Chapter 517: Chapter 517: The Story of the Blood Witch (1)

The sound of something falling and breaking echoed noisily, and as someone rushed urgently toward the office, Florin set down her pen.

By now, she didn’t need to look to know who it was.

...Not because her senses were especially sharp, but because anyone could have guessed at this point.

— Your Majesty!!!

"Come in."

The office door opened, and a man dressed in the uniform of the Blue Petal Elf Knights hurriedly entered and bowed in a flustered manner.

"Your Majesty! We’ve detected consecutive uses of magic nearing a Class 8 level near the World Tree! I’ve already activated the anti-air magic defense system, but the caster appears to be overwhelmingly powerful, so..."

"It’s fine."

"...We should prepare immediately... Pardon?"

Before the knight could finish his report, Florin shook her head. She smiled faintly and looked out the window.

There were no visible light pillars from the World Tree, but the immense magical fluctuations were crystal clear to Florin.

The reason the light pillars were invisible to ordinary people was likely that the caster deliberately concealed their magic to avoid attracting attention.

As expected, it was the work of an extraordinary individual.

"That person... is a friend of Baek Yu-Seol."

"I-Is that so? I don’t quite understand. What’s going on?"

In reality, Florin didn’t fully understand the situation either.

But if not for the girl who had fluttered gracefully from the sky and introduced herself as ’the great, noble, and beautiful mentor of Baek Yu-Seol,’ and if she hadn’t shared vivid stories about him, Florin might not have believed it.

"At any rate... A reliable ally has appeared, so you may rest assured."

Even as she said this, Florin had no intention of staying idle.

These were dark mages that had attempted to assault her and the World Tree. She couldn’t simply leave everything to an outsider.

’The final blow... I’ll have to deliver it myself.’

With this resolve, Florin rose from her seat.

She hadn’t slept properly for the past few days, enduring constant struggles, but thanks to her strong willpower, she believed she could manage.

With the staff of the Elf King, carved from the roots of the World Tree, in her hand, Florin stepped out of the white castle.

However, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, unable to move further, as an intense and unsettling sensation swept over her.

As she stood still with her back to the white castle, she instinctively looked up, and the empty sky began to ripple. From within the shadows, an unidentified figure began to emerge.

"You’re quite an observant queen. The ancient Elf Kings weren’t nearly as sharp as you."

The figure’s identity was revealed... a cloak.

It was a massive, fluttering cloak, making it impossible to discern whether the wearer was male or female.

Though it undoubtedly had hands, feet, and a face, its form was shrouded in a black mist, rendering its true shape indiscernible.

’A shadow-cloaked dark mage...!’

And the ominous purple glow emanating from the staff it held in one hand. There was only one individual Florin knew of with such a distinct characteristic.

"Black Kaon..."

"Haha, you know me well!"

The man known as Black Kaon slowly turned his head to gaze beyond the protective barrier surrounding the World Tree.

Even now, unseen pillars of light continued to descend, massacring the dark mages.

"Though I calculated things quite thoroughly, I never trusted those fools! They’re all imbeciles! I figured Baek Yu-Seol would have some kind of backup plan, and as expected, I was right! I’m flawless!"

Indeed, his judgment had been accurate.

Even though Baek Yu-Seol was tied up in the Waning Moon Plains, an unknown and formidable force had emerged, disrupting the operation.

"But since I’ve caused such a commotion, I am obligated to see this through to the end!"

Black Kaon raised his hand high as he spoke.

Long ago, Black Kaon had betrayed the Dark Mage King and earned the brand of a coward among the dark mages because he had abandoned a duel before it even began and fled the scene.

The one who had grown alongside him, the Dark Knight, had boldly clashed with the Dark Mage King and earned the title of the second most powerful dark being after the king himself.

In contrast, Black Kaon carried the disgraceful titles of coward and traitor, along with every dishonorable label imaginable.

He despised those who called him such names.

’I possess skills equal to the Dark Knight!’

Though he was currently working under the Dark Mage Cult’s Cult Leader and not actively making his mark, he firmly believed that the moment he began moving in earnest, he could reclaim a reputation greater than the Dark Knight’s.

And today would be the day that his great journey began!

"Starting with capturing you, the Elf King!"

"...I see."

Florin calmly gripped her staff and floated gracefully into the air. Black Kaon found her composed demeanor utterly displeasing.

"You wretch, why are you not afraid? Have you not heard my name? I am Kaon of the Black Clan!"

"I expected someone of your calibre to show up."

"W-what?!"

Someone of your calibre.

That’s exactly what she said.

’Hmm, does this mean she acknowledges me?’

Despite his immense power, Black Kaon had never been truly recognized by anyone. This lack of validation left him with a deep-seated desire for praise, to the point that even compliments from an enemy felt like a sweet, thrilling oasis in a barren desert.

