Chapter 144: Betrayer (3)

“Kuhk!”

She probably didn’t expect arrows to be fired three times in quick succession from a crossbow, especially since it was a relatively weak Wrist Crossbow, and even more so that it could pierce through her shield.

Tuberose twisted her arrow-impaled neck and pouted, but I had no intention of waiting quietly.

I swiftly swung the Unicorn Dagger that had been freed as the shield shattered.

“Hup!”

“Ahhh!”

Tuberose, deeply cut in both eyes. As she closed her emerald-green shining eyes and began to shed bloody tears, only then did the people who had been frozen regain their movements.

With arrows stuck in her neck and the implanted power in her eyes lost, it seemed she was incapacitated…but I had to make sure of it.

“Utcha.”

Not stopping here just in case, I proceeded to sever the tendons of her limbs.

Slash.

“Kyaaak! You bastard! How dare you, human!!”

“Ha! The standard racist fucking elf. Aam!”

Do you know the term “Royal Road”? It refers to the conventional plot progression that everyone knows how the next part will unfold, yet they enjoy watching it despite knowing.

Tuberose rolling on the ground right before my eyes is a good example.

An elf who, unable to love her own race, despises other races, isn’t that a kind of stereotype?

In Pangrave, there was a time when they lost the World Tree and their confidence and status plummeted, so there are no such racist elves…

Seeing one like this is really satisfying. Even the process of being hit by the arrow didn’t deviate by a hair from my expectations, so that satisfaction has doubled.

When things in the world fall into place just how I want them to, there’s always a peculiar thrill, isn’t there?

I threw a few low-grade potions at Lemon and Apple, who were making blank expressions from behind me.

“Take it.”

“Hey? What is this….”

“No way, don’t tell us you want to save her, Sir Jonah?”

“We need to find the place where Miss Eve is, so she can’t die.”

I shrugged once and slyly lifted the corners of my mouth into a grin.

“So make sure she doesn’t die. Yeah. It’s fine as long as she doesn’t die.”

“As expected, Sir Jonah. You really thought this through.”

“I’ll keep her life on the line for you, so don’t worry.”

Lemon and Apple understood my words and smiled slyly. Tuberose’s face twisted in a snarl, but that’s not my concern.

With the sudden neutralization of the ringleader, silence spread over the battlefield. Receiving everyone’s concentrated gazes, I calmly adjusted my attire. ℟

I raised my collar, rolled up my sleeves for ease of movement, and loosened my tie appropriately.

I went all out to match the dress code and wear nice clothes, and what is this?

I let out a long sigh and then spread my arms wide as if to show off.

“Just in case, I’m asking, does anyone have a pact with One Who Devours the Twilight besides Tuberose?”

“Uh, no! I don’t know why Mother did that, but…at least neither I nor anyone else is involved!”

Rosemary refuted, shedding tears mixed with frustration and sorrow. The other elves nodded in agreement toward her.

I nodded approvingly at their expressions.

“Then you have to prove it.”

“…?”

“What are you doing? Now that your body is moving, you can go and fight.”

Even at this moment, the leader-Mentor, with flaming wings sprouting from her back, was burning Benny’s magic. I smirked at Tania as I spoke.

“If you can just buy me some time, that will be enough. I’ll believe in your innocence.”

Tania frowned slightly and gave an order to One Who Devours the Twilight.

“…The collaborator is dead. Now there is no reason for us to hold back. All means are permitted. Defeat all the obstacles here and reclaim the Power of the World Tree. All is for the Goddess of Love.”

“For the Goddess of Love!”

With cries that fully convey the heat of fanaticism, changes occur on the once stagnant battlefield.

It is fortunate that the elves who have regained their freedom, especially Rosmary, took the lead in launching the offensive.

One Who Devours the Twilight’s response was incredibly bizarre.

An already dead heretic emitted a grayish light from within, became undead, and rose again.

The severely injured individuals swallowed red pills, then embraced others with similar wounds, merging into one as they were.

Those who swiftly shed their human forms rush toward me all at once.

Lydia and Benny are each holding onto a Mentor-class one.

In the end, it means that elves who rely on Rosemary and their team power need to protect me. I’m not a proper combatant, so I probably can’t hold out for long.

But that’s enough.

“Hoo.”

Lightly exhaling, I fumbled with the fully upgraded Goddess Statue I had with me.

Though it is emanating a subtle sacred power, it probably can’t become a small Sanctuary. Because I already used up all of its energy for today to defeat Minotauros.

Moreover, since everyone is targeting and watching only me, I probably can’t make proper use of even my most powerful remaining ability of concealment.

But I still have a shot up my sleeve.

