master's output, eventually destroyed the vortex.

However, the fire giant didn't see what was happening to the ground.

"Olson!"

"Earth, hold that unG.o.dly presence in your arms!"

The ground sank suddenly, and the pouring in of earth and pebbles became a ma.s.s weapon. The soil buried fire giant like a tsunami, swallowing it faster than its flames could melt the soil. Of course, the pressure was nothing more than an ankle grab, and the fire giant eventually crawled out from the ground.

Theo followed suit with another cold order, "30 meters in the 6 o'clock direction, two seconds later!"

A huge iceberg plunged from the sky into Laevateinn and protruded from its body without any errors. The chunk of ice was the size of a house, making it too big for the flames to melt it instantly. By the time the giant emerged, the next magic had already been prepared.

"After three seconds, Ordu!"

The wind sh.e.l.l exploded against the fire giant's head several times.

"46 meters in the 10 o'clock direction, now!"

Ice arrows poured down from above and tore the flames to pieces.

The chain of magic attacks never ended. Once someone's magic succeeded, another person's followed. The immortal Laevateinn could hardly move.

The two elves watched the perfect chain of attacks and couldn't help feeling in awe. The power of each magic which could stop the fire giant was great, but the greatest thing was the ability of the person conducting this battlefield.

Without Theo, this deadlock would've collapsed much sooner.

"…Amazing. Isn't this close to a prescience ability? Or a prediction ability based on experience? Either way, it isn't an ability someone that age should have."

"Yes, I think so as well."

This ability involved an insight which looked ahead a few moves, as well as the use of tactics which focused the power on the right place.

Theodore was stretching out his hand comfortably in an area which could only be reached through decades of fighting. Despite this, he wasn't at all aware of how ridiculous his actions were. Instead, he focused on being the support in this situation, by calculating the distance and seconds for enemies and allies.

'd.a.m.n, are we almost there yet?' Theodore didn't even have time to blink. He wiped away his sweat and glared at Laevateinn.

For those who didn't know, it might seem like they were dominating, but that wasn't the case. In the midst of such furious attacks, the party was slowly being pushed back. With a rate of three steps per 10 seconds, they were retreating approximately 5 meters per minute.

Additionally, this cyclic attack couldn't be maintained for much longer. It would be dangerous if he didn't reach his primary goal within the next 30 minutes.

Theo recalled Gluttony's advice in his head, –Despite being a grimoire, Laevateinn doesn't possess any intelligence. It acts instinctively for its own purpose, but its actions have to comply with the rules. Its weakness lies in the rules.

Laevateinn's third form was merely a transient process for s.h.i.+fting from the second form to the fourth form. It was a process of offering up everything in order to burn away all life. That's why the third form was a diffuse flame storm.

However, what would happen if the second form wasn't able to obtain the offerings and was constantly disturbed?

Exactly 15 minutes later, Laevateinn answered this question.

*     *     *

There was no one specific who noticed it first as the group of people, who were constantly pouring magic attacks, were all sensitive to any changes in the target. After all, the target was a flame giant which could melt any metal in a moment.

The flame giant suddenly stopped struggling and curled up into a ball. Its appearance was like a chrysalis waiting to emerge, so those watching it suddenly felt greatly alarmed.

As Edwin drew back his arrow carefully,

Chill. Theodore felt a terrible chill run down his spine.

'Death.' Defense magic didn't mean anything as every being in this place would die.

As soon as this reality appeared in Theo's mind, he exclaimed, "Alucard!"

They would've died if it hadn't been for Gluttony's advice, if Theo hadn't explained it in advance in the meeting room, and if Alucard wasn't in this place.

"Gentle water mother, El-Mare!" Alucard immediately moved according to Theo's will which had been close to a scream.

It was also thanks to Alucard previously hearing about how dangerous the third form was. The lack of offerings reduced the power considerably, but it wasn't something which magicians who hadn't reached the master level could withstand.

[Did you call?] The water elemental ruler was quickly revealed. If it wasn't for this location, there would've been a shower when she was summoned, and the dry land would become wet. Without giving her a word of greeting, Alucard cried out, "Protect us from the mighty flames!"

[…Child of the forest, I will accept the request according to the contract,] an inorganic voice answered the call.