"Ahem, haha! Yes! It’s only natural that someone as strong as me would come alone to capture the Elf King! Now, let me show you the true extent of my power—"

"Light, come forth."

Flash!

"Arghhhh!!"

As Black Kaon began waving his staff around theatrically to strike a pose, Florin didn’t hesitate. She moved the leaves of the World Tree, generating a massive beam of light that blasted him away.

’Fighting within the World Tree... it puts my people at risk.’

The irony of the situation was apparent: though the World Tree granted her immense power, she was at a disadvantage here because she had to protect the people while fighting.

Still, she could wield her power freely if she could move the battle slightly away from the World Tree. For now, driving Black Kaon out of the city was her top priority.

"You wretched woman! How dare you!!"

Black Kaon screamed furiously after being struck by the beam of light. But wasn’t an enemy’s screams the ultimate form of praise?

Florin calmly bit her lip and flew toward him.

"What... what’s with those eyes?!"

"Those who dare to touch my World Tree..."

Pink-tinted flower petals burst from Florin’s back, and wings of a fairy emerged. In an instant, the sky was painted in hues of vibrant green.

"... No matter who they are, I will never let them leave alive."

As she spoke, she raised her hand. The roots of the World Tree spread in all directions, rapidly forming an enormous jungle.

’Wh-what is this...?’

Black Kaon couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Did the Elf King always have this kind of power?

He had always known that the Elf Kings of the past were unable to fully control the World Tree to this extent. Even their reputation as Class 9 mages came more from the vast scope of their power rather than raw strength.

He knew this because he had seen those past Elf Kings with his own eyes.

But this power before him—what could it be?

’This must be... the strongest Elf King in history.’

Gulping nervously, Black Kaon aimed his staff at her.

He had thought this would be an easy fight, but now it seemed his opponent was stronger than he was.

’This... this isn’t part of the plan...’

He was someone who enjoyed tormenting those weaker than him, but the idea of struggling against a stronger opponent filled him with dread.

Getting hurt is terrifying!

’...I should run.’

He immediately began searching for an escape route.

Indeed, he truly lived up to his titles of coward and traitor.

***

Aether Continent, Southern Region

... From there, after sailing for 40 hours, one could finally reach a small continent.

Its name was Kyrn Continent.

Derived from an ancient magical word meaning ’forgotten,’ Kyrn was so named because, as its meaning suggested, modern people had forgotten the very existence of this place.

"This place is still as desolate as ever."

Whooosh...!

As dry winds swept through, Rudric, the Tower Master of the New Moon Tower, used magic to keep his hair in place.

He wasn’t one to enjoy such barren and bleak atmospheres.

As his gaze shifted, he noticed the massive corpse of a beast lying in the distance.

Beyond it, dozens of fallen dark mages were also visible.

At first glance, it might have seemed as though Kyrn Continent was home to terrifying magical beasts, but that wasn’t the case at all.

Kyrn had been nothing more than a wasteland since the Great Catastrophe long ago, where all life forms had gone extinct, leaving it a barren environment unfit for any living being.

Not even dark mages could survive here.

Which meant that those corpses must have come from Aether Continent for some specific reason.

It wasn’t hard for Rudric to deduce that the reason was likely due to the Persona Gate.

Though it was a different continent, it still belonged to the same world, and because it lay beyond the eyes of most mages, it was the perfect location to construct a supermassive Persona Gate.

However, such gates were strictly monitored by New Moon Tower, and no matter how remote this continent was, they could not simply ignore it.

"To think they’d come all the way here to secretly create a Persona Gate... Surely even that Dark Mage Cult knows that such attempts cannot fool my senses. So what is the reason behind this foolishness?"

The moment he sensed the energy of a supermassive Persona Gate, Rudric had immediately teleported to this place and dealt with all of them. He hadn’t had time to think deeply about the situation then.

But now, reflecting on it, something felt off.

’...It seems they’re scheming something.’

Though Rudric was a Class 9 spatial mage, warping to a continent as far away as Kyrn still required some time to prepare.

Perhaps, while Rudric was being tied down here, some other event was unfolding to occupy him.

He felt irritated at the thought of knowingly falling into such an obvious scheme, but he understood there wasn’t much choice. He began preparing the warp spell.

’The Dark Mage Cult’s Cult Leader. He underestimates mages too much.’

This world didn’t revolve around Rudric. He didn’t consider himself an essential part of its flow or progress.

’With or without me, the world will move on just fine.’

He firmly believed that others had the strength to save themselves, even without him.

Therefore, forcing him to stay in Kyrn at the cost of immense energy was ultimately a futile gesture.

With that thought, Rudric vanished into thin air.