I close my eyes for a moment and concentrate my mind. My senses expand so widely that it can envelop the entire banquet hall. The events unfolding within feel as clear as if they were in the palm of my hand.

I entrust myself to the omnipotence created by the expansion of my senses and unleash all the remaining divine power into Basilieus.

Since it is the power of the already dead World Tree, it cannot cause qualitative growth…but simply increasing the scale should be possible.

Woosh.

All the trees that were planted to decorate this banquet hall like a forest respond to my will, extending their branches and roots.

Basilieus is the power that promotes all kinds of growth, especially the growth of plants.

However, in this process, it was possible to grow them to a certain degree in the shapes and natures I desired.

Countless trees intertwined with each other, becoming thick and sharp thorns. And.

Whoosh!

The large lump of flesh, no longer to be called human, is impaled by thorns and fixed to the ground.

The undead, having forgotten their pain and charging forward, become entangled in the small vines sprouting from the giant thorns, unable to move a single finger.

Of course, I couldn’t defeat all the Mentee-class heretics. There were simply too many, and I was inexperienced in using the Power in this manner.

However, it was sufficient support for the slightly faltering elves to regain their momentum.

“Battle imposed by the World Tree….”

“I thought it was something only seen in history.”

“No. We are now standing in the very heart of that history!”

Perhaps it’s because the battle was overturned by the power of the World Tree above all else. Seeing their overflowing enthusiasm, it seems I don’t need to worry about them anymore.

Now, all that’s left is to help Lydia and Benny deal with the Mentor-class.

“Benny. How much longer can you hold out?”

“To be honest, it’s tough. If Shadow was okay…”

“Okay. Hold on.”

This time, I need to concentrate a bit more. I pause my breathing for a moment and fully immerse my consciousness inward.

My heart. Deeper than that, I gaze deeply into my soul, which resides even further within.

Among the Powers united with my soul, the currently active and thus brightest power. I extract the power of Basilieus to its fullest and concentrate it on a single point.

Towards the Ash Tree Crown placed on my head, not the surrounding trees nor my body.

I don’t know if it will succeed. Though it’s a manifestation of a Power, I chose it based on the vague feeling that if it’s a tree, then perhaps it’s possible.

Fortunately, I was right.

Thud-

A much louder sound than when I manipulated all the trees in the banquet hall, resounded. A far more threatening feeling, reminiscent of a gigantic oak tree collapsing.

At the same time, the crown worn on my head grows and covers my entire body.

Thus, the completed form strikingly resembles the King of Thorns, who was the Floor Guardian of the first floor.

Since this is an extension of Power, it is not a mere wooden armor. To put it precisely, it feels more like an armored suit that strengthens and protects the entire body.

“That appearance….”

Benny’s mouth dropped open, and I waved my hand towards her.

“That’s enough, so please focus on the battle. When the time comes, please counterattack immediately.”

Perhaps because I was also wearing a helmet made of thorns on my face. My voice resonates deeply. Thinking that it exuded a strange sense of intimidation, I nodded in satisfaction and pounded the ground.

Fuhong!

The sunken terrain and the rapidly accelerating landscape.

My leg strength hasn’t necessarily improved, nor has my agility grown a few levels.

I just directly manipulated the armor of thorns with Basilieus’s power to move more forcefully.

With just a few steps, I surged into the battlefield and arrived where Lydia, Shadow, and the iron-armed Mentor were clashing.

Shadow, engulfed in the flames of the Phoenix, had its regenerative ability sharply diminished, and therefore unable to fight properly or escape, while Lydia was in a situation where she couldn’t fully demonstrate her own abilities because she was protecting and fighting alongside Shadow.

In the meantime, I suddenly intervened and embraced Shadow.

–Grrrr?!

Shadow, realizing that the fire clinging to its body was dangerous, was startled and tried to move away, but.

“It’s okay.”

The thorny armor draped over my body may appear to be wood, but strictly speaking, it’s not genuine wood but a part of my Power.

In other words, it cannot be burned easily, and even if it does, it can regenerate endlessly.

“So, give it all to me.”

I scraped off all the outer parts of Shadow’s amorphous body with my thorns.

As the flesh ignited with fire fell away, Shadow regained its original form. At the same time, my body began to blaze fiercely while still wearing the armor of thorns.

Crackle!

The Phoenix flames transferred from Shadow to me will not extinguish until Tania dies or I remove this heavy armor.

Then, what I need to do is clear.

With my entire body ablaze, I charged towards the iron-armed Mentor that Lydia was handling alone.

Like pulling back a bowstring, I retracted my clenched fist. And then.

“Fire Punch!”

The burning fist was swung towards iron-armed heretic.