The Book Eating Magician Chapter 108:
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 fashion . 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 attitude 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 embarrassed 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 massive 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 passed 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, “Hello! 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 space 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 space, 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 assisted 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 scrap 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 surpassed 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 .