***

The Persona Gate, named the Core Gate by Baek Yu-Seol, could only allow about 50 mages to enter.

Though it was referred to as a Core Gate, it wasn’t a supermassive Persona Gate, so there were limitations on the number of participants.

However, Baek Yu-Seol thought even 50 people were more than enough.

In truth, he believed that 10 skilled mages would suffice.

But since he hadn’t yet entered the Core Gate himself, saying, ’We only need 10 people,’ wouldn’t have been very convincing.

Besides, wouldn’t having more people provide a stronger sense of security?

"It’s reassuring to know you’ll be leading the operation in person."

The expedition leader extended his hand for a handshake, and Baek Yu-Seol clasped it.

"The team is so skilled, I wonder if I’m even needed."

"Haha, our team is indeed excellent. I’ll leave it to you."

"Of course."

After spending a short time familiarizing himself with the team, Baek Yu-Seol led the 50 mages into the Core Gate.

Jeliel stood in the back with her arms crossed and a sulky expression as she watched the scene unfold.

’Why didn’t he take me?’

The expedition leader had given Baek Yu-Seol the freedom to select members for the team. It was clear that if there was someone he wanted, he could bring a few along.

Jeliel had secretly hoped he would take her, but Baek Yu-Seol had apologized with a regretful look on his face.

’It’s too dangerous here; I can’t take you.’

Jeliel had tried to argue back.

By now, she had been through enough dangerous Persona Gates to prove that she could handle herself.

’Does he not trust me?’

With such thoughts, she stared at the Persona Gate, her expression full of dissatisfaction.

From a distance, the expedition leader approached her.

"Nice to meet you. I never thought I’d see the Vice President of the Starcloud Trading Company in a place like this."

"Nice to meet you. I’m Jeliel."

When she extended her hand for a handshake, the expedition leader took it with a sheepish smile.

"You don’t seem very happy."

"...Is that so?"

Jeliel quickly adjusted her expression.

’Was my displeasure that obvious?’

Since when had she become so careless? No matter how upset or angry she was, maintaining a calm demeanor had always been one of her strengths.

At some point, her expressions had grown far too varied.

"Still," the expedition leader continued, "I think your current demeanor is much more human and pleasant than how you were before. Perhaps... it’s thanks to mage Baek Yu-Seol?"

When she didn’t respond, the expedition leader stepped up beside her and spoke again.

"To be honest, when there was one last spot left, he hesitated for quite a while. It was so frustrating to watch that I ended up asking him subtly, ’Why not just put Jeliel’s name down?’"

Flinch.

Jeliel, embarrassed that her feelings had been guessed, turned her head slightly to the other side.

"But in the end, Baek Yu-Seol didn’t do it. When I asked him why, he just smiled."

"...He smiled? And his answer?"

"He didn’t give one. Instead, he wrote down another team member’s name instead of yours."

Jeliel still couldn’t understand what that meant.

It didn’t make sense to her. If he hesitated over her name to that extent, there must have been a specific reason...

"Well, we don’t know, but maybe mage Baek Yu-Seol sensed something unsettling or felt a bad premonition."

With that, the expedition leader left.

Though Jeliel still felt dissatisfied, his words soothed her mood somewhat.

At the very least, she now knew Baek Yu-Seol had seriously thought about her.

’... Maybe he already knew what was inside and how dangerous it would be?’

There was no way to know what was inside a Persona Gate without first entering it.

Normally, that was the case.

But for some reason, Jeliel felt as though Baek Yu-Seol might already know. It was an odd thought, and even she couldn’t understand why she trusted him without any evidence.

***

Meanwhile, inside the Persona Gate, Baek Yu-Seol stood in front of the sight unfolding before him.

At that moment, he thought to himself once again that it was the right decision not to bring Jeliel.

"It’s... disgusting."

Even the team members were all composed of men.

"That’s right. It’s not every day you see monsters with tentacles."

"Argh! Burn them all!"

"Burning them is less effective than cutting them. Use wind magic..."

"Fire!!"

Whoosh! Boom!

As the tentacles thrashed wildly everywhere, the male mage team members panicked and started firing off magic at random. Tentacles were ripped apart, burned, and vanished into smoke.

As expected, the team was skilled, and they didn’t falter against mere tentacles. Still, you never know what might happen, right?

’Even though it’s just tentacles, the whole situation gives off a weird vibe... not like anything inappropriate would actually happen, but still...’

Those tentacle monsters were only interested in piercing human bodies to suck their blood, nothing else.

Despite that, Baek Yu-Seol couldn’t shake off an odd, lingering sense of unease. That’s why he had no choice but to leave Jeliel outside.

’I’m sorry, Jeliel. I’ll make it up to you with some good food when we get back.’