As soon as El-Mare spoke, a blue s.h.i.+eld wrapped around the party. This was the soul which governed all water. It could only endure one or two rounds of the 7th Circle Inferno. So, it was inevitable that the party would receive some punishment.

Immediately afterwards, a super heated h.e.l.l unfolded.

There was no sound. The heat had already long evaporated the air. Then there was a fierce flash of light which threatened to burn their retinas. Theo endured the few drops of blood flowing from his eyes and barely managed to look ahead.

Apart from the light, the Muspelheim's heat penetrated the s.h.i.+eld. It was a wonder they could even breathe. The elemental ruler was their only lifeline.

"…Crazy," Theo muttered as he barely recovered and saw the sight in front of him.  The rest of the group noticed the difference a few beats late.

They looked around to where light and ash could be seen. It wasn't beautiful but literally a disastrous h.e.l.l. No life could survive on this burning land. Air, water, and everything else needed to survive had disappeared. The remaining vegetation on the horizon was the only comfort. If the green hadn't entered his eyes, he really would've thought that the world had been destroyed.

Theodore regained his calm sooner than anyone else. 'It is finally coming.'

As a grimoire that ate grimoires, Gluttony couldn't eat a book which didn't exist in this world.

So, it was impossible to subdue the fire giant, Muspelheim's second form. No matter how many times it was destroyed, the infinite flames would reappear, and those who weren't transcendent had no way to resist it. However, from the third form onwards,  Laevateinn's body was revealed.

From where Theo was standing, it took a little over 20 steps to reach the center of that hot h.e.l.l.

"A bead of light."

The white bead shone brilliantly. It was the pa.s.sage connecting the material world to Muspelheim, the reality of the grimoire which existed to destroy the world. Then Theodore finally caught sight of Laevateinn's body and took a step forward.

Chiiik.

"Ack!"

As soon as Theo took one step, his skin turned red. Despite the protection of the water elemental ruler and 5th Circle defense magic, human flesh couldn't withstand this heat, especially if the person wasn't a sword or magic master.

Maybe Theodore would somehow survive 10 steps. After that, his flesh would burn, his blood would dry up, and his bones would break. For that reason, it was Theo's fight alone from here onwards.

"…!"

He had a silent conversation with his group.

Someone saw him take one step and thought he should reconsider. Someone else gave him protection magic, despite it being meaningless.

Sylvia tried to catch up with him but was grabbed by a magician of the Blue Tower, while Edwin bowed his head in apology for not being able to help. It was because his powers became extremely weak in a s.p.a.ce where upper ranked elementals were ineffective.

Theo glanced at all of them before looking back to the front.

'Not yet… A little more. I can endure it…'

He took one step and then another step. The heat peeled his skin, but it wasn't to the extent that he would die. His disciplined body and mind could endure this much pain. At the fifth step, his red skin was peeled off, and his muscles started burning. Then Theodore pulled out his trump card.

Wuuong! Emerald light emerged from the mark on his right arm and wrapped around his entire body.

The national treasure Umbra. The treasure that gave its owner its abilities, including Fluidization. Umbra had the ability to ignore physical attacks, so it could handle this heat. So, after the first five steps, Theodore's body turned transparent. However, he wasn't completely free from the heat.

'Kuok…! This is outside the laws of physics…!'

Muspelheim's flames even hurt spiritual bodies. Theo took seven more steps, but the stronger heat started to shatter his body.

He managed another eight steps forward. However, in order to put it in the range of Gluttony's tongue, Theo needed at least three more steps. It meant that this h.e.l.l would become three times stronger after this.

Theodore really wanted to run away right now, but he gritted his teeth and persevered.

'Let's go.'

If he didn't stop Laevateinn here, the world would perish. Even if a transcendent he didn't know about showed up to stop Laevateinn, Elvenheim would still be destroyed. It couldn't be helped if he had never started this operation, but he couldn't forgive himself for running away when he was so close to the end.

Theo took one more step.

As he patiently tried to endure the heat which seemed like it would melt through his bones, Theo complained to someone who wasn't there.

He complained to the White Tower Master Orta, who had declared he wouldn't partic.i.p.ate in this subjugation mission.

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